Black Comet

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"Black Comet" redirects here. For the eponymous level in Shadow the Hedgehog, see Black Comet (level). For its replacement in the Archie comics, see New Black Comet. For the similarly-named astral body from Sonic the Comic, see Black Asteroid.

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The Black Comet seen from the outside, in game development art.

The Black Comet is the home of the Black Arms aliens and the setting for much of the late game of Shadow the Hedgehog.

Overview

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History

A red/charcoal planetoid in the same solar system as Sonic's world, the Black Comet orbits the sun every 50 years. Prior to the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, the appearance of the Black Comet in the sky was associated with a rather more merry "Fire in the Sky" celebration. However, it is in fact the home of the sinister Black Arms species. Whether the aliens actually evolved on this murky worldlet, or migrated to the comet from elsewhere, is never addressed, though Black Doom implies in Sky Troops that they have inhabited it for at least two millenia. The interior of the comet is largely hollowed out to accomodate the Black Arms; a nightmarish, otherworldly habitat with giant, writhing tentacles embedded in the walls, and poisonous crimson ooze filling entire caverns.

Fifty years ago, as Professor Gerald Robotnik was working on Project Shadow, the Black Comet passed close to Sonic's world and the Space Colony ARK. Black Doom made contact with Gerald and agreed to help in the Professor's research, offering some of his genetic material to create Shadow the Hedgehog (and possibly the Biolizard) - thereby making Shadow part Black Arms and fostering the emnity of the future G.U.N. Commander, who spied on the procedure as a child.

Orbiting back into the inner solar system after the events of Sonic Heroes, the Black Arms launched a massive invasion of Sonic's world from the Black Comet, storming the United Federation. Black Doom attempted to use his genetic connection with Shadow, and knowledge of the hedgehog's past, as a means of controlling the Ultimate Lifeform to gather up the seven Chaos Emeralds. In the game's Last Story we learn why he needs the gems: Doom tells Shadow that the Black Comet's acceleration isn't sufficient to make it down to the planet's surface, but a seven-Emerald Chaos Control teleportation will do the trick instead. Warping down through the atmosphere, the Comet roots itself above a ruined city, apparently to facilitate the final, unstoppable phase of the Black Arms' global conquest.

After beating the final boss, Devil Doom, Super Shadow pulls the same Chaos Control trick he did after Finalhazard, warping the Black Comet back up into a stable orbit. It doesn't stay there long, however, as Gerald's final back-up plan against the Black Arms activates: the ARK's Eclipse Cannon fires right at the comet, blasting it into fragments and presumably destroying every last one of the aliens.

Areas

Shadow the Hedgehog has three levels set on the comet:

• Black Comet, the sixth Semi Dark level.
• Final Haunt, the sixth Pure Hero level.
• The Last Way, the level featured in the Last Story.

In other media

Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie comics)

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In the Post-Super Genesis Wave timeline, the Black Comet had already been destroyed during the events of Shadow the Hedgehog. A new vessel, dubbed the New Black Comet, had appeared.