| |||||||||||||||||
Penelope the Platypus was a member of the Substitute Freedom Fighters from Downunda. Later, however, she was elected to the Council of Acorn.
History[]
Freedom Fighter[]
Penelope was one of several Freedom Fighter recruits chosen by Sally Acorn for a special mission meant to determine their potential. The mission resulted in the uncovering of Dr. Ivo Robotnik's Auto Automatons, a scheme that the Substitute Freedom Fighters—aided by Geoffrey St. John—were able to thwart. (PSM: #1, #2, #3)
Penelope and the others would later come to the aid of Sally and her more experienced squad on several occasions, including stopping an amnesia-ridden Sonic from defeating the Knothole Freedom Fighters, a bizarre conflict involving a video-game link between Mobius and an alternate Earth, and a period of time in which Sonic was bereft of his speed and had to rescue the Knothole Freedom Fighters from captivity. The team were then officially recognized as the Substitute Freedom Fighters under the command of Larry Lynx. (StH: #28, #38, SLV)
Council of Acorn[]
Two years later, Penelope would later be elected to serve on the Council of Acorn, together with her old teammates Dylan and Hamlin. She and her associates agreed not to launch a preemptive mission to Angel Island in the face of the threat presented by Enerjak, feeling that they had too little information on him. She also denied the Freedom Fighters' request to authorize a mission to retake Freedom HQ from the Suppression Squad, and with the rest of the council presided over a disciplinary hearing for Sally after she disobeyed those orders. Like all members of the council but her former teammate Hamlin, however, she voted to drop the charges against Sally. Following the Iron Dominion occupation, she worked together with Rotor Walrus and other members of the council on the new constitution. Rotor expressed utter bewilderment over the process, prompting encouragement from Penelope. The pair were interrupted by the arrival of Hamlin, who informed Rotor that the Walrus Herd had been captured by the Northern Tundra Dark Egg Legion. Shortly thereafter, the council met to discuss the issue, and Sonic insisted that he's free to assist the Arctic Freedom Fighters. (StH: #180, #181, #190, #191, #197, #214, #215)
At later meetings, Penelope and the others discussed the issues of Geoffrey St. John's treachery and the citizens' fear of NICOLE, who had briefly fallen under the control of the Iron Dominion. Their deliberation on the latter was cut short when the wizard Ixis Naugus entered the council chamber and laid claim to the throne. Sonic engaged Naugus, but Penelope prevented the council from intervening, and threatened Hamlin with a charge of dereliction of duty. She reminded him that they had been elected as politicians, not fighters, and said that the issue should be decided diplomatically. The council and Sonic were soon caught up in an argument due to Naugus' magical influence, and Penelope's ire was turned towards Sonic when he insisted that he should simply defeat Naugus and end the discussion. Sadly, following the launch of the Death Egg Mark 2, Penelope and the rest of the council found themselves working with Naugus as their new king.(StH: #220, #223, #224, #231, #232)
Penelope and the rest of the council shortly thereafter voted to exile NICOLE to Freedom HQ, prompting Rotor's resignation from the council. The Platypus then joined the unanimous vote to create Rotor's Team Freedom and Sonic's Team Fighters for the purposes of protecting the people at home and abroad. The council continued to deliberate on the new constitution while dealing with Naugus' ego, such as when he dismissed Leeta and Lyco of the Wolf Pack. Fed up with their opposition of his will, Naugus planned to enslave the group using his magic. Unaware of this threat-or the creation of the Secret Freedom Fighters to combat it-Penelope and her compatriots met to ratify he new constitution. Much to their chagrin, the door to Military HQ-where they had been meeting-was secured by a broken lock. Rotor arrived to open it, and Penelope thanked him for his help, joking that he seemed constantly up to the various tasks pressed upon him. Penelope then faced the embarrassment of discovering that the constitution was missing, only for it to be found by Cream the Rabbit by her desk. Realizing that fellow councilor Rosemary Prower must have forgotten it at her home, Penelope was relieved-until the lights cut out thanks to the jinx effect of Larry Lynx. Their deliberation done, Penelope and her old teammates went out for some fun, and were observed wistfully by their old friend Larry.(StH:#235, #236; SU: #41, #42, #43, #44))
Personality[]
Penelope is fiercely loyal to her friends and comrades, her love for all animal kind is the driving force in her personal fight against tyranny. Though warm and caring, she has a stern side to her nature, and is willing to stand up to anyone she feels is in the wrong. (PSM: #2)
Background Information[]
- It is known that Penelope had a counterpart in Anti Mobius, who had a relationship with Scourge the Hedgehog. Her Anti Mobius self was never seen in the comics, only mentioned in a line of dialogue by Anti Bunnie.
- Penelope, along with Hamlin, holds the sixth longest "non-appearance gap" in the series (StH: #38-180).
- In Sonic the Hedgehog: #197, Penelope is colored violet instead of dark blue.