Aw Yeah Revolution! issue 2

Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	June 21, 2017
Cover date	March 2017
Written by	Art Baltazar
Art by	Art Baltazar
Letters by	Art Baltazar
Editor	David Hedgecock
Assistant editor	David Mariotte

The newly-empowered Baron Karza menaces Earth, joining forces with Cobra against our heroes.

Synopsis

Baron Karza uses the Orbsah Gem to absorb the powers of his captives, Optimus Prime, Rom, and Snake Eyes. No sooner has he completed this task than his enemies the Micronauts come smashing into his headquarters—but with his new stolen abilities, Karza is more than a match for all of them. Calling upon Optimus's powers, Karza increases his body in size and transforms his arm into a spiked mallet to take on Biotron. While Karza is distracted in battle, however, the diminutive Microtron slips by him and deactivates the hovering forcefield bubbles holding his prisoners. When Prime, Rom, and Snake Eyes make contact with the ground, tremors begin rocking the area; the mass of the three larger beings, the Micronauts explain, is disrupting the molecular stability of subatomic Microspace. Upon hearing this, Karza immediately deems his home universe of no further use, and opens a portal to escape through. Optimus Prime reaches out to grab him as he makes his getaway...

Somewhere on Earth, Cobra ninja Storm Shadow meditates on a mountain peak close to a secret Cobra headquarters. Suddenly, Karza's portal opens in the sky overhead... and Optimus Prime comes tumbling through, with Karza clutched in his fist!

Back in Microspace, Acroyear uses his sword to hold Karza's portal open, giving Snake Eyes and Rom through time to jump through. They too arrive in the mountains near the Cobra base, but discover that time flows differently between the two dimensions: though they only lost sight of Prime and Karza a few seconds ago, enough time has passed on Earth for Karza to help Cobra defeat and capture Optimus Prime! Storm Shadow engages Snake Eyes in battle, always eager for a chance to settle the longstanding rivalry between himself and his old sword-brother, and knocks him down the mountain. Rom and Acroyear step in to help; the space knight opens fire his with Neutralizer and shields himself from Storm Shadow's blows with his forcefield, allowing Acroyear to swoop in and zap him with his sword. Storm Shadow is sent tumbling down the mountain by the blast, and meets Snake Eyes at the bottom, ready to resume their fight. But before they can lock swords once more, a hatchway opens in the ground, and from the Cobra base beneath, Optimus Prime emerges... now under the control of the ruthless terrorist organization, and on a mission to destroy his former friends!

Meanwhile, out in space, an asteroid draws close to Earth—an asteroid carrying a group of Dire Wraiths, who have tracked Rom to the planet and are ready to destroy him!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	G.I. Joe	Cobra	Others
Optimus Prime (1)	Snake Eyes (3)	Storm Shadow (10) Cobra troopers (11)	Rom (2) Baron Karza (4) Biotron (5) Acroyear (6) Space Glider (7) Andromeda (8) Microtron (9) Dire Wraiths (12)

Notes

Originally solicited for release in March 2017, this issue arrives exceptionally late, in June. This likely has something to do with the fact the series was initially announced as five issues in length, but has (as is given away by this issue's "To Be Concluded" tag) been reduced to three, a more traditional number for Baltazar mini-series.

Covers (3)

Regular cover: Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow fight, with Karza and Andromeda caught between them, and Optimus Prime behind, by Art Baltazar
Subscription cover: Baron Karza tries to get his Snake Eyes "collectible" signed at a convention, by Jay P. Fosgitt
Retailer incentive cover: Karza and Cobra Commander staredown, by Franco Aureliani