Sonic Blast (Archie)

Sonic the Hedgehog special #8 "Sonic Blast"
Writer: Mike Gallagher/Angelo Decesare
Pencils: Art Mawhinney, Rich Koslowski, Jeff Powell, Karl Bollers, Dave Manak, Pam Ekland, Mindy Eisman, Patrick Spaziante, Freddy Gabrie and Barry Grossman
Cover artist: Patrick Spaziante, Pam Ekland
Release Date RRP Code Rating US 1997-03 $2.00 ?

Sonic Blast is the eighth and last Sonic Special published by Archie. Following Sonic Blast, the Sonic Super Specials took over as the special issues.

It includes three stories: "Sonic Blast", "The T.U.F.F. Awards" and "Bugged Bunny!".

Sonic Blast

Snively is alone in Robotropolis, working at a control station, when Robotnik appears on the monitor. He tells Snively that he has something to tell him about, but doesn't want any of the Freedom Fighters to know. He orders Snively to activate their super secret scrambler to ensure it doesn't get intercepted, but Snively ends up destroying the communication transmitter altogether, scrambling the transmission. Robotnik tries to get full contact again, while Snively mumbles about being stuck to Robotnik's hind-side after the destruction of the Death Egg, and with Robotnik alone and without SWATbots, he has his own plan. He takes a plug, connecting one end to the transmission console, and plug the other end into a computer. The transmission clears up, as Snively tells Robotnik that he is coming in loud and clear...noting to himself that now the Freedom Fighters will hear everything Robotnik says due to the plug.

In Rotor's lab in Knothole Village, the transmission does get to the Freedom Fighters, as Rotor, Sally and Tails listen to the transmission in the lab. They are able to ascertain the location of Robotnik from the telemetry, so Sally decides to meet up and notify Sonic down at the harbor. She also orders Rotor and Tails to meet up at the harbor as well, in the Bathysphere and the Sea Fox respectively.

Not long afterwards, Sally is able to locate Sonic, who is resting at a harbor while fishing. She walks over and notices that something is wrong, asking him about it. Still resting, Sonic notes that he was thinking about Knuckles and the stories she's told him about Knuckles in her past, which conflicts with other stories he's told him. She tries to regain his trust, telling him that anything she's held back or stories bent are due to her job as a princess. He doesn't take this lightly, so Sally gets closer to Sonic, telling him that the only man she's interested in his blue bristles on his back. As she bends in closer to Sonic, he starts to get nervous, as she prepares to kiss him. Right before their lips touch, Tails and Rotor arrive on their submersibles, startling the two lovebirds. Sally nervously gets her act together, ordering Sonic to follow Rotor and Tails to find Robotnik on Flickie Island. Sonic jumps aboard Rotor's Bathysphere as they set a course for the mysterious island.

On Flickie Island itself, Robotnik wanders around, amazed at the fauna and flora, which are comprised of expensive jewels. With flickies all around, he notes that he has no interest in the wealth of all the jewels, but believes that at the heart of the island exists a Chaos Emerald. He turns around and acknowledges the flicky birds, a species that feeds on the jewel fauna and has no natural predators. He grabs one of the peaceful Flickies and throws it into his portable roboticizer, turning it into a robotic flicky. With no problem, he is able to roboticize a whole flock of Flickies, sending them out to patrol to the coast for any intruders. He then turns his attention to a normal Flicky, scaring it and following it in hopes that it will lead him to a Chaos Emerald.

On the outskirts of the island, the Freedom Fighters' submarines arrive, gathering the attention of all the robotic Flickies. Sonic is quick to notice this, notifying Tails who takes off from the Sea Fox to take a closer look. He puts on a headset and approaches the flock, thinking they are just normal Flickies. He quickly realizes he is wrong, when he is overwhelmed by the flock. The others watch as Tails is unable to escape the robotic Flickies and is forced down into the sea. As he falls into the sea, the few robotic Flickies holding onto him also get sent into the water. Miraculously, they come out of the water deroboticized. As they fly away, Rotor and Sonic surmise that the salt water must have an effect on the roboticization process, returning them to normal. Sonic helps Tails up from the sea, while Rotor notices another robotic Flicky heading right for them. Using his super speed, Sonic swoops his hand into the sea and forms a water ball, before the water can settle, and throws it at the bird, hitting it and reverting it back to normal.

Now with a plan of action against the birds, Sonic decides to let Rotor and Tails deal with them while he swims to the island to take care of Robotnik. Entering a spindash, he cuts right across the sea to the island. Tails, meanwhile, returns to his sub while Rotor passes him a water gun. They fill the guns up with salt water, as the remaining flock of Flickies bear down on them. They start firing on the incoming flock while Rotor moves his sub to the beach in an attempt to set up a beachhead. Although they seem to have control, Tails looks over and notices another flock coming in to attack.

On the island itself, Sonic is mesmerized by the sights of the island and the numerous Flicky birds. He looks over to a blue Flicky and asks him if he has seen Robotnik. As it can't understand English, Sonic draws a caricature of Robotnik on the ground, sending the bird into a panic. It then flies around in a circle, showing that Robotnik has gone to a large magic ring, then leads Sonic along a path of footprints left behind by Robotnik. Surely enough, Robotnik has come upon a large ring floating over a dimensional portal, suspecting the Flickies are from outside their reality. With his eyes on a Chaos Emerald, he wastes no time and jumps out from his bush hiding spot and toward the portal. Before he can get through the ring, Sonic appears, headbutting the doctor out of the way while the Flickies in the area watch.

Now facing each other down, Robotnik declares that their next battle shall be their last, but Sonic only wants the doctor to surrender, avoiding any battle. Despite this comment, Robotnik unleashes a particle beam at Sonic. He witnesses as the particle beam hits, and Sonic vaporizes. He thinks he has won, but Sonic, being too fast for the beam, appears behind him, giving up a wedgie. Now angry, the two meet nose-to-nose, but Robotnik uses this to send an electric pulse through to Sonic. The shock leaves Sonic temporarily dazed, giving Robotnik the time to escape and hop into the portal. Sonic eventually comes to, charging up and entering the portal to chase after the doctor.

Having had time to prepare, Robotnik uses his newest creation, a techno bodyshell battlesuit to try to stop Sonic as he navigates the Flickie Zone. He avoids the numerous attacks from the battlesuit, all the while meeting Flickies, avoiding other obstacles and collecting rings. He comes upon a spin wheel which gives him the charging strength to take down the battlesuit. The suit falls apart, leaving Robotnik smug while the Flickies celebrate Sonic's victory. He decides to taunt Robotnik by tugging on his cape, thus causing another surprise as the cape can be controlled Robotnik, wrapping around Sonic. The cape detaches from Robotnik, trapping Sonic and leaving him helpless as Robotnik proceeds on in the zone to find the Chaos Emerald. He enters a large ruin where he locates the Chaos Emerald, perched on top of a large Flicky statue.

Struggling, Robotnik climbs up the tall statue, eventually reaching the head of the Flicky. He pulls out the Chaos Emerald, but by doing so, it brings the statue to life. Robotnik is flung off the statue as it gets up in anger, setting off a tremendous trans-dimensional earthquake. Sonic is stuck thinking to himself while stuck in the cape, realizing that what is going on is similar to what happened when he, as Super Sonic, and Hyper Knuckles destroyed a zone due to their power. He looks over and notices the portal leading out is shrinking, and if he can't escape, he could be destroyed along with the zone. He starts to vibrate his body at a fast pace, loosening the atoms of the strong cape, eventually breaking it and releasing him. He runs toward the shrinking magic ring portal, surprising Robotnik who is just stepping through. He dashes through, distracting Robotnik long enough to get him stuck in the ring as it shrinks.

Despite being his enemy, Robotnik calls for Sonic to help him out. He reluctantly agrees, pulling Robotnik out...except for his arm holding the Chaos Emerald, which is now stuck in the very small ring. Robotnik struggles to get his arm out, intent on getting the Chaos Emerald, even if the ring will cut it off. Suddenly, a Flicky in the other zone bites on Robotnik's arm, sending Robotnik flying back out of the ring, dropping the Chaos Emerald in the process. As Robotnik tends to his hand, Sonic notes his pleasure at Robotnik losing the emerald due to a Flicky. Robotnik becomes quite angered at this, but Sonic is even happier that the Flickies are fine, and now out of their reach. Robotnik, however, believes he still has his flock of roboticized Flickies...until Rotor and Tails come by. They inform the tyrant that they've returned all the Flickies to normal, and that they have entered the portal back home. They also show him the parts of the roboticizer, which they gladly destroyed for him. As Robotnik falls to his knees and cries at his failure, Sonic leads the others back to the beach to head home.

As Rotor, Tails and Sonic enter their submarines, Robotnik catches up, wondering how he'll get home as the battlesuit was the object that brought him to the island in the first place. They set off back home, despite the doctor's calls for help. He eventually yells out his hatred toward the hedgehog, now marooned on the island.

The T.U.F.F. Awards

Sonic and Sally are hosting the 1st annual T.U.F.F. Awards, aka The Ultimate Freedom Fighter Awards. Sally ends up telling a corny joke written by Rotor, who was too busy taping items for the show to come up with a good joke. Before the awards start, Sonic notifies the audience that a clip of the award winner in action will be shown after the award is announced. A seal brings up the sealed envelopes, much to Sonic's lack of surprise.

Sonic presents the award for the fastest Freedom Fighter, which goes to himself. The clip shown of him is a clip of him asleep on a hammock. Sonic complains to Rotor again, but due to his fast speed, the camera couldn't keep up with him, so Rotor had to settle with a video of him asleep. The next award is for the strongest Freedom Fighter, which goes to Bunnie Rabbot. This time, the clip shown is Bunnie trying to open a jar of jam. Sonic protests again, however, Rotor notes that it was the best he could do. The third award is for the bravest Freedom Fighter, which goes to Tails. The video shown is of him swatting a mosquito. The next award is for the most loyal Freedom Fighter: Antoine. Rotor shows a video of Antoine announcing that he knows who stole their doughnuts, but will never tell, just as he burps.

The last award is for the smartest Freedom Fighter. Before Sonic can announce it, Sally swipes the envelope from his hands. Sonic asks Sally why she thinks she is the smartest Freedom Fighter, as she disconnects the lights to the show, claiming she is smart because she pulled the plug on the show.

Bugged Bunny!

In the middle of the Great Forest, Bunnie is asleep on a pile of flowers. Nearby, Robotnik and Snively, wearing plants as disguises. Snively, meanwhile, places a tracking device on her in order to track her and determine the location of Knothole Village. She wakes up and dashes off for home, while Robotnik and Snively follow.

Along the way, she reaches some tall weeds, so instead of running through them, she extends her robotic legs and walks over the weeds. Snively notes his objections to going through the weeds, but with his eyes on getting to Knothole, Robotnik dashes through the weeds. Once they get through, Robotnik gleefully notes that the weeds did nothing to them...just as animals hiding in them come out and attack. They eventually get away from the animals and catch up to Bunnie, who hops across a pond by using rubber plants to cushion her hops. Again, Robotnik leads the way and tries to copy Bunnie. He hops on the first rubber plant, but jumps too hard, sending him flying upwards and into a tree.

They catch up to Bunnie again, despite all the running they have to do, and witness her jumping across a gorge. Robotnik finally comes to his senses, realizing he can't jump the gorge. With the tracking device still on Bunnie, they decide to return to Robotropolis to get their SWATbots to continue the journey. As they leave, Bunnie looks down on the ground and notices the tracking chip on the ground, having fallen off when she did the jump across the gorge. She suspects it is a part of her robotic circuitry and goes to pick it up, only to be beaten by a gopher who takes it and eats it. Knowing that the gophers can dig for miles, she doesn't bother to chase it, deciding to return home.

Later that evening, Robotnik and Snively have returned with many SWATbots...digging a huge hole in the Great Forest. Despite digging for hours, Robotnik tells the group to continue digging, expecting to find Knothole underground, even if they must dig forever.

Background

• This is the first cover produced by Pam Ekland, as well as the first issue with inking work done by Pam.
• Deroboticization is shown without the need of a deroboticizer for the first time.
• The first story, and the name of this special, is based on Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island. All four Flickies in the game make an appearance. The area that Robotnik is first seen in on the island is based off of Green Grove Zone, while the battle between Sonic and Robotnik's battlesuit is based on Rusty Ruin Zone. The battlesuit itself is based on the boss from Final Fight.
• The Endgame saga is mentioned for the first time in Sonic-Grams.

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