Sonic the Comic Issue 16


 * Editor: Richard Burton
 * Assistant Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Design: Clare Gillmore
 * Managing Editor: Steve MacManus
 * Publisher: Chris Power

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Happy Christmas Doctor Robotnik"

 * Script: Mark Millar
 * Art: Brian Williamson
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
In the Green Hill Zone, snow lies thick on the ground and the locals are opening Christmas presents apparently given to them by Doctor Robotnik. Indeed, when Sonic goes to investigate he finds Robotnik (and his Troopers) giving out even more presents. It really seems like Robotnik has turned over a new leaf. This being Christmas, a time for sharing and forgiveness, Sonic decides to give Robotnik the benefit of the doubt. However, the real Robotnik is still in his own base, watching via monitor, and he has plans to dispose of Sonic once and for all.

At the Green Hill Christmas party, the false Robotnik is the man of the hour. A Trooper, who has apparently drunk too much high octane oil and become intoxicated, pulls Sonic aside and tells him a secret: this isn't really Robotnik, but a robot with a bomb inside! Sonic immediately grabs the fake Robotnik and speeds away, hurling him over a cliff moments before the bomb explodes. The Green Hill residents return to their party (and wish their readers a Merry Christmas).

Elsewhere, Robotnik is surprised when two Troopers give him a Christmas present: an egg-cup chair. Reasoning that they must be underworked if they have time to go shopping, he gives them all double shifts over Christmas. "Anyway," he says, "I always did prefer Easter!"

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Fake Doctor Robotnik
 * Sally Acorn
 * Troopers
 * Other animals:
 * A walrus
 * Several rabbits
 * A bluebird
 * A squirrel
 * A pig
 * Two birds (pink and green)
 * A frog

Ecco the Dolphin - "Part 4"
Ecco drops out of a portal into the Arctic waters of his own time. He is dizzy from the trip, but before he can rest he is attacked by a "fingerfish" (jellyfish). Desperate to escape, he charges upwards and lands on the frozen ice, only to find himself faced with a polar bear! Using his wits, he thrashes about and cracks the ice, dunking the polar bear in the water where it and the jellyfish attack each other. The polar bear wins the battle, and Ecco flings him a small fish as a reward. Then Ecco swims off to find Atlantis...
 * Script: Woodrow Phoenix
 * Art: Steve White
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

The Legend of the Golden Axe - "Plague of Serpents, Part 4"
Gilius-Thunderhead and his sister Yuki-Plantcharmer are attacked by magic rainbow snakes, which they defeat with their earth and plant magic. The wizard-priest Viprax attacks them, rendering them unconscious with snake venom. Viprax carts the two dwarves away, but Gilius falls off and into a bottomless chasm - though he manages to use the Golden Axe to cling to the side. Nevertheless, Yuki and Viprax believe him dead. Yuki is taken to Cobraxis, who threatens to kill her if Queen Silpantia-Dragontamer doesn't tell Cobraxis where to find her horde of Enchanted Metal. Gilius hurries to the rescue!
 * Script: Mark Eyles
 * Art: Mike White
 * Lettering: Ellie de Ville

Tails - "The Nameless Zone, Part 1"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Dave Windett
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
Tails can't keep up with Sonic and asks him to slow down, but Sonic is not in the mood: he's in a hurry, and he orders Tails to just stay out of his way for once. Tails wishes Sonic would give him a chance. A green portal opens in the air behind him, and a voice from the other side calls for Miles Prower. He recognises it as a portal to the Nameless Zone, and though he has dreaded this day he steps through.

Tails finds himself face-to-face with the two Enchanter Kings, both of them foxes like Tails himself (although with only one tail each), who welcome him home. They have read the letters that Tails sent to his family back in the Nameless Zone, claiming that Tails was the hero of Mobius and that Sonic was his sidekick. They have therefore summoned him back because they need a hero, and they refuse to listen when Tails tries to explain the truth of the situation. They give him a suit of Enchanted Battle Armour, which is as light as feather when being worn.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Nameless Zone, on a rope bridge that disappears into the distance, a monstrous warrior named Trogg demands that the Nameless Zone present its champion, whom Trogg intends to annihilate!

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Enchanter Kings
 * Trogg
 * Fox soldiers

Continuity

 * Tails is revealed to originate from the Nameless Zone, where he is believed to be the hero of Mobius and Sonic merely his sidekick.
 * The Enchanter Kings and Trogg appear for the first time.
 * Tails wears his Enchanted Battle Armour for the first time. He will wear this armour during all of his adventures in the Nameless Zone.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone
 * News Zone
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines