Destro, Vol. 1: The Enemy

Destro #1-5

by Dan Watters, Andrei Bressan (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Color Artist)

For Fans of COBRA COMMANDER – DESTRO has major ambitions now that Energon has been discovered, but he’ll have to balance keeping his allies close while crushing his enemies to maintain his power.

THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE COBRA THREAT BEGINS HERE. James McCullen Destro XXIV is the man behind M.A.R.S. Industries, the undisputed leader in providing high-tech weapons to world powers...for the right price. But the emergence of Energon has changed everything. As Destro’s ambitions grow, the “Crimson Twins” Tomax and Xamot Paoli emerge to destroy their competition, and Cobra Commander realizes his current ally could be his future greatest enemy. Acclaimed writer Dan Watters (Loki, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!) and artist Andrei Bressan (Dark Ride, Birthright) change the balance of power in the Energon Universe forever.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Thriller, Action, War

120 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2024

About the author

Dan Watters is a UK based comic book writer. His first book, LIMBO, was released through Image Comics in 2016. He has since written THE SHADOW at Dynamite Comics, and ASSASSIN’S CREED and WOLFENSTEIN for Titan Comics.

Currently he is writing the relaunch of LUCIFER for Vertigo’s Sandman Universe, as well as DEEP ROOTS for Vault Comics. Deeply rooted in London Town, and firmly of the Devil's party.

Reviews

[Jim Ef · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10
Unlike "Cobra Commander" this doesn't immediately establish the main character as someone who you don't want to mess with. Destro suffers some blows, he has his position questioned. Eventually you do see who he really is. A very smart bad guy who you shouldn't play games with.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

EN Although I gave "Cobra Commander, Vol. 1" the same rating, I feel that Dan Watters managed to achieve something here that Joshua Williamson didn’t with Cobra Commander. While the latter does eventually become the leader of the organisation known as Cobra, that story never really conveys why he’s the undisputed leader. In contrast, this volume makes it clear why Destro is the character he is.

Destro is the leader of M.A.R.S., a terrorist organisation that also happens to be one of the world’s top weapons manufacturers. And here we truly understand what sets him apart: an extraordinary strength and resilience, despite being, ultimately, just a man.

I really enjoyed this work, and I believe it helps lay a solid foundation for what’s to come in this new universe.

--

PT Apesar de ter atribuído a mesma pontuação a "Cobra Commander, Vol. 1", sinto que Dan Watters conseguiu aqui alcançar algo que Joshua Williamson não conseguiu com o Comandante Cobra. Embora este último acabe por se tornar o líder da organização conhecida como Cobra, nessa história nunca se percebe realmente o porquê de ser ele o líder incontestado. Já neste volume, fica claro porque é que Destro é a figura que é.

Destro é o líder da M.A.R.S., uma organização terrorista que também é uma das maiores fabricantes de armamento do mundo. E aqui percebemos exatamente o que o distingue: uma força e resiliência fora do comum, apesar de, no fundo, ser apenas um homem.

Gostei bastante desta obra e acho que contribui de forma sólida para pavimentar o caminho do que está para vir neste novo universo.

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book of introducing Destro to the Transformers/GI JOE universe. I was wondering how Destro was going to be presented. I think he was done correctly.

Destro has tested his latest weapons taking over a country. However, what should have been a promotion of M.A.R.S. Industries kicks off a war between the warmongers.how does COBRA Commander play into this, and could there be an even bigger threat?

Interesting another piece has fallen into place. Though he is evil, the book did manage to show Destro's twisted sense of honour. The epilogue of the book promises more surprises.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth miniseries leading up to the launch of the new G.I. Joe title is another banger of a volume. I can’t wait to see how the ongoing series builds on these. With Destro all the pieces are in place, Cobra has now been formed and is a force to be reckoned with.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This really shows how and why Cobra comes together. Destro and his company M.A.R.S. and all the tech he makes with energon from Cobra Commander, the twins Tomax and Xamot and their company, Extensive Enterprises and Astoria Carlton-Ritz who runs Hybrid Technologies. After trying to take each other out, they realize they need to work together to deal with what’s coming. Like robots that can transform into jets. Solid stuff.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when war goes to war with itself? Head of MARS Destro finds out when his company comes under assault from all sides, and only a shaky alliance and a little help from Cobra Commander can keep things in line.

Again, I'm not very up on GI Joe stuff, but I'm loving these little side stories. I know they're just moving pieces around before GI Joe itself kicks off properly, but it's nice to see all these little things coming together, and they're fun in their own way. Destro's inner musings are interesting, if psychopathic, and the maneouvrings in the latter issues are both politically savvy for him, and satisfying for the reader too because you just know there's going to be plenty of double-crosses later on.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite villain. He shows why he is the master of strategy and deception in this mini series. Great lead in to the main GI Joe Energon title

[Benji Glaab · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Arms racing and weapon development, but not as good as Lord of War. Destro is in a fierce competition with the Crimson Twins to utilize energon and fulfill weapons contracts with Cobra commander. Everyone has ambitions and is cut throat in this story. But with typical G.I. Joe fashion it's all so over the top and very hard to take seriously. I'm not really drinking the cool aid of this section of the Energon universe. I might try another Joe title but I'm losing faith at this point.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

There wasn’t much to chew on here, even though Destro *really* loves to talk about himself.

2.5/5

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whereas I enjoyed the two action-packed miniseries Duke and Scarlett as both of which give you an idea about what Joshua Williamson is going to bring to his G.I. Joe series, Cobra Commander and Destro do a much better job when it comes to the world-building of the Energon Universe. As seen in Daniel Warren Johnson’s Transformers run, the giant mechanical robots’ presence has left an impact on Earth, with Cobra Commander getting a hold of some Energon and laying the foundation for Cobra itself. And then, there is Destro.

As explored in his own five-issue miniseries, James McCullen Destro XXIV is the man behind M.A.R.S. Industries, the undisputed leader in providing high-tech weapons to world powers for the right price. But the emergence of Energon has changed everything, as along with doing business with Cobra, Destro’s ambitions grow, much to the chagrin of his competition, the “Crimson Twins” Tomax and Xamot Paoli.

Considering we had 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra in which Destro was the main villain despite not knowing the mask for most of the movie, there are times from reading this comic that I was reminded of that movie. Being the descendant of a family that is all about selling weapons, Destro seems driven to follow the legacy of his ancestors, though the arms-dealing world has a new component in the shape of Energon. We even got a flashback set in the 17th century that explains the origin of the mask that would define the Destro Clan.

In terms of the story itself, it is most clear when it focuses on the rivalry between Destro and the Crimson Twins, both of which have their own ideologies of what real power is, from the former believing in superior firepower, to the latter believing in superior manpower. Whatever the case, they are both after the same thing, which is who will benefit during a time of war. With no good guys to really root for, you are spending time in the company of nasty, if compelling people who are all about screwing one another. Writer Dan Watters is moving a lot of parts, which can be hard to follow including a whole subplot about a rogue A.I., and no doubt these aspects are to set up the wider Energon Universe.

Whereas Cobra Commander is drawn to almost look like a horror story, Destro is all about war and Andrei Bressan’s highly detailed art really conveys that in the action which are big and explosive, no matter outlandish with the likes of battle android troopers and other toyetic characters. Although there is a change of artist with Cobra Commander’s Andrea Milana drawing just one issue, which might be the high point that goes from an action sequence featuring the Chameleon, a historical flashback and an interrogation with a key character that is going to become important later.

Whilst Destro works at its own thing from being a twisted character piece and a high-tech perspective on the arms-dealing world, the world-building that coincides with the other Energon Universe titles gave me chills, not least will an epic final page. Having now read all four miniseries, I am so pumped for G.I. Joe.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not being a huge fan of G.I. Joe back in the 80's, Destro was always a confusing character for me. I wondered, who is this guy who is constantly challenging Cobra Commander? Then I told myself this: Destro is to Cobra Commander as Starscream is to Megatron (which is even more hilarious when you remember Chris Latta).
Obviously, Destro is much more than that, and this first Volume works to establish his place in the new Energon Universe. From arms dealer to the world to joining COBRA, we see the start of it all. Didn't love this one as much as the others, but I guess We'll see how things factor in.
Recommend.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it answers the question of the origin of Destro's metal face, it fails to answer the more important question of where did Destro get that gigantic stone he wears on a necklace upon a well-shaven chest?

Jokes aside, I like that we get to see how all these capitalist, corporate factions unite under the (fanatic) banner of Cobra.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of fun. Dan Watters threads the needle between the horrors of war and smashing action figures together better than the other Energon books. Although, it certainly helps that Destro enjoys the wanton destruction he causes.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[James P. Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for GI Joe.

[Markus Seaberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting book about a very interesting villain.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

"If you've seen one illegal arms fair, you've seen them all." (Astoria Carlton-Ritz)

Perhaps. But what about an nth-generation, warmongering psychopath from the Highlands? Or ruthless, sociopathic businessmen with a private army?

DESTRO rounds on the sometimes-strange and sometimes-ironical mental computations made by characters indigenous to a sci-fi universe that's hasn't had a breath of fresh air in a decade or two. The glory and folly of books like these are such that their raucous action and remarkable characters are frequently (inevitably) stymied by shallow narrative eventualities. Destro is a weapons dealer too smart to realize he's beset on all sides by sniveling defectors and deserters. The twins who run Extensive Enterprises, Xamot and Tomax, are too obsessed with charting success to realize they've lost touch with battlefield evolutions. Astoria is hungry for someone, anyone, who can clean up her own messes. Meanwhile, lurking in the background, Cobra Commander shrugs his shoulders and allies with whomever is closest to coming out on top.

Readers should not enter this comic book hoping for the sharp revival of an occasionally purposeful but culturally sidelined villain. Expectations should be moderate. When an illegal weapons expo, hosted by Destro, goes up in smoke, there's plenty of blame to go around. Destro would love to spend his free time perfecting a legion of autonomous soldiers (courtesy of some Energon, gifted by Cobra), but he's got business competition, annoying relatives, and a handful of assassins to worry about. DESTRO is about the fuzzy interrelations that arise when an arms dealer struggles to find good help.

The comic makes a point of emphasizing Destro himself as a brilliant but deeply paranoid engineer and weapons smith. The problem, however, is that readers only witness loose and fragmented consequences of his so-called brilliance: reactionary war tactics; weapons that attack allies; faulty territorial security; a habit of collecting atomic weaponry. Narratively, this problem translates into a rambling course of events that feels intriguing but ultimately bears very low stakes. Destro, as a markedly imperfect individual, would make for a more compelling character study if his failures weren't so glaring and so numerous. The character's cleverness saves his life more often than his technical know-how.

DESTRO feels like an accidental side story, rather than a focused observation of a critical enemy of the good. The writing is often best when Destro goes into monologue mode and lambastes the modern military industrial complex for its corporate and political bedfellows, but such moments are few and far between. And although the psychopath in the metal mask appears to succeed in the end, the comic's anticlimactic conclusion feels less dramatic than it probably should.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cobra Commander gives weapons dealer Destro some Energon to make his Battle Android Troopers (BATs) work - who then immediately uses his new robot army to stage a coup of the nation of Darklonia! But rival gun runners want what Destro has and the metal-faced baldy has to fight for his right to party.

The latest uninspired GI Joe spinoff is Destro, who looks like a giant trophy for a gay Dracula contest. And, like a lot of these one-and-done Joe books, the story is very weak and superfluous to the overall Energon Universe series.

I didn’t know anything about Destro before this book and I don’t know much more having read this - but then there’s not that much to know. Apparently he’s Scottish and we get the origin of the metal mask from ye olde days, though I don’t understand what he’s got in the present. His face is very malleable, almost like he’s not wearing a metal mask at all and has painted his head silver for some reason, but it’s prolly a magic alloy right yeah that’s it uh huh.

