Knuckles (alternate reality)


 * This version of Knuckles is from a possible future. For the Mobius Prime version, see Knuckles the Echidna. For the Mobius: X Years Later version, see Knuckles (MxYL).

Knuckles (alternate reality) is a possible future version of Knuckles the Echidna who exists within an alternate reality. In his version of Mobius, Knuckles was originally a Guardian who had become corrupted with Chaos power; becoming Enerjak. He eventually conquered the planet, with only a few left free to oppose him. Enerjak uses his powers to extract Cores from his victims, using them to create Prelates forced to serve him. Bored with controlling the world and no worthy challenges over the decades, Enerjak desired to conquer other realities, but found himself first having to contend with the time-traveler Silver in a tremendous showdown before he could move on to the Multiverse.

Origins

 * See also: Knuckles the Echidna - Early Life to Virtual Omnipotence and Death up to Knuckles' attempt to reunify his people.

Knuckles' early history was most likely largely the same as his Mobius Prime counterpart's. The point at which things differed was during Virtual Omnipotence and Death, during his attempt to reunify the Dark Legion with the citizens of Echidnaopolis. In this reality, there was no Lara-Su from an alternate future to try to save Knuckles. Regardless, Knuckles jumped in front of an attack on Dimitri, similar to his Prime counterpart; however, this version of Knuckles thought differently about the events that had taken place. (Official Blog)

Knuckles' Descent
The meeting between Dimtri, the High Council, and the Mitre was going well, but the assassination attempt still happened. Peace was made and the Dark Legion was welcome back into society, but Knuckles couldn't help but notice they kept on talking while he recovered on the floor. There were no shouts for paramedics or cries for help. They used his "death" as a point of debate. Peace may have been made, but Knuckles thought it was being seen to by the wrong people. He believed that, as the Guardian, he had been given the power and training to protect everyone and that things needed to change. (Official Blog)

Knuckles began to think about how whenever he did something right, everyone would act like he was stupid, such as his attack on Sonic and Tails when he thought that they were invaders to the island, his tapping into the powers that his father gave him, and his taking over the Dark Legion and absolving the High Council. He thought that the peace brokered under Dimitri was a joke, since everyone was still identifying themselves as ex-Legion or original citizens, but with everyone in one big group under him, it was simpler. He even took on a robo-eye to show the old legionnaires that he meant it when he said that he wanted everyone together and happy, but he was wondering why nobody else could not understand that. (Official Blog)

Knuckles then began to think that Sonic was jealous of him for taking out their universe's version of Dr. Eggman easily when Sonic had been trying to for years, as well as Sonic just wishing that he was as powerful as Knuckles. He thought that it must have been something in the air, since the Brotherhood was getting uppity too. He had to put Spectre through a wall after the unification with the ex-legion, which he then reconsidered it as the ex-ex-Legion. The Dark Legion was his army at that point, and they were going to set things right across Mobius. If the Brotherhood and his friends didn't want to be part of the solution, then he would treat them like part of the problem. (Official Blog)

Julie-Su was gone. Part of Knuckles wanted to say, "What's one more betrayal?" but her leaving hurt him a lot. He didn't understand it, since she was with him when he simplified things between the Dark Legion and everyone else as well as being with him on vaporizing Eggman. Even though she had her doubts, she supported him. He thought that maybe he was not around enough for her, but he was trying to make Mobius a better place. He was having to fight everyone to get anything done. Even the Dark Legion was starting to get on his nerves. He felt that surely she understood that he was a busy Guardian. Then he thought that maybe it was because she was getting round across the middle, yet he thought she was beautiful, regardless of if she put on a few pounds. He figured that he would look for her later, since he had a resistance to quell. (Official Blog)

An Unstoppable Force
A former Guardian, Enerjak became corrupted by his own increasing power. After taking over his reality's version of the Dark Legion and their capitol city of Nekronopolis, his conquest spread to the rest of the world. The Freedom Fighters, lead by Julie-Su and Lara-Su, attempted to stop him and nearly succeeded. However, Enerjak then took the Chaos Emeralds so that his power would remain unrivaled, and soundly crushed his opponents. He became so powerful that at one point, he was outnumbered by hundreds of G.U.N.'s warships and singlehandedly sent their fleets to the bottom of the sea and also sank Downunda during his conquest. He then used his powers to extract Cores from his victims, creating Prelate soldiers and used them to combat the few remaining Freedom Fighters. As time passed however, he desired new challenges to keep his interest, and began to send his Prelates to scout other realities and locate ones that would prove entertaining for him to conquer. (SU: #26, #27)

A Source of Intrigue
When Prelate-V arrived in 3437 P.X.E., it was followed back by Silver the Hedgehog. Watching upon a jewel-shaped screen from his lair filled with husks of his former enemies, Enerjak observed Silver fighting for his life and seemed rather intrigued by the hedgehog's telekinetic abilities as he finished extracting the core of his latest victim, Remington. Once the hedgehog met and joined up with the remaining resistance members, he became even more enthralled in Silver's unique abilities and his story of coming from the future. Ultimately, Enerjak grew bored of the Freedom Fighters from this zone, who he had been using to entertain himself until then, and he proceeded to finally attempt to rid himself of them once and for all. (SU: #25, #26)

Approaching the hideout of the Freedom Fighters, which he apparently already knew of, he used his Chaos based powers to lift up the building. Once the Freedom fighters emerged, Enerjak used his powers again to stop and hold them in place, but they broke free after Silver overcame these powers and landed everyone to safety. Deciding to humor his opponents' bravado, Enerjak then summoned the cores of several Chaotix members to create Prelates and give the rebels a "fair fight." He also summoned Prelate-JS using the core of Jani-Ca's mother which he had been saving for a "special occasion," inciting the fury of the rebels' leader. During the battle, a large piece of rubble was tossed at Enerjak, which he easily broke apart with a single punch; however, it was a distraction with Silver waiting behind the rubble to trap Enerjak in mid-air using his own telekinetic powers. Enerjak instead broke free of the hedgehog's hold and knocked him to the ground with ease, telling Silver that he had arrived just in time to witness his final victory over the Freedom Fighters. (SU: #26)

Enerjak soon revealed to Silver why he sent his Prelate to Silver's time. His comment of whether or not Silver's world would have more "fun" beings like him only enraged the young hedgehog, causing him to rip up the top of the tower he stood upon; Enerjak easily recovered and smashed through the rubble. He then casually watched as the Freedom Fighters systematically destroyed the Prelates and Silver grabbed the resulting Cores, wondering why Jani-Ca still resisted him. He eventually applauded the rebels for their entertaining show of "such violence and drama." In response to Silver's taunt, Enerjak charged straight through the team, taking back his Prelates' Cores, and began adding the Freedom Fighters' to his collection one-by-one after Silver was smashed into the pavement and incapacitated. With only Lara-Su left, he taunted her about how she had become such a strong woman and how she had attempted to go back in time to save him once. During this, Silver broke loose from his confines, and attempted to strike the demi-god with a massive concrete fist; delighted at the promise of a terrific battle, Enerjak smashed through the fist and charged at Silver, thanking his young challenger for "giving this world the flashy ending it deserves." (SU:#27)

Abilities
A virtual living Chaos Emerald, Enerjak is nigh-omnipotent. A master of the Chaos force, he can rip skyscrapers from their foundations with ease. He likely has all of the powers of the Enerjaks in Mobius Prime, only he wields them with much more experience and knowledge. He uses his power to forcefully remove the life force of his victims in the form of Cores, using them to create Prelate soldiers forced to serve him. His physical prowess allows him to break through concrete easily.

Personality
Mad with power, Enerjak is rather secure in his hold over the world, believing that he is truly unstoppable. He seems to address former companions fondly, though this may also be a show of sadism and cruelty. He regards what little resistance he meets as little more than occasional annoyance or entertainment. He's especially intrigued by Silver the Hedgehog's telekinetic ability.

Background Information

 * While not stated directly, it's all but confirmed that this Enerjak is an alternate version of Knuckles. Silver almost stated this directly, remembering that Knuckles is the father of an alternate version of Jani-Ca. This also ties in with the information Julie-Su revealed in Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 109.
 * Another hint that confirms this Enerjak is Knuckles is that his right eye is cybernetic, just like another future version of Knuckles.
 * Yet another hint is when Enerjak, in his rant, mockingly questioned Jani-Ca how she went in time to save him.
 * Enerjak's reasoning for not destroying the Freedom Fighters sooner, was because their efforts "amused" him; Eggman gave the exact same reason to Sonic during the Destruction of Knothole.
 * The full story of Knuckles's transformation was intended to be revealed in the story Mobius: 20 Years Later but it was revealed in SU: #26 that the chaos absorpstion led to his transformation into Enerjak.