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Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity. |
Gold the Tenrec is a character who appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. She is a mobian tenrec from an alternate reality, who wound up in two hundred years into the future after her home was ravaged by the Second Devourer. She went on to become a member of the corrupt Onyx City Council, before turning rogue and becoming an ally to Silver the Hedgehog and Professor Von Schlemmer.
Appearance
Gold in her Council uniform.
Gold, as her name states, is a golden mobian tenrec with brown skin and no fur on her arms and upper torso, except for a patch of short ivory chest fur. She has round ears on top of her head, light blue eyes with light blue eye markings, and a pale yellow incomplete circle marking on her forehead which resembles the symbol on Silver the Hedgehog's gloves. It glows softly at all times, but brighter when using her powers. She also appears to have no tail. When using her powers, Gold's eyes tend to glow pale yellow sheen.
She wears a brown-colored sari with blue and gold markings akin to Silver's on the edge. It drapes over her left arm and leaves her right arm bare. She wears white leggings. Her shoes are brown open-toed sandals that match her sari. On each wrist and ankle she wears a stack of four simple gold bracelets.
For her Onyx City Council uniform, she wears a five-dotted mask and a dull turquoise hooded cloak with seafoam trim and gold hemlines that bear golden tron lines akin to those on Silver's bracelets. She wears yellow socks under her sandals as well.
History
Past
Gold hails from an alternate reality that was one day left petrified by a giant monster known as the Second Devourer that appeared via a Genesis Portal. She almost fell victim to the creature herself until she was able to escape through a Genesis Portal that took her to Silver's future world, specifically the Science Center. Once she arrived there she encountered the Onyx City Council who offered to take care of her. Gold thus underwent training under their watch, eventually becoming a member of the Council. However, she soon realized they were only using her abilities to study the Genesis Portals and used her powers to subdue the mind-control devices they placed on her.[5]
The Silver Age
Gold is forced to open the council's Genesis Portal, from Sonic Universe #80.
Later, Professor Von Schlemmer came before the council, with Silver the Hedgehog in tow, and warned of the impending danger of the Genesis Portals, unaware that the council themselves were in the process of trying to create their own man-made portal. The council dismissed the pair, then Gold communicated with Silver via telepathy, instructing him and the professor to return after hours. Gold later revealed herself to Silver and Von Schlemmer at the lab as an ally, before her fellow council members ambushed the group. Subduing the trio, Gold was forced to open up their own Genesis Portal, despite her warnings that something was waiting on the other side to come through. The portal was opened and, sure enough, the Second Devourer made its way through and began to petrify the Onyx City.[5][6]
The trio devised a plan to use the professor's Bigger-Maker Machine to make Silver grow in both size and power, enough to let him combat the monster, but the machine needed to be recalibrated to work on a full person, something that Von Schlemmer accomplished with the combined brain power of everyone present (including the Bits), thanks to her telepathy, which she also used to give Silver words of encouragement during the his battle against the Second Devourer. Silver eventually succeeded shutting away the monster through Genesis Portal, but the heroes celebration was short-lived as, at that moment, yet another Genesis Portal opened below their feet, sending Gold and her new friends falling to an unknown fate.[7]
Personality
Gold is supportive, intelligent, observant, caring, and easily impressed (she makes a lot of noise when watching movies). However, she is also nosy, neurotic, and nagging. She is the type to keep her head down and not get caught. Currently, she is beginning to learn how to be her own person, and that that person has value and power.[4]
Powers and abilities
Like Silver, Gold possesses psychic abilities. Unlike Silver however, her specialty lies in telepathy, allowing her to speak to others telepathically, read minds, induce visions, and link minds together. Her abilities further extend into minor mind control, mental healing and psychokinesis (what form of it is unclear however).[4] However, she appears to have trouble controlling her powers when she is stressed. She is also said to be a brilliant civic planner and leader.[4]
Trivia
- Gold's species was first confirmed by her creator Evan Stanley, writer of the storyline where she made her debut. She further clarified that Gold is "specifically a lesser hedgehog tenrec."[2]
- Gold's name goes in tandem with Silver's: they are both types of metal often paired together.
- Gold's favorite book genres are romance and poetry, although she runs away and closes her eyes when drama and romance occur. Her least favorite story elements are when anything gory or scary happens.[4]
- Evan Stanley stated on her Tumblr blog that she leans toward Gold as being either bisexual or lesbian.[4] Whether or not this will be established in-canon is not confirmed.
- This marks the first time a member of the creative team has stated a character to be LGBT while still working on the series. Previously, former head writer Ken Penders stated his belief that Rotor Walrus was gay, as well as confirming that Knecapeon Mace was intended to be gay, after he had left the series.
- According to Evan Stanley, Gold is ethnically from "whatever the Sonic's World equivalent of India is."[4]
- According to Evan Stanley, Gold's hands and feet have "no great secrets hidden."[8]
- When activating her powers, Gold makes a "dinggg" sound.
Gallery
Concept artwork
| Gallery |
|---|
 Gold's early designs. She was originally conceived as a Holo-Lynx.  Early concepts  Early concepts (height and expressions)  Early concept  Species and color concepts  Gold's nearly final design. Notable differences: shorter snout, brown eye-marks, no eyelashes, sharper quills  Eyelash concepts  Guide to visualizing her outfit  Concept artwork with commentary  Front view  Side view |
References
- ↑ Evan Stanley (1 May 2016). Comment on EvanStanley★'s profile. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Evan Stanley (29 June 2015). Solicts - STH 278, SU 81 and more!. Archived from the original on 2 November 2015.
- ↑ File:Gold Concept artwork 2.png
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Evan Stanley (16 February 2016). SBR's Place. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sonic Universe #81, "The Silver Age Part Three"
- ↑ Sonic Universe #80, "The Silver Age Part Two"
- ↑ Sonic Universe #82, "The Silver Age Part Four"
- ↑ Evan Stanley (April 2016). Evan Stanley Tumblr. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016.
External links
- Gold the Tenrec at Mobius Encyclopaedia, the Archie Sonic wiki.