Sonic the Comic Issue 14


 * Editor: Richard Burton
 * Assistant Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Design: Clare Gillmore
 * Managing Editor: Steve MacManus
 * Publisher: Chris Power

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Hero of the Year"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Brian Williamson
 * Colour: Steve White
 * Lettering: Ellie de Ville

Synopsis
In the Metropolis Zone, the heart of Robotnik's evil empire, Sonic and Tails attend an award show in which Sonic has been nominated for the Hero of the Year Award. Sonic is disguised as Bob Beaky and Tails wears a trenchcoat that hides his two tails. They know it's a trap, but Sonic never lets down his public.

The presenter, who is a wolf, announces that Sonic has won and seems prepared to give Sonic the award in absentia, until Sonic reveals himself. Sonic takes the microphone and announces that his group of Freedom Fighters is small but will soon grow and overthrow. However, the wolf reveals himself as a Robotnik sympathiser and traps Sonic, intending to poison him with Mega Mack. Sonic escapes, and he and Tails leave with the award statue.

Back in the Emerald Hill Zone, Sonic and Tails wait in a meadow. Sonic explains that the escape was too easy, that the award statue is fitted with a tracking device, and that Robotnik's forces were trying to locate their secret base. Suddenly, the wolf arrives with six badniks (vaguely resembling Nebula badniks with arms). Furious that the plan to find the base has failed, he orders the badniks to attack. Sonic destroys them all, though, and frees the animals trapped inside.

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * "Bob Beaky"
 * Award presenter
 * Metropolis Zone residents
 * Badniks
 * Captive animals:
 * Two rabbits
 * A monkey
 * A pig
 * A cat

Continuity

 * The Metropolis Zone appears for the first time, and is identified as the centre of Robotnik's empire. It will re-appear many times in upcoming issues.
 * The Freedom Fighters are mentioned for the first time, when Sonic claims that the group is small but growing.
 * Mega Mack reappears, with reference to Sonic the Comic #10.
 * Sonic's secret base is mentioned for the first time, but neither Robotnik's forces nor the readers learn where it is (Kintobor's underground lab).
 * This issue is the first of many attempts that Robotnik will make to discover Sonic's base, before finally succeeding with the help of Knuckles the Echidna.

Ecco the Dolphin - "Part 2"
Ecco lands in the waters of the Jurassic Period and finds himself surrounded by savage pre-fish, which he flees. While searching for clues he discovers a glowing engine of destruction (apparently of alien origin), which attacks him. He causes an avalanche to fall on the machine, but the resulting explosion forces Ecco to the surface, where dinosaurs walk the land and a great pterodactyl is waiting to carry him off!
 * Script: Woodrow Phoenix
 * Art: Chris Webster
 * Lettering: Woodrow Phoenix

The Legend of the Golden Axe - "Plague of Serpents, Part 2"
Tyris-Flare and Gilius-Thunderhead use their fire and earth magic to defeat the snake cultists, but elsewhere Ax-Battler is still under the snakes' spell. Tyris and Gilius are brought before the Chamber of Elders, where Growlus-Stormbreaker explains the situation: the Priests of the Serpent God, led by the High Priest Cobraxis, attacked Rockguard two days earlier and infiltrated the Hammerynth caverns beneath, where the dwarves live. Queen Silpantia-Dragontamer has also been captured. Cobraxis seeks the dwarves' supply of enchanted metal (from which the Golden Axe was made). Tyris is injured, so she gives Gilius the Golden Axe and he plans to go alone. Just then, a female dwarf named Yuki Plantcharmer appears and swipes at Gilius with an axe.
 * Script: Mark Eyles
 * Art: Mike White
 * Lettering: Ellie de Ville

Decap Attack - "Starring Chuck D. Head! Part 5"
Frank N. Stein attempts to clone a new undead brain for Max D. Cap's army using Head as his template. They hope that Chuck D. Head will save them, although Igor points out that this is unlikely since Chuck has already managed to kill himself twice and now has only one life left.
 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Nigel Kitching
 * Lettering: Steve Potter

Elsewhere, Chuck wakes up in a coffin and resolves to be more careful, but is immediately spotted by Max D. Cap. Max's accountant/life coach Rupert demands that Max engage Chuck in a battle of good and evil, and even that Max deliver the evil speech that Rupert wrote. Chuck and Max do fight (with Max apologising for the violence), and crash into the room where the Prof is hard at work. Just then, the Prof's new terrible creation awakens. But frankly, it's going to be pretty stupid, so we're not expecting much.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone
 * News Zone
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines