Space Colony ARK (Pre-Super Genesis Wave)


 * For the version of this location after the Super Genesis Wave, see Space Colony ARK (Archie).

The Space Colony ARK is a location that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. It is a space station and research facility in orbit around the planet Mobius. It is notable for being the birthplace of Shadow the Hedgehog and home to the powerful Eclipse Cannon.

History
Space Colony ARK was a massive orbital research center created by the Overlanders as part of their Hundred Moons of Mobius project, though at some point control of the station was transferred to G.U.N. and the United Federation.

The station served as the workplace and home of Professor Gerald Robotnik and his granddaughter Maria Robotnik and was the place were Shadow the Hedgehog was created in an (ultimately futile) attempt to cure Maria of her Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome. They were the among those present when G.U.N. stormed the ARK, killed Maria and arrested Gerald. Unknown to G.U.N. Gerald built a powerful weapon into the ARK's superstructure with the intention of potentially protecting Mobius from possible alien threats&mdash;or carving up the world in an act of revenge. The weapon was to be powered by seven Chaos Emeralds when placed in a special shrine chamber inside the colony, which was guarded by the Biolizard, the failed prototype of Project Shadow. Gerald was executed before he could make use of the Eclipse Cannon for either purpose.

When Shadow, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Nicole interfaced with Gerald's diary, the virtual realm they entered was meant to resemble the ARK- until the virtual world fragmented too far and collapsed.

In the alternate timeline that was created when the Prime Zone was rewritten by the second Genesis Wave, one of Dr. Eggman past schemes involved the ARK.
 * Note: From this point, the Space Colony ARK's history continues from its new existence in the altered timeline.