| Written by: | Evan Stanley |
| Year: | Seven |
| Saga: | None |
| Issue: | #68 |
Picking up the signal of a Chaos Emerald on the Miles Electric, the dynamic duo of Sonic and Tails investigate the source, while also giving Tails' newest Extreme Gear airboard a test drive. Initially a light-hearted affair, Sonic accidentally runs off a cliff, with Tails in tow falling into the abyss.
Upon waking up, they discover that they have fallen into a cave, along with the serendipitous discovery of the Chaos Emerald's signature being stronger. With this knowledge, the two go deeper inside the mine, only to discover a lush cave filled with glowing plant life. As Tails takes off to discover more inside, Sonic finds the Chaos Emerald under a leaf. Upon taking the miracle gemstone however, he is confronted by a giant salamander, roaring in his face.
When Tails hears the noise, he comes back to see Sonic being attacked, albeit, with precise and careful movements from the Salamander. Tails comes to the critical conclusion that it wasn't looking to destroy Sonic, but only to protect its home. With the threat newt-tralized, Sonic and Tails exit the cave with the Salamander's permission, taking the Chaos Emerald in tow.
Tropes used in The Protector:
- Abandoned Mine: After Sonic and Tails wake up after falling down a hole, they find evidence of there being mining efforts in the cave, though the equipment and area has been abandoned. This initially creeps out Tails, hoping that they don't run into what caused the miners to leave. They then find a hole that leads to what they think is daylight, only to find a breathtaking cave filled with water and bioluminescent flora.
- Dug Too Deep: Implied. The mining efforts lead to an open cave area where the Salamander resides, and the Salamander chased them away, leading to the mine being abandoned and no one plugging up the entrance to the Salamander.
- Glowing Flora: The cave is decorated with bioluminescent plant life that glows in the dark and reflects off the water inside. The gorgeous scenery is enough to catch Tails and Sonic off-guard to admire it.
- Lighter and Softer: Downplayed, compared to some of the mainline issues released in 2023 and discounting the seasonal one-shots. Unlike the Urban Warfare and Misadventures, which featured some action, surprisingly dark stakes, and planting the seeds of traitors within the Restoration, this is a much simpler and low-key adventure. The only real conflict comes from Sonic and Tails accidentally riling up the guardian of the cave, who is only looking to protect its home rather than actively antagonize the duo.
- Mirror Character: As Sonic himself notes, the salamander is incredibly similar to their friend Knuckles, where both the salamander and Knuckles are easily angered guardians of their homes, preferring to live out in isolated idyllic landscapes. The difference being that Knuckles lives high above the clouds on Angel Island, while the Salamander lives deep underground in a lush cave. This comparison gets a suppressed chuckle out of Tails.
- Mythology Gag:
- Tails rides atop an upgraded version of the Yellow Tail known as the Yellow Tail Turbo, which is his signature Extreme Gear airboard from the Sonic Riders series of games.
- Sonic last fought a giant salamander in an early issue of the Archie comic series, with Universalamander being the first threat to make him go Super Sonic.
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: Subverted. The salamander initially is hostile to Sonic, the hedgehog immediately fighting back after being attacked from behind. Once Tails realizes that the Salamander is acting on its protective instincts, he defuses the situation by having Sonic jump atop his Extreme Gear, as Sonic's running and their trespassing was disturbing its natural home. With tensions calmed down, Sonic apologizes and politely asks for safe passage to leave, to which the Salamander complies.
- Standalone Episode: An incredibly self-contained issue within the mainline series, where it is a simple adventure that has Sonic and Tails looking for a Chaos Emerald, finding it upon falling into a cave. The story doesn't require any knowledge of prior events of the book or even games, other than Sonic and Tails being best friends and close as brothers.
