INFO BURST

Format: Comic strip
Initial Release Date: 2/10/93
Feature character: Sonic the Hedgehog
Villain: Megatox
Other Characters: Badniks (Troopers, Grabber), Animal Friends (various, unnamed)
Locations: Mobius, West Side Island, Chemical Plant Zone
Items: Mega Mack
Continuity: Sonic the Comic
Synopsis: Bob Beaky arrives for work detail in the Chemical Plant Zone. Inside, Bob finds the plant is controlled by Robotnik’s Troopers who are working the workers beyond exhaustion and punishing them with electro-whips. “Bob” sheds his disguise to reveal he is, in fact, Sonic the Hedgehog! Dispatching of the Troopers, Sonic leads the plant’s workers through a tunnel, freeing another worker who was converted into a Badnik. Coming out into a chamber filled with Mega Mack, Sonic is astonished to face down a monster who is made of the deadly chemical, Megatox. Megatox tells Sonic he used to be a scientist working with Robotnik to create Mega Mack, the chemical designed specifically to kill Sonic, but an accident saw a compartment the scientist was working in flooded by the awful toxic gunk. The scientist and the Mega Mack became bonded and he became one with the poison. Sonic struggles to combat Megatox as his liquid form means he’s difficult to harm and he can easily reconstitute himself. Sonic isn’t out of ideas, however, using a Spin Attack to burrow a hole through the base of the compartment to the outside before running like a propeller to drain Megatox out as if draining him down the sink. With Megatox sprayed all over the surrounding area, Sonic takes the opportunity to lead the workers to safety and freedom.
Notes: The first appearance of Sonic’s “Bob Beaky” disguise, seemingly a penguin wrapped from head to toe in winter gear (to conceal Sonic’s identity, of course). It’s also the first time the setting of Mobius, R.B.R. (Ruled By Robotnik) is named, though here it’s referred to as Planet Mobius, R.R.

CREDITS

Writer: Nigel Kitching
Artist: Richard Elson
Letterer: Tom Frame

Review

Nigel Kitching and Richard Elson round off their initial four-issue collaboration with this story, the first in the comic’s new setting of Mobius, R.B.R. (Ruled By Robotnik)! In a way it’s almost a shame to have ramped things up for the past two issues with Robotnik, but Kitching was arguably wise to go for a story which didn’t feature the dictatorial doctor as now that he’d pushed through his new status quo for the comic, he had to prove it had legs enough to stand without the main villain.

Robotnik’s presence is still felt throughout, of course. The Chemical Plant Zone is a locale from the video games that is intrinsically connected to Robotnik as it seems unfeasible anyone else would create such an enormous, poisonous blight on the landscape of West Side Island. Sure enough, here it’s a factory owned by Robotnik himself and manned by workers who are clearly treated as little more than slaves, a perfect and ready-made backdrop for Sonic to save the downtrodden folks caught in Robotnik’s awful enterprises.

The Troopers’ design comes a little closer to finalised here and it’s certainly interesting just how far Kitching and Elson took things. The bucket helmets already brought to mind German soldiers of the 1930s, fitting giving Robotnik’s despotic dictatorial nature. Here, that imagery is furthered with “Bob Beaky” being stopped and searched and his papers checked. In one panel Elson has the Troopers give a salute at the mention of Robotnik’s name, which certainly brings to mind the hand gestures of those real-life villains.

As in the previous story, Elson clearly enjoyed himself drawing the various mechanical sights of the Chemical Plant Zone. The Troopers also offer plenty of opportunity to go full-tilt in that direction, especially as Sonic smashes them to pieces and bits of metal go flying everywhere. Elson once again proves himself a master of composition, with the story feeling gloomy and claustrophobic, particularly with tight panels as Sonic and the escaping workers flee down a dark tunnel. Megatox’s appearance, as a character made entirely of liquid, offers a unique design challenge and Elson succeeds in making him seem at once watery and yet just weighty enough to pack a whallop. Megatox’s hideous visage is another excellent piece of grotesquery, particularly as he’s pulled apart by Sonic’s actions.

Kitching’s dialogue sparkles once more as Sonic banters in the face of doom, letting Megatox know perfectly well he’s a total bore. As seen previously, Kitching is wise enough to have Sonic internalise his concerns about fighting Megatox, with thought bubbles revealing to the reader his difficulties and worries in taking on a foe made entirely of a poisonous chemical specifically designed to kill him! Nevertheless, Sonic manages to maintain his cool image for the animals he’s rescuing and certainly in the face of the villain himself.

Megatox isn’t as gripping a story as the last few from Kitching and Elson, but it does an important job in showing the comic’s new setting could offer new storytelling opportunities. Of course, now it was up to the comic’s other writers to rise to those opportunities.