Fan Favorite G1 Transformer Dies In New Event

IDW’s newly-launched Transformers vs. Visionaries event crosses over the world of the robots in disguise with a rebooted Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light, merging the two universes and bringing Visionaries‘ two factions of knights, the Spectral Knights and the Darkling Lords, to Cybertron where the knights are refugees following the destruction of Prysmos.

The first issue of the event kicks off with Virulina of the Darkling Lords murdering a fan-favorite G1 Transformer who appeared in the beloved Transformers: The Movie — and the fallen bot won’t be the only one to perish by event’s end, as teased by its creators.

In the final moments of Transformers vs. Visionaries #1 — spoilers — Virulina kills Kup, propelling the series.

“I’m a longtime Transformers fan. I grew up on the G2 stuff that was airing when I was a kid, and watched the old movie on an ancient VHS endlessly, so I have an incredible love for that curmudgeon,” writer Magdalene Visaggio told SYFY.

“But I hadn’t been keeping up to date with the comics – Transformers continuity is a ridiculously complicated minefield – so I didn’t realize how much the character had grown. Despite that, I knew right away that killing Kup of all people was a massive responsibility, and I wanted to center the first issue on him as much as I could, to make his farewell mean something. He died trying to be the better man. Kup is always calling on people to be better. To me, that made it feel like it was worth a damn.”

Kup’s death “definitely shifts the story into high gear in a great way,” added artist Fico Ossio, with assistant editor David Mariotte noting the crossover series “needed to have real, concrete stakes that would resonate for readers new and old.”

“And he’s not going to be the only one to die before all this is over,” Visaggio teased. “This is a high-stakes story that is going to have long-term consequences for the IDW G1 franchise.”

Asked if fans might find Kup’s death unworthy as it comes at the hands of a near-forgotten Hasbro property, Visaggio said Kup died “trying to make sure the Cybertron they’re building represents their highest ideals.”

“The Visionaries are a freakish, unexpected new situation that Kup is navigating to the best of his considerable ability,” Visaggio explained. “On top of that, Cybertron is still recovering from its own series of disasters and trying to forge a new identity, and Kup’s sacrifice is a part of that process.”

“He died upholding what he believed in and stood for,” Ossio said. “I reckon that’s a hero’s death.”

“Folks will absolutely have to read this series, as well as what is coming, to see,” said editor Sarah Gaydos. “Kup’s sacrifice is extremely noble, and I think before he was murdered, he had a sense of what was a stake. Cybertron is literally on the line.”

Transformers vs. Visionaries #2 hits shelves in February.