Recap / Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Scrapnik Island

Sonic and Tails find themselves in the wrong Scrap Brain Zone.^note Issue #4 Cover RI by Jack Lawrence. Colors by Nathalie Fourdraine.

Written by:	Daniel Barnes
Year:	Five (Issues #1 - 3) and Six (Issue #4)
Set Between:	Overpowered and Urban Warfare
Issue Count:	4

While Sonic and Tails are flying through a freak storm on the Tornado, they both notice the remains of one of Eggman's foiled schemes, the Death Egg. While trying to land on this old base, a thunderbolt strikes and damages the Tornado stranding the two on the Island, injuring Sonic in the process. They find themselves encountering its inhabitants: a strange gathering of mishmashes of discarded Eggman Badniks who refer to themselves as "Scrapniks", with the island itself being the titular "Scrapnik Island". Among these Scrapniks is an old E-series robot named E-117 Sigma, the island's polite and eccentric leader, along with one of Sonic's old foes, Mecha Sonic, who has taken up residence on the island and has seemingly turned over a new leaf. When Sonic, Mecha Sonic, and Sigma look to gather the necessary parts to repair the Tornado, things take an unexpected turn with a hostile encounter with Mecha Knuckles, which unwittingly re-awakens some bad memories for the robotic Sonic double.

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Tropes involved with this mini-series:

• Actually Pretty Funny: After Sonic drops a "scrap" Pun, Sigma thinks it's hilarious.
  Sonic: Man, me and [the Egg Carrier] go way back. I didn't get a good look earlier, what with you scaring the...scrap outta me. Heh.
  Sigma: Haha! Forgiveness requested.
• Advertised Extra: Mecha Knuckles ultimately is this in the end. Despite being the first character revealed of the miniseries and the initial covers putting a bit of emphasis on him, he's essentially the Starter Villain, with Mecha Sonic defeating him in a brutal fight and taking over as the Arc Villain shortly after. Mecha Knuckles spends the rest of the miniseries out of commission until he helps save Sonic and Mecha Sonic from the incinerator with the other Scrapniks, with Tails fixing him and removing Eggman's programming sometime off-screen in Issue #4.
• All There in the Script:
  • The names of each individual Scrapnik can be seen in the concept art sheets shared on Twitter by deegeemin, Thomas Rothlis, and Natalie Haines.
  • The three Eggrobo Scrapniks, according to Daniel Barnes, are Florentine, Benedict, and Rancheros.
• Badass in Distress: Sonic, when taken prisoner by Mecha Sonic during the second half of the miniseries.
• Bait-and-Switch: At first, it seems like Issue #4 is going to end in a similar manner as the OVA does: Mecha Sonic is about to be consumed by fire, Sonic tries to reach out towards him, only to get rebuffed, with Mecha saying Sonic deserves to live while he deserves to die. And then Sonic literally tells Mecha Sonic to cut the crap, and makes it clear he has a purpose in living.
• Big Damn Heroes: Twice in Issue #4:
  • The Scrapniks jump into action to save Sonic from Mecha Sonic's plan to transfer his mind into his body, just in the nick of time and stopping the process from being completed, though it inadvertently established a Psychic Link between Sonic and Mecha Sonic.
  • Once Sonic realizes his foot gave out, he's unable to pull himself and Mecha out of the incinerator, much to the latter's incredulous dismay. Thankfully Tails, alongside Sigma, Mecha Knuckles, and the rest of the Scrapniks, form a Chain of People to pull them both out of danger.
• Body Horror: Despite these being Badniks, they play this very straight since many of their combinations are downright freaky. Justified considering many of them have to fix themselves with old random parts.
• Bottle Episode: The main premise of the miniseries is that Sonic and Tails are stuck on Scrapnik Island after a crash-landing, keeping the plot locked to the island itself and limiting the cast to Sonic, Tails, and the Scrapniks that inhabit the island. According to Daniel Barnes, the events occur between the main comic's Overpowered and Urban Warfare arcs.
• Bring It: Tails' reaction when Mecha Sonic demands he hand over the Miles Electric in Issue #3.
  Tails: Come take it.
• Call-Back: Badniks spliced together with parts from other Badniks were previously featured in the main comic's Test Run arc.
• Company Cross References: The blaster Tails cobbles together when he and three Scrapniks go to save Sonic is a 1:1 scrap-based replica of a Sega Menacer Lightgun.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Mecha Sonic deals one to both Mecha Knuckles and Tails after his old programming kicks in.
• Darker and Edgier: Like the Metal Virus Saga of the main comic, this miniseries is set up as a horror tale with only occasional comedy.
• Drama-Preserving Handicap: Like in the main comic's Overpowered arc, Sonic's leg is sprained or injured after he and Tails crash land onto the island, limiting his trademark speed and abilities. In this case, the crash caused Sonic to bust one of his ankles, with the Scrapniks attempting to help it heal by strapping a makeshift brace to Sonic's foot. He manages to briefly recover in Issue #4, but his fight with Mecha Sonic ends up rendering him immobile, preventing him from pulling out Mecha Sonic from the incinerator.
• Dwindling Party: In Issue #3, Tails' party of four meets with Sigma before Mecha Sonic attacks. His allies get picked off one-by-one by Mecha Sonic, before he's also shoved down a trash chute.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: For the first time in the IDW series, Sonic succeeds at redeeming a foe, namely Mecha Sonic. Mecha himself is Easily Forgiven by the other Scrapniks, and they part with Sonic and Tails on good terms. As the duo finally leaves the island, the miniseries closes with Mecha free of Eggman's programming. He vows to put the past behind him and look to the future with hope, symbolized by the last panel focusing on his sunflower.
• Edible Theme Naming:
  • The three Egg Robos on the island that assist Sigma and Tails are named Florentine, Benedict, and Rancheros, which are all egg-based breakfast dishes.
  • The mind transfer device that Mecha Sonic hooks to Sonic's head is known as the Egg Noggin, which is a pun based on eggnog; a dairy-based beverage that is traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and whipped egg whites.
• Gone Horribly Right: Mecha Knuckles was designed to act like the real Knuckles, protecting the Master Emerald and Angel Island at all costs. It does this with Scrapnik Island, meaning it ends up attacking both Sonic and Mecha Sonic.
• Grand Theft Me: Mecha Sonic's ultimate plan. By using a piece of abandoned, modified Eggman tech known as the "Egg Noggin" in tandem with Tails' Miles Electric, Mecha planned on downloading his mind into Sonic's body. With Sonic's non-mechanical form and incredible speed at his disposal, Mecha would've been able to run across the ocean, escape Scrapnik Island, and claim vengeance on his creator for abandoning him. Thankfully, some friendly Scrapniks were able to destroy the terminal Mecha was using to make it all work, preventing this from happening.
• Happy Flashback: Two revolving around Mecha Sonic's time on the island:
  • The first one is in Issue #3, where Mecha Sonic first awakens on Scrapnik Island, greeting Sigma for the first time, helping Sigma on the island, discovering the Sunflower from Little Planet, and building a rapport with the other Scrapniks. This is then followed by Sigma waking up after being taken out by Mecha Knuckles, where he notices the robotic echidna on the ground and destroyed, wondering what happened to Mecha Sonic.
  • In Issue #4, after Sonic literally kicks some sense into Mecha Sonic, there's a panel that briefly shows Mecha getting along with the other Scrapniks from the previous issue, where Mecha's eye goes back from red to yellow, where he then realizes that he destroyed the friendship he had built with the other Scrapniks.
• Heel–Face Turn:
  • All the Scrapniks were initially part of Eggman's grand army until he abandoned them, and they washed up on Scrapnik Island. After Sigma arrived, he helped rebuild them so they could turn over a new leaf and live peaceful lives.
  • Thanks to Tails, he successfully removes Eggman's programming from inside Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles. This allows them to finally be free from his control and have an honest attempt at being good.
• Here We Go Again!: Prior to this miniseries, Sonic's left leg had just recently healed after he sprained it escaping from Eggperial City in the main comic. He busts the exact same leg when he and Tails crash on Scrapnik Island, hobbling him all over again.
• He Will Not Cry, so I Cry for Him: When Sonic starts shedding his Manly Tears, Tails asks if he's really crying. Sonic replies, "Nah. These aren't my tears," with the second sentence having a panel focused on Mecha.
• Hope Spot: Sonic and Mecha Sonic seem ready to make amends after initially distrusting each other. Sadly, Mecha Knuckles shows up right as the two were about to shake hands, and his attack leads to Mecha Sonic turning hostile again.
• How the Mighty Have Fallen:
  • Practically all the Badniks on Scrapnik Island can be considered this. All these robots were once part of Eggman's grand army, but now they've been left to rot. Their shiny, clean looks are gone and are all covered in rust, and they use spare parts from other beaten Badniks to keep themselves going.
  • Despite being hailed as Eggman's "most prized creation", Mecha Sonic was cast out and left to rot after Sonic beat him. Eventually, he washed up on Scrapnik Island and set up shop there.
• I Just Want to Be Free: In Issue #2, Sigma tells Sonic that all the Scrapniks on the island want to leave. Scrapnik Island might be their home, but it's also a prison in their eyes and a reminder of their terrible origins as members of Eggman's army.
• It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: How the miniseries opens.
• It's All My Fault: Sigma believes that his inability to completely rewrite Mecha Sonic's old programming was entirely his doing. However, Mecha Sonic refutes this, saying to Sigma that he was always meant to be evil.
• Lock-and-Load Montage: Once Tails sees Sonic is in trouble, he quickly digs through whatever is on the Island to build himself a makeshift blaster and targeting scope, fully intending to charge in and save him.
  Tails: Let's go save Sonic.
• MacGyvering:
  • The Scrapniks are machines that are given new life by adding new parts to their frames. For instance, the first Scrapnik Sonic encounters is a Coconuts whose lower half is the body of a Caterkiller.
  • Tails builds a makeshift blaster and targeting scope using whatever junk and parts that are on the island.
• Manly Tears: Sonic himself sheds them in joy after things turn out right. Tails is shocked to see him crying for once, but Sonic clarifies that they're Mecha's Tears of Joy being expressed through him due to the two's Psychic Link.
• Meaningful Name: The Scrapniks are former discarded Badniks who rebuild themselves with scrapped parts, for better or worse.
• Mind-Control Device: The Egg Noggin, a remnant of a period where Eggman was experimenting with using his mind to directly control his Badniks. He did manage to make a breakthrough with the tech, but as tends to happen, he immediately got bored and abandoned the idea. Mecha would later repurpose the Noggin as a way to transfer his mind into Sonic's body, though his fellow Scrapniks would explosively put the kibosh on that as well.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Much of Eggman's old but powerful machines and weapons pop up here. E-Series robots (like Sigma) and the Egg Carrier were first introduced in Sonic Adventure, while Mecha Sonic appeared in Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Mecha Knuckles first appeared in Sonic Advance.
  • The miniseries starts during a storm at sea, much like Sonic Rush Adventure.
  • Sonic and Tails continue their streak of crashing their plane, though unlike most cases, Sonic is hurt in the impact while Tails isn't.
  • As Tails states before him and Sonic crash-land, the wrecked Death Egg found on Scrapnik Island is the old Death Egg—as in, the one that kicked off the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and was ultimately taken down in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. In fact, the security camera Sigma spies Sonic with is actually a repurposed Red Eye, the boss of Death Egg Zone's first act in Sonic & Knuckles.
  • The repurposed piece of metal Sonic uses as a snowboard to escape from Mecha Sonic Mk. II is similar to a piece of concept art and toy from the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) film.
  • Likely a coincidence, but this isn't the first time the franchise had an E-117 Sigma robot. According to a now-defunct Sonic Universe blog post that detailed the fates of the other E-Series up to E-123 Omega, that universe's E-117 Sigma fought E-102 Gamma and managed to infect him with a "Zero Virus" before being destroyed.
  • With the brace, Sonic's walking ability is limited, but he can still Spin Dash. This may recall the similar handicap he faced in Sonic Labyrinth.
  • Mecha Knuckles wears the same cowboy hat Knuckles had in Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie along with one of Knuckles' Shovel Claws from Sonic Adventure 2.
  • Rancheros' baseball cap is similar to the one from "Sonic's Favorite Clothes" that Old Man Owl wore in Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie.
  • The concept of an island of neglected Badniks was first done in the Archie Sonic comics' "Isle of Misfit Badniks" stories.
  • The targeting scope Tails has shows the word "Lock-On" while he aims at Mecha Sonic, which uses the same font as the logo for the Lock-on Technology used to connect Sonic 3 & Knuckles into one game.
  • The panel where Sonic and Mecha Sonic's minds meld in a Juxtaposed Halves Shot is similar to the cover of Sonic the Hedgehog Archie Archives Volume 10, along with being another reference to Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie.
  • The furnace resembles the core of Eggmanland/Robotropolis from Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie. As well, Sonic trying to save Mecha resembles him trying to save Hyper Metal Sonic, though in this case, he succeeds.
• Not Himself: Sigma refers to Mecha Sonic's Badnik programming resurfacing as this as it poorly interplays with his new programming and warps his mind. Mecha himself insists otherwise, but he's an Unreliable Narrator on the subject.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: Sonic is very distrusting of Mecha Sonic Mk. II due to the fact it tried to kill him last time they met, though he does eventually soften up on him later on. Unfortunately, Mecha Knuckles' attack causes Mecha Sonic's programming to resurface and, in Sigma's words, warp his cerebral processor.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: During the miniseries, Sonic shows genuine fear, drops a swear after hitting his Rage Breaking Point, and even silently cries (by proxy of Mecha Sonic).
• Precision F-Strike: Mild, but Sonic, tired of Mecha Sonic discrediting himself, tells him to "Cut the crap" and grab his hand to save the robot. This is the third time that he has ever uttered a swear in the franchise (the first being his usage of "damn" in Shadow the Hedgehog if the player fails the Hero Mission in Lethal Highway and the second in Sonic X where he drops a "shit" in the Japanese dub of the second episode).
• Psychic Link: As a result of Mecha Sonic's failed attempt to download his mind into Sonic's body, Sonic ends up being able to hear Mecha Sonic's thoughts and feelings, and vice-versa.
• Punny Name: As detailed under Edible Theme Naming, the Egg Noggin is a pun on eggnog and noggin.
• The Reveal: The Death Egg's malfunctioning climate disrupter made the freak storm that caused Sonic and Tails to crashland onto Scrapnik Island. E-117 Sigma has been trying to fix/stop it but to no avail.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: For a brief moment, Mecha Sonic's visor turns red before reverting to orange. It later reddens entirely once he goes back to being a Killer Robot, only to revert again when he redeems himself.
• Shout-Out:
  • As confirmed by Daniel Barnes himself, there are two to Aliens. One of the panels that shows Tails tracking movement is drawn similarly to one shot from the film, along with Tails uttering "stay frosty" to his allies.
  • One of the panels showing Mecha Sonic in Issue #3 is a reference to a piece of promotional art from Metroid Fusion. Interestingly enough, the SA-X and Mecha Sonic are also quite similar, being a stronger doppelganger of the protagonist they are based on, with Fusion and Scrapnik Island featuring both of their protagonists being weaker than they usually are.
  • In Issue #4, an angry Mecha Sonic roars out "I'LL CRUSH YOU!!!" at the other Scrapniks. This is a nod to Mecha Sonic's Pre-Asskicking One-Liner before his battle with the Axem Rangers X from the web animation series Super Mario Bros. Z, where the character uses Cooler's voice clips from the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi games.
• Strapped to an Operating Table: Issue #3 has Sonic on one courtesy of Mecha Sonic, who planned on downloading his brain into the former's organic body.
• Suddenly Speaking: Thanks to the Miles Electric, Tails is able to create a translator module that allows the Scrapniks to speak, though they can only talk through its speakers. Mecha Sonic was also silent like Metal Sonic up until Issue #3, where thanks to his own programming and hijacking the tablet itself, he is able to speak fully coherent sentences.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Sonic hasn't let his leg fully heal from the events of Overpowered yet, so when the Tornado crash lands, he injures the same leg again, and after forcing himself to ignore the pain at the comic's climax, he can't muster enough strength to drag Mecha Sonic and himself out of the incinerator.
• Squee: After Sonic and Tails are lead outside to get a view of Scrapnik Island, Sonic already expects the gadgeteer Tails to geek out over recyclable machine parts.
• Take My Hand!: Said verbatim by Sonic, and Punctuated! For! Emphasis! to boot, as he tries to save a remorseful Mecha Sonic from the incinerator.
• Tears of Joy: Mecha Sonic cries these through Sonic after the other Scrapniks assure him they'll help him through his inner turmoil.
• Turn the Other Cheek: None of the Scrapniks seem to hold any animosity towards Sonic or Tails, despite the fact that they are probably(definitely in a few cases) directly responsible for their being in that state. This is mostly due to Sigma, who's reprogrammed most of them (even the Mechas) to give them a chance at a new life.
• Villainous Breakdown: Mecha Sonic has one after his plan to take over Sonic's body is thwarted by the Scrapniks. Complete with his famous "I'LL CRUSH YOU!" line.
• Worst Aid: The crude, makeshift foot brace Sonic is fitted with after spraining his ankle in the plane crash.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Mecha attempts to allow himself to be taken by the furnace due to his failures, only for Sonic to tell him to cut the crap and live for himself, that that is the only true way of being free.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Once Sonic realizes that his foot injury gave out while trying to pull Mecha Sonic out, the latter has this reaction.
  Sonic: I, uh... think I might've overdid it with my foot. I can't move it at all. Hehe!
  Mecha Sonic: (incredulous) All that big talk and you can't even actually get us out of here?!
• You Wake Up on a Beach: Issue #2 shows that this is how all the Scrapniks got to the island.

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