Sonic the Comic Issue 71


 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Assistant Editor: Audrey Wong
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Editorial Assistance: William Potter
 * Managing Editor: Richard Burton
 * Production: Sarah Colley

Sonic the Hedgehog - "The Return of Chaotix, Part 5"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
Having travelled back in time to save Mobius from the Brotherhood of Metallix, who altered history and took over the planet, Sonic, Porker and Chaotix have arrived at the secret underground lab of Doctor Ovi Kintobor, just in time to witness the explosion of the Kinetic Gyratoscope, transforming a brown, spiky hedgehog (Sonic's past self) into the cool, blue and streamlined hero he was destined to be!

Sonic wonders how the Metallixes changed history, and what the significance of the rotton egg that he took from one of them... and then he realises the awful truth. He knows how the Metallixes changed history, and knows how to put things back.

He goes to find the lab's refridgerator, which is exactly where he remembers it. It is completely empty, so Sonic replaces the rotton egg on the shelf - the Chaotix Crew are confused about how this is going to help. Sonic asks the Omni-Viewer to take them 24 hours forward in time, which he does. Taking cover, they hide until the past versions of Sonic and Kintobor try and find some food - and find only the rotton egg.

As Kintobor walks off with the egg, the future version of Sonic (making absolutely sure) yanks up the cables under Kintobor's feet, tripping him and and sending him flying into the Retro-Orbital Chaos Compressor, which explodes. As the dust clears, they see that Kintobor has transformed into Doctor Robotnik! The person responsible for creating the most vicious dictator on Mobius is Sonic himself!

Sonic feels terrible ("This is the worst day of my life!"), but Porker insists that he had no choice. Robotnik is key to destroying the Brotherhood of Metallix. They travel back to the present, where Mobius is once again free from Metallix control (although they're still in charge of the Miracle Planet.

At Citadel Robotnik, Robotnik demands to know where Sonic has gone... only for Sonic himself to appear in his office, by means of the Omni-Viewer. And he's really mad!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Chaotix:
 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Mighty the Armadillo
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Charmy Bee
 * Omni-Viewer
 * Porker Lewis
 * Doctor Ovi Kintobor
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Trooper

Continuity

 * Sonic found the rotten egg in Sonic the Comic #70, "The Return of Chaotix, Part 4".
 * The events depicted in the past (the transformations of Sonic into his blue form, and Kintobor into Robotnik) were depicted in Sonic the Comic #8, "The Origin of Sonic".
 * Robotnik, immediately following the ROCC accident and his transformation, is in his original form from before he changed his look in Sonic the Comic #22, "Girl Trouble, Part 2".
 * It is revealed that the existence of Robotnik prevented the Metallixes from taking control of Mobius. In Sonic the Comic #72, "The Return of Chaotix, Part 6", it is revealed that the Metallixes were built by Grimer, not Robotnik, and that Robotnik only contributed the self-destruct mechanism.

Decap Attack - "The Bride of Chuck D. Head"
Chuck and Igor are trying t kill each other - again! Suddenly, Professor Frank N. Stein appears, saying that, just as he created Chuck, he has now created for Chuck a bride! Chuck is stunned, despite Igor's warnings that she's probably hideous (because Chuck is hideous). However, when the Prof removes her bandages, she's gorgeous! Even Igor is smitten, and it looks like Chuck and Igor are going to come to blows until the Bride says she isn't interested in either of them - she likes human beings.
 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Nigel Kitching
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Prof wants the lady to decide, but after inspecting the Prof's jars of brains (particularly the one used to make the Bride), Igor decides to step back and let Chuck and the Bride go out together. Chuck takes the Bride onto the roof to watch the moon rise. However, as they sit on the roof, the Bride turns into a werewolf and attacks Chuck. "Are you all right?" he asks. "You seem different!"

As she savages Chuck, the Prof and Igor look down from the tower above. It seems the Prof may have used a werewolf brain...

Trivia
This script is cited by writer Nigel Kitching as "one of the worst examples" of "meddling" by editor Deborah Tate. While he admits the story may not have been great to begin with, the printed version was incoherent and hard to follow. Given a choice, Kitching has said he would have had his name taken off the credits for the issue.

In particular, important lines of dialogue (including Igor's examination of the brain jars) were removed, the Bride's name is confused (she is given the same name as a brain still in a jar), and small mannerisms are changed that confuse Chuck's motivation. While he is clearly lovestruck in the original script, he now initially seems ambivalent - even ungrateful - about the Prof's new creation.

Knuckles - "The Graveyard, Part 3"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Nigel Dobbyn
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
Trapped in the sacred Emerald Mine by the vengeful Spirit of the Herd of the Kohenyu, Knuckles is nearly crushed by a giant Kohenyu ribcage. He tunnels out just in time, and attacks the Spirit, only to find that his blows are useless against the ghostly figure.

He tries to unearth a Raw Emerald, but is attacked by Kohenyu skeletons, controlled by the Spirit. He can hold his own in a fight, but they prevent him from digging up the Emerald he needs, and force him towards a giant cavern containing the massive Soul Crystal. The Spirit of the Herd is suddenly panicked: if Knuckles damages the Soul Crystal, the Spirit of the Herd will be destroyed, and with it the last trace of the Kohenyu species. Realising that this is his escape route, Knuckles prepares to smash the great emerald... unless the Kohenyu skeletons get to him first!

Appearances

 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Spirit of the Herd

Sonic's World - "Brute Force, Part 3"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Carl Flint
 * Colouring: Dondie Cox
 * Lettering: Steve Potter

Synopsis
In the Cotton Factory Zone, Johnny Lightfoot is attacked by an army of badniks created by Commander Brutus. The rabbit Freedom Fighter puts up a brave fight, but is vastly outnumbered. Suddenly he gets an idea: he has come to free the local citizens from Robotnik's factory, so perhaps he can use the badniks to his advantage. Leading them through the factory, the badniks' inaccurate blasts destroy the buildings, which explode, taking the new badniks with them! The locals are free!

However, it's not over yet. Brutus takes Johnny by surprise, capturing him and absorbing a copy of his brainwaves with his mind scanner. Now he knows that the Freedom Fighters are in disguise as Bob Beaky's Travelling Circus! More than that: he knows the that the Emerald Hill Folk are hiding on the Floating Island! He orders his Troopers to gather their forces. They are going to attack the Mushroom Valley!

Appearances

 * Commander Brutus
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Troopers
 * Brutus' badniks (all new models)
 * Captive animals:
 * A bear
 * A frog
 * Cotton Factory Zone sheep worker

Continuity

 * An editorial comment mentions that Brutus is programmed with a copy of Doctor Robotnik's memory, which happened in Sonic the Comic #63, "Project Brutus, Part 1".
 * The Freedom Fighters have been disguised as Bob Beaky's Travelling Circus since Sonic the Comic #38, "Robotnik's Revenge, Part 2".
 * The Emerald Hill Folk have been hiding on the Floating Island since Sonic the Comic #53, "Disaster! Part 3".

Trivia

 * Brutus sings a slightly modified version of the song "Run Rabbit Run", replacing the word "farmer" with "badnik".
 * Robotnik is explicitly identified as a human in this issue.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Cupid Zone! (Graphic Zone)
 * STC Pin-Up! - Amy - Art by William Potter & John M Burns
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines