Sonic the Comic Issue 53

Sonic the Comic #53 is the second anniversary issue of the UK's Sonic the Comic publication. It contains the conclusion of the long-running Death Egg story arc (an adaptation of Sonic & Knuckles), and the beginning of the "Total Chaotix" storyline (a loose adaptation on Knuckles' Chaotix).

The issue was released at approximately the same time as the Sonic Holiday Special 1995.


 * Managing Editor: Richard Burton
 * Editor: Deborah Tate
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Assistant Editor: Audrey Wong
 * Publisher: Rob McMenemy

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Disaster! Part 3"

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

Synopsis
It's all over for the Death Egg! Robbed of its power source, the Master Emerald, it is being torn apart by energy blasts from the Floating Island, which is being piloted by Knuckles. Sonic, however, is at the moment falling back towards Mobius, having fallen out of the Death Egg with the Master Emerald, and he is being fired upon by the remaining EggRobos.

One of the EggRobos grabs the Master Emerald. To prevent it getting to Robotnik, he snatches a gun from a closer EggRobo and fires, destroying the thief and knocking the trajectory of the Emerald so that it lands on the Floating Island! Sonic himself continues to fall, past the edge of the Floating Island, but he has his own plan, and leaps on top of one of the attacking EggRobos.

Meanwhile, on board the Death Egg, Grimer pleads with Robotnik to escape while there's still time. Robotnik reluctantly agrees, but vows he'll make the Emerald Hill Zone suffer like never before!

Sonic zooms towards the Floating Island, riding atop a jet pack that he took from an EggRobo. He happily watches the Death Egg fall out of the sky, breaking into pieces even before it hits the ground, and ten goes to find the Master Emerald, which landed safely in a bush. He knows he has to get the Emerald back to the Emerald Chamber, before the entire Floating Island crashes into Mobius! Suddenly, he is attacked by Robotnik in a massive robotic suit of armour. Robotnik wants the Master Emerald. He's going to squash Sonic, and then he's going to obliterate the Emerald Hill Zone! But Sonic can't let that happen: he smashes into the mech with his Spin Attack, savagely striking the robot again and again, severing an arm and punching numerous holes through its torso, forcing it back further and further until... Robotnik topples over the edge of the Floating Island! Sonic is momentarily shocked at what he's done - he didn't mean to push Robotnik over! - until he sees that Robotnik's damaged jets are still working, and should ensure he gets down safely (if not necessarily unharmed).

With the battle over, Knuckles appears. He insists that they get the Master Emerald back to the Emerald Chamber immediately! However, for once Sonic isn't so hasty. After all, he was the one that recovered the Emerald, and he'll be happy to give it to Knuckles in return for a little favour...

Three days later, off the coast of the Emerald Hill Zone, the Emerald Hill Folk have loaded themselves and everything they own onto as many boats as they could find. They're sailing out to the Floating Island, evacuating the Emerald Hill Zone completely! Someday they hope to return, but not while Robotnik is so hell bent on destroying them. Sonic in particular vows that they'll be back. Sonic and Tails watch the last boat cross from the Tornado, then land back on the Island. Knuckles is willing to let them stay, as long as the civilians stay in the Mushroom Hill Zone. Sonic gives his word that they will. The Floating Island rises into the sky once again, and now that it is on full Emerald power, they should be safe from any attack. "That's the theory anyway."

Elsewhere, a bandaged Robotnik recuperates after his heavy landing back on Mobius, with Grimer by his bedside. He's furious! "I tried going easy on those Emerald Hill worms!" he says. "I tried to be a just ruler! But that's all over now! From now on it's no more Mister Nicenik!"

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Grimer
 * EggRobos
 * Emerald Hill Folk
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Amy Rose
 * Porker Lewis

Continuity

 * The Death Egg falls back to Mobius, utterly destroyed. It previously crashed (on the Floating Island) in Sonic the Summer Special (1994), "Guardian of the Chaos Emeralds", released about a year previously. (The previous, original Death Egg crash landed in Sonic the Comic #6, "Attack on the Death Egg".)
 * Sonic recovers the Master Emerald, which was stolen back in Sonic the Comic #49, "Count Down to Disaster, Part 1".
 * The entire Emerald Hill Zone is evacuated, after Robotnik threatens to destroy it, and the Emerald Hill Folk are relocated to the Mushroom Hill Zone on the Floating Island. They will remain there under Knuckles' protection until Sonic the Comic #101, "Loose Ends", following Robotnik's overthrowal in Sonic the Comic #100, "The Final Victory".
 * The events of this story are picked up in the Knuckles story "Total Chaotix, Part 1", beginning this issue.

Trivia

 * The robot armour that Robotnik wears to fight Sonic resembles the armour from the final boss battle of the Doomsday Zone of Sonic & Knuckles.

