Sonic the Comic Issue 123


 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Production: Sarah Colley
 * Managing Editor: Steve MacManus
 * Marketing Manager: Douglas Pocock
 * Product Buyer: Jane Ballard
 * Advertising: Stephen Goldsmith

Sonic - "Order & Chaos, Part 1"

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

Synopsis
Sonic and Tails check out a report of strange aircraft heading towards the Floating Island, and arrive in time to see an invasion force from the Drakon Empire landing. Sonic realises they must be after the Chaos Emeralds and leaps off the bi-plane to attack them. He knocks out one blue-armoured Prosecutor then takes on a horde of Sentinels. Initially he thinks that Knuckles will turn up any minute (since guarding the Emeralds is really Knuckles' job), but he becomes increasingly frustrated as the battle drags on and Knuckles is nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, a green-armoured Prosecutor leads a purple-armoured Prosecutor and half of the Sentinels to a hidden tunnel - this green Prosecutor also disabled the Floating Island's forcefield. However, when the first Sentinel enters the tunnel, it is destroyed by one of the Floating Island's Guardian Robots. The two Prosecutors and two Sentinels enter the tunnel while the other Sentinels remain behind to deal with the Guardian Robot.

Soon, the four invaders locate the Emerald Chamber containing the Chaos Emeralds, with which the Drakon Empire will rule the galaxy. The purple Prosecutor claims that the Chaos Emeralds rightfully belong to the Drakon Empire and were stolen many thousands of years earlier, but the green Prosecutor considers that ancient history and doesn't care. Just then, Sonic is brought into the Chamber in chains - he claims he wasn't beaten, but figured this was the easiest way to find out what they were up to. He demands to know who the green Prosecutor is and is shocked to find out that it is Grimer, who has turned against his old master Robotnik to join the Drakons. For once he wants to be on the winning side. Sonic really wishes Knuckles would show up...

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Grimer
 * Guardian Robots
 * Drakon Prosecutors (purple and blue)
 * Sentinels

Continuity

 * Sonic and Tails previously fought off an invasion by the Drakon Empire in "Best of Enemies" from Sonic the Comic #116 to #118. That invasion was also an attempt to find out the location of the Chaos Emeralds.
 * Knuckles is not currently on the Floating Island, as he is in the Special Zone (see the Knuckles story this issue). He was transported to the Special Zone accidentally in Sonic the Comic #121, "On the Run, Part 1", and will return in Sonic the Comic #125, "Order & Chaos, Part 3".
 * The Guardian Robots were set to the taks of protecting the Floating Island in Sonic the Comic #101, "Loose Ends".
 * A Prosecutor claims that the Chaos Emeralds originally belonged to the Drakon Empire but were stolen from them many thousands of years ago. In Sonic the Comic #180, "Prisoner of War", it is revealed that they were stolen from the Drakons by the ancient Echidnas, led by Pochacamac.
 * Grimer is working for the Drakon Empire. He turned against Robotnik in Sonic the Comic #118, "Best of Enemies, Part 3". In fact, it is revealed in Sonic the Comic #125, "Order & Chaos, Part 3", that Grimer is still loyal to Robotnik and the defection is all part of Robotnik's plan to take the Chaos Emeralds for himself.

Knuckles - "On the Run, Part 3"

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

Synopsis
In the Special Zone, Porker Lewis has been mistaken for wanted criminal Oscar the Pig. Mighty and Espio have been sent to investigate. As they walk past The Purple Mush Room, a group of patrons hurry out. They explain that Hammerhead went crazy when he saw a pig - Espio and Mighty realise that they have found Porker Lewis.

Inside, Hammerhead has beaten Knuckles, who lies prone on the ground. Knuckles realises that he's never been on the end of such a savage attack, and that Hammerhead is even tougher than he looks. While Knuckles is recovering, Hammerhead says that he and "Oscar" have unfinished business (despite Porker's insistence that he isn't Oscar and doesn't know what Hammerhead is talking about). Before Hammerhead can attack Porker, though, he hears a voice coming from mid-air: it's Espio the Chameleon! Hammerhead prepares to strangle Espio, but Mighty takes advantage of the distraction to hit Hammerhead from behind. Unfortunately, while Espio and Mighty argue about whether or not Espio needed Mighty's help, Hammerhead knocks them both down for the count.

