a hypothetical adaptation of the freedom fighters for the IDW sonic continuity
insane yap session incoming... brace yourself.
hi, woah, i'm posting something. that doesn't happen often!
so, recently, thanks to those sonic blitz leaks showing sally acorn and nicole (and i assume others, potentially... i don't know all the specifics of the leaks) being potentially represented in the roster of cards, i've heard a lot of hubbub about the freedom fighters being back. particularly, i've heard some people wanting to see the freedom fighters appear in the IDW comics.
i'd like to preface this by saying... i don't believe for a second that's gonna happen. sure, perhaps as a wink or a nod in the background as a cameo if sega grants the artists permission to do so, but i don't see a world where the freedom fighters get any plot relevance in the IDW comics. it's a different world with different storylines and an already established cast of characters. just shoving them into the plot willy-nilly would just bloat the cast.
at the same time, that also did make me think a little. what if the freedom fighters DID return? like, what would that even be like? how would they make it work? i actually do think there is a way to include them in the comics without messing up the already existing continuity of IDW.
firstly: as a general rule, i'm gonna say if sega allowed the IDW team to bring back the freedom fighters, they would not be allowed to reference archie in any way. i'd assume the drama that would come from that, either from ken penders or otherwise, would not be worth it for them, but i think that's for the better. as i mentioned earlier, IDW already has its own lore. injecting archie in there would just end up really sloppy and confusing... not to mention i doubt they'd want people buying the old archie comics. they're gonna want people focusing on IDW.
with that said, that would mean the freedom fighters would be solely based on their appearance in sonic satAM, which gives us a bit less to work with and results in the character development that archie had built up over its 20+ years being erased, i'd say it's still plenty enough to adapt them into the modern lore, albeit much differently than the freedom fighters many people came to love in the archie comics.
oh, and one last thing: it's extremely important to me that sonic isn't stripped away from his friends for the sake of having the freedom fighters back. IDW has already established his relationships and aspirations, and it seems in bad taste to me to change that. so, no sonic in the freedom fighters. just getting that out of the way now.
that all said, here's the basic elevator pitch:
if they were to appear in IDW, the freedom fighters should be a vigilante group who think the restoration is not doing enough to protect the people of [insert planet name here], so they have decided to take it into their own hands. although they have good intentions, due to their lesser resources in comparison to the restoration, they end up getting in over their heads and accidentally cause more trouble.
now, time to get more in-depth:
before i say anything more, i recognize this makes the team seem a little incompetent in comparison to their satAM or archie counterparts. i also recognize that if done incorrectly, it could end up being a total slap in the face to archie fans if the freedom fighters aren't treated with respect. that is not my intention in the slightest. in fact, i think this idea could actually result in some fascinating story beats if done correctly.
my main inspiration for this potential adaptation of these characters comes from the vibes they had in satAM. i haven't watched it in a long time (though i suppose i probably should have gotten myself reacquainted with the show before going on a autistic ramble about the characters... oops) but one thing i remember that imprinted on me about the team when i watched the show as a kid was how rag-tag and DIY they felt. that feeling of "dr robotnik has taken over the world, there is very little hope" was always clear, even in some of the more lighthearted filler episodes.
but how do we adapt that into a world where robotnik (or more accurately, eggman, since we're talking IDW here) has already taken over the world multiple times and been defeated each time? what do we do when the world really doesn't need the freedom fighters as they were in satAM, where robotnik had a seemingly unstoppable reign on the world? that's why my pitch makes them vigilantes. honestly, i could even imagine potential IDW freedom fighters ending up like an activist group.
okay, but what's their purpose? what would they add to IDW? that's what i was wondering too whenever i heard people want them back... but i've thought about it, and honestly? they could actually work as a really cool twist on a theme that has already been explored in the IDW comics.
i'm sure we all remember the infamous conversation between sonic and surge in IDW sonic's issue 50. the one where sonic revealed his philosophy as to why he spares his enemies; a philosophy the restoration appears to echo. well, i'd like to see that explored more from the perspective of more heroic characters.
while it was briefly explored through sonic and espio's argument in issue 24 during the metal virus arc when he snapped at sonic for letting mr. tinker remain free, therefore allowing eggman to return, i think a more permanent group like the freedom fighters who, while still heroes, disagree with sonic and the restoration, could be interesting as a minor threat.
with this context in mind, i could also see the freedom fighters acting as a rival team for the diamond cutters... perhaps hijacking their missions so they can do it their way? i haven't put much thought into it, but it also works in the sense that the diamond cutters is solely comprised of IDW original characters (if you're not counting silver), so it would be kind of poetic to have two generations of sonic comic characters acting as rivals.
when it comes to the characters themselves, like sally, antoine, bunnie, rotor, etc... i'm still unsure about what to do with them from a lore standpoint. for instance, i'm on the fence about sally still being a princess. that's probably a really hot take, but i don't think it fits the pitch i've come up with here.
i think the team dynamics are already perfect the way they are, and can be translated pretty much identically: sally would still be the leader, rotor would still be the mechanic, bunnie would still be the muscle and morale booster, nicole would still be their database...
i'm not so sure about antoine, though. in satAM, he was a member of the freedom fighters due to being part of mobotropolis' royal guard, so i'm not sure how that'd translate if sally wasn't a princess and there wasn't a mobotropolis. perhaps he could be voice of the freedom fighters, making public appearances and speaking at events?
another thing i've thought about is, since roboticization doesn't exist in the IDW and game canons, what do we do with bunnie's robotic limbs? there are two ways this could go in my opinion:
1, bunnie could just be naturally a strong character and doesn't need the robotic limbs. it's simple, it's effective, it works, but it removes an iconic part of her design.
2, bunnie's robotic limbs could instead be prosthetics. this would be great for two reasons: first, it's a simple way to retain her iconic design, but second, it would allow her to be a representation for amputees, something sonic does not have to my knowledge. also, the prosthetics could easily retain the same usage as they had in satAM, because... well, it's sonic. prosthetic limbs can probably have ultra strength, don't question it.
this is still a fresh idea in my mind, and there's a lot i haven't thought about yet, but when everyone started freaking out about the freedom fighters, i couldn't help but think about it, even if i've never really had much of a connection to or nostalgia for the archie comics. mainly, this is just a fun hypothetical to write about.
i know i've definitely missed a few things. i didn't mention dulcy because... to be frank, i know next to nothing about her other than she's a dragon. additionally, i also opted against mentioning anything about sonic underground even though (i think) sonia and manic were also in that leak. this is due to the simple fact that i've never watched sonic underground. also, i'm pretty sure people are much less keen on seeing sonia and manic return than they are the freedom fighters.
also, i am NOT going to get into the shipping stuff. not interested in starting any wars. all i'll say is, sega mandates would probably prohibit sonic getting into a relationship anyway. sorry, but sonally ain't happening in this hypothetical. just trying to be realistic.
i'm done now, conclusion time
well, with my brain drained of thoughts and all of my ideas finally written down, i'm done here. i'm absolutely down to discuss some more about this or answer any questions about this little idea i've come up with here, but i can't guarantee i'll have the answers if you start going deep into satAM and archie talk. that area of sonic expertise is out of my depth, lol
if you've read all of this... you're insane. but also thanks for willingly sitting down and reading this wall of text, lol. i hope this made any semblance of sense, because imma be real, i'm not proofreading all this. absolutely feel free to correct me if i got anything wrong.
now, it is time for me to go back into hibernation...
