“My comic and the hedgehog still steals the spotlight.”
Knuckles’ Chaotix
Archie Comics Publications (January, 1996)
WRITER: Ken Penders
COLORIST: Barry Grossman
LETTERER: Mindy Eisman
COVER ART: Pat Spaziante & Harvo
COVER COLORS: Heroic Age
EDITOR: Scott Fulop
“The Chaos Effect”
CO-WRITER: Mike Kanterovich
PENCILER: Art Mawhinney
INKER: Rich Koslowski
“Tag! Your It!”
ARTIST: Harvo
“The Hunt Is On”
PENCILER: Ken Penders
INKER: Jon D’Agostino
In the main story Rendfield Rodent creates a theme part on the Floating Island for the Freedom Fighters to visit. However, it turns out to be a trap as he works for Robotnik, who also nullifies Knuckles powers. While trying to figure out how to rescue Sonic and his friends he is joined by Charmy The Bee, Mighty The Armadillo, Espio The Chameleon, Vector The Crocodile, and the reformed robots Heavy and Bomb. Together they work to free the Freedom Fighters and have to fight a giant Metal Sonic. The “Chaotix”, as Sonic later names them, gets Knuckles giant sized and falling on the house of mirrors frees the other heroes while restoring Knuckles’ powers. Rendfeld is taken into custody but of course Robotnik escapes.
I haven’t played the Knuckles Chaotix video game so I don’t know how well this serves as an adaptation. The story itself is pretty good for the action, but it seems oddly convenient that all of these various characters show up out of nowhere. Only some of them seem to have arrived together but others aren’t necessarily interpretable that way. Not a bad story overall.
The next story gives the Chaotix a chance to show off their skills in a game of tag. It’s a good addition since we know Knuckles and his skills and personality but not the others at this point. There’s really not much else to this story other than Espio coming across a teleporting ant.
The final one is just a preview for the next Knuckles story. Someone is attacking the Floating Island but Knuckles doesn’t know who it is. One by one the Chaotix are captured, with the mysterious Archimedes seemingly taunting the Guardian to save his new friends or save the island. Given his later reveal this seems a bit mean under the circumstances.
Overall, there are minor issues but an overall good comic for introducing these new characters into the Archie Sonicverse.
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