Sonic the Comic Issue 91


 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Assistant Editor: Audrey Wong
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Production: Sarah Colley
 * Consultant: Richard Burton

Sonic the Hedgehog - "The Hive, Part 1"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Colouring: Steve White
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Late at night in the Chaotix Crew's secret satellite base in the Special Zone, Sonic finds he is unable to sleep. He is desperate to find some way to escape the Special Zone and return to Mobius. Out of a porthole, he spots Charmy Bee, who looks as though he is being kidnapped! Sonic ponders to himself: Charmy drives everyone crazy and nobody is going to miss him if he disappears. Sonic could just walk away as if he hasn't seen anything... But he can't. Sonic has to save the little runt... although he'll probably hate himself in the morning!

Outside, Charmy is being put onto a golden rowboat by two soldier bees. Charmy is overjoyed to see Sonic, believing that Sonic will save him. The soldier bees say that they come from the Hive, and have been sent by the Queen to bring Charmy to her. Sonic knows that the Hive is where Charmy's people come from, and wonders if he shouldn't get involved in case it's a family matter. The soldiers insist that Charmy is in no danger, but he broke a promise to the Queen and must return to face her. Charmy says that he is allowed to bring a friend to speak on his behalf, which the soldiers admit is true, but Sonic says he's not Charmy's friend and refuses to help...

A short time later, Sonic, Charmy and the soldiers arrive at the Hive. Charmy is glad Sonic changed his mind. Sonic tells him to shut up. Inside the Hive, Sonic sees busy worker bees operating some vast machinery. Charmy explains that the bees are making gold, despite Sonic's protests that it is impossible. Indeed, bees fly out from the Hive to search the Special Zone for ingredients, which are then brought to the Hive to be turned into solid gold.

Sonic and Charmy are led to the throne room, where the Queen is waiting for them. She is upset that Charmy has been brought to her against his will. "But mom," says Charmy, "I don't want to live in the Hive! I'm having fun being a super hero with the Chaotix Crew!" Sonic is astonished that the Queen is Charmy's mother, moreso when he finds out that Charmy is actually the prince of the Hive! Charmy begs him not to tell the others, because he doesn't want them to treat him any differently. Even though they yell at him all the time, he believes that they only pretend he gets on their nerves (leading Sonic to call him a "Poor mistaken fool", but not out loud).

The Queen says she's been very worried about Charmy and he hasn't called in months. She insists that he is going to stay in the Hive from now on, fulfilling his duties as a member of the Royal Family. Suddenly, a soldier bursts in with terrible news: the Hive is under attack! Vesper and the wasps have returned!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Charmy Bee
 * Queen Bee
 * Vesper
 * Bees:
 * Queen's advisor
 * Queen's bodyguard
 * Soldiers
 * Workers
 * Dockhand
 * Wasp warriors

Continuity

 * Sonic the Hedgehog is still trapped in the Special Zone, having travelled there in Sonic the Comic #84, "Heroes & Villains, Part 1". He will eventually return to Mobius in Sonic the Comic #100, "The Final Victory".
 * The Queen Bee was previously mentioned in Sonic the Comic #81, "The Fundamental Four, Part 2", in which a worker from the Hive claimed she was unhappy that Charmy had not visited home more often.

Captain Plunder - "Shanghaied, Part 1"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching & Richard Elson
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
In the Special Zone, a pirate ship sails off the coast of New Tek City. The ship is commanded by Captain Plunder, who congratulates his right-hand ghost Filch for the idea of attaching a Star Post to the wheel. With the Star Post's ability to hop between dimensions, they plan to become the most feared pirates in history.

Just then, in the New Tek City docklands, one of Captain Plunder's press gangs notice a skinny, green-skinned, smartly-dressed man walking by, and jump him. They put him in a bag and take him back to the ship - Plunder isn't happy that they only got one new crew member, and tells them to put him in the hold.

The next morning, following breakfast, Plunder tells Simpson the Cat (the ship's cook) to get him some 'Old Caribbean' chocolate from the hold. However, when Simpson gets there, he finds that the crew's prisoner has eaten all of Plunder's chocolate! Plunder immediately makes him walk the plank, despite the man's objections that he's "the famous alchemist, Proctor Speckle!" (Filch recognises the name, but can't place it.)

Speckle is forced into the water, where several hungry sharks are swimming right below. Although his hands are tied, he tries reaching for his bottle of transforming serum in his inside pocket, accidentally knocking off the stopper...

