Sonic the Comic Issue 49


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

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Count Down to Disaster, Part 1"

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

Synopsis
At last, the final repairs to the Death Egg have been completed, and now all that is needed for launch is a source of infinite energy... the Master Emerald! Robotnik orders his latest badnik to steal the Master Emerald, and to destroy Knuckles if the echidna interferes!

Below the surface of the Floating Island, Sonic and Knuckles use a network of tunnels to access the magma chamber of a live volcano that is situated in the middle of Robotnik's Launch Base Zone. The Death Egg itself is sitting right on top of the volcano!

A legion of EggRobo badniks fly out of the Death Egg straight for the two heros, each one directly controlled by Robotnik, with cameras in their eyes that transmit everything back to Robotnik's control room, and a voice modulator that lets Robotnik communicate with his enemies. Although Sonic wants to destroy all the badniks, Knuckles protests they don't have time. Instead, he smashes a whole in the rock wall, melting all the EggRobos in a flood of boiling hot lava.

Suddenly, Knuckles has a nasty thought, and runs off towards the Hidden Palace, from which in ancient times the royal family once ruled the Floating Island. They find a door forced off its hinges, and unfortunately realise it leads to the Emerald Chamber. The Master Emerald is gone, and this means that the Floating Island will crash back onto Mobius in just a few hours! (The other Chaos Emeralds remain, however - Sonic notes that they are bigger than he remembers.)

Robotnik glories at his victory (despite the Master Emerald not having arrived yet). He plans to make the Emerald Hill Folk suffer as never before, and Sonic cannot do anything to stop it, because he has to face the one badnik he can never hope to beat!

Back underground, Sonic and Knuckles notice a glow in a corner of the cavern and go to investigate. But to Sonic's horror, he knows who it is: it's Metallix, the Metal Sonic! And he's absorbing the power of the Master Emerald!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Grimer
 * EggRobos
 * Metallix

Continuity

 * The repairs to the Death Egg have finally been completed, having started in Sonic the Comic #37, "Robotnik's Revenge, Part 1". The satellite crashed in Sonic the Summer Special (1994), "Guardian of the Chaos Emeralds".
 * Sonic and Knuckles access the Death Egg's volcano launch site by means of underground tunnels, which they entered at the end of Sonic the Comic #50, "Mystery of the Sandopolis Zone, Part 2".
 * It is revealed that the Chaos Emeralds have grown much larger since being reunited into six (from Sonic the Comic #36, "Power of the Chaos Emeralds, Part 2"), and are now depicted as being brilliant cut, more in line with recent games. According to Knuckles, this is how the Emeralds are meant to look, having been mostly drained of power when Sonic had them.

Trivia

 * The Metallix model introduced in this issue is based on the Mecha Sonic from the Sky Sanctuary Zone of Sonic & Knuckles. Like that robot, the Metallix is drawing power from the Master Emerald, making him invulnerable.

Shinobi - "Power Of The Elements, Part 3"
Joe Musashi wakes up to find himself among the Roofworlders, the destitute who live on the rooftops of Tokyo to be safe from the jackals that prey on those on the streets. Their leader, Kotomi-sensei, has taught them the skills to move silently and defend themselves if necessary, but not on the level of shinobi. Worried that the Yakuza will now seek Musashi out, and that they will attempt to slaughter the Roofworlders, Kotomi asks Musashi to stay and help them fight. Musashi removes his disguise and dons his Shinobi uniform.
 * Script: Alan McKenzie
 * Art: Jon Haward
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

When the Four Elements arrive with Yakuza enforcers, the Roofworlders are ready to ambush them...

Tails in - "Zonerunner & The Big Freeze, Part 2"

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

Synopsis
Miles "Tails" Prower encounters Sol Furic at the Flock's ruined headquarters, but Sol says he wasn't responsible. Nutzan Bolt killed the Flock. The robot has torn the Chemical Plant Zone apart seeking revenge on Tails, the Zonerunner, and all the systems have broken down (resulting in the freezing temperatures and the chemical snow). Sol no longer works for Nutzan Bolt, "that crazy tin tyrant".

Sol leads Tails further underground into the Runs, where all the Zone's residents have moved since the surface became uninhabitable. Unfortunately, Tails is widely hated as the reason most residents lost their homes. Sol's sunglasses aren't enough to disguise him, and when Tails is recognised, the pair have to run for their lives.

They hide in Sol's apartment, where Sol relates his story. He used to be a member of the Flock and the partner of Sab, before Nutzan Bolt convinced him to switch sides. Sol honestly believed that Nutzan Bolt could be worked with to improve the Zone, only to learn that Nutzan Bolt was a homicidal maniac. Sol was forced to fight Sab and the Flock. He was captured by the Flock, but escaped when Nutzan Bolt started destroying the Zone. He wanted to rejoin the team, but an explosion destroyed the building, killing them all and knocking him out.

Suddenly, Sab kicks down the door of Sol's apartment - she's not dead after all. She briefly greets Tails the pulls a gun on Sol, demanding to know why she shouldn't kill him right now.

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Sol Furic
 * Chemical Plant Zone residents
 * Sab
 * Nutzan Bolt

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 3"

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

Synopsis
Filch and the other Sky Pirates plan to rescue Captain Plunder from his imprisonment at Highview Corrective Centre (although some members of the crew aren't even sure which one Plunder was). They get the address from the Mobian Times newspaper, and destroy all of the Trooper guards.

Meanwhile, in the Highview dungeons, Plunder and his cellmate Simpson the Cat have broken free of their chains. Simpson knows a secret tunnel out of the dungeon... but they can't get to the wall it's in because there are bars in the way! Plunder demands to know what they're going to do now, and as Simpson ponders that, a question mark floats over his head. Simpson pulls the question mark out of the air, then uses it to pick the lock and open the door. Plunder is certain that something just isn't quite right about Simpson.

Plunder knows that this isn't how he is supposed to escape from prison, so he tells Simpson to say that they fought through dozens of armed guards. Just then, the frog warden Mister Gullets appears, and attacks Plunder. Simpson takes some black paint and makes a circle on the floor... which Mister Gullets steps on and falls through into a bottomless pit. Plunder insists that they fought through twenty guards during the escape (Simpson says at least 25).

Simpson shows Plunder to a tunnel that had been dug by inmate Billy Gulch over a period of twenty years. The day before he was going to use it, he was pardoned. He never fully recovered.

Outside, Filch and the crew also find Gulch's Tunnel. Captain Plunder is as good as rescued!

Appearances

 * Captain Plunder
 * Simpson
 * Filch
 * Sky Pirate crew:
 * A rabbit
 * A rat
 * Dogs
 * Pigs and boars
 * Troopers
 * Mister Gullets

Other features

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