Sonic the Comic Issue 119


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

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Black Christmas"

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

Synopsis
On Christmas Eve in the Emerald Hill Zone, snow lies thick on the ground and everyone is sleeping... except the cloaked figure of Vile Peter! A young girl reads a storybook in bed, and Vile Peter taps on her window and entices her over. However, when she gets close he uses his magic to shrink her down and suck her into a glass jar, with other Emerald Hill children that he's already captured!

Just then, Vile Peter's musings are interrupted by Sonic the Hedgehog, who demands to know why he's creeping about. Peter doesn't recognise Sonic, who is slightly affronted, but when several parents rush out of their houses looking for their children, Sonic immediately realises that Vile Peter is responsible. Peter blasts Sonic with a handful of magic powder, but Sonic is quickly back on his feet. He charges at Peter, but when Peter vanishes into thin air, Sonic crashes into the house behind him.

Tails arrives and reveals that half the children in town are missing. Sonic thinks Vile Peter is responsible, but he's just disappeared... but suddenly, Father Christmas appears out of nowhere, revealing that he has caught Vile Peter in his sack! Tails is awestruck, but Sonic believes Fatehr Christmas is actually Robotnik in one of his disguises. To prove it, he tugs at Santa's "fake" beard... only realising too late that it is real when he has swung Father Christmas around and thrown him in a snowdrift!Fortunately, Father Christmas is unhurt and very amused by the whole situation.

Father Christmas releases all the children. He explains that Vile Peter was once his best elf, until he went bad, and now he keeps him locked up in a cell at the workshop. Once he's gone, Sonic believes his Christmas is ruined because he insulted Father Christmas... but Tails reveals that Father Christmas actually said that, since he was in the area, Sonic can actually have his presents early! Happy Christmas!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Vile Peter
 * Father Christmas
 * Emerald Hill Folk:
 * Little blonde girl
 * Four other kidnapped children
 * Concerned parents

Continuity

 * Father Christmas previously appeared Sonic the Comic #93, "Season of Goodwill". In that story, he claimed that he could not be touched in anger, although in this story Sonic seems to do precisely that. Father Christmas will next appear in Sonic the Comic #145, "Captain Christmas".

Trivia

 * The young girl captured by Vile Peter has a Sega Mega Drive in her bedroom.

Tails - "Going Crackers"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Andy Pritchett
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
In the Tower Hill Zone, Zone-Leader Basil Poultry is busy organising the Christmas celebrations. Since this is the first Christmas since Doctor Robotnik was overthrown, he's determined to get things just right, but this is making him very stressed and uptight. He orders his citizens to put up the tree, hang the directions and to cook hundreds of mince pies, but things start going wrong when he hears that the carol singers have got laryngitis. Worse still, the tree has woodworm and they're claming squatter's rights! AND the man he hired to put up the lights is scared of heights and refuses to do it. Nevertheless, he tries to pull himself together, claiming it's not the end of the world... that is, until he learns that the crackers have been stored in a damp warehouse and have lost their crack. This sends Poultry over the edge. Screaming that they can't celebrate Christmas with limp crackers, he goes crazy and staggers off, gibbering and twitching. Tails, who has come to the area for a visit, thinks it would be a good idea for him to stick around.

Later, Tails helps put the lights up by flying, but they are almost immediately ripped down by Poultry, who has returned in a powered exo-suit and says that they can't have Christmas without crackers, so the festivities are cancelled! Tails says that he can't cancel Christmas, but Poultry's response is to smack him with a robotic arm, sending the fox flying. Poultry continues his rampage, taking a sack of Christmas cards from the badger mailman and dumping them in the river, then punching the head off a nearby snowman. However, by this point Tails is back and has set a gigantic snowball rolling at him down the hill, which bowls him over and smashes the transparent dome on the exo-suit's head.

Tails tries to convince Poultry that there's more to Christmas than crackers, cards and snowmen, but he just doesn't get it. It isn't until his citizens forgive him for his nastiness that he realises that the one thing he couldn't crush was the Christmas spirit!

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Basil Poultry
 * Tower Hill Zone residents:
 * Dog with duffel coat and tartan ushanka
 * Cat with striped scarf and green hat
 * Pig with white bobble hat
 * Dog with yellow scarf and grey ushanka
 * Dog with dark blue coat and flat cap
 * Dog with light blue coat and striped hat
 * Frog with pink shawl
 * Frog with red bobble hat
 * Badger mailman

Continuity

 * Basil Poultry is the Zone-Leader of the Tower Hill Zone. The position of Zone Leader was established after failed attempts to appoint a new World Leader to replace Robotnik in Sonic the Comic #101, "Vote for Me".

Trivia

 * A dog in the first panel of the story wears a grey ushanka with an image of Sonic's head on the forehead flap.

Decap Attack - "Christmas Carol II"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Nigel Kitching
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Chuck, Igor and Head ask Professor Frank N Stein for the day off for Christmas, but he rants and raves that they cannot have the day off. They have important work in the laboratory and, besides, he gave them the day off last Christmas and it's getting to be a bit of a habit! Igor tells Chuck and Head that he has a plan.

That night, as the Prof is about to go to sleep in his bedroom, he hears a voice tell him to listen very carefully. Then he sees the Ghost of Christmas Past (resembling Mr Cuddle Bunny), who reminds him about when he was seven and he was tied up in the broom cupboard by his school chums for three days and missed Christmas. Then he sees the Ghost of Christmas Present (who looks like Mr Curdle, the Slurp-A-Cheese maker), who reveals that his employees will run off with the telly, and the Prof will miss his favourite TV shows. Then he sees the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come (a giant red demon, vaguely resembling Max D. Cap), who says that after his friends leave, the Prof will spend the rest of his life sad and lonely, until he eventually goes to Hell and meets his ex-fiancée the Thin Controller. The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come advises the Prof to give his friends the day off in order to avoid this fate, then disappears.

Next morning, a visibly shaken Prof tells Igor about a horrible dream he had. He decides that they will all have the day off and watch TV! Merry Christmas Everyvon!

Later, outside, Igor pays Tall Tim the hypnotist for hypnotising the Professor. Igor is pleased that it worked, but Tall Time is not so happy. He nearly broke his leg climbing into the Professor's bedroom... and all for a measly half crown!

Trivia

 * The Ghost of Christmas Present shows the Prof two of the presenters who will be on Christmas telly: Easle and Bedmonds. They are clear references to Noel Edmonds and Jeremy Beadle, whose shows Noel's House Party (represented by Eadle's bucket of gunge) and You've Been Framed (represented by Bedmonds' video cassette) were staple British family television shows at the time this issue was released, particularly at Christmas.
 * The title and plot of this story is a reference to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Tall Tim is also a reference to Tiny Tim.

Sonic's World: Amy & Tekno - "Peace of the Action"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * B & W Art: Bob Corona
 * Colour: Andy Pritchett
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Amy arrives at Tekno's workshop in the Emerald Hill Zone. Tekno has just received a message from Shortfuse the Cybernik, who is coming home for Christmas! Amy thought he was a million light years away on the Planet Kaamdaarn, but he is able to return through an Inter-Planetary Warp-Gate built by Tekno. However, the dimensions are only in alignment for a few days, so the gate is only temporary.

Shortfuse is accompanied by a Kaamdaarn alien named Amber, who asked if she could visit Mobius for Christmas. Just then, they are interrupted by the badnik alarm and head outside. Amber wonders why badniks would attack at Christmas and offers to help the gang, but Amy tells her to keep safe and assures her they have it covered. Indeed, Shortfuse relishes a chance for a scrap, but is surprised by the strength of these new model badniks and has to be saved by Amy with her crossbow.

Again Amber says she can end the fight, but Shortfuse says to stay back. Unfortunately, the badniks have captured one of the Emerald Hill Folk and threaten to crush him unless the heroes surrender. At this point, Amber floats up to the badniks and infuses them with her yellow glow. Suddenly, the badniks become loving and peaceful. They release their captive and leave to spread joy and happiness throughout the land. Amy is completely stunned. Amber explains that, as a Kaamdaarn, she can create feelings of tranquility whenever things get heavy.

A little later, Amy, Tekno, Shortfuse and Amber sit around for Christmas dinner. Tekno wishes that Amber could use her talents to change Doctor Robotnik, but Amber feels that there is no love in his heart and, besides, her influence will fade away once she leaves Mobius. Even so, the affected badniks are giving Robotnik a headache with their rendition of Silent Night. Robotnik grumbles: "It would be if I had my way!"

Appearances

 * Amy Rose
 * Tekno the Canary
 * Shortfuse the Cybernik
 * Amber
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Badniks
 * Pig citizen

Continuity

 * Shortfuse has been staying on Kaamdaarn since Sonic the Comic #113, "Spaced Out, Part 3".

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * STC Sega Pin-Up - Tails, Miles Prower.
 * Speedlines
 * Jungle Zone (Graphic Zone)