Casino Night (Archie)


 * For the version of this location after the Super Genesis Wave, see Casino Night Zone (Archie).

The Casino Night, formerly known as the Casino Night Zone, is a location that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. It was a massive casino area in the middle of the Badlands, located in an area dubbed Renobotnik by its owner. It was used by Dr. Ivo Robotnik to test his new Orbinaut Badnik by having it subdue Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic later escaped and destroyed Renobotnik in Casino Night. Two years afterward, Mammoth Mogul obtained management over the casino and renamed it the Casino Night Club after his escape from the New Mobotropolis prison. He then employed Dr. Robotnik's old badnik robots from the Robo Hobo Jungle to act as the staff and perform various jobs, such as waiting on the customers', handing drinks around, and preparing the food.

Use by Robotnik
After the Knothole Freedom Fighters located where Dr. Robotnik was going to be making a big speech using their Robo-Locater, they dispatched Sonic to Casino Night Zone to infiltrate it in order to find out about the speech. Sonic arrived in Casino Night and went into Robotnik's personal casino, Renobotnik, where dozens of Badniks and SWATbots alike were gambling away. Sonic learned that the speech was about the unveiling of Robotnik's latest creation, the Orbinaut. After dealing with a SWATbot wanting a tip out of him, Sonic managed to get a front row seat, but Robotnik saw him at the entrance earlier and was prepared for him. Robotnik walked on to the stage of the main room with the Orbinaut in hand, and had it do a demonstration by hitting Sonic over the head with one of its rotating maces, knocking the Hedgehog unconscious. Robotnik then had Sonic trapped inside a small orb, stopping Sonic from spin-dashing free. Once Sonic awoke, Robotnik has a SWATbot put Sonic in a giant deadly pinball machine, causing the Hedgehog to get knocked around and electrocuted. Before he could finish Sonic off by putting him in the machine again, a SWATbot informed Robotnik that someone had won fifty cents in his casino. Robotnik went off to deal with the matter as no one was allowed to win, Sonic used his spikes to cut through the glass of the orb holding him. The moment Sonic got hit in the pinball machine, the glass broke and he destroyed the machine. Robotnik then had Orbinaut fire his maces at Sonic, but the Hedgehog deflected them back at Robotnik and a SWATbot. Sonic then planted a bomb inside Renobotnik and it exploded with Robotnik inside, who managed to survive the explosion.

Robotnik later rebuilt Renobotnik, and Sonic and Sally Acorn went inside while secretly under surveillance in Robotnik's attempt to find out who was the head of the Freedom Fighters' Secret Intelligence Division. Robotnik captured Sonic and attached him to his Wheel of Misfortune, but the head of the Secret Intelligence Division, Harvey Who, managed to save Sonic before he was vaporised by Robotnik's robots.

Under Mogul's Management
Roughly two years later in 3237, Mammoth Mogul took over management of Casino Night Zone and renamed it the Casino Night Club, where customers could gamble to their heart's content while the staff of Badniks from the Robo Hobo Jungle attended to their needs. His funding for the enterprise was a vast fortune accumulated through his centuries of life, which also allowed him to relocate the Bottom of the Barrel Bar 'n' Grill, supposedly to provide the casino with a kitchen. The Casino Night Club became an international success over night as Mobian, Overlander, and Human alike came from all over Mobius to gamble and have a good time. G.U.N. agent Rouge the Bat and Royal Secret Service agent Geoffrey St. John were assigned by King Elias Acorn to track down Mogul and get an idea of what his next move would be, leading them to his new establishment. They were greeted by the night club's concierge, Scratch, and then had a brief discussion with Mogul himself before he was notified about his "investors' meeting" by Coconuts. The meeting was really between Mogul, Sleuth Dawg who was representing the Destructix, Bean the Dynamite, Bark the Polar Bear, and Nack the Weasel. Mogul said that he would pay handsomely if they could bring him the shoes of Sonic. After a massive brawl, Nack managed to subdue Sonic with his rifle and the Destructix along with Bean and Bark took Sonic to Mogul.

They left him shackled up in chains while the Super Special Sonic Search and Smash Squad gloated in front of Sonic. Sleuth soon became impatient and demanded that Mogul pay them before Sonic was somehow freed. Coconuts went off to inform Mogul just as Princess Sally Acorn and Amy Rose walked into Casino Night looking for Sonic. They were quickly found by Geoffrey who then informed them of his mission. After being startled by Rouge who he'd thought he lost earlier, Sally told them about Sonic's kidnapping and Rouge lead them to where they were holding Sonic. During the fray to free Sonic, Rouge revealed to Sleuth that Mogul had already paid her and gave them new instructions so they could still earn some money. After Sonic was freed, Sonic, Sally, Amy, and Geoffrey went to the night club to locate Mogul. After trashing a few SWATbots on security detail, the four confronted Mogul, who then confronted Sleuth, asking what he had been using the Bar 'n' Grill for as if he had nothing to do with it. Sleuth fully confessed that it was all his own doing just as Rouge instructed, and without the proof for a full conviction, the Freedom Fighters left Casino Night and returned home, allowing the Mammoth to pay the bounty hunters for Sonic's humiliation later on.

Some time later, Geoffrey St. John visited the casino again, this time bearing a recently acquired Chaos Emerald intended for Mogul's minion Ixis Naugus, who had been left mindless by the effects of the Egg Grapes. Geoffrey convinced Mogul to allow him to present the Emerald to Naugus, restoring the latter's lost memories and powers, based on the possibility of Naugus' return leading to an increase in Mogul's customers. With Naugus' mind restored, he promised to avenge himself on Mogul, though he and his former master managed to enjoy a shared laugh upon learning how Geoffrey had betrayed Sonic to obtain the Emerald.

List of staff

 * Dr. Ivo Robotnik (owner; formerly)
 * Mammoth Mogul (owner/manager)
 * SWATbots (security)
 * Classic Badniks (main staff)
 * Grounder (chef)
 * Scratch (concierge)

Points of interest

 * Bottom of the Barrel Bar 'n' Grill: The Bar 'n' Grill is a combination bar and diner for people to eat at and is used as the main kitchen of Casino Night Club. Mogul used it as a meeting place between him, the Destructix, Bean, Bark and Nack in order to obtain Sonic's shoes.
 * Casino Night Club: The Casino Night Club is Mogul's personal night club. It has casino activities such as slot machines for the customers' entertainment, and comes complete with a full staff of Badniks to tend to the needs of the customers.
 * Renobotnik: Renobotnik was Dr. Robotnik's personal casino where his Badniks and SWATbots used to come to gamble away their money. He unveiled his latest Badnik, Orbinaut, in Renobotnik and had it attack Sonic, but Sonic managed to destroy Renobotnik with a bomb shortly afterward. Robotnik later rebuilt Renobotnik and Sonic and Sally attended it as part of their short vacation.

Trivia

 * The Casino Night is based on the Zone of the same name in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 video game.
 * Mogul's Casino Night Club seems to be based on Casinopolis (which also appears in the comics) which was an action stage from the game Sonic Adventure.