Brotherhood of Guardians

The Brotherhood of Guardians is a secret group of older Guardians who protected Angel Island and other parts of Mobius. Operating from their secret facility Haven, the groups' primary aim was to protect Echidna interests on the global scale, while the present Guardian protected Angel Island and the Chaos Emerald. Generations of Guardians managed to fend off numerous invasion attempts by the Dark Legion, each time returning them to their imprisonment in the Twilight Zone. After Sonic the Hedgehog was sent off world by the Xorda's Quantum Dial, the Brotherhood found themselves defending the Master Emerald from a major assault by the Eggman Empire. Although they successfully defended the emerald, they were captured in their weakened state and secretly studied by Dr. Finitevus. Following his studies, Finitevus dumped the surviving Brotherhood members (except Locke) into the Twilight Zone, leaving Locke and Knuckles as the sole Guardians of their people. Later Locke perished while breaking a hex on the Master Emerald, leaving Knuckles the last active Guardian and the Brotherhood inactive.

Formation
The Brotherhood of Guardians began with Steppenwolf inheriting the title of Guardian from his deceased father, Edmund, and battling the Dark Legion. As the years passed, Steppenwolf's descendants joined him in watching over Angel Island, and it was his great-grandson Rembrandt who first suggested the name Brotherhood. Early on, the group's operating methods and existence were known to all its members, even the current Guardian, until the first death of one of their number since Edmund: that of Aaron. Afterwards, the Brotherhood created a code of conduct that involved hiding from the people of Mobius, their existence hidden from all but a handful of allies-and of course their ancestral enemies, the Dark Legion-and observing Mobius as a whole while the youngest member defended Angel Island itself against such threats as the Dingoes and the Overlanders. With only a few exceptions, the Brotherhood had no contact with anyone from the outside world. This continued for 400 years, right up until Knuckles became the active Guardian of Angel Island. (KtE: #1, #2, #3, #25)

Activities during the Great War
The Kingdom of Acorn formed a friendship of sorts with the Brotherhood during the years between the Great War with the Overlanders and the later war with Dr. Ivo Robotnik. When Queen Alicia was evacuated from Mobotropolis and sent to Angel Island, her escape craft was shot down by an Overlander patrol. However, the Brotherhood arrived on the scene first, and upon discovering the Queen and infant Prince alive, they lied to the Overlander scout party and brought them back to Haven where they looked after the two. (KtE: #21)

Activities in Knuckles' Time
By 3220, the active Brotherhood consisted of Hawking, "Tobor", Spectre, Sojourner, Thunderhawk, Sabre and Locke. When Locke brought the issue of enhancing his son's egg by subjecting it to Chaos radiation, the Brotherhood debated the issue, though in the end the majority accepted the proposal. The entire active Brotherhood was present when Locke subjected Knuckles' unhatched egg to Chaos radiation. (KtE: #25)

Despite their usual missions of observing Mobius and protecting with global echidna affairs, entire Brotherhood has gotten involved in personal matters as well. In the middle of the night, the cloaked Brotherhood threw Knuckles' childhood tormentor Monk off the edge of Angel Island into the ocean below. (KtE: #31)

By 3235, Locke and Sabre were the main two Brotherhood members constantly residing in Haven. Locke assisted in Knuckles' first victory over Enerjak by attaching rocket boosters to Enerjak's Citadel and blasting the chaos-demigod into space. Later, Locke and Sabre used their control over the Chaos Force to transform the power of twelve Chaos Emeralds into the new Master Emerald, with Mammoth Mogul trapped inside. (StH: #56, KtE: #4, KMS: #3)

While Locke and Sabre operated in Haven, Thunderhawk looked after affairs in Downunda, "Tobor" looked after the Dragon Kingdom while Sojourner and Spectre tended to other regions. Following the demise of Dr. Ivo Robotnik, various attacks by the Dark Legion, and the return of Echidnaopolis and the dingoes to Mobius Prime, the active Brotherhood assembled in Haven to discuss global affairs, including the problem of dealing with Dr. Robotnik's left over Sub-Bosses, as well as discussing Knuckles' display of powerful abilities. After Spectre pointed out they group should be concerned about Knuckles' powers, the Brotherhood agreed to monitor the young Guardian for a while. Their observations were disrupted when Moritori Rex sabotaged Haven's systems, as the real Tobor had been found by Julie-Su and was about to be seen by Haven's spy cameras. By the time Haven's systems were repaired, Tobor had gone into the Twilight Zone with Kragok, and the Brotherhood remained unaware of his return. (KtE: #16, #17, #18)

Days later, the Brotherhood were shocked when Knuckles managed to locate and enter Haven. Though Thunderhawk and Sojourner wished to send him back to the Sandopolis Zone before he came to his senses, Sabre and Spectre decided it was better if he remained. After Knuckles defeated Moritori Rex and revealed his deception, the Brotherhood attempted to capture him, but he managed to escape. The Brotherhood then showed Geoffrey St. John and his Royal Secret Service team the cryogenitcally-frozen Queen Alicia, and allowed them to take her back to Knothole with Elias Acorn. (KtE: #19, #20, #21)

Afterwards, the Brotherhood began to introduce themselves to Knuckles. Angry over being kept in the dark for so long about the Brotherhood's existence, Knuckles pressed his grandfather Sabre for answers. Before Sabre could fully explain everything, Constable Remington contacted Haven with regards to a riot outbreak between dingoes and echidnas. Knuckles and Archimedes quickly teleported to the scene, leaving Sabre to wonder how they would explain things when Knuckles returned. The following day, Haven was penetrated by Dark Legion shock troopers as its defenses had been compromised by Moritori Rex during his time impersonating Tobor. Sojourner, Thunderhawk and Sabre were all captured, and were held captive for several hours while Moritori Rex and Lien-Da held control of Haven. Eventually Spectre and Locke managed to use their knowledge of Haven to their advantage, and managed to rescue the other three Brotherhood members while retaking Haven as well. (KtE: #22, #23, #24)

Because of political differences, the Brotherhood never truly aligned with the Kingdom of Acorn, not even against the threat posed by the Dr. Eggman. When Sally Acorn met with the Brotherhood to discuss their providing support to the beleaguered people of Knothole, the Guardians refused to grant her request. The main reason for this was that the Brotherhood's main offering would include munitions technology, something that the Kingdom of Acorn's traditional laws forbade the use of. (KtE: #29)

Following this, the Brotherhood found themselves unprepared for a surprise attack by Dr. Eggman and an assault force of Shadowbots. Due to Hunter's tampering with their security system and the Brotherhood being unable to restore their fail-safes soon enough, defense of the island was left to the Echidna Security Team but the Chaos Chamber was breached and the Master Emerald shattered. The Brotherhood would later create a new chamber for the restored Master Emerald which would better harness its powers and allow it to keep the island afloat once again. (StH: #80, #84)



Some time later, members of the Brotherhood led by Guardian Mathias attacked a Dark Legion stronghold at the Grand Conservatory, but were transported to an alternate zone by the Quantum Beam along with the rest of Angel Island's inhabitants. They were freed weeks later by Chaos Knuckles. Following the return, the Brotherhood established Haven II as their new base of operations, as their old one was completely destroyed. Mammoth Mogul later sent a message to Haven II informing the Brotherhood he had Dimitri captive and wanted to meet with Knuckles. (StH: #107, #116, SSS: #14)



Unlike the other species and peoples of Mobius, members of the Brotherhood do not simply "die". Instead, due to their link with the Chaos Force, they evolve to a higher level of existence, and continue to watch over the events of Mobius, unseen by its inhabitants. Brotherhood members also eventually become one with the Chaos Force itself, once they are chosen by Aurora and the Chao to evolve to an even higher level. All of this was discovered by Knuckles during his brief time in the afterlife, following his death at the hands of Mammoth Mogul. Watching his own funeral, Knuckles found himself conversing with the other deceased members of the Brotherhood, particularly Steppenwolf, Harlan, Hawking, Tobor and Janelle-Li. After this, Knuckles was chosen by two Chao to evolve to a higher plane of existence, leaving the other Brotherhood members to wait for their turn. (StH: #121)



During Sonic the Hedgehog's exodus in space, a result of the battle with the Xorda, all living members of the Brotherhood except for Locke and Knuckles-with the exception of Athair, as he is not technically a member of the Brotherhood any longer-disappeared mysteriously. This apparently occurred when they worked together to hold off Dr. Eggman's attempt to seize the Master Emerald. Later on, Dr. Finitevus supplies Locke with the apparent location of his missing family, tricking Locke into passing on the Guardian duties to him and sending him off with a Warp Ring to undertake his search. (StH: #125, #139, #171)

However, the fate of the Brotherhood was later revealed to Scourge the Hedgehog by Finitevus. In Finitevus' plot to make a new Enerjak, he had captured the battle weary Brotherhood members (except for Locke, who didn't participate in preventing the Master Emerald from being captured) and studied them, trying to learn how their bloodline could channel Chaos energies. The doctor had also captured Moritori Rex due to his time as pretending to be the Guardian Tobor. After Finitevus learned all he could, he sent the Brotherhood and Moritori into the Twilight Zone, finding it a fitting prison as the Dark Legion had been exiled there early on and been forced back after every escape attempt. Soon afterwards, Locke's death in stopping the new Enerjak-a brainwashed Knuckles-left his son as the only Guardian remaining on Mobius. (StH: #183, #184)

Espio the Chameleon later revealed that members of the Shinobi Clan had been observing the Brotherhood for generations, Espio being the latest to do so as Knuckles' teammate. (StH: #212)

Active

 * Knuckles

Status Unknown

 * Spectre
 * Sojourner
 * Thunderhawk
 * Sabre

Inactive

 * Athair

Deceased/Evolved

 * Edmund
 * Steppenwolf
 * Moonwatcher
 * Harlan
 * Rembrandt
 * Aaron
 * Jordan
 * Mathias
 * Hawking
 * Tobor
 * Janelle-Li
 * Locke

Guardian's Relatives

 * Jordann and Kayla-La (Great-great-grandparents of Edmund and Dimitri)
 * Byron and Angel-La (Parents of Edmund and Dimitri)
 * Dark Legion Grandmasters (Cousins of the Guardians)
 * Sonja-Ra (Hawking Wife)
 * Voni-Ca (Tobor's Wife)
 * Crystal-La (Athair's Wife)
 * Jenna-Lu (Sabre's Wife)
 * Lara-Le (Locke's Ex-Wife and Knuckles' mother)
 * Wynmacher (Knuckles's Step-Father)
 * Knecapeon "Kneecaps" Mace (Knuckles's half-brother)
 * Julie-Su (Knuckles' girlfriend and possible future soulmate)
 * Lara-Su (Knuckles's possible future daughter and successor as Guardian)

Abilities
Since Steppenwolf was instructed in the manipulation of Chaos energy by the Fire Ant Christopheles, all of the Guardians have had the ability to control such energy. Each member of the Brotherhood uses it to varying power, and it seems to be augmented by their emotions. Use of these energies gives the Guardians powers such as teleportation, telekinesis, and the ability to fire Chaos energy blasts from various parts of their bodies, most often their hands. (KtE: #3)

Having been exposed to Chaos radiation while in his egg state, Knuckles is the most powerful member of the Brotherhood, being effectively a living Chaos Emerald. As such, he has demonstrated powers that no other member of the Brotherhood has ever exhibited, such as warping reality as he so chooses or healing any injuries that are inflicted upon him. Knuckles also temporarily used his power to become Chaos Knuckles, a green colored version of himself who is the most powerful Chaos entity on Mobius. Knuckles is also uniquely possessed of super strength, and is the first member of the Brotherhood to have actual fist spurs. All older Guardians who appear to possess them are really wearing barbed mittens, a tradition originating in the Knuckles Tribe, whose members include Tikal and her father Pachamac. Knuckles is the only Guardian whose knuckle spikes are actually part of his hand. (StH: #82, #90, #91, #122 KtE: #25)

Background Information

 * It is possible Mathias had evolved to an even higher plane of existence like Athair, or he simply was not present at the time when Knuckles met the other deceased Guardians. In a non-canon Q&A session with writer Ian Flynn, "Harlan" stated "We are concerned that Brother Mathias was displaced by the effects of the Quantum Beam the Dark Legion used on the island. The nature of its energies and its interaction with the Chaos Force is unclear to us. Hopefully Brother Mathias is well and will find his way back to us." (1) Although not canon, this may indicate writer Ian Flynn does not consider Mathias "dead" as the rest of the Brotherhood, but merely displaced.
 * It is possible of people to distinguish which is a Guardian due to the white crest on their chest as a birthmark dating back to Edmund. But somehow, Moritori Rex was able to diguise himself as a Guardian despite not having the birthmark on his chest.

Continuity Errors
Back in the letters page of KtE #21 a fan asked a question about listing Knuckles' relatives in order up to Hawking. The response was: "The father of Knuckles is Locke. Locke's father is Sabre. Sabre's father is Athair. Followed by Athair is his mother Janelle-Li, the first and only female guardian, and daughter of Thunderhawk. Thunderhawk's father was Sojourner, who was child of Spectre. Tobor the father of Spectre, and the son of Hawking." Evidence to support this appeared in the comics in KtE #29 when Spectre gives a roll call introduction to Princess Sally stating that his son is Sojourner and Thunderhawk is his grandson.

It wasn't until the Sonic Data Banks that this was changed around to Sojourner being the son of Thunderhawk. As to reasons why this change was made nobody is quite sure. All that is known of this situation was that it was handled under poor editing. Hardcore fans got upset with this, but many have adapted to the changes. This order was also shown on Knuckles family tree.

Confusion once again arose in the letters page of StH #193. When asked the order of birth, the editor responded: For the record: The order goes Spectre, Sojourner, Thunderhawk, then Janelle-Li, Athair, Sabre, Locke and Knuckles, for those of you keeping track at home.". When asked about this, writer Ian Flynn responded: I'm going to have to go over it all again to see if there's a nuance somewhere that can nail it down. We will eventually be setting it in stone. Officially. In print. That's more official than what's come before.(2)

Given the recent note by the editor, confirmation by the lead writer this is more canon than what has come before, as well as evidence from dialogue in the comics, Mobius Encyclopaedia recognizes the order as: Spectre, Sojourner, Thunderhawk.