|
Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity. |
Sam Speed (サム・スピード Samu Supīdo?) is a character from the anime series Sonic X and its comic series published by Archie Comics. He is Christopher Thorndyke's maternal uncle (the younger brother of Lindsey Thorndyke[2]) and the leader of the Speed Team, a special unit of the Station Square Police Department (S.S.P.D.) that uses high-speed race cars as police cruisers. He shares a rivalry with Sonic the Hedgehog in speed.
Appearance
Sam has orange hair and green eyes. For everyday attire, he wears a gray T-shirt with the words "Speed" and purple sleeves, as well as white trousers. His racing outfit consists of a white and red uniform with a helmet.
History
Anime
New World Saga
Sam is overtaken by Sonic.
On one night, Sam and the Speed Team headed out when they were assigned to apprehend a blue hedgehog who had escaped from the police after avoiding a large roadblock they had set up to stop him. Sam soon caught up with the hedgehog and introduced himself to him as the fastest man on the highway. When Sonic made his escape though, Sam followed him. However, the entire Speed Team was unable to catch up to Sonic, who toyed with them all the while. His pride hurt, Sam used his car's Super Nitro to achieve maximum speed in an effort to outdo Sonic. Sonic, however, reached supersonic speed and overtook the leader of the Speed Team. The Speed Team then had to call off the hunt when Sonic ran off the end of the road. Having been defeated in speed, Sam developed a bitter desire to beat Sonic.[3]
Later, Sam was invited by his sister Lindsey for a special party at the Thorndyke Mansion. There, he met Mr. Stewart. His sister, however, was absent from the party. At the party, Sam told various jokes, then changed his tone to a more serious one when he talked about his encounter with Sonic. He then saw the hedgehog outside the window for a moment, but no one believed him. Afterward, Sonic's friends ran right next to him. Chris, however, turned his uncle's attention away by occupying him with a different topic. Eventually though, Sam took his leave.[2]
Chaos Emerald Saga
One day, Sam came to the rescue of Chris and his friends in Station Square, which was being attacked by the Egg Fort. With Chris and the others needing to get home in a hurry, Sam lent them a ride in his car. On the way however, they got cornered by E-33 Buballs, which they were saved from in the last moment by Mr. Stewart, whom Sam recognized before making him join the others in his overcrowded car. During the subsequent ride, Sam and co. got attacked by the E-33s again, but were this time saved by the timely arrival of Mr. Tanaka.[4] Not long after, Sam showed up in the Sapphire Sea on a jet-ski in time to help Sonic when he was fighting a losing battle with E-57 Clurken in the sea. Throwing Sonic a cable, Sam was able to pull Sonic around, effectively allowing the hedgehog to ski on water and avoid E-57's attack until he was able to destroy E-57.[5]
Sonic vs. Sam.
Eventually, Sam convinced the government to support a race between him and Sonic to see who was faster. He was thus able to have the office of science and technology develop an engine for his new Rocket Car.[6] One night, Sam arrived at the Thorndyke Mansion with his Rocket Car to challenging Sonic to a race with it. When he arrived, he was nearly attacked by Tanaka and Ella, who thought he was an intruder. Meeting up with his family, Sam explained the race, its grand prize, and its government connection. He also revealed that the public was awaiting the race, which had been sponsored and prepared by Chris' parents. Much to Sam's frustration however, Sonic refused to compete, forcing Sam to keep pressuring him. Eventually though, Sonic accepted the challenge. As Sonic and Sam raced, Sam used his connections with the S.S.P.D. to take shortcuts to remain ahead of Sonic, and when Sonic was being given lunch by Tails and Sam's nephew in the X Tornado, Sam used the opportunity to literally leave Sonic in his dust and retake the lead. He also managed to get by Eggman's E-45 Sumo-Man, who tried to delay their progress. However, as they neared the finish line, Sonic was able to get ahead and win by a long shot, before taking the time for a few photos before crossing the line again together with Sam in an apparent photo finish. Although Sam was shocked that he lost, he nonetheless congratulated Sonic.[6]
Sometime later, Sam was making an arrest when he saw Sonic, who was stuck running constantly without stopping, speed by. Seeing another chance to beat Sonic, Sam boarded his car and began racing Sonic. While racing, Sam was contacted by Chris who tried to talk to him about Sonic's problem. However, Sam ignored him in favor of continuing their race. However, Sam conceded when his car ran out of fuel. Sam was later summoned to aid Chris with stopping Sonic. The plan was for Sam to race Sonic in his Rocket Car towards where two doors were set up. The door marked with a "1" contained a glue trap behind it to catch Sonic, and Sam was to go through the door marked "2" to avoid it. However, during the plan, Sam's rivalry with Sonic got the better of him, and he went through the wrong door, leaving him trapped in the glue while Sonic went on with his running.[7]
Chaos Saga
Sam helping the residents of Station Square evacuate.
Six months later, Sam caught a driver in illegal activities when all of Station Square got hit by a great flood caused by Perfect Chaos. Sam himself managed to evacuate the inhabitants to secure points, but he himself got caught by the incoming tidal waves. Fortunately, he got picked up by Jerome Wise and other people and hauled to safety on a rooftop. Sam thanked them and then joined the other people in watching military helicopters fight Perfect Chaos. Ultimately though, it was Super Sonic who tamed Perfect Chaos.[8]
Shadow Saga
Sam pranking Christina while driving.
After the events with Perfect Chaos, Sam was reassigned from the S.S.P.D. to being the chauffeur for the President.[9] When he was later driving the President and his aide Christina Cooper around, Sam overheard them speak about some crimes seemingly committed by Sonic recently. Sam promptly told his passengers that Sonic was no criminal. When Christina spoke ill about Sonic regardless, Sam abruptly stopped the car so that Christina fell out of her seat. Sam, however, defended his action.[10] Some time afterward, Sam was driving the President around when the latter received an ultimatum from Dr. Eggman: either the world submitted to the Eggman Empire within twenty-four hours or the Doctor would fire the Eclipse Cannon of the Space Colony ARK at the planet. As Eggman left the President to give him a favorable answer, the President began to despair. However, Sam confidently gave the President some words of comfort.[11]
Not long after, upon overhearing from the President and Christina that the Space Colony ARK was on a collision course with Earth that would destroy the planet, Sam silently hoped that Sonic would save them this time. After the ARK was returned to orbit by Super Sonic and Super Shadow, Sam calmly gave the President and Christina some pearls of wisdom when they reflected on recent events.[12]
Egg Moon Saga
Sam after chasing the crowd at the Thorndyke Mansion away.
When the Thorndyke Mansion got attacked by angry crowds, who were upset over how Sonic was destroying the Mirror Towers that provided them with lights during a never-ending eclipse, Sam Speed and his Speed Team came and chased the crowds away, allowing Chris and his friends to make their escape.[13]
Emerl Saga
Sam and Amy on a date.
Acquiring a new racecar, Sam arranged a race with Sonic. When Sam met up for their race at the Thorndyke Mansion however, he met a steamed Amy, and Chris explained that Sonic had forgotten about his and Amy's date. Amy then insisted that she and Sam went on a date instead to forget about Sonic. Understanding Amy's feelings, Sam took her for a ride. Along the way, he showed off his skills while Amy vented her frustrations. While taking Amy to the beach however, Sam got lost, so they had to stop at a general store to get a map. While there, Sam made a joke that upset Amy, prompting her to stomp on his foot. Ultimately, the store owner gave them a map and some candy for free because they were friends of Sonic, who had saved his grandson in the past.[14] Returning to the road, Sam and Amy talked about Sonic's character and attitude.[15] Soon after, Sam remembered that he and Sonic were supposed to race at sunset, which meant his race did not interfere with his and Amy's date. The two of them later stopped at a cafe where they talked about their unwillingness to give up their goals until they saw the Bomb Tank pass by. Learning from HQ that the Bomb Tank belonged to Eggman (who was currently in prison), Sam and Amy set out to stop it before it could free Eggman. Using his new racecar, Sam caught up to the Bomb Tank, which Amy then took out with her hammer. Sam then gave Amy a taste of Sonic's passion for speed by driving to the beach at high speed. There, Amy thanked Sam for giving her a good time. No sooner, Sonic showed up. With Sonic ready to race, Sam forgot about Amy and began racing Sonic.[14]
Some time afterward, Sam took part in the Chaos Emerald Martial Arts Mash-Up held by the President in an attempt to lure Eggman out into the open. At the tournament, Sam's first opponent was Mr. Stewart. Sam, however, ended up getting disqualified for attacking his opponent too quickly.[16]
Homebound Saga
Sam and Sonic during Sonic's last days on Earth.
Most later, Sam was following another driver. Despite his warnings, the careless driver did not make a turn and crashed through a railing, causing his car to plummet to a fiery wreck below. Fortunately, Sonic saved the driver. Sam was amazed at the sight of the hedgehog and decided that they should fight together sometime.[17] Later on, Sam learned that Sonic and his friends had to return to their world so that time would not freeze. Sam subsequently showed up at the site of Sonic and his friends' departure, but also quickly left. After that, he would reminisce about his first meeting with the blue hedgehog while dealing with the feelings he had over that Sonic was leaving.[18]
Archie Comics
Sam in the Sonic X comic.
Personality
Free-spirited and cool-headed, if not a little egotistical, Sam is a person who enjoys the thrill of his high-speed trips rather than getting to his destination. According to Amy, Sam is very similar to Sonic in that regard.[14] Usually, he is rather impulsive and has a one-tracked mind, especially when it comes to defending his reputation.[6][7] However, when behaving professionally, Sam has proven himself to be very insightful.[12] He is also a good man and very loyal, as he will not stand and listen to others badmouthing his friends.[10]
Sam loves anything to do with speed, almost to the point of obsession with it. Whenever the opportunity to act fast presents itself, he will immediately seize it. He also always tries to find a reason to race in practically every situation. His lifestyle also reflects his fast-paced attitude, as he claims that he does everything; and he means everything fast: he says that he falls in love and out of love fast, and that he forgets things fast and remembers them faster.
A running gag in the original Japanese version involves Sam having a different nickname in each of his appearances, some examples being "Highway Star", "Sonic Boom", and "Love Express". In the English version, his only nickname was "Speed King". In addition, he also has a tendency to tell not entirely funny and not always situation-appropriate jokes.[14]
Powers and abilities
Sam is a car specialist himself. As such, he knows how to expertly drive various vehicles. These include customized racecars of both the regular kind and high-speed variety that are designed for velocities reaching Sonic's speed,[3][6][14] limousines,[10] and water scooters.[5]
During his fight against Mr. Stewart in the Chaos Emerald Martial Arts Mash-Up, Sam proved to be skilled at hand-to-hand combat.[16]
Relationships
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is Sam's rival in speed. Despite some sources claiming a bitter rivalry between Sonic and Sam, as Sam wants to prove that he is faster, Sam nonetheless is shown to have a certain fondness for Sonic, who he deeply respects as a worthy competitor. Sam is similarly always ready to defend Sonic's good name: after becoming the newly appointed chauffeur for the President, Sam defended Sonic after he is accused of high treason based on Shadow the Hedgehog's actions.[9]
Friends/allies
- Amy Rose
- Cheese
- Christina Cooper
- Christopher Thorndyke (nephew)
- Chuck Thorndyke (father-in-law)
- Cream the Rabbit
- Ella
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Lindsey Thorndyke (sister)
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Mr. Stewart
- Mr. Tanaka
- Nelson Thorndyke (brother-in-law)
- President
- President's third assistant
- Rouge the Bat
- Speed Team
- Sonic the Hedgehog (rival and friend)
- Topaz
- Vanilla the Rabbit
Enemies
Trivia
- Sam's nickname "Speed King" may be a reference to NHRA drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein, who is known as "the King of Speed" but was also referred to as "Highway Star" once.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 File:Ep.1 eye-catch card 2.jpg
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Houjou, Chinatsu (18 October 2003). "Party Hardly". Sonic X. Season 1. Episode 7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Masaki, Hiro (23 August 2003). "Chaos Control Freaks". Sonic X. Season 1. Episode 1.
- ↑ Yoshimura, Kiyoko (13 December 2003). "Skirmish in the Sky". Sonic X. Season 1. Episode 15.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Houjou, Chinatsu (17 January 2004). "Depths of Danger". Sonic X. Season 1. Episode 16.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Urasawa, Yoshio (24 August 2003). "Fast Friends (Japanese version)". Sonic X. Season 1. Episode 21.
Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "SXEP21" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 7.0 7.1 Shiraishi, Masahiko (13 March 2004). "How to Catch a Hedgehog". Sonic X. Season 1. Episode 24.
- ↑ Shiraishi, Masahiko (23 October 2004). "Flood Fight". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 32.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Masaki, Hiro (30 October 2004). "Project: Shadow". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 33.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Shiraishi, Masahiko (6 November 2004). "Shadow Knows". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 34.
- ↑ Masaki, Hiro (20 November 2004). "Shadow World". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 36.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Yoshimura, Kiyoko (4 December 2004). "Showdown in Space". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 38.
- ↑ Masaki, Hiro (22 January 2005). "Eggman for President". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 41.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Yoshimura, Kiyoko (29 January 2005). "A Date to Forget". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 42.
- ↑ Yoshimura, Kiyoko (18 January 2004). "A Date to Forget (Japanese version)". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 42.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Masaki, Hiro; Houjou, Chinatsu (19 February 2005). "Prize Fights". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 45.
- ↑ Shiraishi, Masahiko (12 March 2005). "The Beginning of the End". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 49.
- ↑ Houjou, Chinatsu (19 March 2005). "Running Out of Time". Sonic X. Season 2. Episode 50.
