The sixth episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
When Robotnik gets offended by a caricature of him in a talking comic book, he orders Scratch and Grounder to arrest the comic's creator, Sketch Lampoon, in his new Rot-Your-Life-Away Dungeon. Sonic lets himself get captured so that he can rescue Sketch (though not before putting Scratch and Grounder through the usual hijinks), only to find out that Robotnik has made a special Sonic-proof cell in his dungeon.
This episode provides examples of:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Scratch and Grounder can't help laughing at the Humpty Dumpty comic even though it's an unflattering caricature of their boss and creator. Predictably, Robotnik doesn't like it in the slightest and orders his bumbling henchmen to arrest Sketch Lampoon.
- The Alcatraz: Robotnik's Rot-Your-Life-Away Dungeon is a huge prison complex with hundreds of cells and an incredibly precise security system throughout, including a special Tailor-Made Prison for Sonic.
- Berserk Button: Robotnik, being Robotnik, blows his top when he reads the Humpty Dumpty comic. He also gets pretty pissed when he is called "Humpty" at two points.
- Bond One-Liner: Sonic, disguised as a hang-glider attendant, drops this line to Tails after they trick Scratch and Grounder into falling off a cliff.Sonic: (putting on a surfer accent) Whoa... wipe-out, dude!
- Brick Joke: The punchline to Sketch Lampoon's Humpty Dumpty comic has "Humpty" say "I've fallen and I can't get up!" Then at the end of the episode, Robotnik finds himself flat on his back in the wreckage of his prison and says the same thing, breaking into Berserker Tears as he finishes.
- Captured on Purpose: Sonic allows himself to be captured by Scratch and Grounder — having first riled up Robotnik by disguising himself as a window-cleaner and painting a mocking picture of himself on his window — so that he can rescue Sketch Lampoon. While the plan backfires when Robotnik reveals a custom cell just for him, he finds a way to use its lethal security measures against Scratch and Grounder and escape.
- Chekhov's Gun: Tails gets a free poster of Sonic in the latest issue of the Crack Ups comic book, which leads to a minor complaint by the hedgehog himself since he thinks he's shorter on the poster. It comes up later when he sticks it on Grounder's back to take advantage of a lethal security system specifically programmed to fire upon anything Sonic's shade of blue, causing it to take out both his cell and guards in one fell swoop.Sonic: (to the audience) Well, I may be taller than this, but I think they got my hedgehog blue color juuuuuuust right!
- Contrived Coincidence: When news reports Sketch Lampoon missing, it follows with a report about Robotnik's new prison. Sonic and Tails easily link the two together and set out to rescue him.
- Didn't Think This Through: Sonic lets Scratch and Grounder capture him so they will take him to Robotnik's dungeon, where he can then rescue Sketch from inside of it. Unfortunately for him, Robotnik already counted on the hedgehog's interference, and has him imprisoned in a special Sonic-proof wing he made specifically for him.Sonic: Oops! That's one fast-talk trick that just backfired.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Robotnik imprisons cartoonist Sketch Lampoon because the latter compared him to Humpty Dumpty, and then forces him to redraw it with himself as the hero under threat of more punishment.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: At the end of the episode, Sonic, Tails and Sketch Lampoon are seen laughing at Robotnik's misfortune; both from his Dungeon exploding and him ending up how he did in his comic story.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When Sonic escapes from his Tailor-Made Prison, Robotnik is with Sketch, forcing him to re-draw the comic, when the alarm sounds:Robotnik: (to Sketch) Hm? You haven't escaped. I would have noticed that. (suddenly realizes) THE HEDGEHOG!
- Explosive Overclocking: Sonic and Tails destroy the prison by rushing through and tripping every sensor and trap that they can, causing the computer to overload on all the security breach reporting.
- Fantasy Metals: Robotnik mentions that Sonic's personal prison cell is made from nuclear-forged steel, specifically designed to resist "that clever little buzzsaw thing [he does]".
- Guile Hero: Unable to use his speed, Spin Attack or any of his usual physical prowess to escape his prison wing, Sonic uses a clever trick involving a free poster of himself (that he earlier got free in his issue of Crack-Ups) and the security system's color-activated triggers to escape from it.Sonic: Oh, well... supersonic intelligence is gonna have to get me out of here!
- Inelegant Blubbering: After it spectacularly blows up, Robotnik throws a massive tearful tantrum while stranded among the wreckage of his Rot-Your-Life-Away Dungeon as Sonic, Tails and Sketch look on.Sonic: Actually, Mr. Lampoon, I don't think you could make Robotnik look any stupider than he already is! (they crack up laughing)Robotnik: (flailing on his back, just like in the comic) HELP ME! HELP! HELP ME! I've fallen, and I can't get... (starts loudly bawling on the ground, before turning furious) I HATE THAT HEDGEHOG!
- Living Photo: Crack-Ups is a talking comic book where the panels animate on the push of a button.
- Mythology Gag: Sonic tricks Scratch and Grounder into going after him on a hang glider, something that Sonic was seen using in the Master System and Game Gear versions of Sonic 2 (specifically, in Sky High Zone).
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Robotnik's prison is called the Rot-Your-Life-Away Dungeon.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: Robotnik proves a lot more cunning than usual in this episode, anticipating Sonic's plan to break into his prison to rescue Sketch and setting up a very well-guarded wing specifically made to keep Sonic captive. If not for Scratch and Grounder's incompetence and the Sonic Poster, Sonic would've had no means of escaping; and even he admits that it was one trick that seriously backfired for him.
- Palatial Sandcastle: When Scratch and Grounder's pursuit of Sonic moves to the beach, Sonic messes with them by creating increasingly elaborate sand sculptures to fool them; including a cannon, a bear (which the two henchbots crash through), and finally an unassuming large sandcastle... with an anchor hidden inside it.Grounder: Wait a minute... that's not a cannon, it's only sand! (drives through the cannon) That's not a bear, it's only sand! (drives through the bear as well) And that's only a sandcastle! (CLANG)
- Prison Episode: Robotnik opens his Rot-Your-Life-Away Dungeon in this episode. Sketch Lampoon is imprisoned for making fun of Robotnik, so Sonic deliberately lets Scratch and Grounder capture him so he can break Sketch out, then escape. However, Robotnik anticipates Sonic's plan and reveals that he made a special Sonic-proof cell for this kind of situation, which the hedgehog has to figure out how to escape without his usual abilities.
- Spike Balls of Doom: A particularly fancily-described one serves as the final trap in Robotnik's Anti-Sonic security system. It's also what ends up destroying Sonic's own cell, allowing him to escape.Robotnik: And just to ensure there's not one speck of your blue hide remaining? My extra-large, super-nasty swinging spike ball WILL OBLITERATE YOU!
- Tailor-Made Prison: Robotnik's specialized prison wing is meticulously designed to counter every one of Sonic's abilities; including an inner cell made from nuclear-forged steel to resist his Spin Attack, and a series of lethal defences outside of it — including spear guns, laser beams and a giant swinging spiked ball — that activate upon detecting his blue fur. Sonic still escapes in the end by duping the system's color-trigger with a poster of himself taped to Grounder's back, which causes the security system to attack Grounder and Scratch and destroy his cell instead, allowing him to simply take the keys from them afterward and leave.
- Take That!: An in-universe example; Sketch Lampoon's Humpty Dumpty comic has an unflattering caricature of Robotnik as the titular character. Robotnik does not take this well and sends his minions out to capture him as the first prisoner of his new facility.
- Tantrum Throwing: Livid over Sketch Lampoon's caricature of him, Robotnik crushes the Crack-Ups comic book in his hands and slams it on the ground, demanding Scratch and Grounder arrest him.Robotnik: How dare anyone on Mobius laugh at the great Dr Robotnik?! NO ONE MAKES FUN OF ME! NO ONE! (tosses the comic book on the ground) Whoever's responsible for this outrage will be my first prisoner! Bring me the vile creature who drew this cartoon!
- Trash the Set: Robotnik's Rot-Your-Life-Away Dungeon is destroyed by Sonic and Tails by triggering every alarm system at once, causing the massive central computer powering it to break down and self-destruct.
- Villainous Breakdown: The Rot-Your-Life-Away-Dungeon's central computer has one as it self-destructs from practically melting itself trying to keep track of Sonic and Tails. True to form, Robotnik has his own one soon after; throwing a tearful tantrum while stranded in the Dungeon's wreckage.Central Computer: (sparking and smoking) I QUIT! I GIVE UP! I want... a nice quiet job... AS A CASH REGISTER!Robotnik: (pounding the control panel and pulling his mustache in anger) I HATE THAT HEDGEHOG! (the Dungeon begins exploding) AAAAAAAAARGH!
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Averted. Just before the Dungeon self-destructs, Scratch and Grounder are seen fleeing from the imminent explosion in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene.
