Template:IDW
Tangle the Lemur[7] is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing. She is an anthropomorphic ring-tailed lemur from Spiral Hill Village and a heroic ally of Sonic the Hedgehog. She first became acquainted with Sonic and his friends during the fallout after the Eggman War, when she sprang into action to defend her village from one of the Badnik hordes terrorizing villages across the world.
Concept and creation
Tangle came about when the staff at IDW Publishing wanted a kick-butt female Sonic character who could accompany Sonic on his adventures. Since none of the main female Sonic characters were able to fit that occupation, Tangle, who would be able to easily go on Sonic's adventures and look cool while doing it, was conceptualized.[8] She was conceptualized by writer Ian Flynn, while artist Tyson Hesse handled the character design.[1]
Before even being given a name, IDW wanted Tangle "to be like a lot of other great Sonic characters and have a special ability tied to one of her features."[9] She was ultimately inspired by the prototype Sonic design. One of the concepts for Sonic was a rabbit that could use his ears to pick up and throw objects.[8] After brainstorming for animals who could do cool stuff with their features such as bendy rabbit ears and anteater type noses,[10] the staff decided on a ring-tailed lemur, whose tail could prove a very versatile weapon. Finally, she was given the name "Tangle" as a reference to how she likes to "tangle" with bad guys.[9]
Appearance
Tangle is an anthropomorphic ring-tailed lemur with primarily light gray fur and purple eyes. She possesses a small black nose and a long bushy tail with gray stripes. She also has gray fur around her muzzle and between her eyes, and gray fur around the sides of her eyes and on her eyelids and round ears. She also has extra fur on top of her head and chest, and small cheek tufts.
Tangle wears a short-sleeved black bodysuit with orange stripes down the sides, a yellow sleeveless top, and detailed yellow hi-tops with white laces and soles, black details, and orange cuffs. She also wears yellow sportstape around her forearms and fingerless black gloves made of black sportstape with orange backings.
History
Past
Tangle has been a resident of Spiral Hill Village for years. She grew up with Jewel the Beetle, who became her best friend. Jewel would constantly look out for Tangle, as she had a tendency to run into danger head first. Over the years, Tangle would find several items during her adventures, which Jewel used to curate the Mineral Museum.[11] Tangle is also a regular customer of Spiral Hill Village's salon as she usually buys their brushes to keep her tail neat.[11]
After the Eggman War between the Eggman Empire and the Resistance ended, Tangle would defend her home village by fending off the raids committed by Dr. Eggman's directionless Badniks.[12]
Fallout
Tangle and Sonic fighting Badniks together, from Sonic the Hedgehog #4.
While dealing with a large and much more organized Badnik attack on her village, Tangle met Sonic the Hedgehog when he came to help save her village. While fighting Badniks together with Sonic, Tangle heard from Sonic that the Badnik gangs had become more organized as of late. No sooner, the two got cornered by multiple Badniks. Fortunately, Blaze soon showed up and joined the fray. After the Badniks had been dealt with, Sonic introduced Tangle to Blaze, whom she thanked for her aid. Upon hearing from Blaze that she had come to Sonic's world to prevent some kind of "terrible event" however, Tangle brought up the possibility that the recent organized Badniks could be a sign that something worse was on the way. After Blaze decided to stay until she knew what her purpose here was, she offered to help Tangle quell the fires in her village. Amazed by Blaze, Tangle accepted her help and thanked Sonic for his help before he left village.[12]
Battle For Angel Island
Eventually, Tangle was called to Resistance HQ. There, she and the Resistance's other allies were informed that the Resistance needed their help to liberate Angel Island, which had been conquered by Neo Metal Sonic and turned into a flying fortress. To make matters worse, Neo had also secured the Master Emerald for himself on the island. During the meeting, Tangle became a little lost when the others began talking about Burning Blaze, but understood (with amazement) after Blaze gave a brief explanation (and demonstration). Eventually, Tangle was assigned to help two of the assembled group's factions with breaking the Egg Fleet's control over Angel Island while Sonic and Knuckles confronted Neo.[13]
On the way to Angel Island, Tangle spent the time playing card while messing with Silver. As soon as their ship approached Angel Island however, the Egg Fleet shot it down. Fortunately, Tangle and her allies got off the ship before it crashed. Landing then on Angel Island, Tangle and Whisper were assigned to protect Tails while the fox cub did his thing. Soon after, Tangle was busy busting up Egg Pawns.[13] Tangle later tried turning one of the Egg Fleet's cannons against the other vessels. Thanks to cover provided by Whisper, she succeeded. Later, while the last wing unit on Angel Island's shoreline was being blown off by an Egg Fleet battleship that Tails had hijacked, Tangle grabbed Vector with her tail when the crocodile was about to fall over the edge while yelling playfully at Tails to be careful. She subsequently took herself and Vector onboard the battleship that Tails had secured.[14]
Tangle and Blaze destroying one of Master Overlord's wings, from Sonic the Hedgehog #11.
Tangle and Amy soon after found Blaze hovering above Angel Island when the island began to fall and got her onboard the battleship. When Neo Metal Sonic―in his new Master Emerald-induced transformation, Master Overlord―then approached the battleship, the crew was instructed by Knuckles to force the robot overlord towards Angel Island while he focused on retrieving the Master Emerald from him. With an opening provided by Sonic, Tangle and her friends joined the fray and followed Knuckles' instructions. During the battle, Tangle got shaken off Master Overlord, but was rescued by Silver with his psychokinesis. Knuckles subsequently got the Master Emerald away from Master Overlord and brought it back to Angel Island, returning the island to the sky while Master Overlord powered down to normal. With the battle over, Tangle was brought down on Angel Island. Much to her excitement, she was told by Amy that this adventure was nothing new to them.[15]
As everyone got ready to leave the island, Tangle found friendship with Whisper. When Sonic came by to talk to them, Tangle told him that she felt that she was not ready to return to her old life as her new one had become so crazy and exciting. After this, Tangle urged Whisper to tell Sonic the joke about a toaster she had told her. Whisper instead shyly put her mask scope back on, leaving Tangle to wonder if this was due to something she said. Sonic then left them, telling Tangle to give Whisper some space.[16]
Bonds of Friendship
Tangle introducing Jewel and Whisper to each other, from Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2019.
Whisper later came to Spiral Hill Village to visit Tangle, which pleased her very much. Tangle gave Whisper a tour of the village, including places like the salon and the bakery, where Tangle bought and ate a baguette. Tangle then brought Whisper to the Mineral Museum to meet Jewel, where she subsequently bursted through the doors, startling Jewel. Tangle then introduced Whisper and Jewel to each other, telling Whisper that she and Jewel grew up together. Jewel also explained to Whisper that Tangle collected many items during her adventures which Jewel used to curate her museum. Soon though, the sky started to go dark outside, which upset Tangle as she did not think it would rain that day. Whisper immediately after pulled out her Variable Wispon as she had heard a scream come from outside. A moment afterward, the Babylon Rogues broke into the museum and began stealing everything. After Storm accidentally kidnapped Jewel however, Tangle and Whisper began pursuing the Babylon Rogues after they retreated to their blimp. Through collaborative efforts, Tangle and Whisper managed to get onboard the Babylon Rogues' blimp. There, they confronted the Babylon Rogues and demanded Jewel to be handed over. As Jet and Wave argued over how to deal with their hostage situation though, Tangle secretly took their stolen loot back. When Storm then ended up throwing Jewel out of the blimp, Tangle stopped the Babylon Rogues from interfering any further as she and Whisper had it under control. She also threatened to poach the birds if they dared to cause trouble with her town or friends again. With that, Tangle leapt out of the blimp with the stolen goods. Catching an injured Jewel and Whisper on the way down, Tangle and Jewel were saved by Whisper, who used her Variable Wispon's Hover Mode to gently lower them all down. Afterward, Tangle helped her friends restore the Mineral Museum and its exhibits. There, after dismissing Jewel's thanks for saving her and her livelihood, Tangle thanked Whisper for her aid and fist bumped with her.[11]
Sonic Fan Club
Tangle later appeared at the first meeting of the Sonic Fan Club, whose members were busy fighting an Egg Pawn. After telling the kids that they should have a Tangle Fan Club instead, Tangle began hitting the Egg Pawn with her tail and began to tangle it up. However, she got tangled up in her own tail. Afterward, the members of the Sonic Fan Club told her that Sonic had come by and destroyed Egg Pawn while she was busy.[17]
Infection
Tangle offering Sonic and Tails help, from Sonic the Hedgehog #16.
Tangle eventually traveled to Tails' workshop to tell her friends about her latest adventure. Upon arriving there, however, she found Tails conducting tests on Sonic. Asking her friends about what was going on, Sonic explained what Dr. Eggman had been doing since after the Eggman War, and that the doctor was now back with some kind of Metal Virus that turns people into Zombots. Hearing that Sonic had been infected with that virus as well, Tangle got worried about Sonic, but Sonic explained that he had seemingly cured himself with his speed. Tangle then began telling Sonic and Tails about what she had been up to when Tails suggested warning everyone about the Zombots in order to avoid attacks like those on Spiral Hill Village. Afterward, Tangle asked what the heroes' next course of action was. As Tails explained that they had found schematics on a battleship Eggman was making to distribute the Metal Virus with, Tangle realized they were planning to find that ship. Tangle then tried to high-five Sonic, but Sonic withdrew before Tangle could touch him, as he had noticed that his infection had resurfaced. Sonic then took off to find Eggman's battleship before Tails could conduct more tests on him, but Tangle assured Tails that he would be able to find a cure.[18]
Tangle & Whisper
One day, Tangle began recklessly swinging out in the streets of Spiral Hill Village. Jewel arrived and asked for Tangle to stop before she ran into someone, but Tangle insisted she knew the streets well enough not to. However, Tangle soon crashed into Ron's chili dog cart. The duo then ordered chili dogs and returned to Jewel's museum. There, Jewel mocked Tangle for running into a stationary object and asked why she had been so restless lately. Tangle told her that it was because after fighting against robot invasions and meeting Sonic and his friends, she no longer wanted to return to her boring life. Jewel asked her what was stopping her from finding adventures on her own, to which Tangle replied that she did not wish to have Dr. Eggman's Badniks attack the village again. She also stated that she would feel lonely without Jewel by her side. Soon though, the duo heard a crash from outside. Jewel immediately sought cover, worrying that the Babylon Rogues had returned. Tangle, however, told Jewel to hide while she checked the situation out. Tangle then opened the door to see Sonic running away from someone firing at him. Tangle jumped out to help her friend, only to see that it was Whisper who was attacking the hedgehog.[19]
Tangle preparing to help Whisper stop Mimic, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #1.
Seeing the confusion, Tangle soon stopped Sonic to ask why he was being shot at by Whisper. Sonic explained that Dr. Eggman had placed a mind control chip inside Whisper's mask scope and sent her on a rampage, and Sonic could not bring himself to harm her. Tangle thus took it upon herself to stop Whisper and scaled up a building towards her. She then tackled Whisper and reluctantly fought her to keep her from shooting Sonic. Once Tangle took off Whisper's mask scope, she believed she had stopped the mind-control. However, Whisper revealed that she was not being mind controlled and the person she was shooting at was not Sonic. Once Tangle saw that Sonic had disappeared, she asked Whisper what was going on. Whisper instead put her mask scope on Tangle where she watched a playback of Whisper finding Sonic and telling him that he was being targeted. Sonic told Whisper that she was also targeted as "he" had found out one of the Diamond Cutters was still alive. Tangle stopped watching as soon as "Sonic" pulled out a dagger and revealed his true face, which gave her a scare. Tangle then wanted Whisper to explain what she saw. Not wanting to share information in the public, Whisper wanted to explain it in a more isolated place, and Tangle took her to the Mineral Museum.[19]
In the Museum, Whisper explained to Tangle and Jewel that she was attacking a mercenary shapeshifter named Mimic who had aligned himself with Eggman and helped him destroy his own team, and was now impersonating Sonic and wreaking havoc. Whisper went on to say that Mimic was potentially targeting Tangle among others. Jewel noted this was a perfect opportunity to join Whisper in her hunt for Mimic so that Tangle could have an adventure. Whisper initially refused Tangle's help but she was soon convinced by her Wisps to allow her to join her. Not too long after, the trio heard a "thunk" at the door and discovered a note that told Whisper to meet Mimic so that they could end things once and for all. Tangle expressed relief in not having to track down Mimic and thus prepared to face him alongside Whisper.[19]
Tangle secures herself and Whisper inside the safe before the bunker explodes, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #2.
Tangle and Whisper soon arrived at an abandoned Eggman Empire bunker. Tangle tried to have some fun by pretending to sneak around loudly but she was shushed by Whisper. She told Tangle that there was no activity on the outside and she could not scan the inside, meaning that they were walking blindly into Mimic's trap. Tangle believed that they could handle him since they outnumbered him but realized that Mimic still had the home advantage. After Whisper confirmed that she wanted to fight Mimic sooner than later, Tangle told her that they would be careful and asked her to stop worrying as much. Tangle then asked if Whisper had a history with Mimic, to which she confirms and then was told to be alert as Mimic is dangerous and manipulative.[20]
The duo went through the back entrance of the bunker and began to sneak around. Tangle decided to quicken their pace by searching for Mimic at a higher point, which slightly annoyed Whisper. As Tangle progressed, she thought about Whisper's silence and how Mimic had clearly hurt her. She suddenly heard Jewel's voice and ran towards its source. She met up with Whisper, who suggested that Jewel was kidnapped when the left the museum. Tangle stated that she would not forgive herself if Jewel was hurt. Whisper led Tangle to a safe where Jewel was being used as bait and tells her that she will cover her. As Tangle went to open the safe, she realized that Whisper was talking more than usual and did not have her Variable Wispon. She was then kicked into the safe by "Whisper" and locked inside. She immediately banged on the door, demanding to be let out but quickly stopped screaming so that she would not use up her air and not think about the tight space she was in. Soon enough, Whisper found the safe and let her out of it, only to be told that the bunker was about to explode due to bombs set by Mimic. As the bombs began to detonate, Tangle pushed Whisper into the safe and closed the door behind the two of them. The facility was completely destroyed but the safe remained unscathed. After the girls exited the safe, Whisper told Tangle to go home. As Tangle protested against this decision, Whisper snapped and exclaimed that she would not and could not lose another friend. As Whisper went to solemnly sit down on the safe, Tangle wiped away her tears. She sat down next to Whisper and asked her to tell her about her past. Whisper wiped her face and agreed to tell her everything.[20]
Whisper explained that the Diamond Cutters were an anti-Eggman group and there were five of them: herself, Mimic, Slinger the Ocelot, Claire Voyance and Smithy the Lion. When she showed Tangle a picture of them together, she expressed how cool they looked. Whisper explained that the video for their masks were networked to let them review missions and study each other's perspectives. The wolf decided to let Tangle see them in action by letting her use her mask to view a past mission of them taking down an Eggman base. Tangle enjoyed the spectacle but was soon interrupted when she discovered that Whisper's mask let her talk and understand the Wisps. Whisper explained that Smithy was a genius and designed the team's gear and made the masks give the Diamond Cutters the ability to communicate with each other. Whisper went on to say that the Variable Wispon was actually a prototype built by Smithy that everyone on the team was meant to have so that they could all use the powers of the Wisps. Whisper then solemnly stopped, which prompted Tangle to ask her to tell her what happened as it was clearly eating her up inside. Whisper initially refused, which made Tangle ask to see the footage on her mask; she told Whisper that she understood if she was not able to confront her past right now, but the more she knew about it, the more she would be able to help her. With encouragement from her Wisps, Whisper entered in the details and handed Tangle her mask to see the Diamond Cutters' final mission. Near the beginning of the Eggman War, Mimic had brought plans before the Diamond Cutters to take down an Eggman base and blackout his forces along the coastline since the doctor had been distracted lately. Though Mimic stated that each member was needed on the field, Claire requested that Whisper stay back due to a bad feeling. At the Eggman base, the Diamond Cutters did not find any opposition. Claire could not even use her powers due to a potential source of alpha waves. Mimic was requested to scout for an ambush while Smithy, Slinger and Claire pushed ahead. When they believed they found the source of the alpha waves, they were suddenly locked in a room with Shadow Androids. Unable to communicate to Whisper or Mimic, Smithy, Slinger and Claire were killed in action. Tangle then saw Mimic stand next to Eggman who gave him a pardon on his "crimes" against him. The Blue Wisp, who was Mimic's partner at the time, abandoned him. Eggman then ordered Mimic to kill Whisper after he discovered she was not among the others. Mimic tried drawing Whisper out but she secretly hid from him after witnessing everything through her mask. Mimic instead found her Wispon and took it to use evidence of her death.[21]
Tangle and Whisper regain trust and determination, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #3.
Horrified of what she had seen, Tangle took off Whisper's mask and softly handed it back to her. Whisper explained that when the coast was clear, she went back into the Eggman base to rescue the rest of the team's Wisps and then went to team's base to take Smithy's prototype Variable Wispon. Tangle was at a loss for words and became frustrated. After taking a deep breath, she asked why Whisper would hold onto that footage, to which the wolf replied "Never forget. Never forgive." Tangle then realized that this was why she continued to fight as the "Guardian Angel of the Battlefield" and later joined the others to fight Neo Metal Sonic. She also realized that it must have been difficult for her to see Shadow on the mission as well. Tangle lastly asked why Whisper chose to leave her behind knowing how Mimic could toy with and asked why she did not ask someone like Sonic to help her even if she did not want the lemur's company. Whisper told her that she was the first real friend she allowed her to have since the incident and could not stand the thought of losing anyone again. Tangle teared up and declared that Whisper was her friend as well and friends looked out for each other no matter what. When Whisper reminded her that Mimic nearly destroyed them both, Tangle stated that he would get double the payback and make him regret all of his actions. As Tangle helped Whisper up, she told her that she knew his tactics now and he would not catch her off guard again. When Whisper noted that Tangle could not be discouraged, Tangle replied saying that Whisper needed positive energy and her friends needed avenging. With this, Whisper hugged the lemur and thanked her. The wolf then noted that the trail was cold and it would take a while to find Mimic again. Tangle disagreed, believing Eggman would want solid proof about their deaths this time, meaning that Mimic would come back and they will give him a taste of his own medicine. Whisper then left a message for Mimic, saying that they will finish the fight where they started.[21]
Tangle fights Mimic, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #4.
Whisper and Tangle traveled to the former Diamond Cutters base on the Clove Sea. They plotted to have Mimic view playbacks of the Diamond Cutters of how much he meant to them. Later, the girls found a squadron of Badniks coming their way. Whisper shot a large battleship Buzz Bomber in the sky, which forced it to crash down onto the second Buzz Bomber battleship. As Whisper explained to Tangle that the Badniks were only decoys, the latter realized that it was now her cue to confront Mimic. Tangle did offer to help fight the Badniks and try to protect the base but Whisper declined, reassuring her that it was fine. In the base, Tangle tripped up who appeared to be Sonic but was actually Mimic in disguise. Pretending to fall for his disguise, Tangle revealed the trap she and Whisper had set for him. She played back footage of Smithy, Slinger, Claire, and even Whisper praising him for his past work and asked if betraying them to save himself was worthwhile. Reverting to his normal form, Mimic showed no remorse for his misdeeds, dismissing the Diamond Cutters as a means to an end and that he had been in it only for the rewards. Outraged, Tangle lunged at Mimic, but stopped when he assumed Jewel's form, mocking her faith in the idea friendship. When he dared her to attack again, Tangle hesitated, but eventually kept up a fight well enough to impress the shapeshifter. Mimic overpowered her with her own tail and was about to finish her off with his dagger when Whisper arrived and attacked him. The ensuing fight bought Tangle time to get up, and just as Mimic disarmed Whisper, Tangle coiled her tail around him like a snake and threw him to the floor through a table. Refusing to admit defeat, Mimic struggled in vain against Tangle's grip, but to no avail as she ordered him to stay down.[22]
With Mimic subdued, Whisper prepared to execute him, but Tangle stopped her, insisting she would regret it and that it would be worse for Mimic to live on knowing he had failed his mission. Much to Tangle's relief, Whisper agreed. Tangle then suggested taking him to Tails. At the fox's workshop, Tails created a Test Chamber to imprison Mimic in and stated that he would not be able to escape. When Mimic declared that he would simply escape as he always had and taunted Whisper when she warned him not to, Tangle turned his insults back him, saying that even if he did escape, he would have to deal with Eggman's wrath after wasting several of his Badniks. Beaten at his own game, all Mimic could do was tell Tangle he disliked her, another insult she turned back at him. Tangle and Whisper thus said their goodbyes to Tails after he promised to send the cell to the nearest jail as soon as he could. Outside, Tangle asked Whisper what she would do next; the wolf told her that she was going to keep fighting until Eggman was gone and asked Tangle if she wanted to join. Tangle accepted the offer but wished to first of all take time off back at home. With their newfound bond, Whisper and Tangle fist bumped and said their farewells. As Tangle walked off, she high fived her own tail.[22]
The Last Minute
Tangle fends off Zombots, from Sonic the Hedgehog #21.
Some time after the encounter with Mimic, Tangle joined the Restoration and accompanied Tails and Whisper on a mission to Central City so that he could research a cure for the Metal Virus. While at his lab, Tangle watched in shock as Dr. Eggman's Faceship arrived in the city to distribute a large batch of the virus into the city. Tangle and Whisper took it upon themselves to begin evacuation of the city while Tails stayed behind at his lab to research a cure. About an hour later, Tangle and Whisper had managed to guide a number of survivors down to a dock while they fended off several Zombots in the city. Though Tangle found some fun in the situation, she still found it horrible. Tails soon called Tangle for updates he could give to Amy. After explaining how she found the situation to the fox cub, Tangle was startled by a Zombot close behind her, causing her to climb atop a lamp post before she gave actual updates to Tails. Afterwards, Tangle continued to fight against the Central City Zombots.[23]
At some point, she tried to distract some Zombots from on top of a lamp post but was nearly shaken off by one. Luckily, Whisper came to the lemur's aid knocked back the Zombots with her Variable Wispon. As Whisper kept up the pressure, Tangle tried contacting Amy at Restoration HQ for back-up but she did not pick up. She also tried reaching out to Cream and Vector they did not answer either. She managed to put in a call to Silver but he confirmed that he was busy dealing with a Zombot outbreak in Ice Paradise and could not reach them in time. Tangle and Whisper pressed onwards regardless but were forcibly sidetracked by a horde of Zombots, forcing them to move to a rooftop. Tangle then put in a call to Tails following a suggestion from Whisper and was soon given an update by him that he had nearly completed a cure for the Metal Virus and would be able to provide back-up soon. After a while, Tangle and Whisper decided to go back to the docks, with Tangle once again trying to call Tails. The fox cub managed to clear a path for the duo with his Cyclone and told them that he would cover them while they tended to the survivors. At the docks, Tangle soon saw a Rescue Shuttle coming in for a landing and she wondered why only one was present. Despite this, she and Whisper guided the survivors onboard while they also watched out for Zombots. Once everyone had safely boarded, Tangle called out for Tails to fly to the ship. Once Tails had arrived, the trio had received the bad news from Amy that Restoration HQ had fallen. Tails freaked out over this because he believed he still would have been able to do something with the incomplete upload at the HQ, revealing that he could not find a cure and was sabotaged by Zombots.[23][24]
Tangle becoming a Zombot, from Sonic the Hedgehog #24.
By this time, Eggman had attacked Spiral Hill Village with the Metal Virus, and the Restoration rushed to help after Jewel called Tangle in a panic. While her friends evacuated the town, Tangle went to the Mineral Museum to check on Jewel, but the beetle had already been converted into a Zombot and attacked the lemur, striking her in the shoulder and infecting her. After trapping Jewel in a glass case, Tangle engaged other Zombots, though she had to restrain herself to avoid accelerating her infection despite knowing she could not stall it forever. She was soon joined by Sonic, who had just arrived from an encounter with Eggman and Starline in Barricade Town. Unable to quickly flee without drawing attention from the Zombots, Tangle suggested Sonic carry her around while she wrapped her tail around nearby lampposts to create a trip wire to block the Zombots. When Sonic initially refused for fear of infecting her, she revealed her own infection. Sonic was horrified and apologized to her, but she urged him not to give up, stating there were still survivors to protect and that he could still set things right. With that, they enacted their plan, blocking off several Zombots in the town from reaching the Rescue Shuttle. Having resolved to stay behind, Tangle asked Sonic to apologize to the others for her, knowing Whisper would be devastated when she heard the news. Sonic said he would, and the two friends embraced before parting ways. As her friends left, Tangle bravely fought the Zombot horde until, finally, she succumbed to the Metal Virus, becoming a Zombot herself.[24][25][26]
All or Nothing
After the Deadly Six had taken over Eggman's plans, Zavok used his powers to lead a large horde of Zombots to Angel Island, which included Tangle. After the Faceship was effectively destroyed by Rouge, Zavok grew to a giant size to attack the survivors on Angel Island. From this, he grabbed a handful of Zombots, including Tangle, and threw them onto the island's surface to face the survivors there. During the battle, Tangle confronted Whisper, who could not bring herself to fight her friend. Eventually, the Metal Virus was removed from her body by Super Sonic and Super Silver, restoring her to normal. As Tangle wondered what she was doing back on Angel Island, she was happily embraced by Whisper and her Wisps and asked if they had missed her.[27][28][29]
Out of the Blue
When Zavok tried attacking the civilians down below, Tangle went down from Angel Island to the surface and wrapped the Zeti in her tail. However, he easily broke free. Eventually, the Zeti was restrained by Silver's psychokinesis. Soon after, Tangle saw Metal Sonic impale Gemerl and wondered where he was hiding as Whisper shot at him. Ignoring them, Metal Sonic blocked the attacks with his Black Shield, dropped Gemerl's body and flew away with Orbot and Cubot.[30]
Tangle parties with her friends, from Sonic the Hedgehog #31.
Some time later, Tangle and Tails went to rescue Rough and Tumble from a refuse pit that they were trapped in by Sonic back when they were still Zombots. They told the skunks that they were given another chance at life after Sonic had cured the world of the Metal Virus. Rough and Tumble simply laughed at this and ran off to cause more mayhem. When Tangle asked if this meant they would go right back to jail by the end of the day, Tails joked that this could happen if they found their way out of the mines first. Following this, when Tangle asked Tails if he was fine after Sonic's disappearance, he replied that he was fine; he was confident that they would see Sonic again as he has beaten the odds before and since he had never let him down before, he believed in him. Additionally, he believed that Sonic would be counting on them to keep the peace. Tangle complimented Tails' determination and invited Tails to a party that she was going to host in Spiral Hill Village. Later at the party, Tangle celebrated with her friends and used her tail as a jump rope with Jewel for Cheese and Chocola. She then went to tell Whisper to calm down after seeing her angrily monitor the Babylon Rogues due their attack on the town from before; the lemur stated that they have earned some peace as well since they helped save the world and she did not want to have another fight in her home town so soon. When Whisper accepted this, Tangle said that they should get the Wisps some food to eat but also asked if they even ate. Tangle was soon interrupted as the party was crashed by Eggman arriving in a large mech suit with the intent of destroying everyone.[31] Tangle proceeded to take part in the attack on Eggman's mech. After Sonic returned and helped defeat Eggman, who departed in the aftermath, Tangle had everyone join up in a group hug with her tail until Jewel told her that they had yet to extinguish the fires in the village that had been started during the fight. Together with Sonic, Tangle helped put out the fires.[32]
Personality
Heroic and just as fearless as Sonic the Hedgehog, Tangle is scrappy and loves to tangle with bad guys.[9][33] Not intimidated by danger in the slightest, she has a thirst for adventure and excitement.[11][19] As such, she is capable of heading into mortal peril and face deadly odds, all while wearing a smile on her face and having the time of her life.[13][14] However, her desire for adventures makes her reckless and prone to jump head-first into danger without a care in the world.[19] She can also be somewhat careless in battle, like using her tail in a way that gets it injured and focusing more on cheering than watching out for enemies.[12]
Tangle excitedly recalling her past adventures, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #1.
Tangle is loud and excitable, but also friendly, polite, helpful and open. While having seen and overcome her own fair share of challenges in the form of Badniks, she is a novice heroine, and has thus seen little of the more outlandish subjects that exist out there, like a pyrokinetic princess from another dimension who guards fiery Emeralds. While such signs tend to leave her speechless, she is nonetheless quick to be amazed by them.[12] Whenever she sees or reflects on something exciting, she tends to get starry-eyed.[15][19] When reacting to a sudden sound or event, the hairs on her tail stand up.[20]
Because of her outings with Sonic and other heroes, Tangle grew bored of her life at home in Spiral Hill Village, and would grow hyperactive staying there since she could not stand the peace and quiet. She later admitted to Jewel that she was both paranoid and nervous on leaving it behind, as the village would be left defenseless without her and that she would not have anyone to watch her back. Despite her newfound boredom, she remains loyal to her hometown and has gone through with staying when necessary and ensuring its safety despite how she felt.[19]
Tangle is more than willing to aid her friends in any way that she can even when she is denied. This was shown when she persisted on helping Whisper out in bringing down Mimic, even though the lone wolf rejected her pleas to aid her, a trait of which caused Whisper to note that Tangle could not be discouraged.[19][21] This lack of discouragement was shown even further when Tangle was infected with the Metal Virus, as she kept fighting Zombots with an optimistic attitude and even bolstered a despondent Sonic's spirits, despite knowing she did not have long before becoming one herself.[26]
Tangle has a bit of a mischievous side to her. When she played cards with Silver, she would deliberately try to mess with him while using her tail to peek at his cards.[13] Tangle also has a bit of an ego. For example, after finding out that some local children started a Sonic Fan Club, she told them they should make a Tangle Fan Club instead.[17]
Powers and abilities
Tangle using her tail in battle, from Sonic the Hedgehog #4.
Tangle's main draw is a highly prehensile tail that she can use and manipulate in various ways as if it was a third arm. In practice, her tail can whip, snap, grip, curl, and even make a hand to form a fist with.[9][33] In addition, her tail can extend and contract at will, thus allowing her to wield it as a rope, a bungee cord, a slingshot, or even a pully for herself.[12] By curling it up like a coil, Tangle can also use her tail like a spring to bounce around.[11] It is also has enough strength to dent Badnik armor with a single strike.[12]
Physically, Tangle is very fit and agile, possessing the same level of athleticism as Sonic the Hedgehog.[33]
Weaknesses
Tangle appears to suffer from claustrophobia, causing her to panic when enclosed within small spaces. Her phobia is so severe that the resulting panic had caused her to pass out in the past.[20]
Relationships
Jewel the Beetle
Tangle and Jewel have been best friends since their childhood. Jewel would always be there to look out for Tangle and make sure she did not fall into perilous danger. Tangle has become very grateful for Jewel's friendship as she feels lonely without her. Tangle also gets very worried when Jewel is in trouble, becoming frantic when the beetle was kidnapped by the Babylon Rogues and later when she was infected with the Metal Virus.[11][19]
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic and Tangle facing numerous Egg Pawns, from Sonic the Hedgehog #4.
Tangle has been described as a "kindred spirit" to Sonic the Hedgehog,[33] namely their skill and enjoyment in battling Badniks, as well as the confidence they share in doing so. Even after meeting for the first time, the two were able to synchronize with each other in their battle against multiple Badniks, including battling together with Blaze the Cat, who Tangle had also just met during said battle. Although their personalities seem to differ slightly, their enjoyment in fighting is something that they share together.
Blaze the Cat
Tangle seems to look up to and admire Blaze the Cat, as she finds her abilities and status as a princess amazing.[12] Just like with Sonic, Tangle was able to fight together with Blaze, despite their personalities being a bit different. Tangle showed gratitude to Blaze for helping save her town, and when Blaze offered to help calm the many flames in Tangle's hometown, Tangle was very appreciative.
Whisper the Wolf
Tangle hugging Whisper, before the latter pushes her back, from Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2019.
Tangle and Whisper are quite the polar opposites. Where Tangle is loud and excitable, Whisper is quiet and reserved. Nevertheless, they appear to enjoy each other's company. Whisper enjoys Tangle's kind heart and her eagerness to make new friends. Tangle simply enjoys new friends regardless of their personalities and Whisper is no different. She appreciates Whisper's bravery and her initiative to look out for others. Due to her shy nature, Whisper does not like being put on the spot by Tangle, finding it a bit insensitive on her side. Whisper initially preferred it when Tangle did not invade her personal space with hugging, but after growing closer together, she has opened up more to the idea and has even been the one to hug her first. [11][19][21] When Tangle was infected with the Metal Virus, she knew Whisper would be hurt, and sent Sonic to apologize for her.[26]
As the one Whisper is closest to, Tangle is usually the one who talks her down when she is angry, convincing her not to kill Mimic in cold blood and to give the Babylon Rogues a chance since they helped save the world from the Metal Virus.[22][31]
Miles "Tails" Prower
Tangle first met Tails during their fight against Neo Metal Sonic. They started out as good allies and slowly developed into having a brother-sister relationship. Tangle has been continuously impressed by Tails' intellect and has thus been trusting of his various endeavors and inventions. She has also been supportive of Tails emotionally, such as when she checked up on him after Sonic disappeared. Tails has been appreciative of Tangle and has shown similar care towards her, evident when he said he would hate to see more Eggman robots target her home town.[13][18][22][23][31]
Friends/allies
- Amy Rose
- Big the Cat
- Blaze the Cat
- Chaotix
- Cheese
- Chocola
- Cream the Rabbit
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Restoration
- Jewel the Beetle (best friend)
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Whisper the Wolf
- Ron
- Silver the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Team Dark
- Vanilla the Rabbit
- Wisps
Neutral
Enemies
Quotes
- "Woo! And ow. Woo and ow!"
- —Tangle after destroying several Egg Pawns and burning her tail in the process, Sonic the Hedgehog #4
- "Hey! Wisps! We've got a mission! Let no Eggman crony-robot otherwise-sleep well tonight! Because Tangle and Whisper are on the case! And we've got a whole wave of wisps backing us up!"
- —Tangle announcing a new adventure, Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #1
- "AIR! Don't care if it smells like burning!"
- —Tangle jumping out of a safe after she and Whisper barely avoided being blown up, Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #2
In other media
Sonic Dash
Tangle makes an appearance as a playable character in Sonic Dash. In this game, she can be unlocked after participating in her character event.
Sonic Forces: Speed Battle
Tangle is one of the playable characters in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle who was added to the game's roster in the version 2.19.0 update. She has the following gameplay characteristics:
| Rarity | Speed | Acceleration | Strength | Utilizable items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 7/10 | 5/10 | 10/10 |
Trivia
- Tangle was first teased as an obscured silhouette in an artwork on Facebook that featured her and Sonic. This image was first revealed five days prior to the release of the first four issues' solicitations for the Sonic the Hedgehog comics. The image was updated regularly to show more of the silhouette, up until her unveiling on 24 January 2018.[34]
- Tangle is the first identified character exclusive to the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series that was revealed to the public.
Tangle's use of profanity, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #2.
- Tangle is the third character to use profanity in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, with Silver being the first and Rough the second. In Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #2, she said "Oh, crap..." after the Eggman Empire bunker was destroyed by Mimic's bombs.
- Along with Whisper, Tangle is the first comic-exclusive character to appear in Sonic games, the games in question being Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.
- Kazuyuki Hoshino has stated that he loves both Tangle and Whisper and that he found it fun to team up with the IDW team to help create them.[35]
Gallery
Concept artwork
Trading Cards
Artwork
Sprites
Other
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ian Flynn on Twitter. Twitter (24 January 2018). Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved on 27 January 2018. "Alexander Soerensen: Who designed Tangle? / Ian Flynn: @tyson_hesse took my vague ideas and made magic happen."
- ↑ Ian Flynn on Twitter. Twitter (24 April 2018). Retrieved on 25 April 2018. " Mlick: While sketching her, a question came to mind. @IanFlynnBKC May i ask, how old is Tangle? / Ian Flynn: 15yo like Sonic"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 IDW Publishing on Twitter. Twitter. IDW Publishing (21 June 2019). Retrieved on 22 June 2019.
- ↑ Schoepfer, Nich (1 May 2018). BumbleKast #67: Does Tangle like to "Move it! Move it!"?!?. Sonic Source. Retrieved on 25 July 2018. "Ian Flynn: Her favorite food is strawberries."
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Could use this move in Sonic Dash.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Could use this move in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #9, Roll Call
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Thurmond, Joey (15 February 2018). Writer Ian Flynn Discusses Giving The Sonic Comic Series A Fresh Start. Gameinformer. Retrieved on 16 February 2018.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Yehl, Joshua (24 January 2018). Sonic the Hedgehog's Newest Ally Is Tangle the Ring-tailed Lemur. IGN. Retrieved on 24 January 2018.
- ↑ IDW Sonic Comic Squad. Facebook (19 April 2019). Retrieved on 19 April 2019.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2019, "Bonds of Friendship"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Sonic the Hedgehog #4, "Fallout, Part 4"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Sonic the Hedgehog #9, "The Battle for Angel Island, Part 1"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #10, "The Battle for Angel Island, Part 2"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #11, "The Battle for Angel Island, Part 3"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #12, "The Cost of the Battle for Angel Island"
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2019, "Sonic Fan Club"
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #16, "Infection"
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 19.9 Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #1, "Imposter"
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #2, "Ambush"
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #3, "Betrayal"
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper #4, "Showdown"
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Sonic the Hedgehog #21, "The Last Minute, Part 1"
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #22, "The Last Minute, Part 2"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #23, "The Last Minute, Part 3"
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Sonic the Hedgehog #24, "The Last One Out"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #25, "A Sudden Shift"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #28, "All or Nothing, Part 3"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #29, "All or Nothing, Part 4"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #30, "Cured"
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Sonic the Hedgehog #31, "Recovery, Part 1"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #32, "Recovery, Part 2"
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 McDonell, Jeffrey (24 January 2018). IDW Publishing’s New Sonic the Hedgehog Comic Premieres in April. Gamnesia. Retrieved on 26 January 2018.
- ↑ Yehl, Joshua (24 January 2018). Sonic the Hedgehog's Newest Ally Is Tangle the Ring-tailed Lemur. IGN. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved on 21 July 2019.
- ↑ purin_p on Twitter. Twitter (24 June 2020). Retrieved on 16 August 2020.
External links
- Tangle the Lemur at IDW Sonic Hub Wiki, the IDW Sonic wiki.
