Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 14 is the fourteenth issue of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by Archie Comics.
Official solicitation[]
Tails' Taste of Power[]
- When Tails eats a piece of fruit he finds growing in Rotor's greenhouse it comes to be known that it's from the Mobian Tree of Wisdom - And it makes Tails into a super-genius! When Sally and Bunnie are attacked by a giant Shredbot. Tails avoids the bot's blades in such a way that the bot self-destructs. And then he gets cocky as he goes off to face Robotnik - Just as the effects of the fruit begin to wear off...
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun![]
- Robotnik plans to capture Sally and Bunnie at the mall. After the're caught, will they be able to return Robotnik's kindness and dish out a little wholesale tail-kicking themselves?
Featured stories[]
Cover Corner Box[]
Sonic goes too fast past the box, barely holding onto it.
Tails' Taste of Power![]
- Writer: Angelo DeCesare
- Pencils: Art Mawhinney
- Inks: Jon D'Agostino
- Colors: Barry Grossman
- Letters: Dan Nakrosis
- Editor: Scott Fulop
- Managing Editor: Victor Gorelick
- Editor-in-Chief: Richard Goldwater
Synopsis[]
Part I[]
Tails finds Sonic in Rotor's greenhouse, apparently being attacked by one of the plants. Tails tries to save him, but it turns out to be a harmless Passion Flower trying to kiss the hedgehog. Sonic offers to let Tails "take over" for him. Tails thinks Sonic means he can lead the Freedom Fighters, but Sonic corrects him, saying he meant "take over...watering the plants". Sonic tells a disappointed Tails that he isn't ready to be a leader yet and leaves. Tails ponders what Sonic said while looking for a snack, and sees a peice of fruit hanging from a branch.
Later, Rotor and Sonic arrive to find all of the plants have grown huge. Tails reveals he's responsible, babbling about the formula he used to accelerate the plants' growth. Rotor asks how he learned so much, and Tails responds that he figured it out after eating a fruit he noticed earlier. Rotor realizes Tails has eaten the only fruit he's managed to grow on the Tree of Wisdom, which he found years ago in the Great War. The fruit gives its eater super-intelligence, meaning that Tails is now a genius. Antoine rushes in calling for help, and reveals that Sally and Bunnie are at the mercy of Dr. Robotnik's Shredbot. Sonic runs off and offers to help them, but Tails flies in and confronts the Shredbot, tricking it into destroying its own saw blades. Sonic is shocked to realize that Tails is moving as quickly as he can, and Tails gives him an extensively long explanation before stating he should become the new leader of the Freedom Fighters.
Part II[]
Back at Freedom HQ, Rotor is terrified by the appearance of a robot in the base. Sonic attempts to destroy it, but is unable to, and Tails then reveals it is his own creation, the Vacubot. Created to do housework, it is made of a special alloy that is not only impossible for Sonic to destroy, but also undetectable to Robotnik's sensors. Tails also reveals a "badge of leadership" he made for himself out of the material. Sally tries to reason with him that his intelligence isn't enough to make him a leader. Determined to prove himself, he takes off for Robotropolis in order to defeat Robotnik himself. His smarts enable him to evade Robotnik's minions and defenses and reach the doctor's control room, but suddenly his super intelligence wears off, allowing Robotnik to easily capture him.
Back in Knothole, Rotor discovers that the fruit's properties only last for twenty-four hours. Sonic realises when Tails said "Nemisis", he meant Robotnik and rushes off to save his young friend. He gets into the control room and warns Robotnik not to do anything to Tails unless he has a death wish. Bluffing, Sonic informs Robotnik that Tails was sent on a mission to destroy Robotropolis at any cost, claiming that Tails' medal is in fact a bomb with enough power to level the city. Doubting Sonic's words, Robotnik orders Snively to scan the medal, but Snively is unable to identify it. Sonic threatens to activate the "bomb" unless Robotnik releases Tails, and the doctor buys his ruse and agrees. Tails realizes that Sonic's a great leader and they head home. Back in Knothole, Antoine gives Tails a stern lecture on leadership. Tails throws the "bomb" at him, scaring Antoine so much he ends up clinging to the light bulb on the ceiling.
Appearances[]
Characters:
- Dr. Ivo Robotnik
- Knothole Freedom Fighters
- Shredbot (only appearance)
- Snively Robotnik
- Vacubot (only appearance)
Races and species:
Locations:
Items:
Misc.:
- Passion Flower (only appearance)
- Propeller Flying
- Roboticization (mentioned)
- Sonic Spin
- Tree of Wisdom (only appearance)
Trivia[]
- The Shredbot that ambushes Sally, Bunnie and Antoine looks almost identical to the Shredder robot from the Sonic the Hedgehog episode "Hooked on Sonics," although the coloring is different.
- Robotnik's headquarters in this story, and subsequent issues, takes up the style of his headquarters from the Sonic the Hedgehog television series.
- Page eleven of this story features a spelling error: "Nemesis" is first spelled as "Nemisis", but is later spelled correctly on the same page.
- The Sonic the Hedgehog: The Complete Sonic Comic Encyclopedia suggests that, while Tails lost his advanced intelligence by the end of the story, some lingering effects of the Tree of Wisdom may have caused him to develop advanced intuition. This could explain how, years later, he became a capable mechanic and scientist.
Do-It-Yourself-Sonic[]
- Writer: Mike Kanterovich, Ken Penders
- Pencils: Dave Manak
- Inks: Harvey Mercadoocasio
Synopsis[]
Sonic informs the readers the writers are on vacation. In order for them not to miss their deadline, Sonic invites the reader to fill in the word balloons and sound effects on the next three pages. Sonic says the words have to match the action and be able to fit the bubbles.
Sonic and Tails are fishing in a boat when Dr. Robotnik and Crabmeat, riding in a submarine, spot them. Tails manages to catch a fish, but Sonic pulls up a giant whale-robot, which is revealed to be Robotnik's submarine. Robotnik tries to sink their ship, but Sonic quickly paddles away. Sonic and Tails end up on the beach while Robotnik's whale-bot gets stuck on the shore. Tails takes a picture of Sonic's great catch.
Sonic explains how to send in a filled-in story for a contest and that the winners will get free subscriptions to his comic book.
Appearances[]
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Trivia[]
- The three-page mini-story "Do-It-Yourself-Sonic" had three winners, whose submissions were revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog #23. Prizes included subscriptions, original artwork from issues Sonic the Hedgehog #21 and Sonic the Hedgehog #22, and autographed copies of issue Sonic the Hedgehog #25. Reprints of this story come with a disclaimer on the final page that the contest is void.
- On the first page of this story, Sonic can be seen holding up the first page of the mini-story, which, when looked at closely, reveals a portion of filled-in dialogue for the first page, despite the actual full-size page prompting the reader to fill in the empty spaces themselves:
- The story title is written as "Whale of a time".
- The author is credited as "Skippy McDuff".
- The boat is given the title "Just Ducky".
- In the first panel, Sonic says "Hey Tails, isn't it relaxing to go fishing after a week's work of fighting Robotnik?", and Tails responds "It's way cool, Sonic! And the best part is that Robotnik's miles away!"
- In the second panel, Robotnik says "I've spotted them! Full speed ahead!", and Crabmeat answers "Aye aye, skipper!"
- In the third panel, Crabmeat asks "Are we going to capture them, sir?" Robotnik's response is unable to be read, as it trails off the page boarder.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun![]
- Writer: Mike Kanterovich, Ken Penders
- Pencils: Art Mawhinney
- Inks: Harvey Mercadoocasio
Synopsis[]
Robotnik plays with a set of defective Freedom Fighter dolls. The sexist stereotypes the Bunnie and Sally dolls play give him some inspiration. Robotnik reveals his new scheme: to divide and conquer the Freedom Fighters, starting with their two female members. That night, the girls notice spotlights in the sky. Upon further investigation, they discover a tiny "shopping mall", which is in fact a trap set by Robotnik. The doctor captures the pair, and they are brought to him, hoping to use them as bait to draw in Sonic to a trap. Insulted at the idea that they need to be rescued, Sally and Bunnie break free and quickly decimate the SWATbots, tying up Robotnik and Snively once the bots were destroyed. They return Robotnik's dolls, which have been modified with "political corrections," spouting out girl-power phrases. The pair return home to find Sonic clipping coupons to buy video games, and have a private joke at his expense over men thinking only about "fun, games, and shopping."
Appearances[]
Characters:
Races and species:
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Trivia[]
- The title of this story is a reference to the Cyndi Lauper's song of the same name.
- The defective Sally action figure's phrase "Math is hard" is a reference to an infamous Teen Talk Barbie doll. Made circa 1992, each individual doll could say four out of 270 possible phrases with a press of a button. One such phrase -"Math class is tough"- was deemed detrimental to the effort to encourage girls to study math and science.
Off Panel[]
- Art: Bill Golliher
Synopsis[]
Off Panel
Editors Scott Fulop and Paul Castiglia, along with Sonic, attempt to escape their office while Angelo DeCesare tries to break open their door, enraged that he was not given proper credit for "Bold-Headed Eagle" in Sonic the Hedgehog #12.
Appearances[]
Characters:
Races and species:
Quotes[]
- Sonic: Shut up Tails! You're crowding us out of the panel!
Trivia[]
- An unused version of this issue's cover was featured in Sonic the Hedgehog #67 as a coloring page.
Gallery[]
Cover artwork[]
Preview pages[]
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External links[]
- Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 14 at Mobius Encyclopaedia, the Archie Sonic wiki.
- Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 14 at Sonic Retro
