Shard the Metal Sonic


 * This about the Metal Sonic robot created by Robotnik Prime. For the Metal Sonic robots created by Dr. Eggman, see Metal Sonic v3.0.

Shard (Call Sign Jack in the Secret Freedom Fighters), originally known as Metal Sonic, and sometimes as Mecha Sonic, was the first Metal Sonic robot ever built, and was one of the deadliest robotic models created by Dr. Ivo Robotnik. He is based off his organic counterpart and Robotnik's most hated enemy, Sonic the Hedgehog. Metal Sonic was pitted against Sonic and friends on numerous occasions, until he was seemingly destroyed when he chose to sacrifice himself to save Sonic and Tails. He was at some later point recovered and rebuilt to serve as a member of the Secret Freedom Fighters.

First Encounter
Metal Sonic was first built by Dr. Robotnik so he could have his "own Sonic the Hedgehog". Metal Sonic was first put to use by Robotnik to kidnap "Sonic's Biggest Fan," Amy Rose, and bring her to the Collision Chaos Zone to be used as bait for Sonic. The mechanical copy did so, and Sonic did end up coming to the zone. The two hedgehogs then had a race around the zone's resident speed track, Stardust Speedway, with Snively (disguised as Dr. Robotnik) following them and Metal Sonic pulling tricks such as using hologram. Eventually, as they apporached the finish line, Sonic began to increase his speed, and Metal Sonic, despite not being programmed with records of Sonic reaching such speeds, pushed his engine beyond its limits to catch up to him. Unfortunately, the heat created from the friction of the Metal Sonic's speed, caused his legs to melt and he crashed just just before the finish line StH: #25)

Battle Against the Chaotix
When Knuckles the Echidna and the Chaotix arrived at Renfield T. Rodent's carnival to save the Freedom Fighters, Dr. Robotnik sent a repaired Metal Sonic to stop them. But when the duplicate realized he was clearly outnumbered, he used a Power Gem to turn into a gigantic, monstrous form. However, Heavy had his own Power Gem on hand and Knuckles used it to turn giant himself, allowing him to take on the new and improved Metal Sonic. Knuckles used his increased powers to defeat Metal Sonic, seemingly once and for all. (KCX)

Vengeance and Sacrifice
After the Freedom Fighters left Station Square, the Freedom Fighter Special almost crashed. Nate Morgan found out it was sabotaged and Sally decided to send Sonic and Tails out on reconnaissance to see if there were any signs of life. While the friends were doing this, Sonic told Tails to go find some wood for a fire. However, when Tails hadn't come back for an hour, Sonic went out to search for him. But Sonic then discovered that the person who had kidnapped Tails and sabotaged the ship was none other than the original Metal Sonic. The mechanical menace revealed that the Power Gem that was still inside of him when he was destroyed by Knuckles allowed him to rebuild himself. In this form, Metal Sonic could move much faster than Sonic and, deciding to give Sonic a "fair chance" to save Tails, told him that his friend was in the volcano, Mount Mobius. However, the volcano was also due to erupt soon. (StH: #86)

Sonic quickly made his way to the volcano, but was stopped when Metal Sonic attacked him. However, Sonic was able to trap Metal Sonic in his own net and get to Tails before the volcano erupted. The robotic duplicate easily got out of the netting and attacked both Sonic and Tails atop the mountain. Sonic tried to tell Metal Sonic about how there's more to life than just power, but he ignored it. However, when Tails decided to stick with Sonic even while there was lava everywhere, Metal Sonic developed some sort of "conscience" and decided to hold back the lava, allowing the two to escape. Tails' actions allowed Metal Sonic to see he could be more than his programming, and as his two former foes escaped, Metal Sonic was submerged in lava, seemingly meeting his demise. (StH: #87)

Agent Jack
Despite being submerge in lava, it was not the end of Metal Sonic. Metal Sonic's core programming and mind, which were now a part of the Power Gem's crystalline matrix, survived being submerged in lava and was later recovered by Geoffrey St. John and the Royal Secret Service shortly after Metal Sonic's attack on Sonic and Tails. Geoffrey and his team were sent to investigate the site, and he intended on stealing the still functional Power Gem for New Mobotropolis before Dr. Eggman could use it for his own gain. The gem was then given to Sir Charles Hedgehog who retrieved Metal Sonic's core-data and used it to construct the Metal Sonic Troopers. Metal Sonic was later fully resurrected/rebuilt by Charles, by using parts from the other Metal Sonic robots, the Metal Sonic Troopers and the Metal Scourge and was given the new name "Shard" in order to provide another member for Harvey Who's newly formed team called the Secret Freedom Fighters. This did not only give Shard another chance in life, but also another chance to prove himself to be a hero. While Charles was reluctant to rebuilt a Metal Sonic robot, Shard assured Charles that he had learned there was more in life from Sonic.

After being fully rebuilt, Shard was given the call sign "Jack" and sent on a mission to Soumerca with Silver the Hedgehog (call sign "Ace") and Larry Lynx (call sign "Joker"), to track the whereabouts of Geoffrey St. John, servant to Ixis Naugus. Shard managed to plant a tracking device on St. John's Extreme Gear, though the team's attempts to discover what Geoffrey went to Windy Valley for resulted in them being buried in the collapsed tomb of Ixis Vale deep underground by Geoffrey St. John. In the process, Shard was damaged, but assured his team that his self-repair system was kicking in, and began helping dig themselves out.

Personality
Initially, Shard lacked his own personality, acting as another of Robotnik's obedient robots. However, after his defeat at the hands of Knuckles and the Chaotix, and forced to rebuild himself, Shard's personality drastically improved, as did his abilities and appearance. He showed overt signs of emotions while battling Sonic however, but began to develop a conscience, along with a sense of right and wrong as he began to understand there was more to life than power. Finally, shortly before his death, he revealed that he could surpass his programming and act as a complete individual.

As Shard's personality developed, he became arrogant, cocky and extremely self-confident in his abilities, many similar traits that he shares with his organic counterpart. As such he is fairly easy going and light-hearted in most situations. He's not above playfully (or cruelly) taunting or mocking other, though he seems somewhat protective of Larry Lynx.

Powers and Abilities
Due to being built as a robotic copy of Sonic, Shard shares many of his counterpart's abilities, such as being able to move at high speeds and to perform his Spin Dash techniques. Over times, he has possessed many robotic bodies that has granted him various kinds of abilities and strengths. His bodies is also always equipped with rockets that grants him flight.

Shard's first two robot bodies (Metal Sonic v1.0 and Metal Sonic v2.0) possessed all of the physical abilities of Sonic, which included his super speed and strength. However, he was unable to match Sonic's top speed since the heat created from the friction would cause him to melt. His entire body was constructed from a steel titanium alloy that made him incredibly resilient to physical blows. He could also absorb the energies from the Power Gem to become Titan Metal Sonic v2.0.

After obtaining and incorporating the Power Gem core into his body, Shard was granted a massive power increase and several new abilities as well. Some of these abilities it granted Shard was some limited shape-shifting abilities, which increases his weapon versatility and equipments, and allowed him to repair himself, though it strains his Power Gem core.

The body he had constructed for himself after his battle with Knuckles (Metal Sonic v2.5), was shown to possess both strength and speed far beyond that of Sonic's and was able to defeat him with ease. His left arm contained a cannon capable of firing plasma blasts and other projectiles (such as a grappling hook, metallic restraint bands and cybernetic shredder blades) and could as well shapeshift into a power shovel. He could also fire energy blasts directly from his Power Gem. This body was however destroyed when he sacrifice himself to save Sonic and Tails.

The body Charles constructed for him, so that he could serve as a member of the Secret Freedom Figthers, shares many of the same powers he had as Metal Sonic v2.5, though it has not been shown so far to possess the same level of raw power as Metal Sonic v2.5 had. One of the skills he has shown in this body is being able to adapt his eyes into a scanner visor.

Background Information

 * Metal Sonic's original design matched those of his game counterparts from Sonic CD and Knuckles Chaotix. His final appearance however was brand new.
 * Even though the comic appearance of the of the giant red Metal Sonic was Titan Metal Sonic, in the Sega32X game Knuckles Chaotix, this form was known as Metal Sonic Kai.
 * When Metal Sonic first appeared in issue StH #25, he was named "Mecha Sonic". This name was later used in issue StH #39 for the robotized version of Sonic.
 * Shard's death in lava is slightly based on that of what happened to his animated counterpart in Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie.
 * It's possible that Shard's ability to surpass his original programming stems from his Power Gem core.
 * Shard's new design as a member of the Secret Freedom Fighters bears a resemblance to Metal Sonic 3.0.
 * The visor he sometimes uses highly resembles the one used by Mecha Sonic from the games.
 * In the cover of Archie Sonic Universe Issue 41, he is colored blue with yellow stripes. This could be either an error or a shade of color mixed in with Shard.