Sonic the Comic Issue 24


 * Editor: Richard Burton
 * Assistant Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Design: Clare Gillmore
 * News Hound: Gerry Penn
 * Managing Editor: Steve MacManus
 * Publisher: Chris Power

Sonic the Hedgehog - "The Sonic Terminator, Part 1"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Steve Potter

Synopsis
Sonic the Hedgehog speeds through an enclosed area, but is attacked by an even faster figure that knocks him against the wall. Before Sonic can recover, the mysterious attacker brutally shocks him, leaving him broken on the floor... fortunately, it is revealed that this was not Sonic, but rather a Practice Robot. Doctor Robotnik and Grimer are pleased. The final test is a success and they will soon launch 'Operation Terminate Sonic'!

Meanwhile, the real Sonic is with his fellow Freedom Fighters in the Emerald Hill Zone. Troopers, led by an anthropomorphic boar named Trusk, are rounding up all of the Emerald Hill Folk to be taken away to the Veg-O-Fortress and turned into badniks. Porker Lewis comments that Robotnik is stepping up his badnik production. Sonic rushes in to stop this, despite Johnny Lightfoot saying they don't have a plan, and the rest of the Freedom Fighters follow. They are soon captured and loaded onto the slave ship. However, Sonic is not intimidated, and calmly points out that his allies the Sky Pirates (led by Captain Plunder) have arrived to help.

A fight ensues, in which the Freedom Fighters and Sky Pirates successfully defeat the Troopers and capture Trusk. While Filch and Porker are chatting after the battle, Filch tricks Porker into revealing the location of the Chaos Emeralds: in the North Cave on South Island. Porker immediately regrets it, but it is too late - the pirates have already sped away on their flying ship...

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Porker Lewis
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Amy Rose
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Grimer
 * Metallix
 * Captain Plunder
 * Filch
 * Other Mystic Cave pirates
 * Trusk
 * Troopers
 * Emerald Hill Folk

Continuity

 * The Metallix (mentioned and depicted obliquely in Sonic the Comic #22) is finally operational. It will appear in full at the end of the next issue.
 * The Veg-O-Fortress on Mount Mobius is identified as Robotnik's badnik processing plant. (This is the setting of the game Sonic Spinball.)
 * Amy Rose is seen using her trademark crossbow for the first time.
 * Captain Plunder's Mystic Cave Pirates help Sonic, having agreed to do so in Sonic the Comic #23 (which is mentioned in this issue). However, this is part of a larger plan to determine the location of the Chaos Emeralds, which the pirates will steal in issue #25.
 * It is revealed for the first time that the Chaos Emeralds have been hidden in North Cave on South Island. Sonic revealed that he was keeping them safe back in Sonic the Comic #8 (their only appearance to date, in flashback).

The Eternal Champions - "Part 6"
The Eternal Champions battle Nakano in his high-tech weapons platform, but all their attacks are useless, even the weapon that Trident brought from the future. Nakano disables all of the Champions, until Trident manages to get inside the cockpit, furious at the warlike nature of mankind that caused his home of Atlantis to be lost. Trident knocks out Nakano and uses the cyber-gun on the control panel. He is wounded, but the weapons platform is lost under water. The Champions do not know whether Nakano is dead, but they leave to get Trident medical attention. Unfortunately, Nakano not only survived, but stepped up his research into Bio-Key technology, now using the futuristic gun that Trident accidentally left behind...
 * Script: Michael Cook
 * Art: Jon Haward
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Shinobi - "The Art of War, Part 6"
Joe Musashi has been captured by the Neo Zeed and is either unconscious or dead. His body is brought before the Void, master of the Neo Zeed, and his four lieutenants: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Void summons the girl Naoko, and she weeps over his body, only for Musashi to suddenly rise. He had used a ninja technique called Prana to slow his breathing and heart rate to avoid the effects of the nerve gas and appear dead. He grabs Naoko and they leap out of a window, using a hang-glider in his backpack to get to safety. Void calls off the Water from going after them, saying they have bigger matters to deal with. Musashi and Naoko are finally reconciled. She asks why he did not stay and fight - he could have won, she is sure - but he says that there will be time for that later, once he has seen Naoko safely home.
 * Script: Alan McKenzie
 * Art: Jon Haward
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Wonder Boy - "in Ghost World, Part 3"
The ghostly mammoth rider rushes past the three heroes (Shion, Lukout, and Wordsmith), trying to flee a vaguely humanoid dinosaur in golden armour. The dinosaur uses magic to turn Lukout to stone, forcing Shion to use his last remaining spell... to send the dinosaur on holiday. Shion and Wordsmith travel to Dinotown and obtain some magic potions from the ghost of a plumber, then head into the forest, where Shion is attacked by a prehistoric bird...
 * Script: Mark Eyles
 * Art: Bojan Djukac
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Trivia

 * When the dinosaur warrior is sent on holiday, he can be seen on a beach along with Golden Axe protagonists Ax-Battler, Tyris-Flare, and Gilius-Thunderhead (the Golden Axe itself is stuck on a palm tree). He is also wearing a peaked cap with "Sega" written on it, and an inflatable ring with Sonic's head.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone
 * News Zone
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines