Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 275

Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 275 is the two hundred seventy-fifth issue in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by Archie Comics. It is the eleventh part of the "Worlds Unite" crossover and the comic series' eleventh milestone issue.

Official solicitation

 * CELEBRATE 275 ISSUES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG with his good buddy Mega Man and the worlds of STREET FIGHTER, BILLY HATCHER, NiGHTS INTO DREAMS, MONSTER HUNTER and more in this DOUBLE-SIZED ISSUE! “Worlds Unite” Part Eleven: It’s pan-dimensional pandemonium as the unified army begins their attack on Sigma! Sonic, Mega Man and X lead an all-star roster of heroes from across the SEGA and Capcom universes in an all-out assault against the villainous robot from the future!  Will they be enough to save all their worlds, or has Sigma already become a god?  Featuring a wrap-around cover from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante! PLUS 5 variant covers from Edwin Huang, Lamar Wells, Tracy Yardley, Rafa Knight and part 11 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates! Don’t miss the penultimate chapter to the biggest crossover event in Archie Action history!

Worlds Unite Part Eleven: Killing The Giant

 * Writer: Ian Flynn
 * Pencils: Tyson Hesse
 * Inks: Jim Amash
 * Colors: Matt Herms
 * Letters: Jack Morelli
 * Assistant Editor: Jonathan H. Gray
 * Editor: Vincent Lovallo
 * Editor-in-chief: Victor Gorelick
 * President: Mike Pellerito
 * Publisher: Jon Goldwater
 * Special Thanks to: Stacy-Arnold Strider, Sandra Jo, Mai Kiyotaki, Patrick Riley and to the Character Business and Licensing Department of SEGA Corporation.
 * Special Thanks to: Francis Mao, Noriko Matsunaga, Susan Suarez and Hiromi Iwasaki at Capcom media & Consumer products.

Synopsis
Picking up where the previous issue left off, the various heroes of the Unified Army are on a battleship. Sonic then makes a speech to Sigma stating that Sigma messed with himself and Mega Man, messed with their respective worlds, and thought he was clever to mix with various other characters' worlds as well. It then pans over the bolstered Unified Army, with Sonic stating that he and Mega Man are not the only heroes out there, let alone the only ones ready to fight Sigma. However, Mega Man whispers that he doubts Sigma is listening, with Sonic sheepishly calling Sigma a jerk and suggests Vyse get his attention. Vyse then tells them to ready the moon stone cannon, and then gives the order to fire as both Sigma's Mavericks and the United Army proceed to attack each other.

Meanwhile, on the Lost Hex, Drs. Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily have arrived at the area and were sneaking through the fortifications. While Eggman notes under breath that he does not see any defenses, with Wily while whispering deducing that Sigma had arrogantly believed that he killed them while onboard the Sky Patrol when he earlier attacked it, but then briefly interrupts himself when he notices that Xander Payne is walking past them towards the Master Engine. Wily then asks Eggman if it was a good idea to have Metal Sonic deliver the final Chaos Emerald to the heroes instead of having them keep it. Eggman rebukes him, stating that they were about to access an even greater power via the Master Engine. However, Eggman does express his concern and suspicion regarding Xander Payne aiding them, especially considering he is an anti-technology zealot. Xander Payne, having overheard Eggman's remark, then tells them that it is because he has seen that he has to do it and that he must do it as his destiny, regardless of whether he personally likes the idea or not. To himself, however, he also remarks he will probably like the destiny just fine if said destiny requires that Eggman and Wily are to be sacrificed. He then tells them to catch up, as the Master Engine cannot be far, with Wily and Eggman expressing excitement, with Wily expressing which is better, warping reality to ensure they are gods, or using the Master Engine to get revenge on Sigma, with Eggman proposing a revenge-on-loop reality just for Sigma.

Back to the battle, NiGHTS and Firebrand managed to take down a Maverick hand, Sexy Silvia and Stella take down another Maverick, Ryu of Breath of Fire III and Ryu of Street Fighter proceeded to smash some Mavericks, and Vyse, Antoine D'Coolette, Ax Battler, Zero, and Rei manage to do numbers on the Guardroids. Sigma soon starts rolling out duplicates of his first body, but these fall just as easily before the heroes. As the battle wears on, the enemy forces soon begin to fall apart as does Sigma's body, apparently in defeat.

Any sense of victory is short-lived as Sigma bursts out in his smaller Sigma-3 body, the second form having been a mere cocoon as he prepared himself for his next step to godhood. Going on the offensive, Sigma's power is far greater than that of any of the Unified Army as he cleanly takes out anyone in his path. Down to their last card, Sonic breaks out the Chaos Emeralds and gives Mega Man a quick tutorial on how to use them. The two achieve their Super-States Super Sonic and Super Armor Mega Man and begin the final clash against Sigma.

