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This issue takes place between Sonic the Hedgehog #68#69
Sss8
Sonic Super Special
Publication Details
Issue 

8

Date Published 

January 1999

Publishing Company 

Archie Comics

Production Staff
Cover Artist
Cover Colorist
Frontispiece
Writer
Pencils
Inks
Letters
Colors
Editor
  • Justin Freddy Gabrie
Managing Editor
  • Victor Gorelick
  • Ken Penders
Editor in Chief
  • Richard Goldwater
First Appearances
Characters
Groups
Locations
Only Appearance
  

Archie Sonic Super Special Issue 8 was the eighth issue of the Sonic Super Specials.

Summary[]

Story One[]

Zone Wars: Prelude

In the No Zone, Zonic of the Zone Cops heads out to gather reinforcements after being informed that Ivanna Robotina of the Luna Zone has made her way to Mobius Prime and is attacking Sonic the Hedgehog. On Mobius, Robotina chases Sonic, trying to turn him into one of her monster minions. Help unexpectedly arrives in the form of Pretty Soldier Sally Moon and her sidekick Chibi Rose.

Robotina retaliates, blasting the group away, but is sniped by a rose from Tuxedo Knux. He and Sally Moon share a loving embrace, but are interrupted when Zonic arrives and corrals the group through a portal back to the Luna Zone. Sonic, completely flabbergasted, demands answers. Zonic explains that his No Zone exists parallel to all other realities and that, as a Zone Cop, his job is to make sure people don't meddle in Zones where they don't belong.

Sonic has doubts, informing Zonic that he's visited several Zones in the past and never ran into any Zone Cops. Zonic explains that he sent Sonic to those Zones. He allowed Sonic into the Special Zone to become Super Sonic, sent him to Anti-Mobius to fight Anti-Sonic, let him gather the alternate Sonics along the Cosmic Interstate to combat Robo-Robotnik, and authorized various other trips to help Zones in need. Sonic is convinced, realizing how important his adventures were to those worlds. As Zonic leaves, Sonic asks why he's the one who has to deal with these things. Zonic explains that he is the one true Sonic and the destined hero of time and space. With Zonic gone, Sonic contemplates his last words and is upset that he can't be the one who gets a girlfriend.

Story Two[]

"Running on Empty"

Sonic and Amy Rose sit together on a hilltop, admiring the view of Knothole Village at night. Amy wishes she had brought her jacket; Sonic rushes off at super speed and returns seconds later with the jacket. Amy admires how useful his speed is, but Sonic warns her that it's not always so great and tells her a story about a time when it nearly killed him.

Some time ago in the Great Forest, Sonic heard Sally crying for help. He rushed over and found her tied up in a gazebo, but as he reached out to free her he realized that she was just a hologram. Snively launched his gazebo trap, zapping Sonic, but it appeared to have no effect. Sonic mocked Snively and sped off back towards Knothole, not realizing that the trap had worked as intended.

Sonic soon found Rosie Woodchuck out gathering apples. Spotting a falling apple nearby, Sonic rushed to catch it and ended up running into a tree, unable to stop himself. As he headed back to the village with Rosie, Sonic spotted a surveillance drone overhead and took off to warn the villagers. Sonic noticed that he was moving more quickly than usual, but failed to notice a glowing green aura surrounding him and a storm of debris following him. As he arrived in the village he narrowly avoided running into Rotor, Tails, and Sally. The debris following, however, landed right on top of his friends.

After a few tests in the lab, Rotor deduced that Snively's ray increased Sonic's metabolism, giving him excess speed but causing him to age at an accelerated rate. Sonic, now old and wrinkled, told the Freedom Fighters that they would have to go to Robotropolis and examine Snively's device to reverse its effects. While Antoine refused to tag along, Sally, Rotor, and Tails accompanied Sonic to Robotropolis. The group soon found the device, whose effects Rotor managed to reverse.

Before they could use the device, Dr. Robotnik appeared, surrounding the group with SWATbots. Despite the risk of death and the pain of old age, Sonic used his super speed to smash the SWATbots and crash them into Robotnik. He collapsed on the ground and Snively appeared, gloating over his victory. Sally begged Snively to put Sonic out of his misery, not wanting to see him suffer any longer. Snively turned on his device, not realizing Sally had tricked him, and Sonic was restored to his proper age. In the present, Amy fawns over Sonic and asks him to tell her another story. Sonic agrees and promises not to speed through the next one.

Story Three[]

"Den of Thieves"

Liu Fang and Liu Chi Mei chase Yagyu Clan thieves through the Dragon Kingdom townships of Lau Kar, hoping to retrieve items stolen from the Temple of the Golden Lotus. The thieves are intercepted by Monkey Khan, who whacks them with his Atom-Bat. The Yagyu hurl throwing stars to distract Khan and vanish in a puff of smoke. Kahn believes they must have used powerful magic, but the rabbit siblings explain that it's just a trick used to make quick escapes.

