Sonic the Comic Issue 132

Sonic the Comic #132 is the one hundred and thirty second issue of the British publication Sonic the Comic. It was notable as the last issue of the series to contain four original stories, before the fourth stories were given over to reprinted material, as well as the last issue of the series to contain any non-Sonic stories, as it featured Part 2 of the Decap Attack story "Decap-Man".


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

Sonic - "Shady Characters, Part 2"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
On Flickies' Island, Sonic's gang has been captured by their former teammate, Johnny Lightfoot, who has apparently vaporised Sonic! Tails is horrified, but Tekno thinks that the machine might actually be a matter transporter, suggesting Sonic is still alive... somewhere!

Sure enough, Sonic finds himself transported to a strange Shadow Dimension, where he comes face-to-face with the real Johnny Lightfoot! The version on Mobius is a phony, an alien shadow called Shayde who came to Mobius from the Shadow Dimension months ago thanks to a temporary split in time and space. As soon as Shayde touched Johnny, the hero was sent to the Shadow World and Shayde copied Johnny's identity. Johnny says that Shayde and the other shadows are up to something, but before he can explain further the two heroes realise that the shadows have surrounded them.

Back on Flickies' Island, Shayde has revealed his secret to the gang. The shadows cannot survive in Mobius' positive dimension, so Shayde intends to replace all of the heroes with evil doubles so that they can take over Mobius. However, his talking has given Shortfuse the Cybernik an opportunity to weaken the prison bars with his laser, and Shortfuse breaks out and captures Shayde.

In the Shadow Dimension, Sonic and Johnny must avoid touching any of the shadows lest the aliens adapt their powers. Sonic spots two of the shadows guarding a room, and another shadow accidentally reveals that the room contains the Black Emerald, and that if Sonic smashes the Emerald all of the shadows will be destroyed. Sonic leaps over the guards in an attempt to do just that, but one of the guards grabs his foot and turns into an evil duplicate of Sonic. The alien claims that this makes him unbeatable, but Sonic isn't convinced - Sonic hurls the Black Emerald at the ground, and the fake is too slow to stop it shattering. The Shadow Dimension begins to explode but, before it is destroyed, Sonic and Johnny fade away...

...and reappear back on Flickies' Island. Tekno managed to find a way to reverse the matter transporter and bring them home. Shayde says they've ruined everything and fires a gun at them, but it hits the matter transport instead. A furious Johnny tackles Shayde, wanting revenge, but the contact causes Shayde to turn back into a shadow and be sucked back to the other dimension. Tails suggests they all quickly leave since the transporter is about to blow.

The heroes make it outside just before the entire base is reduced to rubble. Watching the dust settle, the heroes contemplate having seen the last of the shadows.

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Agent X/Shayde
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Amy Rose
 * Tekno the Canary
 * Shortfuse the Cybernik
 * Shadow Creatures

Continuity

 * Robotnik's base on Flickies' Island is destroyed. He has been operating out of the base since Sonic the Comic #104, "Flickies' Island, Part 1".
 * It was revealed in the previous issue, "Shady Characters, Part 1", that Agent X and Johnny Lightfoot are the same person. Here it is revealed that Agent X is actually an alien doppelgänger named Shayde, who replaced the real Johnny some time between Sonic the Comic #115, "Earthbound, Part 2", and Sonic the Comic #122, "Root of All Evil, Part 1".

Tails - "Cat Trick"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * B & w art: Carl Flint
 * Colour: John M Burns
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
After destroying a Nebula badnik with his fancy flying skills (courtesy of his unique pair of tails), Miles "Tails" Prower is cheered as a hero by an adoring crowd. However, one member of the crowd says Tails is nothing special: he has three tails. He introduces himself as Kat O'Three Tails, and he reveals that all three of his tails are prehensile, allowing him to paint a fence, wash the windows and unblock a sink all at once. He may not be able to fly, but he's convinced he has more skill than Tails.

Local workmen, however, are concerned that Kat O'Three Tails will put them out of the job, and one beaver plumber decides that Kat must be stopped. The plumber hires a killer robot from Mike O'Chip's Hire-A-Bot and orders it to destroy the 'multi-tailed target'. When the robot comes after Kat, Kat's three tails malfunction - they're fake, robot tails! Tails is shocked, but still tries to protect Kat. When the robot sees another multi-tailed target, its computer brain can't handle it and its program crashes, deactivating the robot.

