Wolf Pack (Pre-Super Genesis Wave)


 * For the version of this group after the Super Genesis Wave, see Wolf Pack.

The Wolf Pack is a group of Freedom Fighters that appear in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. It is a group of Freedom Fighters who acted against Dr. Ivo Robotnik's operations in mostly deserted or abandoned areas of Mobius. The Pack was formed after Dr. Robotnik's military coup when the remaining, un-roboticized members of their tribe drew lots to divide the community; some left to fight against Robotnik while others stayed behind to care for the remaining survivors. Later, around the time of the Second Robotnik War, the Wolf Pack and the rest of their people reunited in their ancestral homeland to form the new Wolf Pack Nation.

Formation
The Wolves were once a proud race, honored in their heritage and living only off of what nature provided for them. As such, their civilization became one that, while advanced, respected the environment around it. They lived in an uncharted area called the Great Unknown which lay just beyond the Great Canyon in Northamer. However, shortly after Robotnik's coup of Mobotropolis, their lives were thrust into turmoil as Robotnik ran them off of their native lands, roboticizing many and scattering the rest. Only a handful were left not roboticized, and they drew lots to decide who would leave for the east to fight against Robotnik, or stay behind to watch over the few still free. Lobo, a chief, stayed behind with his two children while his wife, Lupe Wolf, was selected to lead what would become the Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters in his stead.

Sally Acorn, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Antoine D'Coolette first encountered the Wolf Pack after they stumbled upon their hidden cave base. Having received a Freedom Fighter list via King Maximillian Acorn, they sought to unite other Freedom Fighters for their cause. Though they met with some initial distrust, the two Freedom Fighter groups worked together and defeated a Waste Pod. Following this, the two groups became allies.

Travels and tribulations
The Wolf Pack later encountered the Freedom Fighters during a meeting in the Great Forest and arranged to provide support during Operation: EndGame, unaware that one of their members, Drago, had secretly given his allegiance to Dr. Robotnik. They provided support fire as the Freedom Fighters investigated Robotropolis, and, when Princess Sally was nearly killed, gave cover fire to allow the others to escape with the grievously injured princess. The Pack later returned to Knothole and thus were among those captured when Robotnik took over the hidden village. Eventually, Drago's treachery and involvement in the near-death of Princess Sally were uncovered and, after Dr. Robotnik's death, he was henceforth no longer considered a member of the pack.

With peace seemingly returning, the Wolf Pack sought to return to their former home and search for other surviving wolves. Lupe had been encouraged when the twins Leeta and Lyco rejoined her group, and so despite Sally's offer to allow the Wolf Pack to live in the reclaimed Mobotropolis, Lupe decided she needed to see if more lost wolves could be found. After crossing a perilous river, the Wolf Pack came across a destroyed and long abandoned Overlander city. While searching for shelter during a storm, the Pack came across two young Overlander girls, Aerial and Athena. The Pack deliberated as to what to do with the two girls, some members not trusting them as Overlanders. Eventually it was decided by Lupe that both Aerial and Athena would become part of her family and be raised as part of the pack, as she believed that abandoning the two would make them no better than those they fought against.

Upon returning to the remains of their former city, the Wolf Pack was ambushed by Dr. Eggman's forces. Once in captivity, Sir Charles Hedgehog, once again serving as a Robian lieutenant, revealed to Lupe her roboticized husband Lobo and her children Marcos and Maria. Realizing that if she did not comply her husband and children would be dismantled, Lupe allowed herself to be roboticized. However, shortly after the process was complete she managed to maintain a slight level of free will and attacked their captors, enabling the rest of the Wolf Pack to escape. Despite being encouraged to escape as well, she admitted that she was struggling to think freely and only held onto a basic desire to stay with her family. After escaping, the other Pack members erected a symbolic grave stone in her name.

The Wolf Pack later returned to Knothole where they would be joined by the roboticized Lupe, Lobo and their children, the latter having had their free will restored by the Sword of Acorns. Lupe convinced forgave Uncle Chuck for roboticizing her and convinced him to forgive himself as well. Not long afterwards, the Bem de-roboticized almost all of the planet's Robians and the Pack was finally reunited.

Later, Lupe and the Wolf Pack (now with Lobo, Marcos and Maria) resumed their travels and were nearly caught in the spread of A.D.A.M.'s Nanites. However, they managed to escape.

Soldiers of the Wolf Pack Nation
With their home in the Great Unknown destroyed, the Wolf Pack's travels finally came to an end when they decided to resettle in their ancestral homeland, reuniting the scattered tribes into the Wolf Pack Nation. Sonic and Sally were later invited down to become honorary members of the Wolf Pack. Canus gave Sally a warm welcome and Sonic talked with Leeta. The four then met with Lobo, who explained that before he was roboticized, he was this pack's chief, and that he regained the title after Lupe stepped down. Sonic and Sally then both questioned Lupe's loss of title, until it was later revealed Lupe stepped down to accept the role of Grand Chief of the new Wolf Pack Nation. The Wolves then informed their friends that they were missing an important artifact, the Ancient Onyx, needed for their ceremony, and some suspected the Felidae of Pais Misterioso to be responsible for its disappearance. Soon, a Felidae named Big the Cat entered the village, seeking the Ancient Onyx as the Felidae also thought it missing. The Freedom Fighters split up to investigate the situation as a neutral party, but when Sonic and Big attempted to deal with the Felidae, the Wolf Pack arrived, armed for battle. Sonic was able to defuse the situation, and then led the group to the Mystic Ruins, where they did battle with a chapter of the Dark Egg Legion composed of Wolves who had gone missing after the mass Deroboticization and Felidae who had been exiled. Proving victorious with the help of the Felidae, the group departed in peace, and used the recovered Ancient Onyx to welcome Sonic, Sally, and Big into the Nation.

Though at last enjoying peace, the Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters found themselves redundant as part of a larger force. Leeta and Lyco in particular expressed a desire to do more good for Mobius at large. Peace was threatened when Chief Lupe was kidnapped by Mecha Sally along with Queen Hathor, and the Wolf Pack almost went to war with the Feldae. The timely intervention of Team Fighters-assisted by the adventurous twins-prevented a crisis, and both rulers were returned to their people. The Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters then said goodbye-at least for a time-to two of their members, as Lupe dispatched Leeta and Lyco to New Mobotropolis for a secret mission. This led to the pair joining the Secret Freedom Fighters organized by Harvey Who.
 * Note: From this point, the Wolf Pack's history continues from its new existence in the altered timeline.

Trivia

 * The Wolf Pack is generally based upon Native American cultures.
 * The design of the Wolf Pack members (with the exception of Lupe and Canus) is largely different between their early appearances in Sonic the Hedgehog #46—47 and their later appearances. For example, in their first two appearances, there was no sign of Leeta or Lyco, and the other wolves appeared to all be large and muscular. This is because the group was loosely based upon the Wolf Pack as seen in the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon; the comic later attempted to give the individual wolves more distinction, and three of the four males accompanying Lupe were developed into Canus, Reynard and Diablo.
 * The fourth male wolf from Sonic the Hedgehog was not developed as a distinctive character like the others; nevertheless, he sometimes appears among the Wolf Pack. He is rather fat and has a sloped snout, though he is colored inconsistently. Writer Ian Flynn unofficially dubbed the wolf "Rufus."
 * Wolf Pack is also the name of a black ops unit in the video game Turok.