Sonic the Comic Issue 81


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

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Running Wild, Part 2"

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

Synopsis
Sonic has turned Super, and now he's out of control and determined to kill Amy and anyone else who gets in the way! He dives towards her at full speed, crashing headlong into their circus caravan when she jumps out of the way at the last minute. The caravan explodes into flame, completely destroyed! The Freedom Fighters wonder if Sonic is okay, but a moment later Super Sonic rises out of the flames, cackling maniacally. Nothing can harm him!

The gang runs and takes cover behind a rock, but Super Sonic shoots at them with his powerful eye beams, shattering the rock and tearing up the ground, forcing the gang into the open. Then he dives at them again, barely missing, and crashes into a massive rockface, which collapses on top of him. Amy wonders if even Super Sonic could survive that... but her question is answered when he smashes his way to the surface.

Johnny tells Tails to fly off and get help, but he refuses. But Johnny's mention of flying gives Amy an idea, and they run to find Tails' plane, which was miraculously unharmed. Super Sonic follows them, and sees the plane take off. Suddenly bored, he decides to finish this and uses his eye beams to blast the plane! It bursts into flame and then crashes into the ground, utterly destroyed!

Having killed his closest friends, Super bursts into maniacal laughter. He roars with hideous mirth... until his power starts to fade and he turns back into Sonic. Sonic stares in abject horror at the burning remains of the caravan and plane. "No... Oh no... What have I done?"

Appearances

 * Super Sonic
 * Amy Rose
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Sonic the Hedgehog

Continuity

 * The Freedom Fighters' caravan is destroyed in this issue. They have been travelling in disguise as Bob Beaky's Travelling Circus since Sonic the Comic #38, "Robotnik's Revenge, Part 2".

Chaotix Crew - "The Fundamental Four, Part 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching & Nigel Dobbyn
 * Art: Nigel Dobbyn
 * Colouring: Gina Hart
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
The Fundamental Four were sent to prison by Chaotix for four years! Now they have broken out, captured three members of Chaotix (Vector, Mighty and Espio), and put them into a giant liquidiser! After liquidising them, the Four plan to seek out and take revenge on Charmy Bee!

Meanwhile, Charmy is returning to the team's headquarters with reinforcements: workers from his Hive, which he borrowed from the Queen. They burst into the building through a window and set to work: First, they cut open Hydran's containment suit with a pair of scissors, then use whisks and shovels to mix Hydran's watery body with Gravel's earth and Squall's air. Then Charmy sprays Flare with some high octane fuel, causing her to burn totally out of control - so hot, that she sets the mixture of her three companions into hardened clay, which the worker bees quickly fashion into a pot! Vector is horrified. "You... you can't beat the Fundamental Four by turning them into a pot... it's too stupid!"

A little later, Charmy is pleased to have his family around the house to liven things up. Vector thinks differently, however: one Charmy was bad enough, but a whole swarm is unbearable, and he kicks out all of the bees. However, Vector, Espio and Mighty can't enjoy any peace, because the Fundamental Four are still alive inside the pot, and they all start talking at once!

Appearances

 * Chaotix
 * Charmy Bee
 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Mighty the Armadillo
 * Fundamental Four (Hydran, Squall, Gravel, and Flare)
 * Hive workers

Continuity

 * The Queen of the Hive is mentioned for the first time, and a worker mentions that she is unhappy that Charmy has not visited home more often. In Sonic the Comic 91, "The Hive, Part 1", it is revealed that Charmy is actually a prince of the Hive.

Tails - "Shock Tactics!"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Mike Hadley
 * Colouring: Steve White
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Tails is still defending the Casino Night Zone from badnik attacks. However, Max Gamble, the lizard who owns the local casino, isn't happy: he accuses Tails of not defeating the badniks fast enough, thereby making people stay at home, and losing him business.

Two chimpanzees, Mark and Sparks, who are responsible for the electrical maintenance of the Zone, offer to help Tails defeat the badniks. They disguise Tails as a badnik using some of the casings of badniks Tails has destroyed, allowing Tails to fly around and follow a group of badniks back to their lair.

Tails finds the lair full of badniks, but before he can figure out a way of taking them on one-by-one, the back of his disguise falls off, revealing his twin tails. With the badniks suddenly aware of his identity, Tails ditches the rest of the disguise and flies away, with the badniks in hot pursuit. Mark and Sparks call for him to lead the badniks between two pylons, which he does. As the badniks pass between the pylons, Sparks throws a switch, activating an electrical force field that destroys the badniks and freeing the animals trapped inside.

Max Gamble reappears, accusing the chimps of causing a power failure and costing him money, but the other residents of the Zone quickly leap to the defense of Tails and the chimps. The people demand that Gamble leave them alone, or they won't play at his casinos any more, so Gamble quickly leaves.

With the Zone now safe from badniks, Tails sets off to rejoin Sonic, Amy and Johnny. Max Gamble watches him go, vowing to get revenge for being made to look like a loser.

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Max Gamble
 * Mark and Sparks
 * Badniks:
 * Unnamed cyclops badniks
 * Bat Brain
 * Buzz Bomber
 * Orbinaut
 * Octus
 * Flasher
 * Buzzer
 * Caterkiller
 * Casino Night Zone residents:
 * Dogs
 * Pigs
 * Bears
 * Birds
 * Others

Continuity

 * Tails agreed to defend the Casino Night Zone from Commander Brutus' badniks in Sonic the Comic #80, "Fleabyte Returns".
 * Tails set off to help out Sonic in the Metropolis Zone (see "Revolution" in this issue, below) in Sonic the Comic #79, "Grounded". After a brief stay in the Casino Night Zone, he sets out again for the Metropolis Zone at the end of this issue. However, Sonic the Comic #82, "Revolution, Part 4" reveals that Tails is still in the Casino Night Zone following Brutus' defeat.

Sonic's World - "Revolution, Part 3"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Nigel Kitching
 * Colouring: John M. Burns
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
The evil Trooper, Commander Brutus, is attempting to overthrow Doctor Robotnik and he has turned Amy and Johnny into badniks! Sonic tries to fight them, but finds himself holding back. However, they mean business, and if he doesn't get his act together soon they'll finish him off!

Inside Citadel Robotnik, Brutus intends to track down Robotnik and Grimer (who crept away previously). Shortfuse the Cybernik (who was beaten by Brutus and smashed into the floor) says he'll never give up, even if Brutus is stronger than him. Brutus turns to face him. "Cybernik, there is no 'if' about it! No-one is stronger than Commander Brutus!" And he tosses Shortfuse off the Citadel's balcony.

Shortfuse crashes next to Sonic. When Badnik Johnny shoots him, Shortfuse gets mad and blasts the badnik, destroying it and freeing Johnny. Sonic, Johnny and Shortfuse regroup, but the Badnik Amy is soon attacking them with her rapid-fire crossbow bolts.

Beneath Citadel Robotnik, Doctor Robotnik and Grimer go to take the experimental War-Armour out of storage. When Brutus follows them, Robotnik - now wearing the War-Armour - knocks him down with a powerful punch. The real battle is about to begin!

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Commander Brutus
 * Shortfuse the Cybernik
 * Badnik Johnny
 * Badnik Amy
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Grimer

Continuity

 * Shortfuse's reckless attitude towards Johnny's safety foreshadows the events of Sonic the Comic 97, "Boiling Point", in which Shortfuse's abandoning of Johnny leads him to being expelled from the Freedom Fighters.

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone
 * Chaotix Zone (Graphic Zone)
 * Q Zone
 * Speedlines