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STH48
Sonic the Hedgehog
Publication Details
Issue 

48

Date Published 

April 1997

Publishing Company 

Archie Comics

Production Staff
Cover Artist
Writer
Pencils
Inks
Letters
Colors
Editor
  • Justin Freddy Gabrie
Managing Editor
  • Victor Gorelick
Editor in Chief
  • Richard Goldwater
First Appearances
Characters
Locations
Only Appearance
  

Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 48 was the forty-eighth issue of the main Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and the second part of the End Game arc.

Summary[]

Story One[]

"Sonic The Fugitive"

Sonic the Hedgehog asks Geoffrey and his men to explain what's going on as he is escorted in shackles on to Antoine's plane. Geoffrey explains that they're taking him to the Devil's Gulag, a defunct prison used in the Great War. Sonic insists that he doesn't know anything about Sally's death, but Geoffrey attacks him. Uncle Chuck gets between them, reminding Geoffrey that he's been tasked with transporting Sonic, not killing him. Chuck vows to his nephew that they'll see each other again soon.

That evening in Knothole, a horrible thunderstorm blows over the village while Chuck, Rosie Woodchuck, Amy Rose, and the remaining Knothole Freedom Fighters try to take in their loss. The Freedom Fighters have given up on their friend, wondering how he could go through with murdering the princess, but Uncle Chuck furiously refuses to believe that Sonic could do such a thing. Dulcy pokes her head in their window, bawling from the news, while Rosie tries to calm everyone down. Meanwhile, Sonic wonders how he ended up in this situation. As he realizes how strange it is that King Acorn suddenly recovered from his crystalization, he notices Sleuth Dawg sitting behind him. Sleuth laughs, thinking that Sonic sold out his friends to Robotnik, and Sonic is left to stew in anger.

Suddenly, the plane is attacked by SWATbots in hover units. The plane crashes, knocking out everyone on board except Sonic, who attacks the SWATbots silently and ruthlessly with his wrists still bound by his broken manacles. He finishes them off, lost in his thoughts and trying to cope with everything that's happened, before running off into the storm to find shelter. Back in Knothole, Drago reports Sonic's escape to King Acorn, who in turn summons Geoffrey and orders him to recapture Sonic. Ducking into a cave, Sonic thinks over recent events one more time. He realizes that neither he nor Uncle Chuck was allowed to see Sally or Dr. Quack's notes on her condition. He remembers Chuck telling him that he was sure there must be a traitor responsible for all of this and passes out on the cave floor, weary and dazed.

Back in Knothole, Antoine and Bunnie stalk Drago. Antoine is concerned by King Acorn's strange behavior, having special chats with Drago and Geoffrey but ignoring the Freedom Fighters. Bunnie is skeptical, but Antoine assures her that he will prove Drago's treachery. Drago enters the home of Hershey Cat, loudly pronouncing himself the future duke of Robotropolis and offering Hershey a place at his side. Hershey is quick to refuse, but Drago turns accusatory, grabbing her forcefully, telling her that she can't bow out now and informing her of Sonic's escape and Geoffrey's ongoing search. He leaves, prompting Bunnie and Antoine to tail him into the Great Forest. It turns out that Drago was planning an ambush, as he orders a group of SWATbots to capture them and send them to Downunda.

Sonic is dreaming about Muttski when the low growling of Tasmanian Devils outside the cave stirs him from his sleep. Having used the feral Mobians to track Sonic down, Geoffrey and his men split up to search for their escaped fugitive. Geoffrey heads into the caves, where Sonic is having trouble gaining traction on the rocky terrain. He wonders how they found him so fast while Geoffrey consults a tracking device, homing in on a bug he placed Sonic's shoe. Sonic and Geoffrey round a corner and run into each other. They begin to tussle, but accidentally send each other plummeting down into a steep crevice.

In Knothole, King Acorn meets with the Uncle Chuck, the Wolf Pack, the remaining Freedom Fighters, and the Substitute Freedom Fighters. He applauds the group's bravery but explains that they are too incompetent to make progress for the kingdom. He then reveals that he has reopened the position of Warlord in the kingdom's ranks and will be handing the title to Dr. Robotnik, who appears before the group. Rotor fires on Robotnik with his Party-Hearty Quadra Sonic Rock 'N' Roller, but Robotnik blocks it and then destroys it with an energy shield and laser beam generated from his mechanical arm. His SWATbots surround the group while Robotnik berates Uncle Chuck and Muttski, who he now realizes have been spying for the Freedom Fighters. While he gloats over his victory, Geoffrey and Sonic's struggle continues. They both express their love for Sally and Sonic knocks Geoffrey down and rushes to a nearby exit, only to discover that it leads to a ledge overlooking a waterfall. Geoffrey corners him and fires crossbow bolt, forcing Sonic to leap from the ledge towards the water below.

Quotes[]

  • Geoffrey: "You killed the woman I love!"
  • Sonic: "Don't you say that! You only loved yourself! I loved her!"

Key Events[]

  • Sonic is put on a plane to Devil's Gulag, but it is shot down by SWATbots, allowing Sonic to escape.
  • Antoine and Bunnie observe Drago and learn that his schemes include Hershey Cat, but are captured by SWATbots and sent to Downunda.
  • Geoffrey is sent to capture Sonic, leading to a heated battle between the two of them that ends with Sonic leaping off a ledge.
  • Robotnik arrives in Knothole at King Acorn's invitation, capturing the remaining Freedom Fighters in the process.

Background Information[]

  • This is the first issue to show Tasmanian Devils, who bear a heavy resemblance to the Looney Tunes character Taz. In this issue, Sonic claims that the Tasmanian Devils were the only Mobians to not be fully evolved; this was later revealed to be caused by experiments conducted during the Forgotten War.

Reprint History[]

This issue has been reprinted in the following places:

External links[]

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