Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity. |
- For the version of this subject before the Super Genesis Wave, see Genesis Wave (Pre-Super Genesis Wave).
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The Genesis Wave is a subject that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. It is a phenomenon created using the energies of a Chaos Emerald to rewrite reality to the user's benefits. The technology was developed by Dr. Eggman and has been used by him both alone and in alliance with Dr. Wily to alter Sonic's World on two occasions and Mega Man's World once. A supercharged variation made possible with the power of all seven Emeralds is called the Super Genesis Wave.
Description[]
Functions[]
The Genesis Wave has the ability to rearrange the space and time of a dimension, allowing the user to create a new timeline, reshape the physical universe, rewrite memories, and alter the structure of universes (i.e. splitting it into individual pocket zones). Additionally, the Genesis Wave can rewrite dimensions adjacent to the affected one in question, like soap bubbles; in other words, if another dimension lies close to the one rewritten, the adjacent dimension will be rewritten as well, such as in the case of the Sol Zone.
The time-space altering effects of the Genesis Wave will linger for a short while, creating disturbances that can be detected throughout the new reality's timeline, like when Silver registered the effects in the present from the future.
Limitations[]
The Genesis Wave's capabilities are limited by how many Chaos Emeralds are used. With just one, the Genesis Wave can only tweak the timeline and bend the occasional rules of the world. It is also incapable of outright erasing individuals from existence. With all seven Chaos Emeralds, however, the user can release a supercharged version of the wave, known as a "Super Genesis Wave." This wave has no limitations to it and can completely reshape the world however the user deems fitting, including erasing others completely and turn beings into deities.[1][2]
The Genesis Wave also cannot completely erase old memories. A regular Genesis Wave for example often leaving the affected inhabitants with amnesia or senses of déjà vu. The memories affected by a Super Genesis Wave also still exist, but cannot be accessed at all. Space-time disruptions from Chaos Control can also partially restore a person's old memories.
Side-effects[]
Despite its power, usage of the Genesis Wave has its dangers: overuse of it can greatly strain the fabric of reality, up to the point of literally "breaking" a universe. The Super Genesis Wave presents an even greater risk, capable of causing apocalyptic damage to the entire multiverse and all of existence itself if used incorrectly, or if it is improperly reversed. In addition, unlike the effects of a normal Genesis Wave, the Super Genesis Wave's effects are irreversible: once the affected world is changed, it presumably stays that way forever.[2][3][4]
There is at least one known object that is capable of offering partial immunity against the Super Genesis Wave: the Jeweled Scepter, a mystical artifact from the Sol Zone, protected its native zone from being destroyed when the multiverse collapsed, instead allowing it to merely be altered like the Prime Zone, but to a much lesser extent.[5] In fact, the scepters protection caused a peculiar anomaly to the zone: its inhabitants, such as Blaze the Cat, retained clouded memories of what had taken place in the past, especially, in relation to her prior interactions to the Prime Zone. Even certain objects that could have only existed in the old version of the zone were protected from being erased, the most notable being Captain Metal, a salvaged and rebuilt version of Metal Sonic v3.4, a version of the robot created in the old version of the Prime Zone.[6][7][8][9]
According to Professor Von Schlemmer, the effects of the Super Genesis Wave created another type of space-time anomaly known as the Genesis Portal–small rips in the fabric of time and space created by the "shards" of the old multiverse, that allow travel between realities.
History[]
First Wave: Advance[]
At some point in the not-too-distant past, Dr. Eggman launched the very first Genesis Wave, which split the planet into different pocket dimensions. Sonic the Hedgehog and his allies had to journey across each dimension to restore the planet and defeat Eggman's newest enforcer, Gemerl. During the event, Walter Naugus got caught in one of the dimensional rifts, an experience that left the troll wizard bereft of his powers.[10][11]
Second Wave: Worlds Collide[]
After Dr. Eggman's failed plot to alter Sonic's past using the Time Eater,[12][13] the blue Chaos Emerald ended up in the Lanfront Ruins on earth in the year 20XX. Using the emerald, Dr. Wily inadvertently came into contact with Eggman, who was still trapped in the White Space after said plan failed. The two decided to team up after bonding.[13][14]
Meeting up inside the Skull Egg Zone, the doctors constructed the Wily Egg with its own Genesis Wave machine. Within the zone, thereby allowing them to retain their memories of their original realities, the doctors launched the second Genesis Wave, which effected their respective worlds in different ways; while timeline of Sonic's World was completely reset (into a different state than last time), the timeline of Mega Man's World flashed into the future with only slight alterations.[14] This also established a bridge between the worlds for the doctors to use.[15]
Third Wave: Super Genesis Wave[]
With the second Genesis Wave successfully launched across both realities, Dr. Eggman and Wily gathered the seven Chaos Emeralds to super-charge the Genesis Wave for a "Super Genesis Wave" to alter the realities further, this time to complete reshape their worlds to their exact vision with no limitations and turn themselves into deities, despite the risk of heavily damaging the fabric of space and time in the process. Sonic and Mega Man were unable to prevent the Super Genesis Wave from being unleashed and rewrite both their universes, but they were still able to infiltrate the wave while in their super forms, in which they attempted to reverse with Chaos Control. Super Armor Mega Man was able to successfully restore his world, with everybody native to his world returning to their proper place. Super Sonic's attempt at restoring his world, on the other hand, was met with interference by Eggman, which resulted in their world being restored but with disastrous consequences.[1][2][13][16][17]
Sonic and the rest of the Freedom Fighters returned with conflicting memories of how their world was before, with the knowledge that their world (and the whole multiverse) had apparently been altered somehow. The effects of the Super Genesis Wave ultimately proved to be too much for Sonic's world to handle and the stress of the Wave's remaining energy broke the planet.[3][18]
The scattered fragments of the original multiverse would become Genesis Portals which lead to other universes.[19] This allowed Sigma, the nemesis of Mega Man's descendent, X, to start his own plans for multiversal domination and let to Sonic and Mega Man's next meeting.[20]
Trivia[]
- Because Ken Penders sued to assert legality over his characters and succeeded, Archie Comics used the Genesis Wave as a method to wipe out in one swoop the affected characters and start new with Sonic.
- Given that universes can be restored from the Genesis Wave by inducing Chaos Control, it would suggest that the Genesis Wave is simply a refined version of Chaos Control.
- The Genesis Wave's name is likely a reference to the Sega Genesis game system (Sega Mega Drive in Europe and Japan), on which the Sonic the Hedgehog games debuted.
- The Genesis Wave is also synonymous with the infamous Genesis Device from the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The Genesis Device unleashed a terraforming wave that would alter a planet to be hospitable, almost similar to how the Genesis Wave would alter a reality to take a different form.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sonic Universe #54, "When Worlds Collide Part Eleven: Worst of the Worst"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sonic the Hedgehog #251, "When Worlds Collide Finale: Best of the Best"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #252, "At All Costs Part 2: A New Lease on Life"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #257, "Damage Control"
- ↑ Ian Flynn (22 March 2015). Ask Ian - Year End Bonanza Thingie. BumbleKing Comics. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015.
- ↑ Sonic Universe #55, "Pirate Plunder Panic Part One"
- ↑ Sonic Universe #56, "Pirate Plunder Panic Part Two"
- ↑ Sonic Universe #57, "Pirate Plunder Panic Part Three"
- ↑ Sonic Universe #58, "Pirate Plunder Panic The Conclusion"
- ↑ Sonic Advance 3
- ↑ Sonic Universe #89, "Shattered Part Three: Lost & Found"
- ↑ Sonic Generations
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Sonic Boom #8, "Worlds Unite Part Two: Broken Heroes"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Mega Man #24, "When Worlds Collide Part One: Kindred Sprits"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #249, "When Worlds Collide Part Six: Friends or Foes"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #250, "When Worlds Collide Part Nine: All-Out War!"
- ↑ Mega Man #50, "Worlds Unite Part Four: Death and Destruction"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #256, "Countdown to Chaos Finale: The Princess and the Hammer"
- ↑ Sonic/Mega Man Free Comic Book Day 2015, "Sonic Comic Origins: Into the Unknown"
- ↑ Sonic Universe #76, "Worlds Unite! Part One: Across Time and Space"
External links[]
- Genesis Wave at Mobius Encyclopaedia, the Archie Sonic wiki.