Sonic the Comic Issue 92


 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Assistant Editor: Audrey Wong
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Production: Sarah Colley
 * Consultant: Richard Burton

Sonic the Hedgehog - "The Hive, Part 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Roberto Corona
 * Colouring: Steve White
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Charmy Bee has been called back to the Hive to face his mother the Queen. But before the Queen can finish telling off her son, the Hive is attacked by Vesper and his Wasp Marauders! The wasps punch a hole through the bees' defences, infiltrating the Hive.

A soldier bee Captain reports to the Queen. Although they are holding the main wasp army at bay, Vesper and a few men have broken through. The Queen's advisor says she must leave immediately, but she refuses. Before Sonic can convince her otherwise, Vesper and his men arrive. Charmy is intimidated by the wasps' deadly weapons, but Sonic isn't concerned. With startling ease he runs once around the room, disarming all of the wasps. Vesper is infuriated that Sonic has made his men look like fools, so he leaps at the hedgehog... who calmly steps aside and lets Vesper fall flat on his face. He's met hundreds of creeps like Vesper, bullies who only pick on people smaller than themselves. Sonic pulls Vesper up by his armour and spins him round at super speed, making him extremely dizzy. Sonic has won this fight, but Vesper points out that Sonic can't defeat all of the wasps and they'll soon overrun the Hive. Sonic agrees, and responds: "We surrender!" The Queen is shocked, but Charmy convinces her to go along with it, believing that Sonic has a plan. Sonic admits he doesn't have a plan, but he's working on one...

At the entrance to the Hive, Sonic and the wasps prepare to organise a formal surrender. Vesper says Sonic made the right decision. At the last moment, Sonic finally comes up with a plan and tells all the bees to hold onto something. At super speeds he runs around the inside oif the tunnel, creating a hurricane that blows all of the wasps out into the Special Zone. The bees quickly seal up the tunnels - the wasps won't catch the off-guard again!

Once the Hive is secure, the Queen thanks Sonic and tells him he will always be welcome. However, she tells Charmy that he will remain in the Hive and carry out his princely duties. "Mom," says Charmy, "you know the tradition that says if an outsider saves the Hive, he may ask for whatever he wants?"

A short while later, Sonic and Charmy row back to Chaotix headquarters on one of the bees' golden rafts. Sonic makes Charmy promise not to ever tell Chaotix that he asked the Queen to let Charmy go back with him. If they find out, they'll probably kill him!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Charmy Bee
 * Queen Bee
 * Vesper
 * Bees:
 * Queen's advisor
 * Queen's bodyguard
 * Soldiers
 * Workers
 * Dockhand
 * Wasp warriors

Continuity

 * Sonic the Hedgehog is still trapped in the Special Zone, having travelled there in Sonic the Comic #84, "Heroes & Villains, Part 1". He will eventually return to Mobius in Sonic the Comic #100, "The Final Victory".

Captain Plunder - "Shanghaied, Part 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching & Richard Elson
 * Art: Richard Elson
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
Captain Plunder's press gang captured Proctor Speckle, but when Plunder made him walk the plank he drank some transforming serum and turned into the monstrous Mister Fry! Plunder sends his crew to take Fry down, but Fry clobbers them all and then starts pounding on a shark he dragged out of the sea. As he explains, "sharks from these waters is notoriously tough eatin'! I was just tenderising the blighter!" Fry asks to be taken to the galley so he can grill the fish before it "starts smellin' as bad as Proctor Speckle!" When Filch says he thought Fry was Proctor Speckle, Fry explodes in anger: "Don't call me that! I'm Mr Fry, you understand...Fry...Fry...FRY!" Luckily, Simpson the Cat is able to diffuse the situation before it becomes violent (again), and leads Fry away to the galley to cook!

Soon, Fry and Simpson emerge with a platter full of crispy shark steaks, which they share with the whole crew. Captain Plunder (who naturally gets the biggest piece) apologises for making Fry walk the plank - he wouldn't have done so if he'd known Fry was a cook. Fry says not to give it another thought - it was Speckle that walked the plank, and Fry doesn't blame Plunder for wanting that little runt dead! He explains that the bottle of transforming serum broke open with Speckle hit the water and he managed to drink some. Just as Plunder wonders what happened to the serum he didn't drink, Filch finds out: the sharks drank it! Now the sharks are monstrously large and gathering around the ship!

Appearances

 * Captain Plunder
 * Filch
 * Simpson the Cat
 * Proctor Speckle and Mr. Fry
 * Sky Pirates:
 * Dogs
 * Rats
 * Hogs

Continuity

 * Proctor Speckle previously appeared in Sonic the Comic #85, "Heroes & Villains, Part 2", which was also the first appearance of his alter-ego Mister Fry. In that appearance he was only referred to as "Mr Fry". Fry (without Speckle) appeared more recently, in Sonic the Comic #88, "The Ultimate Nightmare".

Decap Attack - "The Legend of Mr Cuddle Bunny, Part 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching & Richard Rayner
 * Art: Nigel Kitching
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Mad Mick C McTosis has claimed the hat of Mr Cuddle Bunny, only for Mr Cuddle Bunny himself to appear. The Prof tells Chuck and Igor to get the hat away from McTosis, because whoever owns it will inherit the Cuddle Bunny fortune. After a struggle (part of which takes place inside Chuck's bandages), Mr Cuddle Bunny retrieves the hat, which is just as warm and snug as ever.

However, things are not over, as McTosis' sporran starts talking... but it's not his sporran talking, it's Cuddle Bunny's former business partner Mr Timothy Twitch! Once known as the Happy Hamster, he was in all the Cuddle Bunny books until he left to start his own series, only to be devastated when a rare skin disease made him lose all his fluffy fur. No longer happy, he feels Cuddle Bunny owes him and he's come to collect!

Sonic's World - "Head in the Clouds"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Carl Flint
 * Colouring: Steve White
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Two months ago, Robotnik learned that Sonic was trapped in the Special Zone. Surprisingly, however, he was not happy that Sonic was gone; instead, he was furious that he wasn't the one that got rid of Sonic. When Grimer says that many citizens believe Sonic will return one day, Robotnik devises a plan to remind everyone that Robotnik rules Mobius, and to crush their hope of Sonic returning. He orders Grimer to build a huge rocket in his image that will orbit Mobius, a perfect symbol of his power over them. Grimer calculates that it will be ready in six months, but Robotnik orders it done in two months! "No arguments!"

Two months later, the rocket is ready to launch. Robotnik rushes the final testing and begins the countdown. However, immediately after launch the rocket crashes back down to the ground and is destroyed. Robotnik believes it was sabotage: "That Fox or the Echidna must have damaged it!" He orders a full investigation and report by the following morning.

The following morning, Grimer presents his report. No outlaws were anywhere near the launch site. The problem was in cheap materials and no testing: the rocket itself was faulty. But Robotnik insists that the official news broadcast will say it was sabotage. The official word must be that Robotnik never makes mistakes. Sometimes that means telling lies... but that's what being evil is all about!

Appearances

 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Grimer
 * Troopers
 * Monkey informant
 * Citizens

Continuity

 * This story depicts Robotnik learning that Sonic is trapped in the Special Zone from a monkey informant. However, this is inconsistent with the story "Mister Shifter" in Sonic the Comic #87, in which it was implied Robotnik learned of this from Agent X19.

Trivia

 * The art in this story was by Carl Flint, but was incorrectly credited in the issue to Roberto Corona.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone
 * Grabber Badnik Pin-Up!
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines