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The subject of this article appeared before the Super Genesis Wave.
This issue takes place between Sonic the Hedgehog #44#45
Sonic Blast
Sonic Blast
Publication Details
Date Published 

December 1996

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
Special Thanks

to Helen Ball at Strategy Licensing as well as Tricia Alich, Cynthia Wilkes, and Mike Wallis Sega of America

First Appearances
Characters
Locations
Vehicles
Only Appearance
  

Sonic Blast was the eighth and final single issue special in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series.

Summary[]

Story One[]

"Sonic Blast" - Part One

In Robotropolis, Dr. Robotnik has made video contact with Snively from a far-off location. Robotnik orders Snively to engage the scrambler so as to keep the communique from being intercepted. Snively instead smashes the scrambler and hooks a power cable to a large console, allowing the Freedom Fighters to hear Robotnik's newest plan. With Robotnik alone, far away, and without any SWATbot backup, Snively gleefully anticipates his master's defeat as payback for his recent humiliation during the Death Egg Saga.

Rotor and Sally are the first to receive Robotnik's communique, and Tails walks in to listen as well. While Rotor and Tails get their submarines ready, Sally goes out to find Sonic, who is spotted fishing by the water and is busy thinking about Sally's past relationship with Knuckles. When asked about it, Sally clearly admits that her current feelings are toward Sonic and tries to go in for a kiss. Rotor and Tails suddenly pop up in their Bathysphere and Sea Fox submarines, breaking the moment. Fortunately, Sonic is eager for action when he is told that Robotnik has been spotted on a remote atoll called Flicky Island.

On Flicky Island, Robotnik examines the unique jewel-encrusted wildlife with an eager mind. He theorises that among all the gems on the island, a Chaos Emerald is located somewhere. The native Flicky birds, on the other hand, serve a more immediate purpose as Robotnik captures the innocent birds and roboticizes them into a vicious army of Flickybots with which to deter possible intruders. He then spooks a normal Flicky into running to safety, in hopes that it'll lead Robotnik to the Chaos Emerald he craves.

"Sonic Blast" - Part Two

As Sonic, Rotor, and Tails come up on Flicky Island, Tails flies up to get a higher view and is attacked by the Flickybots. A trio of them clamp onto his tails and sends the fox crashing into the ocean water. As soon as the Flickybots hit the water, however, they immediate return to normal. Rotor and Tails quickly grab some water-guns and load them with ocean water to fend off the Flickybot hoards, while Sonic immediately spins for the shoreline.

As Sonic races along the island, he spots a Flicky and asks it for help in finding Robotnik. Since it can't understand his words, Sonic instead draws a crude picture of Robotnik in the dirt, and the Flicky immediately takes off in a panic. Sonic arrives just in time to stop Robotnik from jumping into what appears to be a giant Ring, and the two square off.

"Sonic Blast" - Part Three

Sonic quickly takes the offensive and gives Robotnik a wedgie, but when the two adversaries come in close to bump noses, Robotnik activates a "Neural Disruption Field" to briefly zap the hedgehog, giving Robotnik the chance to leap into the Ring. Sonic follows the evil doctor, and soon finds himself traveling through a portal into the Flicky Zone.

As Sonic steps out, he is ambushed by Robotnik's new Techno Bodyshell Battlesuit. Though initially overpowered, Sonic naturally turns the tables by hitting a wheel mechanism and building enough speed to smash the battlesuit in a single spin. The doctor seemingly defeated, Sonic pulls on his cape... and is promptly tied up when Robotnik activates the electro-magnetic fibers weaved into it. Sonic is unable to escape, as Robotnik boasts that the cape is made from the most unbreakable fiber in the world: plaidmantium, and so the hedgehog remains trapped as Robotnik walks towards an ancient temple.

Inside the temple, Robotnik finally finds the Chaos Emerald embedded in the head of a giant Flicky statue. The doctor scoffs at how the Emerald's power is being squandered on a statue, but when he removes it, the statue comes to life and roars, causing the Flicky Zone to collapse. Seeing the vibrations, the still-trapped Sonic gets an idea to vibrate himself at incredible speeds, allowing his spines to penetrate the plaidmantium cape and break free.

Sonic catches up to Robotnik just as the evil doctor is about to leave the dimension through a rapidly-shrinking warp Ring. Though the hedgehog squeezes through easily, Robotnik is too fat to fit through and begs Sonic to pull him out. However, Robotnik won't part with the Chaos Emerald and he struggles to pull it through before the Ring closes on his arm. On the other side, a stray Flicky sees Robotnik's hand and bites it, causing Robotnik to yelp in pain, drop the Emerald, and pop back out on Flicky Island. Though minus the Emerald, Robotnik claims that he still has his Flickybot army, but Rotor and Tails arrive to reveal that the whole army has been deroboticized and has escaped back into the Flicky Zone. With his roboticizer destroyed and his battlesuit gone, Robotnik is left stranded on Flicky Island as Sonic and his friends prepare to head for home.