Fortunately, Knuckles is now awake; he's ready for the attack this time, catching Hammerhead's cane as it comes towards him and snapping it, then knocking Hammerhead unconscious with a single punch - the shark can dish it out, but he can't take it. The whole scene is interrupted by the appearance of the New Tek City police, led by Lieutenant Furor. He demands that everyone in the bar be taken downtown for questioning, then takes great delight in finally finding Oscar. Knuckles begins to explain yet again that Porker isn't really Oscar and that they've been transported to the Special Zone by mistake... but Porker tells him not to bother. "YOu see it's true, it's all true..." he says. "I am Oscar the Pig!"

Appearances

 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Porker Lewis
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Mighty the Armadillo
 * Hammerhead
 * New Tek City police officers
 * Lieutenant Furor
 * Rabbit
 * Ape
 * Others
 * New Tek City civilians
 * Black-furred dog in a suit
 * Brown bespectacled dog
 * Rhino lady
 * White rabbit
 * Others

Continuity

 * Lieutenant Furor last appeared in Sonic the Comic #118, "Hunter & The Hunted, Part 3".

Decap Attack - "Love is Blind"

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

Igor picks up the morning post at Castle Frank N Stein and delivers a gift box to Chuck. When Chuck opens the box, a hammer bashes him so hard on the head that his head ends up between his knees. It turns out Igor sent the package... but when Chuck finds out he just laughs it off. Igor is confused, because when Igor stood on Chuck's toe last week Chuck tried to kill him. Things get even weirder when Chuck puts on a blazer and bowtie and takes some books down to the library - he can't even read! Igor and Head decide to follow him.

At the Transylvanian Library, they discover that Chuck has fallen in love with a librarian, Dorothy, who is wearing thick glasses and a red Velma Dinkley-style sweater. Igor wonders what she possibly sees in Chuck, then gets an idea and hurries to the D.I.Y. section for a book on Useful Things You Can Make Out of Household Objects. A short while later, he and Head have a plan - Head snatches Dorothy's glasses and Igor replaces them with a much stronger pair he's just made out of two milk bottles and a coat hanger. Suddenly, Dorothy can see how hideous Chuck is and chases him out of the Library with a broom. Chuck is devastated and returns to the Castle alone... where he receives an electric shock from the door handle since Igor wired it up to the mains. Chuck promptly thrashes Igor to within an inch of his life, and Head says that Igor is sometimes too smart for his own good.

Double Sonic - "Root of All Evil, Part 1"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * B & w art: Carl Flint
 * Colouring: John M Burns
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Rapidly growing giant weeds have spread all over the Metropolis Zone. Sonic, Amy and Tekno try to save the citizens. Sonic catches a llama who has been thrown from his car by the weeds; Amy reluctantly saves Fabian Vane while he is acting as a Valentine's Day Croon-A-Gram for a couple of red setters. Tekno theorises that the weeds probably all originate from a single seed, and the three heroes dash off to the place where the first weeds appeared: Gilbert Grumpy's garden.

Grumpy himself is trapped in his own shed, but Sonic soon gets him out (even if Grumpy is an old moaner). Grumpy immediately finds something else to complain about, and tries to stop Tekno from drilling a hole in the middle of his lawn. She explains that they need to get to the root of the problem and starts drilling (although Sonic thinks he could have tunnelled them through faster).

They soon emerge in an underground cavern, where a hooded figure (Agent X) is watching over the giant Doom Seed. Agent X teleports away before Sonic can catch him, and the Doom Seed starts attacking the heroes, as it is able to sense them. Tekno is captured and Sonic is knocked to the ground, so it's left to Amy to end things. Amy ties a bag of weedkiller taken from Grumpy's shed to her crossbow bolt and shoots at the centre of the Doom Seed, destroying it. All the giant weeds on the surface wither and die, freeing the city from their grasp. Even Gilbert Grumpy is happy, because he can use the weeds as compost for his rose bushes. Everyone's happy except for Sonic, who still doesn't know Agent X's identity.

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Amy Rose
 * Tekno the Canary
 * Agent X
 * Fabian Vane
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Metropolis Zone citizens:
 * Gilbert Grumpy
 * Llama
 * Two red setters
 * Stork

Continuity

 * Fabian Vane last appeared in Sonic the Comic #116, "Spooked".
 * Gilbert Grumpy is trapped in his shed. Sonic put him in their to save him from the weeds in the previous issue.
 * The toy ball that Grumpy tried to confiscate in the last issue can be seen in the grip of a weed in Grumpy's garden.
 * Sonic mentions that he still doesn't know the identity of Agent X. This will be revealed in "Shady Characters", from Sonic the Comic #131 and #132.

Trivia

 * Fabian Vane sings a song to the tune of Hey Jude by The Beatles.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Pin-Up - Amy & Sonic: Divine Duo. Art by Carl Flint.
 * Speedlines
 * Graphic Zone - True Love?