Sonic the Comic Issue 130

Sonic the Comic #130 is the one hundred and thirtieth issue of the series Sonic the Comic published by Egmont Fleetway. It was the comic's landmark fifth birthday issue. The issue featured a single Sonic story across 17 pages, "Showdown", which concluded a plotline that had been set in motion as far back as Sonic the Comic #104, as well as a birthday special Decap Attack story.


 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Managing Editor: Steve MacManus
 * Production: Sarah Colley
 * Marketing Manager: Douglas Pocock
 * Managing Director: Julie Goldsmith

Sonic - "Showdown, Part 1"

 * Script: Lew Stringer & Nigel Kitching
 * B & w art: Richard Elson
 * Colour: Nigel Dobbyn
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Doctor Robotnik has become omnipotent by absorbing the power from the Chaos Emeralds. He has created a Metallix robot to fight Sonic the Hedgehog, but Sonic still insists he'll find a way to win. Robotnik laughs at the idea: he has already reshaped reality so that he has ruled Mobiu for years and Sonic never existed. Robotnik again tells Sonic to give up, and again Sonic refuses. Robotnik may be able to make anything he imagines into reality, but Sonic scoffs "Well, you never did have much of an imagination, did you?"

As Metallix beats Sonic to the ground, Sonic is suddenly overwhelmed by a flood of Mega Mack--which quickly forms into Sonic's old enemy Megatox. Robotnik can bring back all of Sonic's old enemies merely by visualising them. And even though Sonic has beaten them all before, he's never had to face them all at the same time. Still, Sonic can't help but think Robotnik is a bit desperate when he conjures up Plasma (and Arnem Abacus). Aggravated, and claiming that Sonic prefers a more worthy opponent, Robotnik conjures up a figure that even Sonic admits he hoped he'd never see again: Brutus!

Six of Sonic's deadliest villains are arrayed against him. Robotnik "kindly" offers to even the odds a little. "Don't pretend you care, potato-face!" But Sonic finds himself swallowing his words when his good friend Tails appears. Sonic thought Tails didn't exist in this time zone, but Robotnik points out that his Chaos powers enable him to bring life to anyone. But Sonic has been tricked, as 'Tails' sucker punches him and is revealed to be the shapeshifter Metamorphia.

Sonic is all alone, but still refuses to give up. He charges at Brutus, hitting him in the chest with a Spin Attack. He may not be strong enough to damage Brutus himself, but all he needs to do is knock Brutus into Plasma. Brutus explodes, and the impact disrupts Plasma's electrons, electrocuting all of the other assembled villains (save the invulnerable Robotnik). Sonic is caught by an explosion as he runs to safety, and suddenly finds himself whisked through the dimensions by Robotnik. Sonic may have won Round One, but the worst is yet to come!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Metallix
 * Megatox
 * Plasma
 * Arnem Abacus
 * Commander Brutus
 * "Miles "Tails" Prower"
 * Metamorphia

Continuity

 * This story follows on directly from the end of Sonic the Comic #129, "Robotnik Reigns Supreme, Part 3".
 * Robotnik absorbed the power of the Chaos Emeralds in Sonic the Comic #125, "Order & Chaos, Part 3", and became all-powerful in Sonic the Comic #127, "Robotnik Reigns Supreme, Part 1".
 * Robotnik rewrote history so that Sonic never existed in Sonic the Comic #128, "Robotnik Reigns Supreme, Part 2". *Megatox previously appeared in "Megatox" (from Sonic the Comic #10) and "Crisis in the Chemical Plant Zone" (from Sonic the Comic #114 and #115).
 * Commander Brutus was originally created and given Robotnik's brainwaves in Sonic the Comic #63, "Project Brutus, Part 1". He subsequently attempted to betray Robotnik and was eventually destroyed (by Robotnik) in Sonic the Comic #82, "Revolution, Part 4".
 * Plasma and Arnem Abacus previously appeared in Sonic the Comic #78, "Plasma".
 * Metamorphia first appeared in Sonic the Comic #30, "Metamorphia". She was a recurring enemy of the Freedom Fighters until Sonic the Comic #83, "Mystery Villain", in which she decided to give up villainy for good.
 * Sonic learned that Tails did not exist in the alternate timeline in Sonic the Comic #128, "Robotnik Reigns Supreme, Part 2".

Sonic - "Showdown, Part 2"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Sonic finds himself floating in a surreal space filled with geometric shapes, and realises that Robotnik has sent him to the Special Zone. He lands on an asteroid where he finds Vector the Crocodile... only to find out that Vector can't call the rest of Chaotix because he's just the cleaner. Robotnik has altered history so Chaotix never existed.

A gargantuan Robotnik fills the sky, but when Sonic complains about Robotnik's socks he's struck from behind by Mister Fry. Fry is joined by Lord Sidewinder (now Overlord Sidewinder) and the rest of Sidewinder's gang, and Robotnik reveals that Sidewinder is ruler of the Special Zone since Chaotix was not able to stop him. Sonic thinks a Spin Attack will take care of them, only for Robotnik to take away his speed, skill and powers. Sonic is bashed between Mister Fry and Bio-Hazard, until Robotnik overhears that Sidewinder plans to steal Robotnik's power and rule the universe. He furiously transforms Sidewinder and all his goons to stone, then blasts Sonic with laser beam eyes.

Robotnik is still determined to break Sonic's spirit, but Sonic remains unimpressed. He calls Robotnik a coward, saying that the omnipotent dictator was so scared of losing that he took Sonic's powers away. "Still," adds Sonic, "at least Knuckles won't see me humiliated!" Tricked by Sonic's words, Robotnik returns Sonic's powers and sends him through a portal to the Floating Island, where Sonic quickly seeks out Knuckles.

Sonic finds Knuckles and claims that he has a plan to beat Robotnik... only for Knuckles to attack him. The echidna is Robotnik's faithful servant!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Vector the Crocodile (Robotnik Reigns Supreme)
 * Overlord Sidewinder
 * Mister Fry (Robotnik Reigns Supreme)
 * Lightmare (Robotnik Reigns Supreme)
 * Bio-Hazard (Robotnik Reigns Supreme)
 * Knuckles the Echidna (Robotnik Reigns Supreme)

Continuity

 * Lord Sidewinder and his associates first appeared in Sonic the Comic #85, "Heroes & Villains, Part 2", and last appeared in Sonic the Comic #118, "Hunter & The Hunted, Part 3". Sidewinder's plan to steal Robotnik's power is similar to his long-running desire to steal the power of Super Sonic.

Sonic - "Showdown, Part 3"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Robotnik appears and gloats that Knuckles is his faithful servant, then orders the echidna to destroy Sonic. Desperately dodging Knuckles' attacks, Sonic again decides to be sneaky. He again implies that Robotnik knows Sonic will win eventually, and that Sonic and Knuckles together would beat Robotnik easily. Robotnik finds the suggestions laughable, but when Sonic continues to goad him he decides to turn Knuckles back to normal to prove his superiority.

With Knuckles beginning to remember the truth, Robotnik plans to destroy them all. Sonic quickly says that Knuckles needs time to readjust, and Robotnik says he'll count to a hundred before destroying them. Sonic and Knuckles quickly run off and head to the Emerald Chamber, where Sonic points out the machine Robotnik used to absorb the Emerald Power in the first place...

When Robotnik finishes counting to one hundred and comes after them. He sees Sonic with the machine, and deduces that Sonic's plan is to use the machine to take away his power. However, he blasts the machine and points out that he is the only one who knows how to operate it. "Did you really think such a pathetic plan would work?" To Robotnik's surprise, Sonic admits that it wasn't his plan at all, and that he was merely distracting Robotnik so that Knuckles could get into position with the Grey Emerald, the Control Emerald. Robotnik discovers the trick too late, and Knuckles hits him with a beam of grey energy, reconfiguring the Emerald energy into its original pattern (thereby restoring reality to normal) and remove all of the Emerald Power from Robotnik. Robotnik's body starts shrinking, while he curses that he was so close, until he finally shrinks to nothing and disappears. Knuckles guesses that his body had become so used to the emerald power that it couldn't exist without it.

Later, in the Emerald Hill Zone, Knuckles and Sonic discuss how nobody remembers anything about Robotnik being a supreme power... like it never happened. Knuckles wonders why Sonic is so glum, and the hedgehog explains: They've won one of the greatest victories ever, against an enemy that could have killed them with a thought, but Sonic can't be the big hero because no one remembers it!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Knuckles the Echidna (Robotnik Reigns Supreme)/Knuckles the Echidna
 * Emerald Hill Folk:
 * Dog
 * Rabbit
 * Bears
 * Chicken
 * Others

Continuity

 * Robotnik is finally stripped of his Chaos Powers, having absorbed them in Sonic the Comic #125, "Order & Chaos, Part 3", and became all-powerful in Sonic the Comic #127, "Robotnik Reigns Supreme, Part 1".
 * The Grey Emerald was previously used to depower a Chaos-charged Robotnik in Sonic the Comic #36, "Power of the Chaos Emeralds, Part 2".
 * Robotnik shrinks and vanishes at the end of this issue. In Sonic the Comic #148, "It's A Small World", it is revealed that Robotnik survived but was shrunk to the size of an atom.

Decap Attack - "Birthday"

 * Script & art: Nigel Kitching
 * Lettering: Ellie de' Ville

It's Chuck and Head's fifth birthday, and Prof bakes them both a cake! Prof reminisces about the night that he first reanimated Chuck from stolen corpses (with the brains that wouldn't fit used to make Head). He thinks about how the scaffolding crashed on Chuck, apparently decapitating him, until it is revealed that his head is now sticking out of his torso. "Happy days!" says the Prof, looking at an old photo of the gang.

Five years later, Chuck still hates Igor as much as he did on the day he met him. Frank breaks up any potential fights by presenting Chuck with a birthday cake, encouraging Chuck to blow out the candles and make a wish. Suddenly, Igor becomes more friendly and offers Chuck a knife so he can cut the cake. Igor sneaks off, happy that he learned how to make bombs so that he could plant one in the cake and watch it explode in Chuck's face. However, he starts having second thoughts about exploding Chuck on his birthday, so rushes in to stop Chuck from cutting the cake. Chuck and Prof interpret this as another attempt to spoil Chuck's big day and Prof orders Igor out of the room. Amazed that he can't even be nice to Chuck if he tries, Igor walks away... and an explosion wrecks the room behind him...

Trivia

 * The flashback scene calls back to the first Decap Attack story, "Starring Chuck D. Head! Part 1" from Sonic the Comic #10, although some details have changed.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Pin-Up - Sonic's Buddies and Baddies, Part 1: Buddies. Art by Carl Flint.
 * Speedlines
 * Graphic Zone - Party Dudes