Shinobi - "Power Of The Elements, Part 7"
Joe Musashi and the Roofworlders battle the Four Elements, but Kotomi-sensei has been struck down! Horrified at this, the Roofworlders redouble their efforts. The man battling Earth lifts him overhead, separating him from the ground and denying him power. He throws Earth high into the air, then performs a strong punch as he falls again, defeating the Element. With Air already beaten by Musashi, that leaves only Water and Fire. When they are knocked into each other, their crossed magics incapacitate them both!
 * Script: Alan McKenzie
 * Art: Jon Haward
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Musashi and the Roofworlders rush to sensei's side. Only sensei himself can undo the Poison Hand Technique, says a Roofworlder... Musashi disagrees. He also has a little knowledge. With a few precise touches, he alleviates the pressure from vital chi junctions, allowing Kotomi-sensei to recover. The old man wants Musashi to stay with them, but Musashi has to leave. He has his own giri (duty). He has his own sensei, and the Neo Zeed are not finished with him. Still, as Musashi leaps from the rooftop, he says they may meet again.

The End.

Trivia

 * Along a final comment promises more Shinobi stories to come, no more ever did.

Knuckles - "Total Chaotix, Part 1"

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

Synopsis
For the first time in centuries, all of the Chaos Emeralds are fully powered up, allowing Knuckles the Echidna to maintain a protective field around the Floating Island and, perhaps, relax for the first time in months. Still, he now has to put up with the Emerald Hill Folk, who have settled in the Mushroom Hill Zone because Robotnik has vowed to destroy them all on Mobius. He just hopes they keep to themselves and stay out of his way.

Knuckles looks over at the vast crator that was caused by a single blast from Robotnik's Death Egg. He glides over to it, and spots a large stone ring half buried in the rubble, with ancient writing on it. Digging it out, he thinks it says something about "a gateway to a dream country..." Suddenly, the ring starts to hum and glow, and he is sucked through it and disappears!

He emerges in a strange now dimension full of geometrical shapes and bizarre properties. Suddenly he realises what the ring said: it didn't mean "dream country", but rather "Nightmare Country", his people's name for the Special Zone! And now he's trapped inside!

Suddenly, he is approached by a sentient floating energy field known as the Omni-Viewer, who claims to know all about Knuckles' alliance with the despot Robotnik. Knuckles tries to explain that Omni's information is out of date, but Omni isn't interested. Knuckles' fate is sealed as the Omni-Viewer teleports in Chaotix - Guardians of the Special Zone!

Appearances

 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Emerald Hill Folk
 * Omni-Viewer
 * Chaotix:
 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Mighty the Armadillo
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Charmy Bee
 * Nack the Weasel

Continuity

 * The Master Emerald was returned to the Emerald Chamber in "Disaster! Part 3", the Sonic the Hedgehog story earlier in this issue (see above). The Emerald Hill Folk have moved into a settled the Mushroom Hill Zone, after evacuating their own homes in the same story.
 * The massive crator on the Floating Island was created when the Death Egg fired its disintegrator beams on it in Sonic the Comic #52, "Disaster! Part 2".
 * Omni-Viewer previously appeared in Sonic the Comic #8, "The Origin of Sonic", and, more briefly, Sonic the Comic #9, "Back to Reality".
 * Omni-Viewer was once under Robotnik's control (as he believes Knuckles to be in this story). Some time since his last appearance, Robotnik seems to have abandoned the Special Zone, possibly at the same time he established his Launch Base Zone on the Floating Island (some time between Sonic the Summer Special (1994), "Guardian of the Chaos Emeralds", and Sonic the Comic #33, "Enter Knuckles, Part 1").
 * Knuckles ended his alliance with Robotnik in Sonic the Comic #36, "Power of the Chaos Emeralds, Part 2".

Sparkster - "Last of the Rocket Knights, Part 1"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Keith Page
 * Lettering: Steve Potter

Sparkster was once hero of the planet Elhorn, and led the Rocket Knights to countless victories. Now he returns to Zebulon City after a short time away to find that he is public enemy number one. He is accosted by a group of lizard warriors, led by Paerie. He warns them that if they don't leave, he'll return them to their King Gedol in pieces. Paerie isn't interested, and orders Grum to kill him. Grum, who pilots a giant robot, fires the flamethrower (despite Paerie's orders not to damage the mystic armour), but Sparkster avoids it by using his rocket pack. Sparkster quickly defeats the lizards, destroying Grum's robot by exploiting a flaw left over from older models. Then he turns to Paerie for answers. Paeries explains: King Gedol now rules all of Elhorn, including the Zebulon Empire. Sparkster is all on his own, the last of the Rocket Knights.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Graphic Zone
 * Review Zone
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines