“Yesterday’s” Comic> Knuckles The Echidna #25

“You’re actually shorter than I was expecting.”

Knuckles The Echidna #25

Archie Comic Publications (June, 1999)

“Childhood’s End”

WRITER: Ken Penders

PENCILER: Manny Galan

INKER: Andrew Pepoy

COLORIST: Mark Bernardo

LETTERER: Vickie Williams

EDITOR: J.F. Gabrie

Knuckles finally has a reunion with his father, Locke, who explains the history of the Guardians. He goes through the history of Haven and the Brotherhood, encounters with Overlanders and the Dark Legion, and how Knuckles was enhanced after Locke had a vision that his son needed to be more than any previous Guardian to fight the great evil that was coming (Robotnik).

What they got right: Ignoring how little this all matters after Penders’ legal hissy fit, it’s not a bad origin for this version of Knuckles and the Guardians. A lot of gaps are filled, and we get a nice reunion between Knuckles and Locke.

What they got wrong: Though based on things he said in earlier stories, Knux shifted gears from being mad at his father to immediately being happy to see him a bit fast. There should have been a bit more tension between then than we got, especially after Locke revealed zapping Knuckles’ egg after messing with his own body to produce a “superior” offspring. And it still runs counter to the games.

What I think overall: It’s a well-done backstory, but so many elements Penders would take with him when he sued Archie that it ends up not even mattering in the Archie comics. Had he left it alone I’d be keeping more issues, though that’s not the reason I dropped the series over time. On it’s own, it answers all the important questions. so points there.