#like robotnik is so damn interesting

[esosage]

God i need more movie robotnik angst! Like my man is prime angst material and theres just not enough for him!

Need him to be sobbing, and crying, and haveing a mental breakdown.

Especially when it involves stone, since it forces him to let his walls down, and bear his soul to the other man wether he likes it or not. Which could really offer some interesting developments in their relationship.

I can see movie eggman being very antsy after he has a mental break down infront of stone, since he's primarily waiting for the other to either take advantage of him or leave him. Since thats probobly what he's experienced in relationships up till now (with the whole trust issues thing.)

Infact, i'd say he gets so antsy that he becomes a self fulfilling profocy. Being so pent up, and not beliveing stone has anything but maliciouse intent twards him now, he lashes out at the other. Saying some real horrible shit in an attempt to push him away before stone can hurt him.

He ends up secretly regretting it after the fact. He tries to convince himself that its better this way, or that he doesn't care, or that he likes hurting the other, in attempt to cover up that guilt, but he knows deep down that its just not true. Even so, that doesnt stop him from returning back to old habbits to cope with being in a very unframiliar situation: aka him being a dick. Maybe not directly to stone this time, but by avoiding him. He isn't really angry at stone, more so angry at himself, but he doesnt have the emotional intelligence to recognize that. So he tries to put up walls. In his mind hes gotten far to attached to stone and needs to cut the other man out before he has a one up over him, or uses robotniks emotions against him. But robotnik just cant do it. He cant force himself to get rid of stone, he cant force himself to just fire the man, because stone is the only person who takes care of robotnik.

Now, robotnik doesnt think that stone genuinlly cares for him, he doesnt think anyone is capable of that, but stone does give him attention. Attention, that he despretly seeks and searches for. Infact, stone has probobly cared for robotnik, more than anyone else before. Which isnt a high bar, since robotnik isn't exactly a likeable person, but its still a very big thing for a robotnnik. Because in his whole life, stone is one of the very few people who has cared about him somewhat, and managed to stick around him for this long without gwtting tired of his bulshit. And as someone who has been longing and desperate for attention their entire life, who craves it, robotnik just cant give stone up. Regardless of if stone huets him or not, because he doesn't think he'll find anyone else who will care for him as much as stone does.

Of course, he never acknowledges this, because to him, saying that he needs the agent on such a deep level is admitting to being weak. Since he's supposed to be untouchable (and perfect.) And he much less has enough emotional intelligence to understand this, so he puts up walls instead, in the hopes that stone will do it for him. That stone, just like everyone else, will get sick of his bullshit and leave. (He doesnt really want this in reality. But because he's in such an unframilar situation, hes resorting back to old habbits and lashing out to feel more incontrol. Because theres nothing robotnik hates more, than not being in control, because in his mind, if hes not incontrol then he's going to get hurt.)

Thankfully for robotnik though, stone is crazy and refuses to leave. He might have before robotnik had the mental breakdown, since he didnt belive the doctor genuinlly cared about him before then, but after the mental breakdown, he knows that the doctor cares about him more than he's letting on. So he refuses to leave, because he knows somethings up with the doctor, and he's not going until its fixed. Careing more about robotniks wellbeing than his own, (regardless of how unhealthy it is.)

This confuses to robotnik till no end, and sets his mind down another spiral. Because normally, your mean to people and they leave, but stone isn't doing that...... why? Thats the part that catches robotnik up the most: the why. In robotniks mind, he's an asshole, he knows he is, he plays into it sometimes, and thusly he thinks nobody can care about him. That because he's a horrible person, and because, in his mind, he'll never be anything but one, its simply impossible for anyone to care, much less love him. So he doesnt think stone is capable of loveing him. Which begs the question of why stone is staying.

If stone doesn't love him, and has every reason to leave him right now outside of the pay, why stay? Does he want revenge? Does he have a card up his sleeve? Is he trying to take robotnik down? Is that why he's been more nosey lately?

All of those are questions floating in robotniks head. His trust issues takeing his anxiety twards the issue and going wild. Which naturally sends robotnik down a paranoid spyral.

All of this, culminates in another argument. Stone demanding to know whats wrong, and robotnik eventually slipping up in the moment, and admiting that he thinks stone hates him, and is trying to sabatouge him.

The agent vehemently goes against this motion, claiming he would never tries that, and that he doesn't hate robotnik. Of course, due to his trust issues, robotnik doesnt buy it. Combating this with the "facts" he has gathered thus far. Asking why stone would stay with him otherwise if it wasn't to gain something.

Another thing the agent opposes, stuttering over his words to avoid saying the obviouse, but just enough to hopefully convince robotnik when he says he cares. Though robotnik keeps pushing back, still not buyinh it.

And exaughsted, stone just screams out rhe truth in the hopes that it will get through the others thick skull. Admiting that he loves robotnik, and thats why he stays, because he cares about him dammit!

This leaves robotnik floored, he doesn't belive it at first, can't fathom the thought of someone actually being in love with someone like him outside of what he can give them (relationships arw transactional in his mind,) but hes putting up a lot less ressistancdñe than before. And while he doesnt want ot admit it, logically speaking, it would explain t a lot of things.

Eventually robotnik does something slightly emotionally intelligent for once in his damn life, and asks for a moment, (he doesnt say its to prosess his emotions, but its deffinetly implied,) and he asks stone to leave.

This obviously leaves the other anxiouse, wondering if he did something wrong in admiting his feelings, but he complies. Thr two on their own to process everything..

They end up haveing a conversation about it later once they've calmed down, (something stone had to initiate,) and it ends up being productive! The two of them planning a path forward for the both of them (with no romance by robotniks request) and they begin to work on things.. very slowly yes, and with a lot of cognitive disonence on robotniks part (he still cant admit that he cares, much less loces stone yet, even if he does,) but its progress and stone is satisfied with it.

Anyhow, sorry i went on a ramble, my thoughts decided to just go this way lol. Regardless, my point still stands, robotnik is a very deep and interesting character, and deserves to ve explored more. And also deserves a hell of a lot more angst.

Thank you for listening to my bullshit.

[thelediz]

Sonic Underground watchalong – final thoughts

So I watched all of Sonic Underground again, in the hope of finding inspiration for a fic I’ve been writing for years. Check out either the watchalong or the fic, if you’re interested!

Because I was writing notes, I was paying attention in a different way than I ever have before. It didn’t make me like it any more or less, but I think I was more aware of the way I was responding to it, and things I was thinking when I would normally just be passively watching. So now I have THOUGHTS.

First and foremost, I want to applaud the trashfire for its incredible use of show and tell. Because there’s a whole bunch that it told us, but there was also a whole bunch that it SHOWED, and sometimes those two things were completely at odds with each other. And I think that’s what’s resonated with me all these years. Because this was a very complicated world that it created, and yet the story it told was remarkably simple. And I found myself fascinated by it.

But GUYS. There was PLOT in this show. There were actual, important storylines that someone wanted to build up to something in future seasons!

The prophecy, first and foremost. Aleena could not reunite with her children until they were ready to become the Council of Four and overthrow Robotnik.

To do this, they had to learn to accept their divine rite (HMPH), but also understand the dangers of forgetting how to be kind and caring rulers.

Their medallions were driven by the Power of Harmony, and within that power was the ability to free people’s minds from whatever destructive force held it.

They needed to gather allies to defeat Robotnik, of which Knuckles was only the first of many. (Supposedly there was a French comic that continued this plot, but it died a quick death, from all reports)

There were two pendants that had both been split in two and hidden in distant lands. One had a map, the other gave Sonia the power to see what Robotnik was doing. The implication is that there would be at least two more.

Did they do any of this well? Hell no! But were they there? Hell yes, and I have Many Thoughts about how one could reboot this series to build them properly. Though I would lose the allies thread, and depending on Sega mandates, maybe swap it for a story about Sonic being destined for more than the crown. Because I like my Echidna Prophecies.

I’m shouting into the void, as I do, but if anyone is still reading and would be interested, hit me up on an ask and I will happily give you random character arcs and episode synopses that are whirling in my head.

But outside all that, I have some other thoughts:

It’s still a trashfire that I cannot defend, but dammit if someone didn’t care about this show.

I cannot emphasis this enough. Someone, somewhere, cared about this show and wanted it to be something. They didn’t succeed, but damn it did they try. There was no getting away from how cheap this show was, and how many sacrifices were made in the name of… well, what do I know they were made in the name of?

Because here’s the thing: I wasn’t there when it was made. None of us were. I joke and make statements about how this show was a quick cash grab, because that’s what it looks and feels like, but for all I know, this was someone’s first but legitimate attempt at making a new IP from the Sonic franchise. And yeah, they failed. They screwed up a lot. But I remind you that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as we currently know them, began life as a marketing strategy because no one could sell toys based on a gritty black and white Daredevil parody comic, and after the first season, SOMEONE cared enough to push for a second. And I bet there are plenty of badly aged episodes from that cartoon too.

It's poorly edited, messily written, and terribly paced, but there was something in it. And that something is worth celebrating.

I could have liked Sonia, if only.

Watching it this time, I wanted SO BADLY to like Sonia. And I can see exactly how I could have, with just… -gestures vaguely-

The problem I have with Sonia is that she is just immediately amazing. At everything. She goes from being a stuck up, sheltered aristocrat to the best Freedom Fighter in the Resistance without blinking, and the only reminder that she was ever anything else is that she’s a snob that likes girly things like fashion and makeup.

In the reboot (HAH), I would want to see her have to learn. I want to see her shoot for the first time and think it's easy, but then see her get shot AT, and see her panic. I want to see her sit in a strategy meeting, but then go out into the field and see someone get hurt because of an order she gave. I want to see her realise that not everyone lives like she used to, and that she WAS pampered, and she WAS spoiled, and she DIDN’T deserve everything she had – she was just LUCKY. I want to see her have a proper breakdown over Lady Windemere because robotocisation isn’t supposed to happen to good people. And I want that to be what spurs her into being a leader in the Resistance.

THEN I can handle her being the best at everything, and being so righteous with Bartleby, and smug with the boys. She needs to earn her skill, and she just didn’t.

Holy crap, MANIC. Just… MANIC.

I can recognise now that I liked what I was told Manic was, and what he could have been, more than the character he ended up being. Manic is supposed to be so complex and emotional, but they frankly didn’t have the time or possibly age rating to get into it, so he’s just…

He’s an eternal victim, but he’s also an eternal problem. He’s in over his head, and no one seems to notice except Sonic, who (in this series) doesn’t have the emotional capacity to deal with that properly. So I watched him this time with deep, tolerant breaths, thinking of young teenage boys that think they need to be tough or cool and don’t actually know how.

In the reboot (HAH), I’d want more time spent digging into that. I want him to get in over his head, I want that to be a problem multiple times, I want him to get mad about it and blame everyone else, I want him to rebel and hurt someone, badly, and for everyone, including him, to be horrified, and I want him to have to grow up and take the responsibility to make it better.

I want him to represent the people of Mobius, who turned their backs on the queen that wasn’t supporting them, only to find out they’d dug their own graves in doing so. And I want them all to get better.

The counters. I told you I’d explain them.

So when I think back on Sonic Underground, I often think of things that kind of annoyed me. Like Sonia’s love life. But as we can see from the counters, her love life doesn’t actually come up that often! BUT the fact that she has three (and a half – I’m still not counting Raphie) love interests in forty episodes, while Manic shows vague interest in one girl and one female robot, and the closest Sonic comes to ANY interest is some general campy behaviour that may actually just be his French animation showing is pretty significant.

Now, I’m showing my cards here, but I get very tired of romantic subplots in non-romance focussed shows these days. If they don’t contribute to the character’s story, I find it annoying and distracting. So in my reboot fantasy, I want to emphasise the Bartleby relationship, and get rid of EVERY. OTHER. LOVE INTEREST. Except maybe the fuccboi because I COULD MAKE SOMETHING OF THAT STORYLINE for the purposes of her character growth. But none of them (and especially not Knuckles) added to Sonia’s character, so it just felt like it was there because Girls Grow With Love, teehee, and screw you fiction tropes. I and every other little girl deserve better.

 The other thing that I remember is the inconsistent skills. Sonia has superstrength in (arguably – I was being pretty generous sometimes) in FOUR episodes. Of FORTY. WHY HAVE IT AT ALL? And Manic’s ability to pick locks or steal – it was more problematic than it was helpful, so why occasionally imply that he has ‘the magic touch’? And even Sonic! Can he take on a squadron of SWATbots single-handedly, or is Sleet looming over him an actual threat?

I was counting them because these were things that stuck with me, but when you actually count them up, they take up SO LITTLE of the story and the characters. It goes to show how quickly annoyances can overtake a narrative.

Sonic Underground was quietly and inconsistently beautiful

It was in its set pieces. It was in its character concepts. It was in its world building. Its opening scenes. Its bittersweet ends. Its side characters, who had so much depth and life outside of the main characters. It was in the heavily reality of its darkest moments, and the simple sweetness of its quiet ones.

Cyrus and his father. Manic and Sonic laughing as they played together. Sonic and Sonia exchanging glances with actual meaning. The birds that continued to fly in Robotropolis. Sleet and Dingo’s uneasy partnership, built on mutual goals and joined fear. Aleena’s irrational but all-consuming love, and her anger that echoed in two-sentence monologues.

This show had moments. And those moments have stuck with me. They will continue to stick with me.

There was beauty in this terrible show.

I can see Sonic growing from this show.

This is going to sound really weird, because on the surface, the character we see in Sonic Underground is almost unrecognisable from the character we see in contemporary games. There are flashes of him in Boom, and Lost World (nostalgia characterisation woo), but generally, he seems so different.

Until you dig in.

The more I think about Sonic as he is in Sonic Underground – about his situation, about the world he grew up in, about the relationships he has. The more I think about these things, the more I can see the tension and frustration and fear. And then I think about those things, and I compare them to the Sonic we know, who is free, and independent, and has friends he can trust to handle themselves…

I think about how hard that difference is.

And I know exactly where The Lost Prince came from.

And I know where I want it to end.

So if you’re interested… I mean, I have SO MANY reports I actually have to write, rather than spending time on fanfic, but… yeah, I think I’ll be finishing those last chapters this year. I hope to see you there.

[goron-king-darunia]

Hypothetical Eggwoman. I love that character

Honestly, a gender-bent Eggman would be such an interesting concept to have explored. There's fanart of it floating around and some of these "Eggma'am" fanarts are damn-near close to official art quality. A disappointing amount of them turn her into a waifish giant-bazonga slay queen. Which, while valid, isn't quite the angle I would go for. The reason Eggman is shaped the way he is was originally a dig at Nintendo's mascot, Mario. So if you're going to make her a waifish tiddy goddess instead of a chunky middle-aged spinster, she should look like Princess Peach, right? That said, I'd love to see Sega put out official concept art for it or explore the idea in more detail. I support womens' wrongs after all.

In the meantime, I think my favorite genderbent Eggman design is this one by Snowflake-owl on Deviantart because they actually had the guts to keep most of Eggman's features and make a design consistent with the Sonic X art style.

And while I think that not much about the personality or motives would change with a gender-swap or genderbend, a female Dr. Robotnik/Eggma'am/Eggwoman would probably have a lot more of an active feminist stance because, like, women in STEM fields being taken seriously was a huge point in feminist rhetoric. Women were the first computer scientists before computers became toys they could market to boys, and then suddenly wanting to code or engineer was a man's hobby. So how would she have had to navigate a world that looks down on her? Canon Eggman may be a bumbling idiot (he kind of has to be for the slapstick status-quo based buffoonery and cartoon logic) but canon Eggman is still considered a threat. Would that perception change if she was a woman? It's interesting to think about but it also treads dangerously close to the trope where the supervillainess justifies her villainy because she's had to endure sexism and then it becomes her whole flanderized one-dimensional personality. Still. Fun to think about.

[sevi007]

Rewatching the “Where evil grows” scene from the first movie to get a good understanding of the lab’s layout for fic accuracy purposes and…

Who wants to bet that it was not Robotnik, but Stone who labelled the switches? I mean. There is a damn self-destruct switch right under the fuses to the entire lab. Given that it was Robotnik who placed that so strategically right there, something tells me he is not the kinda guy to take precautions like labelling them accordingly so that, you know, nobody accidentally blows up the entire lab.  

How can a genius be so dumb… oh wait. Same guy who sticks electrified quills of unknown origins into his mouth. Right. My bad. XD

(Stone’s first few weeks on the job, finding stuff like that, were probably uh… interesting. XD)

[masterofpasta95]

The “Eggman is actually an adapted insult from Sonic!” thing that we are now proudly reminded of every 20 minutes makes me irrationally angry so I’m going to put an unnecessary amount of effort into explaining why it sucks.

Supreme dumbass (although, perhaps not pointless) nerd rage below.

This seemingly innocuous thing is somehow emblematic of everything I do not like regarding how Sonic is currently handled. It:

- is one of the most blatant “Flynn-isms” (providing an explanation to something which does not need one entirely for the sake of winning brownie points with the fandom and “solving inconsistencies”)

- treats localized material like it is “equally as legitimate” as things which the actual creators of sonic made

- instead of taking the path of least resistance, the explanation is still convoluted and contradictory with other information, therefore meaning its purpose of “solving things” isn’t even fucking accomplished

- makes Eggman, the character, less interesting.

Let’s make a ground rule clear: his name is supposed to be Eggman. We could talk about the merits of “Robotnik” as a name as much as we like, but the fact of the matter is, whether you like it or not, his original, intended name is Eggman. And it works, because this character LOOKS like a fuckin Egg Man.

“Eggman” is a great name because it makes him seem silly and non-threatening, not in spite of it. Eggman is a character defined by contrast; he’s smart, but he’s also kind of absent-minded. He sometimes looks friendly, but he can also look scary and ugly under the right conditions because of his toothy grin and vibrant, perfectly circular glasses. He’s quite jolly and funny, but also capable of extreme anger and desperation.

He seems silly and harmless, but is capable of single-handedly destroying entire ecosystems and designing scarily effective hedgehog killing machines.

He’s trying to do things he think will “improve” the earth, but he ruins it in the process.

If you make Eggman purely evil and imposing, you miss the point of Eggman. These are traits Eggman has in common with actual strangely intelligent manchildren. I would know.

However, I would argue the single most key thing about “Eggman” as a name is it’s second half: man. Eggman is generally representative of humanity and it’s insatiable desire for “progress,” at the cost of everything in its way. And, you know, the “Egg” half is self explanatory.

So, personally, I would say that there is not much reason to try and legitimize “Robotnik” in the first place, beyond it sounding cool and having a pun in it. Eggman is not only more fitting, it is more meaningful.

This is all relevant, because this “adapted insult” shit is spawned exclusively from a desire to try and make the way it was for Americans in real life- Robotnik “changed” to Eggman- the case in THE ACTUAL IN-LORE CANON OF SONIC THE FUCKING BLUE CARTOON HEDGEHOG, for some god forsaken reason. This whole Robotnik thing is also the primary headliner for how the American versions of non-American stories are now given more priority, because they are the more well-known versions, which more or less only serves to retroactively simplify the actual themes Classic Sonic was going for. Why would you do this as a storyteller, unless you were irrationally trying to make everything “equally valid?” It’s supremely shitty to do this fandom-satisfying stuff when viewed from a lens of actual artistic integrity. (And it also makes trying to convince people that Classic Sonic has more going on than it looks a god damn nightmare because they live in this ouroboros-esque feedback loop of misinformation)

And you can’t argue that his name was Robotnik in-universe up until SA1, anyways, and that all of this “wasn’t actually in the games, so it doesn’t contradict anything if it’s retconned!” These things come up all the time in these debates already, and you’re probably bored to tears of hearing about them, but I’m going to use them anyways.

Lol.

You could argue that “oh, he just adapted the insult before Sonic 2!” to which I have to ask, what’s the god damn point, then? Congratulations. He is “Robotnik” for one, maybe two games. You’re not getting what you want out of this, either.

Well, now we have an interesting question on our hands. Why WOULD he call himself “Eggman?”

This is where things become more headcanon-y, but it’s all extrapolated from actual character quirks of Eggman’s.

“Adapted insult” is honestly fiiiine as another “he’s always trying to be one step ahead of Sonic!” thing, but the logic is really tortured and it’s far more interesting to explore “Eggman” as a conscious, self-chosen name.

Consider for a moment how egotistical and proud of himself Eggman is. He genuinely thinks he is the single most awesome specimen there is, he’s so proud of his intelligence and vision that he oftentimes forgets the most basic of logic, in a “you forgot the first rule of X!” sort of way.

Eggman is also a businessman. And all businessmen are obsessed with one thing above all else: marketing.

And so, I choose to interpret “Eggman” as him deliberately selling his image as a perfectly spherical weirdo with a big mustache. It could even be something like a “superhero name,” he’s so proud of it that he wants everyone to know it and respect it. He is the Eggman, that’s what he is, and don’t ask again.

If he came up with a catchy name for himself and started plastering it everywhere, every single person would eventually know who “The Eggman” is. And it’s not like Eggman is insecure about being fat, or whatever; again, he thinks he’s perfect. “Eggman” is a name he’s both proud of and is great for marketing.

Every logo of his also fits cleanly into this “plastering The Eggman everywhere” idea; they’re all either of the word “Egg” itself, or something to do with his appearance, most commonly just straight up his face.

Oh, yeah, and as alluded to earlier, his god damn theme song is about how proud he is about being “The Eggman.”

In summary, “His name was Robotnik, and then Sonic insulted him by calling him Eggman, so he just decided to roll with it” is a dumb explanation, made entirely to both-sides something that is actively worse for being both-sides’ed, and it is significantly better characterization-wise if Eggman just came up with the name himself.

Thus concludes this week’s edition of Pasta’s Dumb Nerd Soapbox, I hope I explained myself well.

[shinymisty-blog]

Am I the only one who feels like the episode "Six is a Crowd" was such a missed opportunity for so many things?

For those who don't remember, "Six is a Crowd" gave us this glorious gif:

The episode involves Sonic, Sonia, and Manic going to an Alternative Universe where Robotnik is the leader of the Freedom Fighters while the triplets are evil dictators. (Sonic is a glutton, Manic is money-hungry, and Sonia likes throwing mobians into jail...)

We never see Aleena. I don't even remember her being mentioned. And don't get me started on how pissed I was with not seeing the Alternative, Freedom Fighters Sleet and Dingo in this episode. It was AlL I WANTED out of an episode like this.

So...this is what I would have done with this episode if I could change it.

First off, the Royal Trio's role as the heroes trying to save Mobius would be replaced with the Robotnik trio. This would mean Dingo, Sleet, and Bartleby take the place of Sonic, Manic, and Sonia. (And yes. I am saying Dingo would be the leader of the group). They are searching to find Robotnik, the leader of the Freedom Fighters, to help overthrow the young tyrants ruining Mobius, Sonic, Sonia, and Manic, all while keeping the spirits of the mobians high with jazzy music.