It’s not a badly written or drawn comic - Dan Watters’ script is readable and generally clear, while Andrei Bressan and Andrea Milana’s art is fine; I liked that Destro’s shit-eating grin ends a couple of issues, which was funny in a meme-worthy way - it’s just not a very interesting story: various unlikeable weapons manufacturers squabble the whole time to no real effect.

Destro, Volume 1: The Enemy is an unnecessary addition to the Energon Universe line and an unmemorable comic in itself.

[Joseph R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a continuation of the Energon Universe storyline, James McCullen Destro XXIV is a high-tech arms dealer whose family has a long tradition of selling weapons to any and everyone who is willing to pay. He has some competition, as any business would, but he has a star client in Cobra, an up and coming military force trying to sew war all over the world in hopes of achieving world domination. Before that can happen, Destro has to reckon with several competitors, especially Tomax and Xamot Paoli, the "Crimson Twins" who offer highly-trained soldiers to whoever will pay. They naturally want to muscle in on the high-tech end of the business, which makes Destro a prime target. Especially when he hosts an arms sales convention in an Eastern European country he has just taken over, putting his cousin on the throne. When the convention gets attacked (and the twins didn't even show up for the convention), a war breaks out among the weapons manufacturers of the world. Can Destro come out on top?

I played with the G. I. Joe figures of the 1980s and Destro was my favorite villain back then. He's given a lot more backstory here, which is good and handled well. The whole conflict between various villains is not so interesting--obviously readers are meant to root for Destro and he does have some clever tactics. But there's a lot of scientific nonsense and less than convincing alliances among characters. The plot became dramatically unconvincing about half-way through the book. I was very underwhelmed by this and am bailing out on the series. Sorry, G. I. Joes!

Not recommended.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV runs M.A.R.S. Industries, a global leader in arms manufacturing. Backed by Cobra Commander's surreptitious source of Energon, Destro is poised to be the most powerful arms dealer in the world. Leveraging his influence to topple the government of Darklonia and installing his own puppet ruler, Destro sets the stage to take a fully monopoly on global arms deals. His only competition comes from the Crimson Twins, a pair of ruthless South America dealers who operate the rival Extensive Enterprises. What ensues is a major geopolitical conflict between Destro and the Crimson Twins, with Destro's various alliances being challenged to decide whether working with Destro is worth it at all.

A solid intro to a major player in the Energon Universe, with ramifications from this miniseries meant to lead into future stories down the line involving the G.I. Joe side of things. At times, the story was a little too much about set up rather than establishing its own self-contained story. Destro, as a character, remains a bit of an enigma, though Watters sprinkles in enough to keep the reader invested. I particularly enjoyed Destro's drab and dark sense of humor, which I hope is retained in future installments. Andrei Bressan on the art duties was solid too, with the design on Destro and his mecha soldiers being the particular highlight.

[Ma'Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never in my adult life did I think I would be reading, much less enjoying, G.I. Joe comic books, but here we are. For some reason, the producers of this new shared Energon Universe are opting not to even use that name in the branding or storyline.

I don't think I regularly watched the cartoon based on these action dolls known initially for their many articulated joints and Barbie-style swappable outfits and accessories, nor did I own the toys, (I was given a variety of other types of action figures from other IPs, usually of characters I'd never heard of, and usually from garage sales or hand-me-downs from an older, more well-off cousin.) so I vaguely recall some of the names and character designs, they're not super nostalgic for me as a child of the '80s and early '90s.

Out of all the titles I've been reading in this newly-launched world, this one might be my favorite so far, with Scarlett, Vol. 1: Special Mission as a close second. I'm finding these characters much easier to get to know than those in Transformers, and Void Rivals was more of a slow burn story.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This new 'Energon Universe' is weird...

As a Destro origin? Pretty good.
As another vague piece in the Transformers/G.I. Joe - Energon Universe? Meh

We get the origins of Destro (or the Laird of Castle Destro). Turns out his family sells arms...to anyone. The metal mask is their form of penance and a Scarlet Letter to let everybody know what they've done. Modern day Destro runs M.A.R.S. Industries and has cozied up to Cobra Commander. C.C. is supplying him with this newly discovered Energon to fuel his robot soldiers (B.A.T.S.).

Only problem is that the Energon powers them, but they kill EVERYTHING they're pointed at

(cue up an appearance by those annoying twins Tomax and Xamot who STill finish each others sentences)
5 issues of backstabbing and corporate(?) subterfuge and other trickery...

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

"He acted as you predicted. He did indeed launch nuclear armaments to impress a woman."

Yeah, that sounds like Destro, alright. Never change, you smooth-talkin' metal noggin.

I liked pitting MARS and Extensive against each other even though you know the obvious alliance under Cobra had to happen in the end. Wasn't really a fan of Bressan's art, especially with faces. Milana did a better job of making Destro look sinister. Astoria's involvement felt too much like an awkward Baroness replacement since they're going a different direction with that character at the moment.

[Shannon Schmelzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destro is the final GI Joe miniseries to be done before the launch of that title and I think it is the best since the first, Duke.

This all villain extravaganza was a real fun romp. You've got Destro, Cobra Commander, Tomax and Xamot, Chameleon, the B.A.T.s,

I really enjoyed digging into Destro's backstory and learning about his ancestor and "why" he wears the mask. But what, I think, works best in this mini is that it shows the bad guys coming together in a much better way then the Cobra Commander miniseries did.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Destro is such an insane character. Comes from a family of crazy war enthusiasts; is incredibly business smart and got rich because of it; takes over an entire nation and gifts it to his cousin; burns a iron mask on the face of that very same cousin; collects nuclear warheads as a hobby; has an army of killer robots; and in the end gets the girl.

With this volume, I feel like the Energon Universe really starts to open up fully. I am SO READY to be a part of the ride. Excited to see where it drops me off next.

[Davide Pappalardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

Destro and M.A.R.S are fleshed out as their own entity, showing us how the relationship with COBRA is not one of servitude. The origin story of Clan DESTRO is the same as the classic version and that’s good, and we get to know the Crimson Guard and the twins Xamot and Tomax as reimagined charachters, too. It is nice to see how the campiness inherent to G.I Joe universe is preserverd, but at the same time things are expanded into a more coherent and interlinked lore.

[Travis Duke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not great. I like the Destro back story, even if it is a little thin, not much history but some small bits. This is more of a COBRA formation book about how Destro and Cobra Commander built COBRA. It had some cool moments and plenty of action for sure. I liked all the tech details with the BATS and weapons, that was really cool. Lots of characters to enjoy like the twins, Scrap-Iron, and mercer. A cool book but was hoping for more I suppose. Art is fine, nothing amazing.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Destro was written in the same light as the Cobra Commander comic I recently read. It is a reboot. But I like this rather odd, more sci-fi heavy version of events. This is the origin story for Destro. We see his history and his conflict with Xamot and Tomax. I found it interesting as to how all these people ended up meeting and joining with Cobra Commander.

Interesting story and good art. This entire new GI Joe reboot seems cool.

[A.E. Stueve · Rating 3 out of 5]

In our current state of global crisis, enjoying a graphic novel about an arms dealer battling other arms dealers for arms dealer dominance may seem somewhat out of touch. But sorry, not sorry, a story with a guy wearing a metal helmet, another guy wearing a metal helmet, and twins that literally physcially feel what each other feels, is awesome. I said what I said.

[Bryan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this 4 stars, not as a piece of great literature, but as an old-school GI Joe fan. Dan Watters' book does great justice in crafting a more three dimensional Destro than we ever got from the 80s cartoons or comics (as awesome as they both were). This was a fun and engaging romp. The Energon Universe so far has been a blast, and I am looking forward to reading more from it!