Fireworm

Fireworm^[1] (マンバー^[2], Manbā^?, lit. "Mamba") is an enemy in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a mass-produced, worm-based Badnik model created by Dr. Robotnik.

Appearance

Despite their name, Fireworms resemble more caterpillars than worms. The have five body segments, each with a pair of spikes on the lower sides and a hatch that spits flames on top. Their head segment has a pair of black eyes and four spikes around where their mouth would be.

Game appearances

Sonic & Knuckles

In Sonic & Knuckles and its lock-on expansion Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, Fireworms are encountered in the tunnel sections of Lava Reef Zone. Usually found either by themselves or in groups, Fireworms will burst out of the walls and start floating back and forth, descending when turning left and ascending when turning right. While moving, their backs spew fire.

Since the Fireworms' backflames and belly spikes will inflict damage on the player should they attack their bodies from above or below. the player must attack the Fireworms' head with a Spin Jump to defeat them. However, Fireworms are some of the few Badniks that will respawn after being destroyed if the player wanders far enough away for their spawning point to get off-screen.

Sonic Rivals

In Sonic Rivals, the Fireworm appears as an collectible card.

Sonic Mania

In Sonic Mania, and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus, the Fireworms appear as enemies. In terms of design, they look exactly like they did in Sonic & Knuckles. In these games, they appear in both Acts of Lava Reef Zone.

In gameplay, the Fireworms behave just like in their debut appearance: they float back and fourth while their backs spew fire and can only be damaged on their heads. Also, upon destroying a Fireworm, it will release an Animal.

References

↑ Sonic & Knuckles (Sega Genesis) United States instruction manual pg. 20.
↑ Sonic & Knuckles (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction manual pg. 32.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

Main articles (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic & Knuckles Collection) | Staff (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic & Knuckles Collection) | Manuals (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles) | Glitches (Sonic 3, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic & Knuckles Collection) | Beta elements (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles) | Galleries (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic & Knuckles Collection)

Playable characters		Sonic (Super Sonic, Hyper Sonic) \| Tails (Super Tails) \| Knuckles (Super Knuckles, Hyper Knuckles)
Non-playable characters		Dr. Robotnik \| Rock Drill \| Mecha Sonic (Mecha Sonic's Super State) \| Animals (Flicky (Flicky's Super State), Pocky, Pecky, Cucky, Ricky, Rocky)
Badniks		Batbot \| Blaster \| Blastoid (Carnival Night Zone) \| Blastoid (Hydrocity Zone) \| Bloominator \| Bubbles \| Bugernaut \| Butterdroid \| Catakiller, Jr. \| Chainspike \| Clamer \| Cluckoid \| Corkey \| Dragonfly \| EggRobo \| Fireworm \| Flybot767 \| Hyudoro \| Iwamodoki \| Jawz \| Madmole \| Mantis \| Mega Chopper \| Monkey Dude \| Mushmeanie \| Orbinaut \| Penguinator \| Pointdexter \| RhinoBot \| Ribot \| Rock'n \| Sandworm \| Skorp \| Snale Blaster \| Spikebonker \| Spiker \| Star Pointer \| Technosqueek \| Toxomister \| Turbo Spiker
Zones	Sonic 3	Angel Island Zone \| Hydrocity Zone \| Marble Garden Zone \| Carnival Night Zone \| IceCap Zone \| Launch Base Zone \| Special Stages \| Bonus Stages
	Sonic & Knuckles	Mushroom Hill Zone \| Flying Battery Zone \| Sandopolis Zone \| Lava Reef Zone \| Hidden Palace Zone \| Sky Sanctuary Zone \| Death Egg Zone \| The Doomsday Zone \| Special Stages \| Bonus Stages
	Competition	Azure Lake \| Balloon Park \| Chrome Gadget \| Desert Palace \| Endless Mine
Bosses	Sub-bosses	Doctor Robotnik's Flame Craft \| Doctor Robotnik's Whirlpool Machine \| Tunnelbot \| Self D-Struct Machine \| Iceball \| Swing'm Spikez \| Hei Hou \| Gapsule \| Barrier Eggman \| Guardian \| Heat Arms \| Egg Mobile-H \| Flying Eggman \| Red Eye \| Death Ball
Bosses	Zone bosses	Doctor Robotnik's Flame Craft \| Doctor Robotnik's Waterspout and Depth Charge Machine \| Doctor Robotnik's Jet Drill Pod \| Doctor Robotnik's Energy Ship \| Doctor Robotnik's Freeze-O-Matic \| Ball Shooter \| Beam Rocket \| Big Arm \| Jet Mobile \| Hang Mobile \| Egg Golem \| Hot Mobile \| Knuckles \| Mecha Sonic \| Mecha Sonic's Super State \| Great Eggman Robo \| Final Weapon
Moves/Techniques		Bound Jump \| Crouch \| Double Jump \| Fireball Spin Dash \| Glide \| Gliding Knuckles Attack \| Hyper Flash \| Insta-Shield \| Propeller Flying \| Spin Attack \| Spin Dash \| Spin Jump \| Swim \| Wall Climb
Items		Air Bubble \| Balloon \| Banana \| Bomb \| Booster \| Bumper \| Bumper wall \| Cannon \| Capsule \| Change \| Chaos Emerald \| Cloud \| Continue \| Electrical emitter \| Fan \| Jump Stand \| Monitor (Water Shield, Flame Shield, Invincibility, Lightning Shield, Super Ring, Super Shoes, Extra Life, S, Eggman) \| Movable box \| Mushroom \| Pulley \| Ring \| Signpost \| Self-Propelled Bomb \| Slow-Down Shoes \| Snowboard \| Sphere \| Spikes \| Spring \| Spinning Top \| Star Post (Star Circle) \| Super Emerald \| Switch \| Transport \| Vine \| Zip Line
Other		Conveyor Belt \| Corkscrew loop \| Crusher \| Death Egg \| Debug Mode \| Drum \| Fireball Cannon \| Flipper \| Floating Island \| Flywheel \| Freeze \| Giant spear \| Goal \| Gravity Control Switch \| Gumball \| High-speed elevator \| High-speed warp tube \| Icicle \| Iron ball \| Jewel Radar \| Perfect Bonus \| Platform-raising Wheel \| Pole Elevator \| Relief \| Reverse \| Ring Shooter \| Seesaw \| Shuttle loop \| Slot machine \| Snowblower \| Sonic & Knuckles • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 \| Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (LCD) \| Strange Relief \| Time Attack \| Tornado \| Warp Point \| Winding Tunnel \| "Wonderman"

Sonic Mania

Playable characters		Sonic (Super Sonic) \| Tails (Super Tails) \| Knuckles (Super Knuckles) \| Mighty* (Super Mighty) \| Ray (Super Ray*)
Non-playable characters		Dr. Eggman \| Hard Boiled Heavies (Heavy King, Heavy Gunner, Heavy Shinobi, Heavy Magician, Heavy Rider) \| Phantom Heavies (Phantom King, Phantom Gunner, Phantom Shinobi, Phantom Magician, Phantom Rider) \| Metal Sonic (Giga Metal) \| Animals (Becky, Cucky, Flicky, Locky, Micky, Pecky, Picky, Pocky, Ricky, Rocky, Tocky, Wocky) \| Jimmy \| Rock Drill
Zones		Angel Island Zone* \| Green Hill Zone \| Chemical Plant Zone \| Studiopolis Zone \| Flying Battery Zone \| Press Garden Zone \| Stardust Speedway Zone \| Hydrocity Zone \| Mirage Saloon Zone \| Oil Ocean Zone \| Lava Reef Zone \| Metallic Madness Zone \| Titanic Monarch Zone \| Egg Reverie Zone \| Special Stage \| Bonus Stage \| Pinball Stage*
Enemies		Armadiloid \| Aquis \| Asteron \| Ball Hog \| Batbrain \| Blaster \| Blastoid \| Bloominator* \| Bugernaut \| Bumpalo \| Buzz Bomber \| Cactula \| Canister \| Catakiller, Jr. \| Chopper \| Clucker \| Crabmeat \| Dango \| Dragonfly \| Eggrobo \| Fireworm \| Flasher mk.II \| Gohla \| Grabber \| Hotaru \| IceBomba \| Iwamodoki \| Jawz \| Jellygnite \| Juggle Saw \| Kabasira \| Kanabun \| Madmole \| Matryoshka-Bom \| Mega Chopper \| Mic Drop \| Monkey Dude* \| Moto Bug \| Newtron \| Octus \| Pointdexter \| Rattlekiller \| Rexon \| RhinoBot* \| Robot Bee \| Robot Beetle \| Roller mk.II \| Scarab \| Sentry Bug \| Shutterbug \| Silver Sonic \| Spiny \| Splats \| Sweep \| Technosqueek \| Toxomister \| Tubinaut \| Turbo Spiker \| Turbo Turtle \| Vultron \| Woodrow
Bosses	Mini-bosses	DD Wrecker \| Amoeba Droid \| Heavy Gunner \| Big Squeeze \| Shiversaw \| Hotaru Hi-Watt \| Dive Eggman \| Uber Caterkiller \| Meter Droid \| Drillerdroid \| Egg Pistons mk.II \| Crimson Eye
Bosses	Zone bosses	Death Egg Robot \| Mean Bean Machine \| Weather Globe \| Spider Mobile \| Heavy Shinobi \| Metal Sonic \| Laundro-Mobile \| Heavy Magician \| Mega Octus \| Heavy Rider \| Heavy King \| Gachapandora \| Phantom Egg \| Phantom King and Klepto Mobile
Moves/Techniques		Air Glide* \| Bounce Jump \| Climb \| Crouch \| Double Jump \| Drop Dash \| Fireball Spin Dash \| Glide \| Hammer Drop* \| Insta-Shield \| Propeller Flying \| Ring Spark Field \| Spin Attack \| Spin Dash \| Spin Jump \| Super Peel Out \| Swim \| V. Maximum Overdrive Attack
Gimmicks and obstacles		Beanstalk \| Bomb \| Bumper \| Bungee Rope \| Bumper wall \| Cannon \| Capsule \| Conveyor Belt \| Crusher \| Dash Panel \| Electrical conduit \| Fan \| Fireball Cannon \| Flipper \| Flywheel \| Goal Plate \| Hang Glider \| High-speed warp tube \| Ice Spring \| Iron ball \| Jump Panel \| Platform-raising Wheel \| Pulley \| Ruby Mist \| Seesaw \| Size Beam \| Snowblower \| Spikes \| Spring \| Star Post \| Switch \| Transport \| Vine \| Zip Line
Items		Air Bubble \| Chaos Emerald \| Giant Ring \| Giant spear \| Item Box (1-UP, Blue Shield, Bubble Shield, Character, Hyper Ring, Eggman Mark, Fire Shield, Invincible, Lightning Shield, Player Swap, Power Sneakers, Random, S, Super Ring) \| Little Planet flowers \| Master Emerald \| Metal Sonic Projector \| Medallion \| Ring \| Robot transporter \| Schrodinger's Capsule \| Sphere \| Star Circle \| Time Warp sign \| UFO \| Warp Point
Music		Sonic Mania (vinyl album) \| Sonic Mania Original Soundtrack (Selected Edition) \| Sonic Mania Plus Original Soundtrack
Other		Angel Island \| Auto Running \| Continue \| Death Egg Robot \| Debug Mode \| Egg Mobile \| Freeze \| Klepto Mobile \| Level Select \| Little Planet \| Mega Mack \| Phantom Ruby \| Perfect Bonus \| Popgun \| Shuttle loop \| Sonic Mania Adventures ("Sonic Returns", "Sonic and Tails", "& Knuckles", "Mighty and Ray", "Metal Mayhem", "From: A. Rose", "The Complete Mini-Series") \| Time Attack \| Time Over \| Time Warp \| Tornado \| Winding Tunnel Appears in Sonic Mania Plus* only

[1] Sonic & Knuckles (Sega Genesis) United States instruction manual pg. 20.

[2] Sonic & Knuckles (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction manual pg. 32.

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