#it gives an impression that Eggman is actually the same way- age and experience have just given him a much bigger toolbox

[ganymedesclock]

Hello! I hope your week has been kind to you. May I inquire of your thoughts about IDW Eggman written by Ian Flynn? I noticed his reference in one of your posts, and i would like to know how you feel about the direction Ian is taking the Sonic characters in in the Sonic franchise. I would also like to know what you think about Surge and Kit, the product of Dr. Starline's unethical experimentations. Mimic, the traitorous mercenary as well if you don't mind. Remind yourself to eat your meals regularly and to maintain a limber body!

I admittedly haven't gotten to sink my teeth in IDW- I'm currently following through @thankskenpenders' take on archie which I would like to finish before I start that. What I have seen is promising, but I don't consider myself educated to speak on those characters. I think Surge, Kit, and Mimic have very fun designs and seem to have a lot of potential, and I love the way the former two (and Starline himself) are nods to classic glitches.

As far as IDW Eggman, as I've said, I'm very interested in what Flynn and Stanley do with him! They're definitely a bit darker than I've always liked my take on Eggman- my formative Sonic game was Sonic Adventure 2, which featured Eggman as a protagonist in his own right, albeit a "dark" one. I've always liked the idea of him as half-honorable, and it's a balancing act to frame that with just how brutal and ruthless he can be. But I've grown to be fond of that- I think half-honorability stands out a little more when the other half is that... coldly efficient.

As I said in the post, I think it's interesting to take Eggman as someone who may have had noble intentions as a 'fixer' once but who's gone a good few strides further than that. In a warped way, he always 'helps'- but you may not appreciate his help. I think that plays well with him as a manipulator and a trickster who tends to play people against each other for his own profit and amusement- if he's always harmless or always terrifying that's a potentially fine character (there's much I like about SatAM Robotnik after all!) but it doesn't really hit me as Eggman in the same way.

Almost everything I've gleaned secondhand about the Mr. Tinker arc is fascinating to me because of that. Especially the way Sonic confronts Eggman afterwards, and makes it clear he isn't opposed to Eggman regaining his memory (Sonic is not someone who likes to take power or options away from even his worst enemies) but upset that Eggman threw away everything he had as Mr. Tinker, to which Eggman replies, almost wistfully, that that kind of life was "peaceful"- but he's got bigger fish to fry.

As I said in a previous post, at the end of the day, Eggman's meant a lot of things to a lot of people, and while I'll always have my own takes on the Sonic cast, the biggest thing I can hope for is that new versions of the story will experiment further. That willingness to try new things boldly is, in my opinion, one of the things that's kept the Sonic franchise as youthfully full of vitality as it is. I can't really find it in my heart to hate any version of Eggman- they've all got something going for them, from the silly to the horrifying to the aforementioned half-honorable to the completely vile.

[egg-emperor]

(busts through the wall) Also, do you have any headcanons about Eggy as a child and his relationships with various family members (mother, father, Gerald, Maria, etc.)? Pls and thank you

Aaahhh I have so many concepts that I’m not sure where to start but I’ll try to pick out a few of mine to share right now! I just hope I’ve been able to organize this decently enough for it to make sense lol

Some media has said otherwise but it doesn’t count because they’re different canons, so in the main canon I prefer the idea of Gerald being Eggman’s paternal grandfather. The men in the family commonly have male pattern baldness, similar body type, and a thing for well kept facial hair XD Even aspects of their personality and mind, such as their pride (Ivo having the biggest most troublesome ego of all) and their intellect.

I like the concept that some form of Robotnik Corp (Whether it was under the same name or not) existed prior to Eggman’s adulthood as a family business, possibly originating from Gerald. His father was successful in it but it wasn’t a big deal to Ivo. Not when comparing his status as a much more private businessman to his grandfather’s status as a brilliant scientist known by the world. He was bothered by his father’s pride because he saw Gerald and himself as superior with his ego already existing at a young age.

Between the two, it was often his father bragging to him about his work while Ivo rolled his eyes and imagined himself being able to do much better. The only thing his father did that really interested him was his mechanic/engineer work. He learned a lot of useful things for the future by observing him and he got to join in with some of the smaller stuff. His father would hide his surprise at how fast he learned and sometimes did things better than him. He wouldn’t admit that a kid could do better though because that would hurt his pride.

Part of the reason why he has such a big ego besides his intelligence and relation to Gerald is that he didn’t get the attention he wanted. His family was wealthy and he could have almost anything but it didn’t feel special because it was such a normal thing for them. Nothing he could be given was enough to make him feel like he was appreciated to the extent he felt he should be. He always wanted his work to be seen as impressive as his grandfather’s and to feel that much importance more than anything else.

He would go on to have his own success with Robotnik Corp when he was older and it became one of his many sufficient sources of income. But he simultaneously had plans for far greater things, plans to make the entire world know his name and face. He sees himself as much more than his father- a simple businessman in comparison. Nothing like the ruler of the entire planet that he’ll be someday!

I don’t really have any headcanons for his mother. He could have been dead or alive when he was younger but let’s say that for most of his childhood it was just Eggman and his father. Maybe he was never there, maybe he died/left earlier on or maybe he just hardly present. (If anyone has their own ideas that are probably more interesting, feel free to share them with me.)

Both of his parents died without having anything globally memorable to their names and that greatly disappoints him. He would never allow himself to turn out the same way. That’s another one of the reasons why he never gives up on his dreams. Of course, his desire to own the world will never die regardless because he has always known that he is destined for far greater things.

I lean towards the idea that he never knew Gerald and Maria in person because he doesn’t talk about them as if he did. I’ve always interpreted the way he said the ‘could this be the place my grandfather wrote of?’ line in SA2 as him being astonihed that he’s finally aboard it for the first time, or he was at least too young to remember it if he had before. There’s a chance that he did exist at the time since I headcanon him to be in his 50s but I think it’s most likely that he was too young to visit at all.

It took a while for me to picture how Eggman would feel about Maria beside him being rather dismissive of her existence. That was until recently when I read @cruherthedoctor ‘s fantastic fic ‘In the Hall of the Would Be King’ that put a really interesting perspective on it! I can totally see him being jealous of her importance to Gerald. He should’ve been the one to have the luxury of visiting the ARK to get a look at Gerald’s creations firsthand. He thinks he took it for granted, especially since he wanted to go to earth so badly.

He also wasn’t really empathetic towards her having the illness in the first place. I think he has low empathy and trouble with expressing it, even when it is something he has feelings towards, like how he could watch the tape of Gerald’s execution with a blank expression. But in Maria’s case, it was different and he sees her as another to blame for what happened to his Grandfather just like GUN and Black Doom. He was much more concerned with Gerald’s fate and never expressed much towards Maria in general, let alone her devastating story.

That’s how I see it for the main canon but I do like to imagine an alternate story where he did know Gerald and Maria in person. It makes for some more nice concepts of Eggman looking up to Gerald and his interactions with Maria could be interesting!

Young Ivo having the chance to go to the ARK, totally gushing and getting starry-eyed over any knowledge and glimpse of work that Gerald could share is an extremely adorable concept. There’s nothing he’d love more than to learn from him personally! He would do all he can to impress his grandfather with his skills and would learn very eagerly. It would be when he’s most happy and enthusiastic. I don’t see him caring about Gerald’s good intentions for the world. Instead, he’s fascinated with the science, creations, and importance of his work rather than his actual motives.

I think he’d still feel jealousy towards Maria’s importance and how so much of Gerald’s work and effort is for her. He would still think that he was taking her opportunity for granted despite knowing that he had to be there because of her illness. He’d be able to interact with her just fine for the most part. But sometimes he might act a little strange in ways that might insinuate him having a problem with Gerald and Maria’s closer bond, along with the way that he can’t stay aboard the ARK like he can.

Maria to Eggman would be different because he’s kind-hearted and friendly with anyone, so much that he treats those close to her as family like Shadow and the Commander. He would be just as welcoming of Ivo and extremely curious because he’s come from earth. But if he knew of his intentions and beliefs due to his inflated ego then he would try to get him to realize his selfishness and why it’s good to care for others. Of course, Ivo would be very stubborn and not stand for being told what to do, turning it into an argument.

As long as he doesn’t know, he would find his interest in Gerald’s work sweet and his concepts and creations cool even if he didn’t understand them. Even if the way he acts seems a bit off at times, he tries to see the good in everyone and recognizes their qualities. Unless Ivo is blatantly being rude and a troublesome little bastard because then he would try to lecture him and they would totally bicker. XD

Ivo would tell her what certain things are like on earth if he asked and he would actually enjoy sharing his knowledge because he’ll take any opportunity to impress his cousin as he does with his grandfather. He would also love to hear the stories he had to share, using the things he learned to add to her list of what he wanted to experience on earth herself someday.

That was still kind of a lot but I have so much more that I want to share in the future in further detail. Maybe involving more characters too. But this was a lot of fun and I hope this is an alright answer for now! :D

[crusherthedoctor]

Sonic & Tails: Beyond the Stars - Prologue

Prologue: Adieu, Vacation

“...zzz...”

“Sonic.”

“...zzz...zzz...”

“Sonic...”

“Zzz... zzz... zzz...”

“Hey. Sonic.”

“Urgh... what?”

“We’re nearly here.”

“Oh! Great!”

Awakening from his deep slumber... on the wing of the Tornado... Sonic the Hedgehog slowly opened his eyes and wiped them, and when he could see more clearly, he was dazzled by what he saw.

The sea below their flight was just as faintly green as it was blue, making for a shimmering spectacle of colour. But what was up ahead was even greater: An island of truly impressive scope, far greater in size than South Island and Westside Island combined. Some would say it’s even larger than the floating Angel Island. All sorts of sights and geography could be seen to the naked eye even from afar. And if you looked at it from above, you would notice its shape was perfectly circular, like a smooth gemstone.

This island, known to the world at large as Viridonia, was where Sonic and his best friend Tails were planning to take a well-needed vacation. Saving the world was hard work, and after all the trials these two have faced, you couldn’t say they didn’t deserve it. But is it possible that malicious intentions could come along to make a mess of their intended vacation time...?

Well... we’ll get to that when we get to that.

“Looks stunning, doesn’t it?” Sonic asked out loud, with a massive grin on his face.

“It sure does,” answered Tails with a smile, as he took in the pleasant view. “I’ve heard great things about this place, but seeing it is another story. I can’t even begin to think of where to start with somewhere so big!”

“We have all the time in the world for that, so what’s the rush?” Sonic glanced at the island once again, this time with a more thoughtful expression. “I just hope there’s no trouble from Eggman this time around. We never get a break from him, do we?”

“Actually,” Tails pointed out with a raised finger. “You told me there was no Eggman in those books that were lent to you. Well, technically there was a guy who looked like Eggman in the first one, but...”

“Alright, don’t get technical with me,” Sonic poked his tongue out in light jest. He then motioned towards the ground. “Okay, we’re getting real close, let’s find a spot to land.”

“Right away,” the fox obeyed, before adding “And uh... don’t worry, I made sure to install the landing gear this time.”

“Oh. Nice.”

——

They landed on an empty stretch of sand by the sea, having made sure they wouldn’t land in a place that would cause too much interference. The little beach was peppered with turquoise rocks that looked and shined like real gems, and the sand itself was more white than it was yellow. Despite being by the sea, the town nearby had a very modern appearance, full of elegant buildings teeming with a glassy sheen. As Tails spent a little more time fiddling around with the Tornado, Sonic wasted no time in admiring the setting, glancing at the many species of citizens walking around, minding their own business.

“Heh heh... just look at all this,” Sonic said to himself as he marveled at the shining buildings, hands on his hips. He was definitely liking the look of his vacation spot. “So much to see, so much to do. And it’s just me and Tails.”

“~Soniiiiiic!~”

“And... Amy?”

Sonic turned to his right to find none other than Amy Rose, who was currently sprinting over to him with a big grin. Her younger friend, Cream, was tagging along behind her.

“Fancy seeing you here!” Amy beamed. Her tail was unashamedly wagging away in excitement.

“Oh uh, hey Amy...” Sonic muttered out of surprise. “Didn’t know you’d be here... Why ARE you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We wanted to go on a vacation of our own! And we just HAD to come here when we read all about it.” She looked over to Cream, who simply nodded. “We haven’t seen much of the place yet, but there’s no hurry, right?”

Sonic looked over at Cream, as if he was expecting something from her.

“She’s telling the truth, Mr. Sonic,” the rabbit assured.

“Okay, good.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” The pink hedgehog frowned as she crossed her arms. “You didn’t think I just followed you here like some creepy weirdo, did you?”

“No, of course not,” Sonic chuckled. “I’m sure you wouldn’t do that... probably.”

“Good! We didn’t know you would be here, but how lucky for us that you are! Maybe we can go to the little park in Cosmic City together... maybe find the perfect spot for the two of us, ~hmm~?” She winked playfully, complete with a little spin.

“...Maybe. Maybe. We’ll see,” Sonic said in a very neutral manner, although he couldn’t help but smirk at his friend’s ever present determination. As he walked off to see how Tails was doing, Amy turned and noticed that Cream looked uncomfortable, despite the lack of any apparent danger.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Amy asked out of concern. “You still feeling a little anxious?”

The rabbit just nodded silently. Her hands were mildly fidgeting.

“Well, that’s okay, you know.” She put her hand on Cream’s shoulder. “But your mother wouldn’t have let you come with me if she felt it would be a bad idea... Although then again... she didn’t mind you taking on evil monsters... or evil robots... and going through all sorts of dangerous places...” She shook her head and hoped her friend didn’t hear that part. “This is meant to be a good time for both of us, Cream. It’s why I brought you along, after all.”

“I know, and I appreciate that very much, Amy,” the girl thanked her politely. “Maybe I could have a little look around... but I won’t go too far away from you, okay?”

“I know you won’t,” Amy smiled.

Meanwhile, Sonic was busy conversing with Tails. “I guess it won't just be us two after all while we're over here...”

“Is that really a bad thing?” Tails asked, as he skimmed through the pages of his Viridonia guidebook. “I mean, it's just Amy and Cream. They’re not likely to cause trouble.”

“True,” Sonic shrugged as he looked to the side. He followed it up with a smile. “It's been a while since I hanged out with them anyway, so maybe this is a good opportuni-”

“OH MY GOD, IT'S SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!!!!”

“Sonic the Hedgehog!?!? Wow, it really IS Sonic the Hedgehog!!!!”

“Sonic? And Tails? SONIC AND TAILS!?”

Within seconds, a bunch of guys and gals had surrounded the two friends, rapidly shaking hands with them and asking for autographs. Sonic, clearly used to this routine, handled it all very smoothly. Tails was considerably more flustered about getting so much sudden attention. They both received their share of emotionally-charged questions from the crowd.

“What's it like being the fastest thing alive!?”

“How do you make all those cool machines!?”

“What's the toughest battle you've ever been in...?”

“How fluffy are those tails?”

“WHEN WILL YOU AND AMY KISS???”

“Wait, did Amy tell you to ask that one?” Sonic inquired accusingly.

“OH MY GOD, AMY'S HERE TOO???”

“Uh... sorry Amy!” Sonic called out in his friend's direction, with the knowledge that she would soon get overwhelmed with fans of her own.