Story Two[]

"The T.U.F.F. Awards"

Sonic and Sally host the first annual T.U.F.F. (The Ultimate Freedom Fighter) Awards, and Sonic jests that "T.U.F.F. is also what it is if you don't win" before chastising Rotor for writing such a corny monologue. Regardless, the (literally) sealed envelopes are delivered and Sonic announces each winner as video footage shot by Rotor plays.

Sonic naturally wins the "Fastest Freedom Fighter" award, but the video clip shows Sonic sleeping in a hammock instead of showing off his speed. Rotor admits that since Sonic runs too fast for his camera, he instead got a shot of him "fast" asleep. Next is the "Strongest Freedom Fighter" award, which goes to Bunnie. However, the video clip features Bunnie prying the lid off a jar of jam, to which Rotor admits "it's hard to open a stuck lid".

For the "Bravest Freedom Fighter" award, Tails is featured in a "life-or-death" struggle against a mosquito, and Antoine's video clip for the "Most Loyal Freedom Fighter" award has him trying (and failing) to act innocent after eating all the donuts. Before Sonic can announce the "Smartest Freedom Fighter" award, Sally swipes the envelope. When Sonic asks Sally what makes her think she's the smartest, Sally replies by pulling out the power and cancelling the show.

Story Three[]

"Bugged Bunnie"

As Bunnie Rabbot enjoys a peaceful nap in the woods, Robotnik and Snively appear in ridiculous-looking plant disguises and plant a tracking device on her while she sleeps. Soon, Bunnie wakes up and heads for Knothole Village, unaware that the tracking device will lead Robotnik right to its location.

Bunnie's jog is briefly delayed when she comes up on an overgrown field of weeds, but she easily strides over it with her extendable robotic legs. As Robotnik follows through the overgrowth, however, he ends up getting bitten by the critters in the grass. Later, Bunnie is seen crossing a lake by bouncing on the rubber-lilies. Robotnik tries to follow, but he bounces too hard on the first lily and goes flying into a tree.

At last, Bunnie is found taking an incredible leap across a gorge. This time, Robotnik admits that he can't cross, but takes solace in knowing that the tracking device is still on Bunnie. As the evil pair leaves, they do not realize that the tracking device has fallen off of Bunnie during her landing and that she has now just noticed it. Before she can take it, a gopher pops up and swallows the tiny device before returning underground. Bunnie shrugs off the loss and heads for home.

Late that night, Robotnik, Snively, and a band of SWATbots are furiously shoveling through the dirt, determined to find Knothole's underground location... no matter how long it takes.

Quotes[]

  • Sonic: "What makes you think you're the "Smartest Freedom Fighter", Sal?"
  • Sally: "Simple...I just pulled the plug on this stupid awards show!"

Key Events[]

  • Dr. Robotnik becomes interested in the unique island known as Flicky Island, reasoning that there must be a Chaos Emerald there due to the energy readings. He also roboticizes the native birds known as Flickies into Flickiebots so they can find it.
  • Sally dispatches Sonic, Tails and Rotor to the island via the Sea Fox and Bathysphere Submarine to investigate Robotnik's activities.
  • Sonic goes on ahead to find Robotnik while Tails and Rotor establish a beach-head and deal with the Flickiebots.
  • Sonic confronts and defeats Robotnik's Techno Bodyshell Battlesuit inside the Flicky Zone, but becomes ensnared in the doctor's rigged cape.
  • Robotnik locates the Chaos Emerald, but causes the Flicky Zone to collapse while retrieving it and almost gets trapped despite Sonic's attempts to save him.
  • Tails and Rotor de-roboticize the Flickiebots and destroy the Roboticizer, leaving Robotnik without an an army or a way back to Robotropolis temporarily as they return to Knothole with Sonic.
  • A tracking device is placed on Bunnie Rabbot in an attempt to learn the location of Knothole, but the plot fails.

Background Information[]

  • Further acts of sabotage and treachery are carried out by Snively in this issue. This foreshadows his eventual betrayal during Operation: EndGame in Sonic the Hedgehog #50.
  • The title page lists the story as a Game Gear adaption in addition to a Genesis and Saturn adaption, despite the fact that the Game Gear game, simply called "Sonic Blast," had nothing to do with the Genesis/Saturn version.
  • This would be the last video game adaptation until the Sonic Adventure adaptation three years later due to Dr. Robotnik's death at the end of "EndGame", thus making an adaptation of Sonic R, the game that followed 3D Blast, impossible.
  • This issue's edition of Sonic-Grams, called Sonic Blast, is split into two sections. The editorial is featured after the main story while the issue's fanart section is featured at the end of the book.

Errors[]

  • Mike Wallis is credited as "Mike Wallace" in this issue. This was corrected in the Sonic-Grams of SSS #1.
  • "The T.U.F.F. Awards" and "Bugged Bunnie" are listed in this issue's table of contents in reverse order.
  • Crocbot's name is misspelled as "Crockbot".

Reprint History[]

External links[]

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