Dingo's the most level-headed of the group, similar to Sonic, but tends to take on more than what he can handle. He also handles the drums (a different kind from Manic's drums). Sleet has street smarts and trusts issues like Manic, always snatching things he feels are needed...or that he feels they (the mobian he'd be stealing from) Shouldn't have. He plays the Double Bass. Bartleby is the one with the highest status but became wanted for crimes he couldn't control, like Sonia, being the one who's able to communicate the easiest with other mobians but has some...issues with adjusting at times. He plays the PianoSAXOPHONE!

So, when OUR triplets arrive in this universe, they are very stunned to see the Buried Hunters finishing a show hidden in a small, back alley within Mobotroplis, and even more shocked to see it being Sleet, Dingo, and Bartleby were the ones playing.

The two groups meet up and some shenanigans happen. Manic and Sleet bond over a shared interest in stealing shit and making the other members of their group have to pull them out of trouble because of it, while Bartleby and Sonia have a strange bond over their childhood friend ending up doing some really bad things. Sonic and Dingo bond over having to step up as leaders when they felt they weren't meant for it.

It'd give us the only episode where the triplets aren't the lead singers, but the "Buried Hunters" instead giving us the song. (I just want an episode where Sleet sings, damn it).

The Royal trio ends up meeting Robotnik, who reveals that, in this universe, he is the leader of the Royal Guard. We'd also learn that, apparently, Sleet and Dingo were very close friends with Bartleby. He then tells them why he hadn't reunited with the Robotnik trio, as all four of them still had to finish through their own paths, but that he felt unsure that they would even accept him back into their lives due to all the damage he had done, not warning the Queen about how poorly she was raising her children could cause issues down the line, blaming himself for the downfall of Mobius. He parallels Aleena and is foreshadowing a reason why Aleena hasn't reunited with them yet.

The Royal trio reassures Robotnik that the Robotnik trio are still fighting BECAUSE they believed in him and that they were trying their hardest to reunite with him, realizing that it may be the same with them and Aleena. With that, they are sent back to their own Universe with the notion that Robotnik is planning to reunite with the Robotnik trio and thanks the Royal trio for helping regain his confidence.

We wouldn't get the same ending we did in the original episode, as the Royal trio were only sent there to learn some simple lesson. They are left wondering how THAT Universe can restore peace to Mobius if they even can, similar to how we wonder if THIS Universe can be restored. The Oracle asks if they believed in the Buried Hunters and Robotnik to do the right thing, which then turns to him asking if they believed in themselves and Aleena to do the right thing when it came to it.

BOOM!

Better lesson than the actual episode...I don't even remember what it was. It could let us see a bit into the villains of the universe in another light, the trio can learn a bit from their journey, giving us some foreshadowing in specific places. Like how the trio would eventually reunite with their mother. WHY she's been avoiding them for so long, teaching the trio that they should do the right thing.

...

AND WE'D GET AU SLEET AND DINGO! WHAT MORE CAN YOU WANT?!

[samobservessonic]

We join the Freedom Fighters on the tail end of a successful mission, but what’s most intriguing about this issue is right there in the title box. While we’ve had a story from Lew Stringer already over in the poster mags, this is his first story in the main book. Not only that, but this story is called “Metamorphia” and if you have even a casual interest in StC, you’ve probably heard of this addition to the rogues’ gallery, who Stringer is about to introduce us to

Amy shoots her shot and gets shot down, as this bear mobian asks Sonic for help. Now, you might think they’re playing the old “Sonic ignores Amy in favour of another girl” card but as I’ve pointed out a few times already, Sonic is just really invested in helping civilians and shows them a kindness that he doesn’t seem to show his own team. Maybe it’s that he feels his team can handle him for being the asshole he is? But that’s besides the point right now

Also, I’m not going to beat about the bush with this. I’m sure you’ve probably already guessed that, with the villain in the title being a play on the word “metamorph”, this bear isn’t who she’s claiming to be

Amy might not be able to read the title, but she also gets bad vibes from this stranger and Tails agrees with her. But Sonic passes off these concerns as jealousy and is quick to head on his way, leaving the two of them behind

Yeah, sure, this looks like the safest zone I’ve ever seen

Sonic shares this sentiment and while he looks away, our damsel in distress suddenly looks a lot more sinister…

They get attacked by soldier badniks (I tend to call them Troopers, but I’m not sure if they’re actually called that?) and while Sonic thinks they’re the most dangerous thing here, he’s seconds away from being proven wrong

Here she is, Metamorphia! She introduces herself and her home, the Grim Zone, with Sonic having to admit that Amy & Tails were right not to trust her

Metamorphia transforms into a gas to knock Sonic out and like, damn, I know shapeshifter characters are often OP, but that’s pretty OP! Not that I’m complaining at all, since it’s always good to have more powerful threats on the villains’ side. Though unlike Captain Plunder, it turns out that Metamorphia is another agent working for Robotnik

Sonic wakes up in a some kind of prison cube, but it doesn’t even take him a few seconds after Metamorphia explains how it works for him to bust out of it lmao

Metamorphia escapes and Tails shows up, but I’m sure we can all figure out that Tails hasn’t suddenly developed the ability to back-talk Sonic

There’s something so funny about the villain being so blatant as to say “take a look over that cliff”. Also, I guess Metamorphia really hates Bluey. That’s my headcanon now

Sonic was about as fooled by her disguise as we were and leaves Metamorphia to her fate. Turns out that even if she can turn into a gas, she can’t mimic Tails’s ability to fly

I had wondered if Sonic would eat humble pie when he got back to Amy & Tails, but nope, he’s vague about what happened. Amy saying “Did your new girlfriend chuck you” is yet another reminder of exactly how British these characters sound. Meanwhile, our story ends on the confirmation that Metamorphia lives to see another day and we’ll certainly be seeing her again in future

