Sonic the Comic Issue 85


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

Sonic the Hedgehog - "Heroes & Villains, Part 2"

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

Synopsis
During a trip to the Special Zone to hunt down the psychotic Super Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog accidentally got involved in a battle between the Justice Brigade and the Discriminators, only to find himself locked up in a police cell. The officer in charge, Lieutenant Furor, questions Sonic on his association with the Chaotix Crew, who it turns out are wanted by the police! Sonic tries to explain his true purpose in New Tek City, and the danger that Super Sonic poses to the whole world.

Shortly, the interrogation is interrupted by a uniformed police officer, who says that someone has put up Sonic's bail. Furor recognises him as Lord Sidewinder. "I oughta arrest you too!" he says, but Sidewinder calmly points out that no evidence ever linked him to that nuclear bomb. Sonic leaves the police station with Sidewinder, with Furor calling after him not to leave town.

Meanwhile, in Chaotix's satellite headquarters, the Crew discuss Sonic's imprisonment. Espio insists they should have told Sonic they were wanted, but Mighty says that they weren't responsible for the robbery and will someday clear their names. Vector says that their immediate priority is rescuing Sonic. He turned to the Omni-Viewer, who may be able to transport Sonic out of his cell. No such luck. The cops use an energy barrier around all their stations, and Omni just can't get through.

On the outskirts of New Tek City, Sidewinder has brought Sonic to his ancestral residence, where he introduces the hedgehog to his "associates": Lightmare, Mr Fry and Bio-Hazard. Sonic is deeply suspicious and demands to know what's going on. His concerns are completely founded when Sidewinder reveals the true reason he bailed Sonic out: Super Sonic! Super Sonic promised to join Sidewinder's group and help him take over Planet Meridian if Sidewinder brought him Sonic. Sonic insists that Sidewinder can't trust Super Sonic, who is bent on destruction. Super Sonic cheerfully agrees, and destroys Sidewinder's entire estate in a massive explosion!

When the smoke clears, everyone seems okay. Super Sonic explains he protected them in an energy field because he wanted the pleasure of killing them each personally. He easily defeats all of Sidewinder's minions: Mr Fry drinks a potion that turns him into a giant, but is blasted with Super Sonic's eye beams, and Super Sonic tosses Bio-Hazard aside like a ragdoll. Even Sonic can't beat him: his Super Spin Attack is useless and then Super Sonic knocks him off his feet with an eye beam. And he's just getting warmed up: "I was part of you for years, Sonic. You turned into me in your worst moments! But now I exist as a separate entity! Now, I am to destroy... starting with you!"

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Chaotix:
 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Mighty the Armadillo
 * Charmy Bee
 * Omni-Viewer
 * Lieutenant Furor
 * Lord Sidewinder
 * Super Sonic
 * Lightmare
 * Proctor Speckle and Mr. Fry
 * Bio-Hazard
 * New Tek City police officers

Continuity

 * Sonic was separated from Super Sonic in Sonic the Comic #82, "Running Wild, Part 3". Also in that issue, Super Sonic's energies were siphoned through a Star Post into the Special Zone.
 * Sonic travelled to the Special Zone in search of Super Sonic in Sonic the Comic #84, "Heroes & Villains, Part 1", in which he was also arrested.
 * In the previous issue, it was revealed that Chaotix were wanted by the police over a "misunderstanding". In this issue, Mighty reveals that they were framed for a robbery.
 * In this issue, Sonic comes face-to-face with Super Sonic for the very first time.

Trivia

 * Lord Sidewinder introduces Proctor Speckle as "Mr Fry", but future issues will establish that Mr Fry is the name of his more powerful alter-ego (both appear in this issue).
 * New Tek City as consistently referred to simply as Tek City in this issue.

Knuckles - "Village of the Damned, Part 2"

 * Script: Nigel Kitching
 * Art: Nigel Dobbyn
 * Lettering: Elitta Fell

Synopsis
On the journey back to his home on the Floating Island, Knuckles spends the night in a tavern situated within a small village. He is suddenly awoken by a girl's screams, and outside his window he sees the girl, a sheep in a pristine white dress, tied to a standing stone and being carried through the streets by bizarrely-dressed villagers. Knuckles leaps out of the window and glides down, knocking out one of the guards and untying the girl. A goat screams that Knuckles must not rescue the "sacrifice", and the other villagers echo his cries. Knuckles knocks them all off their feet by slamming his fists into the ground, and he escapes with the sheep girl.

The girl leads him to a small barn on the edge of town, then explains that, a few months ago, all of the villagers joined a "weird cult". Just yesterday they decided that they needed a sacrifice to the Moon Goddess to guarantee a harvest for the new year. Knuckles tells the girl to sleep while he keeps watch, but she can see he is exhausted and volunteers to take the first watch herself. Knuckles agrees, since he hasn't had much sleep over the last few days, and makes the girl promise to wake him up in an hour.

Not long after, Knuckles wakes up to find himself surrounded by the villagers, led by the goat he saw earlier. He demands to know where the girl is, and is shocked when she appears completely unharmed: she showed them where Knuckles was sleeping! The goat calls Knuckles "the Red One", whose coming the legends foretold, and says that Knuckles "will have the honour of being our new sacrifice!" Knuckles' hands are tied and he is led away, but he can't believe that these people seriously think sacrificing him will improve their crops...

