Doctor Starline (ドクター・スターライン[9] Dokutā Sutārain?) is an antagonist that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He was an anthropomorphic platypus and a shadowy scientist who was highly interested in Dr. Eggman and his work. After the Eggman War, Starline found an amnesiac Eggman and helped restore his memories. He then served as his apprentice during the Zombot apocalypse but got fired after seeing Eggman's flaws.
Assuming a new career path, Starline decided to conquer the world for Eggman in order to perfect his technique and earn his recognition. However, Starline soon realized he could do better than Eggman and so sought to rule the world himself as Eggman's superior replacement. He would then go on to modify two individuals into Surge the Tenrec and Kit the Fennec, cyborgs built in the image of Sonic and Tails, with whom he intended to replace the world's heroes, thus allowing him to control the "hero-versus-villain" dynamic from behind the scenes. In the process, he briefly seized the Eggman Empire as his own, renaming it the "Starline Empire", before he was utterly defeated in battle by Dr. Eggman and crushed by falling debris.
Concept and creation[]
The "**********" (or "Wechnia") glitch from Knuckles' Chaotix.
Ian Flynn has stated on his podcast that Starline took direct inspiration from the ********** glitch found in Knuckles' Chaotix. Similarities include the shared white and red color palette, the platypus being a monotreme like the echidna, and his name itself coming from the "line of stars" of the original glitch character on the stage select screen in Knuckles' Chaotix.[10][11]
According to Evan Stanley, Starline was made as a spiritual successor to old white echidna villains, namely Dr. Zachary and Dr. Finitevus.[12] Stanley has also cited Jareth the Goblin King, a "steampunk Benjamin Franklin" and Michael Jackson's appearance in the "Thriller" music video as inspirations for the character.[13] Evan also had the artist Deebs in mind when she was designing Starline.[14] Evan later stated that Starline's tuxedo was based off of Mike Pollock's infamous purple shirt that he used to wear at conventions.[15]
Appearance[]
Dr. Starline was an anthropomorphic platypus with white fur that covered most of his body. His bill was black-colored and narrow with nostrils on the front, and he possessed red eyes, black eyelids, and a thick tail. He also had three thick hair turfs on his head that were combed over the right side of his head. His front hair turf also possessed a gray highlight.
For attire, Starline wore a satin purple shirt with golden cufflinks, a red-violet vest, and orange pince-nez glasses. He also wore a webbed brown glove on his left hand with a gold insertion clip and golden-tipped fingertips. A darker brown ring could be seen on the palm of the glove. He also wore brown boots with golden buckles, red-violet soles, medium-high heels, the Multi-Tool Heel Spurs and upward-turned pointy toes and light red-violet socks underneath.[8][16]
Starline bore the Tricore in the glove. However, usage of the Warp Topaz had left his left-hand underneath the brown glove slightly charred, leaving behind a few patches of burned skin.[16] When Starline was not using the Warp Topaz, he kept it in a jar.[17]
For special occasions, Starline had worn different outfits:
- For cold weather, he wore a long dark purple hooded coat with fluffy pale purple trims.
- Occasionally, he only wore a red-violet T-shirt.[18]
- Sometimes, he wore a red-violet bathing robe and slippers.[8]
History[]
Past[]
According to Starline, ever since Dr. Eggman started his conquest of the world, he had been fascinated by the doctor for his brilliance, tenacity, and charisma. Because of this, Starline devoted himself to robotics and the search for arcane powers, and whenever he reached an impasse in his research, he would ask himself "what would Eggman do?"[19]
Starline eventually made a career out of studying Dr. Eggman.[20] He has also spent his career studying the Warp Topaz, a stone capable of warping time and space to open gateways to other places.[21]
At some point in time, Starline managed to retrieve the Warp Topaz for himself. Upon discovering it, he found out that the Warp Topaz responded strongly to even the most passive of energy waves. As he put more research into the stone, he discovered that the Warp Topaz needed a source of power to charge it but anything above a light, controlled charge would result in extreme reality alteration. Since Warp Portals were difficult to create and direct, the components of his custom left glove were made after countless hours of careful testing, but this was not enough to prevent the power of the Warp Topaz causing damage to his hand underneath.[16][22] At some point, he also managed to collect all seven Chaos Emeralds.[21]
Dr. Starline breaking Rough and Tumble out of jail, from Sonic the Hedgehog #12.
After learning that Dr. Eggman had disappeared after the Eggman War, Starline used his Warp Topaz to open "windows" to the world, allowing him to search the world in record time for Eggman. After becoming quite ill from sleep deprivation, Starline found Eggman, who was suffering from amnesia, in Windmill Village.[21][23] To help him retrieve Eggman, Starline decided to enlist the help of Rough the Skunk and Tumble the Skunk. He sprung the brothers from jail and told them that if they helped kidnap Eggman from Windmill Village, the latter would make weapons that would help them achieve revenge against Sonic the Hedgehog.[3][21]
Battle For Angel Island[]
Dr. Starline soon used the Warp Topaz to bring Eggman, Rough, and Tumble to his base in the Final Egg.[21] After Rough and Tumble strapped Eggman up, Starline revealed himself to the doctor and told him of his intention to restore his former personality. Ignoring the amnesiac Eggman's pleas, Starline started to electrocute him with a specialized pair of goggles. Later, after completing the first round of Eggman's "procedure", Starline asked Eggman if he was feeling more like himself.[20]
Dr. Starline presents the Chaos Emeralds to Dr. Eggman, from Sonic the Hedgehog #12.
After three sessions using neuro-stimulants and aggressive hypnotherapy, Starline found frustration in Eggman as he was only gravitating towards his old inventions but not his old personality. When Rough and Tumble grew impatient at Starline for not keeping his end of their deal, he reassured them that he will be able to restore Eggman's memories, suggesting he might need a mental trigger. Soon after, the group met a badly damaged Metal Sonic when he arrived in the Final Egg. Upon seeing Metal Sonic, Eggman regained his memories, much to Starline's delight. Starline then introduced himself as an admirer of Eggman's work and also helped Eggman repair Metal Sonic. He also introduced Rough and Tumble, who Eggman did not initially like until Starline mentioned that they hated Sonic, which could prove a great asset, and offered to make them weapons to use against him. Meanwhile, Starline managed to bring Eggman up to speed on all that happened while the doctor had lost his memories; the fact that he ended up in a remote mountain village, Starline's methods to bring Eggman back to his senses and the power of his Warp Topaz. Though Eggman found no interest in the Warp Topaz, Starline had expected that and presented Eggman with the seven Chaos Emeralds he had secured as his "apprenticeship application". This made an impressed Eggman officially welcome Starline as his new lackey.[21]
Soon, Starline and Eggman discovered that the biodata that Neo Metal Sonic had copied from Sonic and Shadow had become corrupted. Starline suggested reconstruction, to which Eggman refused in favor of moving on with a new plan. As Eggman needed time to test and prepare, the doctor tasked Starline with keeping Sonic distracted. Starline excitedly accepted this task as he knew exactly how to lure Sonic into a trap.[21]
Infection[]
Following Eggman's instructions after advising him to mess with Sonic, Starline sent a letter to Tails with the aid of the Warp Topaz to lure Sonic into Rough and Tumble's hands. Upon reporting back to Eggman, Starline wondered why they had to be so overt, to which Eggman replied that the message was a subtle approach for him. Satisfied with that, Starline saw Eggman begin his test of his new Metal Virus. After seeing it transmute a flower into metal, Starline would help Eggman test it on animals. Eggman later concluded his Metal Virus a success after seeing it transmute flora and fauna into robotic slaves through touch while leaving processed and inorganic matter alone. Getting emotional over their work, Starline would explain to Eggman about how he found him with the Warp Topaz when Eggman asked him about it. Starline would then use his Warp Topaz to show Eggman Sonic and Tails' battle with Rough and Tumble. When the skunk brothers start to lose though, Starline thought they would continue testing the Metal Virus since they had so minuscule data samples on it. To his surprise though, Eggman instead went on to implement it for the next phase of his plan. Although against it, Starline complied. Starline soon after sent Rough and Tumble back to base with the Warp Topaz before Rough tattled on Eggman. When Metal Sonic then offered to take a crack at Sonic after Rough and Tumble's failure, Starline offered to let him take a shot at Sonic, whom he knew where to strike.[23]
Eggman reprimanding Starline for trying to destroy Sonic, from Sonic the Hedgehog #14.
Coming to Silver, Starline told him about an Eggman base on Frozen Peak to lure Sonic into a trap, before vanishing. While at said base, Starline had its contents, which he viewed as collectibles of Eggman's legacy, moved through a Warp Topaz portal with the aid of some Badniks protected by Metal Sonic. When Sonic and Silver came and fought Metal Sonic, Starline saved Metal Sonic when the robot was in a jam. Starline then introduced himself to Sonic before proclaiming that this encounter had been set up so he could test himself against Sonic, his fanboy behavior creeping out Silver. After Starline then revealed upon Sonic's inquire that he had restored Eggman's memory and personality, Sonic and Silver tried fighting him and Metal Sonic. However, using his Warp Topaz, Starline was able to transport Sonic and Silver to the other side of the mountain. After Metal Sonic confirmed that everything had been set up, Starline let him though a Warp Topaz portal. Before he could join him however, Sonic caught up to and restrained Starline and demanded answers about Eggman. Faking defeat, Starline tricked Silver into going into the base with a code that would set off a bomb. When Starline then revealed his plan, a frantic Sonic ran into the base to stop Silver and was seemingly caught in the explosion. While Starline was ecstatic of his triumph, he quickly got pulled though the Warp Topaz portal he had opened to Eggman's lab by Eggman himself, who angrily and physically reprimanded Starline for trying to kill Sonic, which Eggman saw as his privilege. Apologizing, Starline was let go by Eggman, who revealed that Sonic and Silver were miraculously still alive. After then telling a curious Eggman about his reasons for preserving his Frozen Peak base's contents, Starline revealed that the experience had "put a lot of things into a new perspective" when Eggman asked for his impression of Sonic.[4]
Starline later discovered that the base in Echo Mine was back online and that Sonic and Amy Rose had logged onto the Eggnet from there. Upon reporting back to Eggman, Starline was very worried that Eggman did not seem to care, but Eggman explained that he should get used to such situations as he prepared to send Rough and Tumble after the heroes with a tank and backpacks filled with the Metal Virus. Observing the skunks' confrontation with the hedgehogs over surveillance, Starline and Eggman saw Rough and Tumble unknowingly release the Metal Virus onto themselves, turning them into Zombots. Although Rough and Tumble got trapped in a refuse pit, Starline was pleased with the outcome, as they had managed to infect Sonic with the Metal Virus. When Starline asked what the next step would be, Eggman told him that it was time to share the Metal Virus with the rest of the world.[24]
Starline marvels over Eggman's work, from Sonic the Hedgehog #16.
Heading onboard the new Faceship meant to spread the Metal Virus, Starline showed amazement at how quickly Eggman put it together. After Eggman explained how he did it, the doctor had the Faceship take off with him, Starline, Orbot and Cubot onboard it. As they headed towards their first target, Starline was given a tour of the Faceship by Eggman, who showed him the ship's power generator (which were the seven Chaos Emeralds), the viewing area, and the Metal Virus factory. In the meantime, Eggman gloated about the army of Zombots he would command, which would allow him to carry out any project and conquer other worlds and dimensions. While Starline supported Eggman's vision, he noted that he could not cover the whole planet in his Metal Virus. In response, Eggman told Starline that by dropping the Metal Virus in a few populated habitats, the Zombots created would spread the virus quickly, amazing Starline. Eventually arriving over Windmill Village, Eggman infected the whole village with a single batch of Metal Virus deployed from the Faceship, a feat of which moved Starline to tears and made him apologize to Eggman for second-guessing him.[25]
As the Faceship moved onward, Starline would question Eggman about his penchant for theme park-based constructions. When Eggman revealed that he just liked theme parks, Starline noted that his resources could be used more economically. In response, Eggman explained that he was simply making the world how he wanted it to be, as he will not settle with it as it was: if he wanted his enemies' last experiences to be amusement themes, then he would make it happen. Starline, in turn, found those words inspiring.[5]
Untold Tales of the Metal Virus[]
Starline saw Metal Sonic in his laboratory aboard the Faceship and asked him to leave. He complained that Eggman's greatest creation was prowling around his room like a Zombot.[26]
Dr. Starline discovering his own Zombot figure, from Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2020.
Starline observed the progress in infecting the world with the Metal Virus through his Warp Portals. In one of them, however, he saw Dr. Eggman screaming in fury. Starline ran quickly to help his mentor but ran into him and some cardboard boxes. Eggman explained that he could not find the light switch his robot had installed at the other end of the room. After turning on the lights, Eggman showed his "Eggcave" to Starline, his private sanctuary where he would relax on his days off, build figurines, work on personal projects and devise new strategies. Eggman then began to play with the figures of himself and his enemies, explaining in more detail what his days off were. Starline praised the detail with which the figures were made but recalled that Eggman would inform him today of his future plans. Eggman explained that soon all of his enemies would turn into Zombots and serve him. As Starline was examining various figures, he came across one that represented himself as a Zombot. After a moment of awkward silence, Eggman took the statuette from him and asked him to knock next time, stating that whatever happened in the Eggcave stayed in the Eggcave. Starline then left the area, slightly disheartened.[27]
Crisis City[]
Starline shares his concerns with Orbot, who reveals how Eggman's plans go, from Sonic the Hedgehog #18.
Eggman soon decided to invade Floral Forest Village next. This confused Starline as the village was too remote to be of any strategic value to them. In response, Eggman revealed that he was doing so as the village was where some of Sonic's friends lived, meaning Sonic would head into a Zombot outbreak to attempt to rescue them while risking his own safety. While a pleased Starline observed the infection spread across the village in spite of its low population density, Eggman told his newly transformed Zombots to pile up on Sonic after he arrived. However, Cubot reported that the Zombots were ignoring his command. With Orbot also revealing a steady decline in Zombots responding to Eggman's commands, Eggman hypothesized that there had to be a random mutation in the Metal Virus coding due to it spreading from exposure. Starline thought that Eggman had accounted for this possibility, but the latter stated that he would work out any errors after the spread was finished. Starline protested that the virus could get out of control, but Eggman snapped back, saying that he would find a way to control it. After Eggman left to eat, Starline confided in Orbot his second thoughts over Eggman; he had believed that Sonic always beat him because of his unnatural strength, but now it seemed like Eggman's defeats were really due to Eggman's carelessness and inability to plan ahead. Orbot replied that it was always fifty-fifty for the doctor, with the usual routine beginning with Eggman's plotting and ending with Sonic defeating him. This made Starline feel somber.[19] Starline soon found himself lamenting over the fact that Eggman had no real plan to control the Metal Virus. Though they were going to test override signals the next day, the doctor decided to look into Eggman's previously used assets to find something that could aid them. He soon found "The Lost World Project" where Eggman had attempted to take over the Lost Hex and its inhabitants, the Deadly Six, who possess electromagnetic powers. Starline saw opportunity in this and formed a plan.[17]
The Last Minute[]
Dr. Starline meets Zavok, from Sonic the Hedgehog #21.
Starline used the Warp Topaz to go to the Lost Hex to meet with the Deadly Six. He visited Zeti Castle and there he met the team's leader, Zavok. He proposed to the Zeti that they help Eggman control his latest crisis, though the doctor did not officially known Starline was asking for help. From this, Starline told Zavok that if they aided the Eggman Empire once more, they would be able to make amends with Eggman, command incredible power and destroy Sonic. Zavok accepted Starline's offer, leaving the latter to say that he would be in touch and then leave.[28]
Soon, after Starline and Eggman agreed to use tight-band, localized attempts with a frequency to control the Zombots again, the duo left the Faceship and went to test frequencies on the Zombots in Barricade Town. After several failed attempts, Starline noted that it would have been wise to have a failsafe for the Metal Virus mutating beyond control. Eggman suggested that they use the Warp Topaz charged with the Chaos Emeralds and then hook it up to the Faceship, but Starline refused, knowing the stone's sensitive traits. Eggman insisted it was possible as long as they were cautious, but Starline pointed out that Eggman was not cautious about the Zombot situation as he had not yet inoculated them to the Metal Virus. To Starline's shock, Eggman then smugly revealed that there was no cure, and his plan to avoid infection was simply not touching the Zombots. Starline brought up several worst-case scenarios to counter Eggman's logic, only for the latter to dismiss his concerns as nitpicking, much to the platypus' aggravation.[22]
Suddenly, Sonic interrupted the duo's argument and humorlessly questioned why Eggman went back to his villainous ways, insulting Starline in the process for his role in restoring Eggman to power. After Eggman told Sonic that he believed what he was doing currently was better than what he did as "Mr. Tinker" and that he had no plans to stop the Metal Virus, his enraged nemesis attacked him. Observing from the sidelines, Starline noted that he had dreamed of seeing such a fight, but now he only felt apathy. He recalled Neo Metal Sonic's attempt to revive the Eggman Empire, which failed due to relying on overwhelming power without a proper plan. While Starline initially believed that he failed because he was designed as a "ballistic missile with a built-in grudge" against Sonic, the first biodata that Neo copied, however, was Eggman's, and Starline was once again seeing the exact same brute force strategy. At last, he recognized that he idolized Eggman's legend alone and was impressed by his pageantry; Eggman himself simply did not measure up to it.[22]
Starline comes to a realization about Eggman, from Sonic the Hedgehog #23.
Soon, Eggman and Sonic fell to the ground below. Before Eggman could get infected, Starline used the Egg Mobile to find a working frequency that commanded the Zombots to attack Sonic only. He mused that his own plans may not be necessary now, but wondered if Eggman would learn from them. Eggman then ordered Starline to upload the frequency to the Faceship. Before the platypus could do anything, Sonic, not wanting Eggman to have complete control of the Zombots, burst out from the Zombot horde and destroyed the Egg Mobile. Eggman quickly grabbed onto Starline's own transportation machine for a swift retreat. However, due to the added weight, the contraption crashed down onto the Barricade Town gate. As Eggman berated Sonic for his interference, Starline suggested that they retreat to the Faceship so that they could try something else. Starline used the Warp Topaz to create a portal to the Faceship for himself and Eggman to go through. Back aboard the Faceship, Starline said that he was unable to upload or memorize the working frequency; however, he was able to recall the range. To Starline's dismay, Eggman did not care to do anything about this; with close-range broadcasts being too risky and assuming the Metal Virus likely adapting to resist it, he did not want to repeat the tedious process just for another failure. When Starline asked what the next move would be, Eggman said that he will start by enjoying their next outbreak, asking for the Faceship's current location. Orbot reported that they were above Spiral Hill Village, and the Metal Virus had already been deployed. Satisfied by the news, Eggman announced that he will figure out his next move later, oblivious to Starline's fuming glare.[22]
Starline brings the Deadly Six onto the Faceship, from Sonic the Hedgehog #24.
Deciding to finally proceed with his own plans, Starline visited the Deadly Six on the Lost Hex once again to confirm that they could exert their will over machines. After Zavok demonstrated his power on a Motobug, he asked when they would be able to see Eggman again. Starline promised that after he made last minute preparations on his end, he would be in touch. After Starline returned to the Faceship via the Warp Topaz, he recalled the files he read stated that Eggman had used the Cacophonic Conch to control the Zeti and they were eager to turn on him the moment they were freed thanks to Sonic. From this, Starline was already aware that the Deadly Six would attempt to overthrow him and thus used the Warp Topaz to retrieve the Cacophonic Conch. Later, Starline informed Eggman he had found a solution to their problems with controlling the Zombots. When Eggman dismissed this and demanded to stop being pestered about it, Starline, having lost all patience with Eggman's ineffectiveness, insisted and used the Warp Topaz to bring the Deadly Six onboard the Faceship.[22][29]
All or Nothing[]
Upon seeing the Deadly Six, Eggman accused Starline of betraying him. Starline calmly denied this, explaining he brought the Zeti to help with what Eggman had been failing to achieve. Unmoved, Eggman immediately sent Metal Sonic to attack the Deadly Six. Zavok swiftly used his electromagnetism to control the robot and tauntingly reminded Eggman how they were able to control robots. Following this, Starline, expecting the Zeti to begin their treachery, presented the Cacophonic Conch and blew into it to try and control the them. However, because he was out of breath, Zazz took the opening and headbutted Starline which allowed Zeena to take the conch and give it to Zavok. With Eggman and Starline defenseless, Zavok commanded Metal Sonic to attack them; however, Starline hurriedly opened a Warp Portal that transported him, Eggman and Metal Sonic away. The trio landed on Angel Island, met by Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy. Before Amy attacked them, Sonic stopped her and let Eggman explain how the Deadly Six had taken control of the Faceship due to Starline inviting them onboard. As Starline defended himself, insisting his plan was a good one but poorly executed, Espio came by to inform the group that they had gotten word from Rouge. On the Rescue Shuttle, while Knuckles and Espio kept an eye on Starline, Rouge reported that Eggman had been powering the Faceship with the Chaos Emeralds, which Zavok had now distributed to the rest of his team and then sent them out into the world; she went on to say that she was coordinating with Orbot to spy on their deployments and coordinate their counterattack. During an argument with Tails, Eggman insisted there was no cure for the Metal Virus and revealed why he had not bothered to make one: the doctor clarified that he did not need to have one as his research found that as the Metal Virus mutated, it became unsustainable. Soon, every Zombot would disintegrate approximately two hundred years into the future. An injured Silver came onboard and confirmed this claim as it described his current future well.[16]
Starline's attempt to leave with the Warp Topaz is stopped by Metal Sonic, from Sonic the Hedgehog #25.
Later outside, Starline and the others tried to come up with ideas on how to counteract the virus. Starline suggested using the Master Emerald to neutralize the Deadly Six but Tails told him that they could not move it without risking the whole island or luring the Zeti to them as it would be too much of a gamble; Knuckles also adding that Starline would not be allowed to touch the Emerald. Eggman instead came up with the idea to use the Warp Topaz, as if they had Super Sonic charge it with his power, they would be able to warp the virus away with one swoop. Starline protested against it due to its instability and suggested putting in the work on their safe haven to find another way to solve their problem and win. Eggman reminded Starline that Sonic did not have long before he was overtaken by his infection and since he did not want the Deadly Six using his genius against him, he wanted to end things his way. Starline again refused and decided to leave and create a solution to what Eggman started on his own. Before he could do so, however, Metal Sonic seized him by the throat and restrained him, allowing Eggman to remove his glove that had the Warp Topaz attached to it. Eggman then fired Starline before Metal Sonic tossed him through the Warp Portal he tried leaving through, which then closed.[16]
Sometime later, Starline managed to make a video log where he vented his frustrations about Eggman. During his rant, he quickly prepared a prototype of a new robot that, according to him, was going to be better than Metal Sonic.[30]
Out of the Blue[]
Starline plots to conquer the world himself and make an example to Eggman, from Sonic the Hedgehog #31.
Later in his repository, where he kept many items of Eggman's paraphernalia, Starline had a small squadron of Egg Pawns present there move some boxes around. He also marked off some of the boxes with asterisks over the Eggman Empire's decal. Starline said to himself that Eggman was truly the genius he thought he was but he was inept in his execution, and Sonic was the powerhouse he was expected to be, yet reckless. He found so much wasted potential in the both of them but believed he had the clarity of vision and could improve upon them. He then stated that he was still loyal to Eggman despite his cruelty. He claimed that he would conquer the world and surpass Eggman so that he may learn by example. He would then seat Eggman on the throne of victory and have him acknowledge that he was right; he would have to listen to Starline and they would work together as equals.[31]
Bad Guys[]
Starline soon after infiltrated Egg Base Sigma, sneaking past patrols of Badniks, in an attempt to take over the base. However, he revealed himself when he typed in a password that was out of date. Starline, briefly forgetting he no longer had the Warp Topaz, thus had to run away, destroying several Motobugs with his Multi-Tool Heel Spurs along the way. Upon returning to his repository, Starline began planning his next move, as he lacked the resources to implement his newest plan. However, he then realized he could enlist individuals who hated both Sonic and Eggman in equal measure. Starline proceeded to travel to Everhold Prison, where he used his glove to hypnotize the warden into believing that he had come to apply for a job in the prison's maximum-security wing. The warden thus led Starline to the cells where Mimic, Rough, Tumble, and Zavok were imprisoned. There, Zavok exposed Starline as Eggman's former protégé, but Starline neutralized the warden by putting him to sleep with his glove. He then started talking to the four prisoners, persuading each of them to join him; he promised Mimic to erase him from the database on the Eggnet; he told Rough and Tumble that he would make them new weapons free of charge; and he pretended to submit himself to Zavok's service and make him the leader of their group so they could destroy Eggman together. In the last case, Starline, in truth, planned to use Zavok and destroy him once he had done his job, blaming the Zeti for his falling out with Eggman. After Starline and Zavok made their alliance though, the warden awoke and sounded the alarm. Starline proceeded to stun him and take the keys from him, which he used to free Zavok from his cell, who then freed Mimic. In addition, Starline released Rough and Tumble. The villains subsequently defeated the prison guards together and made their way to the security center, where Starline, on Zavok's orders, opened all the cells and blocked out communications, thus plunging the prison into chaos. Starline and his new squad then left Everhold Prison amidst the chaos.[32]
Starline conversing with Zavok, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys #2.
Starline later gathered his new allies in his repository and explained that they needed the Power Cores, energy cores used by various machines in the Eggman Empire. With them, they could increase their powers for the next part of his plan. Starline lied though that they would need special adapters to harness the power of the Power Cores. During his explanation, he also got irritated by Mimic's demands to be removed from Eggman's database as soon as possible. Afterward, the villains launched an attack on the Eggman base holding the Power Cores. Standing on the sidelines, Starline decided that he should eliminate his new teammates once this was over; Mimic was too dangerous to let loose due to his treacherous ways and difficulty to be tracked; Rough and Tumble, dense and vengeful, would cause problems at the worst and inappropriate times; and letting Zavok get a hold of any power was too risky. After his allies opened the gate to the base and disposed of the Badnik guards, Starline drove his truck inside it. He then had a conversation with Zavok, who questioned his beliefs. Zavok believed that Starline should not just rely on machines, as experienced warriors would be able to do the same and more. He also, in a moment of insight, told Starline to quit his attempts to please Eggman and act on his own as he had great potential. Outside the warehouse gate, Starline ordered Mimic to transform into Sonic and pose and mock Eggman on a nearby security camera. When they opened the base's warehouse however, a mechanical tyrannosaurus rex rushed out. However, Rough and Tumble managed to destroy it, astonishing Starline. Starline then told the others to load as many crates as possible into his truck. Mimic, however, got suspicious about what Starline was going to do. However, Starline explained that he was going to delete the security recordings of them and leave only the parts he wanted to show Eggman. The villains then drove off in Starline's truck, leaving the base with seeming evidence that Sonic had attacked it. Upon his return, Starline considered Zavok's words, but decided that he would no longer have to rely on anyone. He also completed the latest gadget, the Tricore, a combination of different Power Cores that gave him the powers to compete with the world's heroes.[33]
Soon after, Starline and his group were on their way to the Eggnet Hub. Along the way, Zavok applauded Starline's plan, and Starline believed that he had managed to fully trick the others. After reaching their destination, Starline gave everyone Core Gear, which he explained how to use while lying that he had not made anything for himself. The villains soon after defeated the hub's Badnik guards, allowing Starline to enter it. When he sat down at the hub's central computer, he used an algorithm he had prepared to break through the Eggnet's firewall. Meanwhile, Mimic told him to hurry up, as he feared Eggman was on his way. In response, Starline explained that Eggman had already received information about their attack and was preparing to set out after them. However, he assured Mimic that he would send Eggman an update with fake coordinates on their present whereabouts. Starline then reprogrammed the Badniks in the area to protect his team, and brought Egg Base Sigma up from the database. However, he ignored Mimic, who was demanding his reward. Eventually, Mimic put a knife to Starline's throat, forcing him to obey. Starline called to Zavok for help, but it was then revealed that Zavok and Mimic were onto Starline's premeditated betrayal, quickly informing the confused Rough and Tumble. Starline was thus forced to delete Mimic from Eggman's database and give Zavok control of all the Badniks in the region. Meanwhile, Zavok gave Rough and Tumble free access to the Power Cores in Starline's lab. The villains decided unanimously afterward that they no longer needed Starline.[18] Starline managed to equip his Tricore however, and with its power, he escaped the reach of his former allies. He then blocked Tumble's punch before escaping from Zavok. Escaping into a corridor, he managed to trip Rough and immobilize him with his Multi-Tool Heel Spurs. He then escaped when the skunk began calling for backup. Hiding then on the ceiling from Zavok, Starline heard Zavok denounce him as a failure and that he was no different from Eggman for his similar planning and petty cruelty. As Zavok walked away, Starline mentally agreed with Zavok before hiding from an Egg Knights squad. He then began to realize that, in trying to emulate Eggman, he had become what he hated so much about his idol, and that he had needlessly gotten rid of his allies. Even so, he knew he should finish his plan and salvage what he could. Starline subsequently ran into Tumble, whom he also poisoned and immobilized. He then went to the main computer. Finding no sign of Mimic, Starline concluded that Mimic had ditched his alliance with Zavok and sent Eggman a real report on their attack. Wasting no time, Starline quickly assigned Egg Base Sigma to himself and removed it from the database, before making his escape. Leaving the Eggnet hub, he watched from a distance as Eggman destroyed the hub in a face-off with Zavok. Sometime later, Starline moved his equipment to Egg Base Sigma with his personalized Badniks. Starline then decided to abandon his attempt to return to Eggman's side and conquer the world for himself, and not for his former idol.[34]
Starline's observation of Zavok and the other villains also gave him a new perspective on the world. Knowing that in this chaotic and unpredictable reality that he wanted to control, he would need the creativity and will of living things, not the blind obedience of machines, he abandoned his previously prepared robot prototype and decided to instead modify two living organisms, Surge the Tenrec and Kitsunami the Fennec, which he would incorporate mechanical enhancements into so that they could compete with Sonic and his allies.[30]
Chao Races and Badnik Bases[]
Starline having knocked Shadow off the White Park Grand Chateau, from Sonic the Hedgehog #33.
Dr. Starline eventually came to the White Park Grand Chateau in the disguise of a hooded figure, where he shadowed Rouge in secret.[35] When they finally met face-to-face, Starline hypnotized Rouge into unconsciousness, wrapped her in a blanket and carried to the rooftop of the chateau. However, he was discovered by Shadow, who was searching for leads on Eggman's wherabouts. During the ensuing chase, Starline used the power of the Tricore to knock Shadow off the rooftop, thus making Shadow lose his trail.[35] While alone with Rouge, he then hypnotized her into forgetting their encounter while also planting a subliminal suggestion in her mind that would compel her to kidnap Tails for him later.[35][36]
The next day, Starline managed to kidnap both Tails and Rouge (thanks to the aid of the latter) and put them into a moving roller coaster cart in White Park Zone. There, he told Rouge that he looked forward to more "sessions" with her and that he planned to put her in his "test chambers" once they had made their escape. When Sonic later arrived, Starline threw a cart at him and managed to knock him off balance, but Shadow arrived and saved Sonic. Shedding his disguise, Starline revealed himself to the heroes before detonating explosives on a nearby mountain, causing an avalanche. He then gave Sonic and Shadow a choice: save their friends or save the guests at the White Park Grand Chateau who were in the way of the avalanche.[36]
In the end, Starline forced Sonic to withdraw, while Shadow decided to stay in order to seek payback against Starline. Regardless, Starline promised Shadow that he would defeat him this time. However, he got startled when Rouge had Omega's disembodied head sound a loud alarm close to him. As such, Starline lost his balance and fell off the roller coaster. Using his Tricore's flight power however, Starline escaped Shadow. He later showed up at the White Park Grand Chateau, blocking the way out for Tails, Rouge, Amy, Cream, Belle and Gemerl. There, Starline demanded that they handed Tails over to him, and that he would let the others go in return. Instead, however, Amy and Rouge refused and attacked him. Starline initially defended himself with his Tricore's strength power, before using its speed power to lunge at Tails. Before he could take Tails with him, however, he was kicked by Belle, who injured his beak. Starline then noticed the avalanche approaching the chateau. Failing to escape in time, he ended up buried under the snow. However, Starline survived and retreated to his base afterwards. There, he complained about the heroes' resistance and the condition of his beak and perm. However, he had managed to obtain a piece of Tails' fur that he intended to use for his long-term plans.[8]
Zeti Hunt![]
Starline later arrived in the Emeraldville Ruins, which held a secret entrance to Restoration HQ. Having discovered Belle's existence earlier and recognizing her as a machine of Dr. Eggman's design, Starline sought to kidnap her and study her to further his long-term plans. Though Starline managed to sneak into Restoration HQ, he soon found the Deadly Six, led by Zavok. Hiding from the Deadly Six's sight, Starline decided to take advantage of the confusion to get to Belle. Going to the machine shop, Starline managed to make Zomom leave using his hypnosis tools. He then incapacitated the workshop's owner with his Multi-Tool Heel Spur's toxin and forced Belle to come with him, leading her to the elevator. Finding the elevator destroyed by the Deadly Six, Starline activated his Tricore and used its power to scale the elevator shaft.[37]
Restraining Belle in a temporarily hideout, Starline examined Belle's specifications and hooked her up to his database. There, after a short conversation with Belle, where he explained that she was an extremely unique commodity and that he had no intention of disassembling her in spite of what she thought of him as he still had respect for Dr. Eggman's work despite their falling out, Belle retorted that she was not Eggman's creation. However, Starline replied that this was only half true, and proceeded to tell her of how he restored Eggman's memory. He also added that without his Mr. Tinker persona, Eggman would never build another robot-like Belle, so he wants to study her thoroughly. The furious Belle then began blaming Starline for the loss of her "father". Starline, however, instead rejoiced at the number of simulated emotions that his database picked up from Belle. Starline then got Belle to tell her story. However, Starline completely tuned her out, and glorified instead the data he got on Belle's simulations of emotions which he could readily apply to "them". However, he then noticed Belle scream over the presence of a "ghost", who turned out to be Espio. The Chaotix subsequently burst into Starline's hideout. Not worried in the least, Starline condescendingly applauded the team for finding him and informed them that this hideout would be of no use to them, as he had already sent the data, he had collected from Belle to his data cloud. To be safe however, Starline destroyed his server using his Tricore, which he subsequently used to evade and escape the Chaotix.[38]
Imposter Syndrome[]
Starline going over "Operation: Remaster", from Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #1.
Eventually, Dr. Starline was ready with the final phase of "Operation: Remaster", with which he intended to interrupt the perpetual struggle between Sonic and Dr. Eggman that he believed held back the world's evolution. To this end, he worked on completing Surge and Kit, whom he programmed personalities and memories into using the code he got from Belle's emotional intelligence.[39] He would also strengthen their motivations through hundreds of hypnotic sessions. However, these sessions left them with traces of psychological trauma. In addition, Starline implemented cybernetic enhancements into Surge and Kit based on the Power Cores and Tails' DNA, and made them especially physically tough by repurposing the Metal Virus into safe cellular upgrades.[30] As Starline had planned, he intended to make Surge and Kit the new heroes of the world while he controlled the "hero-versus-villain" dynamic from behind the scenes.[39] Before that could happen, however, Starline subjected them to hundreds of tests, during which he repeatedly had to reign them with hypnosis, although he began to notice they were steadily developing a resistance to it.[30]
During one of his final tests of Surge and Kit, Starline noticed Surge had left Kit behind. After a brief argument, Starline intended to send his creations into the field for another test. When Surge started arguing with him however, Starline subdued her and Kit with their weakness to his hypnotic glove. When they woke up, he convinced them that they had strained their improvements and passed out. During the following night, Starline sent them to the Forest Ridge Zone Campground to start a forest fire that could kill Sonic's nearby friends and demoralize Sonic. Days later, Starline had Surge and Kit caused chaos in Central City unnoticed while he tried to break into Tails' Lab and remove anything Tails could have on Belle that the fox cub could use against Surge and Kit in the future. However, Starline, Surge, and Kit withdrew when they could not get into the lab unnoticed. Upon their return to Starline Base Sigma, they found out that their forest fire had been handled without casualties. Starline thus decided to begin his final test in one of Eggman's isolated base, where he could test his new bypass algorithm for his plan to cripple Eggman's support. However, Surge continued to insist that they fight Sonic directly. When she and Kit then began questioning their motivation, Starline hypnotized them again. However, Surge quickly recovered, but Starline managed to subdue her with excessive hypnosis. He then began musing about adding more background to his creations' memories and about the potential dangers of Surge becoming immune to hypnosis. When Surge and Kit woke up soon after, Starline convinced them that the duo wanted to take part in his final test. Starline then began to explain his plan.[39]
Starline explaining his plan to Surge and Kit, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #2.
Traveling to Egg Base Alpha with Surge and Kit, Starline instructed his cohorts to head for the comms tower and take control of it to keep Eggman from learning of their intrusion while he went for the control tower where he would be able to upload the command program that would let him take control of the base. Although Surge objected to Starline's plan, he convinced her that it was what she wanted. Using his Tricore, Starline went inside the base with Surge and Kit before parting ways with them as planned. After then reprogramming an Egg Pawn on guard duty to permit him entrance to the command tower, Starline would derail slightly from his objective when he spotted the Egg Cave nearby, unable to resist the temptation to visit it. In the Egg Cave, Starline would reminisce about the old days where he admired Eggman, but quickly remembered his objective when he recalled how Eggman planned to turn him into a Zombot, with Starline focused on proving the superiority of his methods so that he could rule the world with Eggman. Soon after, Starline took control of the base and its Badniks with his program and invited Surge and Kit to join him in the control room via a Mic Drop. There, Starline congratulated the duo before noticing that Surge and Kit were banged up. Regardless, Surge assured him that they had just been careless and that everything else was fine. Despite his suspicions, Starline dismissed the pair while he saw to the clean-ups needed to ensure that Eggman would not find any evidence of them.[40]
Not long after, Starline caught Surge and Kit watching his private video logs. While Surge kept asking him for answers about her past, Starline tried to subdue her with hypnosis, only to be attacked by Kit. However, Starline managed to temporarily paralyze him with his Multi-Tool Heel Spurs, before using his Tricore to fight Surge. Though he managed to sneak up on Surge from behind, Kit caught him with his water tentacles. Surge then took Starline's glove and put him to sleep using it hypnotic power. When Starline later woke up, he could not remember what had happened. Surge proceeded to explain to him that he had told them about the genesis of their creation. While he was surprised that they both had taken the news so well, he was glad that they were still onboard with his plan. He then announced the next step in his plan, which was to take over Eggman's newest capital: Eggperial City.[30] Arriving at Eggperial City, Starline recalled some words of wisdom Eggman had given him, before heading into the city with Surge and Kit. After fighting their way through the city's Badniks, Starline split off from Surge and Kit, who were to occupy Eggman and his forces while he uploaded his override program. Making it to Eggperial City's servers, Starline began uploading his program, which Eggman eventually caught him in doing. By then however, it was too late: with Starline announcing to Eggman that he was succeeding him, Starline activated his program, which gave him control of all of Eggman's robots around the world. Satisfied with his bittersweet victory, Starline had the Badniks carry him to his new seat of power in Eggperial City. There, he ordered Eggman's robots to send his override code throughout the Eggnet and have the world's Badniks come to him in order lure Sonic to Eggperial City for his destruction. As he bashed in his victory, Starline noticed Cubot's squashed state. He and Orbot then revealed that Eggman had eluded capture and was currently in the Memorial Garage. Deeming the situation manageable, as his signal would take control of anything Eggman could use down there, Starline simply ordered a detachment to go down there and take Eggman into custody.[5]
Battle for the Empire[]
A mentally broken Starline wallows in defeat, from Sonic the Hedgehog #50.
With the arrival of Sonic and Tails, Starline had Orbot inform Surge and Kit that their targets had arrived. However, it was then that Dr. Eggman showed up in the Egg Emperor and attacked Starline in his headquarters. While Starline fought back using his Tricore, Surge and Kit separated Sonic and Tails from each other so they could take on their targets on their own.
As Eggman searched for him in the Egg Emperor, Starline made his way to Eggman's Memorial Garage and armed himself with the Super Eggrobo. He proceeded to fight Eggman mech-to-mech while trying to convince him that his plan would work and that they would be able to rule the world together. Eggman, however, rejected any notion of sharing power. As their fight took them into the underground sectors of Eggperial City, Eggman managed to destroy the Super Eggrobo, to which Starline retaliated by using his Tricore's Tricore Blast to destroy the Egg Emperor. But to Starline's horror, Eggman survived and revealed that he had anticipated this move: having deduced that Starline was the one who raided his Power Core facility, he had deliberately chosen the Egg Emperor to make the platypus exhaust the Tricore, knowing he would do so to try and prove his point. Starline then tried to use his hypno gear on Eggman, but the latter revealed that he had taken precautions against that as well. In angered desperation, Starline resorted to his Multi-Tool Heel Spurs, but Eggman easily overpowered and knocked him out, then deprived him of his glove just as Belle and Metal Sonic caught up with them. Eggman and Metal Sonic subsequently left as the ceiling began to crumble. Belle, noticing that Starline had regained consciousness, urged him to save himself, but the mentally-broken platypus made no attempt to do so and was crushed to death as the ceiling caved in on top of him.[2]
Legacy[]
Belle would later tell Sonic about Starline's fate, to which the hedgehog showed little sympathy. Shortly after, Surge found Starline's glove and deduced that Eggman was too much for him to handle before tossing it into a furnace.[41] Under strain from the Dynamo Cage, Surge would see hallucinations of Starline, which taunted, distracted, and frightened her at inopportune moments. Sonic, Tails, and Eggman would later learn what Starline had done to Surge and Kit upon tracking the latter two to his former base; only then did Eggman finally gave Starline the recognition he had longed for, much to Sonic and Tails' disgust.[42][43][44]
In the weeks following Starline's death, Eggperial City, the existence of which he had betrayed, was destroyed by the Restoration and their allies, leaving Eggman to begin his plans anew. Meanwhile, Clutch, Rough, and Tumble came to Starline's now-derelict base to scavenge his leftover Eggtech, unaware that Surge and Kit still lurked within after eluding their counterparts and Eggman. When confronted by the duo, Clutch revealed he and Starline had done business in the past.[45][46]
Personality[]
Starline was calm, theatrical, and sophisticated most of the time, exuding an arrogant sense of pride in his intellect and abilities. Rather formal in behavior, he often addressed others as "gentlemen".[4][20] However, he was also ruthless, sinister, and cruel, as he was willing to force Dr. Eggman to be a part of an evidently painful procedure against his will to bring him back to normal.[20] Showing contempt for weakness, he possessed an incredible drive, as seen how he kept searching for Eggman despite becoming quite ill from sleep deprivation in the process.[23] Despite possessing a calm demeanor, his patience did have its limits; after spending time with Eggman, Starline began showing occasional bouts of anger and frustration primarily directed at Eggman's imperfections, stubbornness, and refusal to listen to his reasoning.[19][22] Ultimately, Starline would lose his patience after being fired by Eggman. In this state, he had proven himself emotionally unstable and prone to angry rants.[30]
In addition to his intellect, Starline was quite manipulative. He could expertly use other people to his advantage in order to make them cooperate with him or lure them into traps, and he knew exactly to strike his foes where it hurt the most.[21][4] However, despite considering himself brilliant, he originally possessed a subservient attitude towards Eggman and willingly submitted himself to his command.
Starline was an insane fanatic of the Eggman Empire. At first, he was willingly submissive to Eggman alone and his orders, although his fascination with the doctor made him blind and ignorant to the flaws of his idol at first. In fact, Starline was with Eggman at almost every turn during the Zombot apocalypse and was ready to come to his rescue despite not thinking things through too well.[27]
Unlike Eggman's more overt ways, Starline was much more subtle. Notably, he preferred simply launching an ambush instead of luring someone into a trap with bait that exposes his activities. Starline similarly always covered up his tracks in various ways, thereby leaving him activities undetected by his enemies.[23][33] Always waiting patiently for the right time to attack, he would only reveal himself when the time was perfect, at which point he allowed himself to be exaggeratingly theatrical.[36] He was also very thorough with everything he does. Notably, he put his projects through hundreds of different tests until he was absolutely assured of their safety and has sufficient data samples to work out from,[23][30] unlike Dr. Eggman, who would hastily begin implementing his plans without finishing the necessary procedures that would prevent the fallibility of his creations.[23] Similarly, he took great care when preparing for direct confrontations with his foes, like luring Sonic into an environment where he was at a disadvantage and scouting out a whole mountain before-hand in order to use his Warp Topaz to its fullest and kill him on his first try.[4] He also preferred working in the shadows and avoiding unnecessary clashes with his foes.[37]
Like Eggman, Starline was unhappy with the chaotic and unpredictable state of the world that he intended to take control of. Unlike Eggman, however, who would seek to bring order to the planet with the blind obedience of machines, Starline had come to see that the ingenuity and will of living beings made them much more effective than mindless robots, and so he sought to use cyborgs mentally programmed to his will to bring the world under his control.[30]
After seeing Eggman's Metal Virus plot grow out of control and being fired as Eggman's protégé after realizing the flaws of his idol, Starline came to realize the downside to arrogance and egotism. As such, he was very careful not to go down the same path Eggman has walked for years. He likewise believed that robots made much more suitable allies than organic creatures, as they were unquestionably loyal, tireless, and efficient, though only when properly programmed. As such, he ultimately strived to be a lone genius that did not need to rely on anyone.[33]
One of Starline's video logs, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys #3.
Despite being cautious and systematic with his actions though, Starline was not infallible. Notably, he had a tendency to underestimate the situations he was in, especially those that he thought he was in control of.[32][18][39] His experiences with artificial emotions and excitement in particular had led him to underestimate the possible dangers they pose in the wrong hands.[30] Having been noted to love hearing himself talk as well,[40] Starline frequently made video logs of virtually every operation he conducted, carefully documenting his very action and thought, unless he believed it was not relevant.[32][18][39][30] Unfortunately, his careful documentations often turned against him as they allowed his more volatile associates to discover his true intentions and plans with them, which would result in a catastrophic outcome later.[18][30] He is also shown to be a hypocrite. While acknowledging his shortcomings made him similar to Eggman when pointed out by Zavok,[34] he remarks how Eggman suffers from tunnel-vision due to his obssession with Sonic[32] even though he too suffers the same from his own obsession with Eggman and how the world never improves from the repetitive conflict beween Sonic and Eggman,[39] disregarding that he restarted it by restoring Eggman's memories.[13] Similar to how Eggman took the Zombots growing out of his control,[19] Starline procrastinated looking into Surge and Kitsunami's resistance to his hypnosis.[39]
In the last few moments of his life, Starline lost all of his sanity and elegance after Operation: Remaster had failed, leading to him having a mental breakdown while contemplating how months of careful planning and hundreds of tests had gone down the drain in a matter of minutes, showing that he did not deal with failure well and possessed a very fragile ego. Additionally, he developed an intense inferiority complex, referring to himself as an "utter, disgraceful failure" due to his defeat. This also made him ignorant of the fact that he was in a dangerous environment, and he seemingly could not hear others' warnings of his impending doom, which led to his demise. This was another aspect of his that made him different from Eggman, who, despite having suffered similar defeats for years, refused to give up.[2]
Powers and abilities[]
Starline possessed a genius-level intellect, having devoted himself to the study of arcane powers and robotics.[19] Notably, he had conducted successful research into the strange properties of the Warp Topaz.[21] His knowledge on robotics were also enough to let him assist Dr. Eggman with the repairs of Metal Sonic.[19][21] He also invented impressive devices on his own, such as the Tricore.[33] Additionally, he could put together various algorithms that allowed him to take control of entire Eggman databases and the Badniks within them.[40] Most notably though, he, with some resources pulled from Eggman, produced Surge the Tenrec and Kitsunami the Fennec, anthropomorphic animal organisms which he turned into cyborgs by implementing cybernetic enhancements from Power Cores, the emotional intelligence from Belle, and the physical resistance given by the Metal Virus.[39][30] However, he was not of the same caliber as Eggman's intellect, as he would need months to produce the same program algorithms which Eggman could create within a single month,[38] though Eggman claimed Starline was one of the finest minds he had ever encountered.[47] He also showed himself to be a capable psychologist, having developed procedures for restoring memories lost to amnesia using radical methods, like neuro-stimulants and aggressive hypnotherapy.[21]
Physically, Starline was athletic enough to deliver kicks to his opponents, reminiscent of capoeira, but he lacked the dexterity and strength as someone like Sonic and his allies, which put him at a considerable disadvantage.[32] He also seemed to be quite hardy, taking a full-force momentum-fueled Spin Attack from Sonic head-on and appearing to be in more awe than pain immediately afterwards.[4]
Equipment[]
Dr. Starline using the Warp Topaz to dodge Sonic and Silver, from Sonic the Hedgehog #14.
Starline used to possess the Warp Topaz, a gemstone that was embedded in his left glove, until Eggman took it from him.[16] With this stone, Starline could bend time and space to create spatial wormholes to other places and open "windows" to the world in an instant, allowing him to look farther and further in hours that what the Badniks could do in a day.[21][23] In combat, Starline used his Warp Topaz's ability to create portals to pull allies out of his enemies' grip and protect himself by redirecting opponents that come charging at him to other locations by opening a portal right in front of them.[4] However, the Warp Topaz needs to be provided with a very passive charge in order to work.[21] He later had it replaced with the Tricore, a combination of different Power Cores that gave him enhanced speed, strength and agility in order to make up for his physical shortcomings.[33] However, he could only access one of these enhancements at a time.[30] Should Starline harness all three types of powers at the same time though, he could perform the Tricore Blast, which is powerful enough to destroy a large mech, although at the cost of exhausting the Tricore's power.[2]
Without an object of power inserted into it, Starline's left glove was still useful. He could use his glove to emit waves from its palm that could hypnotize people in order to manipulate their subsequent behavior, memory, and perception. As an extra detail, it could plant Starline's subliminal suggestions in his victims' minds that they will carry out, like falling asleep upon command or kidnapping others while not directly hypnotized.[32][36] However, the glove's hypnotic powers did not work well on individuals who possessed mentally strong wills, like Zavok;[32] conversely, it worked easily on simple-minded individuals.[37] Immunities could also be made to the glove, as shown with Eggman using his goggles.[2] In addition, it could not hypnotize entire crowds as it was more of a precision tool.[32][36] Also, if used frequently, his gloves hypnosis could lead to psychological trauma and resistance, as in the case of Surge and Kit, who have been treated too often with it.[39][30]
Starline also possessed the Multi-Tool Heel Spurs, which he wore on the heels of his boots. He could use them to deliver efficient kicks depending on the setting he used them in. In "electro-spur mode", Starline could produce lashes of electricity from the devices that can tear through multiple Motobugs. The Heel Spurs were also loaded with a mild neurotoxin that could incapacitate anyone he kicks with them for a short time, although an additional dose would be fatal.[32][37]
Relationships[]
Dr. Eggman[]
Starline and Eggman, from Sonic the Hedgehog #13.
Dr. Starline started out as fanatically obsessed with Dr. Eggman, who was the driving force of his career. Ever since Eggman started his campaign for world conquest, Starline was fascinated by the doctor for his brilliance, tenacity and charisma. Because of him, Starline devoted himself to robotics and the search for arcane powers, and whenever he hit an impasse, he would ask himself what would Eggman do in order to find a solution.[19]
Having been dubbed a "fanboy" by Sonic and Orbot, Starline possessed a high opinion about Eggman and his genius.[4][31] He called himself the doctor's kindred spirit and deeply admired his work; after discovering that Eggman had lost his memories and personality following the end of the Eggman War, Starline took several measures to restore Eggman to his old self, including preparing to have Eggman undergo painful shock therapy in order to restore his memories. He also gathered suitable minions for him in the form of Rough and Tumble and secured the seven Chaos Emeralds for him in order to ensure a position as his apprentice, showing not only deep loyalty and devotion towards the doctor, but also profound knowledge about Eggman's preferences and desires.[21]
Starline was very enthusiastic about seeing the doctor at work and enjoyed working both for him and besides him, often dropping his professional demeanor in favor of a more childish, fanboyish or even emotional attitude;[21][23] after seeing Eggman's successful deployment of his Metal Virus in Windmill Village, Starline was moved to tears and proclaimed that Eggman had exceeded his legend.[25] Starline was likewise very dedicated to pleasing Eggman and actively tried not to second-guess his strategies and ideas when he found them questionable. However, he did not agree with Eggman's hasty actions, like when he started implementing the Metal Virus for his next phase of his plan despite only having little data samples on it. Regardless, he respected Eggman enough to quiet down on his command when he voiced such opinions.[23] He was also shown to fear Eggman's wrath and was quick to apologize whenever he had angered him.[4]
In time though, Starline noticed his idol was not as great as he believed him to be, finding him sloppier and more careless than anything else. Notably, he was disappointed at how quickly the doctor began spreading the Metal Virus around the world, despite the very little data he had on its full potential and threat.[23] In Floral Forest Village in particular, Starline began to show doubts about Eggman's legend.[19] However, it was not until Barricade Town, where the doctors tried to regain control of the Zombots, that Starline realized that Eggman was very far from what he expected of him. In the past, Starline believed that Sonic was the cause of all of Eggman's defeats due to Sonic's unnatural strength and skill, when in fact, Eggman's carelessness played a part in it too. Starline also realized that Eggman never learned from his mistakes and always put his personal resentments over the goal of conquering the world, which was short-sighted and not very efficient.[22] According to him, Eggman was great at devising plans to conquer the world with, but he could not adapt to them in the long run.[19] Even Neo Metal Sonic's failed conquest of Angel Island reflected that, as the robot used Eggman's vision and motivation for it, and failed in the same way.[22]
Despite all of this, Starline still stayed faithful to Eggman. In addition, despite the cruel way he got rid of him on Angel Island, he supported his desire to conquer the world, but did not agree with his unclear focus to do so.[31] He thus sought to conquer the world on behalf of Eggman and establish Eggman as the ruler, thereby breaking the cycle between Sonic and Eggman that the latter was caught up in, and prove to Eggman that he was his equal.[31][32] Zavok made him realize, however, that he himself was just as short-sighted in this beliefs as Eggman. This made Starline decide that he would become Eggman's replacement in the world he sought to conquer, thereby proving the superiority of his methods over the methods of his idol.[34] Despite this, Starline remained an avid admirer of Eggman, getting excited about his technology and inventions, especially the unorthodox ones, like Belle the Tinkerer.[37] He also did not want to destroy the doctor, but instead rule the world with him, insisting to Surge they would appeal to Eggman.[30]
During their climatic battle in Eggperial City, Starline repeatedly tried to convince Eggman of his short-sightedness and that his own methods were much more effective, but they futilely fell on deaf ears. As their battle progressed, Starline was convinced that his knowledge of Eggman's previous failures gave him an advantage. However, he soon realized that he had underestimated Eggman's cunning and that Eggman had been played him from the start, as his obsession with proving himself Eggman's superior had given him tunnel-vision that the evil scientist could exploit. He was similarly shocked that Eggman had at least actually took note of his inventions he showcased and activities and had prepared countermeasures and strategies, which went against everything he had come to believe about the doctor. After then being soundly defeated by Eggman in their bout, Starline lost all determination and fell into despair, his will and ambitions broken, which ultimately led to his own demise.[2]
Rough the Skunk and Tumble the Skunk[]
Starline once hired Rough the Skunk and Tumble the Skunk to bring Dr. Eggman to him after promising them weapons in return for their services. He later offered them to Eggman because he thought they made great cannon fodder for Eggman due to their hatred of Sonic. At the same time, however, he was irritated by Rough and Tumble's impatience and lack of manners.[21]
During their second collaboration, Starline tried to convince them with claims of getting revenge on Eggman, only to get himself accused of turning them into Zombots during the Metal Virus plague. Regardless, he managed to convince the skunks to help him by promising to build weapons for them.[32] Despite this, Starline considered them mindless tools of destruction, vindictive, and able to cause problems at the least appropriate times, and so schemed to eliminate them for the sake of safety. Despite this, they surprised him with their ability to destroy a massive Badnik, which only confirmed Zavok's words about the superiority of living warriors over mindless robots.[33]
Zavok[]
Starline did not like Zavok, considering him a brutal beast and partly blamed him for his banishment from the Eggman Empire.[32] When it came down to it, Starline lied about his true loyalties and intentions to Zavok as he knew very well how powerful and cunning Zavok was. The doctor also recognized him as a dangerous threat that was much more powerful than himself. As such, Starline tried to do what he could in order to quell him, such as feeding his ego and concealing his true intentions from him, underestimating Zavok's intelligence.[28][32] Despite this, Zavok commented that Starline had great potential and should aim to surpass Eggman rather than be like him.[33] Though Zavok was truly no fan of Starline either, it is uncertain if he respected Starline to the extent of his crew, but his encouraging words to surpass the platypus' idol, Eggman, had lingered in the doctor's head for the better.[33] Disregarding the false acts, they both recognized and applauded their talents, noting they were a threat to each other and needed to be annihilated.
Ultimately, Zavok played a significant role in Starline's development and was the main reason why the doctor decided to move away from blindly following the example of Eggman, as well as switching his focus from robotic soldiers to living warriors.[33][34][30] In the end, Starline agreed with Zavok when he equated his methods with Eggman, so he decided to aim for self-improvement.[34]
Mimic the Octopus[]
Starline was the one who released Mimic from Everhold Prison, where he convinced him to aid with his schemes by promising to remove him from Eggman's database and that their cooperation would be only temporary.[32] Despite this, Mimic was wary of Starline from the beginning and would ask him several questions that he had to answer, much to Starline's irritation. Starline in particular would compare Mimic to Rough and Tumble, and would note that he was not expecting him to be so stupid and having to explain everything to him. Over time, Starline grew increasingly frustrated by Mimic's tendency to question all of his plans.[33]
When it came down to it, Starline never intended to delete Mimic from Eggman's records, as he knew his past and the previous team he had betrayed. With Mimic having also tried to cheat Eggman himself and being a wanted criminal to boot, Starline decided that Mimic was too dangerous and difficult to track to let loose.[33] Though Starline was not about to let Mimic go either at the height of his plans, he was forced by him when he put a knife to his throat.[18] Later, after having underestimating Mimic's abilities, he had become afraid of Mimic, becoming slightly paranoid about how he was expecting that he would attack him by surprise.[34]
Sonic the Hedgehog[]
Starline had high expectations for Sonic the Hedgehog during their first meeting. Rather than acting condescending towards Sonic, Starline recognized him as an incredible foe, having called him the "hero across time and space" and the "only being alive" able to stand up to Dr. Eggman through sheer skill.[4] Due to Sonic's reputation, Starline was very eager about pitting his willpower and abilities against Sonic's in the "ultimate test" of their skills on Frozen Peak.[4]
Starline's opinion about Sonic seemed to stem from the former's initial belief that the hedgehog always ensured Eggman's defeats due to how "unnaturally powerful" he was.[19] Having apparently studied Sonic extensively, Starline knew Sonic's weaknesses and exactly where to strike him.[4] He later came to the conclusion that Sonic was definitely the powerhouse he expected him to be, but also quite reckless.[31] In his later life, he sought Sonic's destruction, albeit for the purpose of having Surge the Tenrec replace him as the hero of the world for Operation: Remaster.[39]
Belle the Tinkerer[]
| This section requires an expansion. |  |
Surge the Tenrec and Kitsunami the Fennec[]
Surge the Tenrec and Kitsunami the Fennec are cyborgs that Starline created by modifying existing individuals for Operation: Remaster, and invested a great deal of time and effort in them.[39] He only saw them as his tools to change the world with and that they were only there to obey him, regardless of their mental states.[39][30] As such, Starline kept no records of their past, considering it to be irrelevant.[30]
Much to Surge's growing frustration, Starline would force her and Kit to take part in hundreds of tests to prepare them for Operation: Remaster.[30] As soon as Surge and Kit expressed disagreements with his conducts, Starline used hypnosis to erase their memories and calm them down. After doing so, he then lied to them about their own feelings and actions in order to make them follow through with his own plans.[39]
Allies[]
Neutral[]
Enemies[]
- Amy Rose
- Chaotix
- Cheese
- Cream the Rabbit
- Deadly Six
- Eggman Empire
- Gemerl
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Mimic the Octopus
- Restoration
- Rough the Skunk
- Silver the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Team Dark
- Tumble the Skunk
Quotes[]
- "I planned everything out. Down to the smallest detail. I had every advantage. Accounted for every contingency. And I still lost. I did everything right. He destroyed all that effort in minutes. I'm a failure. An utter, disgraceful failure..."
- —Doctor Starline's last words, Sonic the Hedgehog #50
Trivia[]
- Starline's initial role in the comics is similar to Grimer's role in the Sonic the Comic series, where he was a non-human lab assistant who had loyalty for Dr. Ivo Robotnik.
- Starline's age remains unconfirmed because of how the Sega higher-ups could intervene and suggest different ages than what Flynn originally intended, as they did with Mimic.[48]
- According to Ian Flynn, when he wrote the character, Starline was just meant to be a "theatrical and bombastic in similar fashion to Eggman" as Flynn himself said, but unintentionally ended up as a queer-coded character. Flynn later decided to follow this reception and "give the people what they want".[49]
Gallery[]
Concept artwork[]
| Gallery |
|---|
 Inspirations for Starline's design        |
Model sheets[]
References[]
- ↑ Evan Stanley on DeviantArt. DeviantArt (29 November 2018). Retrieved on 29 November 2018. "SonAze9000: If I had to guess, I would say that you designed Dr. Starline. Is that correct? And if not, then who? / Evan Stanley: Yep, I did the character design for Dr. Starline!"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Sonic the Hedgehog #50, "Battle for the Empire"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #10, "The Battle for Angel Island, Part 2"
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Sonic the Hedgehog #14, "Misdirection"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #4, story one
- ↑ Starline's model sheet.
- ↑ Ian Flynn on Twitter. Twitter (28 November 2018). Retrieved on 28 November 2018. "Ian Flynn: #SonicTheHedgehog #11 is out today. Please be mindful of spoilers. Out-of-context answer to prevent spoilers: duckbill platypus."
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Sonic the Hedgehog #36, "Chao Races and Badnik Bases, Part 4"
- ↑ (in Japanese) ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ③ エンジェルアイランド奪還戦！. Wise Publishing. 25 January 2021. ISBN 978-4910416014.
- ↑ BumbleKing Videos (2 November 2020). BumbleKast Q&A for November 2nd, 2020. YouTube. Retrieved on 30 November 2020. "Ian Flynn: And there’s that other famous palette glitch, the Wechidna[sic], also known as a line of stars, with his white and red palette, being a monotreme... Wonder if there’s any correlation or plans to be had there..."
- ↑ BumbleKing Videos (11 January 2021). BumbleKast Q&A for January 11th, 2021. YouTube. Retrieved on 12 January 2021. "Andrew D: Was Dr. Starline and his name based on the glitch character Wechnia and his in-game name ********** since it is basically a line of stars? / Ian Flynn: Yep, that's exactly it."
- ↑ Evan Stanley (@spiritsonic) on Tumblr. Tumblr (8 December 2018). Retrieved on 8 December 2018. "shadowthewerehog: Dr. Starline is beautiful btw. Kudos to you / Evan Stanley: Thank you! I'm really happy with how he came out. I'm a huge fan of the "evil white-furred echidna guy club" in the Sonic rogues' gallery, so creating a spiritual successor to that legacy was a dream come true."
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #12, "Sonic Letters Squad"
- ↑ Evan Stanley on Twitter. Twitter (2 March 2019). Retrieved on 3 March 2019.
- ↑ Evan Stanley (@SpiritSonic) on Twitter. Twitter (29 June 2019). Retrieved on 30 June 2019.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 Sonic the Hedgehog #25, "A Sudden Shift"
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #20, "Crisis City, Part 2"
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys #3, "Trust Issues"
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 19.9 Sonic the Hedgehog #18, "Victims"
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Sonic the Hedgehog #11, "The Battle for Angel Island, Part 3"
- ↑ 21.00 21.01 21.02 21.03 21.04 21.05 21.06 21.07 21.08 21.09 21.10 21.11 21.12 21.13 21.14 21.15 Sonic the Hedgehog #12, "The Cost of the Battle for Angel Island"
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 Sonic the Hedgehog #23, "The Last Minute, Part 3"
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 23.8 23.9 Sonic the Hedgehog #13, "Calling Card"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #15, "Patient Zero"
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #16, "Infection"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2020, "Reflections"
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2020, "Eggman's Day Off"
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #21, "The Last Minute, Part 1"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #24, "The Last One Out"
- ↑ 30.00 30.01 30.02 30.03 30.04 30.05 30.06 30.07 30.08 30.09 30.10 30.11 30.12 30.13 30.14 30.15 30.16 30.17 30.18 Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #3, story one
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 Sonic the Hedgehog #31, "Recovery, Part 1"
- ↑ 32.00 32.01 32.02 32.03 32.04 32.05 32.06 32.07 32.08 32.09 32.10 32.11 32.12 32.13 Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys #1, "A Few Bad Men"
- ↑ 33.00 33.01 33.02 33.03 33.04 33.05 33.06 33.07 33.08 33.09 33.10 Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys #2, "Smash & Grab"
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 34.5 Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys #4, "No Honor Among Thieves"
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Sonic the Hedgehog #33, "Chao Races and Badnik Bases, Part 1"
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 Sonic the Hedgehog #35, "Chao Races and Badnik Bases, Part 3"
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 Sonic the Hedgehog #42, "Zeti Hunt, Part 2"
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #44, "Zeti Hunt, Part 4"
- ↑ 39.00 39.01 39.02 39.03 39.04 39.05 39.06 39.07 39.08 39.09 39.10 39.11 39.12 Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #1, story one
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #2, story one
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #51, "Escaping the Empire"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #53, "Overpowered, Part 2"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #54, "Overpowered, Part 3"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #55, "Overpowered, Part 4"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #61, "Urban Warfare, Part 5"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #67, "Second Chances"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #55, "Overpowered, Part 4"
- ↑ BumbleKing Videos (30 November 2020). BumbleKast Q&A for November 30th, 2020. YouTube. Retrieved on 31 December 2020.
- ↑ BumbleKing Videos (30 July 2022). BumbleKast for July 30th, 2022 - Q&A Livestream with Ian Flynn. YouTube. Retrieved on 1 August 2022.
External links[]
- Dr. Starline at IDW Sonic Hub Wiki, the IDW Sonic wiki.
