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This issue takes place between Sonic the Hedgehog #56 — #57

Sonic Super Special Publication Details Issue  4 Date Published  January 1998 Publisher  Archie Comics Production Staff Cover Artist Patrick Spaziante Harvey Mercadoocasio Writer Karl Bollers Mike Gallagher Pencils Sam Maxwell Nelson Ortega Inks Pam Eklund Letters Vickie Williams Colors Karl Bollers Editor J. Freddy Gabrie Managing Editor Victor Gorelick Editor in Chief Richard Goldwater First Appearances

Archie Sonic Super Special Issue 4 was the fourth issue of the Sonic Super Specials

Summary

Story One

"The Return of the King"

A spacecraft is seen flying into Mobotropolis, presumably holding Sonic, Tails, Sally, Rotor, Bunnie, Antoine, and Geoffrey St. John. It lands near King Maximillian. The king, most of his body consumed by crystallization, states that he is fully recovered from his illness and that he no longer wished to dismantle the Robians. The group of Freedom Fighters suprisingly argues about this, saying there is a possibility their original programming is still functional and that they could be waiting to spring a surprise attack. This takes the king by surprise. He reminds Sonic that his uncle and parents are Robians, and Sonic replies that they are and that he doesn't trust them. The king grows angry, and the crystallization spreads to cover his entire body. Maximillian orders the royal troops to mobilize, stating that they will dismantle the Robians.

Several hours later, the Freedom Fighters took another spaceship to Mobotropolis, which is now war-torn and dangerous. An explosion rocks the back of the spaceship, sending it hurtling to the ground, crashing through a statue of the king before landing. All seven survive, with Sonic and Sally having no recollection of the events prior to the crash. Sonic attempts to get answers from a Mobian soldier, who tells them of the cause of the situation before there is a large explosion, prompting the seven of them to seek shelter in an abandoned building, the soldier silently following them.

Inside the seemingly abandoned building, the group finds a team of armed and angry Robians led by Uncle Chuck. Sally tries to convince the Robians they are not the cause of the conflict. She fails, and the Robians prepare to kill them until Sonic steals their weapons. Uncle Chuck then agrees to help Sonic find the culprit, when suddenly he is shot and knocked uncounscious by the Mobian soldier from before. Sonic prepares to choke him with the Sword of Acorns, but his parents appear and talk him out of it. After agreeing not to kill the soldier, a bright light is released from the sword, and suddenly Uncle Chuck recovers himself and the soldier has no recollection of any events after Sally's apparent arrival at the king's doorstep. Sally guesses that a spell has been placed on the whole city.

Sonic shows up at the castle with the Sword of Acorns, yelling that he knows the spell was the work of Ixis Naugus. Naugus, who was possessing the king's body, states that since their last encounter he has been hiding in Mobotropolis. Naugus says he will now rule over the kingdom. Sonic chases him to the roof, where Naugus threatens to destroy the king's body by jumping off it. Sonic runs toward him, and Ixus jumps off the roof. Sonic grabs his foot, there is a huge flash of light, and he wakes up to find that the knig has regained his free will. Later, King Acorn pulls a sword out from a large stone, destroying the crystallization on his body.

Story Two

"Down and Out in Downunda"

At a celebration of the victory over Dr. Robotnik, the Freedom Fighters ask Bunnie and Antoine to reveal how they escaped imprisonment in Downunda. The couple recall being captured by Robotnik and spirited away to a prison in the Great Crater, run by the villainous Crocbot. With Barby Koala and Walt Wallabee as their companions in prison, the Freedom Fighters found themselves at the mercy of Crocbot, whom Walt attempted to convince of his insanity. Silencing his captive, Crocbot promised that his revenge against his enemies had only begun, and informed them that Bunnie's left arm restraint would trigger an explosive in Antoine's restraints if she attempted to break free. With Crocbot's departure, Walt blamed himself for failing to anticipate Crocbot's ambush tactics, leading Barby to comfort him. Antoine joins in the encouragement, and then notices that Bunnie is trying to break free despite Crocbot's warning. Bunnie assures him that she would never risk harm to him, and points out that Crocbot used only ordinary restraints on her organic arm, an oversight that allows her to slip free from the manacle.

Reaching for Antoine's exploding collar, Bunnie realizes that she'll need sharp tools to get them off, prompting Barby to suggest her claws. The four Freedom Fighters then stage a performance for the Combot guard, acting as though Bunnie was fooling with the collar and causing an explosion, seemingly killing them all. The guard enters the cell and reports the news to Crocbot, who laments that he wasn't able to torment them further but consoles himself with the knowledge that he still has the other Downunda Freedom Fighters as prisoners. Unbeknownst to the guard, Bunnie-using the jets in her legs-is hovering above the doorway with her fellow Freedom Fighters, and the quartet quickly dispatch the Combot. They then battle their way through Crocbot's forces to reach the other Freedom Fighters, before heading to the loading dock for his blimp.

Crocbot, meanwhile, is informed by a Combot that loading is well underway and that the blimp is nearly ready for departure, but Crocbot entrusts him with another piece of cargo: a miniature thermo-nuclear bomb, which is to be installed in Robotnik's headquarters. Crocbot anticipates his coming opportunity to take over Mobius, only for the Downunda Freedom Fighters to arrive and begin attacking him and his troops. Claiming that his explosive killed Bunnie and Antoine, the group communicate to the two, who are in hiding, advising them to head for the blimp so that they can return home. As the battle heats up, Crocbot receives a message from Robotnik, whom Crocbot informs of the blimp's departure. Bunnie and Antoine manage to board the craft, trusting that the Downunda Freedom Fighters will be able to handle things in their homeland. In order to avoid a Combot aboard ship, they break into a room that turns out to be the blimp communication center.

Bunnie accesses the system to try and get information, and ends up activating a pre-recorded message from Robotnik. In it, the mad doctor reveals his plot to use the irradiated ore aboard the blimp to power his Ultimate Annihilator, which he will use to wipe Knothole from existence and then conquer the rest of Mobius. Determined to stop this heinous plot, the pair tap into the ship's sensors, and learn of the bomb installed in the Combot commander. The ship arrives in Robotropolis, the commander advising his units of the inferior SWATbot units in service in the city. As he exits the command room, Antoine appears with the question "Who was zat SWATbot I saw weeth your momma last night?" Angered, the Combot chases Antoine, only to be led into an ambush that allows Bunnie to destroy him and claim the bomb. The two set out to install it in Robotnik's control room, unwittingly carrying out the very mission Crocbot had assigned the commander. With the blimp landing and the cargo being unloaded, the pair made their move, entering Robotnik's fortress.

With their unique part in the story ended, the pair conclude their narrative, to the cheers of the other Freedom Fighters. Though the pair shrug off compliments, Sonic reminds them that they had a crucial role in the conflict, though Knothole did end up three hours ahead of the rest of Mobius in time. Hershey Cat then arrives with a postcard from the Downunda Freedom Fighters, who were successful in defeating Crocbot and wanted to thank Antoine and Bunnie for their help. With that, Sally proposes a toast to all the Mobians fighting for their planet's freedom.

Quotes

Key Events

• Ixis Naugus takes over Maximillian Acorn's body.
• Naugus, as King Max, nearly starts a civil war between the Robians and Mobians in Mobotropolis.
• Naugus's plans are discovered by Sonic.
• King Max is restored to being fully organic by the Crown of Acorns and Sword of Acorns.
• Sonic and Tails plan their trip to track down Naugus.
• In a flashback, Antoine and Bunnie team up with the Downunda Freedom Fighters, escape Crocbot's prison camp, and return to Robotropolis.

Background Information

• This issue takes place directly after the events of Knuckles the Echidna #9 and Sonic the Hedgehog #56.
• The second story fills in the gaps of what happened to Bunnie and Antoine during the End Game Arc.
• The second story re-used 2 images from Sonic the Hedgehog #50. Portions of this story were used with different art and slightly different dialogue in Sonic Super Special #6.
• It is assumed that the title, Return Of The King is inspired by "The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King", but it was never released if this was true or not.
• The title of the second story is a reference to George Orwell's book Down and Out in Paris and London.
• In the second story, Bunnie describes Crocbot as "the vilest creature since General Sherman" referring to Union Civil War general William T. Sherman, infamous for his "total war" tactics during the war.
• The second story was reprinted in Sonic Archives #13, alongside the last two chapters of the End Game arc, as well as "Total Re-genesis" from SSS #5. This is the first time stories from the Sonic Super Specials have been printed in the main Archive series, rather than the Sonic Select books.