Sonic Holiday Special 1996

The Sonic Holiday Special (1996) is a one-off, 48-page spin-off of Sonic the Comic. It was published on 6 July 1996, one day after the release of Sonic the Comic #81.


 * Editor: Audrey Wong
 * Designer: Gary Knight
 * Production Manager: Sarah Colley
 * Special thanks to: Richard Burton, Carl Flint, William Potter, Sega Europe, and Sega Amusements Europe Ltd.

"Break Out! Parts 1 and 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Nigel Dobbyn
 * Colouring: Tom Bollard
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
In Metropolis Zone High Security Prison, Sonic the Hedgehog destroys the Trooper guards and leads four Emerald Hill Folk (a dog, a bear, a rabbit and a pig) to the outer wall, where Tails is waiting to lift them over the wall and to freedom.

In the monitoring room at Citadel Robotnik, Robotnik himself fumes that not a single one of his millions of spy cameras have located Sonic or the missing Emerald Hill Folk. When Grimer arrives, Robotnik is still so angry that Grimer has failed to find Sonic that he decides to strangle Grimer "to make [him] work better!" When Grimer then chokes out that they have found Sonic, Robotnik's attitude changes immediately - but he continues to strangle Grimer for several more seconds, before dropping him and heading to the hangar of his latest invention: a giant, spider-shaped war machine!

Meanwhile, Sonic, Tails and the captives have reached the edge of the Metropolis Zone, where Sonic earlier parked his circus caravan. They set up a Star Post - the last one in existence after Robotnik destroyed the others - to transport the captives to the Floating Island, where the other Emerald Hill Folk are hiding. Sonic activates it with his super speed, but before they can jump through the energy field, Robotnik shows up in his massive spider-machine, causing massive destruction and calling Sonic out to fight.

Sonic heads off to fight Robotnik, while Tails quickly conceals the Emerald Hill Folk and the caravan (lest Robotnik discover that the Freedom Fighters disguise themselves as Bob Beaky and his Travelling Circus). Sonic is confident in his ability to destroy the "tin can"... until his attacks do no damage and he is caught in the machine's front legs. Sonic demands to know how Robotnik found them, and Robotnik agrees to tell him, since in moments he will be destroyed. From a distance, Tails watches in horror as Sonic is smashed against a wall with such force that he must surely be dead...

However, the stress caused Sonic to transform into Super Sonic and he survived! In this form he is out of control and very dangerous. He smashes through the thick hull of Robotnik's craft, punches Robotnik out through the windscreen, and then explodes the machine from inside! However, when the dust clears, Robotnik seems to have escaped! Instead, he notices one of the captive Emerald Hill Folk - the pig - who has wondered out of hiding, and decides to destroy him instead! He dive-bombs the pig, smashing him into the ground, leaving nothing but a smoking crater...

Moments later, Sonic (returned to his normal blue) climbs out of the hole. He can't remember anything that happened to him while he was Super, but Tails says that he killed an Emerald Hill Folk. In a panic, Sonic demands to know which one, and suddenly relaxes when he finds out it was the pig. He says that, just before he turned Super, Robotnik revealed that the pig was a badnik in disguise, and was carrying a homing device. He must have remembered this even when he turned Super. Luckily they destroyed the device before taking it to the Floating Island, or Robotnik would have discovered where the Emerald Hill Folk were being hidden!

Now that the mission is accomplished, they can send the three remaining captives through the Star Post to be reunited with their people at last.

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Super Sonic
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Grimer
 * Troopers
 * Emerald Hill Folk:
 * Female, white-furred dog
 * Grey rabbit
 * Brown-furred bear
 * Robot pig spy

Continuity

 * Sonic reveals that he has finally rescued the last of the Emerald Hill Folk being held prisoner by Doctor Robotnik. The Emerald Hill Folk were evacuated and hidden in the Mushroom Hill Zone on the Floating Island in Sonic the Comic #53, "Disaster! Part 3". He has since been trying to rescue those still captive, as seen in "The Great Escape!" (Sonic the Comic #55 and #56).
 * This story takes place before Sonic the Comic #80, "Running Wild, Part 1", since Super Sonic has not yet been separated from Sonic and the caravan has not yet been destroyed.