...until he is trapped inside a giant wicker egg and placed on top of a bonfire. He insists that they'll never get away with murder, until the goat reminds him that Doctor Robotnik rules Mobius, and he doesn't care if they kill each other as long as they don't both him. Knuckles has no choice but to accept this, as one of the villagers lights the bonfire...

Appearances

 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * "Landlord" of The Green Man
 * Mesmer
 * Sacrificial sheep
 * Villagers:
 * Seth
 * Maurice
 * Sheep
 * Horse
 * Pig
 * Duck
 * Dog

Continuity

 * Knuckles is still travelling back to the Floating Island with the great chest of documents that he received from Captain Plunder in Sonic the Comic #79, "The Ghost Ship, Part 6". He will eventually reach home again in Sonic the Comic #97, "Victims, Part 1".
 * As in the previous issue, the readers are reminded that the usual rules of justice do not apply while Doctor Robotnik rules Mobius. This will become important in the final part of this story, "Village of the Damned, Part 3", in Sonic the Comic #86.

Trivia

 * According to Nigel Kitching, "Village of the Damned" is based on the horror movie The Wicker Man. This is particularly evident in this part, when the villagers attempt to burn Knuckles alive in a giant wicker cage. (In fact, the whole arc of stories in which Knuckles is returning to the Floating Island with the chest happened because artist Nigel Dobbyn mentioned he would like to do genre stories.)
 * The story's title is based on the 1960 film of the same name, or its 1995 remake.

Tails - "Trooper Trouble, Part 1"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Carl Flint
 * Colouring: Gina Hart
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
Mid-day in the Wood Village Zone, a robot Trooper arrives at the home of George and Mildred demanding taxes for Doctor Robotnik. George pays up immediately, but complains that the village always pays its taxes on time, and yet this Trooper always comes for extra. The Trooper threatens to "do something nasty" to George, then leaves with the money. Once the Trooper has moved on, Mildred accuses George of being as cowardly as Clive, the village wimp, but George reveals he has a plan: he has put out word that the Trooper is bothering the village, and expects Sonic or Shortfuse the Cybernik to arrive any moment to deal with it. Sure enough, help arrives... it's Tails! "Oh, well," says George, "he'll do I suppose."

Tails chases down the Trooper, which immediately turns and runs away rather than fight, much to Tails' surprise. The Trooper dashes into the woods, and straight into another Trooper patrol! The sergeant demands the Trooper's identification, but the Trooper immediately runs back the other way and doesn't answer. He runs straight into Tails, who destroys the Trooper with a well-placed blow: only to find that there is a villager inside the armour! Tails is confused. He thought that only badniks had animal captives inside them, not Troopers.

The villager confesses: his name is Clive the Donkey, and the other villagers all think he is a wimp because he likes technology instead of sport. He disguised himself as a Trooper, using parts from a robot that Sonic once destroyed, in order to teach the villagers a lesson. Tails is impressed with Clive's ability, but still says that what Clive did was wrong. He could have got into big trouble!

Suddenly, the actual Trooper patrol bursts through the trees. Before Tails can fly away, the Troopers fire a web-weapon, covering the two animals with a net. Tails and Clive are captured!

Appearances

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Clive the Donkey
 * George and Mildred
 * Troopers
 * Wood Village Zone residents: Cat mother and two children

Sonic's World - "Scream Theme Park"

 * Script: Lew Stringer
 * Art: Roberto Corona
 * Colouring: John M Burns
 * Lettering: Tom Frame

Synopsis
At the new Thrillworld Theme Park in the Casino Night Zone, the shifty Max Gamble is presenting the new Pit Plunge Roller Coaster to the park patrons - it is very popular, and he is making a lot of money. However, the riders get a nasty shock when the ride reaches its end, beneath the park, because they are quickly captured by Troopers who want to turn them into badniks!

Fortunately for them, one of the riders is actually Shortfuse the Cybernik, who suspected the roller coaster would end in trouble! He destroys some of the Troopers, but the others are able to load the victims into the Badnik Processor. With no time to rescue them, Shortfuse dives at the power cable and rips it apart, sending high voltage coursing through his metal armour ! He ruined the machine, but the Troopers converge on him, certain that he has been damaged and cannot fight back. Luckily, however, there's fight in him yet and he blasts the remaining Troopers with his arm laser!

Above ground, Max Gamble is counting his ill-gained earnings when Shortfuse shows up with a roller-coaster carriage full of irate theme park patrons. Shortfuse tells Gamble that he owes the customers a refund, and accuses Gamble of selling people out to Robotnik. Gamble insists that he didn't know, and he only ran things above ground. Shortfuse grudgingly admits that he has no proof Gamble was involved, and thus lets the gangster go. Gamble plans to keep making money from the Pit Plunge ride once Shortfuse is gone... until Shortfuse tears up the track and declares the ride closed! Shortfuse flies off, leaving Max Gamble grumbling. "Heroes! I hate 'em!"

Appearances

 * Shortfuse the Cybernik
 * Max Gamble
 * Troopers
 * Casino Night Zone patrons:
 * A chimp
 * A brown-furred bear
 * A rabbit
 * A dog
 * Others

Other features

 * Control Zone
 * Review Zone
 * Clown Around Zone (Graphic Zone)
 * Q&A Zone
 * Speedlines