Now, like the previous issue, this was a standalone story setting up lore to pull from in future. But I have to confess that I enjoyed this one a lot more. Even if I didn’t have much to say, I felt like there was a lot more stuff I wanted to hold up and go “Look at this!” Which isn’t me saying that I think Stringer is a better writer than Kitching by any means - both of them have wonderful stories that I enjoy and you wouldn’t have StC without either writer. But this was a strong start for Stringer and I’m looking forward to more

As for Metamorphia, I just like girl villains, so I’m obviously looking forward to her comeback. Having started reading StC with issue 80, the only story I saw of Metamorphia was the end of her character arc and the final story she appears in (which actually ends up being a Tails solo story), so I’m looking forward to seeing how her journey plays out before she gets to that final destination

[beevean]

I never understood why people praise Satam as the end-all be-all of Sonic media and gush about how dark it is. First off, the games (especially Sonic CD) handled the "Robotnik takes over and turns world into polluted hellhole with his machines" concept much better. Second it wasn't even all that dark. The games had darker moments like having an unarmed terminally ill child get gunned down like a damn dog on-screen, baby Chao being stomped to death and having Sonic's friends experience a "I have no mouth and I must scream" sensation of floating in a black limbo without a body, after being turned into fully conscious immobile statues. The robians were just mindless zombies. They got it easy.

Even Satams Robotnik was pretty lackluster. All he did was sit on his rotund rear end at hq and bark orders like a Screaming Dumbass. He even begged for his worthless life before a Canon foreigner villain . He literally kissed the ground while beggingm

Also he was a freaking dumbass for not using the robians as meat shields against sonic or using them as attack dogs since the freedom fighters wouldn't want to harm a former mobian that could very well be a loved one.

Also Satam Sonic was weak AF! Satam tails was weaker than a kitten!

Sorry, no point in coming to me to complain about SatAM because I never watched a single episode of it lmao.

To be fair, all the dark stuff you mentioned came after SatAM, and to this day Shadow's backstory and Gerald's diary are considered the darkest point of the games. (no such respect for my girl Tikal or the Time Eater's effects, sadly :( ). I can see how, superficially, people back then would be appealed by SatAM's grimdark nature contrasted with how bright the Classic games were. It's true however that CD was much more creative in its depiction of a world conquered by Eggman: we actually see how much he damaged the zones, from turning the lake in Palmtree Panic into a grey sludge, to mining down all the crystals in Quartz Quadrant, to defacing ancient ruins in Tidal Tempest. It's not just an endless sea of super scary buildings: the zones are corrupted, ruined, and it's all your fault for not stopping it. And, of course, the Good Futures show technology aiding nature instead, making Sonic CD possibly the earliest example of Solar Punk <3

I also personally really love Scrap Brain Act 1's aesthetic. Sonic 1 has a nature-urban progression, so you go from unspoiled Green Hill, to ruins overcome by nature (Marble Zone and Labyrinth), to a city with greenery (Spring Yard), to a city without any greenery but still pretty to look at (Star Light)... to an utter industral monstrosity, the ground completely made of metal and a sky turned orange from the sheer amount of pollution being emitted.

I also find brilliance in how Act 3 is a palette swap of Labyrinth Zone! Eggman has built his base over ancient ruins! He's dumping pollution in the water!

And a personal appreciated detail of mine is how the "good" ending of Sonic 1 8-bit is the power of the Chaos Emeralds cleansing the smoke surrounding South Island. Even in that little game, they made sure to include how much of an ecoterrorist Eggman is <3

Yeah sorry, I have nothing to say about SatAM. Maybe (maybe) one day I'll try to watch some episodes, but I'm not interested. I prefer to talk about the games :>

[doomed-jester]

So I just rewatched all of Mashed's There's Something About series. Some rapid fire thoughts off the dome

> There's Something About Knuckles is so damn good, like it's an unironically great short form mecha series that happens to use Sonic characters and vaguely parody Attack on Titan. If you have the time (like 20 minutes) just stop reading this post now and go watch it, I am gonna spoil it in the next few bullet points.

> Secret History of Sonic & Tails and There's Something About Amy don't really hold up quite as well on a rewatch, they're a little too reliant on shock value. Still pretty decent but they don't have the depth that TSAK gets and I could see that putting someone off if they watched those first.

> I know it's a popular theory that TSAK!Tails is SH!Tails since he shares a few of the same catchphrases and generally acts kinda shady, but are people talking about the Amy connection?

I know it's not much but they both have similarly long hair, TSAK!Amy has bandages on her arms where TSAA!Amy has scars, and Amy's mech has the same hair spikes on the back of the head as TSAA!Amy (Amy's 3 spikes (quills?) are typically in the front). That could be down to SH!Tails designing the mechs though.

> The evolving design of The Titan is interesting. Obviously the shift from Titan!Eggman to Titan!Sonic is pretty substantial, but I love that the Titan seems to be cycling through the colors of the chaos emeralds. It starts green, then becomes red when it leaves Baron Robotnik, then blue after falling into lava in the most recent episode. I wonder if it'll stay that color or keep cycling through in the finale.

> if I had to make a wild prediction, I'd say that Knuckles will kill the Titan in the finale, or maybe save Sonic by ripping the emeralds out, then get infected by the power. Then SH!Tails (and maybe Amy) will reveal what they really are and recruit Titan!Knuckles in their scheme. I doubt we'll get a There's Something About Big or something so the next part will (in my opinion) probably be the grand finale of the meta-series, focused on the grand plan. I could be way off base though.

So yeah... Go watch There's Something About Knuckles and work backwards if you enjoy it. Seriously it's so good.

[silverstarsimuran]

Sonic's Dilemma

I liked the scene after the credits of the second Sonic movie, where the Shadow capsule appears. Someone thinks that it was decided too early to add him to the cinematic Sonic universe. Well, I think it's just great! I hope that the third film about the blue hedgehog will be very spectacular and spectacular. And since Sonic's real blood parents were not shown in two films, I assumed that our blue hero could have been created artificially (however, this is also based on theories that Sonic was created on the ARK colony, which is also interesting to me), that is, practically being a brother to Shadow the hedgehog! Only my assumptions are written here, what the scene with Sonic and Shadow, who are blood brothers here, might look like. I hope you enjoy reading the fanfiction. And I also hope that there will be something similar in the film itself.

The ARK colony was pretty quiet until one of its corridors was visited by a guest. The blue hedgehog strode down the long dark corridor. His footsteps echoed faintly all along the corridor. "It's so quiet and empty here... I hope I'm going in the right direction," he mused to himself as he continued walking. A large metal door appeared in front of him, which immediately opened, letting the hedgehog go ahead. He went inside, and the door closed behind him. He found himself in a huge empty hall. There was nothing here except the floor, ceiling, walls and porthole. "So, don't panic, Sonic. You just took a wrong turn. Maybe we can still turn back?" he thought, until his thoughts were distracted by the sound of metal doors and someone's footsteps. Sonic got into a fighting stance when he noticed Shadow approaching him.

— Oh. You again? And why am I not surprised? — a black hedgehog with red stripes asked a question.

— I'm here to stop you and Robotnik! And you won't stop me! Sonic exclaimed.

"You underestimate me for nothing, faker. It's a shame," Shadow said, and there was a threat in his tone that made my skin crawl.

— Actually, this is not an underestimation at all, impostor! I know a lot about you and I can imagine what you are capable of as an opponent!

"Don't talk like you know everything about me!" — the red-eyed hedgehog shouted in anger to the green-eyed one, so that red lightning appeared on the skin. But then he took a deep breath, calmed down and continued the conversation:

— You assure me that you know about me. But are you so sure about this?

- Yes. You were created on the ARK colony 50 years ago, then soldiers came who killed many scientists here, and took the experiments for themselves and hid them in their top-secret base, including you in a capsule.

— This is only part of my whole story that you have learned, blue hedgehog. Let me tell it if you're so interested in it," said the black hedgehog, while slowly pacing around the blue one. The latter, watching his opponent, continued to stand in his stance so as not to be caught off guard. — Yes, my story begins from the moment I was created. And it happened even a little more than 50 years ago. My creator's name was Gerald Robotnik. He was a great scientist who sought to help people. But at the same time, he created various creatures that could help him in the interests of science. And I was among them. Maybe the creator had noble goals, but I would mildly call all these experiments not a very pleasant process. However, in addition to scientists and test subjects, I met my ray of hope in this cursed darkness. Her name was Maria. She was Gerald's granddaughter. Maria seemed to be the only one who really cared and cared about me more than these scientists. She was my only friend on the colony. — Shadow talked and went to the porthole, placing his right palm on it. — But she was taken from me. It happened 50 years ago when those damn soldiers invaded here! Then I took my friend in my arms to save her from the impending danger. However, I did not manage to do it. She pushed me into the capsule with a smile on her face and was about to press the lever so that only I would escape from the colony. And then one of those nasty soldiers ran into the room and shot Maria when she still managed to pull the lever. The moment I saw her bloody body, her sweet and kind face, her parting smile and tears, I swore to avenge her. I swore to destroy all this humanity! — A black-and-red hedgehog shouted, sparking with lightning, and struck the sturdy glass with his fist.

"I understand your pain, Shadow," Sonic suddenly said, and Shadow looked at him, ceasing to sparkle.

— Do you understand? No one can understand me.

— But I really know what it's like to lose someone you cared about... When I was very young, I was taken care of by an owl named Long Claw. She was like a mother to me. But then I accidentally brought a tribe of Echidnas to our house. Long Claw saved me, but she herself fell at their hands. I was alone for a long time, and then I met Tom, Maddy, then Tails and Knuckles. They became my new family.

— How can they be your family? They're not even related to you! You don't have blood in common with them! And you still call them family? Especially that echidna whose brothers killed your foster mother?

— Family does not necessarily have to be by blood. The main thing is for family members to love each other and be ready to stand up for each other, — Sonic tried to explain. Shadow just looked at him incredulously. — Besides, Knuckles is not to blame for this. And he and I let go of the difficult past so that we could live in the present. And I advise you to do the same. You can still fix this, Shadow. Come with me, and I promise you won't regret it," Blue continued, and then held out his hand.

But the black man only grunted, and then turned to his brother:

— You know, I also wanted to offer you something...

— And what is it? Sonic asked him.

— You see, I've been wanting to meet you for a very long time. That first meeting of ours was by no means an accident. I've been looking for you since I was released from the capsule.

— Did you want to meet? Looking for me? For what? Did you want to kill me? — the blue hedgehog did not understand.

— Oh, no. No. Your murder is not in my plans. For now. The fact is that you and I are of the same blood, or, to put it more simply, we are brothers.

— What's that?! — Sonic shouted in shock.

— Yes, you and I are kind of brothers, family.

— But how? I was born on Mobius!

"They just erased your memories of the colony and sent you to another planet. Doesn't that explain why you don't remember your parents at all? Your real, blood ones?

— But if you and I are brothers, then we shouldn't fight among ourselves. I can help you. I'll help you deal with your grief, even though it won't be easy...

"I don't need any help with this, little hedgehog. I rather wanted to invite you to team up with me...

— Team up? For what?

— To destroy these hateful and pitiful people! Shadow growled, clenching his left fist, and his eyes turned bright red at the same moment.

— But you work with one person yourself... Then why are you working for Robotnik if you hate people so much? Shadow laughed ominously at his question, while Sonic looked at him in disbelief.

— Ha, ha, ha, ha! Really... Did you really think that I, a Ultimate Life Form, was working for this arrogant, narcissistic and arrogant little man? He works for me without knowing it! — ULF replied, and then continued, almost hissing. — These scientists cannot be trusted. They did nothing but perform various tests on me, as if they were playing with a defenseless animal. I hated them all. If it wasn't for Maria, I would have destroyed them all.

— But why do you want me to join you? After all, you know yourself that I am against killing a lot of people.

