Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 5

Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 5 is the fifth issue of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by Archie Comics.

Olympic Trials and Error

 * Robotnik challenges the Freedom Fighters to compete in the Mobius Olympic games! If they win even one out of three events, Robotnik "promises" to restore Mobius; but if they LOSE, they'll be fodder for the roboticizer! Meanwhile, before the competition, a SWATbot switches Sonic's sneakers with energy-draining shoes... So when Sonic drops on the track, the other Freedom Fighters (excluding Tails) must take his place! Can they save Mobius? And what is Tails doing anyway?

Cover Corner Box
Sonic tells the readers to check their smoke detector as the friction from his speed creates smoke that triggers a smoke detector above him.

Part One
Sonic the Hedgehog is playing baseball, while Tails watches. Sonic hits a ball, then attempts to catch it, but runs into a huge building. This building turns out to be an Olympic stadium created by Dr. Robotnik. A SWATbot challenges Sonic to the Olympic games, but before he accepts the challenge, Sonic runs back to Freedom HQ to discuss this with the Freedom Fighters.

Sally is cautious of the event, but allows the Freedom Fighters to compete in the Olympics anyway. Tails is eager to join, but Antoine tells him he isn't good at athletics, so Tails decides to build a sculpture for the Freedom Fighters after the Olympics as a prize.

Once they arrive, a SWATbot explains to Robotnik that he stole Sonic's shoes while he went swimming and replaced them with energy-draining sneakers. The SWATbot then informs Robotnik that he threw out Sonic's old sneakers since he thought it was a good idea. On the contrary, it was the exact opposite, because Robotnik states that he would have used them as a trophy. The first Olympic sport is a running challenge. Sonic enters it, but quickly loses, due to his energy-draining shoes.

Part Two
Sonic is exhausted, but the Freedom Fighters take his place. Antoine competes in the long jump, but loses against Splats. Sally competes in the swimming challenge, but loses against Octus. Finally, Rotor competes in the weight lifting challenge, but is beaten by a SWATbot. The Freedom Fighters have all lost, but Robotnik claims there is still one more Olympic game: a race against one of Robotnik's fastest Buzzbombers.

Meanwhile, Tails is looking for items to make a sculpture in a junk yard, but instead recovers Sonic's real shoes. He rushes to the Olympics to give them to Sonic, but the race has already begun. Buzzbomber is in the lead of the race, while Antoine is puffing along behind it. Tails quickly gives Sonic his real shoes, and he rushes off to confuse Buzzbomber. Sonic makes Buzzbomber turn around in confusion, and race to the starting line, while Antoine makes it to the finish.

Afterwards, Sonic destroys a robotocizer, which would be used on the Freedom Fighters if they lost, and scares off Robotnik. Sonic thanks Tails for his speed shoes, while Antoine lies by the side of the finish line, out of breath.

Sonic's Ten Second Workout
Sonic is teaching the readers his ten second workout. First he spins his feet very fast, then he spends a few seconds running around the room from floor to ceiling. He then takes it to the extreme and takes a three to four second dash around the world. He returns back to Knothole, letting the reader know that they can do Rotor's eight-second workout if that was too slow: eight seconds of trying to touch your toes, and the rest of the day to stand back up.

Chomp on This, Chump!
Sonic and Tails are trying to remove a spoon from Sally's pancake batter, while Rotor is determined to get an ant-farm from an ad in a magazine. Rotor orders the ant-farm, but doesn't realize that it's a hoax created by Robotnik.

The next day, Rotor receives the ant-farm, but no ants. Instead, he receives a small robot that bears a resemblance to a termite, which is known as the Termite-Nator. The Termite-Nator eats all the paper and wooden furniture in the Freedom HQ, while the Freedom Fighters watch in distress. Sonic decides to use the same recipe Sally did to make the yeasty pancake dough.

Once Sonic makes it, he dashes to the Great Forest to get a log. He stuffs the pancake dough into the log, and feeds it to the Termite-Nator and thereby stuffs him up. Rotor discovers that the Termite-Nator is really a robot made by Robotnik. He adjusts the wires in the Termite-Nator to make it eat metal, instead of wood, and sends him off to Robotropolis to devour Robotnik and his Badniks.

Fast Food!
Sonic is explaining the advantages of being the world's fastest hedgehog, such as being able to eat food before it gets cold. Sally then calls out for dinner, but before she can finish telling him to come before its cold, he arrives and eats it. Sonic is proud of his achievement, but his stomach starts to feel sick. Sally then comes out with a plate of hot food and asks Sonic why he ate a bowl of wax fruit.

Trivia

 * A SWATbot mentions that it stole Sonic's shoes when he went for a swim, but Sonic hates water.
 * Sonic the Hedgehog 2 badniks are introduced.
 * The Octus badnik is unnamed in this issue, but it is identical to the Octus that appeared in the Oil Ocean Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
 * This is Octus' first and only appearance in the Sonic Archie Comics.
 * In "Olympic Trials and Errors", the Olympic game events are quickly inspired, mostly in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, where Sonic enters the Olympic games again.
 * A reference in Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 242, which has Sonic and friends participating in the Olympics, gives possibly a tribute to this issue.