Sonic the Comic Issue 142


 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designer: Tim Read
 * Managing Editor: Steve McManus
 * Production: Sarah Colley
 * Marketing Manager: Douglas Pocock
 * Publisher: Rob McMenemy
 * Managing Director: Julie Goldsmith

Sonic - "Revenge"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * B & w art: Bob Corona
 * Colour: Kev Hopgood
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
Sonic the Hedgehog and Porker Lewis have been called to the Metropolis Zone Bank, where a robbery the previous night has seen half of the gold stolen from the bank's vault. Although this would usually be a police matter, the thief left a note addressed to Sonic, signed "An old friend", saying that he would be back for the other half of the gold the following night. Sonic offers to guard the vault for the night, and says he won't need Porker's help to catch a mere bank robber. At 5.30 pm, the manager, Porker and all the employees leave, and Sonic sits on a chair in front of the vault, confident that this will be a piece of cake.

The next morning, Sonic tells the manager that nothing happened: the robber didn't arrive. However, when the vualt is opened, the rest of the gold is gone! However, Porker jumps in, saying that Sonic was prepared for this and has a plan (which is news to Sonic). Porker hid a tiny transmitting device on one of the gold bars, so they can track the thief to his hideout. As they head off to find the thief, Sonic grumbles that Porker didn't tell him about the transmitter.

A little later, on the wrong side of town, Porker and Sonic trace the signal to a certain building. As they approach, they see Nack the Weasel looking out the window. Sonic runs up the side of the building to Nack's apartment, and tries to tackle the weasel, but Nack uses his shrinking cartridges to avoid the attack, shrinking so much that Sonic can't even see him. Just as Porker arrives, Nack quickly grows to full size and punches Sonic to the ground. Nack explains that he didn't shrink away to nothing during his last fight with Sonic, but he was reduced to the size of an atom. He found a way to return to normal and now has more control over his size than ever before. To demonstrate, he grows to giant size, filling the room, and tries to squash Sonic like a bug. The space is so cramped that Sonic can't use his speed to full effect.

However, before Nack can finished Sonic off, he is interrupted by police sirens. Porker had called them before he came up to the apartment. Nack decides to make an exit, shrinking himself to microscopic size before Sonic can catch him.

Porker explains that Nack managed to steal the gold by shrinking it (and himself) to microscopic size, then escaping through any tiny crack in the vault. But even though they recovered all the gold, Sonic isn't happy. Nack outwitted him! He stole the gold from under Sonic's nose and then escaped. At some encouragement from Porker that things will be different next time, Sonic quickly regains his positivity. Besides, Sonic says, Sonic was on the verge of victory when Nack ran off. "Anything you say, Sonic!" says Porker with a smile.

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Porker Lewis
 * Nack the Weasel
 * Metropolis Zone Bank manager
 * Metropolis Zone Bank employees:
 * Grey-furred teller in blue uniform
 * White bird in grey coat and spectacles
 * Dog in a suit and waistcoat

Continuity

 * Sonic mentions having faced "robot dinosaurs and alien empires". He fought the robot dinosaur Mekanik in Sonic the Comic #57 and #58, "The Rampage of Mekanik". He also fought the Drakon Empire, most recently in Sonic the Comic #123 to #125, "Order & Chaos".
 * Nack last appeared in Sonic the Comic #90, "The Tomb, Part 2", in which he apparently shrank to nothing. (This is similar to the disappearance of Robotnik in Sonic the Comic #130, "Showdown, Part 3".) Nack next appears in Sonic the Comic #148, "It's a Small World", searching for Robotnik along with Grimer.

Trivia

 * Nack's apartment is room 6a.

Amy - "Day One"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * B & W Art: Bob Corona
 * Colour: Nigel Dobbyn
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
Having escaped Colonel Granite, Amy Rose and Tekno the Canary continue their travels through time and space, although this time the interdimensional effect feels different. At their next destination, they arrive through the Ring of Eternity, suggesting they are back on Mobius. However, their homecoming is put on hold when they spot a group of dinosaurs in spacesuits. Judging by the way the dinosaurs talk about their purpose on Mobius, Amy figures they are invading the planet so leaps out to attack them. As Amy and Tekno fight the workers, the dinosaur Commander and Professor are surprised at seeing any life-forms, since there shouldn't be any intelligent life on the planet. This shocks Tekno, who thinks that the dinosaurs have exterminated everyone. Amy is furious and fires her crossbow at the leaders. The Commander activates their energy defence shields, and the crossbow bolt ricochets off harmlessly.

Amy is surprised that these "invading aliens" aren't more aggressive. Even stranger, Tekno's scanner says that, although they're on Mobius, they're millions of years in the past. The Commander explains that they aren't here to destroy life, but rather create it. The dinosaurs constructed the Ring of Eternity long ago to travel to other worlds, and they create the Spark of Evolution on chosen planets. He shows the girls how they create tiny forms of life by applying the spark to a special primordial soup. The Ring of Eternity speaks, telling the girls that this visit was a reward for the girls' work so far, but that there are many more adventures in store.

As the heroes fade away, Amy is dejected, having previously thought there was another creator of life. The Commander winks at her, saying "Well, Amy... I never said who we work for, did I?"

Appearances

 * Amy Rose
 * Tekno the Canary
 * Ring of Eternity
 * Dinosaurs in spacesuits:
 * Commander
 * Professor
 * Triceratops workers

Continuity

 * Amy and Tekno started their inter-dimensional journey through the Ring of Eternity in Sonic the Comic #134, "Eternity Ring". They will return home (in their own time period) in Sonic the Comic #156, "Full Circle".
 * Tekno mentions that they have escaped Colonel Granite and his goons, which occurred at the end of the previous story, Sonic the Comic #141, "Out of Time, Part 2".

Tails - "Rise and Fall"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Mick McMahon
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
Every year, the people of the Green Hill Zone celebrate victory over Doctor Robotnik with a firework display. This year, they have provided a giant bottle rocket even bigger than the Statue of Freedom. (Building the rocket was easy, they tell a visiting Tails, but finding a big enough milk bottle was harder.) The firework soon launches but it's soon clear that something's wrong when the rocket goes out of control. A new evil nutcase, the Mad Ferret, announces that he is responsible for sabotaging the rocket. While Mad Ferret runs off, Tails quickly tries to evacuate the village. But no sooner has he evacuated the people than they realise that the village wasn't the target after all... and the rocket blows up the Statue of Freedom!

Tails catches the Mad Ferret, but the villain still says he's won the day: the villagers are horrified at the loss of their statue, their symbol of hope, and they begin to panic that soon their freedom will be gone too. Soon, they are convinced that Robotnik is coming back and that they'll all be badniks within six months! Tails gives a rousing speech, reminding them they beat Robotnik once and can beat him again. Finally, the villagers realise that Tails is right (one even admits he never liked the statue since it blocked the sunlight to his garden). Ferret is annoyed that Tails, whom he'd heard was a wimp, was able to give such a rousing speech. With Ferret taken away by the police, everyone is free to go on with the Bonfire Night celebrations.

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Mad Ferret
 * Green Hill Zone residents

Reprinted stories

 * Sonic the Hedgehog - "The Sonic Terminator, Part 4" from Sonic the Comic #27

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Graphic Zone - Cool Guys...
 * Pin-Up - Sonic's Back
 * Speedlines