Sonic the Comic Issue 44


 * Managing Editor: Richard Burton
 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designers: Gary Knight & Paul Chamberlain
 * Assistant Editor: Audrey Wong
 * Publisher: Rob McMenemy

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Badniks Bridge, Part 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Casanovas & John M. Burns
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
Johnny Lightfoot and Amy Rose arrive at the Emerald Valley Bridge in the Tornado bi-plane to find Sonic, caged by a Trooper of the elite Special Badnik Service (S.B.S.), just as a convoy carrying a super thruster for Robotnik's new Death Egg is about to detonate some mines (laid by Sonic) and destroy the entire bridge. Fortunately, sight of the plane leaves the convoy's Trooper drivers to stop, and then search the area for explosives.

The elite SBS Trooper tells Sonic that he is caged with a new super-strong alloy, so Sonic merely spins the cage around, uncrewing it from its base and escaping that way. He drops over the side of the bridge, but luckily Johnny pilots the plane underneath in time and Sonic lands on the wing. Realising that the Troopers have found his mines, he takes the plane's tool kit and jumps back down. He unscrews the transporter's wheels, immobilising it.

More Troopers arrive and start firng at the speedy hedgehog, but he leaps back onto the wing of the plane. Amy uses her bow to fire an arrow into the mines (which the brainless Troopers have left in plain sight), activating them and destroying both the thruster and the bridge. Even Sonic has to admit that Amy is a pretty good shot. Their mission a success, the Freedom Fighters fly away.

In the Launch Base Zone on the Floating Island, the latest location of the Death Egg, Robotnik fumes at the destruction of his new thruster. He curses "that hideous hedgehog", but takes his anger out on Grimer. He demands that they begin work on another thruster immediately. Nothing will stop him repairing the Death Egg... nothing!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Amy Rose
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Special Badnik Service Trooper
 * Other Troopers
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Grimer

Streets of Rage - "The Only Game in Town, Part 4"
Axel, Blaze, Max, and Skates are picked up (apparently rescued) by a police helicopter sent by Sergeant Feroccio, Blaze's first partner and a straight cop. If they cross the East River they'll be out of gang territory, but one female gang member manages to shoot them down with a rocket launcher and they crash on a bridge over the river. They fight off the gang members, but Axel is stabbed by one man's metal claws.
 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Peter Richardson
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Knuckles - "Carnival Night Conspiracy, Part 6"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
Knuckles fights off badniks, determined to tear down the Marxio Brothers' Carnival Night Zone before the first visitors can walk through the door. Letting the badniks come close, he destroys them all with a 360° punch. Grouchio says there are more badniks ready to attack as soon as he enters the zone, but Knuckles has no intention of doing that. There's a fault line in the ground, and when he slams his fist down in exactly the right place, the entire Carnival Night Zone breaks apart from the Floating Island! For a moment, the zone hovers because of the residual power of the Chaos Emeralds, but when that power runs out the carnival drops down to Mobius! Knuckles turns to the prospective guests, still waiting behind the fault line on the Floating Island, and orders them to leave his island!

Meanwhile, in the Emerald Hill Zone, a young bear complains because his mother won't let him visit the Carnival Night Zone, and he wishes it was closer. Suddenly the zone smashes down in front of him (the impact cushioned slightly by the scant remaining emerald power), and he runs home to tell his mother what he did. The Marxio Brothers pull themselves out of the wreckage. Chicio wonders what Robotnik will say, but Grouchio doesn't want to find out. He's going back to Super Marxio World! As for Robotnik, he'll have plenty on his mind when Knuckles catches up with him... "That kid's a lot tougher than he looks!"

Appearances

 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Marxio Brothers (Grouchio, Chicio, Harpio)
 * Badniks:
 * Caterkillers
 * Buzzers
 * Newtrons
 * Flashers
 * Burrobots
 * Crabmeats
 * Spikes
 * Bat Brain
 * Carnival patrons:
 * Bears
 * A duck
 * Birds
 * Rabbits
 * A walrus
 * Pigs
 * Others
 * Emerald Hill Folk:
 * Mother bear
 * Son bear

Trivia

 * The mother and son Emerald Hill Folk have a framed picture of Sonic on their wall.

Marko's Magic Football - "Part 4"
Marko reaches a circus, but the clown is working for the evil Colonel Brown, as is a Sniper who shoots Marko in the back. Fortunately, he gained an extra life from Captain Smirk, so he's quickly back up and defeats the clown and the sniper with his magic football. More evil clowns appear, and Marko runs towards the Colonel's Toy Tower. However, as he approaches, his magic football is lured away by the Colonel's female ball, leaving Marko to face down the Colonel's toy armies on his own.
 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Gary Andrews
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone
 * News Zone
 * Name That Game!
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines