Sonic the Comic Issue 125


 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Managing Editor: Steve MacManus
 * Production: Sarah Colley
 * Marketing Manager: Douglas Pocock
 * Advertising: Stephen Goldsmith

Sonic - "Order & Chaos, Part 3"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * B & w art: Richard Elson
 * Colour: Nigel Kitching
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
On the Floating Island, the Drakon Empire (guided by Grimer) have come to steal the Chaos Emeralds. Just in time, Sonic snatched the Master Emerald, delaying their plans. While escaping, Sonic and Tails see a bright glow appear in front of them. They hide and watch as Knuckles the Echidna appears. Knuckles has been in the Special Zone and has just been teleported home by the Omni-Viewer, after dropping off Porker Lewis in the Emerald Hill Zone.

Sonic informs Knuckles that the Drakon Empire has captured the Chaos Emeralds, but before they can make a plan, the Drakon Prosecutor and his Sentinels appear to reclaim the Master Emerald. Knuckles is irritated that he's been caught in the middle of one of Sonic's "stupid wars". Sonic responds "My wars? I thought I was helping you!" While Sonic and Knuckles fight the Sentinels, Tails is left guarding the Master Emerald, but he proves to be no match for the Prosecutor who swats him aside and takes the Master Emerald back to the Emerald Chamber.

In the Emerald Chamber, the Prosecutor brings the Master Emerald back to Grimer, who says he can now get on with his real plan. He uses a modification on his Drakon Sword to teleport the Prosecutor and the Sentinels away, revealing that he has betrayed the Empire. Sonic, Knuckles and Tails watch from the shadows as Grimer sends a message that the coast is clear. A Mobius Ring appears in the Chamber, through which emerges Doctor Robotnik! Grimer never really betrayed Robotnik to the Drakons, and has been secretly working for him. Robotnik has wanted the Chaos Emeralds for years, but needed the Drakon Empire's help to get past the Floating Island's defences.

Robotnik has brought a device through the Mobius Ring with him and starts attaching it to the Chaos Emeralds. When Sonic and his friends show themselves and order Robotnik to step away from the Emeralds, the doctor activates the device, which channels the full power of the Chaos Emeralds into Robotnik's body, which he says will turn him into a god. However, something seems to go wrong during the process, and Robotnik is frozen in the form of a crystal statue. Grimer breaks down sobbing, and Sonic tells Knuckles to get the Chaos Emeralds hooked back up to the Floating Island. Sonic and Tails wonder what to do with the crystalline Robotnik, but all Sonic can suggest is using him as a model in a shop window since he's proved himself to be the biggest dummy around.

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Grimer
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Drakon Prosecutor (purple)
 * Sentinels
 * Guardian Robots

Continuity

 * The glow, revealed in this issue to be the Omni-Viewer dropping Knuckles back home, appeared at the very end of Sonic the Comic #124, "Order & Chaos, Part 2".
 * Knuckles returns from the Special Zone in this story. His adventure in the Special Zone was depicted in "On the Run" between Sonic the Comic #121 and #124. Sonic previously complained about Knuckles' mysterious absence in Sonic the Comic #123, "Order & Chaos, Part 1".
 * Knuckles mentions that he dropped Porker Lewis off in the Emerald Hill Zone before returning to the Floating Island. Porker was also in the Special Zone with Knuckles, as depicted in "On the Run". Porker has not been to the Emerald Hill Zone since quitting the Freedom Fighters and moving to the Floating Island in Sonic the Comic #76, "The Big Decision".
 * Knuckles believes that the Drakon invasion is a part of one of Sonic's "stupid wars". This statement proves ironic when it is revealed in Sonic the Comic #180, "Prisoner of War", that the Chaos Emeralds were stolen from the Drakon Empire many thousands of years ago by the ancient Echidnas led by Pochacamac, and that Knuckles himself was a part of Pochacamac's army.
 * In the Emerald Chamber, the Prosecutor notes that the last of the Floating Island's Guardian Robots have been destroyed. The Guardian Robots defended the Island from the Drakon invasion in Sonic the Comic #123 and #124, "Order & Chaos, Parts 1 and 2". The Guardian Robots are operational again in "The Take-Over" from Sonic the Comic #135 to #138.
 * Grimer is revealed to be still working for Doctor Robotnik, having apparently betrayed him to the Drakon Empire back in Sonic the Comic #118, "Best of Enemies, Part 3".
 * Robotnik says that he has wanted to get his hands on the Chaos Emeralds for years. He previously attempted to absorb the power of the Chaos Emeralds in Sonic the Comic #36, "Power of the Chaos Emeralds, Part 2", but on that instance was prevented by Knuckles and the Grey Emerald.
 * Robotnik absorbs the power of the Chaos Emeralds, but the power transforms him into a crystal statue. It is revealed in Sonic the Comic #127, "Robotnik Reigns Supreme, Part 1", that the attempt was actually successful and that his body merely turned into a statue while adjusting to the power. He is stripped of the Chaos Energy in Sonic the Comic #130, "Showdown".

Tails - "Fashion Victims"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Andy Pritchett
 * Lettering: Gordon Robson

Synopsis
Tails is visiting the Eldorado Zone, where all the residents appear to be wearing the remains of old badniks. Tails assumes they are holding a fancy dress party, but the citizens actually think that they look stylish. "Junk culture" may be expensive, but it's the latest trend started by fashion guru Velvet Smythe. Tails thinks that everyone looks ridiculous.

Just then, Velvet Smythe himself appears and is greeted by his fans. Smythe schmoozes Tails and asks if Tails has been fighting "those horrid badniks" lately. When Tails says that it's been quiet, Smythe is irritated since he needs more badnik armour to make his designs. He decides to encourage them to invade, and so reveals on a TV chat show that Tails is currently in the Eldorado Zone. Doctor Robotnik sees the broadcast and immediately sends Badnik Squadron-Z from Flickies' Island to attack the Zone.

When the badniks arrive, Tails bemoans the fact that Smythe told the world where he was, only for Smythe to claim he has "every confidence in your ability to defeat them". Tails starts to struggle and things are made worse when Smythe distracts Tails by asking him not to damage the "merchandise" too much. Distracted by disbelief, Tails is knocked to the ground by a badnik and the same badnik captures Smythe. (His fans consider this to a bold, ironic statement.) Tails destroys all of the badniks, including the one holding Smythe, and the fashion designer plummets to the ground and lands in a hedge. When he emerges (having literally dragged himself through a hedge backwards), he has torn clothes and leaves in his hair. Tails assumes that this will be the end of Velvet Smythe's trendy status, only to find that Smythe's fans immediately start to copy his "retro-scruffy" style by ripping their clothes and messing up their hair. Tails flies off with a sigh.

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Velvet Smythe
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Badnik Squadron-Z
 * Eldorado Zone residents:
 * Pig
 * Tiger
 * Elephant
 * Monkey
 * Cat
 * Duck
 * Dog chat show presenter
 * Badger

Continuity

 * This story takes place before the "Sonic" story in this issue, since Robotnik is still operating from his base on Flickies' Island.
 * Tails previously visited the Eldorado Zone in "Fall of the Leaf" in Sonic the Comic #113 and Sonic the Comic #114.

Decap Attack - "Dog"

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

Igor brings a dog back to Castle Frank N Stein, but its vicious behaviour quickly irritates Chuck, Head and the Prof. They insist that Igor has to do something about it, so he tries to muzzle it, only to be savaged and forced to wear the muzzle himself. The dog starts to cause more problems around the castle, first preventing Chuck from watching his favourite shows and ruining Prof's attempts to invent a shampoo for people with green hair. Prof decides the dog has to go and builds a dog house for him outside - he swears he won't spend the night in the same house as the dog, then storms off to drag the dog outside.

That night, Prof muses that he didn't like to do it, but had to show Igor that when he says something he means it... he's sleeping outside in the dog house in the rain.

Trivia

 * The Control Zone from this issue refers to this story as "Barking Mad".
 * Chuck mentions wanting to watch Coronation Street and The X-Files.

Amy & Tekno - "Green Envy"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * B & w art: Carl Flint
 * Colouring: John M Burns
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
The Emerald Hill Zone is holding Enviro-Fete '98, an exhibition of new inventions that are friendly to the environment. Officials arrive to judge the event. Roger Bodge presents a self-warming bath, allowing people to use the same bath water every day (and making the judges quite ill). Tyson Dense presents a machine to chop down trees at a fantastic rate so they can build more car parks - he becomes upset when the judges say he's missed the point of the contest. The judges are far more impressed with Tekno the Canary's Solar-Powered Hover Scooter, and award her the first prize.

Although Roger Bodge takes his defeat in a mature way, congratulating Tekno and shaking her hand, Tyson Dense throws a fit and starts chasing Tekno and Amy in his tree-chopping machine. The two girls flee on Tekno's Hover Scooter, leading him away from the crowds into a nearby forest. While Tekno steers, Amy fires a crossbow bolt into Tyson's machine'sone weak spot, blowing it up and sending Tyson flying into Roger Bodge's tub of mouldy green bathwater.

Appearances

 * Amy Rose
 * Tekno the Canary
 * Tyson Dense
 * Roger Bodge
 * Enviro-Fete '98 officials:
 * Spoonbill
 * Newt with gill fronds
 * Grasshopper picnicker
 * Enviro-Fete '98 attendees
 * Bears
 * Dogs
 * Pig
 * Birds
 * Others

Continuity

 * Roger Bodge is renowned for his bad inventions. He previously appeared in Sonic the Comic #103, "DIY Danger", and Sonic the Comic #115, "Weather Beaten".

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Pin-Up - Sonic
 * Graphic Zone - Danger Alert!