Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 52 is the fifty-second issue of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by Archie Comics.
Official solicitation[]
The Discovery Zone[]
- Prepare yourself for something different as Sonic falls into a zone with a few minor surprises (and one or two major ones to boot). Take a walk on the wild side with Sonic as he steps into a zone that must be seen for yourself.
First Contact[]
- Princess Sally contacts the major Freedom Fighters in the world. What for? Also meet some of the other Freedom Fighters Leaders of Mobius in this bonus story.
Featured stories[]
The Discovery Zone[]
- Writer: Tom Rolston
- Pencils: Manny Galan
- Inks: Jim Amash
- Letters: Jeff Powell
- Colors: Karl Bollers
- Editor: Justin Freddy Gabrie
- Managing Editor: Victor Gorelick
- Editor-in-Chief: Richard Goldwater
Synopsis[]
Part 1[]
Sonic is teaching Tails how to go fast when they spot a flying, glowing, old-fashioned leisure suit and feathered hat. Sonic directs Tails to inform the other Knothole Freedom Fighters while he pursues the suit. The suit leads him through an unexplored area of the Great Forest and into a cave, where he is consumed by a flash of light. Sonic then arrives in the Discovery Zone, wearing the suit while he waits at the Wharf Side Dance Hall for a client who contacted him on the phone. He quickly finds himself smitten when the client—Ms. Acorn—arrives. She cuts right to the chase: Sonic needs him to retrieve her "friend", Nicole, who has the information necessary to topple Dr. Robotnik and his plans. In exchange, she promises a juicy reward and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Sonic bolts out in a flash, eager to please.
Part 2[]
Sonic heads for Nicole's last known location, the Slippy Dippy Slide Factory, and contacts Uncle Chuck via his communicator watch. Chuck informs him that the slide factory is a clean, honest business with no ties to Robotnik. Sonic enters the place to find it in shambles, with spatters of robot oil everywhere. Quickly determining that Robotnik must be behind the mess, Sonic asks Chuck to see if he can track any robot signals leaving the area. As he wonders what Nicole could know that is important enough to get Robotnik involved, Chuck informs him that he has detected four robots. Sonic takes off after them, quickly catching up and attacking before they can reach Robotnik. He uses a Power Ring to finish the job, and seizes a computer from them, which he discovers is none other than Nicole. Noting that she's low on power, he sets out to meet Ms. Acorn in order to get to the bottom of the situation.
Part 3[]
Back at the dance hall, Ms. Acorn is waiting for Sonic's return, worrying about both Nicole and the heroic hedgehog. Sonic arrives, and they give Nicole a fresh battery. Suddenly, Dr. Robotnik appears behind them with an escort of Combots, informing Sonic that his employer is none other than the leader of the Rebellion and Nicole is carrying plans for his various facilities. Sonic is irked that Sally did not tell him she was a princess, but she retorts that she was barely able to tell him where Nicole was before he left. Sonic spins through the Combots, but is forced to stop when they hold Sally hostage. Sally apologizes to Sonic and explains that she downloaded Robotnik's plans from inside the slide factory and accidentally dropped Nicole while escaping Robotnik's robots. Unable to risk going back herself, she had hired Sonic, counting on his super speed to rescue Nicole in time.
Robotnik gloats over his victory, but Sonic pulls out a Power Ring and grabs Sally, running out of the building in a flash. Robotnik and his machines follow, not realizing that Sonic and Sally were actually hiding under a nearby table. They contact Uncle Chuck to arrange a flight back to Sally's home in the forest. Sally wonders how they will reach the airport undetected, but Sonic quickly solves the problem by uncovering a secret tunnel under the bar shown to him by a waiter named Sip. At the airport, Sonic initially refuses Sally's request that they team up, claiming that he is a solo act. She persists, and Sonic decides that maybe a team fighting Robotnik together is not such a bad idea after all.
Back on Mobius, Sonic dizzily stumbles out of the cave to find Tails, Uncle Chuck, Sally, and Rotor worried about him. Still dazed, he replies that he is unsure of exactly what happened, but does recall that he was fighting Dr. Robotnik. Rotor reminds him that Dr. Robotnik is dead, but Sonic breaks the fourth wall by winking at the readers, leading his friends to think he has lost his mind.
Appearances[]
Characters:
- Badnik Horde (Discovery Zone)
- Dr. Ivo Robotnik (mentioned)
- Dr. Robotnik (Discovery Zone) (only appearance)
- Freedom Fighters
- Knothole Freedom Fighters
- Rebellion (only appearance)
- Chuck (Discovery Zone) (only appearance)
- Miles "Tails" Prower (Discovery Zone) (only appearance)
- Nicole (Discovery Zone) (only appearance)
- Rotor Walrus (Discovery Zone) (only appearance)
- Sally Acorn (Discovery Zone) (only appearance)
Races and species:
Locations:
- Multiverse
- Discovery Zone (only appearance)
- Slippy Dippy Slide Factory (only appearance)
- Wharf Side Dance Hall (only appearance)
- Prime Zone
- Discovery Zone (only appearance)
Items:
- Chili dog (mentioned)
- Power Ring
- Sonic's sneakers
Misc.:
Trivia[]
- The storyline of the "The Discovery Zone" is a homage to the 1942 film, Casablanca.
- Three of the robots Sonic fought in the Discovery Zone were based off Crow, Tom Servo, and Cambot from Mystery Science Theater 3000. Robot B-9 from the television series Lost in Space is also seen, alerting the others of immediate danger.
First Contact[]
- Writer & Colors: Karl Bollers
- Pencils: Art Mawhinney
- Inks: Jim Amash
- Letters: Jeff Powell
- Editor: J. Freddy Gabrie
Synopsis[]
In Knothole Village, Bunnie, Tails, and Rotor greet Sally, but she walks right by them without even acknowledging that they exist. Rotor figures she must have a lot on her mind, given the recent events. Sally enters a computer room and remarks to herself that, if Uncle Chuck is right, she should now be able to make contact with the various Freedom Fighters around Mobius. She uses Nicole as a means of accessing one of Dr. Robotnik's satellites, attempting to recreate the network Robotnik used to contact his Sub-Bosses. With the link established, Sally is able to communicate with Knuckles and the Chaotix, Sealia of the Arctic Freedom Fighters, Lupe Wolf of the Wolf Pack, Walt Wallaby of the Downunda Freedom Fighters, and others from across the globe.
Sally briefs them on the events of Operation: EndGame. She then explains that she plans to enter Robotropolis and evaluate its state of disrepair. However, she warns her fellow Freedom Fighters that a number of Zones have been opened all around Mobius. The satellite uplink cuts out, ending her transmission. Hoping that she has provided sufficient warning, Sally leaves, wondering if they will be safe. Nicole tells her that they will have to wait and see.
Appearances[]
Characters:
- Auto Automaton (flashback)
- Badnik Horde (flashback)
- SWATbot (flashback)
- Dr. Ivo Robotnik (flashback)
- Freedom Fighters
- Chaotix
- Knothole Freedom Fighters
- Antoine D'Coolette (flashback)
- Bunnie Rabbot
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Nicole
- Rotor Walrus
- Sally Acorn
- Sonic the Hedgehog (flashback)
- Sir Charles Hedgehog (mentioned)
- Rebel Underground
- Geoffrey St. John (flashback)
- Fleming (flashback)
- Smiley (flashback)
- Lupe Wolf
- Penelope Platypus (flashback)
- Sealia Seal
- Walt Wallaby
- Maximillian Acorn (flashback)
- Rosie Woodchuck (flashback)
- Penelope Platypus (flashback)
- Snively Robotnik (flashback)
Races and species:
- Mobian
- Overlander (flashback)
Locations:
Items:
- Great Oak Slide (mentioned)
- Sonic's sneakers (flashback)
- Ultimate Annihilator (portrait)
- Zone Portal
Misc.:
- Operation: EndGame (flashback)
Trivia[]
- Various characters appear on Sally's monitors in this story. Amongst which include:
- A female mongoose; the design of which would eventually be used for Mina Mongoose.
- The character Erik; a character who would later appear in the backstory of Sonic the Hedgehog #59.
- The character Polo: a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog television series.
Other features[]
- Sonic Fan Art
- The Find Your Name In Print Page
- Sonic-Grams
Quotes[]
- Sally Acorn (Discovery Zone): All someone would have to do is find my friend Nicole...bring her back to me...and collect a nice, big, juicy reward.
- Sonic: You've got yourself a man!
Trivia[]
- The production staff for the previous issue's story, "Reality Bytes", is credited in this one due to an oversight.
Gallery[]
Preview pages[]
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External links[]
- Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 52 at Mobius Encyclopaedia, the Archie Sonic wiki.
- Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 52 at Sonic Retro
