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The subject of this article appeared before the Super Genesis Wave.
This issue takes place between Sonic the Hedgehog #33#34
SSvsHK
Super Sonic vs Hyper Knuckles
Publication Details
Date Published 

February 1996

Publishing Company 

Archie Comics

Production Staff
Cover Artist
Cover Colorist
Frontispiece
Writer
Pencils
Inks
Letters
Colors
Editor
  • Scott Fulop
Managing Editor
  • Victor Gorelick
Editor in Chief
  • Richard Goldwater
Special Thanks

Jennifer Hunn at Sega

First Appearances
Characters
Only Appearance
  

Super Sonic vs Hyper Knuckles was the fifth single issue special in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series.

Summary[]

Story One[]

"Crash of the Titans" - Part One

Princess Sally calls Sonic to inform him that Knuckles is roaming around the edge of the Great Forest. Sonic, surprised that Knuckles would leave the Floating Island, assumes Knuckles is up to no good. Sally shows Sonic that Knuckles is heading towards Robotropolis. Thinking that Knuckles is trying to cut a deal with Robotnik, Sonic heads off to stop him, Sally shouting at him to try talking it out first as he leaves. Meanwhile, Knuckles arrives at Robotropolis and remembers a conversation he had with Mighty the Armadillo. Knuckles told Mighty how he had seen a Chaos Emerald broken in half not too long ago. Mighty doesn't believe it, but Knuckles tells him that he's certain of it and that he refuses to let it happen again. He says that, since the island was once supported by twelve emeralds and only has one now, he needs to find another emerald to ensure the island doesn't fall if the first one fails.

Knuckles pulls out the Book of Myths and turns to a page that talks about the mystical Lake of Rings, the only other places besides the Special Zone that Chaos Emeralds can be obtained. Mighty notices that the book says rings radiate cosmic energy, but the lake's location is lost. Knuckles keys in on the word word "radiates", and decides that maybe the intense radiation around Robotropolis isn't caused by pollution but the fabled Lake of Rings. Knuckles heads towards the Knuckles asks Mighty to take care of the island and heads down to the surface. Back in the present, Knuckles finds an old grotto with a camera looking over it. He begins to investigate when he's attacked from behind by Sonic.

"Crash of the Titans" - Part Two

Sonic fulfills his "obligation" to Sally by halfheartedly skimming through a scroll offering a non-violent solution. Knuckles punches Sonic before he can finish, prompting Sonic to counter with his Figure-Eight move. Sonic circles back around for another attack when Knuckles uproots a tree and pulls it into Sonic's path. Sonic crashes into the tree and then flips it over, slamming Knuckles with its trunk. Sally arrives asks them both to stop fighting. They begin making excuses while NICOLE detects radiation from the hole created when they uprooted the tree. Sally asks them to take a look.

"Crash of the Titans" - Part Three

Inside the hole is a portal to an unknown zone, filled with Power Rings and Chaos Emerald. Knuckles leaps in eagerly. Sally thinks aloud that Knuckles hasn't changed a bit since they used to hang out, startling Sonic. He starts to ask what she meant, but she tells him it's none of his business and orders him to pursue Knuckles. Inside the zone, Sonic and Knuckles compete to collect Power Rings and Chaos Emeralds. Sonic tells Knuckles that he's collected seven emeralds and fifty rings, allowing him to transform into Super Sonic. He demands Knuckles' surrender, only for Knuckles to count up his stash, collect a few more rings, and transform into Hyper Knuckles. They start to fight again, trading super strong and super fast punches. Knuckles rips a chunk out of their battleground and smacks it into Sonic, only for him to recover in no time due to his invulnerability. They charge each other, ready to duke it out once more.

"Crash of the Titans" - Part Four

Sonic and Knuckles continue to fight, countering Spin-Dashes, using Super Figure-Eights, using hands as wheels to launch super fast kicks. They finally charge at each other with such speed that the raw energy of their collision causes the zone to be overloaded and explode. The blast is even detected by Robotnik in Robotropolis. With the battle over, Sonic wakes up to learn from Sally that the zone is gone, and with it all its magical contents. Sally then reminds him that they are at the Lake of Rings, and reveals that the camera Knuckles found was her own surveillance camera. Sally reveals that she returned to Knothole to watch the fight from a safe distance and then made her way back on her Sky Cycle when the battle ended. Sonic tries to ask her a question, but she cuts him off and asks him to stop snooping about Knuckles.

Back on the Floating Island, Mighty and Knuckles meet up again. Mighty says his fight with Sonic is the talk of the island. He also tells Knuckles that he heard the zone collapsed on itself and all the rings and emeralds vanished along with it. Knuckles disagrees, pulling out a Chaos Emerald.

Story Two[]

"Fathers & Sons"

Years ago, Knuckles' father tells him of his future responsibilities as Guardian of the Floating Island and takes him to the Chaos Chamber for the first time. He explains that the Chaos Emerald keeps the island afloat. Knuckles asks that's all the emerald can do, and Locke tells him that there is more to learn. However, he feels that he has taught Knuckles "the basics," and that he will understand once he puts the pieces together himself.

In the present, Knuckles realizes that Archimedes' advice sounds a lot like his father's, but their voices were different. He then angrily reminds himself that trying to guess who Archimedes is won't help him find the missing Chaotix. He then thinks back to his past again, when he and his father were observing a mysterious orb. After analyzing it and then getting up close to examine it further, Knuckles decided to attack it before it could present a threat, only for it to explode in his face. His father reminds him of their most important lesson: "Know your enemy!" In the present, Knuckles remembers how his father tried to prepare him as best he could, but that he didn't cover every situation.

Knuckles then remembers the day his father took him to the edge of the Forbidden Zone and bid him farewell before disappearing into what appeared to be a wall of fire. Knuckles' memories continue through his early encounters with Robotnik and the formation of the Chaotix, something that he at first rejected because of his pride even though he had needed their help and Sonic's in the past. Knuckles then determines that his father had admitted being unable to teach him everything he would need to know, and that some of his lessons would be learned elsewhere. With that in mind, Knuckles renews his determination to find both Archimedes and the Chaotix.

Quotes[]

  • Sally: "What do the odds makers say?"
  • Tails: "Four to one they're in a fight by page six!"


  • Robotnik: "This is terrible!"
  • SWATbot: "You mean because of the potential loss of magic rings and chaos emeralds?"
  • Robotnik: "No, I mean because this is a 48-page special, and all I get is a one-page cameo!"

Key Events[]

  • Knuckles goes in search of a backup Chaos Emerald for the Floating Island.
  • Sonic and Knuckles engage in battle at the Lake of Rings and then travel into an alternate zone.
  • Having undergone Super transformations, Super Sonic and Hyper Knuckles continue their battle and destroy the zone.
  • Knuckles reflects on his early years as a Guardian and his more recent experiences as his search for the Chaotix continues.

Background Information[]

  • This was the first issue Knuckles transformed into Hyper Knuckles. During the battle, he displayed the ability to spin his hands at super speed, similar to an ability he used in the Sonic OVA movies.
  • Robotnik's rant on page 27 mirrors his rant at the end of Archie Sonic Miniseries Issue 2.

Cameos & References[]

Errors[]

  • Despite appearing in the first story, Mighty was kidnapped along with the Chaotix when this issue takes place according to the second story.
  • Despite looking like his video game counterpart in StH #4, Super Sonic is depicted as simply a gold Sonic. He would remain that way until StH #82

Reprint History[]

This issue has been reprinted in the following places:


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