——

In an effort to get herself acquainted with where she’ll be staying for the next few days, Cream had wandered into a nearby forest, accompanied by her loyal pet, Cheese. She took her time looking around, making sure she didn’t get too lost in the place. The leaves were of an autumnal flavor, and fireflies could be seen lighting the place up, even during the daytime. The young rabbit was impressed with the scene, an innocent smile having planted itself on her face the whole time.

“It’s so pretty, isn’t it Cheese?” Her Chao friend nodded. “Maybe it was a little silly of me to get so tense. It’s just a new experience for us, you know? I wonder if Amy would like this... Maybe Mr. Sonic would like it too? ...Cheese? What’s the matter?”

Noticing her friend was distracted by something, Cream turned her head in the same direction to see what had caught his attention. To her surprise, in front of them was a massive castle, much like the ones she had seen in many a fairytale as read by her mother. Its structures, made of solid stone, were all impeccably smooth, as were its dark green rooftops. The scene was complimented with a magnificent view of the distant hills from behind, as well as a gorgeous view of the clouds above. There was a small waterfall and lake close by to the right, and directly in front of the castle was an impressive little garden, filled with a colorful variety of flowers and plants.

The young rabbit was amazed by this unexpected sight. Who did this castle belong to? A king? A queen? She couldn’t know for sure, but the healthy status of the garden indicated that someone definitely lived there even in the present time.

“This is so cool! We’ve got to tell the others about this!” Cream bounced up and down giddily. With an approving nod from Cheese, she turned to the opposite direction as she prepared to make her way back to the beach... only to be greeted with a pair of glowing red eyes staring down at her.

“What the-” Cream gasped as she looked up at the rather ominous entity that was towering over her. It didn’t appear to have a fully solid form, as its body was made up of a misty black substance that occasionally gave off a sickly dark green hue. And yet, the girl could recognise prominent reptilian features, most notably a long tongue and a wide row of sharp, saliva-dripped teeth that were currently preparing to take a bite out of her. The top of its vaguely-shaped head appeared to be armored.

Cream slowly stepped back in horror. Even someone her age knew right away that this thing wasn’t going to be friendly. Without thinking, without saying anything, she grabbed Cheese for dear life and ran off into the forest. She didn’t know where she was headed, as the only thing on her mind was to get away from that monster as soon as possible.

Unfortunately for her, the monster was faster than she anticipated, for it didn’t take long for it to block her path with its sizable mass.

Shaken, but unwilling to give up, she made a sharp turn towards an alternate direction, but the monster blocked her path in seconds once again. The third time was no luckier. Neither was the fourth time. Or the fifth time. Or the time after that. No matter how tricky Cream tried to be in her attempts to escape from the beast, it successfully countered and tracked her down each and every time, until at last, an especially large tree blocked the girl’s path. She turned to the beast out of panicked frustration, and her whole body was shaking. She didn’t even bother trying to fly away, as she knew it was too fast for her to escape that way. Contrasting her own fear, she hid Cheese behind her back, defending her beloved friend from its clutches. The monster opened its jaws, ready to make a meal out of the poor girl...

When suddenly, it threw its head back in what could be interpreted as a mix of confusion and anger. It turned its head violently in every direction possible, as if it were looking for something... as if it were distracted by something. With a mighty roar, its misty form escaped to the skies above, leaving the forest as quickly as it appeared.

Cream took a few seconds to check her heartbeat as she attempted to calm herself down from what just happened. She didn’t know what that thing was, but she was glad it was gone. After checking that Cheese was safe and sound, she noticed there was a single arrow on the ground near where the monster was. She crouched down to closely examine the arrow, and she couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the elegant patterns that she found on it.

“You okay there?”

Cream jumped a little upon being startled by the voice that was in very close proximity. The voice was unmistakably feminine, yet its pitch was low. She turned her head left only to find nothing, but when she turned to the right, she was greeted with a pair of knee-high boots standing tall, which were completely flat at the heels. She slowly glanced upwards to analyse the rest of the female figure before her, observing such details as brown pants, a thick tail, a light tank top, and a pair of gloves that reached up to the elbows, one of which was holding onto a maroon bow. They were also wearing a backpack containing a number of arrows similar to the one that was currently in Cream’s hand. The figure itself had a mature build, her fur a gentle mint green, and with the exception of her pants, all of her clothes were different shades of blue. Finally, the rabbit looked up at the head, but all she could see was a pair of cool brown eyes, for the rest of the woman’s face was obscured by a bandana from the bottom, and a headscarf from the top. Two arched ears poked out of the headscarf, as did a ponytail as large as her head, its shape being strikingly similar to that of her actual tail.

The young girl wordlessly offered the arrow to the woman, not knowing what else to do. The woman in turn took a hold of it, and placed it back in with the rest of her arrows.

“Sorry you had to bear witness to that repulsive fiend,” the woman said as she held her nose up high as a sign of contempt in reference to the beast, not that you could see it when her bandana was covering it. She then casually glanced at the surrounding trees with her hands on her hips. “I’m afraid we’ve been troubled by this thing for a short while now. Been causing all sorts of strife, so it has.” She paused to flutter a gloved hand in front of her masked face in disgust. “Stinks quite offensively as well, for that matter... Are you alright?”

Though Cream could safely assume this person meant no harm - they just saved her life, after all - she was still a little bit intimidated and anxious. It didn’t take long for the woman to sense this, as she walked closer to the girl and slowly kneeled down to match her height. Upon getting a closer look at the figure’s eyes, Cream could see that there was a faint, light blue tint to her sclera. Yet, they didn’t show any sign of malice. On the contrary in fact, they brought her own mother to mind.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” the older one assured in a comforting tone. She pulled down her bandana to reveal her soft muzzle, which was a rather pale shade of tan. The two slits that formed her nostrils confirmed that she was a horse.

“You’re safe now,” she added as she slowly rubbed Cream’s hand. “You don’t need to be afraid of me.”

“I...” Cream took a moment to gather her thoughts. This little experience was all very sudden for her. “Thank you for saving me, but... I shouldn’t be talking to strangers...”

“I suppose not.” The woman couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the rabbit’s innocence. “But the least I could do is make sure you’re safe around here. Where’s your mother?”

“Oh, I didn’t come here with my mother,” Cream explained. “I came here with my friend, Amy. I told her that I wanted to get familiar with this place, because I’m not used to being this far away without my mother for so long, and...”

She stopped upon making the dreaded realisation that with all the directions she had went to escape the beast, she now had no idea whereabouts in the forest she was.

“Oh no...” she panicked, looking down at the ground worriedly. “I told Amy I wouldn’t get lost here... She’s going to wonder where I went...”

“I can take you back to her if you want,” the horse offered with a soft smile. “I live around here, you know. I know this forest like the back of my hand.”

Cream looked at Cheese, who in turn glanced at the horse, as if he were silently coming to his own conclusion on whether she could be trusted. He nodded, and the girl felt at ease. “Okay... If you’re sure that would be alright, Miss... Miss...”

“Lutrudis,” the woman answered for her. “The name’s Lutrudis.” Still holding her hand, she slowly stood up once more. Cream couldn’t help but notice that she looked somewhat exhausted just by doing this simple motion, but she put it to the back of her mind, figuring it wasn’t a big deal. As they began walking out of the forest together, Cream decided to continue their conversation.

“Miss Lutrudis, can I ask what your surname is?”

“My surname is Hadeer. Why do you ask?”

“It’s so that I can call you Miss Hadeer. I don’t like being rude.”

“Oh, you’re hardly being rude at all,” the horse looked down at her with content amusement. “You don’t need to be so formal with me, Cream. Just Lutrudis will do.”

“Wait a minute... You know who I am?”

“I know who Amy is too,” the horse shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I know who you two are? You don’t go on all those adventures without the rest of the world catching word of them. Especially not when they involve a certain friend of yours called...” She paused deliberately with a knowing smirk as she touched her cheek with her index finger in faux-thought. “...Sonic, I think his name is?”

“Well, Mr. Sonic is pretty famous,” Cream giggled, which was quickly replaced with her excitedly coming up with an idea. “I can’t wait for him to meet you!”

Lutrudis’ smirk slowly faded, and in its place was a look of mild shock, as she gradually realised what she meant. “...He’s here?”

“Yeah! He came here for a vacation! So did Tails!”

“Chao!” Cheese helpfully added.

“I see...” Lutrudis slowly muttered as she mentally processed the realisation. She never thought Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing alive, the saviour of the world a hundred times over, would ever show his face in Viridonia. And yet against all expectations, he apparently has. And now she’s being offered to meet him? To meet Sonic the Hedgehog?

“Would you like to see him?” Cream asked politely.

Snapping out of the sudden rush in her mind, Lutrudis looked down at her new friend with an impressive amount of restraint, but with an obvious hint of excitement. “Well... if it would be no inconvenience to him...”

“Not at all! He loves meeting new people!... As long as they’re not bad people, hee hee.” She grabbed Lutrudis’ hand tighter as she prepared to make a dash. “Let’s go find them! I think they’ll like you!”

“Slower, please,” the horse gently requested. She had a look of strain on her face that appeared to be caused by the brief moment of running, but she quickly tried to disguise it so as to not alert her friend. “I know you guys are fast on your feet, but my endurance kind of stinks... It’s not like we’re in a hurry anyway, right?”

“Yes, you’re right. Sorry, Miss Hadee-” The girl was quick to fix her verbal error. “...Sorry, Lutrudis.” She giggled again.

Lutrudis could only smile to herself once again in return.

——

“There you are, Cream! I was starting to wonder where you went.”

“Sorry for worrying you, Amy,” Cream replied. “But I got lost in the forest when this big monster attacked me!”

“Monster...?” Amy inquired out of concern. Wasn’t this supposed to be their vacation destination? Yet they only just arrived, and already there’s a villain running around?

“Yes, it was really scary...” The young rabbit closed her eyes tightly at the memory of the beast. “I don’t think it’s anything that Mr. Sonic faced before either...”

“Well, well! What’s this about me and a monster?” asked Sonic, having finally finished dealing with the crowd of enthusiastic fans along with Tails. He sounded more than just casually curious about the subject.

“The monster who was chasing me in the forest,” Cream explained to him. “It was big, and it was fast, and it had really large teeth! And big red eyes too!”

“There’s a lot of monsters who fit that description...” Sonic lightly snarked to himself, before rubbing the rabbit’s head affectionately. “Don’t worry about it, Cream. We’ll send it packing in no time! Am I right, Tails?”

“Sure,” Tails answered, sighing to himself. “But of course this had to happen when we were supposed to be taking a vacation. We're never gonna get a break, are we?”

“Aw, c'mon Tails,” Sonic put his arm around the fox. “The sooner we get rid of them, the sooner we can get to that. Nothing we can’t handle, eh?” He gently nudged his friend repeatedly. “Eh? Eh? Eh?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tails smiled as he rolled his eyes light-heartedly at his friend’s eager attitude for adventure. “So uh... who’s the lady with the bow and arrows?”

He gathered everyone’s attention by pointing at Lutrudis, who had been standing there the whole time without saying a word. Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back, and her eyes were pointing to the ground. Her feet were mildly fidgeting.

“That’s Lutrudis Hadeer!” Cream beamed excitedly. “She saved me from the monster!”

“Is that so?” Sonic smiled as he walked over to Lutrudis, stretching his arm out to offer a hand shake. “Pleased to meet ya! I’m Sonic!”

Lutrudis glanced at Sonic’s hand, then looked up at Sonic’s smiling face, then looked back down at his hand again. Her facial expression was calm, but her mind was busy. Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends are here. Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends are here. And now they’re talking to her. Her. What was she to say? What was she to do? How could she talk to Sonic the Hedgehog without making a fool of herself...?

“Hi...” Lutrudis muttered shyly, finally breaking her silence. She slowly shook Sonic’s hand. “Please excuse me, I’m a... really big fan of you guys... truly honored to meet you all.”

“You know who we are?” Amy asked.

“Well, you guys save the world all the time, do you not?” Lutrudis shrugged sheepishly, her hands once again clasped behind her back. “Yeah... I know a lot about you lot...”

“Really now...?” Sonic smirked as he rubbed his hands together fiendishly. “How about a little trivia quiz! Where does the Master Emerald dwell?”

“On Angel Island, of course.” Lutrudis waved her right hand at nothing in particular. “Everyone knows that.”

“Alright. And where do, say... the Sol Emeralds stay?”

“In the Sol Dimension, obviously.”

“Not bad, not bad...”

“I’ve got one!” Amy giddily announced. “Where did I first meet my one true love?”

“At Never Lake, on the way to the Little Planet,” Lutrudis answered, not bothering to acknowledge Sonic rolling his eyes at what Amy referred to him as.

“My turn,” Tails grinned. “What colour of Chaos Emerald did I use to power up the Tornado?”

“The red one,” the horse replied, without skipping a beat.

“Nice!” Tails complimented.

“She really knows her stuff!” Cream added.

“Okay, here’s the big one!” Sonic dramatically waved his hands in the air for a few seconds before pointing directly at the mare. “...What’s my weight?”

Lutrudis blinked in response to the unexpectedly personal nature of the question. The lack of an immediate response briefly convinced Sonic that he had her on the ropes, but it didn’t take long for Lutrudis to casually cross her arms, with a smirk of her own. She slowly tilted her head back as she looked at Sonic, still smirking.

“35 kilograms.”

Sonic paused. He stared at her for a few seconds before turning his head to his friends, who were similarly shocked. He turned it back to Lutrudis.

“...You’re scary.”

“Heh,” the woman politely curtsied. “I guess I won that little questionnaire then?”

“You bet!” Sonic grinned. “Your know-how is awesome!...And slightly terrifying when you really think about it...But awesome!”

“See?” Cream laughed. “I told you they would like you!”

Lutrudis smiled nervously as she kept darting her eyes between Sonic, Tails, Amy and Cream. It was still very surreal and nerve-wracking for someone like her to be chatting away with such famous heroes, but if she hadn’t screwed up her introduction just yet, then maybe she didn’t have anything to worry about.

“Oh god, there it is again!” a random cheetah passerby commented out loud in a frightened tone. “Run for your lives!”

As if on cue, the majority of citizens started bolting out of the area in a panicked frenzy. Sonic could only watch in confusion as everyone left the scene, bar his own little group.

“That's it!” Cream cried with a pointed finger. “That was the monster that chased me!”

Sonic immediately turned his head to look behind himself, and sure enough, the shadowy beast was hovering right there in the plaza. Curiously, it didn't seem to be doing much damage in the area, nor did it bother going for any of the escaping citizens. But as far as Sonic was concerned, if it's a monster that needed to be dealt with, then it's a monster that needed to be dealt with... As long as Amy didn't get rid of it first.

“Hey, you think you can scare away my friend?” Amy asked angrily as she took out her trusty hammer. “Not on my watch, buddy!”

The demon could only respond by roaring aggressively in Amy's direction. The pink hedgehog actually had to focus on keeping her footing, lest she fall over from the sheer force of the roar. Frustrated, she opted to just throw her hammer right in the monster's face, scoring a direct hit. As the beast shook its head in a rage, Amy grabbed Cream and called out to the Blue Blur.

“Sonic! I'll get Cream out of here before it notices her again!”

“But Amy!” Sonic called out in return. “What about your hammer?”

“It's okay, I've got hundreds of those!” Amy ran off with her rabbit friend. “Give it a good socking for me!”

“I'd give it one regardless...” Sonic muttered to himself resignedly, before turning his attention to Tails. “Think you can handle this, buddy?”

Tails simply nodded as he continued glaring at the beast.

The blue hedgehog then turned to Lutrudis, who was taken aback by having to see the monster again so soon after the previous time. “Hey! Are you good with those arrows of yours?”

“I, uh...” Lutrudis darted her eyes between Sonic and the beast, quite obviously a little distracted by the situation she was suddenly thrown into. “I'm still learning with them, but I've landed a hit on it before...”

“Great,” Sonic snapped his fingers. “Help us out if you can, will ya?”

“I'll... I'll try.”

“That's the spirit.” Sonic prepared himself as the monster roared once again in fury. “Alright Mr. Cloudy, show us what you’ve got!”

——

BOSS: ???

Yes, like Chaos Zero in Sonic Adventure, we start things off with a boss fight. The plaza near the beach makes up the arena. The ground is completely flat, but that won't be a problem here. This is basically just an early way of getting the player acquainted with the controls, without needing to bother with all that pesky “tutorial” nonsense.

Anyhow, Mr. Cloudy - presumably not his real name - only has a few attacks to subdue you with. Its favourite attack is spewing a pillar of dark mist from its mouth, as though it were breathing fire. Somewhat cunningly for such an early boss, it likes to aim at you when it does this, but it's nothing that can't be foiled with a spin dash if you're Sonic, or simply flying if you're Tails. It also likes to summon a shadowy tentacle with a clawed hand at its tip, to which it attempts to swipe you with. Just jump over this, it's no big deal.

While you're fighting it, Lutrudis is carefully walking around the perimeter of the arena. Always walking mind you, never running. Don't worry, she doesn't need to be protected. What you want to do is attack the monster's head three times. How you do it or how long it takes you to do it doesn't matter, hitting it thrice at all is the only required criteria. When this happens, Lutrudis will use the beast's extreme focus on your character as an opportunity to fire one of her arrows at it. This doesn't hurt the beast, but it will snarl and turn towards her direction in response. It's at this point that a peculiar spot on the back of its neck starts glowing wildly. Yes, this is the weakpoint, if you hadn't guessed before I even started this sentence. Give that a whack, and its health meter will at last go down just a bit.

It doesn't get any more complicated than this, though it does add one more attack to its arsenal after you've damaged it twice, and thus brought it down to half its health. It floats above the arena for a few seconds, before slamming the ground with a mighty crash, creating a dark shockwave in the process. The shockwave's speed might throw you off guard, but again, nothing to worry about. Just hit it where it counts two more times, and the job is done. Don't expect future boss encounters to be this easy, hero.

——

In response to the beating it just received, the beast roared violently yet again, before taking to the skies like it did before. Sonic dusted himself off as he checked to make sure Tails and Lutrudis were okay.

“Yep, that was a bad guy alright,” Sonic commented, glancing up at the sky with a raised eyebrow. “Ran away like a bad guy too. We better track that thing down before it causes more trouble... What even IS that thing anyway? It doesn’t scream ‘local wildlife’ to me...”

“I wish I knew,” Lutrudis replied as she gathered her arrows. “The only thing I DO know is that it’s been here for... about over a week, I believe. I think it’s been getting stronger during that time, but I don’t know for sure...”

“Well, whatever the deal is with it, we’re gonna get it straight outta here,” Sonic cracked his knuckles with confidence. “Right, Tails?”

“Right,” the fox confirmed as he stretched his titular tails as well as his arms.

“I’m so sorry about this,” Lutrudis rubbed the back of her head meekly. “Cream told me you guys came here for vacation’s sake, and now this happens.”

“Why apologise?” Sonic checked carefully for marks on his sneakers, going from one sneaker to the other, then back again. “It’s not like you were the bad guy.”

“Well, no, but...” She sighed. “You shouldn’t need to get involved with this. You guys are always busy as it is...”

“Hey now! That’s the way I like it!” The hedgehog winked with a toothy grin.

“...I’m not entirely opposed to it either,” Tails shrugged half-jokingly.

“Well, if you’re sure...” The horse pointed in the left direction of the plaza. “I think it was headed for that way. That’s where the meadows are. Maybe it has a hideout there...?”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Sonic asked rhetorically as he hit the palm of his hand with his fist. “No use standing around here chatting idly! Let’s go after ‘em!”

“You guys go on ahead,” Lutrudis muttered while she rubbed her arm. She looked notably dejected. “I’ll only slow you two down... literally. I can’t run that fast.”

“Let me help with that,” Tails gladly suggested as he used his twin tails to perform his signature form of flight, before clasping his hands with Lutrudis’ own as he picked her gently off the ground. With Lutrudis in tow, Tails floated not too high above the land as Sonic started jogging below them.

“...You’re not acrophobic, are you?” Tails suddenly asked in a sheepish tone.

“This height is fine,” Lutrudis assured him. “But like I was saying, I can’t run much because... ...” She paused before going through with her explanation, and she tilted her head slightly to and fro as if she was mentally arguing with herself. She decided to to change course instead. “Well anyway, why bother taking me with you guys? What good will I do?”

Sonic could only chuckle to himself. “Maybe we just wanna hang out with a friend!”

“...F-Friend...?” Lutrudis seemed genuinely astonished by the hedgehog’s simple statement.

“Yeah! You’re our friend now, right?”

“But... you only just met me...?”

“Hasn’t stopped him before,” Tails smiled knowingly, clearly talking from experience.

“Besides,” Sonic added. “We’ve never been here before! We could use a handy tour guide! AND you did pretty good back there too! So what makes you think you’ll slow us down?”

Lutrudis had nothing to say to that, in part because she was still shocked by the revelation that Sonic the Hedgehog now considered her a friend. She looked down at him, then she glanced up at Tails. She slowly moved her eyes to the side as she let out a bashful smile, and her ears drooped ever so slightly.

As they moved closer and closer towards the meadows in Viridonia, the horse concluded that the next few days were most likely going to be very eventful for her.

------

To Chapter 1...

[sege-h]

all the headcanons for both Storm and Bark

SKREMS OK

☾ - sleep headcanon

Storm: Sleeps curled up. Unless he was exhausted, then he falls asleep all sprawled out.  There is no inbetween. When he’s sleeping sprawled out you can assume wherever hes sleeping wasnt his first choice for a bed, and 90% of the time youd be right. It’d be p easy to spot him having a nightmare, since he has physical reactions to them. They happen often.

Bark: Sleeps on his back, most of the time. Though will sometimes sleep on his side if he’s snuggling up to someone. He doesnt rly show signs of nightmares, unless theyre really intense. And even then, it’s little twitches and such that youd have to know him really well to see as out of the ordinary.

In winter he likes snuggling up in blankets, not because he’s cold, but because it’s p much the only time of the year where it feels comfortable.

★ - sad headcanon

Storm: His own robotic arm makes him nervous, on some occasions. He finds it cool and all, but will sometimes get nervous about showing it to people out of fear that they’ll assume that hes working or has worked with Eggman, and cut ties with him before he can explain. It has more to do with abandonment issues than with his arm.

Bark: He was a happy and very friendly child, despite circumstances. Over the years he grew bitter. And has since grown out of that into someone more calm, but still not friendly.

☆ - happy headcanon

Storm: He tends to wag his tail when extremely happy. It’s something he’s picked up from other people.

Bark: Likes having a tum 81

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

Storm: He has some p obvious buttons that can be pushed, and can quickly cross the line from annoyed to angry. He does get violent once he’s angry, be it verbally, or physically, or both.

Bark: Being calm as heck doesnt mean he cant get angry. It can take a bit. If the line gets drawn at just angry, he’ll give an intense glare and possibly growl. If the line gets pushed into enraged, rare as it is, he will hurt someone.

✿ - Not answering this one for obvious reasons.

■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

Storm: His bedroom is messy, if it can even be called a bedroom. He hardly ever sleeps there, preferring to sleep on the couch, or around friends. His bedroom is p much used as some sort of storage space.

The house is tidy, most of the time. Mostly because Exe lives there too. Not to say that Storm doesnt help out with cleaning it, he mostly does it because its a shared living space.

Bark: Tidy bedroom. Everything has it’s place. On occasion, the bed will be messy if he’s felt too lazy to tidy it, or has slept through most of the day. Same goes for the house. He finds cleaning fun.

♡ - romantic headcanon

Storm: Hes aromantic.

Bark: He’s a romantic. EEEYYY. He finds romance movies and books cute, provided they’re well done and not too cheesy. If he falls for someone, he will fall hard. Will be very nervous about it considering his line of work, but if he gets to dating, he’s p romantic. And 98% of it is unintentional.

♥ - family headcanon

Storm: With biological family, he was closest to his dad, and it remains that way. He was p close with his sister, but had a falling out. Things were bad with his mom after his dad passed away. And while he loves his grandfather, he isnt all that close to him. He still hangs out with his nephews, but its nowhere near as tight of a bond as the one he had with his dad.

Bark: His mom and dad moved south, so he could be raised away from the expectations and stereotypes of the north. Granted they came to find the south had its fair share of those, but ultimately found it much nicer than back home. Being away from his grandparents was a bonus too.

He also has an uncle thats still in contact, and an aunt and cousins because i have no control of my life.

☮ - friendship headcanon

Storm: His friendship can be hard to gain. Be it because first impressions often dont go well for him, or because he does actually really want to be friends and finds you cool and gets himself too nervous to do anything about it due to assumptions about what’ll happen if he tries being friends based on bad experiences from the past.

But once he gets there he’s a v loyal and affectionate friend. He isn’t sure how to express his love and care in words, so he opts for actions.

Bark: Avoids having friends, purely because of his job. Though to the very few that have managed to somehow become his friend, he’s loyal. And VERY protective. Mercenary or not, no amount of money will get him to go after his friends.

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

Storm: Likes tinkering with things. Be it his truck, or his robotic arm and it’s various models, or something else entirely.

Bark: Loves reading. Especially on rainy days. His perfect day is not having a job to do while it’s raining, and getting to stay at home, reading by the window.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

Storm:

Likes: Waffles. Good lord does he love waffles. And music. And snow, even though its cold.

Dislikes: Being underestimated. People refusing to listen to him. People that aren’t friends touching him.

Bark:

Likes: Nature. Swimming. Food.

Dislikes: His job. Really loud thunder. People that threaten him doing so by pointing something sharp at his neck.

▼ - childhood headcanon

Storm: He was a happy and dancey child. He’s still p dancey. Him and dancing are 100% his dad’s and brother’s fault.

Bark: MENTIONED BEFORE BUT. Happy and friendly child, despite circumstances. Though he was nervous about his strength. Liked looking at the stars because it gave him a sense of belonging.

∇ -. old age/aging headcanon

Storm: DUE TO COMPLICATED PLOT THINGS he cant age. He’s like 30-something now, but still looks 20. If anything, he’d just age emotionally, probably. And will improve further on his fighting.

Bark: Surprisingly gets to an old age, if theres no tiny boyfriend around for him to try to start life over >3> Over the years he either saves up enough finally or manages to land a job that sets him up for the rest of his life, so he can retire and finally live a peaceful life off in his cabin in the mountains. Though still keeps an eye out for anyone snooping around. Retiring doesnt mean ur wanted posters retire too.

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

Storm: God no plz dont let him do it, hE’LL KILL US ALL

Ok but Zee IS trying to teach him to cook. Its a v slow process.

Bark: God, he loves cooking. He started out because he wanted to be able to make his own food, and sometimes the ingredients you need for a meal are cheaper than buying a finished meal. He loves doing it. Even in summer, when it doesnt feel good to be around a hot stove. Since Bean got into his life, he’s also discovered he loves sharing food he made with others.

☼ - appearance headcanon

Storm: A messy boy. Messy quills, and messy fur. Not dirty, he likes keeping himself clean, but doesn’t rly bother to brush all that fluff save for the little time it takes to brush it do it doesnt get tangled up.

Bark: I’d say u can just go see a pic of him since hes an official character but 81 There be sinners out there so.

He is fat. Big tum. Chubby cheeks. The opposite of an upside down triangle. R o u n d.

He has long, soft hair, and soft fur. But he doesnt appear to be fat because of the fluff. He just is, like, god. I cannot tell u enough how much of a stronk fat boy he is 81 And how much of a canon thing it is.

-SPRINKLES SALT EVERYWHERE-

ANYWAY on to the part thats a headcanon and not canon, he loves keeping his hair n fur clean and brushed. Hates it when jobs get him dirty with all the fighting and such. Immediately goes to shower or bathe the first chance he gets.

ൠ - random headcanon

Storm: He incorporates dancing into his fighting.

Bark: He purrs when he’s comfortable and happy, because bears do purr its gr8 8I

◉ - Any other question of your choosing

CANT ANSWER THIS ONE bc no questions

[segafunk]

Teddy Roosevelt, Eggman, and the Message of Classical Sonic

The origin of both Sonic the Hedgehog and Eggman was a character design contest for a mascot held by Sega of Japan, with the designs submitted to the approval of Sega of America on the perception that a game to compete with Mario on the new Sega Genesis would need to do well in the ‘States. Many of the characters resemble American more than Japanese animation influences from Max Fleischer to The Simpsons (images @ The Cutting Room Floor). One design is even a wolf in an American flag shirt brandishing his fists, a rather backhanded compliment to a country that emerged as the predominant global superpower while both the Japanese economy crashed and the Soviet Union collapsed not long before in 1991. In any of the possible characters selected for a mascot, there’s a kind of commentary to Americans about American culture, not least in its edginess and rebellion. Commentary on the selection of Sonic himself will have to wait for another day. But it’s important to note that among the entries is a character in his pajamas who impeccably resembles Eggman. Or put another way, both characters physically resemble the iconic 26th President of the United States of America, Theodore Roosevelt.

It’s important to realize in this context that if Sega of America had favored his design, there would probably have been a side-scroller starring the Roosevelt character given the adorable Teddy Bear treatment as the heroic lead. Roosevelt is indeed often regarded as a heroic figure American history, confronting the monopoly capitalism of robber barons in the Gilded Age with the avowed intention to give Americans a Square Deal. His design more resembled the features of Mario himself, while trying to sell kids and their parents on a blue punk rocker was a riskier decision. But what happened rather was that a very deliberate decision was made to take the same character, and make him the bad guy. In other words, why might one make the exercise seeing Roosevelt as emblematic of the bad guy in a narrative the Nostalgia Critic rightly observes has “an environmental message that’s… subtle”? Wasn’t it Teddy Roosevelt who enacted landmark conservation legislation like the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate National Monuments protected for posterity from extraction and development by industrialists?

Roosevelt exemplifies the paradox of the hunter and taxonomist who was very prolific in gunning down hundreds of animals, but within those experiences became interested in the politics of conservation to institute limits against relentless industrial extraction of resources. If Sonic and his friends are wild animals, it’s easy to see how they could become threatened by someone in his likeness. For Roosevelt, the experience of joining in the Westward expansion of America was pivotal both to his sense of identity and his political persona. Among other things, Roosevelt went to the Dakota Territory to participate in the massive boom in cattle ranching seeking fortune and solitude. The obverse of an enterprise ultimately linked to the industrialized slaughterhouses of Chicago was the mass extermination of the buffalo and corresponding mass starvation of indigenous peoples. Here at the 21st century, American cattle culture is often regarded as a major factor in global climate change because of the methane emissions they produce.

Roosevelt ultimately conceived of an America to become a massive expansionist imperial and industrial power, and acted toward what would come to be called the “American Century”. But in seeking to place limits upon this power, combined with his nephew Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, he engendered a powerful enduring hatred among political interests who sought no restrictions and no protections from its exercise. Among other things, this expresses itself in the continual efforts to scale back and repeal the elements of the New Deal and any remaining economic and ecological safety net in America, and in books with a conservative or libertarian bent sincerely arguing that both Roosevelts were fascist or communist dictators. In terms of “communism”, the actual belief of the Roosevelt Presidents was that only political reform could stave off radical revolution, so they are more accurately identified with the politics of progressivism or a noblesse oblige sensibility.

In terms of “fascism” in a broad sense, it was rather the case that the imperial expansionism of Italy, Germany and Austria, and Japan drew on precedents in American society and culture in seeking to have what Americans had, their understanding of what Made America Great. Consequently, when common themes can be found between the writings and declarations of Roosevelt with those of Hitler and the Nazi Party, this was not because the former was an exceptional figure, but because for better and for worse he articulated views common to American culture in the Gilded Age. Where Americans, Europeans, and Japanese invested in competitive cultural projects of imperialism and industrialization sound retrospectively like Nazis when they spoke on themes like Social Darwinism and eugenics prior to World War I, that is because the Nazis were steeped in such ideology and influences. Fascist movements flourished most in nations where there was a widespread feeling of being slighted or scapegoated by the new world order effected by the Treaty of Versailles, sufficient to build mass support to defy the League of Nations, and launch massive projects of empire building and effect systematic war crimes against colonized populations. Fascism as such did not arise until 1919, the very year Teddy Roosevelt died without achieving his ambition for a third term as President.

A more fruitful consideration would be the extent to which American democracy, with all its violence and injustice, whether codified into law or exerted in lawlessness lent de-facto toleration, has lent the scripts and justification for oppressive regimes. To look on America from the outside must be very disconcerting. The polarized two-party system routinely alternates Presidents, typically every 4-8 years, and with them national policy becomes most opposed to the things it most supported. Or else, continuities between parties where there should not be, such as building up a massive military-industrial complex from the Cold War onward in the teeth of the older conception that America should not maintain a standing army because the presence of such a force was a sure road to tyrannizing absolute monarchy. Still more blatant, the contradiction between a society that simultaneously declares an aim to make the world “safe for democracy”, as Woodrow Wilson said of America entering World War I and shaping the ensuing balance of power, and a society that has overthrown democratically elected leaders, installed fascist or military dictatorships, and supported the systematic atrocities they have carried out. The culture of Japan, having undergone radical transformations following American military interventions in 1853-1854 and from 1945-1952, has developed an acute sense of this Jekyll-and-Hyde conundrum constantly effecing their position of the world. It’s not unreasonable to assume that the Sonic Team under Yuji Naka, collaborating first with Sega of Japan on Sonic the Hedgehog and then with Sega of America on future sequels for the Sega Genesis, would want to include implicit commentary on this state of affairs in communicating to Americans and an Americanized international audience.

I propose that the link between Teddy Roosevelt and Eggman is that the face of the famous American President as the game antagonist is included because he symbolizes the cultural project of the American Century. Because the faces behind the office change so frequently, one face must be chosen who exemplifies the traits of a wider paradigm spanning between them. To show the first face in such a lineage can be particularly effective. When exactly the “American Century” began is a matter of historical debate, although most agree it to have been fully in effect after World War II when America assumed many of the roles that had been carried out by the British Empire in the “British Century.” However, as early as the turn of the 20th century, America had already made cultural decisions toward facilitating such a world-historic shift under the Presidency and punditry of Roosevelt.

The Westward expansionism of America after its Civil War not only brought a considerable number of European immigrants, but also aroused considerable envy contributing to the volatizing Scramble for Africa as the empires of Europe sought to claim their own frontiers at the expense of a stolen continent. Roosevelt not only participated in settler colonialism and its economic frontier, he also promoted it as a paradigm and way of life. It’s fair to say that if Buffalo Bill’s carnivalesque Wild West shows popularized Manifest Destiny to the masses in the field of entertainment, Roosevelt’s writings did the same in the field of intellect. Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders” in the 1st United States Voluntary Cavalry were meant to give the impression of the extension of this paradigm into the Caribbean in the fight against the Spanish Empire, creating the impression of chivalric modern warfare waged by manly rugged Americans.

In this context, a major cultural rift opened among Americans in terms of whether America should define itself as an imperialist power or an anti-imperialist power facilitating decolonized self-determining nations. Roosevelt, along with his processor William McKinley, were distinctly on the side of American imperialism. This created certain cultural contradictions; how could Americans have been so outraged by reports of atrocities and concentration camps by the Spanish in Cuba, and then go on to carry out atrocities and institute concentration camps to claim the Philippines as a U.S. colony? It was this contradiction that brought Roosevelt to power, insofar as the radicalized steel worker Leon Czolgosz, who assassinated President McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo in 1901 spoke of “outrages committed by the American government in the Philippine islands.” (Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick, The Untold History of the United States p. xxviii)

The ensuing policies effected by Roosevelt involved both outright colonialism to assert naval dominance over the Pacific (even as he realized a catastrophic war with Japan became a virtual inevitability), and of neo-colonial military and economic presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, most famously in the political intrigue surrounding the creation of the Panama Canal. America was already asserting themselves as a diplomatic superpower, brokering the treaty in the Russo-Japanese War under Roosevelt, and then playing a major role in the Treaty of Versailles under Wilson. Teddy Roosevelt can also be seen as an early phenomenon of modern American pop culture, including the teddy bears prototypical of Sonic himself. By the 1920s, America became a cultural superpower, as people internationally consumed American pop culture like cinema and jazz records to assert a cosmopolitan sense of modernity against the stagnation and entrenchment of old world powers. The parallel sense of Japan as a cultural superpower around the turn of the 21st century involves a complex relationship to a hybridization of American forms and Japanese content, a globalized phenomenon in which Sega was a major player.

If the question is posed what the world looks like to Eggman, it must be said that the world looks like an unending number of frontiers, with living and dead carbon-based lifeforms to be extracted and exploited for his personal aggrandizement in the empire he is building. In effect, classical Sonic games position the player on the receiving end of Manifest Destiny, contrasting with the many computer games to relish in the ego-trip of empire-building. Even without conscious associations to any U.S. President, it’s easy to identify a certain anti-intellectualism wherein players as Sonic, embodying the nineties “cool pose” in his hip sneakers, revel in blowing up the arrogant ‘egghead’ in his hover ship time after time. There’s something familiar about him in a bad way. Blake J. Harris identifies Sonic with political and cultural shifts in the nineties away from the 12-year Reagan and Bush era (which also included a shift away from climate change denialism in policy): 

Sonic wouldn’t just become the face of the company but also would represent their spirit: the tiny underdog moved with manic speed, and no matter what obstacles stood in his way, he never ever stopped going. Sonic embodied not only the spirit of Sega of America’s employees but also the cultural zeitgeist of the early nineties. He had captured Kurt Cobain’s “whatever” attitude, Michael Jordan’s graceful arrogance, and Bill Clinton’s get-it-done demeanor. (Blake J. Harris, Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Nation p. 76)

In terms of the message of classical Sonic games, it’s helpful to consider the almost wordless story told by the level design, and the sequence of levels. Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles all begin with an opening level filled with resplendent natural beauty encroached upon by a cyborg army that constitute an imminent threat to the homeland of Sonic and later Knuckles. Sonic 3 later evocatively has the lush tropical landscape Angel Island Zone set ablaze by a combat drone as an ecologically disastrous act of scorched earth warfare. Sonic the Hedgehog then brings players into the Marble Zone, another instance of Sega’s fascination with classical ruins, culture, and mythology that stand as a counterpoint to the way the game company aesthetically defined themselves with the public image of a hip nineties urbanism. In terms of these levels appearing throughout the four classical Sonic games that take the player through areas resembling Greek, Roman, and Egyptian ruins, the idea is a kind of gothic contemplation on the frailty of civilizations that would define themselves as eternal, what courses of actions might prolong or accelerate the collapse of a civilization. By repeatingly alternating these levels with chaotic metropolises filled with high-tech mad science emphasized by the jazz-funk music and weaponized cyborg animals, Sonic the Hedgehog applies this lesson to the present and near-future. Both the ecological and civilizational zones are threatened with collapse by Eggman’s aggressive Manifest Destiny paradigm.

Sonic 2 makes this subtext more explicit as it brings the player through levels suggestive of extractive enterprises devastating to the ecosystem inhabited by Sonic and his friends. Chemical Plant Zone is filled with massive pools of deadly toxic chemicals. Mystic Cave Zone has become the site of a large mine prone to collapses and hazards. Oil Ocean Zone and its music has a certain Middle Eastern feel in its music evocative of massive petro-states and the politics of hydrocarbon consumption so culturally contentious then as now. If the slogan “no blood for oil” appeared in the Gulf War just as it did in the Iraq War under two Bush presidencies, Sonic Mania evocatively has the oceans of oil burning like the huge oil fires in Kuwait during the former conflict when it remixes this level. This can’t be good in terms of carbon emissions and climate change, which is much the point. Sonic 2 introduces sites of Eggman’s military-industrial complex in zones like Wing Fortress Zone and Death Egg Zone, a weaponized space program akin to Reagan’s “Star Wars” initiatives to rain death from above. Takashi Murakami’s book Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture explores how Japanese pop culture has been haunted by the shadow of the nuclear bomb after World War II (itself a product of the nuclear arms race between Franklin Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler). So it is for the scramble for the chaos emeralds in the Sonic games, as collecting them all will grant either Eggman or Sonic with invincible power. The metaphor isn’t terribly subtle.

Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles (originally intended to be one game) introduce a colonial dimension on the Caribbean-like floating island, inhabited by the dreadlock-headed Knuckles the Echidna as he is manipulated into battling Sonic before eventually realizing Eggman is the true enemy to all he holds dear. There’s a great deal of lush tropical beauty here interspersed with the ruins of a mystical civilization from the bygone past constructed on the immense power of the Master Emerald that keeps the island flying (i.e. the sequence from Lava Reef Zone to Sky Sanctuary Zone). It’s quite easy to draw comparisons to Hayao Miyazaki’s anime film Castle in the Sky where a European-styled imperialist and his army receive their comeuppance on the floating ruins of a similar island. The environmentalism of Studio Ghibli films is widely acknowledged, but that of Sonic games is less so.

Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles continues many of the tendencies in level design discussed hitherto, now including the transformation of environments for worse or for better. The stage Carnival Night Zone, like Casino Night Zone in Sonic 2, imply a certain neon-drenched conspicuous consumption in tandem with the extractive enterprises shown, evocative of two Gilded Ages around the turn of the 20th and 21st century. America and Japan alike would recall the lavish décor of the yuppies exemplified by the architectural design of Donald Trump’s casinos, hotels, and resorts. The Trump Taj Mahal could easily fit in here. By the time of Sonic CD on the ill-fated Sega CD, the designers introduced the innovation of multidimensional time travel to show what the levels used to be, what Eggman has turned them into in the present, and two divergent possible futures in terms of their destruction or rejuvenation. This is, I think, an important imaginative exercise in an era of what Naomi Klein terms “disaster capitalism.”

In the context of the counterprotests to the Unite the Right rally in Charleston, Virginia, where so many torch-carrying Neo-Nazis and armed paramilitaries where in evidence, a young Asian man was photographed in a Sonic cap with a spraypainted shirt in which the blue hedgehog extends the middle finger as the text declares “Sonic Says NO To fascism and racism”. The image has since become a t-shirt sold on Redbubble. That interpretation is both plausible, and humorously riffs off the old “Sonic Says” segments on the cartoon Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. I have here tried to argue that what “Sonic Says NO” to is not only a neo-fascist politics to “Make America Great Again” by rejecting the international order effected after World War II in terms of paranoid ravings about other countries “laughing at us”, but also to institutionalized practices of systematic destruction rationalized more than a century ago in terms of Making America Great. On this view, Sonic would also get behind politics of environmentalism, antimilitarism, anticolonialism, and indigenous rights in the sense that we should too. Insofar as Teddy Roosevelt is implicated in a model of the American presidency that sustains ecological and economic devastation internationally to the peril of all, his face has been lent to Eggman as a video game antagonist exemplifying these qualities.

[angstandhappiness]

INTERESTING

Hello! I hope your week has been kind to you. May I inquire of your thoughts about IDW Eggman written by Ian Flynn? I noticed his reference in one of your posts, and i would like to know how you feel about the direction Ian is taking the Sonic characters in in the Sonic franchise. I would also like to know what you think about Surge and Kit, the product of Dr. Starline's unethical experimentations. Mimic, the traitorous mercenary as well if you don't mind. Remind yourself to eat your meals regularly and to maintain a limber body!

I admittedly haven't gotten to sink my teeth in IDW- I'm currently following through @thankskenpenders' take on archie which I would like to finish before I start that. What I have seen is promising, but I don't consider myself educated to speak on those characters. I think Surge, Kit, and Mimic have very fun designs and seem to have a lot of potential, and I love the way the former two (and Starline himself) are nods to classic glitches.

As far as IDW Eggman, as I've said, I'm very interested in what Flynn and Stanley do with him! They're definitely a bit darker than I've always liked my take on Eggman- my formative Sonic game was Sonic Adventure 2, which featured Eggman as a protagonist in his own right, albeit a "dark" one. I've always liked the idea of him as half-honorable, and it's a balancing act to frame that with just how brutal and ruthless he can be. But I've grown to be fond of that- I think half-honorability stands out a little more when the other half is that... coldly efficient.

As I said in the post, I think it's interesting to take Eggman as someone who may have had noble intentions as a 'fixer' once but who's gone a good few strides further than that. In a warped way, he always 'helps'- but you may not appreciate his help. I think that plays well with him as a manipulator and a trickster who tends to play people against each other for his own profit and amusement- if he's always harmless or always terrifying that's a potentially fine character (there's much I like about SatAM Robotnik after all!) but it doesn't really hit me as Eggman in the same way.

Almost everything I've gleaned secondhand about the Mr. Tinker arc is fascinating to me because of that. Especially the way Sonic confronts Eggman afterwards, and makes it clear he isn't opposed to Eggman regaining his memory (Sonic is not someone who likes to take power or options away from even his worst enemies) but upset that Eggman threw away everything he had as Mr. Tinker, to which Eggman replies, almost wistfully, that that kind of life was "peaceful"- but he's got bigger fish to fry.

As I said in a previous post, at the end of the day, Eggman's meant a lot of things to a lot of people, and while I'll always have my own takes on the Sonic cast, the biggest thing I can hope for is that new versions of the story will experiment further. That willingness to try new things boldly is, in my opinion, one of the things that's kept the Sonic franchise as youthfully full of vitality as it is. I can't really find it in my heart to hate any version of Eggman- they've all got something going for them, from the silly to the horrifying to the aforementioned half-honorable to the completely vile.