Nightmare Fuel cleanup and maintenance

Year One

• Silver mentions his return back to the present day of the story was due to finding no one in his future around this time. No sign of life or anything. Just some metal bits here and there. A sign of things to come. I think this could be kept but the last sentence should go.
• Shadow is fully willing to murder Mr Tinker for his crimes as Dr Eggman. The only reason he doesn't is because Sonic points out the hypocrisy that Shadow also underwent an amnesiac Heel–Face Turn. Doesn't explain what's scary about this and Shadow being murderous is within his personality.
• Issue #11 brings us Dr. Starline, a shady scientist platypus, who notes that he has been studying Mr.Tinker/Dr. Eggman quite intently. He then proceeds to give Tinker electroshock therapy to try to revert him back to Eggman. Keep the electroshock, remove the rest.

Year Two

Dr. Eggman's plan in Issue #13: a techno-organic virus that spreads through direct contact with the transforming agent or anything living thing that's infected by it. All infected are turned into mindless machines that serve Eggman's will, just like Roboticization from Sonic Sat AM, Sonic Underground and the Archie comics. We get to see the first live test subjects suffer this fate. Not to mention that look of utter glee on his face as he conducts the experiments. Keep but maybe with a rewrite.

• Dr. Starline decides to forgo theatrics and kill Sonic and Silver by tricking them into activating a bomb. The only reason it doesn't work is because Silver is able to throw up a shield in time. He manages to trick Sonic into going inside by telling him exactly what he's just made Silver do. Keep with a rewrite?
• Eggman's response to this? Grab Starline through a portal by the throat and slamming him against a case so hard it breaks, all the while ranting that the hedgehog is his to destroy, and that simply killing him isn't good enough - he has to completely break Sonic so he knows Eggman had victory over him. Cut?
• While going through the mine to one of Eggman's old bases. Amy proclaims it was one of the greatest victories in the war before Sonic re-joined them. But likewise mentions they lost people as well when she point her flashlight at a left behind Resistance helmet. A very grim reminder that the fight to take back the planet from Eggman did indeed have casualties. Cut, Fridge Horror.
• When Sonic and Amy reach one of the old computers and manage to get into Eggman's old files, they find that he plans to build a small-scale replica of the ARK space colony, which destroyed half the moon at low power in its debut game. In this case though, they also find something about a "payload" as well but are interrupted before they discover exactly what that is. Cut.
• Eggman tricks the Skunk Brothers into using the Metal Virus in their third go-around with Sonic, and they become utterly mindless and continue attacking, like zombies. What's worse, however, is that any attack they receive is completely unregistered. Amy hits Rough with her hammer and knocks off half of his body, including his left arm, and Sonic's spin dashes on Tumble leave holes in his body, which regenerate almost instantly. Sonic then contracts the virus himself, leading into issues-long arc to cure him before he succumbs as well. Keep?
  • Sonic and Amy have to resort to trapping Rough and Tumble in a very deep pit so they can escape. Cut.
• Issue #16 starts with Sonic managing to use a treadmill device from Tails to be able to put the virus into remission. For the time being it's under control, the fact that it's treated like a real disease is unsettling to say the least. Oh no, a treadmill! Cut.
• Issue #16 also shows how absolutely terrifying Eggman is as he infects Windmill Village with the Metal Virus. Things play out like the horrifying hybrid of a natural disaster and a Zombie Apocalypse, as first the liquified virus runs over the place like a flood (including villagers desperately scrambling for safety on rooftops), and then the few uninfected people find themselves hunted by the zombots. Worse, then the zombots start spreading outward, with the last panel showing an infected bird flying towards a major city. Keep?
• Issue #17 plays up the Zombie Apocalypse aspect, as the Chaotix's hometown gets infected and quickly overrun. Retreating after some zombots break into their office, the Chaotix are greeted with the horrifying image of Eggman's ship dumping liquid Metal Virus on buildings as zombots flood the streets and people run for their lives. And since the zombots can't be fought without the infection spreading, there's no hope of fighting them off, with the only option being to run. And not even the Chaotix leave the issue unscathed. Charmy heads back to get someone who Vector forcibly quaranteed (by trapping her in a circle of cars)...only to discover that she is now a zombot. And is then himself promptly overrun by more zombots... Keep with some spelling/grammar edits
  • It's also implied that Sonic's own infection is starting to overpower his own speed. Cut.
• Two major cities have been infected, and the occupants are spilling out into the rest of the world. This includes places with nature, and as Eggman's first test demonstrated, plants aren't safe either. It's only a matter of time before rolling fields become even more dangerous than roving zombots. And Seaside City was, as its name suggested, next to the ocean, which is teeming with all sorts of organic life... Unsure.
• Issue #18 shows that Eggman is starting to lose control of the Zombots, due to the virus mutating as it spreads. And unlike Starline, he's not even trying to figure out a solution, saying that he'll handle it later. This does not bode well. Cut?
• We all know Eggman can be a sadistic cuss, but he goes a step further in this issue by willingly targeting Cream's village for no other reason just to see Sonic suffer. Cut.
• The situation has gotten so out of control that two of the villagers in Cream's village try to burn the area in the hopes it'll contain the outbreak. Sonic quickly stops them stating fire will only result in trapping those unaffected as the virus is more than resistant to heat. Cut?
• Cheese and Chocola end up infected protecting Cream and Vanilla and quickly turn. Sonic tries to ground them using glass jar, stating he has enough to deal with with the ground forces and doesn't need them flying around. But the end of the issue shows the two starting to break through the glass after Sonic heads off. Cut.

• Issue #19 - Shadow the Hedgehog, one of the Resistance's most powerful allies, is now a Zombot. And? Cut.
• Just how widespread the infection is getting. By the time Sonic arrives in Sunset City, the Zombots have pretty much overun the city with most of the people trapped in buildings. Omega, one of the more gun happy allies of Sonic, states even he doesn't have enough ammo to take them on and, though Shadow puts up a good front, he makes the mistake of willingly grabbing one of the infected and gets infected himself. When told to run, he utterly refuses (mistaking it to mean to retreat rather than running to burn off the infection like Sonic) and we soon see that even the Ultimate Life Form can only handle so many enemies before he's ultimately swarmed and fully infected. Cut.

Even worse, Sonic is starting to hit his limit as he notes he's getting tired. Having to constantly be on the move, fighting, breaking off to keep his infection in check and jumping back in to help people with no rest in between. Suffice to say, his time is running out. Cut, just describes stuff without saying why it's scary (and Sonic keeps going for about 7 issues after).

Issue #20

• The horde becomes too much for Sonic and Omega to deal with in addition to the newly Zombot-ified Shadow. While they buy time for Rouge to get the non-infected away, Omega is utterly disemboweled by Shadow and Sonic ends up nearly pinned by him as well with the other Zombots closing in. Luckily Tails and Silver arrive to save the pair (Somewhat in Omega's case, Tails can only get his head plate away after his body is destroyed), though by the time they do, the infection has nearly spread to all of Sonic's body leaving only his face and his shoes the last bits not covered. Shadow also nearly hits Silver in the retreat. Even Sonic notes that was way too close a call. Maybe keep but with a rewrite?
• Sonic meets Cream at the Resistance HQ helping around with the uninfected. When Sonic asks why she's not sleeping, she states she tried but keeps having nightmares. Cheese and Chocola becoming infected is still fresh in her mind. Cut for being in-universe.
• Sonic meets up with Amy who's trying to coordinate rescue efforts. At one point losing contact with a ship and trying desperately to get them to respond. The expressions of Sonic and her speak volumes. Cut.
• It's pretty clear that Sonic's attempts to fight off the infection is taking a toll on his body and mind. He admits to Vector and Espio that he barely has any time for sleep. He can take naps but they have to be very brief lest the infection spreads, constantly putting him on alert even in his down times. Keep with a rewrite?
• At the end of the issue, Starline looks over Eggman's archives of his previous plans and comes across the events that happened in Sonic Lost World. Particularly how the Zeti took over Eggman's machines after the Cacophonic Conch shell was kicked away by Sonic and hits upon a Eureka Moment to use their powers to get the Zombots to follow orders. Uh-oh. Cut.

Issue #21:

• The issue cover is a Zombot-ified Cheese smashing through the window to get at Tails. Cut. Even as a zombie Chao aren't scary XD;
• The issue opens with Eggman targeting Central City much to Tails' horror since he was in the midst of working on a cure to the Zombot virus. Talk about bad timing. What more while going to get a sample of the virus, he sees some Flickies turned Zombots flying overhead. Cut.
• Starline goes to the Zeti and acts pretty cordial with Zavok and Zor, offering them a chance to come back into Eggman's service. But it becomes immediately apparent that the Zeti are going to take advantage of Starline's offer of alliance to stab him and Eggman in the back, Zavok saying as much as soon as he leaves. Cut, this is second-nature for the Zeti and isn't scary.
• Tangle and Whisper help with evacuations but can't seem to get a hold of anyone. When Tangle contacts Silver, we see he's barely holding the line at Ice Paradise with the city being on fire. Cut.
• Tails manages to the semantics of the virus and finds the cure. But just as he starts to upload it to the Restoration HQ, Cheese and Chocola show up and rip out the wi-fi. So Tails goes to get the Server Blades, but one of the Zombots manages to get into his base and destroy it. Well Hope Spots are a staple of a Zombie Apocalypse after all. Cut.
• Rescue finally arrives to pull out the evacuatees... excepts there's only one ship flying in. After Tails, Tangle and Whisper get aboard, they ask Amy where are the other ships. And she reveals that hers was the only one to escape and that Restoration HQ has fallen. Everyone on the ship? Yeah, that seems to be what's left of the Resistance from the base. Cut, more of a dramatic moment than scary.

Issue #22

• The fall of Restoration HQ is shown. A single Zombie Infectee, scared and not wanting to be alone, got into the base. They fully change into a Zombot, and all hell breaks lose. The situation escalates even further when the Zombot Charmy, who had been captured and contained by Vector and Espio earlier, escapes, allowing for the infection to spread even faster. Vanilla is infected, Cream screaming for her mother as she is dragged away, and Vector is infected as well after he is forced to tackle Charmy to prevent him from escaping the base. And with the Zeti on the way too, Sonic is literally the only hope these people have left. keep?
  • Not just that, the sheer speed at which it happens is horrifying. Restoration was packed to the brim, there was barely enough space for anyone to walk around. When one person turned out to be infected, the entire crowd panicked, but because everyone was so tightly packed, they couldn't escape. Everyone was converted within minutes. Imagine, being stuck in a small room, in a crowd of panicking people, seeing people get squeezed and trampled all around you, and there's nothing you can do to escape as everyone around you is infected and converted. Seems more like Firdge Horror but could be salvaged. i think.

Issue #23

• Sonic comes across the city where Rough and Tumble had taken over, hoping it's safe but naturally the Metal Virus has reached there too to his dismay. Cut.
• We see Eggman and Starline experimenting on finding a frequency to control the Zombots there. While discussing the matter, Eggman reveals he didn't think to inoculate themselves from the virus much to Starline's horror and his solution to it is simply "just don't get touched". What's more, when Eggman suggests trying to use the Warp Topaz, even Starline firmly says no to him telling him of the consequences of such due to the unstable nature of it. But even after hearing this, Eggman still insists. Mad Scientist to the core indeed. Cut?
• Sonic hitting his wit's end with Eggman to the point he even questions if it was worth it giving him another chance. When they meet up again, Sonic is in no mood for witty banter and demands Eggman make a cure. When he refuses, Sonic attempts to infect him with the virus out of spite, which forcibly knocks him out of his egg moblie where the Zombots start to swarm the pair. Eggman's only saved due to Starline managing to find a frequency to control the Zombots to which Sonic quickly destroys his flying craft before Starline has a chance to save it. Another close call. Cut, just describing a scene and doesn't dwell on the horror.
• In the end the whole endeavor is a Pyrrhic Victory for Sonic though as the data collector he was using ends up busted in the fight, meaning now both devices that had the information for a cure are now gone and he narrowly succumbs to becoming a Zombot once again. While he manages to run it off, he cites he's tired and knows he can't keep it up for much longer. Then he jinxes himself asking things can't get any worse, to which we see Starline tell the Zeti to prepare themselves, Zavok once more declaring his intention of betrayal... and Starline revealing he has a Caphonic Conch in his possession, more than aware of the Zeti's treachery and being ready for them. Needless to say, a Mêlée à Trois seems imminent. Cut. Just a summary of stuff and not revealing why it's scary.

Issue #24

• The main cover features the principal cast of the games (including Marine, Dodon-Pa, the various Chao and Wisps, and even Captain Whisker) and the comics side-by-side with their zombot versions, which are all some type of terrifying. Special attention to Omega and Gemerl, who don't have zombot forms (given that they are inorganic and can't be infected); instead, they're shown dead, cracked, and riddled with bullet holes. Keep but rewrite more?
• By this point most of Sonic's friends actually start turning on him for his decision to spare Eggman. Espio really gets on him since he lost Charmy and Vector and even Cream seems to issue a non-verbal version since since losing Vanilla, Cheese and Chocola. When you even get one of the more optimistic members of the series against you like that, you know things are bad. Cut.
• We learn from Gemerl that Sonic's speed's resistance to the virus is starting to wear off. Cut.
• Tangle reveals she got infected by a Zombot-ified Jewel off screen. While she doesn't despair over it and even gives Sonic a much needed pep talk. You can tell Sonic isn't happy with this turn of events and it's taking all he has to honor her last requests while she has her free will. Seeing her turning in the middle of fighting doesn't help either. Shadow was at least swarmed, while Tangle just... stops completely once overcome. Cut as-is? Maybe rewrite.
• Whisper's very dramatic Heroic BSoD upon learning Tangle got infected and stayed behind to allow the others to escape. Along with being a major tearjerker, you have to understand she had just gotten over losing her teammates after Tangle helped her defeat Mimic. So losing yet another team member can not be good for her psyche. Sonic can't even help comfort her due to the infection. Cut, more of a tearjerker.
• The final shot as Starline presents the Zeti to Eggman. Especially the last lines. Cut, not scary.

Year Three

Issue 25

• The Restoration remnants arrive at the only uninfected area left: Angel Island. When Sonic meets Knuckles, half his body is covered due to having travel on the airship and having no time to run. He quickly speeds off to let the others tell Knuckles what's happening. Cut, not scary.
• Starline attempts to keep the Zeti in control with the Conch...only for Zazz to headbutt him and allowing Zeena to snatch it out of his hands. Starline is immediately confused, why didn't it work?! Eggman explains that the Conch only works if he has the lung capacity. Poor lung capacity is not scary. Cut.
• Exhausted and nearly broken from everything that's happened, it's clear that Sonic is done with Eggman's crap. When he and Starline warp in front of the remains of the Restoration, Sonic calls off an attack on the grounds that the pair are unarmed and were clearly just on the receiving end of something. He then orders Eggman to give them a straight answer, or he'll infect them himself. Cut.
• We later find out that as the Metal Virus continues to mutate, it becomes unsustainable; any infected eukaryote cells will eventually suffer a form of apoptosis. Autotrophic cells will endure slightly longer but not by much. In other words, those infected by the Metal Virus will eventually disintegrate. And apparently, this won't happen for the next two hundred years... which is why Silver's future is in that state of destruction. Keep.
• It turns out the reasons for Eggman's Suicidal Overconfidence with the virus and working on a cure were A) because everything was going to be dead eventually anyway, and B) because he was intending to evacuate to another planet once he was done infecting this one. That's right; the good doctor deemed that it would be more practical for him to just abandon the planet he's spent years trying to conquer than sit around trying to manage his wayward creation. Keep?
• Silver regroups with the others, very bruise and wiped out. When asked what happened at Ice Paradise, he tells them that the Zombots caused the shuttle to go down and he wasn't able to save anyone. He likewise confirms what Eggman is talking about and fears the future he went back to is coming to pass. Cut?
• The group go over anything they can think of to counter the Zeti and the virus and all are shot down. Use the Master Emerald? Nope. They risk causing Angel Island to fall and Knuckles refuses to let them touch it. Chaos Control? Shadow had a better grasp on it, Silver can barely do it and it could only move objects over a limited range, so wouldn't be of any use. Super Sonic? Sure, it'll give Sonic an extra boost but only for offensive purposes, and it can't cure the virus. All the usual outs that have saved them in the past are useless in their current situation. Save for the Warp Topaz which brings us to... cut, not scary.
• Eggman commanding Metal to take Starline's Warp Topaz. A reminder while he can be bumbling, the man is still dangerous and just needs the right opportunity to turn things in his favor. This culminates in him "firing" Starline and having Metal throw him into a portal and, presumably, out for the rest of the arc. Sonic has virtually no problem with this, Starline caused the whole mess in the first place by helping to bring Eggman back to normal and now having the Zeti to deal with on top of everything. Needless to say, likely next time we see Starline, a good chance he'll be less than cordial with the good doctor. cut, not scary.
  • What's more since Eggman now has the Warp Topaz, anything is likely to happen considering Starline warned him the dangers of overtaxing it. This is also a last resort at best as well since, again, every other option they have can't help them. Speculation, cut.
• The Zeti in general are this. In Lost World, they were mostly Played for Laughs, with Zavok and Zik being the only ones that could be taken truly seriously. Here? That’s thrown out the window, and we are treated to the fact that the Zeti are well and truly evil. Highlights include Zor showing himself to be an absolute sadist, Zomom using the Zombots to deplete a village of its food supply, Zazz being Zazz, and Zeena, who previously was little more than a self-absorbed fashion nut, is now showing herself to be an absolute narcissist, effectively forcing Sunset City to praise her. It goes to show; the moment the Deadly Six are given an inch, they will take a goddamn mile. Only Zor and Zazz's segments are scary, Zomom and Zeena are played for laughs. Also needs some heavy rewriting and an actual explanation of what Zor and Zazz are doing, and 'the Zeti in general' needs to go.
• The final shot of the issue is the Zeti commanding the Zombots to continue spreading the virus wherever they can, to which we see Big, Vanilla, Cheese, Chocola, Jewel, Charmy, Vector, Tangle and Shadow among the ranks in their control. Also keep in mind this is Big's first appearance in this comic! Heck of a way to finally join in on the story. Doesn't seem scary, and the Big tangent is kinda funny.
• Issue #27 B Cover features Cream with bits of the Metal Virus on her as Gemerl holds her, Amy looking on worried and Tails fighting against Zomom and Zeena as an army of Zombots trail behind them. not scary; cut.

Miniseries/Other

• From Tangle and Whisper issue #1, we have Mimic. Granted, he’s not as scary as the Zombots or some of the other monsters seen in the series(like Dark Gaia or Mephiles, for example), but he’s pretty terrifying in his own right. His entire shtick is that he’s a murderous shape-shifter with a Nightmare Face and black eyes. Also, he likes to make himself look like Sonic to screw with people or lure and manipulate potential victims to him. Leaving aside the obvious Paranoia Fuel that comes with someone that could take the form and appearance of literally anyone around you without you knowing whether ther’re Mimic or not, there’s also the fact that he’s stalking Tangle, Whisper and all of their friends with the intention of killing them...and that he’s quite good at it too, if the note he left on the door of Jewel’s store is any indication. Also, there’s his backstory. Like Infinite, he used to be a mercenary. However, unlike Infinite, he was already a douchebag from the start and betrayed his team to Eggman...and it’s heavily implied that he helped Eggman murder all of them. Merge with below example and rewrite; Mimic is a much more personal, monstrous enemy than the Zombots and Dark Gaia and is not played for laughs at all.
• The above is explained in greater detail in issue #3, finally revealling Whisper's Dark and Troubled Past. She and Mimic were a part of an anti-Eggman mercenary squad called the Diamond Cutters, before Mimic sold them out to Eggman to join the winning side with absolutely no regrets and a smile on his face. He convinced the team to invade an Eggman laboratory and locked them in a room full of Shadow Androids, whom they were powerless to stop and that killed them all. Whisper only survived because the team's clairvoyant had a bad feeling and told her to hang back. Worse still, the team's Cool Masks had a networked recording function so they could review old missions. Through it, Whisper not only learned of her trusted comrade leaving them to die, but was forced to watch helplessly as her friends were slaughtered by the Androids from first-person. Keep.
• When Mimic is finally cornered in issue #4, he comes close to killing Tangle and almost did so wearing Jewel's face before Tangle briefly got the upper hand. When he's captured he goes through a Shapeshifter Swan Song trying to get free, and the final face he goes into is Vector's while sporting his own Black Eyes of Crazy and shouting violently. The result is creepy to say the least. Maybe keep but could probably use an image/better description.
• If you thought Mimic wasn't deplorable enough, when Tangle presents him with the image of his comrade congratulating him on a mission and asks if it was worth it to betray them. He shows absolutely zero remorse in doing so. To him, working with them was a job, nothing more. The moment things starts getting too dangerous for his liking, he was more then happy to do so, justifying it that they were putting his life on the line and he was in the right to do so. Maybe keep but needs a rewrite. Mimic is scary.
• The Tone Shift in this one is rather odd compared to the more light-hearted main series (yes even with a majority some of the Metal Virus bits) with just how dark the story gets. Considering none of the characters used are Sega property, nor under their mandate. It feels like the writers are taking as much opportunity to go all out while they have the chance. cut, meta.
• In the 2019 Annual, Storm misinterprets Jet's command to let Jewel go as throw her out of their airship. He does so, bouncing her off the side of the ship, cracking her carapace and damaging her wing in the process. Even Jet and Wave were horrified by that action. Keep?