Appearances

 * Dr. Albert W. Wily
 * Dr. Eggman
 * Maverick
 * Guardroid (multiple)
 * Sigma
 * Mechaniloids
 * Bospider
 * D-1000
 * D-Rex
 * Raider Killer
 * Web Spider
 * Unified Army
 * Alex Kidd
 * Amaterasu
 * Arthur
 * Ax Battler
 * Bantam Scrambled
 * Billy Hatcher
 * Blue Dragon
 * Blue Rogues
 * Aika
 * Cupil
 * Drachma
 * Fina
 * Gilder
 * Vyse
 * Chick Poacher
 * Felyne
 * Firebrand
 * Garr
 * Gemerl
 * Gilius Thunderhead
 * Gore Magala
 * Honey
 * Issun
 * Keil Fluge
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * M. Bison
 * Maverick Hunters
 * Axl
 * Mega Man X
 * Zero
 * Metal Sonic
 * Momo
 * New Freedom Fighters
 * Antoine D'Coolette
 * Amy Rose
 * Big the Cat
 * Bunnie D'Coolette
 * Cheese the Chao
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Rotor the Walrus
 * Sally Acorn
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Super Sonic
 * NiGHTS
 * Nina
 * Palico
 * Peco
 * Reala
 * Rei
 * Robot Masters
 * Light Robot Masters
 * Break Man
 * Mega Man
 * Super Armor Mega Man
 * Roll
 * Quake Woman
 * Wily Robot Masters
 * Air Man
 * Bubble Man
 * Flash Man
 * Hard Man
 * Shadow Man
 * Snake Man
 * Spark Man
 * Wood Man
 * Rolly Roll
 * Rush
 * Ryu
 * Sexy Silvia
 * Stella
 * Team Sticks
 * Chun-Li
 * Comedy Chimp
 * Fastidious Beaver
 * Guile
 * Ken Masters
 * Ryu
 * Sticks the Badger
 * Tyris Flare
 * Viewtiful Joe
 * Xander Payne

Continuity

 * The Unified Army gathered on Sonic's order in Sonic Boom #10, "Worlds Unite Part Ten: Justice Across Worlds".
 * Sonic mentions Sigma's dispersions of Mavericks across the Multiverse in Mega Man #51, "Worlds Unite! Part Eight: Holes in Reality" to plant Unity Engines.
 * Sonic also references the forced merging of his and Mega Man's worlds, alluding to the events of Sonic the Hedgehog #273, "Worlds Unite Part Three: Clash of the Corrupted" and Mega Man #50, "Worlds Unite Part Four: Death and Destruction". He also comments that Sigma messed with himself and Mega Man, referring to Sigma's role in forcibly converting them into Sonic Man and M'egga Man, respectively, in Sonic Boom #10 through Mega Man #50.
 * The Unified Army attacks Sigma with the allies they gathered over the course of Sonic Universe #78, "Worlds Unite Part Nine: Infinite Possibilities" and Sonic Boom #10, "Worlds Unite Part Ten: Justice Across Worlds."
 * Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily are still plotting their takeover of the Master Engine which they started in Mega Man #51, "Worlds Unite! Part Eight: Holes in Reality".
 * Dr. Wily recalls Sigma's destruction of the Sky Patrol in Sonic Boom #10, "Worlds Unite Part Ten: Justice Across Worlds."
 * Sticks recalls the horde of Mavericks Sigma sent off in Mega Man #51, "Worlds Unite! Part Eight: Holes in Reality".
 * Sigma discard his "Sigma-2" body which he acquired in Sonic the Hedgehog #274, "Worlds Unite! Part Seven: Gears and Wills", and assumes his final and most powerful form "Sigma-3."
 * Sonic tells Mega Man about his experience as Super Armor Mega Man in Sonic the Hedgehog #251, "When Worlds Collide Finale: Best of the Best". Mega Man does not recall it as his reversal of the Super Genesis Wave left him with no memory of it.
 * Sonic and Mega assume their Super-States to battle Sigma. This battle would begin in Mega Man #52.

Trivia

 * Simga-3 resembles Sigma's first form in Mega Man X5.
 * When though Mega Man was not using Super Adaptor when he used the Chaos Emeralds to transform, Super Armor Mega Man still looks like he did in Sonic the Hedgehog #251 (where he did wear the Super Adaptor).

Off Panel

 * Script: Bill Freiberger
 * Pencils, Ink: Johnathan H. Gray
 * Colors: Aleah Baker

Appearances

 * Mega Man
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic Boom)

Synopsis
In it, the main Sonic, Mega Man and the Sonic Boom Sonic are about to celebrate the 275th issue of Sonic the Hedgehog, though it is pretty clear that all three are bored and unimpressed with the spectacle. Mega Man attempts to liven it up by equipping the Mama Beam and shooting a beam with Momma Robotnik's face, only to fizzle. Mega Man seems to be the only one excited, while Sonic Boom Sonic concedes it was not as impressive as he had hoped, and asked his main counterpart whether he had a happy 275th issue, causing his main counterpart to say absolutely not while having already left.

Trivia

 * This is the eleventh milestone issue of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, as well as the second to be part of a Mega Man crossover.
 * Coincidentally this is also the eleventh part of said crossover.
 * All, except for the fifth variant, are wraparound covers. This is the third issue of the series to have said covers.
 * Variant covers two and three are the only ones not to feature any Mega Man or Capcom characters, or characters from other Sega franchises.
 * On the regular cover, Sonic appears to be using his "Boost" ability introduced in Sonic Unleashed. This is the second time a cover has shown Sonic using one of his "newer" abilities, the first being his Stomp ability on the cover of Sonic the Hedgehog #252.