"Sonic Vs Shortfuse"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Mike Hadley
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
Shortfuse the Cybernik is visiting his friend Tekno the Canary in her secret underground workshop. She finishes running some tests on him (he's as strong as ever!) and then asks him if he wants something to eat, only for him to point out that, as a Cybernik, he doesn't eat and only absorbs energy through solar receptors. The alarm sounds, having detected three EggRobo badniks flying over the workshop. Shortfuse flies out to fight them. He destroys one but another attaches a magnetic control disk to the back of his neck. Suddenly, Doctor Robotnik's evil badnik program takes control, forcing Shortfuse to seek out and destroy Sonic the Hedgehog!

A few hours later, Shortfuse finds Sonic (along with Miles "Tails" Prower and Amy Rose) in the Rocky Desert Zone, where they have just successfully completed a mission and defeated a group of badniks. Shortfuse attacks them without warning, leading Sonic to fight back while Amy and Tails destroy the two remaining EggRobos.

Neither Sonic nor Shortfuse are able to defeat the other, and it seems as though the fight will end in stalemate until Tekno the Canary arrives, briefly introduces herself as Shortfuse's friend, then removes the magnetic control disk. Shortfuse's mind is restored and he crushes the control disk so that it cannot be used against him again. He apologises to Sonic, and they part as friends.

In Citadle Robotnik, Robotnik himself now knows that he can take control of Shortfuse. And he'll make sure his next attempt is permanent!

Appearances

 * Shortfuse the Cybernik
 * Tekno the Canary
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Amy Rose
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * EggRobos

Continuity

 * Tekno the Canary meets the Freedom Fighters for the first time.
 * This story takes place after Shortfuse and Tekno's first meeting in "Cybernik Strikes Back" (Sonic the Comic #63 to #67), but before Sonic's departure to the Special Zone in Sonic the Comic #84, "Heroes & Villains, Part 1".
 * Tekno asks Shortfuse out for food, the first indication that she has feelings for him.

"Movie Madness"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Mike Hadley
 * Lettering: Ellie de'Ville

Synopsis
The Freedom Fighters destroy a Trooper patrol to great applause - all the citizens love them. One civilian, a bear, asks Sonic to autograph a photo of him in Mobius Moviestar's Magazine]]. It turns out that a director named Stephen Squealbird is holding auditions for someone to play the part of Sonic in a new movie! Sonic believes that he is the only person cool enough to play himself, and immediately rushes off to the studio, with the other Freedom Fighters right behind. Johnny mentions that he has never heard of Squealbird, and Tails wonders if they might be walking into a trap, but Sonic brushes off their concerns.

In the studio, they are greeted by Squealbird himself, who immediately says that Sonic doesn't need to audition as he's perfect for the part. They can start shooting immediately! Tails is still suspicious, and flies around for a snoop-- and sure enough, he discovers that the movie crew are actually Robotnik's Troopers in disguise! But before he can tell his friends, he is captured.

On the set, Squealbird lines Sonic, Amy and Johnny up in front of the camera. As he activates it, he pulls off his facemask, revealing his true identity as Doctor Robotnik! The camera douses them all in a substance called Mega-Glue, which hardens in seconds and to which only Robotnik has the antidote. Moving quickly before the glue hardens, Sonic stretches the glue around Robotnik, encasing him too, forcing him to use the antidote to free them all. The gang destroy the Troopers (and, elsewhere, Tails uses the distraction to destroy the Troopers holding him as well), but Robotnik himself manages to escape.

Amy is disappointed: Sonic could have been a successful screen idol. Sonic responds with his usual cockiness: "Naturally, Amy! Any movie with me as a star would be a smash hit!"

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Amy Rose
 * Johnny Lightfoot
 * "Stephen Squealbird"
 * Doctor Ivo Robotnik
 * Troopers
 * Civilians:
 * Bear
 * Pig
 * Squirrels
 * Others

Trivia

 * One of the chairs on the fake set has the name "Richard Elson" written on the back. Richard Elson was one of the main artists for Sonic the Comic.

Other features

 * Freedom Fighter Fact Files (Tails, Amy, Johnny Lightfoot and Porker Lewis)
 * Sonic Speaks Out! - Sonic interview
 * Mobius' Mission Impossible - Puzzle
 * Pin-Up
 * Segaworld
 * Cybernik: The Inside Story - Schematics of Shortfuse's armour
 * How to Draw Sonic - Drawn by Richard Elson