Sonic the Comic Issue 48


 * Managing Editor: Richard Burton
 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designers: Gary Knight
 * Assistant Editor: Audrey Wong
 * Publisher: Rob McMenemy

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Mystery of the Sandopolis Zone, Part 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
Captain Plunder cheers that he has found the Lost Pyramid of Sandopolis. A giant stone guardian appears and insists that they must all die for the heresy of summoning the sacred pyramid! Sonic easily smashes the stone guardian into pieces, but the guardian quickly reforms itself and smashes him into the sand. Knuckles knows better than to fight the powerful statue, and so lures it into a pile of quicksand, where it sinks out of sight. However, while Sonic and Knuckles regroup, they realise that Captain Plunder and his team have already sneaked into the pyramid. The two heroes follow.

Sonic asks why the guardian attacked Knuckles, supposedly master of the Floating Island. Knuckles responds that the guardian was ancient, and won't even realise thatthe race of people once native to the island have long gone.

Plunder, Filch and the Professor discover the Lost Tomb of Sandopolis, brimming with treasure, turning on the lights by pulling a chain. They grab as much treasure as they can (except Filch, who is a ghost). Sonic and Knuckles arrive, and Knuckles demands that Plunder returns the treasure, which is part of the Floating Island's heritage. Suddenly, the lights dim - the lighting system is also ancient, and no longer very reliable. The pirates make a dash for the exit, but with the lights out they suddenly realise that they are being chased... by three angry ghosts! Terrified beyond all reason, they drop their loot and escape, barely making it outside before the door closes behind them. Realising that they can't tell the crew they ran away from a couple of ghosts, they decide to embellish the tale slightly.

Back in the pyramid, Knuckles breaks a seal on one of the walls, allowing the sand to pour in from outside to bury the pyramid (and its treasure) once again. Recalling the ancient texts, he opens a secret exit, allowing him and Sonic to escape the pyramid before it sinks.

On the pirates' flying ship, Plunder explains the tale: "...and then two hundred evil spirits each with seven heads and blazing eyes attacked us from all sides..."

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Captain Plunder
 * Filch
 * Professor
 * Three ghosts

Trivia

 * Sonic and Knuckles enter a secret tunnel network at the end of this story, they will emerge next issue in the Lava Reef Zone, beneath Robotnik's Launch Base Zone.

Shinobi - "Power Of The Elements, Part 2"
The Four Elements bring an unconscious Joe Musashi to their Yakuza boss, Mitsugi, with a warning that Musashi is hard to keep hold of. Indeed, Musashi wakes up and quickly defeats all of the Yakuza guards and escapes - the Elements do not interfere, to show Mitsugi how dangerous Musashi is. Air wants to be allowed to capture Musashi and bring him back in chains, and Mitsugi says that his Yakuza men will accompany them to make sure they do as instructed.
 * Script: Alan McKenzie
 * Art: Jon Haward
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

On the rooftops, Musashi is attacked by roof-dwellers and knocked out. Their leader, an old man, recognises him as shinobi!

Tails in - "Zonerunner & The Big Freeze, Part 1"

 * Script: Mark Eyles
 * Art: Roberto Corona and Brian Williamson
 * Lettering: Steve Potter

Synopsis
Miles "Tails" Prower is woken from a short nap by a floater drone, which has a holographic message from his friend Sab in the Chemical Plant Zone. She claims that Nutzan Bolt wants revenge on Tails, and the Flock needs his help, but the message is suddenly cut off by a massive explosion. On the drone, Tails finds his Zonerunner gear (a coat and microputer), and then the floater drone whisks him back to the Chemical Plant Zone... which is covered in a thick chemical cloud. Beneath the cloud, everything is covered in snow and frozen. Tails wonders what's happened, before the drone dives beneath the surface and takes him to the Flock's old hideout... which has been completely destroyed. It looks like a bomb's gone off.

Suddenly, Tails is surprised by Sol Furic standing behind him. Sol Furic (who had been locked up after Tails' last adventure in the Chemical Plant) says the Flock are all dead, every last one of them, and Tails suddenly realises that Sol must still be working for Robotnik...

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Sab
 * Sol Furic

Continuity

 * Tails' last adventure in the Chemical Plant Zone was depicted in "Zonerunner & The Flock", from Sonic the Comic #35 to #38. Sab, leader of the Flock, and Sol Furic, henchman of Nutzan Bolt, both previously appeared in that story. (Sol Furic was captured by the Flock in Part 4, as mentioned here by Tails.)

Trivia

 * The first panel claims Tails is in the "Marble Garden Zone, Mobius". However, the Marble Garden Zone is actually on the Floating Island. A similarly named zone, the Marble Zone, is indeed on Mobius.

Captain Plunder - "Captain Plunder & His Sky Pirates, Part 2"

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

Synopsis
Captain Plunder is put of trial for crimes against Robotnik, and the evidence doesn't look good: they have footage of him destroying Robotnik's Troopers, as well as the head of one that he decapitated (the head, aka Exhibit 'G', claims that Plunder was just lucky). If that wasn't bad enough, his own defence attorney seems to want him hanged, putting up a very weak defence, and the judge seems more interested in making sure that the TV cameras (for the Robotnik Television Company) get his good side. The verdict comes down: Plunder will be hanged by the neck until he is sorry... or, preferably, dead.

Plunder is chained up in the Highview Corrective Centre, where none of the inmates have ever re-offended (because they are all executed). The frog guard, Mister Gullets, is fairly brutal, drenching Plunder with a liquid that is most definitely not water.

Plunder is chained up next to a black-and-white cat, who bemoans not being able to escape from the chains: he knows a secret way out of the cell. Fortunately for them both, Plunder has a mechanical chain-cutter built in to his hook...

Appearances

 * Captain Plunder
 * Troopers
 * Bird prosecutor
 * Boar defender
 * Bird judge
 * Alligator and dog clerks
 * Jury (a rat, a pig, dogs, and more)
 * Monkey television crew (director and cameraman)
 * Dog news broadcaster
 * Young dog
 * Simpson
 * Mister Gullets

Other features

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