Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 166

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 166
Publication Date: September 2006

The exact reason why Ken Penders left Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” book has often been speculated. Did the conflicts with the other writers eventually push him out? Did Archie actually fire him, annoyed by the book's floundering quality? One theory, it seems, has risen to the top. Rumor has it that Sega demanded that Ken incorporate Shadow the Hedgehog into his “Mobius: 25 Years Later” setting. Apparently this was the breaking point for Ken, who was reportedly already frustrated with Sega's influence over the comic. I can't recall if any of this has ever been officially confirmed. Considering the way Sega was pushing Shadow around 2005, it wouldn't surprise me. If this was true, Ian Flynn would utilize this plot idea to breath some life into “25 Years Later” when he re-visited the concept in issue 166.

When Sonic was shot back through time in issue 144, he succeeded in preventing whatever disaster that was causing the world to break apart. His actions had an unforeseen side effect though. He returned to a new future, totally unlike what he remembered. Now a tyrannical Shadow the Hedgehog rules over Mobius with an iron fist. He has assumed the throne, by marrying Sally. The Chaotix are utilized as his personal goon squad, crushing any rebellion. Despite the changes, Sonic, Tails, and many of the other former Freedom Fighters maintain their memories of the original future. Tails recruits Lara-Su to find Sonic and lead a coup against the wicked King Shadow.

The “Mobius: 25 Years Later” setting was precious to Ken Penders. His desire to continue that story line as the much mocked “Lara-Su Chronicles” makes that much clear. If Sega insisting on King Shadow is a true rumor, it's easy to see why the order would upset him so. Issue 166's “Tempus Fugit” shows Ken's utopian future Mobius transformed into a cruel dictatorship. Shadow is portrayed as an brutal ruler, having assassinated Cobar off-screen, and torturing Rotor in the dungeon for information. (Lien-Da appears as a high-ranking enforcer, a position she both enjoys and dreads, as Shadow doesn't tolerate her penchant for treachery.) It's something of a morbid joke that Shadow the Hedgehog would ultimately be a more effective dictator than Dr. Robotnik ever was.

While I don't have the antipathy for Ken's setting that many do, I'll admit that Shadow's dystopia is a bit more interesting then Ken's perfect world. That future Mobius was so free of conflict that the heroes' marital problems were the main source of drama. Though our glimpses at this version of Mobius are limited, we do see a couple of nice touches. Like the Orwellian poster spread about the city proclaiming that “The Chaotix are Watching You” or multiple statues seemingly deifying Maria Robotnik as a pure, angelic being.

This story also places Sonic the Hedgehog in a vulnerable places. When Tails and Lara-Su track him down, he's homeless on the streets. His ears are bent back, his shoes are full of holes, his face is wrinkled. He's eating a chili dog seemingly covered in green fuzz. Seeing his wife married to a wicked villain was a huge blow for him. Moreover, Sonic and Sally's kids do not exist in this new timeline. The situation is so bad for him that he nearly cries, as actual, full-blown tears were forbidden by Sega. Even without the water works, this is easily the lowest Archie has ever taken Sonic. The hedgehog is not doing well.

If “Tempus Fugit” has a major problem, it's that the story ends just when things are really getting good. Most of part one is devoted to setting up the situation. So Tails and Sonic's tearful reunion features some dialogue about what happened. That he's built a device able to protect people from the old timeline, that those close to Sonic's trip maintain some memories. Just when Lara-Su and Tails talk the fragile hedgehog into fighting once more, a team of shock troops led by Knuckles close in on them. And that's where the story ends. It's a decent set-up, with some solid emotional moments and a few nice touches. But I wish it was given a little more room to breath.

The cover story probably feels short because the back-up story is longer than the usual five pages.  “The Chaotix Connection” is a collaboration between Flynn and Romy Chacon, with the likely conclusion being that Flynn fleshed out Chacon's outline. Anyway, Renfield T. Rodent – remember him? - was freed from echidnan prison when Robotnik took over Angel Island. The rat fled to Station Square, where he's built a new casino. The President of the city rightfully feels he might be up to something. So the Chaotix, along with Rouge who has been granted temporary membership on the team, are sent to investigate. They uncover another half-assed but dangerous plot from the bad guy.

“The Chaotix Connection” is something like a spiritual sequel to “The Chaotix Caper.” That previous adventure is referenced a few times, with Mighty and Espio being concerned that Renfield has poisoned the casino's food. This story is not as dark as that one, as there's no children dying from drug poisoning and no mass dosings of L.S.D. In fact, “The Chaotix Connection” is pretty silly. The Rodent has been ordered by Eggman to hypnotize anyone who stares at his slot machines for too long. This is a plot to grab the brain waves of the Chaotix, downloading them into a new set of Auto-Automatons. This includes the goofy sights of the Chaotix with mesmerized, swirly eyes. It also features an android horse with a rocket punch, a henchman granted to Renfield by Robotnik.

Despite these goofy moments, it's still satisfying to see the Chaotix working together as a team on another crime story-like adventure. Mighty shows off his strength, rolling Renfield's machines into a giant ball of scrap. Julie-Su blows the android horse's head off. Yet my favorite moments in this story involve Julie-Su and Rouge's growing rivalry over Knuckles. The bat continues to ruffle the echidna's feathers, Knuckles forced to separate them at one point. That seems like a juicy plot point but, sadly, Rouge and Julie-Su share little panel time after that.

What truly makes “The Chaotix Connection” an important story is its art. This would be Jay Axer's final credit on Archie's “Sonic” book. As always, Axer's work is phenomenal. The story opens with a startling one-page spread of Knuckles tied up, spit being substituted for blood running from his mouth. As always, Axer brings a very high level of detail to his work. All the characters, even the minor ones working in the loading bay, are incredibly detailed and well thought out. Despite Rouge wearing her odd “Sonic Heroes” get-up, Axer still draws her better than anyone else. It's also worth noting that Axer was one of the few artists on this book who could draw decent looking humans. Archie never utilized Axer very well, usually sticking him on back-up story duty, yet his artwork continued to be some of the best ever featured in the book. I'll miss the guy, for sure.

The back-up story isn't the best to be featured in the book, even if the artwork is great. It's a bit of a shame that a middling story like this took away page space from the cover story, which probably needed the breathing room. Still, this is a solid over all issue, featuring one story that shows a lot of promising ideas and a back-up that features some killer artwork. [7/10]