Archie Sonic X Issue 11

Archie Sonic X Issue 11 is the eleventh issue of the Sonic X comic series published by Archie Comics.

Official solicitation

 * "No Thanks for the Memories": Part 2 (of 2) - Sonic's 15th Anniversary adventure continues in Sonic X! Sonic, Amy Rose, Knuckles and Tails are trapped in a Virtual Reality universe powered by the Master Emerald. Now our Heroes must battle their way back to their friends who believe they have been left behind forever! Will Sonic be abandoned by his mistaken friends? Will Eggman win and destroy his hated nemesis? Will Bokkun's mad desire for sugary treats be the undoing of everything!

No Thanks For The Memories! Part Two

 * Writer: Joe Edkin
 * Pencils: Tracy Yardley
 * Inks: Terry Austin
 * Letters: John Workman
 * Colors: Josh Ray
 * Editor: Mike Pellerito
 * Managing editor: Victor Gorelick
 * Editor-in-chief: Richard Goldwater
 * Special thanks to SEGA: Robert Leffler and Dyna Lopez at SEGA Licensing and SEGA Studios USA

Synopsis
Sonic, Amy and Knuckles make their way through the Spring Yard Zone. As they journey, Knuckles accuses Sonic of being responsible for their current situation. He explains that they only came to Earth because of an accident when Sonic was fighting Eggman and suggests that, if he keeps fighting Eggman, Sonic may end up losing his friends. Amy defends Sonic's actions and Sonic insists that if Eggman would leave them alone he wouldn't have to fight at all. Suddenly, the Eggman impostor appears in the sky above them. Knuckles attacks him, but is knocked to the ground and nearly pierced by his Egg Mobile's spike.

Meanwhile, on Angel Island, Chuck Thorndyke scans the Master Emerald Altar with his grandson, Chris. Crestfallen, Chris asks his grandfather why Sonic and his friends would leave Earth without saying goodbye. Chuck suggests they could have vanished suddenly without any choice in the matter, but quickly explains to his grandson that he's detected the Master Emerald is still on Earth. Chris deduces that if they find the emerald, they're sure to find Knuckles nearby.

Back in the Spring Yard, Sonic's group launches an attack on the Eggman impostor, causing it to flee. Sonic frees Rouge the Bat from a nearby Capsule when the ground beneath them suddenly gives way and the group falls into the Labyrinth Zone]]. Sonic is frustrated by the prospect of having to venture underwater to continue, but Amy assures him that he will be fine, having completed an underwater mission before. The group is accosted by Burrobots as they make their way across the flooded ruins. While the others stop to take a breath from nearby bubbles, Knuckles presses a switch that spits the group into a vertical shaft where the Eggman impostor is waiting. Rouge is surprised to find that she can't fly anymore and the group slowly makes its way up the shaft as it begins to fill with water.

On board the Egg Carrier, Dr. Eggman plays a video game; specifically, he controls Sonic and his friends in virtual reality. Bokkun is too delighted by the prospect of eating his master's ice cream to care, but Decoe and Bocoe question the purpose of such a complicated scheme. The doctor explains that once Sonic and friends reach the final level of his Master Emerald powered simulation, the circuitry will overload and the entire virtual world will be sent flying to the moon. Bokkun asks why he doesn't blow his furry foes to pieces himself, but Eggman insists that playing video games enhances his hand-eye coordination.

Sonic and the others make their way to the Star Light Zone, where they dodge Bombs and Orbinauts and use see-saws to traverse the city landscape. Along the way they meet up with Tails, discuss the possibility that they may be in a virtual world and engage in combat with the impostor Eggman. Meanwhile, in the real world, Chris and Chuck follow the Master Emerald's energy transmissions to Doctor Eggman's Fortress. Inside, Eggman gleefully tells his minions that with one more battle will trigger the his plans to send Sonic and his friends to the moon, which he then plans to turn into the EggMoon.

In the Scrap Brain Zone, Sonic and his friends find Cream, Cheese and Vanilla trapped in a glass container behind several hazards. Breaking open an invulnerability monitor, Sonic dashes through danger without feeling any pain and frees them. Cheese presses a button, which sends everyone into the Final Zone. Eggman cheers as Sonic and his friends defeat the Eggman impostor, initiating he launch sequence. At the same time, Chris and Chuck break into the control room that holds the Master Emerald and houses the bodies of Sonic and his friends. They wake Sonic, informing him of the situation. Sonic wakes up his friends and urges them to leave, grabbing the Master Emerald and rushing it out of the room. With the power source removed, the room explodes. Sonic and his friends celebrate their victory while Eggman vows his revenge and plans to destroy the moon. Eggman's plan ends in failure, leading to his imprisonment alongside his henchbots.

Appearances
Characters:

Quotes

 * Rouge: Does this make us engaged now?
 * Knuckles: Not in a hundred million years!


 * Bocoe: But how exactly does this death trap work?
 * Dr. Eggman: It's simple, really... I have trapped Sonic and his friends in a deadly virtual reality world that is powered by the Master Emerald. By the time they reach the final level of the trap, they will have expended so much energy that it will overload the circuits of our Secret War. Then they and the trap will be blown to Kingdom Come (or at least the moon), solving what has been an Infinite Crisis across Multiple Earths and will lead to the Ultimate House of Eggman!
 * Bocoe: That doesn't sound simple to me, Decoe.
 * Decoe: Maybe he's using a dicterent dictionary than you, Bocoe.

Trivia

 * The first page's text box makes a reference to "Gotta Go Fast", the opening theme of Sonic X. ("[trapped] in a new location without explanation... no time relaxation... gotta go fast!")
 * This issue, as well as the previous issue, pays tribute to the original Sonic the Hedgehog video game for the Sega Mega Drive in celebration of the Sonic franchise's 15th anniversary.
 * Sonic travels through the remaining zones from the game (Spring Yard Zone, Labyrinth Zone, Star Light Zone, Scrap Brain Zone and Final Zone) in this issue.
 * Several gameplay elements from the game that do not apply to the Sonic X are given attention as well.
 * Dr. Eggman is seen "playing" the game with a Sega Genesis controller. Counters for score, time and rings are seen on his monitor.
 * Chris, Chuck and Vanilla bring attention to the fact that they believed Dr. Eggman's base was destroyed. This a nod to the fact that, in the Sonic X anime, the lab was permanently destroyed.
 * While explaining his plans, Eggman references the titles of several major comic-book stories from DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
 * As Eggman's trap is on the verge of activating, he exclaims "Bang, zoom, to the moon!", a catchphrase from the classic TV show The Honeymooners.
 * According to Dr. Eggman, Dr. Robotnik in his game is his grandfather, unlike the real case.
 * This issue leads into the "Egg Moon Saga" of the Sonic X anime.