Chi Mei is worried that the Yagyu are on their way to their lair at the Haunted Lake, but Khan thinks believing in haunting is foolish. Fang backs his sister up, explaining that the lake is the home of a dragon, but Kahn remains a skeptic and rushes off to the lake while the siblings follow after him. They arrive at the Yagyu hideout and Khan prepares to launch a frontal attack. Fang cautions that the Yagyu are skilled and have terrorized the land for generations. Khan retorts that fear is probably their greatest power just as the Yagyu spring an ambush on the trio.

Khan and Fang fight off their attackers while a Yagyu Lord watches nearby, impressed by their bravery. However, he announces that the fortune of the Yagyu is not easily claimed and activates a trap door beneath them, dumping the trio into the treasure room. Chi Mei finds the temples stolen items and Khan muses that he would have expected better security. Just then, Kamezon attacks the group. Khan notices that the beast is more of a robot than a dragon, but Fang argues that it's still a kind of dragon and poses a threat to their safety.

The Yagyu Lord graciously points out that Kamezon's tracking device is locked onto the gold in Khan's Power Ring crown. Unwilling to give up his crown, Khan electrocutes the tracking device with his bat, causing Kamezon to mindlessly turn its attack on the Yagyu clan. Having reclaimed all the treasure, Chi Mei invites Khan to return home with them and bask in the glory of being a hero, but Khan remarks that doing so would ruin his image.

Story Four[]

"Ghost Busted"
Gopher highwayman

THe Gopher Highwayman in Ghost Busted.

Tails recounts the strange story of his camping trip with Sonic and Antoine. Sonic was teaching Tails about tracking when Antoine slipped down a ditch into a pool of water. Sonic explained that Antoine was supposed to hide for their tracking exercise and asked why he gave himself away. Antoine claimed to have seen a ghost, but Sonic and Tails believed that ghosts didn't exist.

That night, the group set up a campfire and Sonic told Tails a story about a highwayman who stole a medallion from a sorcerer. Sonic told him that highwayman was cursed and roams the Great Forest as the Headless Gopher. Antoine, trying to sleep, was spooked by the story. Tails eventually drifted to sleep as well and had a terrible nightmare. He began to stir from his slumber when he noticed a glowing figure from the corner of his eye and began screaming.

Tails explained to Sonic that he thought he saw the Headless Gopher, but Sonic assured his friend that it was just a story. They notice that Antoine is missing and head out to look for him. Tails was certain that the Headless Gopher has captured Antoine. Eventually, Tails saw Sonic talking to a glowing figure and convinced himself that it was a ghost that had brainwashed Sonic.

Tails tried to flee, but ended up bumping into the ghost. Sonic revealed to Tails that their ghost was actually Antoine: he had been sleepwalking and wandered into some "Foxfire Bushes". He then picked up some of the leaves himself and showed Tails that they give people a fiery glow. The group headed back to sleep and awoke the next morning, ready to finish their camping trip. Tails told Sonic he was ready for more ghost stories now that he was certain ghosts didn't exist. Just then, the group spotted the golden medallion nearby and fled the forest as the spirit of the Headless Gopher laughed at them.

Bonus Features[]

Gag Strips[]

Off Panel

Sonic and Tails eagerly head for the "Multi-Mega Comic Con". Sonic says he doesn't usually go to comic conventions, but he really feels like he has to this time. Tails assumes Sonic wants to thank his comic's dedicated readers, but quickly realizes Sonic only wanted to go to pick up the convention's free "Beany Bag Baby" toys. Written by Mike Gallagher, art by Dave Manak.

Quotes[]

  • Rotor: "Maybe we should run a few tests to see about this new super-super speed you have."
  • Sonic: "Let's do it, Rotor. I can't use my speed if it endangers everyone, including myself."
  • Sally: "If you need me, I'll be trying to get this stuff out of my hair."

Key Events[]

Background Information[]

Cameos & References[]

  • The cover and several characters from Zone Wars: Prelude parody the anime series Sailor Moon.
  • Zonic stares at a device that looks like the Dragon Radar from Dragon Ball when explaining Sonic's past Zone hopping adventures.
  • The Matrix of Leadership from Transformers makes an appearance on page 6 of Running on Empty.

Errors[]

  • Pat Allee is credited as "Pat Alee" in this issue's table of contents.
  • Jim Amash was credited in place of Pam Eklund for "Running on Empty" and "Den of Thieves". This mistake was corrected in SSS #9's Sonic-Grams Special.

Reprint History[]

This issue's stories have been reprinted in the following places:

  • Zone Wars: Prelude and "Den of Thieves" were reprinted in Sonic Select Book 4
  • "Running on Empty" was reprinted in Sonic Select Books 5 and 10
  • "Ghost Busted" is one of only four stories produced for Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog series in the 1990s to never be reprinted, alongside the original version of StH #50, "The Last Game Cartridge Hero" from Sonic Live and SSS #7.

External Links[]

Archie Sonic Super Special Issue 8 at Sonic Wiki Zone, the Sonic wiki.

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