History ComicBook / SonicTheHedgehogIDW

!!! Mini-Series

* ''[[Recap/SonicTheHedgehogIDWTangleAndWhisper Tangle & Whisper]]'': During Wondercon 2019, the staff revealed the first spin-off mini-series starring the titular duo which started in the summer of the same year. The story focuses on the two as they deal with a shapeshifting villain named Mimic who seems to have ties with Whisper. This would be the third time a non-Sega character got their own mini-series within a Sonic comic (Sally had her own mini back in the 90s and Scourge received his own story arc in ''Sonic Universe'').

* ''[[Recap/SonicTheHedgehogIDWBadGuys Bad Guys]]'': In April 2020, [[https://www.newsarama.com/49821-writer-artist-takes-over-idw-s-sonic-the-hedgehog-but-without-saying-when.html another mini-series was announced]], focusing on several of the villains of this comic, with the main focus on Dr. Starline, another new character created for IDW, as he leads said villains to go against Eggman while also plotting something of his own. It was released in October of that year. Ian headed up this series while Evan Stanley took over writing duties for the main comic during so, with the two alternating beyond the mini-series run.

* ''[[Recap/SonicTheHedgehogIDWImposterSyndrome Imposter Syndrome]]'': Announced in the 2021 Free Comic Book Day issue. This mini-series acts as a lead up to the "Battle for the Empire" arc. Starline begins his power play and sets his sights on bringing down Sonic and Eggman with his own creations. It'll introduce two new characters to the mix, Surge the Tenrec and Kit the Fennec, and was released starting in November 2021.

!!! Classic Era subseries

* Fang, following his return to the mainline games via ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'', was announced to have his own mini-series set in the Classic era, with the first issue releasing in January 2024, for the 30th anniversary of his debut game[[note]]''VideoGame/SonicTripleTrouble'' was released November 11, 1994[[/note]].

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: The second year of the comic kicks off the Plague arc wherein Dr. Eggman unleashes a metal virus that turns organic creatures into Zombots. After dousing Rough and Tumble, Sonic is infected and tries to run the disease off to mixed results, barely managing to stay alive by the end of it. When the outbreak hits the first named character to succumb is [[spoiler:Charmy]] who tried to help a quarantined woman. As the arc progresses, [[spoiler: Cheese, Chocola, Shadow, Vanilla, Vector, Big, Froggy, Jewel, Tangle, and Knuckles all succumb to the virus, while Cream was heavily implied to become a Zombot, but we never see her fully turn. Also, Amy, Tails, and even Eggman himself contract the virus but never fully turn into Zombots, leaving only Espio, Whisper, Silver, Rouge, and the Babylon Rogues the only ones to not be infected at all this whole arc.]]

** Metal Virus Saga: Silver and Cream.

** Metal Virus Saga: Dr. Eggman after he invents and unleashes the Zombot Virus. [[spoiler:However, he starts to lose control of it, and in Issue #25, Zavok takes over as the main villain for the rest of the arc. Eggman retakes the BigBad crown for the epilogue, though.]]

*** Kitsunami bears a strong resemblance to the [[spoiler:the King of Sorrow]] from the ''VideoGame/{{Klonoa}}'' series, and has a somewhat similar personality.

In 1993, video game superstar Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog scored himself [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics a comic book series]] by Creator/ArchieComics, but after [[LongRunner 24 years, a whopping 290 issues]], a SoftReboot, and [[ScrewedByTheLawyers constant screwings from lawyers]], the series officially ended on July 19, 2017 when SEGA formally ended its relationship with Archie Comics. Two days later, however, on July 21, Creator/IDWPublishing announced that it was far from being all over, as they had successfully obtained the license to publish a new series of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comics.

* OhCrap: Happens at least [[OncePerEpisode Once Per]] StoryArc. Silver, Rough, and Surge even [[PrecisionFStrike literally say "crap"]] in Issues #8, #15, and #53, respectively. Belle's [[HoldYourHippogriffs variation]] (replacing "crap" with "sawdust") is one of her {{catchphrase}}s.

** Lanolin, the leader of the newly formed Diamond Cutters, fights using a Magenta Wisp that can be used in tandem with her bell-shaped Wispon.

* [[AnimationBump Artwork Bump]]: While the art in the issues are consistently good, well-detailed, and expressive, there are some issues that are even ''more'' detailed and expressive than the others, or on an entirely different level altogether. Example? Just compare the fight scenes in Issue #1 to the fight scenes in Issue #7.

** "The Catalyst" in the 2020 Annual, which takes place parallel to ''The Last Minute''. [[spoiler:The entire story is just one big setup for the events in [[DespairEventHorizon Issue 24]].]]
** Issue 30 [[spoiler:ends with Sonic trapped in the Sol Dimension with amnesia; his friends downtrodden over his disappearance; the Deadly Six, except for Zavok, on the loose; Eggman escaping after Metal Sonic skewers Gemerl and fends off Shadow; and the world still in shambles in the Metal Virus' wake.]]
** Issue #51 ends with Belle, Tails, and a crippled Sonic trapped deep in Eggperial City [[spoiler:with Kit (whom they salvaged). Eggman, on the other hand, is back in charge and stronger than ever after Starline's death, while Surge survives to fight another day.]]

* EcocidalAntagonist: The second arc of the comic has Dr. Eggman unleashing the Metal Virus, which [[TheVirus turns all organic matter to machines and spreads via contact]], turning the infected into [[RoboticUndead zombie robots]] (aka. Zombots). [[spoiler:The infection got so bad that in Silver's BadFuture, the only thing that's left on the planet is ruined cities and metallic plants, with not even a hint of life around]]. After ''that'' is destroyed, he makes a self-rebuilding and ever expanding city that hollows out the ground below it for resources. And that's not getting to the other villains in the comic; Surge and Kitsunami introduce themselves by starting a massive forest fire, Clutch the Opossum cleans up the messes left behind by Eggman, though amasses his own collection of weapons that consist of dangerous materials.

** After returning to the future following ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', Silver states in issue #8 that there was nothing left in the future but ruin and scarce metallic plantlife, with no people to be found. [[spoiler:This is what will ultimately become of the world if the Metal Virus consumes it all; every living thing converted by the virus will eventually disintegrate into nothing after a few hundred years.]]

** The [[AlternateSelf classic universe characters]] ''in general'' are this, with special mention to Tails, Amy, and Ray, taking inspiration from the Genesis games that give them a very young look.

** The question arises in issue #8 if the Master Emerald - which can control the Chaos Emeralds - can also control the Sol Emeralds from Blaze's dimension, [[spoiler:as Neo Metal Sonic is in possession of it and Blaze using them against him might be unwise.]] Knuckles believes it can't, based on a hunch and his own connection to the gemstone, but the group decides the situation is too dangerous to risk it.

