Forbidden Zone
From Sonic Retro
The Forbidden Zone is a location that appears in DiC's Sonic the Hedgehog animated series (SatAM) and Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic series. A feared area on the planet Mobius, it is home to many hostile beings of magical and robotic origins.
In Archie's comic series, there are also other, completely separate areas which share the same name.
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Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Appearing in the episode "Super Sonic", the Forbidden Zone was a walled-off area on the outskirts of Robotropolis. The area was mainly a flat region full of purple circular pools, which large crab-like claws would occasionally rise out of. The Forbidden Zone was watched over by the Guardian, a tall, cloaked being who was a servant of the wizard Lazar.
Lazar's adobe
The only notable structure in the Forbidden Zone was the residence of the formerly evil wizard known as Lazar. Resembling a large, robotic head on the outside, the building was full of deadly mechanical traps to keep out thieves seeking to steal Lazar's computer of evil spells. The computer was held inside Lazar's personal quarters, where he had slept uninterrupted for centuries until Dr. Robotnik stealing the computer awakened him.
At the end of the episode when Sonic and the Freedom Fighters had returned the computer, the now awakened Lazar shrunk his dwelling down to a minscule size with himself and the Guardian inside of it. He did this in order to prevent any further attempts at stealing the computer.
Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie comics)
Appearing in "The Quest", the introductory story of the "Sonic in Your Face!" one shot, the Forbidden Zone largely resembled its SatAM counterpart, being a walled off area full of deadly traps. It was inhabited by several cybernetic creatures, such as a large robotic cyclops, a fire-breathing mechanical griffin as well as the Polysaurus Rex, a biomechanical two-headed dragon.
Julayla had once visited the Forbidden Zone to leave behind a scroll for her student, Princess Sally Acorn, to discover once she herself had passed away. This scroll contained the phrase "To Thine Own Self Be True", which Julayla believed to eventually help Sally achieve oneness of the soul. After Julayla's passing, Sally and the Freedom Fighters ventured out into the Forbidden Zone to find the scroll, as instructed by a map of the zone she received as part of the inheritance Julayla had left behind for her.
According to Sally, Robotnik considers the Forbidden Zone dangerous and dreads the thought of going there himself, and even his SWATbots refuse to chase after the Freedom Fighters as they enter the zone, declaring them to have passed "the point of no return".
Mobian Badlands
In issues #15, #91 and #92 of the comic series, the wasteland surrounding Robotropolis is also referred to by the name "Forbidden Zone". As this "Forbidden Zone" bears little resemblance to the one seen in "Sonic in Your Face!", it can safely be assumed to be a completely different location.
Sally also refers to the area by an alternate name of "the Mobian Badlands" in issue #15, which could therefore be the wasteland's real name.
Forbidden Zone (Angel Island)
An another location known as the Forbidden Zone exists on Angel Island. This area houses Haven, the secret headquarters of the Brotherhood of Guardians.