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- This issue takes place between Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 25 - Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 26
Sonic & Knuckles is the second issue of the 48-page Sonic Special comic series published by Archie Comics.
Featured stories
Panic in the Sky
- Writer: Mike Kanterovich and Ken Penders
- Pencils: Art Mawhinney (Part One), Dave Manak (Part Two)
- Inks: Rich Koslowski
- Colors: Barry Grossman
- Letters: Mindy Eisman
- Editor: Scott Fulop
- Managing editor: Victor Gorelick
- Editor-in-chief: Richard Goldwater
- Special thanks to: Jennifer Hunn at SEGA
Part One
The floating island is flying towards Knothole, startling the Knothole Freedom Fighters. They are not sure why it is headed towards them or how it's managing to stay in the air, but Sonic and Tails recognize it as the floating island where they met Knuckles. Sonic tells the Freedom Fighters all about his first encounter with Knuckles a few months ago and how a Chaos Emerald keeps the island afloat. Sally asks Sonic if he knows whose side Knuckles is on, but he's not exactly sure.
The Freedom Fighters decide to be cautious and send Sonic and Tails out for recon. Antoine flies them to their destination in the Turbo Prop, but cannons attached to the bottom of the massive island start firing at them. Sonic notices that the weapons and engines now attached to the island weren't there before and decides to parachute with Tails high above the island, out of the cannons' range. They hop along the top of a forest of giant mushrooms and fight Hei Hou. As they continue their trek across the island, Sonic almost falls into a fissure in the ground, grabbing on to a nearby ledge. A mysterious figure looks over him as he struggles to pull himself up.
Part Two
Knuckles the Echidna, guardian of Angel Island, stands above Sonic and accuses him of turning the island into a war zone. He steps on Sonic's hand, trying to make him fall into the pit below. Tails drops a rock right above Knuckles' head in retaliation. Knuckles barely dodges it, but falls into the pit with Sonic. The two end up in a cavern filled with lava and are about to duke it out when they realize the rock they landed on is about to sink. Tails swoops in and rescues them from the lava pit. Knuckles still thinks Sonic is trespassing, but Sonic points to the sky. Knuckles notices that the stars aren't where they usually are, and Sonic explains that the island has been hijacked and fitted with engines and guns. Knuckles realizes he's been fooled again and brings Sonic and Tails down the Chaos Chamber, where they find the Chaos Emerald being drained by energy siphons.
A hologram of Dr. Robotnik appears, explaining that he's currently piloting the island from the inside, using it as a mobile fortress to destroy Knothole. Robotnik claims this is all Knuckles' fault for being so mistrusting of Sonic and Tails. Wracked with guilt, Knuckles furiously grabs the emerald and breaks it; as a result, the Floating Island starts to fall towards Knothole. Robotnik flees, celebrating the fact that the landmass will crush Knothole underneath it. As soon as he's sure Robotnik is gone, Knuckles replaces the broken Chaos Emerald and the island stops its descent. Later, Knuckles reveals that he had actually destroyed a fake Chaos Emerald and simply placed the real one back in its place. Sonic offers Knuckles a chance to join them, but he declines. The Freedom Fighters reunite and wonder if Knuckles will ever join them. Sonic thinks that Knuckles just wants to be alone.
Fire Drill
- Writer & Pencils: Ken Penders
- Inks: Jon D'Agostino
- Colors: Freddy Mendez
- Letters: Bill Yoshida
- Editor: Scott Fulop
- Managing editor: Victor Gorelick
- Editor-in-chief: Richard Goldwater
- Special thanks to: Jennifer Hunn at SEGA
Knuckles notices an explosion behind him and heads to the beach to investigate. However, he finds nothing but a crater and a trail of footprints. The footprints lead him to a bush, but no one is there. Knuckles realizes that he is being toyed with and angrily runs to the ruins in the Sandopolis Zone, certain that there's nowhere else the trespasser could have gone. He realizes that whoever is evading him must be incredibly fast and assumes it must have been Sonic. He jeers at him, but there's no answer.
As Knuckles enters the ruins, someone springs a booby trap. A ton of boulders fall on top of Knuckles, who is now furious. As Knuckles continues through the ruins, he narrowly dodges a series of axes swinging from the walls. He finds a strange room full of ornate designs and realizes that, although he knows the island better than anyone else, there's still a lot he doesn't know. Knuckles wishes his father had told him more when he's suddenly overwhelmed by a massive sandfall. He bashes his way through a wall and out of the ruins only to find that the trespasser is still ahead of him, his footprints in the sand. He loses the trail at the edge of the island and vows to pay Sonic back for messing with him. In the shadows, a mysterious figure thinks to himself that Knuckles still has a lot to learn.
Lord of the Floating Island
- Writer: Ken Penders
- Pencils & Inks: Harvey Mercadoocasio
- Colors: Freddy Mendez
- Letters: Bill Yoshida
- Editor: Scott Fulop
- Managing editor: Victor Gorelick
- Editor-in-chief: Richard Goldwater
- Special thanks to: Jennifer Hunn of SEGA
Knuckles is gliding over the floating island on a windy day when he notices a lost baby kangaroo. Knuckles rescues the joey and tries to find its mother. The joey tells him that he heard Knuckles watches over everyone on the island. It asks him to make the sky better, pointing at the solar eclipse above. Knuckles tries to explain, but has to cut himself short and bring the joey to higher ground in order to escape a horde of rampaging dingoes. Once the eclipse passes, Knuckles returns the baby kangaroo to its mother and is thanked for his help. He simply tells them that it's his job to protect the floating island.
Key events
- Sonic and Tails return to the Floating Island.
- Sonic, Knuckles and Tails chase Dr. Robotnik from the Floating Island.
- Archimedes makes his presence known, though his name and appearance were unknown at the time.
Other features
Trivia
- This issue is a tie-in to the game Sonic & Knuckles
- Dr. Robotnik seems to know the location of Knothole in this issue.
- This was Hei Hou's first appearance in the comics, he returns in Archie Sonic Triple Trouble.
- This adaptation is extremely loosely based on the game of the same name. This comic includes Tails, but leaves out many of the other important characters from the game such as EggRobo and Mecha Sonic.
- On the front cover there is a Sega Saturn in the foreground. You can also clearly see Robotnik's Metal Arm on top of the giant pile of metal scrap. On the wall behind Sonic there is graffiti that reads "Spinball" and "32X" which are references to the game Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball and the system Sega 32X.
- Sally's Freedom Fighters, Hamlin, Arlo, Penelope and Dylan, are some of the citizens on the western coast of the continent.
- In the beginning of Lord of the Floating Island, Knuckles is seen flying around the island, despite the fact in previous games he was only able to glide for short periods of time by pulling winds underneath his locks.
Gallery
Cover artwork
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 Cover sketch |
Preview pages
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 Page 5 and 6  Page 7  Page 8  Page 9 |
External links
- Sonic & Knuckles at Mobius Encyclopaedia, the Archie Sonic wiki.