Sonic the Comic Issue 31


 * Editor: Richard Burton
 * Assistant Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Managing Editor: Steve MacManus
 * Special Thanks to: Audrey Wong
 * Publisher: Chris Power

Sonic the Hedgehog - "The Pretender"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Mike Hadley
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
In the Emerald Hill Zone, the Emerald Hill Folk are being attacked by badniks. Sonic, Tails and Johnny Lightfoot arrive to save the day, but they are beaten to the punch by a mysterious green hedgehog wearing a yellow cape and a "C" on his chest, and with a Superman-style curly fringe on his forehead. This new arrival introduces himself as Cosmic the Hedgehog, who has come to show Sonic and the Freedom Fighters how a real hero battles injustice and claims to be the fastest spiky thing alive. He quickly irritates Sonic with his cockiness and Sonic accepts a challenge to race him to the end of the Emerald Hill Zone, despite Tails' warnings that it could be a trap.

Although they start out evenly matched, and Cosmic continues to show off with spectacular moves, Cosmic soon becomes exhausted and Sonic wins the race by miles. However, having isolated Sonic from his friends and the Emerald Hill Folk, Cosmic suddenly reveals his true identity. He is not a hedgehog at all, but rather the shapeshifting Metamorphia, previously thought killed! This was all a ruse to keep Sonic occupied while more dangerous badniks attack his friends. She tries to trap Sonic by turning herself into a giant net, but he tunnels out easily. She tries to gas Sonic, but he has learned from experience and manages to dissipate this form, then speeds off to help his friends. Knowing there is only one person that could catch up with him, she changes form again: into Sonic himself!

Sonic arrives back to find more badniks attacking the Emerald Hill Zone. Metamorphia catches up, but the badniks mistake her for the real Sonic and attack her with a powerful blast. Sonic and the Freedom Fighters are then able to defeat the badniks with little difficulty. Afterwards, they wonder if Metamorphia died in the blast, or merely changed form again and escaped. It seems only time will tell.

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * "Cosmic the Hedgehog"
 * Metamorphia
 * Porker Lewis
 * Buzz Bombers
 * Emerald Hill Folk:
 * Bears
 * Canaries
 * A squirrel
 * A walrus (Joe Sushi)
 * A koala
 * A dog
 * A lion
 * Others

Continuity

 * Sonic mentions that Metamorphia was believed dead, which happened at the end of Sonic the Comic #30, "Metamorphia". Metamorphia also uses some of her old tricks from last issue's story, such as turning into gas, but this time Sonic is able to counter them easily.
 * Metamorphia next appears in Sonic the Comic #51, "Face from the Past".

Trivia

 * One of the Emerald Hill Folk claims they are being attacked by Motobugs. In fact, they are being attacked by Buzz Bombers.

Mutant League - "Bring Me the Head of Coach Brikka, Part 1"
The Midway Monsters are leading the competition in the Mutant Football League. Zalgor Prigg, chairman of the MFL, hires their rival team the Slaycity Slayers to capture the head of Midway Monsters' Coach Brikka and bring it back to Toxicon HQ. (Coach Brikka's head flies off when he celebrates.)
 * Script: Steve White / Brian Williamson
 * Art: Anthony Williams / Brian Williamson / Steve White
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

During a Super Bowl game in which the Midway Monsters are beating the Slaycity Slayers, the Dukes of Biohazard (lackeys of Zalgor Prigg) give Coach Brikka a spicy slice of puke, which blows off his head. It's caught by K.T., who runs off with it. The Midway Monsters try to get it back, but then all of their rival teams appear to stop them.

Tails - "The Morbidden Hunt, Part 4"

 * Script: Mark Eyles
 * Art: Casanovas/John M. Burns
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
Queen Vulpecula Huntar has cornered Tails, Jimmy and Jilly while hunting them through the corridors of Castle Morbidden. Luckily for them, she decides that it was so much fun she wants to hunt them again, and she lets them go. They quickly try to find the hiding place that Prince Catalus told them about earlier, but when they get there they find he wants to kill them too! He is tired of taking orders from his sister, so he wants to deprive her of the pleasure of killing the foxes herself.

The three foxes escape to the roof, with all the goblins of the castle close behind them. They are edged nearer to the parapet. But Tails can fly, and he carries the other two over to Catalus' flying ship, which they use to escape while the Queen screams to have them brought back.

Back at their home village, Jimmy and Jilly are reunited with their mother and Tails is congratulated by the Village Elders. Shaman Warpull opens the portal to send Tails back to Mobius. Sonic doesn't listen to what Tails has been doing, saying that he's had a long enough rest and that now they've got work to do!

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Jimmy and Jilly
 * Queen Vulpecula Huntar
 * Prince Catalus
 * Goblin guards
 * Shaman Warpull
 * Village Elders
 * Jimmy and Jilly's mother
 * Sonic the Hedgehog

Pirate S.T.C. - "Part 4"
Game 1: Out of the cracked giant head leap several evil blobs of ice cream, which freeze Grrr and Bob. Dog the chicken runs away. Fezhead says he messed up that game, but Avocado Mexican Bandit Punters is on TV so he decides to let the people trapped in the other game play for themselves.
 * Script: Stephen Bliss
 * Art: Stephen Bliss
 * Lettering: Steve Potter

Game 2: Fire starts bouncing around on a space hopper, managing to knockout all of the opponent fighters and pulling a rubber glove over Vangar's head. Suddenly Dog arrives, saying that Grrr and Bob need help, but Fire wants to go home because Avocado Mexican Bandit Punters is on TV.

Other features

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 * Review Zone
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