Archie Sonic Universe Issue 77

Archie Sonic Universe Issue 77 is the seventy-seventh issue in the Sonic Universe comic series published by Archie Comics. It is the fifth part of the "Worlds Unite" crossover.

Official solicitation

 * The next exciting chapter in the SONIC/MEGA MAN "WORLDS UNITE" crossover event starts here! "Worlds Unite" Part Five: The worlds of Sonic and Mega Man have been joined together by Sigma, and it’s going to take a full-on army of unified heroes to make it right! Actually—scratch that—it’s going to take some heroes AND some villains! When the mysterious and malicious Xander Payne inexplicably arrives with Drs. Eggman and Wily in tow, our heroes get new insight into Sigma’s plans! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick "SPAZ" Spaziante and variant cover art from CLAUS-Justin Harder (Thor: the Dark World, SNL) and part 5 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!

Worlds Unite! Part Five: Everybody in the Same Boat

 * Writer: Ian Flynn
 * Pencils: Edwin Huang
 * Inks: Gary Martin
 * Letters: John Workman
 * Colorist: Gabriel Cassata
 * Assistant Editor: Jonathan H. Gray
 * Editor: Vincent Lovallo
 * Editor-in-chief: Victor Gorelick
 * President: Mike Pellerito
 * Publisher: Jon Goldwater
 * Special Thanks to: Eddie Muzuno, Stacy-Arnold Strider, 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 and Consumer products and to 飛田栄実.

Synopsis
Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man look down on the fused version of Sonic's World and earth from the year 20XX, and the sight indicates that the merging of the two worlds is having a negative effect on the resulting planetoid. The pair then turn back to a meeting aboard the Sky Patrol, which also includes Flash Man of the Robot Masters, the three Maverick Hunters, Rotor the Walrus, and Sally Acorn. Sally questions the absence of Sticks the Badger, and is informed that she is dealing with "spy brooms." After processing this, Sally informs her colleagues that they need to come up with a plan to deal with Sigma and his plot regarding their worlds. Meanwhile, on the Lost Hex, Dr. Eggman and Dr. Albert W. Wily are fleeing members of the Deadly Six. As the two take cover and contemplate their dire straits, a Genesis Portal opens behind them and admits Xander Payne. Wily recognizes the robot-hating terrorist, but the pair are surprised when Xander offers to save them, claiming that he "must fulfill [his] destiny", and opens another portal through which they escape.

Back on the Sky Patrol, the meeting continues but is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Sticks. Getting things back on track, Sally-having informed the group that they intend to upgrade the Sky Patrol-turns the floor over to Mega Man X, as his group has the most experience dealing with Sigma. Shortly into the meeting, Xander's Genesis Portal opens in the room, depositing Eggman, Wily and Xander. Surprised by this, the heroes waste no time in locking up the villains. Eggman and Wily explain their situation and offer up info on Sigma's plan for amnesty. Mega Man is not entirely convinced, but Sonic and X point out the lack of options and agrees.

The doctors reveal Sigma's plan of using the Unity Engines and the Master Engine to fuse the worlds together and gain infinite power, as well as revealing the location of the Lost Hex base. X wishes he could contact Alia and Signas, so Roll, Sally, Cream and Nicole volunteer to take the role of Navigators. The group makes their way with some amusing interactions: Sticks trades conspiracy info with Xander, Antoine and Zero compare blades, Comedy Chimp struggles to get a laugh from Break Man and Nicole hangs out with Quake Woman. As Wily muses on how Zero looks like something he would make, Shadow Man reveals he is still loyal to Wily and will betray the heroes to him the second he gets a chance.

At the Lost Hex, Sigma has used his ever-increasing powers to resurrect Chill Penguin when Zavok informs him of the Sky Patrol's approach. Too close to his next evolutionary phase to afford a distraction, Sigma orders his current army and the Deadly Six to stop them while he continues resurrecting more Maverick army commanders. Before long, the Sky Patrol arrives. Sigma's army heads out to stop them and the two sides engage in battle.

Characters

 * Deadly Six
 * Master Zik
 * Zavok
 * Zazz
 * Zeena
 * Zomom
 * Zor
 * Dr. Albert W. Wily
 * Dr. Eggman
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Maverick
 * Chill Penguin
 * Sigma
 * Maverick Hunters
 * Alia
 * Axl
 * Mega Man X
 * Signas
 * Zero
 * Mechaniloids
 * Eregion
 * New Freedom Fighters
 * Amy Rose
 * Antoine D'Coolette
 * Big the Cat
 * Bunnie D'Coolette
 * Cheese the Chao
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Rotor the Walrus
 * Sally Acorn
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Nicole the Holo-Lynx
 * Robot Masters
 * Light Robot Masters
 * Break Man
 * Mega Man
 * Roll
 * Quake Woman
 * Wily Robot Masters
 * Air Man
 * Bubble Man
 * Flash Man
 * Hard Man
 * Shadow Man
 * Snake Man
 * Spark Man
 * Wood Man
 * Team Sticks
 * Comedy Chimp
 * Fastidious Beaver
 * Sticks the Badger
 * Xander Payne

Continuity

 * The New Freedom Fighters, Light Labs, Maverick Hunters and Team Sticks discover their unified world is deteriorating.
 * Dr. Eggman and Dr. Albert W. Wily are still on the run from the Deadly Six after their betrayal of Sigma in Mega Man #50, "Worlds Unite Part Four: Death and Destruction".
 * The Deadly Six are still under Sigma's mind control, which Sigma used on them through their armor in Sonic Universe #76, "Worlds Unite! Part One: Across Time and Space".
 * Xander Payne ends up on the Lost Hex due to the ability he gained in Mega Man #50, "Worlds Unite Part Four: Death and Destruction".
 * Xander sends himself, Wily and Eggman to the Sky Patrol, where the heroes form a truce with them.
 * Mega Man X recalls Sigma's escape to Sonic's World in Sonic Universe #76, "Worlds Unite! Part One: Across Time and Space".
 * Mega Man mentions how Dr. Wily was presumed death after the incident in Mega Man #48, "The Ultimate Betrayal Part Four: Gamma".
 * Eggman and Wily reveals Sigma's plan to merge many more universes with more Unity Engines, then use a Master Engine to gain god-like power, to the heroes.
 * Sonic brings up that Drs. Eggman and Wily turned him and Mega Man into Roboticized Masters in Sonic Boom #8, "Worlds Unite Part Two: Broken Heroes".
 * Sonic and Mega Man discuss their earlier fight in the first act of Worlds Collide.
 * Rotor still has the Red Star Ring they got from Dr. Ellidy in Sonic Universe #74, "Spark of Life Part Four".
 * Quake Woman recalls her call to arms in Sonic the Hedgehog #273, "Worlds Unite Part Three: Clash of the Corrupted".
 * The unified heroes and villains locate the Lost Hex, and prepare to strike. This attack continues into Sonic Boom #9, "Worlds Unite! Part Six: Fire in the Sky".

Trivia

 * The title of this story is a play on the common phrase "all in the same boat".
 * Sticks stating that Knuckles could stand to bulk up and her outburst at Sonic not wearing sports tape is a callback to her dimension's version of Sonic and Knuckles.

Off Panel

 * Script: Bill Freiberger
 * Pencils & Inks: Jonathan H. Gray
 * Colors: Matt Herms

Synopsis
Crammed inside a single panel filled with characters from all three franchises, Sonic asks Mega Man if he thinks the crossover is getting just a little crowded.

Characters

 * Auto
 * Charmy Bee
 * Dave the Intern
 * Dr. Albert W. Wily
 * Dr. Eggman
 * Dr. Thomas Light
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Maverick
 * Vile
 * Sigma
 * Maverick Hunters
 * Axl
 * Mega Man X
 * Zero
 * Mayor Fink
 * Met
 * New Freedom Fighters
 * Amy Rose
 * Antoine D'Coolette
 * Cheese the Chao
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Rotor the Walrus
 * Sally Acorn
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Orbot
 * Robot Masters
 * Light Robot Masters
 * Break Man
 * Cut Man
 * Ice Man
 * Mega Man
 * Roll
 * Wily Robot Masters
 * Bass
 * Yellow Devil
 * Rush
 * Team Sticks
 * Comedy Chimp
 * Fastidious Beaver
 * Sticks the Badger
 * Xander Payne
 * Zomom

Trivia

 * Mama Robotnik and the Mega Man from the 80s animated series Captain N: The Game Master make a cameo appearance.

Trivia

 * The solicit for this issue was the first media to confirm the presence of Xander Payne in Worlds Unite.
 * This is the first issue of a Sonic the Hedgehog comic title in the main continuity in which characters from Sonic Boom appear on the cover, in this case Sticks the Badger, Comedy Chimp and Fastidious Beaver. It also marks the first time a character from that universe appears on the cover (Sticks).