Sonic the Comic Issue 42


 * Managing Editor: Richard Burton
 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designers: Gary Knight
 * Assistant Editor: Audrey Wong
 * Publisher: Rob McMenemy

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Ice Cap Attack, Part 2"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: M. Hadley & J. Burns
 * Lettering: Steve Potter

Synopsis
Sonic and Knuckles come across a man-made egg-shaped igloo in the middle of the Ice Cap Zone. Sonic smashes through the wall and, sure enough, Doctor Robotnik is inside. With the push of a button he traps the pair of heroes in a beam of light, which will burn them to a crisp if they try to pass through. Robotnik explains his evil plan: using his new Inter-Zone technology to send badnik armies between zones, crush any resistance, and turn the native populations into slaves.

Finally tired of Robotnik's talking, Knuckles takes action, tunnelling into the floor and out of the trap (although Sonic had wanted to escape himself). Knuckles smashes the Penguinator badniks while Sonic destroys the new Inter-Zone technology, although Robotnik himself escapes in a Egg-O-Matic. Sonic and Knuckles quickly usher all the freed animals back through the portal to Mobius. Once they are through, Knuckles declares that their truce is over, and orders Sonic not to trespass on the Floating Island again.

Back in the Green Hill Zone, it starts to snow. Sonic wishes everyone a Merry Christmas (except for egg-shaped bad guys, that is)!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Porker Lewis
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Amy Rose
 * Badniks:
 * Penguinators
 * Star Pointers
 * Captive animals:
 * A lion
 * A dog
 * A bear
 * A penguin
 * A bird
 * Others

Trivia

 * Although the text claims that the opening of the story is set in the Hill Top Zone, the art closely resembles the Green Hill Zone.

Streets of Rage - "The Only Game in Town, Part 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Peter Richardson
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Three cops discuss getting fifteen-to-one odds on an unknown gambling event. The youngest, Dan, asks an older cop by the name of Feroccio if he wants in. The other two cops quickly pull him away, because Feroccio isn't "one of the guys".

Axel, Blaze, Skates, and Max are surrounded by city gangs. One gang member leaps for them, only to be quickly disabled by Blaze and pulled back by his friends. That isn't the way Mr X wants it anyway. The gang members are clearly planning something. Axel suggests attacking them, then at least it'll be over quickly, but Blaze rejects his idea as suicide. Just then, the gangs pull back.

Feroccio beats on Dan until the crooked cop explains: Mr X is running a book and taking bets about how far Axel, Blaze and Max are going to get before the gangs kill them.

Tails - "Hero of Mobius"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Carl Flint
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
Sonic is telling the other Freedom Fighters about his adventures, smashing badniks. He finishes a story about destroying a Rhinobot by saying all the other Freedom Fighters also did a good job... except that Tails wasn't actually there for that adventure. Instead he was pulling "one of [his] famous vanishing acts". Tails protests that he wasn't afraid, but can't explain why he wasn't there.

Tails runs off. He remembers writing home to his family in the Nameless Zone, claiming to be the hero of Mobius and that Sonic was his sidekick. He remembers being called home, fighting the monstrous Trogg to stop him and his armies from crossing the Dimension Bridge. He won, but it was a fluke, and now his people summon him back whenever there's a problem.

Johnny Lightfoot calls for Tails. There's a build-up of badniks in the Hill Top Zone. Tails is really excited to go, but he is suddenly called away yet again by the Enchanter Kings, who open up the portal to the Nameless Zone in order to find him.

Ten minutes later, Johnny is confused. Tails seemed so keen. Sonic decides they have to leave without him, and tell him all about it afterwards... as usual!

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Porker Lewis
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Amy Rose
 * Enchanter Kings
 * Trogg

Continuity

 * Tails recalls his previous adventures in the Nameless Zone: "The Nameless Zone" from Sonic the Comic #16 to #17, "The Land Beyond" from Sonic the Comic #18 to #21, and "The Morbidden Hunt" from Sonic the Comic #28 to #31. In fact, an editorial comment refers readers specifically (and incorrectly) to "STC 16-20,28-31". In particular, Tails has a flashback to the events of "The Nameless Zone", and his first battle with Trogg.
 * Tails' adventures when he is called away at the end of this story are never depicted (unless this story leads in to "The Land Beyond").
 * The Freedom Fighters are using Bob Beaky's Travelling Circus as their new base, after being kicked out of their secret underground headquarters in Sonic the Comic #38. Sonic's Bob Beaky disguise (including his fake beak and hat) can be seen in the caravan. Tails' bi-plane can also be seen nearby.

Knuckles - "Carnival Night Conspiracy, Part 4"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
Knuckles has agreed to let the Marxio Brothers keep their Carnival Night Zone on the Floating Island, and in turn they have made him the zone's "marketing consultant" and offered him a cut of the profits (so that he can renovate the older parts of the Floating Island). Knuckles doesn't see the need for an office, though, even if he does get a TV.

Later, the Marxios discuss amongst themselves what they're going to do with Knuckles. Grouchio says they'll just wait until his guard is down, "then it's goodnight echidna!" Suddenly, a badnik patrol radios in that Knuckles has left the zone. Chicio knows that this'll make Doctor Robotnik mad, so the Marxios go to stop him. Knuckles says he still has to destroy Robotnik's Launch Base Zone and kick Robotnik out, leading Chicio to wonder (out loud) who is going to pay the Carnival Night Zone's running costs after Robotnik is gone.

With Knuckles now aware that the Marxios are working for Robotnik, they decide the only option left is to terminate him. Turning their flying vehicle into combat mode, they fire a barrage of missiles at him, then smash him under a giant fist. When the dust settles, Knuckles is out cold...

Appearances

 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Marxio Brothers (Grouchio, Chicio, Harpio)

Continuity

 * Knuckles finally discovers that the Marxio Brothers are working for Robotnik.

Trivia

 * On the first page of this story, Grouchio is incorrectly referred to as Groucho and Harpio is referred to as Harpo.

Doctor Robotnik - "A Day in the Life of Robotnik"

 * Script: Mark Millar
 * Art: M. Hadley
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
Doctor Robotnik frolicked and played with his animal friends. Everyone agreed he was the sweetest, most eco-friendly man on Mobius...

Robotnik wakes up from his nightmare, screaming. He sits down to breakfast: a table of hard boiled eggs, all produced inhumanely by his electronic Battery Hen robot. Then he designs traps for the animals of Mobius. He sends out badniks to acquire live bait, which they do in the form of a dog and Porker Lewis, who are brought back to the Scrap Brain Zone. Naturally, Sonic breaks in and frees the captives, destroying the badniks and Troopers. For their failure, Robotnik has the remaining badniks melted down to be made into new and improved badniks.

The rest of the day, Robotnik spends festering with hatred in his lab, determined that he'll catch Sonic one day ad turn him into the greatest badnik of all.

Then he unwinds by reading "True Teen Romance" in bed, with a hot mug of cocoa. He'll never live this down!

Appearances

 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Porker Lewis
 * Badniks:
 * Penguinators
 * Mantis
 * Battery Hen
 * Newtron
 * Motobug
 * Orbinaut
 * Troopers
 * Splats
 * Turbo Spiker
 * Clamer
 * Bat Brain
 * Rhinobot
 * Sonic badnik
 * Others
 * Animals:
 * A dog
 * A bird
 * A bear
 * A koala
 * Rabbits
 * Others

Continuity

 * Robotnik mentions his desire to turn Sonic into a badnik. He previously attempted this in Sonic the Comic #4, "Day of the Badniks", and said that he was going to try again in Sonic the Comic #22, "Girl Trouble, Part 2".

Trivia

 * This story was written by Mark Millar some time before the publication of Sonic the Comic #1. There is no reference to Robotnik's ruling Mobius.
 * This story was reprinted in Sonic the Comic #196.

Marko's Magic Football - "Marko's Magic Football, Part 2"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Gary Andrews
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Marko is being chased by a policeman who has been turned into a monster by green sludge. Theorizing that his football, which was also exposed to the sludge, must be great at vaporizing monsters, he gives it a kick... and misses. Before he can try again, the policeman's personality re-emerges (sort of) and he heads into the sewer to patrol his "new beat". Marko follows (for some reason), and is spotted on security camera by Colonel Brown and his evil scientist. In the sewers, Marko is attacked by spiders, which he defeats with his football, and then again by dinosaurs! He knew North Sterlington was old-fashioned, but this is ridiculous!

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone (Earthworm Jim, Power Rangers, The Lion King, Mickey Mania)
 * Graphic Zone - Christmas
 * VIP Visit Competition
 * Double-page Christmas Pin-Up
 * News Zone
 * Q Zone (Jungle Book)
 * Speedlines
 * Knuckles Pin-Up