* {{Interquel}}: The mini-series takes place between the ''Infection'' and ''Crisis City'' arcs.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** In general, the Restoration proves that it's '''''NOT''''' the Knothole Freedom Fighters through this trope. Amy tries to bring Sonic back into the fold and have him lead the group, but he refuses as it doesn't gel with his carefree, never-staying-put-in-one-place attitude, and when Angel Island is saved, Knuckles ''immediately'' abandons the group to be guardian of the Master Emerald again. By the the time the Metal Virus is destroyed, Amy is so overwhelmed by the logistics of it all that she tosses the reins to Jewel, who more or less demilitarizes the group after taking charge. Tails and Whisper never officially join, and Tangle (who only joined to support Jewel and inevitably got bored) eventually drops out to become a full-time adventurer. By Issue #50, Jewel, Belle, and Lanolin the only named characters left in the Restoration, which except for a small security force bears almost no resemblance to the LaResistance it originated from.
** While [[TheGoodGuysAlwaysWin fortune favors Sonic and his friends]], each of the comic's major arcs thus far [[BittersweetEnding end on a bittersweet note]], as Eggman [[{{Determinator}} keeps coming back for more]] after each defeat, [[PersonOfMassDestruction leaving quite the mess in his wake every time]]. Furthermore, even if Eggman isn't the BigBad of a story, there's always other villains to cause trouble instead.
** After Sonic and Tails beat the Egg Hammers in Issue #1, they look back at the town they just saved and see the damage caused, with some of the townsfolk again panicked. In addition, Tails is still worried about possibly losing Sonic again.
** In Issue #15, Sonic and Amy explore an abandoned base of Eggman's that the Resistance managed to raid and liberate prisoners from during the war. However, Amy glumly mentions they lost people as well, showcasing that the war against Eggman indeed had casualties on their side.
** In Issue #22, we see the Resistance HQ can only hold so many uninfected since they're all in a small building and housing millions on people from cities they evacuated. [[spoiler:And not surprisingly, miss whomever ''was'' infected. One of them manages to get into the base, hiding that the Metal Virus got on him until ultimately he succumbs. This, combined with the Zombot-ified Charmy that Vector and Espio brought in breaking free from his container, ends up infecting the base in no time.]]
** In Issue #25, [[spoiler:Starline's attempt to use the Cacophonous Conch to control the Deadly Six fails as he didn’t know the RestrainingBolt only works when it's blown into.]]
** After repairing them in Issue #36, Tails sends Gemerl and Omega--two ''very'' stubborn and powerful robots--to spar in the woods. The 2022 Annual reveals they damaged each other to the point of robotic BodyHorror and had to be fixed all over again. Omega even lampshades that Tails' should've anticipated this when the fox complains about it.
** Even though the direct effects of the Metal Virus were reversed, it still had a lasting impact. When the girls go camping in Issue #45, the camp director warns them that, since metal plants don't absorb water, the entire region's rather dry, and warns them to be extremely careful about their fire use. [[spoiler:Surge and Kit don't need to try hard at all to set the whole area ablaze]].
** ''Urban Warfare'' sees the formation of a brand-new team, the Diamond Cutters, comprised of Lanolin, Whisper, and Tangle, with Sonic being brought in to help them out. Sonic thinks he and the Neo Diamond Cutters will be enough to take down Eggperial City on their own, but due to the new task force being barely tested and thwarting Eggman's plans is never as simple as it sounds, it sets itself up for problems to ensue. Sure enough, the girls struggle to get along until they've dealt with their own personal issues, while Sonic discovers the city isn't so lightly defended after all and has to call in reinforcements.

In 1993, video game superstar Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog scored himself [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics a comic book series]] by Creator/ArchieComics. But after [[LongRunner 24 years, a whopping 290 issues]], a SoftReboot, and [[ScrewedByTheLawyers constant screwings from lawyers]], the series officially ended on July 19, 2017 when SEGA formally ended its relationship with Archie Comics. Two days later, however, on July 21, Creator/IDWPublishing announced that it was far from being all over, as they had successfully obtained the license to publish a new series of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comics.

** Except for Jewel, Tangle, and to a lesser degree Whisper, ''everyone'' involved in the Imposter Saga emerges from it more or less empty-handed:

* TheGoodGuysAlwaysWin: As usual, due to Sega-imposed mandates, Sonic and co. ''always'' defeat Eggman or any other villain in the end, no exceptions. Even if Eggman [[TeamRocketWins does get the upper hand for a short period]], Sonic and/or his friends ''have'' to overcome him in a subsequent issue. They ''can'' suffer [[PyrrhicVictories Pyrrhic victories]], however, which are framed as de facto defeats.

** ScheduleSlip led to a variation in 2023, in that the first (#56) and last (#67) issues released that year saw Surge and Kit PutOnABus and [[TheBusCameBack vice-versa]], respectively.[[invoked]]

* TheGoodGuysAlwaysWin: As usual, due to Sega-imposed mandates, Sonic and co. ''always'' defeat Eggman or any other villain in the end, no exceptions. Even if Eggman [[TeamRocketWins does get the upper hand for a short period]], Sonic ''has'' to overcome him in a subsequent issue. If a villain attacks but Sonic is not around, his friends HoldTheLine until he shows up or, in some cases, [[ADayInTheLimelight save the day themselves]].

In July 2020, Tangle and Whisper joined the mobile games ''VideoGame/SonicDash'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForcesSpeedBattle'' as playable characters, with the former appearing in ''Dash'' on July 3-9 and in ''Speed Battle'' on July 8, and the latter appearing in ''Dash'' on July 10-16 and in ''Speed Battle'' in July 17, marking the first playable appearance of comic characters in a game. Furthermore, in 2022, Tangle received a direct reference in one of Sonic's idle lines when you wait long enough in one place in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers''. In November 2023, Surge the Tenrec, first introduced in the ''Imposter Syndrome'' mini-series, would be added as a playable character in ''WesternAnimation/SonicPrime Dash'' by Netflix Games, along with the regular ''Sonic Dash''.

On a fandom project related note, see also, ''WebAnimation/SonicRebound'', which is a fan-made and mostly faithful (with its own twists) collaborated AnimatedAdaptation of the comics [[note]]Bear with them on updates though, they take awhile to make[[/note]]. As well [[https://www.youtube.com/@AdrenalineDubs]] of the comic that adds voices to the characters (sans animation of course).

** ''Overpowered'', the finale to the Imposters Saga, [[spoiler:ends with Surge being defeated, Whisper's Wisps rescued, and Eggman going empty-handed yet again. However, Surge and Kit [[RedemptionRejection refuse to change their ways]] and escape to fight another day, leaving Sonic and Tails depressed over failing to help them]].

** The Imposters Saga invokes this trope circa Issue #49 and ''Imposter Syndrome'' #3, mainly through some [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence really brutal action sequences]] and the [[PsychologicalHorror Psychological]][=/=]ExistentialHorror surrounding Surge and Kit. It also has the most BittersweetEnding to a major StoryArc yet in the comic.

** Tangle and the Chaotix leave the main plot of the Imposters Saga just before Starline launches his ill-fated coup against Eggman. Tangle is still tied up elsewhere during Surge and Kit's subsequent rampage and before returning in the saga's DistantFinale, ''Urban Warfare''.

* {{Interquel}}: [[WordOfGod According to Ian Flynn,]] the mini-series takes place between issues #32 (the end of the ''Metal Virus'' saga) and 33 (the start of "Chao Races and Badnik Bases").

On a fandom project related note, see also, ''WebAnimation/SonicRebound'', which is a fan-made and mostly faithful (with its own twists) collaborated AnimatedAdaptation of the comics [[note]]Bear with them on updates though, they take awhile to make[[/note]]. As well [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDMownEmMgvISWZpwbAEasorkmCN_t-rh Adrenaline Dubs videos]] of the comic that adds voices to the characters (sans animation of course).

* BookEnds: The first and last stories of the 2020 annual shows how [[spoiler:two characters who were converted into Zombots offscreen in the main Metal Virus arc--Big and Jewel--ended up that way.]]

In July 2020, Tangle and Whisper joined the mobile games ''VideoGame/SonicDash'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForcesSpeedBattle'' as playable characters, with the former appearing in ''Dash'' on July 3-9 and in ''Speed Battle'' on July 8, and the latter appearing in ''Dash'' on July 10-16 and in ''Speed Battle'' in July 17, marking the first playable appearance of comic characters in a game. Furthermore, in 2022, Tangle received a direct reference in one of Sonic's idle lines when you wait long enough in one place in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers''.

* SpoilerCover: Happens a lot, but so far the "All or Nothing" and "Out of the Blue" issues take the cake.

** A convention-exclusive cover for Issue 29 ''big time'' spoiled the appearance of [[spoiler:Super Silver]] in that issue.
** The IdiosyncraticCoverArt for Issues 31-32 spoil where the heroes celebrate [[spoiler:the demise of the Metal Virus[[note]]The bell tower in the background is a landmark building in Spiral Hill Village, Tangle's hometown.[[/note]]]], as well as [[spoiler:Eggman's attack on them using Omega and how Sonic returns to stop him.[[note]]Namely, dropping out of the sky on fire after Blaze sends him home.[[/note]]]]

* NameAndName

* IveComeTooFar: Upon realizing that Surge and Kit are much more mentally unstable than he had anticipated and are becoming more resistant to his hypnotic control, Starline remarks that he's invested too much in them to start over and decides to continue on with his plan with the hopes that their personalities even out as his plan goes forward.

* ''[[Recap/SonicTheHedgehogIDWScrapnikIsland Scrapnik Island]]'': Announced July 2022, this horror-themed miniseries sees Sonic and Tails trapped on a robot island and forced to battle both new foes and forgotten enemies, including the return of Mecha Knuckles from ''VideoGame/SonicAdvance'' and Mecha Sonic from ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles''. It is written by Daniel Barnes of ''ComicBook/TheBlackMage'' fame and was released starting in October 2022.

* Amy got her own 30th anniversary special released on September 27, 2023.[[note]]this date was pretty close to the original Japanese release date of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', September 23, 1993[[/note]]

* AlternateContinuity: ZigZagged. When it initially started, the series was said to be set in a separate continuity from the previous ''Sonic'' comics and other ''Sonic'' media, including the games. However, later on in the comic's run, as part of an effort by Creator/SonicTeam to streamline and unify the ''Sonic'' canon, the comic would be retroactively made part of the games continuity (in a LooseCanon sense), with Tangle getting name dropped in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers''.

* AnArmAndALeg:
** In Issue #15, Amy accidentally whacks off a Zombot Rough's arm with her hammer. Due to the Zombots' HealingFactor, Rough regenerates, reversing the amputation.
** In Issue #50, [[spoiler:Eggman uses the Egg Emperor's lance to maim Starline's Egg Robo before [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice skewering it]].]]

* ArtifactTitle: Applies to stories from which Sonic is absent or makes no more than a cameo. Most of the annuals and first three miniseries in particular focus on characters besides the Blue Blur, and in rare instances (e.g., Issues #46, #48, and #65), he's never even ''mentioned''.

* TheBusCameBack:

** The Babylon Rogues (Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow, and Storm the Albatross) come back after being completely absent in the Sonic games since ''Free Riders'' in 2010.
** Both Gemerl from ''Advance 3'' (2004) and Chocola from ''Heroes'' (2003) return after their oneshot appearance in their respective games. Cream and Cheese (last appaearance in ''Generations'', 2011) and Vanilla (last mentioned in ''Free Riders'') likewise return.

** In the ''Bad Guys'' miniseries, Starline creates a specialized Power Core called the Tricore, which replaces the Warp Topaz as his main draw after he lost the latter gemstone in Issue #25.

** A village ended up being taken over by Rough and Tumble, stealing away their Wisps and Wispons. Sonic reminds the Wisps of the good they've done helping him, in turn getting them to turn against the bullies. When Rough and Tumble try going back there after the Metal Virus saga, they end up losing and placed in prison at the beginning of the ''Bad Guys'' miniseries.

* EcocidalAntagonist: The second arc of the comic has him developing the Metal Virus, which [[TheVirus turns all organic matter to machines and spreads via contact]], to the point that in a BadFuture the only thing that's left on the planet is ruined cities and metallic plants, with not even a hint of life around. After ''that'' is defeated, he makes a self-rebuilding and ever expanding city that hollows out the ground below it for resources. And that's not getting to the other villains in the comic; Surge and Kitsunami introduce themselves by starting a massive forest fire.

* GenreShift: While overall faithful to the sci-fi action-adventure tone of the games, the comic takes a sharp turn into horror several times. The Metal Virus Saga and ''Scrapnik Island'' miniseries are both [[EpisodeOfTheDead Episodes of the Dead]], with the former arc amounting to "''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' with ''Sonic'' characters". Surge and Kit's character arc, meanwhile, is an ExistentialHorror story peppered with ''Franchise/{{Frankenstein}}'' references, most notably in how the duo themselves came to be.

*** [[spoiler:Later, in the ''Bad Guys'' miniseries, Starline finds Rough and Tumble back in jail. As it turns out, the duo returned to the same town they took over earlier in the series, but this time, the townspeople were ready for them. Rough openly admits it was a bad idea.]]

** Issues 45-49 (the ''Trial By Fire'' Arc, including standalone episodes ''Hit the Pavement'' and ''Wound Up'') occur parallel to the ''Imposter Syndrome'' miniseries before both subplots merge in Issue #50.

** [[spoiler:Surge and Kit]] briefly appear in silhouette near Belle in Issue #46. As said issue was released before [[spoiler:Kit and Surge properly debuted in the ''Imposter Syndrome'' miniseries, this example marks their first on-page appearances in the comic]].

** A hooded figure stalks the heroes for much of the "Chao Races and Badnik Bases" arc. For those following the ''Bad Guys'' miniseries along with the main series, Issue 35's RI-B cover spoils who this hooded figure is: [[spoiler:Dr. Starline]].

** The third arc, running from Issues #33-61 (plus the ''Bad Guys'', ''Imposter Syndrome'', and ''Scrapnik Island'' miniseries), has the heroes tying up loose ends from the Zombot Apocalypse [[spoiler:while Starline plots to overthrow Eggman and conquer the world himself, creating Surge and Kit to that end. Eggman [[KilledOffForReal eliminates]] Starline in Issue #50, but Sonic and Tails must still contend with their new doppelgängers]].

!!Miniseries

* ContinuityCameo: Chumley, the baby walrus from ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'', appears in issue 1 of the miniseries in one of the photos of Mimic's PokeThePoodle misdeeds, in which Mimic is stealing candy from him. Chumley is the focus of (and was named in) the episode [[Recap/SonicBoomS2E40ThreeMenAndMyBaby "Three Men and My Baby!"]], written by the penciller and inker of the miniseries, Evan Stanley.

* EpicFail: The miniseries starts out with Tangle crashing upside-down into a chili dog vendor's cart while she fools around in town.

* {{Interquel}}: The miniseries takes place between the ''Infection'' and ''Crisis City'' arcs.

* OriginsEpisode: Issue 3 of the mini-series tells Whisper's backstory in a {{Flashback}} and how the Diamond Cutters were killed.
* RapidFireNo: Tangle does this in the miniseries' second issue when she gets locked in a safe, triggering her {{Claustrophobia}}.
* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Mimic was part of and betrayed the Diamond Cutters.]]

** By the end of the miniseries, [[spoiler: Starline has abandoned his plan to win back Eggman's favor, and is now an outright rival to him]].
* ForegoneConclusion: Issue #35 of the main comic came out in-between parts 3 and 4 of this miniseries, and thus gave away that [[spoiler: Starline would survive the others turning on him and get away with the tri-core]].

* {{Interquel}}: [[WordOfGod According to Ian Flynn,]] the miniseries takes place between issues 32 (the end of the Metal Virus saga) and 33 (the start of "Chao Races and Badnik Bases").

* SequelHook: The miniseries ends with several dangling threads that are clearly going to followed up on in the main series: [[spoiler:Zavok is wounded but intending to reunite with the other Zeti, Rough and Tumble are striking out on their own, Mimic is planning to hunt down Whisper to take revenge, and Starline has now decided to become an outright rival to Eggman.]]

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: ''Zavok'', of all people, tells this to Starline in Issue 2, admitting that his plan to try and control the Metal Virus and the Zeti actually wasn't bad and he at least has the focus to see his plans through unlike Eggman who gets distracted easily fighting Sonic. Starline starts to ponder if he's actually better off without his idol.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Starline admits early on that this is what his intentions for the team are. They're useful to complete his plan but Zavok is too dangerous to keep around while Mimic and the Skunk Brothers pose potentially dangerous loose ends if let go. [[spoiler:This gets turned on him in the third issue as Zavok's no fool and Mimic, already not trusting him, hacks into Starline's computer and finds the video log of Starline admitting it. Once the group raid the Eggnet base, Mimic and Zavok make their move and get the Skunk Bros. on their side by revealing Starline's treachery. At the end of the issue, Zavok quotes the trope name itself, as Starline is dead-to-rights in the eyes of his former allies.]]

** Aside from a number of mishmashed Classic Badniks, some Egg Robos from the same game assist Tails in repairing the Tornado.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Mecha Sonic initially resigns himself to be incinerated while lamenting his failures, but Sonic gives him a rousing YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech that convinces the robotic double to continue living, the first time Sonic succeeds at redeeming a foe. [[BigDamnHeroes Tails and the other Scrapniks arrive in the nick of time]], pulling the both of them out of the fire, where Mecha Sonic is forgiven and Tails is able to remove Eggman's hostility protocols from both Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles. Sonic and Tails part the island on good terms, with the miniseries closing out on Mecha Sonic vowing to put the past behind him and look to the future with hope, symbolized by the last panel focusing on his sunflower]].

* {{Interquel}}: [[WordOfGod According to Daniel Barnes]], the events of this miniseries occurs between the main comic's ''Overpowered'' and ''Urban Warfare'' arcs (between issues #56 and #57).

** In Issue 53, Surge utters [[Film/EvilDead "groovy"]] upon discovering the Dynamo Cage can steal power.

* The first comic, the ''30th Anniversary Special'' was released on June 23, 2021[[note]][[MeaningfulReleaseDate June 23rd being the release date]] of the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 first Sonic game]][[/note]]. An extra story for that comic was released as a separate issue in August 14th on Free Comic Book Day. [[note]]Normally [=FCBD=] would be in May. But due to COVID concerns from 2020 into 2021, it was pushed back to August.[[/note]][[invoked]] The main

* Fang, following his return to the mainline games via ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'', was announced to have his own mini series set in the Classic era, with the first issue releasing in January 2024, for the 30th anniversary of his debut game[[note]]''VideoGame/SonicTripleTrouble'' was released November 11, 1994[[/note]].

* AlternateContinuity: ZigZagged. When it initially started, the series was said to be set in a separate continuity from the previous ''Sonic'' comics and other ''Sonic'' media, including the games. However, later on in the comic's run, as part of an effort by Creator/SonicTeam to streamline and unify the ''Sonic'' canon, the comic would be retroactively made part of the games continuity, with Tangle getting name dropped in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers''.

** Eggman's Legacy: Belle, although she fades from prominence

*** Likewise, Eggman and Clutch are two male characters who can't fight unarmed. Kit, meanwhile, requires his backpack to use his hydrokinesis, and if it runs dry, he has to pause to recharge it, leaving himself open.

* ArtifactTitle: Applies to stories from which Sonic is absent or makes no more than a cameo. The annuals and first three miniseries in particular focus on characters besides the Blue Blur, and in rare instances (i.e., Issues #46 and #48), he's never even ''mentioned''.

** Issue #7 brings back [[spoiler:Metal Sonic, back in his "Neo" form from ''Heroes'', as the arc's BigBad]].

* CallToAgriculture: The Annual shows that after the Egg Fleet's defeat in the comic's first year, Silver took to gardening as he was interested in how the planet could sustain life in a way his time couldn't. Blaze decides to help as well and though she admits to only knowing some of the basics, she manages to restore the soil and they grow a garden together.

** One story from the fist annual features the re-appearance of [[VideoGame/SonicRiders the Babylon Rogues]]. In a separate story, Rouge and Rough & Tumble race to loot Eggman's Pyramid Cave lair from ''Sonic Adventure 2'', the latter pair stumbling onto the Egg Golem.

* CoversAlwaysLie: Several characters that were featured on Retail Incentive covers that hadn't debuted in the series. Cream the Rabbit, E-123 Omega, and G-Merl were all on covers for the first year's arc and they wouldn't appear until year two. Marine had appeared on covers for Issues #24 and #37, but wouldn't debut in the comic until the 2022 Annual.

** In ''Overpowered'', Kit makes short work of Metal Sonic during his truce with Sonic, Tails, and Belle, buying them time to escape. [[DesignatedGirlFight Whisper's duel with Surge]] in the same arc is equally one-sided, as the latter uses stolen Eggtech to capture the former's Wisps.

* DiscOneFinalBoss:
** [[spoiler:After Zavok's arrest in Issue #30, Eggman goes on to become the TrueFinalBoss of the Metal Virus Saga.]]
** In the final quarter of ''Zeti Hunt'', [[spoiler:Starline becomes the de facto BigBad after the Deadly Six are defeated by Sonic and Tails.]]
** Starline is the main villain of the Imposters Saga [[spoiler:until he dies fighting Eggman in Issue #50. Surge and Kit subsequently take over as the main threat, eventually fighting Sonic, Metal Sonic, and Tails as a DualBoss in Issue #56]].

* EvenEvilHasStandards: In the Annual, the Babylon Rogues rob a museum full of Gems, and Storm accidentally grabs the curator, mistaking her shiny shell armor for a diamond. Upon finding her, Wave demands they return her as they're thieves, not kidnappers. Storm tosses her out of their ship and accidentally damages her wing, sending her falling, which makes Jet and Wave angrier because they didn't want her getting hurt.

** Issues #31-32 [[spoiler:end and begin, respectively, with the series' ultimate example thus far.]] [[spoiler:Everyone is celebrating the Metal Virus' demise when Eggman suddenly crashes the party in a giant battle mech, announcing his presence with what might as well be a comic book version of ChewingTheScenery.]]

On September 2020, it was stated that [[https://tailschannel.com/idw-sonic/classic-sonic-miniseries-2021/ Classic Sonic would get a special of his own as part of Sonic's 30th anniversary]]. This would eventually kick off a series of celebratory one-shots that took place in the Classic universe.

!!! Classic Universe one-shots

* The first one-shot, the ''30th Anniversary Special'' was released on June 23, 2021[[note]][[MeaningfulReleaseDate June 23rd being the release date]] of the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 first Sonic game]][[/note]]. An extra story for that comic was released as a separate issue in August 14th on Free Comic Book Day. [[note]]Normally [=FCBD=] would be in May. But due to COVID concerns from 2020 into 2021, it was pushed back to August.[[/note]]

* A Knuckles and Fang the Hunter-focused special, in celebration of both their games' 30th anniversaries[[note]]''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog3AndKnuckles'' and ''VideoGame/SonicTripleTrouble''[='=]s both released in 1994, with ''Sonic 3'' being Knuckles' debut game, with ''Triple Trouble'' being Fang's (which Knuckles also appeared in)[[/note]], was announced to release in 2024.

** Issue #25 has Amy call in the Babylon Rogues as they are the only other thieves besides Rouge that can [[spoiler:help steal the Chaos Emeralds back from the Zeti.]]

** Eggman rushing production of his Metal Virus but dismissing the mutation as something to fix later is essentially a dig at gaming companies who tend to release buggy and unfinished games and having to fix it in DLC patches [[note]]Which Sega is likewise guilty of i.e Sonic Boom[[/note]].

** In Issue #15, Sonic and Amy explore an abandoned base of Eggman's that the Resistance managed to raid and liberate prisoners from during the war. However, Amy glumly mentions they lost people as well, showcasing that the war against Eggman indeed had casualities on their side.

** Even though the direct effects of the Metal Virus were reversed, it still had a lasting impact. When the girls go camping in Issue #45, the camp director warns them that, since metal plants don't absorb water, the entire region's rather dry, and warns them to be extremely careful about their fire use. [[spoiler:Surge and Kit don't need to try hard at all to set the whole area ablaze.]]

* UnwittingPawn: In Issue #15, Eggman sends Rough and Tumble to fight Sonic, counting on them losing and [[spoiler:exposing themselves to his robo-virus in the process]].

* VillainTeamUp: [[spoiler:Starline recruits Rough and Tumble to help him find Eggman and restore his memories. Afterwards, they enter Eggman's service. [[NoHonorAmongThieves It doesn't last very long.]]]]

** [[spoiler:''Whisper'']], of all characters, does this in Issue #29 [[spoiler:upon seeing a Zombot-ified Tangle go back to normal right in front of her]]. [[spoiler:This and the [[TheGlomp big, tackling hug]] she gives Tangle afterward show [[CharacterDevelopment how far Whisper has come]] since they first met, what with her showing two of Tangle's signature traits in one scene.]]

** Issue #7 [[spoiler:We find out the "Eggman" who's been running things is really Metal Sonic in his "Neo" mode]].

*** Issue #30: [[spoiler: Zavok recovers from his defeat, with it being revealed that the other Zeti have likewise recovered from the Metal Virus and escaped. Meanwhile, Eggman and his minions escape, with Metal Sonic [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbing Gemerl through the chest]] in the process; Orbot and Cubot also manage to steal Omega's head in the process, with Eggman planning to make use of it. And in the final scene, it's revealed that a banged up Sonic crash-landed in Blaze's dimension.]]
*** Issue #31 [[spoiler: The good news? Sonic is already back up on his feet again in the Sol Dimension. The bad news? His mind has been warped and has lost his memories. Meanwhile, Starline now plans to regain Eggman’s respect by conquering the world himself then making the both of them work together, and Eggman takes Omega and integrates him into a giant mech which he then uses to assault the heroes during Tangle’s celebration party.]]

-->'''Whisper:''' Whisper.\\

'''Silver:''' ''(whispering)'' Okay. But... why?\\

* ADayInTheLimelight: Focuses on the first two new heroes of the series.

* ATasteOfTheirOwnMedicine: Tangle's plan to defeat Mimic involves giving him a dose of this trope. Mimic calls out Tangle for her sneak attacking him, which she states the trope word-for-word.

** In the third, a FlashBack shows the Shadow Androids from ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' being kept in reserve, in the same capsules they (and the real Shadow) were contained inside back in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''. [[spoiler:Said androids were responsible for the murders of the Diamond Cutters.]]

** The main point of the series. Starline is still a bit bitter about being "fired" from Eggman's employ and is cooking up a new plan involving some creations of his own, but lacks the necessary material to make them and his access to other Eggman bases has been revoked. As such, he's forced to break out and ally with a few other former Eggman subordinates (Zavok, the Skunk Brothers and Mimic) to get what he needs which will no doubt cause the group to come into contact with Dr. Eggman. [[spoiler: While Starline hopes to curry back favor with Eggman, Zavok has his own agenda. So there's an internal conflict in the group as well.]]

* GreatEscape: Most of issue 1 consists of this, with Starline breaking Zavok, Rough and Tumble, and Mimic out of prison.

* HypnoRay: Starline uses one on his glove to get into the maximum security wing of the Evermore Prison by hypnotizing the warden into thinking he’s applied for a position there, as well as using it to entrance the guard outside the warden’s office. He also later uses it to put the warden and another guard to sleep.

* TheManInFrontOfTheMan: Dr. Starline while assembling his LegionOfDoom, pretends to pledge himself to Zavok, planning to act out this role towards him.

* SpottingTheThread: In Issue 2, the team manage to sucessfully raid one of Eggman's bases and make it look like Sonic did it. However, when Eggman surveys the damage, he notices that some security footage is missing, that "Sonic" is acting unusual (why mock him on camera but then try to cover his tracks?) and, when the suggestion that Tails might've been involved, Eggman notes Tails isn't that sloppy, correctly surmising someone else is to blame.

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: A core part of the series' conflict is that the team all hate each other and only ally out of necessity. Rough and Tumble hate Starline for manipulating them and getting them infected; they only agree to work for the chance at new weapons. Zavok hates Starline for attempting to enslave him and the other Zeti while Starline blames Zavok for his falling out with Eggman; both scheme against one another. Zavok further hates the Skunk Brothers and considers them useless. Mimic is the odd one out as he has no personal enmity with any of them but he's only with the team because Starline promised to delete him off the Eggnet and cares not for any of their plans.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Starline admits early on that this is what his intentions for the team are. They're useful to complete his plan but Zavok is too dangerous to keep around while Mimic and the Skunk Brothers pose potentially dangerous loose ends if let go. [[spoiler:This gets turned on him in the third issue as Zavok's no fool and Mimic, already not trusting him, hacks into Starline's computer and finds the video log of Starline admitting it. Once the group raid the Eggnet base, Mimic and Zavok make their move and get the Skunk Bros on their side by revealing Starline's treachery. All four now poised to take out Starline.]]

* {{Gaslighting}}: Starline supplements his brainwashing of Surge and Kit with careful manipulations to make them think that his commands for them are their own decisions. [[spoiler: They later return the favor when they learn what he's been doing, using his own hypno glove to make him forget their angry reactions and convincing him to go along with the plan they're intending to hijack.]]

** Opening Saga: Knuckles.

** Imposters Saga: Belle, although she fades from prominance

** Opening Saga: [[spoiler:Metal Sonic.]]

** Imposters Saga: Dr. Starline [[spoiler:until his death in Issue #50, upon which Surge and Kit become the main villains for the rest of the arc]].

* ContinuityCavalcade: Used to help establish the comic's connection with the the games, especially in the first two arcs when the continuity was still rather fresh.

** [[spoiler: Cheese and Chocola defend Cream and Vanilla from a Zombot, stalling it just long enough for Sonic to come to the rescue.]]
** [[spoiler: Vector and Tangle each put up a LastStand to cover the Restoration's retreat.]]
** [[spoiler: Cream voluntarily drops out after getting infected, not wanting to pose a risk to her remaining friends once she succumbs.]]
** [[spoiler: After the Babylon Rogues defeat Master Zik, Jet finds out Wave and Storm lost their Extreme Gear to the Zombots. While he could've escaped, since his own airboard is still working, Jet maroons himself on purpose to stay with his teammates, sending only his airboard back with Zik's Chaos Emerald. The trio ultimately avoid getting infected, but Jet's act still counts as this trope.]]
** [[spoiler: During the final battle, Knuckles takes on Zombot!Shadow, condemning himself to the same fate in the process, to help buy Sonic and Silver time to defeat Zavok and destroy the Metal Virus.]]

** Silver gets excited when it appears that the Resistance’s “Guardian Angel” (Whisper the Wolf) is in the same Eggman base as them.

* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Cream subverts this with Gemerl in Issue 27. When Zeena takes control of Gemerl with her Zeti powers and forces him to attack Cream, the rabbit doesn't actually ''fight'' him. Instead, she talks him into freeing himself[[spoiler: and manages to get through to him. Zeena then uses a Chaos Emerald-powered means to [physically] control him like a puppet on a string, but Cream and Gemerl eventually turn it against her.]]

** In Issue #26, [[spoiler:while Sonic is trying to burn off the infection on a treadmill]], Eggman and he get to talking with Eggman claiming [[spoiler:Sonic spread most of the infection to the grass and trees during all his running around.]] Sonic doesn't believe it, but Eggman neither denies or refutes that claim, stating he purposefully put the thought into his mind. Considering Sonic's current state at that point, Sonic can't doubt it either, much to his annoyance.

*** [[spoiler: Later, in the ''Bad Guys'' miniseries, Starline finds Rough and Tumble back in jail. As it turns out, the duo returned to the same town they took over earlier in the series, but this time, the townspeople were ready for them. Rough openly admits it was a bad idea.]]

* LaResistance: The Resistance from ''Sonic Forces'' is back and still active, since cleaning up after the war is no overnight matter, plus the Badnik army becoming more competent necessities their continuing operation. Amy tries to convince Sonic to join back with them in Issue #7, but he declines on the grounds that belonging to an organization is simply not his thing. That said, he does join back up with the others after learning that [[spoiler:Neo Metal Sonic]] is the one in control of the Badniks. After Metal was defeated, Knuckles unofficially disbands the group, leading Amy to rebrand it into The Restoration.

* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Knuckles senses that something is wrong with the Master Emerald. [[spoiler:It’s revealed that Neo Metal Sonic is using it as his throne.]]

** In Issue #50, [[spoiler:Eggman more or less brushes off everything Starline throws at him, all without breaking a sweat.]]

** Zavok at the climax of ''Bad Guys'' declares Starline is just like Eggman and thus unworthy of being the latter's SuperiorSuccessor. [[spoiler:[[VillainHasAPoint How right he was...]]]]

* ''[[Recap/SonicTheHedgehogIDWScrapnikIsland Scrapnik Island]]'': Announced July 2022, this horror-themed miniseries sees Sonic and Tails trapped on a robot island and forced to battle both new foes and forgotten enemies, including the return of Mecha Knuckles from ''VideoGame/SonicAdvance''. It is written by Daniel Barnes of ''ComicBook/TheBlackMage'' and was released starting in October 2022.

On September 2020, it was stated that [[https://tailschannel.com/idw-sonic/classic-sonic-miniseries-2021/ Classic Sonic would get a special of his own as part of Sonic's 30th anniversary]]. This one shot was released on June 23, [[note]][[MeaningfulReleaseDate the release date]] of the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 first Sonic game]][[/note]] 2021 as the ''30th Anniversary Special''. An extra story for that comic was released as a separate issue in August 14th on Free Comic Book Day. [[note]]Normally [=FCBD=] would be in May. But due to COVID concerns from 2020 into 2021, it was pushed back to August.[[/note]] Another 30th anniversary special revolving around Classic Tails was released on November 16, 2022,[[note]]the same month as the release of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2''[[/note]] in celebration of his debut.

*** Kitsunami bears a strong resemblance to [[spoiler:the King of Sorrow]] from the ''VideoGame/{{Klonoa}}'' series, and has a somewhat similar personality.

* StoryArc: The comic's story pans out in multiple smaller arcs that are tied together by an [[MythArc overarching narrative.]]
** The first arc, running from Issues #1-12, features the ''Sonic'' characters rebuilding after the events of ''Forces'', dealing with Eggman's army as it comes under the control of [[spoiler:Neo Metal Sonic]], and trying to figure out the mystery of where Eggman himself disappeared to.