Tails captures the plumber who caused the problem, and when he sees Kat without his three tails the plumber realises that it's really his neighbour, Tom Manx. Tom explains he was jealous of the fox for having Tom's share in the tails department, and Tom wanted to go one better. Tails reassures Tom that he proved his worth by helping people... but the sentiment makes the plumber groan.

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Tom Manx (aka Kat O'Three Tails)
 * Beaver plumber
 * Rhino priest
 * Frog window washer
 * Walrus painter
 * Hired robot
 * Doe customer
 * Nebula badnik
 * Other civilians:
 * Ape
 * Birds
 * Bee
 * Fly
 * Others

Decap Attack - "Decap-Man, Part 2"

 * Script & art: Nigel Kitching
 * Lettering: Ellie de' Ville

The heroic Decap-Man is at the mercy of Doctor Carcass and Midnight Nurse... or so they think! As soon as they reveal their scheme to infect school dinners with the wrong kind of gravy, Decap-Man reveals that he was only acting scared, and he quickly defeats them with the help of Head and his laser eyebeams.

The news reports hail Decap-Man as the greatest hero Transylvania has ever seen. Professor Frank N Stein reminisces that it seems like only a week ago that Chuck was still living with them in the castle, and Igor angrily says it was only a week ago. That's when the Prof's stupid experiment turned him from an idiot monster to a superhero, and now Igor has to do all the housework by himself! Igor thinks there must be a way to stop all this nonsense...

Over the following weeks, Decap-Man defeats numerous supervillains: Copycat, Contradictor, Giggler, Punster, Monty the Python, and Reverse Psychology Man! But just when it seems that nothing could stop Decap-Man, he is captured by the mysterious Mystery Man, Man of Mysterious Mystery! Mystery Man says he'll let Decap-Man go if he can guess Mystery Man's secret identity, but if he fails he'll be sprayed with amnesia spray and turned into a Mystery Slave. Decap-Man says it's impossible, and Mystery Man agrees, right before spraying Decap-Man with his amnesia spray...

Chuck wakes up back in Castle Frank N Stein, drenched with water and seeing Igor standing over him with a bucket of water. Prof says that the experiment went wrong and the machine blew up. Chuck has been unconscious ever since, babbling deliriously about "Decap-Man" or something. Chuck starts to explain that he thought he was a superhero, but trails off... now it all seems a little vague, just like remembering a dream...

Amy - "Vane Hopes"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * B & w art: Bob Corona
 * Colour: Nigel Dobbyn
 * Lettering: Gordon Robson

Synopsis
Fabian Vane has a booking... but he's only been hired to open a new supermarket and nobody wants to hear him sing. As Fabian laments his fall from grace, an aircraft suddenly scoops him up, demanding a big ransom or nobody will see Fabian again. Nobody seems particularly concerned about this threat, but Amy Rose and Tekno the Canary decide that they probably should try to help him.

They track Fabian to the Rocky Valley Zone, where they find a badge for the Fabian Vane Fan Club. Tekno assumes that Fabian dropped it himself, but Amy isn't so sure. Suddenly, they are attacked by zapper weapons that pop out of the ground. Fortunately, they are able to get between the two weapons, making them destroy each other in the cross-fire.

Amy and Tekno find the kidnappers inside a nearby cave. Tekno watches them while Amy goes to rescue Fabian... only to find Fabian eating pizza and watching TV. It is revealed that the "kidnappers" are actually the remaining members of the Fan Club, and that Fabian begged them to stage his fake kidnapping for the publicity. Amy says that his career will be over once news gets out...

...but she's wrong, because the next day Fabian is booked to a huge concert. The publicity stnt worked. Fortunately, Amy has heard that spending time in the damp cave has given Fabian laryngitis! Fabian's lost his voice and can't sing!

Appearances

 * Amy Rose
 * Tekno the Canary
 * Fabian Vane
 * Fabian Vane Fan Club:
 * Grey dog
 * Brown cat
 * Supermarket manager
 * Shoppers
 * Kangaroo in letterman jacket
 * Grey dog in cardigan
 * Mother and baby
 * Woman with glasses
 * Bird
 * Policeman
 * Frog

Continuity

 * Fabian Vane's career as a singing superstar ended when he was previously exposed as a swindler and a fraud in Sonic the Comic #110, "Star Struck, Part 2".
 * Amy and Tekno previously visited the Rocky Valley Zone in Sonic the Comic #105, "Deception".

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Pin-Up - Sonic
 * Speedlines
 * Graphic Zone - Summer Exhibition