Believe it or not, Sonic the Hedgehog has been speeding across the pages of comic books since 1993. With well over 400 comics to his name over a span of almost three decades, the books have covered a wide variety of content that draws ideas from many different areas of the Sonic mythos.
As such, it's not surprising that sometimes things have gotten a little weird. And sometimes things have gotten really weird. Here are 10 moments from the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series that have left fans scratching their heads over the years. Moments that everyone, fans or otherwise, needs to know about.
10 Sonic's Fantastic Voyage
The early Sonic comics leaned on the more lighthearted and goofy side, and issue 33’s "Let's Get Small" is perhaps one of the most egregious examples. It's the usual cliche story: friend has problem in their body, protagonist shrinks to microscopic size, goes inside, and tries to save them while dealing with all manner of icky body stuff.
As Sonic explores his fellow Freedom Fighter Rotor's body, he meets some weird characters, including Rotor's "Aunty Bodies" (see above) and the French Fryrus, a malevolent virus with stereotypical French tendencies. Because of course.
9 Two Joke Characters Become Hateful Demigods
Verti-Cal and Horizont-Al, as their names imply, were from the comic's sillier days. These two goofballs lived in another zone where the laws of time, space, and gravity didn't apply. Alas, their goofy natures wouldn’t last.
Once the Sonic comics became more serious, Sonic and Tails were sucked back into Verti-Cal and Horizont-Al's wacky dimension in issue 59's "Opposites Detract." Previous cataclysmic events caused the zone and everything in it to be rewritten at a subatomic level, including its two sole inhabitants. Verti-Cal and Horizont-Al were reborn as robotic warriors devoid of humor who now desired the total destruction of the other, even if their fight would last until the end of time. Talk about dark turns!
8 Ultra Sonic & Ultra Tails
In issue 66's "A Friend In Deed," Sonic and Tails are duking it out with the evil wizard Ixis Naugus when they absorb the energy of countless power rings, transforming into these comic-exclusive versions of themselves. Sonic gets a nifty atom cloud surrounding him while Tails has wavier hair and an army of Super Flickies, a la Super Tails from the games.
Ultra Sonic can also alter atomic structures, from crafting walls of water with his mind to opening portals into other zones. For some reason, his voice changes as well. Tails' transformation is more sensible, but he’d get his ridiculous form at a later date (and later in this list).
7 Sonic The Player
Anyone who's heard the old Sonic comics referred to as "furry soap opera" know that this is the reason why. Years of love triangles and “will they or won’t they?” stories peaked when Sonic and Sally broke up in issue 134. Several issues later, Sonic's alternate universe doppelganger took his place and began hitting on Sonic's various female companions, from Amy to Mina to Bunnie.
After Sonic returned and all the kissy-kissy shenanigans were sorted out, he took to playing the field again, making out with a mercenary-turned-Freedom-Fighter Fiona Fox behind a bush in issue 155's "Line of Succession." Tails, who Sonic knew had a crush on the older girl, catches them in the act, shouting his hatred and running away, crying. And that's before Sally marries an evil alternate universe version of Antoine... in the same issue. "Furry soap opera" indeed.
6 Knuckles' Dad Microwaves Him As A Baby
In the games, no one questions why Knuckles the Echidna has sharp freakish knuckles and can glide long distances. Fans simply accept it and go about their lives. The comics, however, provided the reason which is actually his father, Locke.
In issue 25 of the short-lived Knuckles the Echidna comic, Locke tells Knuckles about a premonition he had about his son fighting against a powerful foe he couldn't beat. In order to prevent that, Locke secretly took Knuckles' egg and subjected it to Chaos Rdiation, effectively turning Knuckles into an emerald-powered mutant. What's worse, Locke never bothered to tell his wife what he was doing to their son!
5 Sonic Becomes King
Without the context of the comic's history, the idea of Sonic - someone who prides himself as being free of the wind and free from authority - becoming king was laughable. Yet that is exactly what happened in the infamous "Mobius: 25 Years Later" storyline. By marrying Princess Sally, Sonic eventually became king of the entire planet.
So what did he do as king? Mostly complain about how ill-suited he was for the job, that's what. Still, he went along with it, sitting through boring meetings, issuing boring decrees, and basically, just being boring. Even Knuckles calls him out on this, wondering what happened to the cool dude with a 'tude he once knew, echoing the thoughts on many readers' minds at the time. Sonic didn't have an answer.
4 The Original Robotnik Returns
The original comic version of Doctor Robotnik was killed off in Issue 50, destroyed at the subatomic level. Years later, the alternate universe version of the character decided to bring him back. In issue 108's "Robotnik X 2 = Trouble!" the current Robotnik uses a machine to somehow reassemble his original version's molecules, returning him to existence. The original Robotnik then escapes to Sonic's home for protection.
Instead of throwing the monstrous madman who enslaved their people and destroyed countless lives out, Sonic and crew decide to take him in, leading to a series of wacky sitcom hijinks. Robotnik causes general mayhem from eating all of their food to accidentally breaking their windows with golf balls. In the end, Robotnik returns to face his alternate universe self. During the fight, his unstable molecules dissipate, ending the comic’s original villain once and for all in the most undignified manner possible.
3 Tails Becomes A Titan
Issues 149 and 150 contained the universally-hated "The Chosen One" two-parter, which attempted to wrap up a plot point set up back in the Tails mini-series over a decade prior. The evil Mammoth Mogul has become a cosmic entity and is wiping out other dimensions left and right, and it's prophesied that only Tails can stop him.
How does Tails defeat a being of near-unlimited power? Why, merge with every alternate version of himself left in the universe and turn into a giant hulking monster, of course! To this day, Titan Tails remains one of the most reviled characters in the franchise's history.
2 Sonic Kills His Alternate Universe Mutant Dad
The Sonic comics have had their share of dark moments over the years, but this one is probably tops the list. In Sonic Super Special #12's "Giant Robotno," Sonic travels to an alternate universe where a good Eggman is fighting a war against mutated giant versions of Sonic's friends and family, and it's up to Sonic to stop them by piloting a giant mech. It’s the climax that cements this moment as one of the weirdest.
During Sonic's reluctant fight against his father, he accidentally rips out the Chaos Emerald embedded in his chest, presumably killing him. The last scene of the battle is this dimension's giant mutant version of Sonic roaring in sorrow while holding up his father's lifeless body.
1 Charmy Becomes Mentally Handicapped
When Charmy Bee’s age in the games was retconned from 16 to 6, the writers had a problem on their hands. How could they take the character they’ve written as a teen all these years and de-age him without the development coming across as too ham-fisted? The answer? Make him mentally handicapped, of course!
In Issue 176's "Cracking the Empire," Eggman tried to drain Charmy’s life force, a process that Sonic interrupted. The result left Charmy brain damaged, physically 16, but now with the childlike mentality of his game counterpart. This development was played for humor, which left a bad taste in fans' mouths, as it felt like they were mocking people with mental disabilities.