“The crop dusters are revolting!”
Knuckles: The Dark Legion #1
Archie Comics (April, 1997)
WRITERS: Ken Penders & Kent Taylor
ARTISTS: Manny Galan & Andrew Pepoy
COLORIST: Karl Boilers
LETTERER: Jeff Powell
EDITOR: J. Freddy Gabrie
In the past Echidnas gave up technology, but not everybody did so willingly, including Enerjak’s son. In the present a portal opens on the Floating Island and armed troops in robes with their robot forces invade. Knuckles and Archimedes try to stop them but are outnumbered. Even the arrival of the Chaotix are not enough and our heroes are all captured except for the teleporting Archimedes. Soon they find themselves face to face with Kragok, the enemy’s leader…and a cyborg echidna!
What they got right: I’m guessing Knuckles was popular enough to get his own miniseries, and depending on your point of view, expanding on the lost Echidna society and the origins of the Floating Island sounds good. This is a serious threat for the Chaotix to deal with.
What they got wrong: Hindsight is what ultimately hurts things on this side. I’m not sure Knuckles needed an origin so far removed from the video game universe, since the Sega games are the source material here. However, what starts here is the seed for how Ken Penders basically ruined the Archie Sonicverse by insisting he take his lore with him when he left.
What I think overall: I have to wonder how much Kent Taylor should get credit for when it comes to the Echidna lore that starts going into high gear here. Whatever it is, later events kind of ruin the experience, knowing this is a major reason why the Archie Sonic comics fell apart.
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