Recap / Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Trial by Fire Arc

This was supposed to be relaxing... Now it's up in flames. Literally. ^note Issue #46 Cover A by Jennifer Hernandez.

Written by:	Evan Stanley
Year:	Four
Saga:	Eggman's Legacy
Arc Duration:	#45 - #47

After everything that has happened lately, Amy, Jewel, Tangle, and Belle head off on a well-deserved camping trip in hopes of getting some rest, relaxation and peace. Unfortunately, tensions are high between the girls. Not long after, a forest fire erupts around the campground. Belle gets caught up in the expanding fire, only to get unexpected help from Motobud. Amy and Jewel work on keeping the masses organized while Tangle looks for a missing child named Ashe and his companion, Red Hot. Eventually finding Belle and teaming up with her and Motobud, Tangle and her group find Ashe and learn that two anonymous figures are behind the fire. Eventually, Tangle, Belle, Ashe, Red Hot, and the Motobug manage to find their way back to the campground and aid Jewel in her plan to quell the fire. Following this, Tails repairs Belle's hand and Tangle leaves the Restoration with Jewel's blessing to find Whisper.

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Tropes

• Based on a True Story/Real Life Writes the Plot: As stated in Issue #47's "Sonic Letters Squad" section, Evan Stanley based the plot of this arc on a personal experience where her family had to escape a wildfire in Oregon through whitewater rafting when she was 15, as well as on the redwood fires in California that started in 2020.
• Breather Episode: Set between the more intense Zeti Hunt and Battle of the Empire arcs, this arc is a relatively low-stakes story with a simpler premise and only localized danger. It's also fairly short, spanning only three issues (instead of the usual four).
• But Now I Must Go:
  • Whisper finds out that Mimic escaped from prison and heads out to find him, leaving the Restoration so as not to put them in danger.
  • Tangle quits the Restoration at the end of the arc and sets out to find Whisper. Though Tangle later tells Sonic she'll still aid the Restoration, just won't be a member in it.
• Camping Episode: Or Story Arc, in this case, but the camping trip is primarily the focus of this one.
• Continuity Cameo:
  • Big can be seen in the crowd shot when the girls arrive at the campsite, fishing as usual.
  • Lanolin is seen among the people rushing to evacuate the fire-stricken campsite.
  • The family of villagers who took up residence in Eggman's Lost Pyramid from "Curse of the Pyramid" can be seen trying to evacuate using a trailer.
  • The Chaotix appear at the very end of the arc, reading a newspaper article about Surge and Kit's attack on Central City.
• Covers Always Lie: Issue #45's A cover sees the girls traveling in a RV camper. In the comic, they all go in Amy's car.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Kit and Surge appear twice in silhouette during #46: first at the beginning when when Belle reboots and turns back on, and later in a flashback when Ashe reveals the duo caused the fire. This was before Surge and Kit's proper debut in Imposter Syndrome.
• Everything Trying to Kill You: Befitting a wildfire scenario, the environment is Tangle and Belle's nemesis as they're trying to save Ashe and his Red Wisp. The four, along with the Motobug, brave huge walls of flame, thick smoke, unstable ground, a falling tree, river rapids, and finally a waterfall before they make it back to the campground.
• Extremely Short Timespan: Lasting only three issues and playing out almost entirely within 24 hours in-universe, this arc is one of the shortest in the series.
• Face Plant: Belle and Tangle get bucked off the Motobug after jumping the ravine, with both girls landing on their faces.
• Foregone Conclusion: A newspaper headline seen in the first issue of Imposter Syndrome confirms Amy and the others stop the fire.
• Fortune Teller: Amy who uses it as an activity while the girls are around the campfire, drawing Tarot cards to give out some predictions to Jewel, Tangle and Belle.
  • Jewel draws a card representing leadership and strength, which Amy claims fits her new role in the Restoration, but she is not totally convinced.
  • Tangle’s card is ambiguous with multiple meanings such as a moral dilemma, showdown, or partnership.
  • Amy refuses to show Belle her card and accidentally drops it in the fire when Belle tries to take it, then lies about what it was, suggesting it was pretty bad^note According to Evan Stanley, it was the "falling island," which is an omen of great peril, foreshadowing the trials the heroines would face throughout the arc.
• Girl's Night Out Episode: The plot focuses on four of the series' heroines; namely Amy, Tangle, Jewel, and Belle. Sonic does consider joining them, but he'd already promised to hang out and play videos games with Tails, who holds him to that commitment.
• Good All Along: The Motobug that surprised Belle. It pulls Belle out of the path of the fire and puts out her hand when it's still burning.
• Heroic BSoD: Tangle of all characters has one throughout #45 as a result of Whisper leaving the Restoration. As noted below, Jewel also suffers this trope after the wildfire breaks out, doubting her ability to handle the situation until Amy boosts her confidence.
• Inevitable Waterfall: Tangle, Belle, and Ashe encounter one as they ride a log down the river, with the Motobug following them down as it clings to Tangle's tail. Luckily, the waterfall isn't too high and they all come out unscathed—except for the Motobug, whose right antenna is broken off in the impact.
• Irony: Belle, a robot with all-wooden casing, turning out to have a fire lighter among the assortment of tools in her fingers. Lampshaded:
  Belle: It comes in handy, but it's still a little nerve-wracking when you're made of wood.
• Jerkass: The old camper in the second issue, despite the ranger's attempts at keeping things orderly and explaining his child is missing. The man acts completely unfazed to his plight and even seems to accuse the ranger's son's Wisp for starting the fire. Luckily, Amy gets him to shut up via hammering the rock in the middle of the camp and allowing Jewel some time to think of an evacuation plan.
• Jump Scare: Belle gets one from a random Motobug and gets knocked out during the struggle.
• Kryptonite Is Everywhere: Due to the forest fire, Belle finds herself under the threat of being burned like kindle. Sure, the fire is a threat to everyone, but she's especially vulnerable due to her wooden body.
• Let Us Never Speak of This Again: When Belle calms down Ashe by honking her nose, Tangle is amazed by how cute it was. Belle prefers it not be public knowledge, though.
  Tangle: Funny clown nose...
  Belle: If you tell anyone, I will disassemble your bicycle and hide every piece.
• Literal Cliffhanger: Happens to Tangle, Belle, and Ashe at the end of #46, right before they plunge into the canyon below along with Ashe's Red Wisp and the Motobug.
• Missed Him by That Much: Surge and Kit are mere feet in front of Belle when she reactivates following the Motobug attack. Oblivious to her presence, the duo vanish before she can get a better look at them.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Amy fortune telling is a trait she was stated to have in Sonic CD.
  • The old camper in the second issue of this arc bears a resemblance to Uncle Chuck's redesign in the Archie Comics post-Super Genesis Wave.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Belle is horrified when she sees the fire after waking up, thinking that she accidentally caused it by passing out with her lighter finger still on. She's incredibly relieved to later learn it was actually Kit and Surge's fault.
• Nervous Wreck: Belle and Jewel. Justified, considering the circumstances.
• Nightmare Face: Kit sports one in Ashe's flashback.
• Nothing Is Scarier: Invoked with Surge and Kit, both before and after they've fled the scene of their crime. They and the four heroines never interact nor are even in the same shot, except when Belle sees the duo's heat-distorted silhouettes from behind. Surge and Kit are still out there at the end of the arc, with the Restoration largely oblivious to what's really going on.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • The fortune card Amy pulls for Belle. It's implied it wasn't good, but neither Belle nor the reader really see it, as it ends up falling into the campfire. Amy then gives a different card and lies that this is the actual one for Belle.
  • Belle get this when she hears a noise and searches through her accessories in her hand for a flashlight. Only to find out the only thing she can use to illuminate her surroundings is the lighter, the one device she's nervous about using.
  • The above-mentioned Inevitable Waterfall moment.
  • Jewel almost has a heart attack when she sees the Motobug, until the other girls vouch for it.
• Red Filter of Doom: The glow from the forest fire creates this effect.
• Red Herring: The first issue gives us two possible causes for the fire. First is Ashe's Burst Wisp friend who could've done it by playing around with him. The grouchy camper in the second issue even accuses the Wisp of starting the fire. And secondly Belle's fire lighter tool in her hand which was still on when the motobug jumped out at her and briefly knocked her out. They both turn out to be misdirections as Ashe reveals later that it was Surge using her lightning powers on dry leaves and sticks to deliberately cause a forest fire.
• Red Right Hand: One of Belle's "gloves" is burned off in the wildfire, exposing the hand of her metal endoskeleton and forcing to Tangle to bandage it with some of her sports tape. Tails crafts Belle a new hand casing at the end of the arc.
• Simultaneous Arcs: Issue #1 of the Imposter Syndrome miniseries occurs parallel to this arc, with the forest fire itself turning out to be a deliberate gambit by Dr. Starline to kill Amy and drive Sonic into the Despair Event Horizon over her death. It ended up failing as Starline didn't take into account that Amy, Belle, Tangle and Jewel were more than capable of handling themselves and saving the day on their own. Moreover, Kit and Surge's arson (the direct cause of the fire) is witnessed by Ashe, and Belle sees them leaving the scene as she wakes up after the Motobug attack. At the end of the arc, we see Kit and Surge's attack on Central City has also taken place, as Vector is reading a newspaper article about it.
• Shout-Out: A random character resembling Garfield can be seen fishing at the campsite next to Big.
• Sneeze Cut: When Amy says that her fortune telling led her to someone important to her, we cut to Sonic sneezing while playing video games with Tails.
• So Proud of You: Said verbatim by Jewel as she accepts Tangle's resignation.
• Stepford Smiler: Tangle, Jewel, and Belle are all trying to hide that they are all in some way pretty miserable during the trip. Tangle is worried about Whisper and upset she left the Restoration. Jewel is overwhelmed by work while also feeling that she and Tangle might be drifting apart. Belle is of course still dealing with the truth of her father while also feeling like she doesn't belong with the Restoration.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
  • Whereas a couple of previous issues showed a bit of physical and emotional/psychological consequences of the Zombot Apocalypse caused by the Metal Virus (misplaced citizens around the globe and general fatigue, respectively), Issue 45 introduces a serious environmental one. Because the formerly infected plant life didn't absorb enough water during the hydration season, most of the camping area where Amy and her friends are traveling have become too dry. It doesn't take much to start a fire.
  • Belle and the Motobug aren't affected by the fire smoke, since they're robots and don't have respiratory systems. Tangle, however, does, and charging headlong into the blaze without proper protection results in her temporarily choking from smoke inhalation. Meanwhile, Amy and other campers avoid this by putting on cloth face masks, as one is supposed to do during a fire.
  • Tangle and Belle try to jump the chasm on the Motobug using Belle's kick function to cross. Despite the added boost, they still end up falling short, only managing to get across thanks to Tangle's tail.
  • Sometimes friends who work together need a change of pace and it's understandable to let them do something different then trying to keep them by your side. Tangle and Jewel come to this understanding at the end of the arc with the former deciding to leave the Restoration to help Whisper and Jewel, having already figured working within the Restoration wasn't to Tangle's liking, more then willing to let her go with no hard feelings.
• Tempting Fate:
  • The campground ranger instills some strict rules around fire safety as he mentions the plants previously infected by the Metal Virus couldn't be hydrated to avoid drying out. By the end of Issue 45, the forest around the campsite is on fire.
  • Apparently, Eggman still couldn't plan for the long term even when he was Mr. Tinker, seeing as a lighter—with which Belle could accidentally roast herself—is among the tools he built into her hands. Sure enough, her hand is burnt when she wakes up after being jumped by the Motobug.
  • Tangle saves herself, Belle, and Ashe from falling off a cliff, only to jinx herself by exclaiming "close one"; cue the cliff giving way and dropping the trio, along with the Motobug and Ashe's Red Wisp, into the huge chasm below.
  • Amy hopes the wildfire situation was accidental, but we all know it was really arson committed by Surge and Kit. Sonic himself is suspicious of what's going on. Sure enough at the end, the Park Ranger comes across a tree struck by Surge's lightning and finds unfamiliar footprints in the ground next to it.
    Park Ranger: Firewatch, come in. Yup, it's like you said. This was no accident.
• That Came Out Wrong: Tangle quickly realizes she could've worded her resignation announcement a tad better when she sees the other girls' reaction(s).
• Wham Episode: Downplayed, but Tangle announces she's leaving the Restoration. Largely to go help Whisper against Mimic, but mostly because she prefers being on the front lines and going to the action then waiting for it.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Jewel has a Heroic BSoD when asked to take over the evacuation of the park, feeling that she's been useless as the Restoration's leader during recent crises. Amy calms her down, telling her that she's always done her best, and that's all that's being asked of her. This calms Jewel down enough to start organizing things with a level head.

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