Sonic the Comic Issue 98


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

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Doomsday, Part 2"

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

Synopsis
A second Sun has appeared over New Tek City in the Special Zone, causing mass panic, when suddenly the Omni-Viewer unexpectedly appears. He was supposed to be holding Super Sonic prisoner within the Black Asteroid by stopping time for him, but it was too much for Omni to handle. He still slowed time to a crawl so that it would have taken Super Sonic years to escape, but somehow Super Sonic worked out what was happening and had no intention of waiting. He started building up energy, charging himself into an electron bomb. The second Sun is actually the Black Asteroid heated up to millions of degrees. It will soon explode and Super Sonic will be free! Despite the threat to the Special Zone, Sonic wants to go back to Mobius after receiving a distress call from Porker Lewis, but Omni reveals he doesn't have enough energy to transport anyone across dimensions.

Suddenly, Lightmare appears. Sonic attacks, wanting to take care of Lightmare quickly, ignoring Lightmare's calls to stop. Lightmare opens his Nightmare Box, blinding Sonic and making Mighty the Armadillo believe he is trapped in a cage. However, Espio uses his powers of invisibility to sneak up behind Lightmare and steal the Nightmare Box, knocking Lightmare down. However, Lightmare claims that he came to warn them, not to fight them: Lord Sidewinder has a plan to control Super Sonic and rule the Special Zone, but that the plan cannot work and Sidewinder is insane. The plan will more likely get Sidewinder and his gang killed, but Lightmare cannot simply leave the gang because he... is actually a she, and is Sidewinder's daughter. After releasing everyone from their nightmares, Sonic agrees to help stop Lightmare (who insists that Sidewinder must never know she came to them). Sonic, Mighty, Espio and Charmy Bee leave to stop Sidewinder, but Vector stays behind with Omni, who has a plan.

Elsewhere, Sidewinder, Lightmare, Mister Fry and Bio-Hazard load up a rocket ship and take off for the Black Asteroid...

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Omni-Viewer
 * Chaotix:
 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Mighty the Armadillo
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Charmy Bee
 * Lightmare
 * Super Sonic
 * Lord Sidewinder
 * Bio-Hazard
 * Mister Fry
 * Panicked New Tek City residents

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".
 * Super Sonic is finally free of the Omni-Viewer's time dilation field, where he was trapped in in Sonic the Comic #86, "Heroes & Villains, Part 2", but he is still imprisoned within the Black Asteroid, where he was placed as an added precuation in Sonic the Comic #90, "The Tomb, Part 2". He will escape the Black Asteroid in Sonic the Comic #100, "The Final Victory".
 * Sonic wants to return to Mobius after receiving a distress call from Porker Lewis in Sonic the Comic #97, "Doomsday, Part 1".
 * Vector admits that Chaotix needs Sonic's help to fight Super Sonic. Back in Sonic the Comic #84, "Heroes & Villains, Part 1" (before witnessing Super Sonic's power), he was confident that Chaotix could handle Super Sonic alone.
 * Lightmare claims Lord Sidewinder plans to control Super Sonic, but that the plan is futile and Sidewinder has gone insane. This is shown to be accurate in Sonic the Comic #99, "Doomsday, Part 3", in which Sidewinder reveals his plan is to control Super Sonic "with the power of my mind".

Trivia

 * Lightmare's tail, previously established as being pink, is coloured blue in this issue. It is back to being pink from the next issue.

Knuckles - "Victims, Part 2"

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

Synopsis
Knuckles has returned to the Floating Island just in time to be captured (along with Porker Lewis) by Doctor Robotnik and his new accomplice (and Knuckles' old enemy) Doctor Zachary. They have already captured the Emerald Hill Folk using an army of Guardian Robots.

Knuckles asks how Zachary survived has fall from the Floating Island, so Zachary explains: he managed to grab hold of the body of the Guardian Robot that Knuckles had previously beheaded. He managed to operate the robot's flight system, slowing his fall, but the wing was damaged so he still landed heavily enough to cause horrible injury. He would have died if he hadn't been found by a Trooper badnik patrol. Robotnik took a special interest in Zachary, having previously believed that Knuckles was the last of the Echidnas. Robotnik rebuilt Zachary as a cyborg, and in exchange Zachary revealed the location of the Emerald Hill Folk.

Knuckles demands to know where the Emerald Hill Folk are and what Robotnik has done with them. Robotnik takes him into a large structure, where the Emerald Hill Folk have all been connected up to a massive egg-shaped machine and placed in special green helmets. Robotnik is using their minds to power an enomrous biological computer that uses living brains instead of microchips. When activated, the Emerald Hill Folk will pecome a permanent part of the most powerful computer ever! (None of them notice the Omni-Viewer appear overhead, who decides he has to get back to the Special Zone and warn Sonic!)

Appearances

 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Doctor Zachary
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Porker Lewis
 * Guardian robots
 * Omni-Viewer
 * Emerald Hill Folk

Continuity

 * Doctor Zachary explains how he survived after falling off the Floating Island in Sonic the Comic #68, "The Homecoming, Part 4". The Guardian Robot that he used to cushion his fall had its wing damaged in Sonic the Comic #67, "The Homecoming, Part 3", and was then decapitated in "The Homecoming, Part 4".
 * Emerald Hill Folk have been living in the Mushroom Hill Zone on the Floating Island since they fled Robotnik in Sonic the Comic #53, "Disaster! Part 3".
 * The Omni-Viewer temporarily appears in the sky over the Floating Island. Sonic the Comic #99, "Doomsday, Part 3", reveals that this is a test transport, performed while Omni is still being recharged after his energy was drained holding Super Sonic prisoner (as mentioned in "Doomsday, Part 2" in this issue). In "Doomsday, Part 3", Omni also relays his information to Sonic.

Decap Attack - "Dead! Part 2"

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

Chuck, Head, Professor Frank N Stein and Igor are on the Death Train to Hell. They try to explain to Max D Cap that they are not dead, but his accountant Rupert hands him the "official" 'Go Straight To Hell' List... which has their names added in ball-point pen. Max D Cap admits that the list seems to have been tampered with and seems willing to let them go, until Rupert points out that people might think he's going soft. Rupert, it turns out, has a plan to deal with the fact they aren't dead: he pulls out a gun and prepares to shoot them.

Chuck has had just about enough of this. He and Head snatch Rupert's gun, then he headbutts Max D Cap... but this only makes the great demon angry. He hurls Chuck out of his private compartment and breathes fire everywhere (apologising to the other roasted dead people as he hurries past). Max and Rupert chase Chuck into the final carriage. There is no escape, except possibly if Chuck uses the emergency stop lever. Rupert says he'll be in trouble if he uses it, but then he's already on the Death Train heading for Hell to suffer an eternity of unhappiness.

Just as Prof and Igor arrive, an announcement over the speaker system says that they are now arriving at Hell Central...

Sonic's World - "Solidarity"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Andy Pritchett
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Grimer is in charge of the Metropolis Zone while Doctor Robotnik is on the Floating Island. The civilians don't seem concerned that a wimp like Grimer is in charge... until his Troopers start arresting people left and right. A goat is arrested for wearing a loud shirt in a public area, a donkey for having longer-than-regulation ears. At 5:10, they announce a curfew time of 5 o'clock.

The Freedom Fighters watch from the shadows - they were going to sabotage Citadel Robotnik, but decide it is more important to help the citizens. They leap into action, destroying a handful of Troopers, but are soon captured under a net. The citizens are demoralised, but one young monkey in a red hat and blue hoodie convinces them that they can't let themselves be pushed around any more. Within minutes the entire crowd has risen up against the Troopers, leading Grimer to sound a retreat.

The people of Mobius have saved the Freedom Fighters, and they aren't going to let Robotnik push them around any more!

Appearances

 * Amy Rose
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Grimer
 * Troopers
 * Metropolis Zone citizens:
 * Young monkey
 * Gorilla in jeans
 * Bison girl
 * Sheep businessman
 * Badger
 * Raccoon
 * Porcupine
 * Got in loud shirt
 * Donkey with long ears
 * Bear
 * Mouse
 * Many others

Continuity

 * Doctor Robotnik left Grimer in charge while he left for the Floating Island. Robotnik is seen on the Floating Island in "Victims" (from Sonic the Comic #97 to #99) and "The Final Victory" in Sonic the Comic #100.
 * Tails mentions that he misses Shortfuse the Cybernik, who was a member of the Freedom Fighters until quitting in Sonic the Comic #97, "Boiling Point".
 * The gorilla in this issue reappears in "No Exit" next issue in the crowd of protestors.
 * Amy Rose is seen wearing combat trousers for the first time this issue. Although she wears her plaid skirt again next issue, combat trousers will become one of her signature pieces of clothing, particularly during the extended Sonic's World - Amy & Tekno stories beginning with Sonic the Comic #111, "Spaced Out, Part 1".
 * Mobian civilians openly attack Robotnik's Troopers for the first time since Robotnik's conquest of te planet way back in Sonic the Comic #8, "The Origin of Sonic". They have previously protested against his rule in Sonic the Comic #77, "Voice of the People", but fled when Troopers arrived. This precludes larger demonstrations in Sonic the Comic #99, "No Exit", and Robotnik's final deposition in Sonic the Comic #100.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * STC Pin-Up! - Flasher Badniks! Art by Ferran Rodriguez
 * Fab Gear Zone (Graphic Zone)
 * Speedlines