Black Arms

Current= The Black Arms are a violent race of aliens who traverse the galaxy in the Black Comet, traveling from world to world consuming entire populations. A hive mind led by their cruel and sinister leader, Black Doom, they have been to the planet of Mobius itself at least once in the past, and were set to return there fifty years after that first recorded visit and the creation of their agent Shadow the Hedgehog. However, upon the Black Arms' return to Mobius, most were defeated by Shadow and his allies. A small force led by Black Death returned in a New Black Come to consume the planet, but they were intercepted by Team Dark and G.U.N.'s Spider Troupe. The team and their human allies were successful in destroying Black Death and neutralizing the comet with a warhead, but Eclipse and the Dark Arms were able to escape to Mobius in a shuttle.

The Black Arms are a race of aliens who travel from world to world seeking to devour their native inhabitants. One world that they visited was Mobius, where their leader Black Doom made a deal with Gerald Robotnik to create Shadow the Hedgehog, who was intended to serve as the Black Arms' agent to prepare Mobius for their return 50 years later. However, they became embroiled in an interstellar war with another equally violent race, the Xorda, and thus were unable to return to Mobius for a time. The conflict raged across the entire galaxy and reduced at least one world, the Bem homeworld of Argentium, to a ruin of its former self.
 * -|Pre-SGW=

History
Current= =Failed Invasion= With Shadow the Hedgehog at their side, the Black Arms attacked numerous locations around the globe, among them being Prison Island. They were opposed by G.U.N., Dr. Eggman, and Sonic the Hedgehog, the latter two of which invaded the Black Comet along with several other allies only to be paralyzed with toxic gas. Eventually, Shadow turned on Black Doom, and despite the latter going into his Devil Doom super form, killed him before using the Eclipse Cannon to blow up the Black Comet, putting an end to the Black Arms' invasion and leaving the species on the brink of extinction. (SU: #59, #60)

=A New Comet= Unbeknownst to the population of Mobius, a second force of Black Arms were stationed on an unknown planet in order to complete an earlier conquest. Their leader, Black Death, learned of Gerald Robotnik's betrayal and of Black Doom's death due to his connection with their hive mind. Becoming the Arms' new leader, Black Death began making preparations for a second invasion of the planet with a new Black Arm soldier named Eclipse the Darkling, who was created to give the aliens an answer to Shadow. Their invasion was delayed for some time due to Eclipse's Dark Arms experiment. (SU: #60; SSSM: #9) Several months after the first invasion they returned and the oncoming New Black Comet was sighted by G.U.N. To nip the invasion in the bud, G.U.N.s Team Dark and Spider Troupe were sent up to the comet to plant a nuclear device that would wipe out the aliens before any more harm could come to the fractured planet. Shadow and his team boarded the comet, taking out a small defense force of aliens, before making their way to the core of the comet with the nuclear device. All the while they were watched by Black Death via Death's Eye, who remarked that while he anticipated meeting Shadow, he would've preferred it on his own terms. Shadow then separated from his group and used Black Arms conduit gel to enter a new room filled with Black Arms soldiers, whereupon he was confronted by Eclipse as Black Death used gas to paralyze Team Dark and Spider Troupe with the intention of consuming the humans. (SU: #59)

Spider Troupe and Team Dark managed to avoid the paralyzing gas using gas masks, prompting Black Death to send four Black Annelids to finish them off while he went to aid Eclipse, whom he worried was too fixed on "converting" Shadow. As the humans managed to evade the Annelids, Shadow confronted Eclipse, but found himself unable to use Chaos Control due to being on the Black Comet. Eclipse then telepathically explained his past to Shadow in an attempt to convince the hedgehog to rejoin the rest of his kind, but required assistance from Black Death when Shadow resisted. Despite the two Arms' combined might, Shadow managed to break free from their mental assault and attack Eclipse, but succumbed when Death placed a hand on his forehead and directly took control of him. Black Death then sent the two "brothers" to confront the human attack force along with the Black Arms army. While Shadow battled his former Team Dark teammates, Eclipse led the Black Arms to capture and consume Spider Troupe so they could use their bomb to rain devastation on the already-shattered planet. (SU: #60)
 * -|Prime=

50 Years Ago
Visiting Mobius fifty years prior to their conflict with the Xorda, the Black Arms laid plans for their eventual conquest. This involved placing an agent on the planet, for which they contacted Professor Gerald, the primary scientist aboard Space Colony ARK. Cutting a deal with the aliens, he used Black Arms genetic material&mdash;namely that of Black Doom himself&mdash;to create Shadow the Hedgehog, his Ultimate Life form. They then departed, intending to return and use a paralyzing toxin to render the inhabitants helpless so that they could consume them at their leisure. Learning that the Black Arms would return to Mobius in fifty years to conquer it, Gerald modified Shadow from his original purpose&mdash;that of developing a cure for Gerald's ill granddaughter, Maria Robotnik&mdash;to that of defending Mobius from the Black Arms upon their return. Shadow later learned this from Gerald's digital diary, and joined the Guardian Unit of Nations to prepare for their eventual return. (StH: #98, #171, #182, CSE)

War with the Xorda

 * See: Black Arms-Xorda War

The explanation for the delay in the Black Arms' return to Mobius was uncovered by Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Merlin Prower when they traveled to Argentium to rescue Amadeus Prower and his wife Rosemary, Tails' parents. As they were returning to feast on the population of Mobius, the Black Arms ran afoul of the Xorda aliens as both races desired to destroy Mobius for their own reasons. The resources diverted for the conflict prevented the Black Arms from following through with their plans for some time, while the violent conflict reduced countless worlds to wasteland. (StH: #170, CSE)

Black Arms Classes

 * Black Warrior: Standard Black Arms soldiers who are roughly the height and size of an average Human. All possess a muscular build and feature the coloration unique to the species. They are sometimes equipped with small laser guns.
 * Black Oak: A larger variant of the Black Warrior, over twice as tall and several times larger. They are strong enough to block bullets with their forearms and have rows of spikes lining their backs.
 * Black Assassin: Elite soldiers that resemble the Black Warrior, but wear minimal orange armor on their bodies and have forehead spikes, tails, and red markings on their chests. Often carry large purple swords.
 * Black Volt: Four-eyed, raptor-like flying creatures with segmented bodies and wings.
 * Black Annelid: Giant burrowing worm-like creatures with six tentacles surrounding a circular mouth. They are able to launch missiles from their mouths. Their flesh is also impervious to bullets.
 * Death Leech: Black Arms larvae. They resemble small blobs and feature a single eye surrounded by spikes.
 * Dark Arms: Black Arms soldiers created by Eclipse in an experiment prior to the second invasion. Currently in infancy and the sole surviving Black Arms along with their creator.

Notable Black Arms
Current=
 * Black Doom: The cruel leader of the Black Arms who was once the head of their hive mind. He possessed Chaos Control abilities which were bestowed upon Shadow the Hedgehog after Doom and Professor Gerald struck a deal. Fifty years later he led the Black Arms to Mobius to consume the populace, but was killed when Shadow turned against him and defeated him in his Devil Doom super form.
 * Shadow the Hedgehog: Part Black Arms due to having Black Doom's blood in his veins, Shadow has a limited connection to the Black Arms' hive mind and well as access to the Chaos powers of his "father." After working for a time with Black Doom, he eventually turned against the aliens and destroyed most of them. When the last Black Arms arrived in the New Black Comet, he temporarily returned to their side.
 * Black Death: A leader-class Black Arms who greatly resembles his creator Black Doom, minus the horns. He was off-planet with a smaller force of Black Arms during the initial invasion, and took over Doom's role as hive-mind after his death. Killed by Shadow the Hedgehog.
 * Eclipse the Darkling: Created by Black Death to give the Black Arms an answer to Shadow the Hedgehog after he betrayed them. Unlike his template Eclipse is a full-blooded Black Arms; as such he resembles his Mobian counterpart but with more Black Arms-derived features. Eclipse is unique in that he is the only Black Arm soldier who possesses true free will; he does not answer directly to Black Death and is thus able to question his commands. Eclipse and the Dark Arms are the sole surviving Black Arms.
 * Doom's Eye& Death's Eye: Starfish-like floating eyes controlled remotely by Black Doom/Black Death to spy on their enemies from afar. Both perished upon their respective masters' defeat.
 * -|Prime=
 * Black Doom: The cruel hive-mind of the Black Arms who possesses Chaos Control abilities. He worked with Gerald Robotnik to create Shadow the Hedgehog, who was to be established as their agent on Mobius. Doom planned to return fifty years later to consume the populace, but he encountered the Xorda on his return trip and instead chose to enter war with them to prevent the former from denying his race their meal.
 * Shadow the Hedgehog: A Black Arms/hedgehog hybrid who was created by Gerald Robotnik and Black Doom. He possesses Black Doom's Chaos Control abilities. Originally intended to serve as the Black Arms agent to help them conquer Mobius, but after learning his true purpose vowed to destroy them if they ever returned.

Background Information

 * The Black Arms make their sole game appearance in the Shadow The Hedgehog video game. In the game, Shadow had to fight the Black Arms to prevent them from subjugating the earth. They have not appeared physically in any other game since, due to the circumstances at the end of the game.
 * Due to issues with SEGA, Ian Flynn says that Black Doom and the Black Arms will not be making a proper appearance until they are given the green-light to have them defeat the Xorda and come to Mobius. (1) With the new "Shadow Fall" arc, it appears that the Black Arms are now fair game for the comics with the exception of Black Doom.
 * In addition to Black Doom, the Black Arms boss known as Black Bull has yet to be featured in the comics. Given it's minor storyline role and destruction in Shadow the Hedgehog, it is unlikely that this will change.

Appearance
The shapes and sizes of Black Arms can vary widely, with multiple variants including humanoid, birdlike, and wormlike types, but in general they all possess grayish-green, brown, or black skin with crimson markings. Most have yellow or orange eyes without pupils. In general they don't wear any sort of clothing, with the sole exceptions being Black Doom and Black Death, who wear robes, and the Black Assassins who have armor.