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This event exists primarily or exclusively within the Pre-Super Genesis Wave continuity.
Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity.

The Iron Dominion Takeover is an event that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. It occurred on Mobius in the year 3237. Within these series of events, the Iron Dominion took over the Eggman Empire thanks to the efforts of Snively Robotnik right after Dr. Eggman lost to Sonic the Hedgehog during the Invasion of the Eggdome strike-out battle between the Knothole Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix against the Eggman Empire and Dark Egg Legion. Later, The Iron Dominion then took over New Mobotropolis after a series of strike-outs against the Freedom Fighters, namely Sonic.

History[]

Prelude[]

Main article: Mobius • Moebius Clash
Egg Network chat

Snively on "chat" with Regina Ferrum.

During the Mobius • Moebius Clash, Dr. Eggman sent out Metal Sonic and Metal Scourge out to take care of Sonic the Hedgehog and his Moebius counterpart, Scourge the Hedgehog. Unfortunately, both of the units were destroyed by their organic counterparts, thus upon hearing this, Snively Robotnik, had called to last resorts and accessed the Eggnet to contact the Grandmasters for their check-ups. He came across one Grandmaster, named Regina Ferrum, the leader of the Iron Monarchs in the Dragon Kingdom, who Snively quickly fell in love with. He then set up plans for an invasion following Eggman's fall.[1][2][3]

The Iron Dominion

Snively welcoming the Iron Dominion.

Sonic soon led the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix to New Megaopolis inside the Eggdome to prepare a strike-out attack inside. Against all odds, SOnic managed to defeat Eggman's last resort, the Egg Tarantula. However, when Eggman had lost, the defeat pushed him to the brink of insanity. Snively then told Sonic that he would take care of Eggman, as the Freedom Fighters had "won". And thus, the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix returned to New Mobotropolis, assuming the Second Robotnik War was over. Little did they realize that Snively had anticipated Eggman's fall, and called reinforcements in the form of the Iron Dominion. He then introduced the Iron Queen, the Iron King, and their subordinates to the Eggman Empire, granting them control over the entire empire.[4][5]

Warnings of an Invasion[]

Ninjas Get!

Espio and Lightning heading away from New Mobotropolis.

Days after Eggman's defeat, the citizens of New Mobotropolis, along with Sonic and Sally Acorn, went to the New Mobotropolis Coliseum to watch the newest concert by the Forget Me Knots. However, it was interrupted by a sudden bolt of lighting caused by Monkey Khan, who was angry at the Freedom Fighters for not fighting the Iron Dominion. Sonic, recognizing Monkey Khan from when he encountered him years ago, attacked him with a Sonic Spin, leading them into a fight in front of the citizens.

Iron Dominion Rising

Khan telling Sally the war isn't over.

However, their fight was soon stopped by Sally, who convinced Khan to talk. Khan then explained that the war was not over, as the Iron Dominion had taken over the Eggman Empire, and were using its forces to spread their influence. Hearing of this, Elias Acorn told Antoine D'Coolette to gather up the Council of Acorn to discuss the recent events, but Khan disapproved, believing them to be repeating their tactics used against Eggman. Despite this, Sonic was excited for another adventure, and after hearing Khan's statement about the lack of Dragon Kingdom Freedom Fighters, decided to join him in a recon mission to the Eggdome. Khan, however, believed Sonic was grossly underestimating the strength of the Iron Dominion.[6]

Espio the Chameleon soon noticed the lighting blasts from far off and began heading towards the coliseum, while being questioned by Nicole Nicole. Unfortunately, Espio was suddenly interrupted by a knife flying towards him, thrown by none other than Lightning Lynx, who immediately informed Espio that the Clan Wars were over and that they would need to report to their respective tribes, as Lightning was from the Raiju Clan while Espio was from the Shinobi Clan. Nicole, confused, asked Espio what was happening, but he the chameleon instead left with Lightning, having strange doubts about what was to come.[7]

All the while, the Iron Queen resided in a makeshift throne room created inside the Eggdome, with the Iron King and Snively at her sides. After receiving a report from Conquering Storm about the rest of New Megaopolis being ruined, she was approached by Dimitri, who requested that she would remove the explosives Eggman had planted in the Dark Egg Legion's cybernetics. Although the Iron Queen did not grant this request, she did provide micro-chips which would supposedly disable the explosives, but in reality, would grant her control over those who installed it. Dimitri soon left the throne room, but correctly doubted the legitimacy of the chips' functions.[7]

War with New Mobotropolis[]

Sonic and Monkey Khan continued their advance on the Eggdome, encountering the Lien-Da and the Dark Egg Legion upon arriving at New Megaopolis. Once Sonic explained the Dark Egg Legion to Khan, Khan used his Atom-Bat to destroy Lien-Da's Egg Mobile prompting her and the legion to fall back. However, this was just to allow for the Yagyu Clan to swarm the invaders from all sides. While Sonic and Khan fought back the Yagyu, Sonic asked Khan about them, and was told about their thieving lifestyle, and how they should hope the other three clans would not be present. But they were soon interrupted by the Dark Egg Legion, which began firing at them from the sidelines, taking care not to shoot their Yagyu allies. To make matters worse, the Iron King himself soon arrived, wielding his deadly Tremor Mace. Sonic asked Khan if using the Fan of Fen Xing was a viable option, but Khan responded by stating the Yagyu had stolen it recently. Both Sonic and Khan attempted to attack the Iron King, but none of their attacks were strong enough to damage him. Espio finally arrived from New Mobotropolis, leading Sonic to believe he was sent as a reinforcement, despite Khan's protests. However, as Espio was serving the Shinobi Clan, he attacked Sonic while his guard was down. Khan was also attacked by Lightning Lynx, who had arrived with Espio. Sonic managed to temporarily defeat Espio with a Sonic Spin, but was unable to block the attacking Yagyu, while Khan defeated Lighting using his Atom-Bat, only to be shot by several members of the Dark Egg Legion. With Sonic and Khan weakened, the Iron King gave them the option of joining the Iron Dominion, which they both refused. Believing themselves to be greatly outnumbered, Khan summoned his cloud, and used it to fly both him and Sonic back to New Mobotropolis. Despite Lien-da wishing otherwise, the Iron King ordered the legion not to fire on them, as he wished Sonic and Khan to serve as an example to other's of the dominion's power. Arriving back at Castle Acorn, Sonic explained the events to Elias, Sally, and Knuckles, much to their surprise. While Knuckles attempted to make sense of Espio's betrayal, Elias put the Honor Guard on high alert, and Khan walked off in sadness, considering himself having failed his people.[8]

Back in he Eggdome, the Iron Queen explained her past to Snively, about how she was born into a group of Technomages in Mega Central, and learned to control Robots from a young age. However, due to Technomancy being illegal, she was arrested, but shown mercy due to her young age. From there, she continued to wander in search of other Technomages, before settling in the Dragon Kingdom with the Iron King. Snively asked what happened next, but was told by the Iron Queen that she would tell the rest another night.[9]