— When I met you, I noticed a lot of potential in you. You are very fast, agile, strong, and wield the very power of chaos. Together, we would have become invincible. Besides, aren't the soldiers after you? I'm sure they'll stop at nothing to catch you and kill you, as well as your strange family... Wouldn't you like to take revenge on them? So that they never touch you again, threaten you? Join me, and we will destroy them and others who deprived us of people close to us, make them pay for it," and with these words, Shadow extended his hand, as Sonic had done earlier. The blue hedgehog himself was thinking.

It really sounded good in its own way. If he agrees to the offer, he will no longer have to deal with the GUN soldiers, and then he will live peacefully with his family and his brother. Sonic has been wanting to know about his family for a long time. A real, blood family. Find out your origin. To feel like one's own. His thoughts were suddenly distracted by Shadow:

— Agree, brother, and we will become one family. Didn't we both want to have a family?

Brother. A blood brother. It's so good to have someone like you. However, does Shadow understand the meaning of the word "family", besides the fact that she is of the same blood? Will Sonic be happy with someone who is focused on revenge? Besides, the black hedgehog, if he hates people so much, he can kill Tom and Maddie. Those who sheltered and accepted the blue hedgehog into their family. And Tails and Knuckles? Although they are not of the same blood, they also love him as if they were brothers. Sonic, thinking about all the options, finally decided... At first he reached out to offer his hand, but then pulled it back. His kinsman looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I can't,— Sonic replied.

— Why is that? — Shadow asked him calmly.

"If you're using Robotnik for your own purposes, why don't you suddenly want to use me?"

"Well, the doctor is just a pawn in my game, but you play a much bigger role than some kind of pawn. You're almost the same as me. Created by scientists, abandoned, left without an expensive creature.

— But we also have differences! I have those I can fight for, while you are alone, resentful of the whole world! — Sonic added, and from such words Shadow bared his teeth and growled. — Shadow, please, it's not too late to get off the warpath and take revenge. You can still find your happiness. After all, if you keep hatred, anger, anger and resentment in yourself, you will never get out into the world.

— I like this way! And I will not give up! You'd better answer me: "Are you with me or not?"

— No! You may be my blood brother, but my real family is the members of the Wackowski family! And if you dare to touch any of them, you WILL... TO HAVE... A CASE... WITH ME!!! — Sonic shouted. His eyes turned from green to blue, and he began to sparkle with blue lightning.

— Have it your way. You chose your own death, — Shadow hissed, also covered in lightning. With his eyes turning from scarlet to bright red, he glared at his brother.

And then two hedgehogs rushed at each other, and a battle began between them...

[robotnik-mun]

Some of Sonic Underground’s Good Points

I probably did a post like this aeons ago, but damned if I can find it. Anyway, it’s a pretty well known fact that of all the shows Sonic’s ever had, Underground is easily the least well regarded. 

It’s not difficult to understand why, either. Between a premise that’s incredibly far removed from anyone’s idea of what Sonic is and the weird lack of Tails, even in a world were Underground had top notch writing and animation it was always going to be the red-headed stepchild of the franchise. And sadly, Underground’s writing was usually inconsistent at the best of times, and the jokes made about it’s shoddy animation and weird character designs are the stuff of fandom legend. 

That being said, I do feel that even today the contempt this show receives is a bit much, and while it’s not a great show even on its own merits I don’t think it’s worthless. 

So, I thought I’d mention a few things that I think are actually worthwhile about this show!

Dr. Robotnik’s Premise Is Actually Pretty Interesting

Opening things with Robotnik? Me? It’s more likely than you think!

Alrighty, outdated memes aside, Robotnik’s schtick in this shoe is actually interesting as well as being pretty unique for a show like this. Robotnik, naturally, is the dictator of Mobius as he has been in at least three different pieces of Sonic media by this point. However what makes Underground Robotnik unique is that he functions more like an actual real world dictator- he relies on the support of the nobility to insure his reign, and in return for their support he allows them to basically do whatever so long as they pay their taxes, taxes which explicitly go to building more SwatBots. 

In this regard, this iteration of Robotnik is prehaps the most ‘normal’ of any Eggman/Robotnik out there. He still turns people into robots, sure, but here it is utilized as a punishment for lawbreakers (which you know is pretty broadly applied here) rather than the default fate for anyone unfortunate enough to fall into his grasp. What makes things especially interesting is that one recurring plot point is that Robotnik wants to be the legitimate ruler of Mobius rather than strongarming his way into permanent power. Likewise, multiple episodes bring up the fact he needs to raise money in order to maintain his robot army, in particular ‘Artifact’. It’s actually kind of unique because usually when shows like this have a Supreme Dictator villain, little attention is actually paid to the logistics of how they maintain their power. Underground is unique in that it actually explores how Robotnik’s government actually functions, at least a little, and it’s an interesting detail I feel. 

Sonia and Manic Are Actually Pretty Good 

One of the more controversial aspects of this series was that Sonic has a twin brother and sister this time around, with all three of them being royalty and subjected to prophecy. Just on paper that alone sounds like something so far removed from anyone’s idea of what Sonic is you have to wonder how it was ever conceived. That being said, this isn’t the first series to use the idea of Sonic having siblings- in Japan, the Sonic manga actually gave Sonic (or at least his alter ego, Nicky... long story there) a little sister, and at least one series overview gave Sonic FIVE sisters! As well as being from Nebraska... Sonic is a very weird franchise. 

Alright, point of order! Sonia and Manic, Sonic’s siblings and co-stars. How do they measure up? Honestly... pretty well, all things considered. You’d never guess it, but they’re the recipients of some of the strongest writing in the show. Manic stands out because while he comes out as laid back and more morally lax than his siblings, a recurring element with his character is his desire for a more stable life as well as feeling overshadowed by his brother and sister due to his initial difficulties in mastering his medallion and comparative lack of exception (at least in his mind). