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Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 79 was the seventy-ninth issue of the main Sonic the Hedgehog comic series.
Summary[]
Story One[]
- "The Discovery: A Sonic Adventure Tie-In"
Late in the night, Sonic drearily asks Nate Morgan why he isn't sleeping. Nate explains that he's trying to remotely access Dr. Robotnik's systems in Robotropolis. Both of them are stunned when they intercept a message from the doctor's Shadowbots. They rush over to King Acorn, explaining that Robotnik has discovered The Hidden City of the Ancients.
The king is skeptical, believing that the city was simply a myth, but Nate insists that he visited it during his exile. Worried about Robotnik's influence, the king wearily orders Sonic to head for the city in the morning. Sonic asks the king if something is wrong, but he brushes the question off. The next morning, Sonic's parents wake him up, informing him that his friends have come over for breakfast. Sally explains that her father requested the rest of the Knothole Freedom Fighters to accompany him on his mission.
Amy Rose asks the group if she can tag along, but the Freedom Fighters warn her that she's too young to go on dangerous missions with them. She points out that Tails is the same age, but Nate Morgan tells her that Tails has dealt with far more dangerous situations than she has. Unable to argue the point further, Amy grumpily trudges away.
While the Freedom Fighters prepare to leave, King Acorn mentions to his son, Elias, that he's happy to see Sally so carefree for once. Elias confronts his father with the fact that he's been hiding their mother's worsening condition. The king supposes he wanted to give Sally some time to stop worrying, which gives Elias an idea. He rushes to the Royal Reliquary, where the Ring of Acorns is stored, planning to use its wish granting powers to save his mother. He enters the room to find Amy Rose clutching the ring and the area is consumed by a blinding light.
Story Two[]
- "The Chaos Factor"
Knuckles dreams about a mysterious creature absorbing the Master Emerald, sending the Floating Island plummeting into the ocean below. He wakes up, wondering why he keeps having the same dream, when he discovers that the island is in one of Mobius' oceans. Horrified, he heads out to seek answers from his father.
A short time ago, Dr. Robotnik found files on his system describing a creature made of living water known as Perfect Chaos. Robotnik discovered that Chaos was being held within a Black Emerald hidden in the Mysterious Cat Country. He promptly made his way to the Mystic Ruins and cracked the ancient artifact open with a mallet. A weakened Chaos slithered out of the cracks and led Robotnik to a mural. Robotnik interpreted the mural to mean that Chaos needed seven "power emeralds" to regain his power and sent his forces to retrieve the necessary power from the Floating Island.
Robotnik was surprised to find Echidnaopolis on the Floating Island, but ordered his robots to suppress the Echidna resistance. As his troops neared the Chaos Chamber, a massive force field appeared to safeguard the Master Emerald. Robotnik's Shadowbots easily broke through the barrier and the Master Emerald was blasted into pieces, causing the Floating Island to drop into the ocean. Unbeknownst to Robotnik, a powerful entity was released from the Master Emerald.
Story Three[]
- Tales of the Great War: The Conclusion - "Life Under-Ground"
Bernadette Hedgehog continues her story, telling the group of Mobians by the campfire how she tried to convince Chuck to figure out what went wrong with Jules' Roboticization. Having given up science to tend to his new chilli dog stand, Chuck refused to listen to reason and wallowed in guilt. Bernie eventually made her way to Chuck's old lab, where Warlord Julian Kintobor and his nephew, Snively, were using Jules like for lab work. Julian ordered Jules to throw Bernie into the Roboticizer, turning her into a mindless robot.
During a break in the story, Amy Rose asks them how they got free. Jules scoffs at the notion, explaining that his roboticized brother came to him with a Power Ring one day, filling him with emotion and pain. Back to his senses that day, he asked Charles what had happened to Bernie. Chuck explained that shortly after she went missing, Warlord Julian informed him that he found Bernie messing with the Roboticizer. Jules asked what had become of Sonic, and Chuck told him that Sonic had become an accomplished leader.
Chuck decided that, with the Robians' free will restored, they could live in the sewers and build a resistance. Jules thinks aloud to his listening audience that Chuck was foolish to think such a small group of people could stand up to Robotnik, but continues his story. One day, while rendezvousing with Rudyard, Jules was reunited with Bernie. They asked Chuck if he'd told Sonic that they were okay, but Chuck explained that Sonic had been under Rosie's care since Robotnik's takeover.
Jules and Bernie decided at the time that Chuck shouldn't tell Sonic about them, fearing being seen as robots and wanting their son to keep his untarnished memories of his parents until after Robotnik's defeat. With their story finished, Elias asks Jules how he knew so much about things he couldn't have possibly seen firsthand. Jules explained that he learned a lot of things from Chuck's journals, which were stored on floppy discs. He reveals to the group that he still has one of Chuck's encrypted discs, but with Chuck under the control of Robotnik its contents are forever lost.
Bonus Features[]
Gag Strips[]
The editor calls Sonic and leaves a message accusing him of screening his calls. He demands that Sonic come see him right away. Sonic arrives just as he finishes his sentence, loudly greeting him. The editor has a heart attack and Sonic asks the audience if they can back him up on the fact that the editor asked for him to come "right away." Written by Michael Gallagher, Pencils by Dave Manak, Inks by Jim Amash.
Quotes[]
- Dr. Robotnik: "With this power, Perfect Chaos can now be given form and substance -- however, I don't have to take the entire emerald. Blowing it to bits should provide me with the pieces I need -- and all it cost was the lives of a few nobodies -- plus a bit of fancy real estate -- as the Floating Island goes from soaring to sinking in only a matter of seconds! Now that's what I call a trade-off!"
Key Events[]
- Nate Morgan discovers that Robotnik has found the Hidden City of the Ancients.
- Sonic and the Freedom Fighters head to the Hidden City to warn its citizens.
- Amy makes a wish on the Ring of Acorns.
- Dr. Robotnik cracks the Black Emerald, releasing Chaos and a spirit.
- Dr. Robotnik attacks the Chaos Chamber and shatters the Master Emerald.
- Mammoth Mogul is freed from the Master Emerald and the Floating Island lands in the ocean.
- In a flashback, Jules roboticizes his wife under Robotnik's orders.
Background Information[]
- This issue begins the Sonic Adventure tie-in story arc.
- In reprints of "The Discovery", two dialogue boxes on the first page are omitted.
- Despite being first seen in this issue, the Mystic Ruins are not mentioned by name until StH #82.
- The floppy disc containing Chuck's journals is never mentioned again.
Cameos & References[]
- This is the final issue to feature Mobian characters parodying the cast of Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki.
- In "The Chaos Factor", Knuckles recites his monologue from the intro to his story in Sonic Adventure.
- A ball of light can be seen floating out of the Black Emerald in "The Chaos Factor".
- Two unidentified E-100 Series robots are seen flying towards the Floating Island.
Reprint History[]
This issue's stories have been reprinted in the following places:
- Sonic Archives Volume 21
- "The Chaos Factor" was reprinted in Sonic: The Games - Millennium. This reprint excludes the first five pages, only reprinting Robotnik's part of the story.
Continuity[]
- "Tales of the Great War: Conclusion" takes place sometime before "Changes" (StH#78).
External links[]
- Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 79 at Sonic Wiki Zone, the Sonic wiki.