Moments later, an enormous green monster emerges from the water and clambers back onto the ship, holding one of the sharks between giant teeth! Now Filch remembers where he knows Proctor Speckle: he's the one who turns into Murderous Mister Fry!

Appearances

 * Captain Plunder
 * Flich
 * Simpson the Cat
 * Proctor Speckle and Mr. Fry
 * Sky Pirates:
 * Dogs
 * Rats
 * Hogs
 * A rhino
 * A cat

Continuity

 * Proctor Speckle previously appeared in Sonic the Comic #85, "Heroes & Villains, Part 2", which was also the first appearance of his alter-ego Mister Fry. In that appearance he was only referred to as "Mr Fry". Fry (without Speckle) appeared more recently, in Sonic the Comic #88, "The Ultimate Nightmare".

Decap Attack - "The Legend of Mr Cuddle Bunny, Part 1"

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

Midnight, and Castle Frank N. Stein receives an unexpected visitor in the form of a massive, kilt-wearing, Scottish rabbit named Mick C McTosis, who demands that the Prof give him the hat of Mr Cuddle Bunny. The Prof says that he has had the hat for ten years. Mr Cuddle Bunny was his favourite writer (Prof has shelves full of stories about Mr Cuddle Bunny and his fluffy friends). He was the Prof's guest ten years ago. After he left, leaving the hat behind, nobody has heard from him since.

Chuck and Head spot Igor sneaking away and decide to follow him. They hear Igor scream: Mr Cuddle Bunny has escaped! Igor had kept him locked up in the tower for ten years to stop him publishing those awful books.

Downstairs, McTosis steals the hat and puts it on his head, thereby becoming the rightful heir to the Cuddle Bunny fortune. Suddenly, Mr Cuddle Bunny himself appears and he's "very cross"!

Trivia

 * Mick C McTosis is named after myxomatosis, a viral disease that affects rabbits.
 * Mick C McTosis calls Igor a "wee timerous numpty". This is derived from "To a Mouse", a poem by the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns, the opening line of which is: "Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie", referring to a small, frightened mouse. (The poem also contains the origin of the phrase "best laid plans of mice and men".) McTosis has turned it into an insult by appending the word "numpty", a traditionally Scottish insult meaning a fool.

Sonic's World - "Secret Weapon, Part 2"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Roberto Corona
 * Colouring: Andy Pritchett
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
In the Gum Tree Zone, the Freedom Fighters face off against Robotnik's newest creation: an evil Cybernik called Vermin! Shortfuse hits Vermin with his blaster, to no effect! But when Vermin retaliates with blasts from his eyes, it actually hurts! Tails swoops at Vermin with a flying attack, only to be knocked out of the air by Vermin's tail. Now Shortfuse is back on his feet, but Vermin still has a secret weapon and stabs Shortfuse's armour with his tail. Shortfuse screams and falls to the ground - Vermin has injected a computer virus into his system, paralysing Shortfuse's armour.

Johnny Lightfoot attacks, but Vermin destroys Johnny's staff with his eye beams. Vermin has beaten everyone... except Amy Rose, who takes her turn. Vermin scoffs, saying that her crossbow won't even dent Vermin's armour... but then she isn't aiming for Vermin, she's aiming for the Gum Tree Sac over his head. Blue liquid drops on top of Vermin and starts melting his armour! Vermin flees to get repairs. It was lucky that Amy remembered that the Gum Tree Fruit contains an acid gumthat is corrosive to metals!

Shortfuse still needs help. He tells the others to take him to a secret workshop in the Emerald Hill Zone, where his friend Tekno the Canary helps Shortfuse by draining the virus from his system. Shortfuse vows that the next time Vermin attacks, he'll be ready.

Appearances

 * Amy Rose
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Shortfuse the Cybernik
 * Vermin the Cybernik

Continuity

 * Shortfuse is a member of the Freedom Fighters, having joined them in Sonic the Comic #89. He will leave the team in Sonic the Comic #97, "Boiling Point".
 * Tekno the Canary previously met the Freedom Fighters in the Sonic Holiday Special 1996, "Sonic Vs Shortfuse".
 * The Freedom Fighters are brought to Tekno's secret lab in the Emerald Hill Zone for the first time. She will eventually offer to let them use it as their new base in Sonic the Comic #94, "The Monster Wakes, Part 1".
 * Shortfuse develops a grudge against Vermin the Cybernik. They next meet in Sonic the Comic #97, "Boiling Point".

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone
 * NiGHTS Pin-Up!
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines