| Written by: | Ian Flynn |
| Year: | One |
| Saga: | Neo Metal Sonic's Revenge |
| Arc Duration: | #9 - #12 |
Having discovered that Neo Metal Sonic has taken over Angel Island, Sonic, the Resistance, and their allies began an assault to take back the island. However, with the Master Emerald under the control of Neo Metal Sonic (who has more than a few tricks up his sleeves) and the entire Egg Fleet guarding Angel Island, liberating the island proves not to be a simple task. Eventually, Metal Sonic is defeated and the island is freed, though Knuckles decides to disband the Resistance in the aftermath. Meanwhile, Eggman is kidnapped by Rough the Skunk and Tumble the Skunk and has his memories restored by the shadowy Dr. Starline, who becomes Eggman's new lackey while Eggman goes to work on a new plan.
- All Your Base Are Belong to Us: Neo Metal Sonic has taken over Angel Island and taken control of the Master Emerald. He even builds a statue of Eggman over it.
- Avengers Assemble: Nearly the entire main cast team up to face Neo Metal Sonic and liberate Angel Island.
- Big "NO!": Neo (as Master Overlord) howls this upon defeat. Since Metal Sonic reverts to his mute normal form in the aftermath, said "Nooo!" is to date his last spoken dialogue in this comic.
- Bittersweet Ending: The heroes win the day and stop Neo Metal Sonic. But Knuckles ultimately resigns as leader to go back to guarding the island. Metal Sonic escapes and, unaware to the heroes, Eggman has been kidnapped by a new foe named Dr. Starline who wants to restore his memory. While his initial methods don't work, Metal Sonic arriving back at the base manages to do so and restore Eggman back to normal. Eggman immediately makes a new plot for revenge against Sonic and the entire world.
- Boom, Headshot!/Shut Up, Hannibal!: Neo rants about his superiority to Sonic as Master Overlord, only to get shot in the face mid-sentence by Whisper.
- Brought Down to Normal: Neo Metal Sonic's defeat leads to him reverting to his original Metal form.
- Canon Foreigner: Issue #11 introduces Dr. Starline into the mix, a scientist who's likewise a fan of Dr. Eggman's work and sets about trying to regain the doctor's memory. Once Eggman's personality returns, he employs the platypus, much to Starline's delight.
- Cliffhanger: Now back to normal, Eggman makes his plans for revenge against the world for his previous defeat, displaying something resembling a bacteriophage with his insignia attached.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Neo Metal Sonic against Sonic and Knuckles, due to being empowered by the Master Emerald. Shadow manages to administer one to him not shortly after, but Neo was counting on that to grow stronger.
- Death of Personality: The fate of Eggman's "Mr. Tinker" persona in Issue #12.
- Demoted to Dragon: Once Eggman's memories are restored, Metal Sonic, until now the Big Bad, returns said title to his master on the spot. Eggman then gives Metal his old job back after praising him.
- Didn't Think This Through: Metal Sonic has always been literally made and programmed as Sonic's rival. Since redemption is slim, you would think Sonic and Tails had considered the possibility of shutting him down for good instead of just letting him go.
- Dramatic Thunder: A thunderstorm provides the backdrop for the titular Big Badass Battle Sequence.
- Electroconvulsive Therapy Is Torture: How Starline tries to snap Eggman out of his "Mr. Tinker" persona. Rough and Tumble are noticeably disturbed by this.
- The Fellowship Has Ended: With Eggman no longer a threat (until the next Saga), and Angel Island secure, Knuckles unceremoniously disbands the Resistance so he can protect the Master Emerald. Amy doesn't get the news until Sonic passes it along.
- Foreshadowing: During the ride to the island, Whisper has a rather troubled expression when she sees Shadow. This is a hint to her past that would be explored later.
- Gondor Calls for Aid: Basically every known hero is called in to help with the attack including Team Dark, The Chaotix, Blaze, Silver and newcomers Tangle and Whisper.
- Holding Back the Phlebotinum: Played with. Blaze brings all seven of her Sol Emeralds with her to become Burning Blaze in hopes of giving her friends an advantage against Neo Metal Sonic. Though the others advise her against using them near the Master Emerald and risk having their power taken, Knuckles claims that the Master Emerald can't do this at all. There is a chance that Neo could copy her flame abilities, and so Amy has her take on the Egg Fleet, away from the main fight, just to be safe.
- Jump Scare: How Neo begins his Master Overlord transformation. Complete with a Nightmare Face.
- Kneel Before Zod: Like at the climax of Sonic Heroes, Neo demands Sonic bow down to him upon completing his Master Overlord transformation.
- Knight of Cerebus: Starline's Establishing Character Moment signals a Darker and Edgier Tone Shift in the comic, which would persist over the next few arcs. Until this point, IDW had been one of Sonic's Lighter and Softer non-game outings.
- Mythology Gag:
- Taken from Sonic Heroes, Neo Metal Sonic's Metal Overlord form returns with a vengeance as "Master" Overlord. Barring Cream the Rabbit, Cheese the Chao, and Big the Cat, all of the characters featured in the game take him on, albeit this time without the Chaos Emeralds (which Starline has gathered and later presents to Eggman).
- Neo's line for Sonic and Knuckles to show him what they're made up is taken from the song "What I'm Made Of", featured in Sonic Heroes's final boss fight.
- Neo Metal Sonic reverts to his Classic Metal Sonic form after his defeat, just like in the game.
- In trying to bring Eggman's personality back, Orbot proposes "review[ing] a list of eldritch creatures [he]'d like to resurrect and then lose control over", referencing the various times Eggman's plans fell into the Evil Is Not a Toy trope (summoning Chaos 0, reawakening Shadow, trying to release Iblis, unleashing Dark Gaia, enslaving the wisps, unleashing and then enslaving the Deadly Six, commandeering the Time Eater and so on).
- Eggman is impressed with Starline's Warp Topaz, but claims to have had enough with mystical stones. The last time he made use of something like that, such as the Phantom Ruby from Sonic Forces, it literally blew up in his face, leading up to the start of the comic series.
- Taken from Sonic Heroes, Neo Metal Sonic's Metal Overlord form returns with a vengeance as "Master" Overlord. Barring Cream the Rabbit, Cheese the Chao, and Big the Cat, all of the characters featured in the game take him on, albeit this time without the Chaos Emeralds (which Starline has gathered and later presents to Eggman).
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Sonic and Knuckles wanted to fight Neo alone since he already had their DNA, with the others telling Shadow to hang back and help with the Badniks (It's the reason why they likewise tell Blaze to hang back since her using the Sol Emeralds against Neo would make the situation worse). Naturally Shadow doesn't listen, goes to fight Neo... and allows him to copy his DNA in conjunction with the Master Emerald to become the Metal Overlord.
- By letting Metal Sonic go, Sonic inadvertently allowed Eggman to return since Metal Sonic's arrival at the base where Starline and the Skunk Brothers are keeping Eggman trigger Eggman's memories and bring him back to normal. Before then, Starline wasn't haven't any success with his efforts to do so.
- Oh, Crap!: Sonic and Knuckles when Neo goes to Super Mode once they reach the temple.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": Nearly everyone when Neo becomes the Metal Overlord.
- One-Man Army: When the heroes are split into teams to take out Neo's forces, Blaze is sent by herself, and she proceeds to tear through everything she goes up against.
- One-Winged Angel: Twice for Neo. He uses his super mode when fighting Sonic and Knuckles. After acquiring Shadow's DNA, he morphs into the Master Overlord.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Neo, after going Super, drops one before wrecking Sonic and Knuckles.Neo Metal Sonic: Such a disappointing choice of last words.
- Put on a Bus: Knuckles chooses to stay on Angel Island. He's not seen again until a few arcs later.
- Ramming Always Works: Tails does this twice in the arc, both time using a Resistance ship. The first time he it to take out a plethora of Badniks and get the group on the island. The second time, he does it to help jar the Master Emerald from Neo Metal Sonic's body.
- Redemption Rejection: At the end of the arc, Sonic offers Metal Sonic to bury the hatchet and end their feud. Metal Sonic however refuses and flies off. Since Metal Sonic is created and programmed to rival the real Sonic, this can be a Foregone Conclusion.
- Status Quo Is God: Eggman's amnesia is cured, Metal Sonic rejoins him, and it's back to business as usual from there.
- Suddenly Shouting: Neo, during his aforementioned Jump Scare moment.
- Villainous Breakdown: Upon becoming Master Overlord, Neo's calm, collected facade immediately gives way to madness, which intensifies when Sonic presses his Berserk Button to cover the Resistance's approach. Then all the heroes attack en-masse and Neo completely loses it, culminating in his defeat.
- What Would X Do?: After his initial attempts to cure Eggman's amnesia fail, Starline wonders what Eggman would do when facing an impasse.
