Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 225

Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 225 is the two hundred twenty-fifth issue of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series published by Archie Comics.

Official Solicitation

 * "One Step Forward ...": Sonic's 25th Anniversary begins HERE with a double-sized Gatefold cover! Dr. Eggman's newest creation threatens all of Mobius, forcing Sonic to team up with the evil Ixis Naugus. It's a race against time with a world-changing ending you won't believe! The prelude to "Genesis" starts here with this anniversary issue!

One Step Forward...
Sonic looks up at the sky in disbelief at the Death Egg, realizing that Dr. Eggman's plan to rebuild it was in front of him the whole time. He remembers how Dr. Eggman focused on building up the Egg Dome before he went insane (FCBD: 2010), Tails mentioning how it's weird that Eggman and Snively have not attacked since the fall of the Iron Dominion and the Arctic Freedom Fighters and The Baron mentioning large fueling stations. Sonic realizes that the EggDome was not a bunker, but really the Death Egg in disguise. Ixis asks Geoffrey St. John if the Death Egg is a legitimate threat. Geoffrey responds that while he never had any personal experience with it, as he was guarding King Maximillian Acorn at the time of its original launch (Sonic Quest Miniseries), they should not take Eggman lightly.

Sally Acorn proposes a truce with Naugus to combat the bigger threat, to which Naugus agrees, and flies up towards the Death Egg using his wind magic, laughing maniacally. Sonic reacts to this saying that no one can naturally be that creepy, and that it has to be an act. Sally responds that he has the right idea though, and tells the Freedom Fighters to get to the King Frederick Airfield, and prepare to storm the Death Egg. Sally, Sonic, and Tails take the Tornado, while Antoine, Bunnie, and Amy take the Freedom Fighter Special, with Geoffrey being towed along so he can have an eye kept on him. After Nicole establishes a link between the two vehicles, Sally asks Antoine what their status is. Antoine says they are ready for launch, and that everything is secure, revealing Geoffrey under watch by Amy, Piko Piko Hammer in hand, who he doesn't find that threatening. She tells him to keep telling himself that. The two ships then fly off, ready to charge the Death Egg.

The two planes make their way to the Death Egg and eventually shoot through the patch that was used during the invasion and final showdown. Meanwhile, Ixis Naugus flies up to the Death Egg and uses his crystalline magic on it to no effect, to Naugas's surprise. Eggman tells Snively that with enough slave laborers, you can collect enough rings to do anything. Sonic and Sally share a kiss as they enter the place and explore it, all while one of Eggman's robots seals up and repairs the hole, cutting them off from back off. Eventually, they find an elevator and Sonic states that he forgot about it every time he came here. Eggman says hello and compliments the hedgehog on not losing is stubbornness against the Iron Dominion. Sonic wants to fight him personally, but Eggman sends up a new Silver Sonic, saying that he has to prove he's "still got it."

Sally freaks out, saying that it's more fierce than the one from Station Square, but Sonic celebrates, says that the original nearly turned him into ground beef, and starts to fight the new Silver Sonic. Partway through the fight, Eggman says that Sonic's putting on quite a show. Sally says that Eggman's simply stalling for time, but Eggman tells to "let him have his fun" and says that she was the one made it all possible by not being ruthless enough to end him when he was down. He also insults her saying that she inherited the weakness from her father and finishes by saying that if Sally's father hadn't taken in that poor Overlander all those years ago, none of this would have ever happened. He turns to Snively, who says that stage one is complete and says that this will affect them all. Eggman merely tells him to grow up and that he won't feel a thing. He tells Sonic and Sally that it was fun, but the weapon is charged, he must get to firing it and bids farewell to the two. Sally tells Sonic that they're out of time and must go on, but Sonic isn't done with "tiny" here. Sally then goes on ahead and asks NICOLE where Eggman's voice came from, but a sentry gun is revealed in the next room and Eggman says "Ah-ah! That's far enough." and three shots are fired. Sonic yells out for Sally and gets clobbered by Silver Sonic's uppercut as Eggman, holding his champaign, presses the button. As everything starts to go white, Eggman does a victory pose as the ring of light spreads throughout all of Mobius. Tails and the others flee while Naugas, back on the ground, looks on in disbelief. Sonic dodges Silver Sonic, calls out for Sally, and finds her broken goggles on the floor, and a limp hand shaded in black for suspense. He tears up and screams out for her as everything whites out, leaving a cliffhanger until 230.

Off-Panel
Sonic asks Eggman "You needed a Chaos Emerald for THAT?!". Eggman sticks his tongue out at Sonic and says: "You're just mad because I won!" while the Death Egg paints the panel white as it preps to do the same to the rest of the panel.

Trivia

 * This is the comic series' ninth milestone issue.
 * Concidentally, this issue came out on the 20th anniversary of the Sonic game series, as well as the same month as when Sega released the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
 * Despite the Death Egg II being a slim model of the Death Egg, the original Death Egg appears on the cover instead of the newer version.