Rouge the Bat (Archie)


 * For other uses of this character, see Rouge the Bat (disambiguation).

Rouge the Bat is a Mobian Bat who is both a part-time government agent and occasional jewel thief. She occasionally works as a spy directly under the President of Station Square and is often involved in events concerning G.U.N.. She also tends to get involved in illegal activities, as she has an affinity for adventure and gems. Rouge has been known to work with heroes and villains alike, including the Chaotix and Dr. Eggman, as long as she gains something out of it. Rouge later joined Team Dark and began working directly under G.U.N. along with Shadow the Hedgehog and E-123 Omega.'''

Thief Turned Agent
Rouge first became involved with Dr. Eggman's campaign to conquer Mobius when the two of them both invaded Angel Island in an attempt to seize the Master Emerald. Knuckles the Echidna chose to shatter the Emerald and scatter its fragments across the planet rather than let either thief seize it, prompting Rouge to set out in search of the broken pieces. In the course of her quest she entered into an alliance with Eggman, and thus became acquainted with Shadow the Hedgehog. After operating with these new allies for some time, Rouge engaged Knuckles in a final confrontation, after which she decided to cede the Master Emerald fragments she had collected to him. She and her allies then teamed up with Knuckles, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Miles "Tails" Prower in order to save the planet from the threat of Space Colony ARK's plummet, which resulted in Shadow's apparent death. However, after infiltrating one of Eggman's bases in search of treasure, Rouge discovered Shadow in a stasis capsule, and inadvertently awakened E-123 Omega by releasing him. The amnesiac Shadow and the rebellious robot were persuaded to join forces by Rouge, the trio becoming Team Dark. Working alongside-and at times against-Team Sonic, Team Chaotix, and Team Rose, they eventually participated in a final battle against Metal Overlord, the mutated form of Metal Sonic. (VG: SA2, SH)

During the Black Arms Invasion of Mobius, Rouge operated as an agent of G.U.N., fighting against the alien invaders. She and several other natives of the planet eventually boarded the Black Comet, where they were rendered helpless by a paralyzing neurotoxin. Fortunately Shadow, who had been somewhat divided over his connections to the Black Arms, rebelled and fought against Black Doom, eventually transforming into Super Shadow in order to fight against Devil Doom. Then, during a time travel adventure-the events of which were later erased-she and her teammates worked together against Mephiles the Dark, a monstrous being who took Shadow's form. When it became known that a possible future would see Shadow betrayed and captured by a reprogrammed Omega, Rouge vowed that she would always stand with their Hedgehog friend. Later, she was among the friends and allies of Sonic scattered across time by the machinations of two versions of Eggman and the power of the Time Eater. Yet another adventure saw her involved with the Wisps, an alien race that Eggman sought to prey upon. (VG: ShaH, S06, SG, SC, SU: #59)

Broken World, Alien Enemy

 * These events pick up following Worlds Collide.

In the early stages of the Shattered World Crisis, Team Dark was called in for a briefing regarding an unpleasant surprise: the presence of a New Black Comet approaching Mobius. Rouge and her teammates were given the task-alongside Spider Troupe-of planting a nuclear device aboard the comet to destroy it. Rouge and Omega were taken into confidence by Commander Abraham Tower, who recalled that Shadow had been involved with the Black Arms during their first invasion. Boarding the comet, they set out to find the best location to plant the device, only for Shadow-much to Rouge's frustration-to set out on his own. Rouge, Omega, and Spider Troupe were then threatened by the same neurotoxin that had previously paralyzed her. However, utilizing an Air Necklace, Rouge kept her lungs clear while the members of Spider Troupe used rebreathers built into their helmets. Unfortunately, the G.U.N. troops were then menaced by several groups of Black Arms, the final being led by Shadow himself, brainwashed by the Black Arms' new leader Black Death and the monstrous Eclipse the Darkling. (SU: #59, #60)

Rouge and Omega were forced to battle Shadow, and managed to break him free from the spell he was under. They then went to the aid of Spider Troupe while he went after Black Death, and were forced to engage Eclipse the Darkling in battle. However, Eclipse was pulled from the fight by Death's Eye, Black Death sensing that defeat was imminent, and Shadow subsequently destroyed the alien leader. The reunited Team Dark and Spider Troupe accomplished their mission and returned to Mobius, but Eclipse and his Dark Arms managed to escape. Dr. Julian Snively later calculated that their escape craft had landed on Angel Island, and Team Dark was dispatched to destroy the last surviving remnants of the Black Arms. Their shuttle landed at Launch Base, and deployed a tele-pod robot that allowed Snively two-way communication with them. Despite Shadow's objections and Snively's attempts at giving orders, Rouge led the group to find Knuckles on Shrine Island in order to request his help. There they met Knuckles' allies Relic the Pika and Fixit, and Rouge briefly accused-albeit teasingly-Knuckles of being in a relationship with the former. However, Eclipse soon made his presence known, and it was decided that Rouge and Omega would seek him out with Knuckles while Shadow remained behind to guard the Master Emerald. (SU: #61, #62, #67)

The unlikely trio soon located Eclipse's downed vessel in Red Mountain, though Rouge found time to question whether or not Knuckles was happy with his life on the island. Noting that her own chosen profession wasn't all-consuming as Knuckles' duty seemed to be, Rouge became curious whether or not Knuckles wanted anything else in his life. Unfortunately, they were then alerted to an attack on the Master Emerald Shrine by Eclipse, and flew back to help Shadow only to find that he had managed to drive Eclipse off for the time being. Shadow then stunned his teammates-and enraged Knuckles-by insisting that the Master Emerald be transported to a G.U.N. facility for safe-keeping while Knuckles and his friends were evacuated. Knuckles responded by engaging the Hedgehog in battle, with Rouge refusing either to interfere or to go along with Shadow's plan, as she felt that Knuckles should have a say in the matter. However, Eclipse then arrived with the Dark Arms, disabling Omega with Blurk before calling upon Cregal's powers to battle Rouge in the air. With her shoulder dislocated, Snively's pod destroyed, and Relic and Fixit at Eclipse's mercy, Rouge revealed the location of the craft she and her teammates had arrived on. As Eclipse left with the Master Emerald, Rouge then mused on their desperate straits. (SU: #68, #69))

After having Omega pop her shoulder back into place, Rouge responded to a hail from Shadow, and informed him that Eclipse had obtained the Emerald and was on his way to their shuttle. Once Shadow and Knuckles had been thoroughly chastened for their pig-headedness, they moved to intercept Eclipse while Rouge and the others entered a secret enclave to activate some of the island's traps. Their efforts slowed Eclipse down long enough for Shadow and Knuckles to catch him, and Knuckles once again shattered the Master Emerald to keep it from the two intruding forces. Eclipse managed to escape, but G.U.N. forces soon arrived to collect his old escape craft under Snively's supervision. Rouge wished Knuckles luck in his efforts to recover the Emerald shards, and was then amused when the Echidna instructed her to "Tell Shadow he's a jerk." (SU: #70)