Back in New Mobotropolis, Snaggle Tiger, Rory Bear, and Sasha Cat began throwing rocks at Khan, believing he was the enemy for his previous disturbance at the coliseum. However, Sonic soon arrived, an managed to settle the fight, while Khan apologized for his past behavior. Sonic attempted to make Khan feel better by referencing the prophecy that he would become king. But this only infuriated Khan, as he believed himself to have failed his people. But their conversation was interrupted by a warning from Nicole, as two units had managed to enter New Mobotropolis while the force field was down. Said two units were discovered to be the Iron Queen, and Snively Robotnik, both riding Egg Mobiles. Sally assembled the Freedom Fighters in an effort to defend New Mobotropolis, only for the Iron Queen to use her Technomagic to take control of Bunnie's robotic limbs, and use them against her friends. Sonic managed to lure the controlled Bunnie into a prison Nicole had formed out of Nanites, only for the Iron Queen to engage Bunnie's arm cannon, allowing her to escape. Realizing all of Bunnie's powers ran off he life force, the Iron Queen attempted to kill her by using it all up. However, she was stopped by Khan, who had been convinced by Rosie's orphans that he could save Bunnie. However, this only gave Snively the option to remove Khan's Power Ring crown, allowing the Iron Queen to transform him into Iron Khan.[10]

Meanwhile, on Angel Island, Knuckles resumed his duty of guarding the Master Emerald, but was approached by Espio, who had been ordered by his clan to steal it. Although Knuckles attempted to question Espio, the chameleon attacked him when Knuckles refused to give up the emerald. Despite Knuckles' best efforts, Espio managed to get Knuckles up against the edge of Shrine Isle with a knife pointed at him.[11]

Back in New Mobotropolis, Iron Khan began wreaking havoc. Thankfully, Sonic soon arrived, having placed Bunnie in Freedom HQ, and was informed by Sally of the Iron Queen's control over Khan. Sonic attempted to reach Khan, but was unable to circumvent the Iron Queen's control. To make matters worse, Snively used his Egg Mobile's mechanical arms to break Khan's Power Ring crown, rendering it unusable. All the while, the Iron Queen jeered, stating that Iron Khan would destroy them just like he did to the Dragon Kingdom Freedom Fighters. However, this gave Sonic an idea, and he called for his allies to hold Khan off while he ran to the Lake of Rings. Antoine, Sally Vector, and Mighty answered, and unsuccessfully attempted to stall Khan. Meanwhile at the Lake of Rings, Sonic was impatiently asking Nicole when an Power Ring would surface, to which the AI responded by rerouting some power to the lake. Unfortunately, Iron Khan soon arrived, having escaped the other Freedom Fighters, and charged at Sonic, who thankfully managed to place a newly-formed power ring on Khan's head while in the lake, returning his free will. Snively and the Iron Queen soon left New Mobotropolis, believing that with Khan's faith in himself broken, they had achieved a great victory. Antoine, however, was furious with Khan for not properly informing the others about the Iron Queen's technology-controlling powers. But Khan was supported by Sonic, Sally, and Rosie's orphans, all of whom believed Khan was trying his best to control his power, and fight the iron dominion. Realizing this, Antoine relented, and apologized for his behavior, before heading off to see Bunnie. Sally and Rosie's orphans, soon left to see Tails, while Sonic left to check on the survivors, and Khan stayed to search for his Atom-Bat in the lake. Meanwhile in the Eggdome, Snively was gloating to Eggman about his recent victory, but left disappointed, as the mad doctor could not understand anything he said. But unbeknownst to him, during one of his mad ramblings, Eggman had stated the cell override code, unlocking the door formerly keeping him in.[12]

Back on Shrine Isle, Knuckles asked Espio if he would really doom Angel Island by stealing the Master Emerald, and give all of its power to the Iron Dominion. Espio instead asked his own question, inquiring if he would be forced to kill Knuckles by stealing the Master Emerald. Knuckles responded by stating he would do everything to stop Espio, and protect the Master Emerald. This prompted Espio to hesitate for a moment, before pulling Knuckles back off the edge of the island, and stating that because of what Knuckles said, he would be unable to steal the Master Emerald, due to conflicting orders. Knuckles asked how he could help Espio's problem, to which the chameleon replied that he would have to break the Iron Queen's control of the four houses. Espio continued to explain about the clans, and how Lightning Lynx was serving the Raiju Clan in New Megaopolis, before leaving Angel Island, believing had said too much.[13]

Back in the Eggdome, Snively heard the door to Eggman's cell opening, and came to investigate, only to be pushed aside by the mad doctor, who, in his insanity, was entirely focused on searching for Sonic. Terrified, Snively attempted to warn the forces of the Iron Dominion, but instead bumped into the Iron King, who believed Snively had freed Robotnik. The subsequent argument that followed between them gave Eggman enough time to escape the Eggdome in his Egg-Tortoise, heading for the Great Forest. Seeing this, the Iron King Informed the Iron Queen of the problem. Back in New Mobotropolis, Bunnie was resting at the Tommy Turtle Memorial Hospital, while Khan handed her a bouquet, and apologized for not fully explaining the Iron Queen's powers beforehand. Bunnie forgave him, while Khan headed off to his room by the request of Dr. Quack for some rest. Sonic, however, soon received word from Nicole that a large object was detected moving through the Great Forest, prompting him to investigate it. To his surprise, Sonic found Eggman in his Egg-Tortise to be the source of the commotion, who was repeatedly uprooting trees in the hopes of finding the entrance to Knothole Village under one. Sonic questioned whether Eggman had regained his sanity, but soon decided he had not after the doctor shouted nonsensical phrases at him while bombarding him with missiles. Back at the Eggdome, the Iron Queen began mobilizing the Yagyu Clan and the Dark Egg Legion, in an attempt to recapture Eggman, but was interrupted by Conquering Storm, who informed her of Espio's failure to acquire the master Emerald. Although disappointed, the Iron Queen decided to ignore the gem for the moment, and ordered Conquering Storm to return to the Dragon Kingdom, so as to keep watch over the other brides. Before leaving, the Iron Queen also told Dimitri that he would be in charge during her absence, who in turn deputized Lien-Da, much to her annoyance. Back in the great forest, Tails arrived to support Sonic, and was surprised to see Robotnik back. However, Sonic assured him that the doctor was barely a threat in his current state, as he had been running in circles around his Egg-Tortoise for five minutes without any problems. Tails proceeded to deactivate the Egg-Tortoise through the access panel on its underside, much to Eggman's annoyance. Tail then asked Sonic why he was going easy on Eggman, to which he replied that despite everything Eggman did, he felt wrong for driving him to insanity. Although Tails did not fully agree with this testament, he did decide it would be for the best to lock him up in New Mobotropolis. Sonic accepted this, and tried talking to Eggman, only to be punched straight in the face by the mad doctor, who then proceeded to pass out. Sonic and Tails attempted to move Robotnik's body, but were soon interrupted by the arrival of the Iron Dominion. Deciding on a course of action, Sonic told Tails to get Robotnik back to New Mobotropolis, while he handled the rest.[14]

Back in the Eggdome, Lien-Da reflected on her past, how during her time in the Twilight Cage, she and her brother Kragok had collaborated to kill their father, Luger, in hopes of being promoted to joint Grandmasters of the Dark Legion. However, Kragok secretly designed the Experimental Dark Legion weapon to explode upon activation, mortally wounding Lien-da when she fired it. With Luger dead, and Lien-da hospitalized, Kragok was promoted to the sole Grandmaster of the Legion, although he allowed Lien-da to become Kommisar upon her recovery. Lien-da's reminiscing was soon cut short by a call from Dimitri, who wished to see her in the lab. Exiting her bunk, Lien-da resolved that she would have to take her position as Grandmaster by force.[15]

Back in the Great Forest, Tails expressed concern that Sonic would not be able to fight the entire Iron Dominion, to which the hedgehog replied by explaining how, according to Khan, three of the four houses were still in the Dragon Kingdom, meaning the Iron Queen's current force was only a portion of the Dominion's true numbers. Reluctantly agreeing, Tails dragged Eggman off, while Sonic used his Sonic Spin to destroy several floating saucers transporting Yagyu warriors. Back in New Mobotropolis, Sally and Khan went off to check on Sonic and Tails, only to find Tails outside he walls, slowly dragging an unconscious Eggman. Tails explained the situation, prompting Sally to tell Nicole the prepare a cell for Eggman, and mobilize the remaining members of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, while Khan brought Eggman to the New Mobotropolis Detention Center. Back in the Great Forest, Sonic continued to push back the forces of the Iron Dominion, much to the Iron Queen's fury. In response, the Iron King himself stepped in, and knocked Sonic across the battlefield with his Atom-bat, before grasping him in his fist. However, the other Freedom Fighters soon arrived in a hovering saucer, and freed Sonic, while simultaneously stunning the Iron King. Tails then airlifted Sonic, giving him enough height to damage both Snively and the Iron Queen's Egg Mobiles with a powerful Sonic Spin. Although the Iron Queen was caught by the Iron King, Snively was forced to bail from his burning Eggmobile, which soon exploded. Furious, the Iron Queen ordered her forces to pursue the Freedom Fighters, who were retreating towards New Mobotropolis. Using his speed, Sonic carried his friends one by one into New Mobotropolis, shortly before Nicole activated the shield, and the Iron Dominion arrived. Despite his best efforts, the Iron King was unable to make a single dent in the force field with his Tremor Mace, much to his anger. Sonic asked Nicole if the shield would hold up, to which she replied that it would, despite her experiencing some strange distortion. Monkey Khan soon walked up, supporting a still-wounded Bunnie, and told the Iron Queen they were now even for the Dominion's previous attack on the city. Although irate, the Iron Queen knew she had been beaten, and ordered her forces to return to the Eggdome. Sonic soon visited Eggman in the New Mobotropolis Detention Center, and was initially mistaken for Sir Charles Hedgehog by the doctor, before Sonic corrected him. In his insane state, Eggman seemed to believe he was still the Kingdom of Acorn's Warlord shortly after the Great War, which Sonic played along with, convincing him he was in protective custody. Believing this, Eggman went to sleep, while Sonic was reprimanded by Monkey Khan for being kind to the doctor. In response, Sonic explained that he moves too fast to be vengeful, and just does what he thinks is right. Khan was greatly surprised by this answer, stating Sonic was either a zen master, or a fool, but impressive either way. Back in the Eggdome, Snively knocked on the Iron Queen's door, asking if she was mad with him for their defeat at New Mobotropolis, to which she angrily replied that unless he could find a way past the force field, he would never enter her chambers again, before slamming the door on him.[16]

Arriving at the Eggdome's hidden lab, Lien-da met with Dimitri, who explained to her how he had discovered that the data chips offered by the Iron Queen would not only disable their explosives, but make them completely susceptible to her Technomagic, and that he had managed to modify a single chip against such problems. Lien-da questioned whether it would be possible to modify the chips even further so that they could control the entire legion, and possibly overthrow the Iron Queen, an idea which Dimitri strongly opposed. However, Lien-da had her own plans for controlling the Dark Legion, and overloaded Dimitri's system, rendering him stationary, then proceeded to install the chip in herself, and hide Dimitri in a crate, despite his pleading. Lien-da then went before the Iron Queen, telling her that Dimitri had fled, and she had installed all the provided chips in the other legionaries. Believing this, the Iron Queen appointed her as the new Grandmaster in reward.[17]

Trying a different strategy, the Iron King attacked Fort Acorn, with the intention of destroying both the force field surrounding Robotropolis' radioactive ruins, and the energy converter providing power for New Mobotropolis. Despite being defended by Amadeus Prower and his Mes Braves Battalion, the Iron King easily wrecked Fort Acorn, and set his sights on Robotropolis. Back in New Mobotropolis, Sally was explaining to Khan about the events he had missed since the Xorda Attack on Mobius, but was interrupted by Nicole, who informed them of the Iron King's attack, having already sent Sonic and Tails to contain the situation. After being briefly filled in on Robotropolis' importance, Khan flew off on his cloud to join the fight. Back at the former site of Fort Acorn, Amadeus attempted to stop the Iron King from reaching Robotropolis, only to have his sword shatter on contact with his incredibly durable armor. Thankfully, however, Amadeus was saved by Sonic, who distracted the Iron King with a Sonic Spin, before informing the general of Tails' evacuation efforts in the vicinity. Entrusting the situation to him, Amadeus retreated to a nearby Nanite-powered shuttle, which Tails soon piloted off towards New Mobotropolis. With all the members of the Mes Braves Battalion safe, Sonic continued his battle with the Iron King, using his speed to bury the Iron King in a hole. Although the Iron King easily escaped with his strength, Khan soon arrived, and told him he would pay for his crimes. Back in New Mobotropolis, Sally paid a visit to Bunnie, asking for advice regarding her newfound romantic interest in Khan. Bunnie told her that as she was not currently dating Sonic, she should just follow her heart to find the best match for her, and that she would probably have to be the one to make the first move. Accepting this, Sally thanked her and left. Back outside Robotropolis, Sonic and Khan simultaneously attacked the Iron King, only to both be grabbed by his crushing fists, deciding which to kill first. However, Sonic and Khan managed to escape, prompting the Iron King to start attacking the force field. Sonic and Khan discussed their plan, as they were unable to do any sort of lasting damage to the Iron King. But when Khan mentioned that the Iron King did not appear overly intelligent, Sonic got an idea. While Khan distracted the Iron King, Sonic dashed over to the Energy Converter, and contacted Nicole through it, asking her to remove all the interior parts of it, and rebuild it underground in under a minute. Although difficult, Nicole managed to do so, prompting Sonic to surrender to the Iron King, on the pretenses that he would only destroy the converter, and not the shield. Taking the bait, the Iron King began destroying the "converter", which was actually an empty shell, while Sonic quietly explained the plan to Khan. Sonic and Khan soon Returned to New Mobotropolis, with the latter being greeted by Sally, who wanted to talk with him. Although surprised, Sonic was soon asked for details about his adventure by Amy, who also wanted to take him out to dinner. Sonic hesitated for a moment, before accepting, saying he would pay for the food, and asking if Chuck's Chili Dogs sounded good, to which Amy replied that it did.[18]

Back in the Eggdome, the Iron Queen was furious at the Iron King's recent failure, returning to her chambers in anger. This prompted the Iron King to explain to Snively how the Iron Queen was not always so demanding, as she had originally used her technomancy to assist him in his invasion of the Dragon Kingdom by reawakening the region's ancient machines of the region. And when said invasion was stopped by the warring clans, she convinced Dr. Ivo Robotnik to supply them with robotic forces, in exchange for them serving him as Sub-Bosses. But despite the forces gained, they were unable to fight off all four clans, prompting the Iron Queen to try bribing the Bride of Rich Nights, who refused the offer. However, the Iron King solved this by killing her, but giving the Iron Queen the credit by her request. The Iron Queen used the newly-allied Yagyu forces to assist their enemies at random during their battles, at the same time spreading rumors that the other tribes had all sworn allegiance to them. With the Yagyu's activities supporting this, the other three brides each swore allegiance to the Iron Dominion, fearing that they would be overrun otherwise. But despite the fact that this force could have easily conquered the Dragon Kingdom, the entire dominion moved to new Megaopolis after receiving word of Eggman's fall from Snively. The Iron King angrily explained to Snively that all because of him, he was now on the receiving end of Sonic's jokes, and being yelled at by the Iron Queen. But despite hating him, he decided not to squash Snively, as it would not be worth the effort. As the Iron King walked off to meditate, Snively silently said to himself that he had already formed an idea on how to infiltrate New Mobotropolis, and once he did so, he would become the new Iron King, and the former one would be hamburger.[19]

Snively soon explained his plan to the Iron Queen, who, although initially being skeptical of it, soon came to see its brilliance. The plan revolved around taking advantage of Nicole and her Nanites, all of which were completely susceptible to the Iron Queen's Technomagic, and using them to control New Mobotropolis. The Iron Queen soon rallied a force composed of Dark Legionaries and Yagyu, and set the plan in motion. Back in New Mobotropolis, Tails was met by Sonic in the King Frederick Airfield, who asked what he was doing. Tails explained that he was putting the finishing touches on a new, non nanite-based model of the Tornado, as Nicole had recycled the Nanites used in the previous one. However, their conversation was cut short by an alarm signifying the Iron Dominion's advancement, who had arrived outside New Mobotropolis' walls once again. Sonic, Tails, Sally and Khan rushed over to Nicole, asking for information about the approaching force. Nicole raised the shield, and stated that although the Iron Dominion was attacking again, they were making no effort to hide their approach, a fact which Sally and Khan found troublesome. Nicole attempted to deter the Iron Queen, only to be taken control of, and transformed into Iron Nicole by her Technomagic. The Iron Queen then ordered Iron Nicole to open the city's walls, which she did, allowing the forces of the Iron Dominion to invade with ease. Shocked, Sally ordered Bunnie to leave, as her limbs were still susceptible to Technomagic. However, as Bunnie tried to leave, a metallic dome was extended over New Mobotropolis, trapping her in. Sally attempted to organize the panicking citizens, while Khan attempted to rescue those trapped inside Castle Acorn, both to no avail. Sonic and Tails soon arrived, and asked Sally if she had any plan to free Nicole. Sally stated that if they could reach Freedom HQ, they would be able to access the city's mainframe from there. Before they could continue, however, the Iron King attacked, having come with the invasion force. Khan decided to hold him off, while Sonic brought Sally to safety. Meanwhile, inside the Detention Center, Snively gloated over Eggman, who, like before, was too insane to understand any of his insults, instead calling him by his birth name of "Colin". Disgusted, Snively left. Back outside, Antoine, Bunnie, and Vector realized they were outnumbered, and formulated a plan to get the citizens to safety: Antoine would hold off the invading forces while Vector led Bunnie and the citizens through his Warp Ring to Angel Island. But despite Antoine's wishes, Bunnie stayed behind to fight the Dominion beside her spouse. However, Iron Nicole soon used the Nanites to form giant arms out of regular objects, catching Bunnie, Antoine, several citizens, and the Tornado, just as Sonic, Tails, and Sally were attempting to take off in it. Sonic subsequently destroyed the hand grabbing the Tornado with a Sonic Spin, while Amy took over Khan's duty to hold off the Iron King, so that he could assist his friends. Khan then blew a hole in the iron dome surrounding the city with a powerful blast from his Atom-Bat, allowing him, Sonic, Sally, and Tails to escape towards Freedom HQ.[20]

Arriving at Freedom HQ, Sally attempted to analyze the situation through one of the computers, having blamed herself for not anticipating the Iron Queen's control over Nicole. Sonic and Khan comforted her, however, with the latter telling her that he hadn't made the connection either, and the former telling her to stop wallowing in self-pity, as they had faced worse. Sally asked Tails about his progress on helping Nicole, to which he replied that Nicole was too fast to be effectively hacked, even by him. Sonic then suggested using the Particle-To-Light Organizer and Transporter Device, as it would allow them to circumvent the issue in speed. Tails agreed, and began setting the device up for use, while Sonic explained its features to Sally. Khan questioned the safety of the device, to which Sally responded that because of its chaotic nature, he would be staying in Freedom HQ with Tails to help with any problems. Having finished prepping the device, Tails activated it, sending Sonic and Sally into the Digital World, outside a digital recreation of New Mobotropolis. Although initially confused, Sally explained how it was just the way their brains perceived Iron Nicole's defense measures. Sonic attempted to break down the gate, only to be met by Iron Nicole, whom Sally tried to convince to fight the Iron Queen's control, with little success. However, the Iron Queen herself soon arrived in virus form, and attempted to delete Sonic and Sally, forcing them to temporarily leave Nicole behind so that they could avoid the Iron Queen's attacks. Sonic questioned how the Iron Queen made it into the mainframe as she did not have a suitable device, while inside the physical Castle Acorn, the Iron Queen continued using her Technomancy to project herself into the digital world, ignoring Snively's questions, due to the amount of concentration required. Feeling dejected, Snively asked Lien-da for a status report, who stated that the Iron King was continuing to terrorize New Mobotropolis, and locking up any citizens in the Detention Chamber. Meanwhile, Sir Charles Hedgehog was captured and locked up inside the Detention Chamber, being placed in a cell next to Eggman by a Yagyu Soldier. Still believing it to be shortly after the Great War, Eggman asked Charles how his "Robot-Sizer" was coming along. Annoyed, Charles told him to be quiet, specifically referring to him as "Eggman". However, this triggered a string of memories within Eggman's brain, remembering the names he used to go by, such as "Julian", "Robotnik" and "Eggman", and recalling how the latter started out as an insult, which he turned around by naming his empire after. Slowly, Eggman began regaining his sanity. Back in the Digital World, Sonic attempted to stall the Iron Queen with a Sonic Spin, only to be knocked backwards from a similar maneuver performed by Iron Nicole. Sonic fought back with his own Sonic Spin, but was unable to deal any damage to Iron Nicole. Sally asked why she wasn't handling Nicole like they planned, to which Sonic replied that they were in trouble. Back in the physical world, Khan read this off the computer screen, and asked Tails if Nicole existed in any physical form. Not thinking clearly, Tails explained how Nicole's mainframe was located beneath Castle Acorn. Hearing this, Khan left Freedom HQ to destroy it, believing Nicole could not be saved. Tails soon realized his error, and raced to stop Khan. Finally catching up, Tails explained that they would have to do what is right even when it is hard, and that he should put trust in Sonic and Sally. Although initially hostile, Khan eventually accepted Tails' words and returned to Freedom HQ with him. Back in the Digital World, Sally attempted to use a Firewall code created by Rotor, which worked, albeit with said wall subsequently being destroyed by the Iron Queen. Realizing its success, Sonic distracted the Iron Queen while Sally formed a Firewall around Iron Nicole, cutting off the Iron Queen's control. Although weakened, Nicole began upgrading her coding to resist the Iron Queen's control, and, after a brief reunion with Sally, resumed the mantle of Iron Nicole, so as to secretly undermine the Iron Dominion from within. Nicole then destroyed the firewall, while Tails teleported Sonic and Sally out just before the Iron Queen reached them. After explaining their rescue of Nicole, Sally stated their next stop would be the Dragon Kingdom, as they would have to break the Iron Dominion's control over the forces stationed there to have any chance of retaking New Mobotropolis. Once all the necessary supplies had been packed, the Freedom Fighters took off in the Tornado towards the Dragon Kingdom. [21]

Journey to the East[]

Sonic, Sally, Tails, and Khan eventually arrived in Stormtop Village, soon meeting the village elder, Li Yuen, who gave them a tour of the Temple of the Golden Lotus, while explaining the ancient history of the Dragon Kingdom to them. However, after several hours, ninjas from the Gossamer Clan attacked Stormtop Village, and kidnaped Sally, Tails, and Khan, in an attempt to lure Sonic to the Bride of the Endless Reach for a conversation. Sonic fought the Gossamer ninjas, but was called back within the Temple of the Golden Lotus by Li Yuen, as he believed it would protect them. Despite remembering his previous tour of the temple, Sonic was still surprised by the golden statue of a monkey king (greatly resembling Khan) located in the temple's interior. But his thoughts were interrupted by two Gossamer ninjas, who had managed to infiltrate the temple, and subsequently attacked. Despite Li Yuen's protests that the temple was a sacred place, Sonic fought back with a Sonic Spin, and after a brief confrontation, convinced the Gossamer ninja to explain. The ninja stated that as the Bride of the Endless Reach wanted to talk with him, they were ordered to kidnap his friends, as they believed he would not do so willingly. But believing that nothing worse could happen, Sonic agreed to do exactly that, and followed the ninja to the Gossamer hideout. Upon Sonic's arrival, and acceptance to meet the Bride of the Endless Reach with respect, the Gossamer ninjas stationed at the hideout released his friends. Although Tails informed Sonic that he was fine, Khan was annoyed for having been captured so easily, while Sally felt broken due to her recent failures. While Sonic and Tails went ahead into the hideout, Khan attempted to help Sally, explaining to her that although she was not perfect, she was the one responsible for most of the Freedom Fighters victories in the past. Comforted by these words, Sally entered the hideout with Khan. After all the Freedom Fighters introduced themselves to the Bride of the Endless Reach, she asked them what they knew about Uma Arachnis, a former member of the Gossamer Clan. Sally explained that Uma had served under Kodos Lion, and although originally helping him acquire the Sword of Acorns, later betrayed him, and gave it to her. Sally continued explaining that Uma later unfortunately died from radiation poisoning, leaving behind several Eggs which hatched into the Arachne Clan, all of whom eventually died in the Egg Grape Chamber. The Bride of the Endless Reach then interrupted, asking about the final fate of the Sword of Acorns, to which Sally answered it had been destroyed. Hearing this, the Bride of the Endless Reach was pleased, despite the death of Uma and her children, as the destruction of the sword meant Uma's mission was a success. The Bride of the Endless Reach also elaborated on Uma's mission, stating Uma had learned of the Sword's future misuse through the Web of Fate, and everything, even after death, to destroy it. Sonic and Tails, however, were confused by this statement, prompting the Bride of the Endless Reach to lead them to the Web of fate, while explaining its ability to predict the future. This angered Khan, causing him to question why the Gossamer Clan never shared their knowledge of the future with the rest of the Dragon Kingdom. Annoyed, the Bride of the Endless Reach explained that the Web of Fate was only intended for use by the Gossamer Clan, and also was only able to predict portions of major events. But their argument was interrupted by Sally, who proposed a peaceful solution, as the Free People did not seek conflict with other clans, and it would be worth the effort, regardless of the time taken to achieve it. Considering this idea, the Bride of the Endless Reach asked Khan if he would respect the authority of the clans, as king of the Free People. Khan gave his word of honor that he would. The Bride of the Endless Reach then consulted the Web of fate for information on the choice, and learned that although the path was dangerous, it would eventually lead to peace, prompting her to accept, and renounce ties from the Gossamer Clan to the Iron Dominion, to the rejoicing of the Freedom Fighters. The Freedom Fighters then returned to Stormtop Village, where they had dinner with Li Yuen and Li Moon, while talking about their adventure. While Sally and Khan praised each other's actions, Tails asked Sonic how he thought the others were faring in New Mobotropolis, to which the hedgehog replied that they were probably doing fine. However, their dinner was interrupted by a spear thrown through the window, which struck the teapot Li Moon was holding, both her and Tails with the tea formerly contained within it. Although startled, Sally noticed a message tied to the spear, stating to be from the leader of a local Yagyu encampment who wanted to meet with them. Accepting this challenge, Sonic stated that as they had already broken the Iron Dominion's hold on the Gossamer Clan, tomorrow they would take on the Yagyu clan.[22]

The next day, the Freedom Fighters woke up, and began heading toward the Yagyu encampment. However, along the way they were attacked by a band of Yagyu, who were unaware that the Freedom Fighters were the ones summoned by the regional Yagyu Lord, and as such, were trying to rob them. Believing the Yagyu had dishonored their agreement, the Freedom Fighters fought back against them, and easily won, despite standing in a small river. With their threat neutralized, Khan confronted a Yagyu ninja, asking if he was going to honor their original bargain. Realizing the Freedom Fighters were the ones the Yagyu Lord sent for, a Yagyu ninja apologized, and agreed to lead them to the Yagyu Lord. Along the way, Sally asked Khan if the Yagyu clan's lack of a Bride would make their situation easier or harder, to which Khan replied that he simply did not know. Arriving outside the Yagyu's hideout, Khan made the observation that it appeared to be based inside a temple from a lost dynasty, before entering it. Immediately upon entering, they were met with disrespect from the regional Yagyu Lord, who mocked Khan for failing to stop the Iron Queen, and killing the Dragon Kingdom Freedom Fighters while under her control. Although irate, Khan asked the Yagyu lord to discuss peace between the Yagyu and the Free People. Although the Yagyu Lord agreed to converse, he asked that Sonic and Tails be absent during the meeting, as he was not comfortable with the former being present, and he considered the latter to be too young for "important matters". As Sonic and Tails reluctantly left the temple, the Yagyu Lord explained how before the arrival of the Bride of Rich Nights, the Yagyu clan specialized assassination, a practice which he missed. Several Yagyu ninjas then surrounded Sally and Khan, while the latter stated it they had set themselves up for a trap. Back with Sonic and Tails, Tails was still annoyed at being considered too young by the Yagyu Lord, prompting Sonic to comfort him, saying that he'd already done more then the Yagyu Lord ever would. However, they were interrupted by Fiona Fox, who proceeded to taunt Tails. Sonic asked why she was in the Dragon kingdom, to which Fiona replied that she would tell them of they could catch her, before launching herself a great distance by using a tree. Sonic and Tails briefly hesitated, before chasing after her. Fiona hopped from tree to tree of the bamboo forest, while Sonic and Tails slowly followed after, not being able to build up speed in such an enclosed area. But upon exiting the forest, Sonic was grabbed by Sergeant Simian, and thrown to the ground, while Fiona boasted that she was back to commanding the Destructix. Tails attempted to assist Sonic, only to be attacked by Predator Hawk, while Sonic attempted to fight Simian, only to be knocked down by Flying Frog. Back with Sally and Khan, Sally attempted to reason with the Yagyu lord, but met little success, due to him not being interested in a Bride leading the Yagyu clan. Khan, however, saw an opportunity, and proposed that the Yagyu Clan break away from the Iron Dominion, as that would allow them to operate as they did in the old days, and none of the other clans would attack them, due to none of them thinking of the Yagyu as a threat. The Yagyu lord thought about the deal, and agreed, giving his word of honor that he would spread the news to other Yagyu lords. Sally and Khan then left the temple, while the latter explained that with the Yagyu's different opinions on their preferred lifestyle, they would be too busy fighting each other to harm anyone else. Sally congratulated Khan on his successful negotiation, but was interrupted upon finding Sonic, Tails, and the Destructix, with Fiona stating they had matters to discuss.[23]

With them all reunited, the Freedom Fighters continued their fight against the Destructix, with Sonic battling Flying Frog, Tails battling Predator Hawk, Sally battling Fiona, and Monkey Khan battling Sergeant Simian. But the battle was interrupted by Fiona, who stated they were just trying to get the Freedom Fighters' attention, so that they could recruit them into their plan. Fiona continued explaining that during the climax of the Mobius • Moebius Clash, she escaped Freedom HQ, and traveled to the Bottom of the Barrel Bar 'n' Grill in hopes of reuniting the Destructix. However, she only partially managed to do so, as Sleuth "Doggy" Dawg had retired, Drago Wolf had returned to serving the Eggman Empire, and Lightning Lynx had left for the Raiju Clan, leaving Fiona to assemble the others to find him. Sonic was surprised upon hearing this, as he was unaware the Destructix had any sense of honor. Fiona then attempted to manipulate Tails into convincing the others to join her, only to be swiftly punched by Sally. Khan then stated that if the Destructix helped break the Iron Dominion's hold over the Raiju Clan, the Freedom Fighters would assist them in getting Lightning back. Simian agreed, but Sonic questioned how exactly they would get Lightning back if he wanted to be with the Raiju Clan, to which Fiona responded to by saying she had a plan. Out side the Raiju Clan's base, the Iron Fortress the Freedom Fighters and Destructix explained their plan, before splitting up into two teams: Team A, with Sally, Predator Hawk, Tails, Flying Frog, and Fiona, and team B, with Sonic Khan and Simian. On team A, Tails, Flying Frog, and Predator Hawk flew over the Iron Fortress' walls, carrying Sally and Fiona. Once past the second wall, team A defeated the initial wave of attacking Raiju ninjas, and opened the inner gate. On team B, Sonic, Khan, and Simian combined their strength to destroy the outer gate, allowing them to enter, and rejoin team A outside the throne room. Invading the throne room, the Freedom Fighters and Destructix approached the Bride of the Conquering Storm, who asked what their business in the Iron Fortress was. Khan stated he wanted the Raiju to break away from the Iron Dominion, to which Conquering Storm replied that her clan could not be bought like the Yagyu. Having anticipated this, Khan proposed a duel of honor between the Freedom Fighters' champion, and the Raiju clan's champion. If the Freedom Fighters' champion won, the Raiju would break away from the Iron Dominion, while if the Raiju champion won, the Freedom Fighters would give themselves in as prisoners. realizing that she would win either way, Conquering Storm agreed, and called Lightning Lynx as her champion, while Monkey Khan called Sonic as his champion. Although surprised he was fighting Sonic, and not Khan, Lighting pushed his limits during the fight, only to be knocked down helpless by several powerful Sonic Spins from Sonic. Believing Lightning's efforts to be pathetic, Conquering Storm exiled him from the Raiju Clan once again, despite his protests that he loved her. Conquering Storm then honored her side of the deal by renouncing her clan's ties to the Iron Dominion. Lightning then wanted off seething with rage and sadness. The other Destructix comforted him, stating he was never a true Raiju, and they would help him get revenge on them for abandoning him twice. While the Freedom Fighters exited the Iron Fortress, and Raiju ninja asked Conquering Storm what would happen if the Iron Dominion learned of them receding from it, to which she replied that the Iron Dominion would do nothing, as it was on the verge of collapse, and once it did, the Dragon Kingdom would be prime for the Raiju to take over. Back outside, Tails thanked Sally for stopping Fiona from manipulating him, to which Sally replied that she felt brutish for punching her. Despite this, Sonic and Khan thought it interesting. Moving back to their mission, Sonic asked where the Shinobi Clan could be found, to which Khan stated that he had no idea, due to the clan's extreme secrecy. Tails then questioned how they could find them in that case, only to be interrupted by the appearance of Espio, who offered to lead them to the Shinobi Clan sanctuary.[24]

However, due to his previous betrayal of them, none of the Freedom Fighters trusted Espio, least of all Khan, who would have attacked him, had he not been restrained by Sonic. Khan reluctantly agreed to listen to Espio, while Sally questioned why Espio was offering help, as he had betrayed them. Espio responded by stating that although he was not allowed to specify, the Bride of Constant Vigil was willing to discuss peace with them, with Espio acting as their guide to the Shinobi Clan sanctuary. But Sally responded that due to Espio's recent actions, his word would not be enough to convince them. Hesitating briefly, Espio promised to reveal all the secrets he knew about the Freedom Fighters to them, so as to remove all advantages he might have. After Espio went to each of the Freedom Fighters present one by one, and mentioned a single phrase to each, relating to a secret of theirs, they hesitantly agreed to wear the blindfolds while Espio led them to the secret Shinobi Clan hideout. After a confusing journey that caused even Sonic to lose all sense of direction, Espio removed the blindfolds, and introduced the Freedom Fighters to the Way of the Blind, a chasm they would have to cross in order to meet the Bride of Constant Vigil. However, Espio soon disappeared, telling the Freedom Fighters they would have to find their own way across. Tails attempted to fly across, but was stopped by Monkey Khan, as the latter used his atom-bat to reveal several deadly traps formerly hidden above. Contemplating the name of the trial, Sally threw a handful of dirt into the chasm, and noticed some of it seemingly floated, suggesting the chasm was bridged by a hidden pathway. Despite Sally's warnings of danger, Sonic grabbed a load of dirt, and spread it across the chasm, revealing the hidden pathway, and allowing the Freedom Fighters to safely walk across. Traveling to the next chamber, they found Espio and the Bride of Constant Vigil, the latter of whom, after brief introductions were made, agreed to break away he clan from the Iron Dominion without trouble. Although Sonic approved of the Shinobi Clan's directness, and wanted to immediately return to New Mobotropolis, Khan was slightly annoyed, and questioned the Bride of Constant vigil why the Shinobi Clan sided with the Iron Dominion instead of fighting them, as they were the protectors of the Dragon Kingdom. The Bride of Constant Vigil explained that generations ago, the Shinobi protected the Dragon Kingdom, but due to the other warring clans, was almost eliminated, forcing them into hiding, and, by extension, to join the Iron Dominion during their takeover of the region. But her views on siding the Iron Dominion were influenced by Espio's actions against the missions given to him. With permission from the Bride, Espio explained how he had not originally been a native to Rainbow Valley, but was sent there by his clan to monitor Knuckles in secrecy, and helped by Valdez to build an identity as a local of the region. But he was forced to reveal himself to Knuckles following Renfield the Rodent's successful capture of the Freedom Fighters at his Happyland Amusement Park, and despite his clan's orders, continued on afterwards to join the Chaotix. Continuing from Espio's story, the Bride of Constant Vigil stated that although Espio broke the rules of the Shinobi Clan, he made the right choice, and as such, would return to his station on Angel Island. Hearing this, Espio was overjoyed, and after calming himself, went to retrieve the Fan of Fen Xing from the Iron King's collection for later use, by request of the Bride. The Bride of Constant Vigil then told Khan that his work had just begun as king of the Free People, prompting Khan to take off his Power Ring and form it into a Crown like before, finally accepting the position. As a parting gift, the Bride of Constant Vigil also told the Freedom Fighters they would safely be escorted back to Stormtop Village by several Shinobi ninjas. Sonic was surprised at this, as he had not seen any other ninjas on the way in, apart from Espio and the Bride. In response, a large group of chameleons hidden on the walls of the chamber revealed themselves, astonishing both Sonic and Tails. After arriving back at Stormtop Village, the Freedom Fighters said their brief goodbyes to Li Yuen and Li Moon, before starting up the Tornado, and heading off towards New Mobotropolis to stop the Iron Dominion.[25]

Fall of the Iron Dominion[]

Back in New Mobotropolis, Amy and Antoine fled from the advancing Dark Egg Legion forces, knocking aside any Yagyu forces in their path, with the latter stating the situation would have been much better if Sonic and he other Freedom Fighters had not left for the Dragon Kingdom. Amy assured Antoine that Sonic would be back in the nick of time, and although Antoine protested, he was interrupted by a large group of Yagyu and Dark Egg Legionaries, whom surrounded the two. However, Antoine and Amy were saved by the arrival of Geoffrey St. John, who used his crossbow to knock out the attackers, allowing the heroes to escape. Amy then led Antoine and Geoffrey through a fake stump to a secret underground bunker recently created by Nicole, where they found Bunnie, who was hiding to prevent the Iron Queen from taking control of her cybernetics. Nicole herself soon teleported in and was almost attacked by Geoffrey, until Amy explained that she had been liberated from the Iron Queen's control recently. Geoffrey apologized, and Nicole continued, informing the Freedom fighters present that she had just received word of the Iron Queen hosting a public event in the coliseum to Legionize the captured citizens of New Mobotropolis. After Amy explained the effects of Legionization to Geoffrey, the Freedom Fighters left the bunker to stop the Iron Queen. Meanwhile, Snively and Lien-da arrived at the Detention Chamber, as the former had been summoned by Eggman. Lien-da asked Snively why he would answer such summons, as she believed Eggman was still insane, to which Snively replied that he got enjoyment out of seeing him in that way. While Lien-da went off to check another sector of the city, Snively walked into the Detention Chamber, but was almost terrified to find Eggman lucid. Eggman explained to Snively that he had figured out why he was unable to beat Sonic, as Sonic was the embodiment of chaos, and could not be predicted. But despite Eggman's words, Snively jeered, and refused to free him, as he believed the Iron Dominion would not fall, and that he had found love with the Iron Queen. This prompted Eggman to laugh, as he knew the Iron Queen was a manipulator, and Snively only truly cared about himself. Trembling, Snively convinced himself Eggman was wrong, before leaving the Detention Chamber, prompting Eggman to laugh again. Later, in the coliseum, Snively prepared for the Legionization event, while the Iron King and Iron Queen oversaw the progress, and the Freedom Fighters secretly waited outside. The Iron King asked why they were wasting their time with the event, as the Freedom Fighters were still causing problems, to which the Iron Queen replied that the event was intended as a irresistible trap for the Freedom Fighters, and that he would have full clearance to destroy them once they arrived. Several Prison Eggs were then brought into the coliseum, the first of which was opened to reveal a captured Rotor Walrus, who, despite having resigned from being a Freedom Fighter prior, managed to knock back the Dark Egg Legionaries restraining him, and would have a attacked Snively, had his back not suffered severe pain. While two Yagyu grabbed Rotor, and brought him to the Legionization table, Snively mockingly stated that the walrus' back had never been the same since the Destruction of Knothole. Despite Geoffrey's objections about being outnumbered, the Freedom Fighters charged into the coliseum to rescue Rotor, freeing other trapped citizens from Prison Eggs along the way. Geoffrey began fighting back the attacking Yagyu and Legionaries, while jokingly stating that if Sonic lost to them, him must have lost his touch. But he was knocked aside by the Iron King who attempted to crush him with his Tremor Mace. only to have the swing blocked by Amy's Piko Piko Hammer. Furious, the Iron king set his sights on Amy, only to be clobbered over the head by her hammer. However, the Iron Queen then used her Technomagic to form several giant hands out of the city's Nanites, which she used to recapture many of the citizens. She then proceeded to taunt Geoffrey, saying that with her Technomancy, the entire city was her weapon. But several bolts of lightning subsequently rained down from above, opening a hole the the iron dome, through which flew Khan carrying Sally, and the Tornado carrying Sonic and Tails, all arriving back from the Dragon Kingdom.[26]

Angered by the arrival of the heroes, the Iron Queen ordered Nicole to destroy them with the Nanites, only for Nicole to trap her in a Nanite cage, revealing she had regained her free will. Although surprised and irate, the Iron Queen refused to give up, and used her Technomagic to form a large spider-like mech out of Nanites. Meanwhile, Amy fought the Iron King, who was furious at her for defeating him previously. Amy told the Iron King to just admit he was beaten, which he strongly refused to do, swinging his Tremor Mace at her. Thankfully, Sonic arrived, and knocked down the Iron King with a powerful Sonic Spin, much to the joy of Amy. Noticing all the chaos around him, Snively attempted to escape, but was blocked by Sally. Sally reprimanded him for squandering her mercy toward him following the Invasion of the Eggdome, but Snively did not care, stating the battle was far from over, as he believed they still had three ninja clans to call in from the Dragon Kingdom. This prompted Monkey Khan to fly above the battle, and announce with a bolt of lightning to the Yagyu that, upon his word of honor, the regional Yagyu Lords of the Dragon Kingdom had agreed to renounce all ties to the Iron Dominion. Although Lien-da initially considered the announcement a joke, her jeering soon turned to frustration as the Yagyu Lord present ordered all the Yagyu to return to the Dragon Kingdom. Despite Lien-da's protests, the Yagyu Lord explained that one's word of honor was considered sacred by those of the Dragon Kingdom, before leaving along with the other Yagyu. But Lien-da soon saw an opportunity to take control of the Eggman Empire, as the Iron Queen was busy fighting Nicole, and the other Freedom Fighters were fighting the Iron King. Lien-da then activated the mind control chips she had installed in the Dark Egg Legion, and ordered them to regroup to her. But the Iron Queen heard this, and despite failing to control Lien-da and the Dark Egg Legion due to the chips, was still able to command the bombs in Lien-da's cybernetics to detonate, mortally wounding her, and knocking her unconscious. Confused due to the deactivation of the mind control, and Lien-da's defeat, a member of the Dark Egg Legion grabbed Snively, and asked him to give them an order, as he was the only one left in command. Instead, Snively fled in terror, having realized the fall of the Iron Dominion was nigh, while the same Dark Egg Legionaire took command, and ordered several others to bring the defeated Lien-da back to the Eggdome. Meanwhile, Sonic, Amy, Antoine, Geoffrey and Khan all fought the Iron King, but were unable to deal any damage to him, as his strength made him practically invincible. Khan told Sonic that the only way they could ever defeat him would be by using the Fan of Fen Xing, prompting Espio to appear with it, having stolen it from the Iron King's treasury. While Sonic commented on Espio's dramatic timing, the chameleon handed the fan to Khan, who used its magical powers to summon a wind so strong, the Iron King was blown through the air at high speed, smashing straight through New Mobotropolis' iron dome, and supposedly continuing on, screaming all the while. Meanwhile, Snively was making a hasty retreat through the streets of New Mobotropolis, and upon hearing the Iron Kings screams, only became more panicked, parking his hovering saucer outside the Detention Chamber, before rushing inside, and inputting the passcode to release Eggman, to whom Snively explained in terrified gasps the fall of the Iron Dominion. Eggman asked why he wasn't trying to help the Iron Queen, as Snively had previously stated he loved her. Snively screamed that there was no time, and pleaded Eggman to not let the Freedom Fighters capture him. Eggman agreed, and boarded the hovering saucer Snively had brought, before driving it off to the Eggdome with him, stating they would escape while the Freedom Fighters were busy. Back in the coliseum, the Freedom Fighters gave the Iron Queen the option of surrender, as she was all alone, and they had agreed to not harm her if she did so. But the Iron Queen refused to surrender, laughing manically, as she formed a large amount of Nanites into a massive robotic dragon, which she encased herself inside. As Nicole was using all her strength to stop the Iron Queen from stealing any more Nanites, it was up to the others to defeat the Iron Queen. Sonic signaled Tails, who launched two missiles from the Tornado at the robotic dragon, distracting it, allowing for Khan to knock it to the ground with his Atom-Bat. Amy then dealt a powerful blow to the dragon's head with her hammer severely damaging it. Realizing she had been beaten, the Iron Queen attempted to escape with her robotic dragon through a hole in the iron dome, only for Sonic to run up the dragon's long body, and - despite the Iron Queen's protests - split it apart with a well-timed Sonic Spin. As the Iron Queen fell, yelling in hatred, Khan caught her with his cloud, before dropping her back on the ground. After Nicole informed Sally that all her systems were back online, as the Yagyu and Dark Egg Legion were gone, and Antoine arrested the Iron Queen, the Freedom Fighters celebrated their great victory. Sally hugged Khan, while Amy hugged Sonic, much to Sonic's nervousness. Meanwhile, Snively and Eggman successfully escaped New Mobotropolis, despite Snively wishing to loop back around and rescue the Iron Queen. Eggman refused the idea, stating he had much bigger plans in store.[27]

Aftermath[]

Following the Iron Dominion takeover, Sonic and Tails would perform several unsuccessful searches of the Eggdome, looking for Eggman and Snively to no avail, unbeknownst to them that the two were secretly watching their every move through hidden cameras, while hiding in the sealed-off lower decks. The Iron Queen would also be imprisoned under a dried-out well in Stormtop village, guarded by Liu Fang. Having permission from his mother, the Bride of Constant Vigil, Espio would rejoin the Chaotix, and reveal all the secrets he knew about their lives to them, including the possibility of Mighty's sister being alive. Sally would also visit the Dragon Kingdom, and would decide to attempt at renewing her and Sonic's relationship, which Khan was surprisingly accepting about. Although Sonic and Tails never made any progress finding Eggman and Snively in the Eggdome, they did manage to rescue Dimitri from the box Lien-da trapped him in, bringing him back to New Mobotropolis. Lien-da would also be revived with a new cyborg body by Eggman, as he could use underlings for his true plan: transforming the Eggdome into the Death Egg Mark 2.[28][29][30]

Trivia[]

  • This event became one of the longest sagas in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, taking twelve issues of the regular Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and four issues for its spin-off comic, Sonic Universe.
  • According to an interview with writer Ian Flynn, the Iron Dominion Takeover arc originated as a joke from a list of five potential pitches for arcs which issue #200 would lead into. The fifth pitch, which would eventually become the Iron Dominion Takeover, was created simply to make the list larger, and to allow for one of the other pitches to be accepted easier. Despite this, the fifth pitch would be the one approved by editor Mike Pellerito, and as such, Flynn would modify it into the Iron Dominion Takeover.[31]

Gallery[]

Misc.[]

References[]

  1. Sonic the Hedgehog #191, "Metal and Mettle Part 1"
  2. Sonic the Hedgehog #192, "Metal and Mettle Part 2"
  3. Sonic the Hedgehog #194, "Sleepless in New Megaopolis"
  4. Sonic the Hedgehog #199, "Knocking on Eggman's Door"
  5. Sonic the Hedgehog #200, "Turnabout is Fair Play"
  6. Sonic the Hedgehog #201, "Change in Management"
  7. 7.0 7.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #201, "Devotion"
  8. Sonic the Hedgehog #202, "Dangerous Territory"
  9. Sonic the Hedgehog #202, "A Lonely Girl's Story"
  10. Sonic the Hedgehog #203, "Heavy is the Head Part One: Surprise Visit"
  11. Sonic the Hedgehog #203, "Friend in Deed Part One"
  12. Sonic the Hedgehog #204, "Heavy is the Head Part Two: Iron Khan"
  13. Sonic the Hedgehog #204, "Friend in Deed Part Two"
  14. Sonic the Hedgehog #205, "On the Run Part One: All Eggs in one Basket"
  15. Sonic the Hedgehog #205, "Birthright Part One"
  16. Sonic the Hedgehog #206, "On the Run Part Two: Troubles by the Dozen"
  17. Sonic the Hedgehog #206, "Birthright Part Two"
  18. Sonic the Hedgehog #207, "Blackout"
  19. Sonic the Hedgehog #207, "The Iron Queen"
  20. Sonic the Hedgehog #208, "Iron Dominion Part One"
  21. Sonic the Hedgehog #209, "Iron Dominion Part Two"
  22. Sonic Universe #13, "Journey to the East Part One: Endless Reach of Fate"
  23. Sonic Universe #14, "Journey to the East Part Two: High Price for Rich Nights"
  24. Sonic Universe #15, "No Love in a Conquering Storm"
  25. Sonic Universe #16, "A World Under Constant Vigil"
  26. Sonic the Hedgehog #210, "Home Invasion Part One: Breaking and Entering"
  27. Sonic the Hedgehog #211, "Home Invasion Part Two: Security Measures"
  28. Sonic the Hedgehog #212, "The Roads We Take"
  29. Sonic the Hedgehog #222, "The World Can Wait"
  30. Sonic the Hedgehog #224, "Chaos and the Crown Part Two: Total Authority"
  31. Sonic Sez Issue 30: " Behold, The King Of The Bumble!". Youtube (20 July 2017). Retrieved on 17 January 2023.
  32. Ian Flynn (17 May 2010). Crossover Road Map - Sonic the Hedgehog. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010.
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