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STH54
Sonic the Hedgehog
Publication Details
Issue 

54

Date Published 

October 1997

Publishing Company 

Archie Comics

Production Staff
Cover Artist
Frontispiece
Writer
Pencils
Inks
Letters
Colors
Editor
  • J. Freddy Gabrie
Managing Editor
  • Victor Gorelick
Editor in Chief
  • Richard Goldwater
First Appearances
Characters
Only Appearance
  

Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 54 was the fifty-fourth issue of the main Sonic the Hedgehog comic series.

Summary[]

Story One[]

"Running To Stand Still"

Knothole has been largely vacated by its Mobian inhabitants since it became contained in a temporally displaced Zone three hours ahead of the rest of the planet. The citizens have mostly returned to the reclaimed Mobotropolis, feeling uncomfortable in the Zone which is enclosed by a barrier breached only by the Great Oak Slide in Freedom HQ. Sonic, however, continues to frequent the village, still adjusting to the idea that his days as a Freedom Fighter may be over. Tails and Uncle Chuck attempt to gain a readout on Sonic's top speed, but his super acceleration burns out Chuck's equipment. An irate Chuck asks Sonic why he's being so uncooperative, but Sonic just blows him off. Sonic leaves, and Chuck wonders why Sonic isn't using his time in Knothole to relax.

In the recent past, Sally Acorn gave a speech to the people of Knothole, congratulating them on their contributions to the Robotnik War. She then introduced the Mobotropolis Council: Dr. Quack, Rotor Walrus, Geoffrey St. John, and Sonic, who was less than thrilled by the development. In the present, Smiley and Fleming transport Kodos and Uma Arachnis to the Devil's Gulag. Back in Knothole, Tails wakes Sonic up for another test. Sonic is curt with Uncle Chuck, running off with his equipment to start the test.

Sonic thinks back to the recent past once more, when Uncle Chuck and Sally discussed the idea of letting the Robians live in Knothole until tensions between them and the Mobians died down. Sally mentioned that she would need her father's approval first, and Sonic reassured his uncle that the king will be happy to support them. Sonic leaves for a moment and finds that Sally and Chuck went to ask for the king's approval without him. Frustrated that they didn't bother to try and bring him along, Sonic heads to Castle Acorn himself, where he spots Chuck and Sally. From their expressions, he realizes the king refused their plea.

In the present, at the Gulag, Snively overhears the guards bringing in Uma and Kodos discuss Ixis Naugus' return. Elsewhere, Chuck laments that Sonic has ruined more of his equipment as they prepare for another test where Sonic runs across a nearby body of water. Sonic has another flashback to just a few days ago when he met with Rotor, whose request to search for his Walrus Herd was denied by Sally. Sonic sympathized with his plight and agreed to talk to Sally, whom he found discussing hospital preparations and military protection for Robian citizens with Dr. Quack and Geoffrey. Sonic confronted Sally about Rotor's request, but she explained that his skills were necessary to rebuild the city, forcing Sonic to explain the situation to Rotor.

In the present-day Gulag, Snively determines that he needs to seek out any opportunities he can from Naugus' return and sends out a signal using a device under one of his fingernails. Back in Knothole, Uncle Chuck sets up an experiment to see how Sonic's speed performs in an artificial environment. Sonic tells him that he's already been through one of those. Chuck doesn't understand, and Sonic bitterly explains that being told that his parents are dead when they're actually alive is the same as living in a fake world. Before Chuck can reply, Sonic starts the test and thinks back to when he saw Rosie Woodchuck and a group of children in Mobotropolis just hours ago. While the children pretend to have an adventure, Sonic tells Rosie that he's started to feel useless with Dr. Robotnik defeated and he thinks nobody is paying attention to the problems around them. Rosie understands how Sonic feels and tells him that her cousin Julayla once said that "The only difference is the one you make." Inspired, Sonic heads out to try and make a difference in his own way. Meanwhile, Snively's signal activates a squad of Eggbots, who set out to find Ixis Naugus.

In the Great Forest, Chuck finally confronts Sonic over their tension, and explains why he kept the continued existence of Sonic's parents a secret. His fear was that Sonic would have been unable to focus on anything else but freeing his parents, which Robotnik would have used against him in order to win the war. Sonic forgives his uncle, but they are then interrupted by a breeze as the Eggbots fly overhead. Sally then reaches Sonic on his wrist communicator, and asks him to return home as quickly as possible.

Quotes[]

  • Tails: "Uncle Chuck?"
  • Uncle Chuck: "Yes, Tails--"
  • Tails: "What does 'sar-kas-tic' mean?"
  • Uncle Chuck: "It means my nephew has a lot on his mind. That's what it means..."


  • Uncle Chuck: "What in tarnation?!"
  • Sonic: "Holy Hannah!"

Key Events[]

  • Sonic and Uncle Chuck have an argument about Sonic's parents
  • Snively sends a second squad of his Eggbots to track down Ixis Naugus

Background Information[]

  • Rory, Snaggle, and Sasha make their first appearance in this issue. However, they are not named until StH #78, where Rosie explains that their parents were taken by Dr. Eggman's robotic horde. Because of this, it's unclear if the characters seen in this issue are meant to be the same characters or if their designs were simply reused in a later story, like Mina in StH #52's "First Contact".

Reprint History[]

This issue has been reprinted in the following places:

External links[]

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