Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 258

Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 258 is the two-hundred fifty-eighth issue of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series published by Archie Comics.

Official Solicitation

 * The SHATTERED WORLD CRISIS continues! "The Chase" Part One: Uncle Chuck and Professor Pickle--CAPTURED by the nefarious Dr. Eggman! It’s up to Sonic and the Freedom Fighters to secure the precious kidnapped cargo from the Egg Train! But they're going to be in for the surprise of their lives when they discover that there are more than just badniks guarding it! Featuring a special CGI "Return of Princess Sally" variant cover by Rafa Knight!

Story

 * The Chase: Part One

In the Soleanna Forest Zone, the Knothole Freedom Fighters-utilizing Extreme Gear, the Tornado, and Antoine D'Coolette's Twister plane-swoop in on the Egg Train carrying the kidnapped Uncle Chuck and Professor Pickle. Team Freedom-Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Antoine-are tasked with rescuing the captives, while Team Fighters-Sally, Bunnie, Rotor, and NICOLE-head to the front of the train to determine the professors' exact location. The roof hatch of the front car proves quite the obstacle, with Rotor's Omnitool proving useless and Bunnie's arm laser making a hole too small for any of the Mobians to fit through. Hitting upon an idea, Sally drops NICOLE's computer form through the hole, and the rather peeved A.I. manifests her hologram form in order to access the train's on board computer. Unfortunately, her presence alerts E-106 Eta, whose attempt to smash her with a piston arm destroys the train's controls, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.

Recognizing the change, Sonic and Amy spring into action to locate the captives via a car-by-car sweep. Meanwhile, Chuck and Pickle are also made aware of the train's increase in speed, though Pickle seems blissfully ignorant of the severity of their predicament. Eta's attack on NICOLE continues, until she manages to throw her computer self to Sally and dissipate her hologram. With no convenient means available to them, the Mobian trio take up the same strategy as Amy and Sonic, attempting to locate the professors by removing roof hatches one at a time. Amy manages to smash in a hatch, only to discover a car full of explosives-which she nearly manages to detonate. Fortunately, she manages to prevent another near disaster by alerting Bunnie to the situation, and the two work together to continue the search. Elsewhere, Sally and Rotor have teamed up as well, though they succeed only in locating a refrigerator car carrying food supplies for Eggman.

Sonic's efforts land him in a car full of Badniks, who manage to follow him outside and attack the planes. Sally, noticing their plight, contacts Bunnie to aid them, but is unable to communicate as easily with Amy. Fortunately, the pink Hedgehog quickly decimates several Badniks with her Piko Piko Hammer. Sonic is similarly successful, but is thrown from the train-along with the others-as it lurches around a tight turn. Rotor and Sally are saved by their Extreme Gear, and Amy is rescued by Sonic, who uses the airboards as spring boards to get back on board. Leaving Amy-somewhat to her annoyance-with Sally and Rotor, who set their sights on another roof hatch. Sonic, going off on his own, manages to locate the professors, and is left somewhat perplexed by Pickle's continuing lack of concern. Chuck then warns his nephew that they have bigger problems than the train or even the world breaking apart-but before he can elaborate, Eta breaks into the car.

Trivia

 * The "The Return of Princess Sally" variant cover is based of the front cover of Sonic the Hedgehog #231.
 * According to Jon Gray, the original solicitation was slightly wrong and E-107 Theta is not set to appear. Ian Flynn later commented on this, stating that everything related to Light Mobius was currently off limits, and as such E-106 Eta would take Theta's place. It was later changed slightly once more, and the robot appearing was E-107 Theta renamed to E-107 Eta. The next issue changes this once again, revealing that the robot is in fact E-106 Eta.