** [[spoiler:Neo Metal Sonic howls this in Issue #11, upon being defeated as Master Overlord.]]
** [[spoiler:In Issue #23, Sonic does this when Starline finds a signal that works on the Zombots and Eggman orders it uploaded to the Faceship.]]
** [[spoiler:Cream in Issue #27, as Zeena prepares to throw her to the Zombots.]]
** [[spoiler:Zor in Issue #28 upon losing to Silver and Whisper, though it becomes less genuine when he accepts his fate.]]
*** [[spoiler:In the same issue, Zavok lets out one when Rouge steals the Chaos Emerald powering the Faceship, causing it to crash.]]
** [[spoiler:Silver yells this in Issue #29 when Sonic and Metal Sonic are flamed before his eyes by Zavok.]]

** Starline yells this in Imposter Syndrome #3 [[spoiler:when a rebelling Surge and Kit overpower him]].

** "Big's Big Adventure" from the 2020 Annual. On one hand, Big has finally managed to find Froggy. [[spoiler:On the other hand, Froggy has been infected and turned into a Zombot, with Big not far behind in joining him.]]

* TheCameo: ''Chao Races and Badnik Bases'' have Ferox Chao from ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles'' make surprising appearances in brief scenes.

** In Issue #7, [[spoiler:Sonic remembers Neo Metal Sonic from ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' and casually remembers that the Metal Sonic he fought in ''Forces'' was just a Phantom Ruby copy, explaining why he wasn't in the game.]]

** [[spoiler:Neo Metal Sonic lays one down to Sonic in their first encounter in the comics, forcing Sonic to retreat. He does the same later against Sonic and Knuckles once he's powered up by the Master Emerald. It's only thanks to Shadow's intervention that he doesn't beat them both outright.]]

** In Issue #29, [[spoiler:Super Sonic takes down a powered-up Zavok in seconds after an uphill battle to gather all of the Chaos Emeralds, to which Super Silver casually calls it anti-climactic. Zavok tries to continue the fight in the following issue, only to be subdued ''again'' in a mere two pages by Sonic's reunited friends, who arrest him on the spot.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: The Metal Virus Saga enforced this for 16 issues (#13-#29 with the virus itself in play), 17 counting the 2020 Annual special. Many of the main cast (old and new, good and bad) are turned into zombots, with Sonic fighting off the infection, the remaining characters are effected emotionally and mentally, losses are made at a global scale, almost every solution to eliminate the virus fail, and even Eggman loses control of the situation, and that's even ''before'' the Deadly Six become involved. [[spoiler: It takes Sonic and Silver's use of the Chaos Emeralds and the Warp Topaz to end this trope.]]

-->'''Preview for Issue 25''': "The world has fallen to the Metal Virus. Heroes, villains, and civilians have become Zombots. There's only one place left to hide and the few survivors--good and bad alike--find themselves up against a new threat commanding the Zombot hordes. Who will Sonic turn to for help in his most desperate hour?"

* DebutQueue: The first four issues feature Sonic teaming with Tails, Amy, Knuckles and Blaze respectively. The third issue also features the debut of the new villains Rough and Tumble, with Tangle the Ring-tailed Lemur and Dr. Eggman following in Issue #4, the Chaotix in Issue #5, and Shadow and Rouge in Issue #6. Issue #7 features the return of [[spoiler:Neo Metal Sonic]], and the 8th issue has both the return of Silver and the debut of another new character, Whisper the Wolf.

* DecapitatedArmy: Eggman's disappearance after the events of ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' left his Badnik army aimless and attacking locals randomly. However, by the time events of issue 1, they've had become much more organized. This leads Tails and Sonic to determine that something is controlling the army. [[spoiler:Later issues confirm it's not bad ol' Doc (who [[AmbiguousSituation probably]] suffers from amnesia) that's back, but Neo Metal Sonic, who commands Eggman's forces until his creator returns]].

** InvincibleHero: For all their PlotArmor, we are reminded more than once that Sonic and his friends are still mortal and vulnerable, with Sonic [[HeroicRROD exhausting himself almost to death]] during the Metal Virus Saga being only one example among many. Their movesets rely heavily on certain limbs or items (Sonic's legs, Tails' and Tangle's tails, Amy's hammer, Whisper's gun, etc.), without which they are still combat-capable, but much weaker. Furthermore, they are not immune from scoring a PyrrhicVictory, which in-universe is treated as a defeat.

** [[spoiler:In Issue #29, Whisper tearfully hesitates to fight back against a Zombot Tangle, leaving herself open to attack. Fortunately, Tangle is cured before she can pass her infection to Whisper.]]
** [[spoiler:Amy and Jewel at the beginning of Issue #32, when Eggman comes to crash the heroes' party. Whisper defers to them for orders, but Amy is indecisive since she handed leadership of the Restoration over to Jewel, who cowers and points out her forte is organization managment, not combat leadership. Command ends up falling to Vector during the battle.]]

* DidntSeeThatComing: Oh, Dr. Eggman expected Dr. Starline to return, all right. [[spoiler:But by crawling on his belly begging for a second chance, not by trying to usurp him with his own army.]] Likewise, [[spoiler:Starline never expected Eggman to take precautions against him, causing his whole EvilPlan, which was based on that assumption, to go up in smoke.]]

** Orbot reveals to Dr. Starline that this is one of the main reasons Eggman always loses: he has big ideas and big executions but often rushes things without thinking long-term and devolves into his hatred of Sonic, which costs him every time. No better is this displayed than in the [[UnwillingRoboticisation Metal]] [[ZombieApocalypse Virus]] arc. While Starline wanted to conduct more tests to realize the extent of its capabilities, Eggman decides to use it [[UnfinishedUntestedUsedAnyway the moment it appears to work]], reasoning that he can fix any bugs later as they crop up. This leads to the Zombots slowly getting out of control, to the point they begin to disregard Eggman's vocal commands.
** Dr. Starline himself falls into this when he gets sick of Eggman's shortsightedness regarding the Metal Virus and elects to take matters into his own hands. [[spoiler:Starline's solution is to bring in the Deadly Six to control the Zombots, using the [[RestrainingBolt Cacophonous Conch]] to keep them under his control. However, Starline finds out too late that the conch only works as long as his lungs last, effectively making it useless once he needs to catch his breath, and he didn't have a backup plan in the event he lost it; the minute he lets his guard down, the Deadly Six snatch the conch right out of his hands and hijack the Zombots for their own purposes, which of course just makes the situation even worse. Zavok even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this.]]

* NoNameGiven: "Sonic's planet"/"this planet". In order to move away from the Archie continuity, the writers can no longer name the planet "Mobius" by SEGA's executive order. Just like in ''Anime/SonicX'', Sonic's world is unnamed and the writers have to use oddly long euphemisms whenever they talk about Sonic's homeworld, such as the Zeti awkwardly referring to the world as "The planet that Sonic and Eggman fight over."

** Issue 10 ends with [[spoiler:Neo Metal Sonic using the Master Emerald's power to become Master Overlord, as whom he fights the Resistance in Issue 11]].
** At the end of Issue 28, [[spoiler:Zavok changes into his giant form from ''Sonic Lost World'', setting the stage for the climax of the entire Metal Virus arc in Issue 29.]]

* OutGambitted: [[spoiler:Starline suffers this trope twice:]]

* PowerCrystal: The comics introduce a new one courtesy of Dr. Starline, the Warp Topaz - a gemstone that can manipulate space and [[ThinkingUpPortals create portals to other places]]. [[spoiler:Starline loses the gemstone after being fired during the Metal Virus arc, with the gemstone's fate uncertain after Super Sonic and Super Silver use it to [[HurlItIntoTheSun throw the Metal Virus into the sun]]]]. The Chaos Emeralds, Master Emerald, and Sol Emeralds make appearances as well.

** After Neo Metal Sonic goes Super, Knuckles accuses him of cheating while Sonic insists they'll defeat him regardless. Neo responds with this line before [[CurbStompBattle handing his opponents' asses to them on a platter]]:

** [[spoiler:Tangle gives one before her LastStand against the Zombots, [[HeroicSacrifice allowing her own infection to overtake her while her friends escape]].]]

* PushedAtTheMonster: In the climax of the Metal Virus arc, the heroes are beset by Zombots on Angel Island and have to hold out till Sonic and Silver can enact their plan to reverse the virus. Amy tries to save Eggman from a Zombot!Big but her hammer does nothing to him. However, Eggman uses the opportunity to kick her into Big and try and flee via a shuttle. He doesn't get far, as he slips on a likewise Zombot!Froggy and gets the virus on him anyway.

** After defeating [[spoiler:Metal Sonic]], Sonic offers him a truce. [[spoiler:Metal]] responds by slapping Sonic's hand away and fleeing. Sonic brushes it off at first, [[spoiler:but after the Zombot plague is unleashed, he expresses genuine disappointment that Metal returned to Eggman's side, helping turn his master back to his old self in the process.]]

** [[spoiler:By returning to villainy after his amnesia was cured, Eggman embraces this trope in a way, as shown by his IgnoredEpiphany moment in Issue #23.]]
** [[spoiler:After the Metal Virus is destroyed, Tails and Tangle rescue Rough and Tumble and offer them a chance at redemption for their past crimes, since they were tricked by Eggman into Zombot-ifying themselves. The skunk brothers just laugh it off and run away.]]
** [[spoiler:Sonic and Tails try several times to reason with Surge and Kit upon first meeting them, especially after learning what Starline has done to them. Unfortunately, Starline's neural conditioning is too severe for the duo to overcome, even though he himself is now dead: Surge insists she'll never be free as long as Sonic lives, while Kit declares his place is with Surge and that Sonic is no different than Starline or Eggman.]]

** Issue #7 reveals [[spoiler:the mysterious figure controlling Eggman's army is Neo Metal Sonic as he attempts to find Eggman while taking over the world in his stead. And at the end of the issue, we find out he's conquered Angel Island.]]
** Issue #11 reveals [[spoiler:Mr. Tinker really is an amnesiac Dr. Eggman. He is kidnapped by Dr. Starline, a mad scientist that forcefully re-implants his memories.]]

** Issue #35 reveals [[spoiler:the hooded figure stalking the heroes in White Park is Dr. Starline himself]].
--->[[spoiler:'''Starline''': (''to Tails'') A-A-Ah, ''sidekick''...''I'll'' handle the dramatic reveal, thank-you-very-much!]]

** Issue #44 reveals [[spoiler:Belle's DarkAndTroubledPast in full detail, from shortly after her creation [[HowWeGotHere all the way up to when she first met Sonic and Tails]].]]

** The [[AlternateSelf classic universe characters]] ''in general'' are this, with special mention to Tails, Amy, and Ray.

--->'''Amy''': A friendly Motobug? There's a first for everything. They're kinda ''cute'' when they're not trying to run you over.

* RoboticUndead: The Metal Virus arc has [[EvilGenius Dr. Eggman]] create and unleash a [[{{Nanomachines}} nanomachine-based virus]] on the world. The goal was to transform everyone into robotic slaves under Eggman's control but it mutated beyond his control and turned those infected into mindless, robotic monstrosities. Sonic dubbed the infected "Zombots".

** [[spoiler:By ''All or Nothing'', every ComicRelief hero, including resident PluckyComicRelief Tangle, has become a Zombot, and Sonic's own comical traits have receded due to his trauma and fatigue. Due to those characters' infections sidelining them, said arc's PlayedForLaughs moments are largely limited to [[TheComicallySerious Knuckles]]' SkewedPriorities, Rouge's antics, and Eggman's [[LaserGuidedKarma comeuppance]] by Zombot!Froggy.]]

* SimultaneousArcs: Issues 21-23 (during the ''Last Minute'' Arc) take place at the same time. #21 from Tails perspective after Amy called him (while trying to create a cure for the Metal Virus). #22 showing what happened on Amy's end after she made the call (before the fall of Restoration HQ) and #23 showing what Sonic was doing as events happened in the former two issues (facing Eggman after his amnesia).
** Issues 26-28 (during the ''All or Nothing'' Arc) has Sonic's friends travel to separate parts of the world to take 5 Chaos Emeralds back from five of the Deadly Six at the same time. Justified as they had to prevent them from warning each other. Near the end of 28, everyone makes it back with 5 of the Emeralds. [[spoiler: Well, [[MoreHeroThanThou almost everyone]]… [[note]]Cream the Rabbit is infected by the virus, so Gemerl sends the Chaos Emerald to the portal of the rendezvous point, choosing to stay with Cream until the crisis is over. Jet the Hawk does the same to stay with his fellow Babylon Rogues in a LastStand against a Zombot horde.[[/note]]]]

* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:Dr. Starline]] attempts this several times, but to no avail. [[spoiler:First, he defies Eggman to recruit the Zeti while planning to double-cross the latter, only for the Zeti to [[OutGambitted out-betray]] him and appropriate the Metal Virus. His second attempt in ''Bad Guys'' also backfires, as Zavok upstages him again before Mimic [[NoHonorAmongThieves screws them]] ''[[NoHonorAmongThieves both]]'' [[NoHonorAmongThieves over]] [[LeftForDead and leaves them to die]]. Then, after learning the AwfulTruth in ''Imposter Syndrome'', Surge and Kit decide to hijack Starline's EvilPlan, feigning loyalty and helping him usurp Eggman while planning to kill both doctors. Sonic, and Tails.]]
-->'''Zavok:''' [[LampshadeHanging What was that about a "lack of foresight"?]]

*** Discussed in Issue #26. Sonic calls Eggman and Metal Sonic out on their RedemptionRejection and reminds Eggman of the good he could do as Mr. Tinker. However, Eggman smugly declares he is who he is and that's just the way he likes it, before making a KickTheDog speech. With that, Sonic gives up and bitterly concedes to this trope, telling his two main nemeses they'll go back to being enemies once the Metal Virus is no more; Eggman reponds that they never stopped being enemies in the first place. Later, after Eggman's defeat in Issue #32, Sonic laments they'll keep fighting for a long time and hopes, in vain, that the doctor will come around someday.

** The second arc, running from Issues #13-32 (plus the 2020 Annual), has the newly-returned Eggman unleashing the Metal Virus and turning heroes and villains alike into Zombots. [[spoiler:When the Deadly Six hijack the plague, the remaining survivors--good, bad, and neutral--must team up to stop both threats from destroying the world.]]

** [[spoiler:Shadow is convinced that being the UltimateLifeform will protect him from the Metal Virus. He's wrong.]]

* TarotTroubles: While camping Amy tries to give a tarot reading to Jewel, Tangle, and Belle. She refuses to show Belle her card and accidentally drops it in the campfire. [[spoiler: Later a wildfire starts and Belle believes her lighter tool caused it.]]

* TeamRocketWins: Starline's winning streak throughout Season 3. He escapes using his Tricore each time rival villains or the heroes corner him, [[spoiler:while Surge and Kit [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou spare him for their own ends]] after initially rebelling. His luck, however, [[DeadlyEuphemism hits a dead end]] once he crosses Eggman for the last time.]]

** Issue 17 starts with the Chaotix being informed of the Metal Virus. While they heed the warning, Vector assures Charmy it shouldn't be coming through their door anytime soon. Not a second later, the door is kicked in and Zombots start coming into their office. The trio make their way outside only to see Eggman attacking the city with the virus.
** In Issue 23, after losing the data for a Metal Virus cure and hearing about the concurrent mishaps on his friends' side, Sonic tiredly remarks that at least things can't get any worse--which, in the next two issues, ''[[FromBadToWorse they do]]''.
** At the end of Issue 31, Tangle tells Whisper she doesn't want more fighting in her hometown so soon after the Zombot Apocalypse. [[spoiler:Eggman shows up a moment later to crash the heroes' victory celebration.]]
** In Issue 50, [[spoiler:Starline, having taken over the Eggman Empire and lured Sonic, Tails, and Belle into a trap, gloats about his success and that he can soon rule with Eggman at his side. In the next instant, a vengeful Eggman appears in the Egg Emperor, ready to take his treacherous {{Fanboy}} down.]]

* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: [[spoiler:When Starline attempts to kill Sonic with a bombing, Eggman is furious, both because he views Sonic as his to defeat, and because he sees a mere bomb as a barbaric and unsophisticated means of victory.]]

** [[spoiler:Surge has this reaction when she first hallucinates the late Starline. Ditto Sonic when learns she survived falling down a garbage chute during their first encounter.]]

* UnfinishedUntestedUsedAnyway: Downplayed with the Metal Virus. Eggman does spend a few issues testing its limits but Starline feels that he ended up pushing the project out too quickly with only a basic amount of data gathered on it. [[spoiler:So of course, problems soon start occurring, with Eggman's control over the Zombots starts slipping, and he doesn't seem to care as long as it affects Sonic. The worst part, he never bothered to produce a cure in the off-chance he ends up infected himself. His attitude changes when Starline entrusts the Deadly Six to deal with the crisis.]]

** [[spoiler:Starline comes down ''hard'' in Issue #50 after Eggman thoroughly shreds his [[OperationBlank "Operation: Remaster"]] scheme. Granted, he had shown signs of this trope well prior, even ''before'' his falling-out with Eggman over the Metal Virus incident.]]

** Issue #7 [[spoiler:We find out the "Eggman" who's been running things is really Metal Sonic in his "Neo" mode.]]
** Issue #12: [[spoiler:The real Eggman regains his memories after seeing the damaged Metal Sonic and goes right back to villainy.]]

*** Issue #16: [[spoiler:The village that took Eggman in as an amnesiac is chosen as ground zero for the start of the Metal Virus plague. Meanwhile, Sonic learns that running can keep his infection at bay, but not cure it.]]
*** In "Crisis City", Eggman attacks several towns and cities with the Metal Virus. [[spoiler:While the Chaotix evacuate their city, Charmy ends up infected trying to save a civilian who got some of the virus on her. Cream's village is hit next, and while Vanilla and she manage to escape, Cheese and Chocola are infected protecting them and break out of the jars Sonic tried to ground them in. Then, Shadow gets infected when he refuses to listen to the advice of his comrades and fights barehanded against the Zombots. Omega's body is destroyed while trying to fight against the newly Zombot-ified Shadow, Tails barely managing to grab his head that houses his CPU so he isn't completely demolished and can be rebuilt later. At the same time Starline finds out about the Zeti and their robot controlling powers, hitting upon an idea to use them to control the Zombots.]]
*** In Issue #22: [[spoiler:Restoration HQ falls when a ZombieInfectee gets into the base and fully changes, with Vanilla and Vector getting infected in the ensuing chaos.]]

* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: In Issue 14, Eggman explains to Dr. Starline why he never just hunts down Sonic and does this.

* ''[[Recap/SonicTheHedgehogIDWTangleAndWhisper Tangle & Whisper]]'': During Wondercon 2019, the staff revealed the first spin-off mini-series starring the titular duo which started in the summer of the same year. The story focuses on the two [[CanonForeigner Canon Foreigners]] as they deal with a shapeshifting villain named Mimic who seems to have ties with Whisper. This would be the third time a non-Sega character got their own mini-series within a Sonic comic (Sally had her own mini back in the 90s and Scourge received his own story arc in ''Sonic Universe'').

In July 2020, Tangle and Whisper joined the mobile games ''VideoGame/SonicDash'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForcesSpeedBattle'' as playable characters, with the former appearing in ''Dash'' on July 3-9 and in ''Speed Battle'' on July 8, and the latter appearing in ''Dash'' on July 10-16 and in ''Speed Battle'' in July 17, marking as the first appearance of comic characters outside their continuity. (Barring non-playable cameos from the Archie cast in the bonus stages of ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]''.) Furthermore, in 2022, Tangle received a direct reference in one of Sonic's idle lines when you wait long enough in one place in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', marking the first time that a comic character has managed to make the jump all the way from non-game material, into the mainline games as part of the content on the day that a mainline game released as opposed to being added in later.

* AdaptationExpansion: The ''IDW'' series, acting as a sequel to ''Videogame/SonicForces'', answers some minor questions of the original game. These answers should be taken as LooseCanon (as in, fact until the games state otherwise).

* AlternateContinuity: ZigZagged. When it initially started, the series was said to be set in a separate continuity from the previous ''Sonic'' comics and other ''Sonic'' media, including the games. However, later on in the comic's run, as part of an effort by Creator/SonicTeam to streamline and unify the ''Sonic'' canon, the comic would be retroactively made canon to the games continuity (albeit in a LooseCanon sense), with Tangle getting name dropped in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers''.

** Issue #8 has Sonic teaming up with Silver the Hedgehog and [[CanonForeigner Whisper the Wolf]]. Sonic and Silver are both male and possess SuperSpeed and {{Telekinesis}}, respectively. Whisper uses a [[SwissArmyWeapon Wisp-powered rifle]].

* BroadStrokes: The ''IDW Sonic'' series take place in an AlternateContinuity of modern Sonic, but like with the Post-Genesis Wave ''Archie Sonic'' series, events of the games happened in the past. How the games events align in the timeline is a question the regular games have, and the comic prefers to not answer it. Almost all the modern games have happened, but the following are ignored: the classic Sonic series (due to ExecutiveMeddling) and ''Videogame/TeamSonicRacing''.

* CanonForeigner: This comic introduces four new major heroes not original to the games: Tangle the Lemur, Whisper the Wolf, Jewel the Beetle, and Belle the Tinkerer. It also introduces seven new antagonists: Dr. Starline, a rival MadScientist to Eggman; skunk brothers Rough and Tumble; {{shapeshifting}} mercenary Mimic the Octopus; IntrepidMerchant Clutch the Opossum; and two new doppelgangers, Surge the Tenrec and Kitsunami the Fennec.
** CanonImmigrant: That said, according to WordOfGod, Sega actually owns the rights to all the IDW-made characters, and can use them at will. Tangle and Whisper have subsequently appeared in the mobile spin-off games ''VideoGame/SonicDash'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForcesSpeedBattle'', [[spoiler:and in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', a remark about Tangle from Sonic officially confirms her existence in the main games' universe.]]

* ContinuityCavalcade: Used to help establish the comic's canon, especially in the first two arcs when the continuity was still rather fresh.

* ContinuityReboot: This will not follow any storylines established in the Archie series, or any other adaptation. Also, none of Ian Flynn's characters will return, not even being reimagined for the new continuity, in the interest of a new clean slate.

* DebutQueue: The first four issues feature Sonic teaming with Tails, Amy, Knuckles and Blaze respectively. The third issue also features the debut of the CanonForeigner villains Rough and Tumble, with Tangle the Ring-tailed Lemur and Dr. Eggman following in Issue #4, the Chaotix in Issue #5, and Shadow and Rouge in Issue #6. Issue #7 features the return of [[spoiler:Neo Metal Sonic]], and the 8th issue has both the return of Silver and the debut of another new character, Whisper the Wolf.

* PowerCrystal: The comics introduce a new one courtesy of Dr. Starline, the Warp Topaz - a gemstone that can manipulate space and [[ThinkingUpPortals create portals to other places]]. [[spoiler:Starline loses the gemstone after being fired during the Metal Virus arc, with the gemstone's fate uncertain after Super Sonic and Super Silver use it to [[HurlItIntoTheSun throw the Metal Virus into the sun]]]]. The Chaos Emeralds, Master Emerald, and Sol Emeralds from the games are carried over into this continuity as well.

* TimeSkip: As it carries on from ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' (or at least in a continuity similar to it), it's set one month after the ending of that game. The Resistance, who disbanded after the events of the war against Eggman, have regrouped due to both realizing restoration efforts are going to take much longer than expected and that some of Eggman's Badniks are still running amok and causing chaos.

* ADayInTheLimelight: Focuses on the two canon foreigners of the series.

* ContinuityCavalcade: Two in the first two arcs to help establish the new comic's canon.

In July 2020, Tangle and Whisper joined the mobile games ''VideoGame/SonicDash'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForcesSpeedBattle'' as playable characters, with the former appearing in ''Dash'' on July 3-9 and in ''Speed Battle'' on July 8, and the latter appearing in ''Dash'' on July 10-16 and in ''Speed Battle'' in July 17, marking as the first appearance of comic characters outside their continuity. (Barring non-playable cameos from the Archie cast in the bonus stages of ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]''.) Furthermore, in 2022, Tangle received a direct reference in one of Sonic's idle lines when you wait long enough in one place in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', marking the first time (to the knowledge of the troper adding in this particular sentence) that a comic character has managed to make the jump all the way from non-game material, into the mainline games as part of the content on the day that a mainline game released as opposed to being added in later.