Black Arms (Pre-Super Genesis Wave)


 * For the version of this species after the Super Genesis Wave, see Black Arms.

The Black Arms is a species that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. They are a race of aliens who travel from world to world seeking to devour their native inhabitants. One world that they visited was Mobius, where their leader Black Doom made a deal with Gerald Robotnik to create Shadow the Hedgehog, who was intended to serve as the Black Arms' agent to prepare Mobius for their return 50 years later. However, they became embroiled in an interstellar war with another equally violent race, the Xorda, and thus were unable to return to Mobius for a time. The conflict raged across the entire galaxy and reduced at least one world, the Bem homeworld of Argentium, to a ruin of its former self.

50 Years Ago
Visiting Mobius fifty years prior to their conflict with the Xorda, the Black Arms laid plans for their eventual conquest. This involved placing an agent on the planet, for which they contacted Gerald Robotnik, the primary scientist aboard Space Colony ARK. Cutting a deal with the aliens, he used Black Arms genetic material&mdash;namely that of Black Doom himself&mdash;to create Shadow the Hedgehog, his Ultimate Life form. They then departed, intending to return and use a paralyzing toxin to render the inhabitants helpless so that they could consume them at their leisure. Learning that the Black Arms would return to Mobius in fifty years to conquer it, Gerald modified Shadow from his original purpose&mdash;that of developing a cure for Gerald's ill granddaughter, Maria Robotnik&mdash;to that of defending Mobius from the Black Arms upon their return. Shadow later learned this from Gerald's digital diary, and joined the G.U.N. to prepare for their eventual return.

War with the Xorda
The explanation for the delay in the Black Arms' return to Mobius was uncovered by Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Merlin Prower when they traveled to Argentium to rescue Amadeus Prower and his wife Rosemary, Tails' parents. As they were returning to feast on the population of Mobius, the Black Arms ran afoul of the Xorda aliens as both races desired to destroy Mobius for their own reasons. The resources diverted for the conflict prevented the Black Arms from following through with their plans for some time, while the violent conflict reduced countless worlds to wasteland.

Known Black Arms

 * Black Doom: The cruel hive-mind of the Black Arms who possesses Chaos Control abilities. He worked with Gerald Robotnik to create Black Arms, who was to be established as their agent on Mobius. Doom planned to return fifty years later to consume the populace, but he encountered the Xorda on his return trip and chose to enter war with them to prevent the former from denying his race their meal.
 * Shadow the Hedgehog: A Black Arms/hedgehog hybrid who was created by Gerald Robotnik and Black Doom. He possesses Black Doom's Chaos Control abilities. Originally intended to serve as the Black Arms agent to help them conquer Mobius, but after learning his true purpose vowed to destroy them if they ever returned.

Trivia

 * Due to issues with Sega before the reboot, Ian Flynn said that Black Doom and the Black Arms would not be making a proper appearance until they were given the green-light to have them defeat the Xorda and come to Mobius.