Gee, has he finally beaten Sonic? We just don't know! Seriously, imagine if Sonic really did die in this issue and the rest of the comic was just called "Sonic the Hedgehog" for no reason even though its namesake was six feet under. What a twist that would be.
That's the Spirit!
Writer: Angelo DeCesare
Pencils: Dave Manak
Colors: Barry Grossman
Okay, this issue is pretty dang funny. Sonic and Sally are on a mission inside Robotnik's base to destroy an antimatter device he's got, which could potentially let him win the war. Sonic, like the doof he is, refuses to listen to Sally's warnings about a trap until he's caught directly in it. He makes one last attempt to destroy the antimatter device with his bomb while escaping, but trips a split second before the explosion, and winds up caught in it. And just like that… he's dead. No more Sonic, everybody! Also, despite the silly nature of the story, the panels of Sally's return to the rest of the Freedom Fighters are actually a bit disturbing - she's clearly badly injured from the excursion, sobbing and hugging herself as she relays the news.
However, of course, Sonic isn't actually dead, because this is his comic. He was simply caught in the effect of the antimatter explosion, and is now completely invisible and intangible, because that's how science works. Still, he's alive, so he decides to head home to let everyone know the good news, only to arrive at the unveiling of a truly amazing statue of himself.
Tails, being the loyal sidekick he is, refuses to admit that Sonic might be dead, even when Sonic himself gets disheartened trying to get everyone's attention. For a while, Sonic mopes about in the wilderness, believing himself to truly be dead and merely a ghost, and we have our second major instance of Sonic shedding tears. Again, kind of seems like a strange thing to point out, but as I've said before Sega put strict limits on this later, so every tear is worth noting, I think.
However, this doesn’t last very long, as he soon realizes that he can kick rocks around and make noise once more, some of the effects of the antimatter beginning to wear off. Confidence restored, he races back home to tell everyone the good news, only to find perhaps one of the greatest pieces of comedic writing this comic has ever seen. Seriously, please read this and tell me you didn't laugh. One thing you gotta admit about non-genius comic-Tails, his childlike cluelessness lends itself to some truly incredible moments of comedy.
Meanwhile, back at Robotropolis, Robotnik is having a freaking party! Sorry, I know I'm spamming panels, but this entire issue is just a gold mine.
Now that Sonic is supposedly gone, Robotnik's about to launch his final attack against the approaching Freedom Fighters to wipe out the resistance once and for all. However, Sonic has easily snuck aboard due to his invisibility. And thus, he decides to have a little fun.
After he's got Robotnik good and terrified, Sonic forces him and Snively to abandon the plane, finds the last of the antimatter effects wearing off, and makes a happy reunion with the Freedom Fighters now that he's visible again. Snively, meanwhile… is showing some very interesting behavior back home.
I take note of this because this is the first time we see Snively's slight rebellious streak. Throughout much of the comic, especially the early comic, he's portrayed as, well, a sniveling coward. I mean, it's right in his (nick)name. He's no hero, not even a true villain, isn't fit to stand up for himself but rather allies himself with whoever is most powerful and can allow himself to leech off a little power of his own. He's Robotnik's bullied underling for this very reason. And yet, here, he allows Robotnik to torture himself on the treadmill for just a liiiiittle while longer, for his own personal amusement. Seems perhaps he's not as loyal as he may have seemed at first…
Eh, we'll get more into that later.
Deadliest of the Species (Prologue)
Writers: Mike Kanterovich and Ken Penders
Pencils: Art Mawhinney
Colors: Barry Grossman
OH YES! OH YES OH YES! He's finally here! One of my all-time favorite Archie preboot characters!
This entire little bit at the end of this issue is quite cinematic, and almost entirely wordless for the first few pages, telling its story largely in pictures. Sally's on a solo mission into one of Robotnik's bases (well, solo unless you count Nicole), to blow it up. You can almost hear the tense infiltration-y spy music as she rappels her way inside, takes down a swatbot sentry, and sets the charges. Things go off without a hitch, until with seconds left on the clock, her escape is blocked by…
Hmm. He definitely gets more handsome later on. Anyway, it's Geoffrey St. John, leader of the rebel underground, an anti-Robotnik organization so secretive that not even Sally knew about it until now! Apparently, Geoffrey was head of the king's secret service until Robotnik's takeover, and is now happily at Sally's service. I wonder how much more we'll be seeing of him…
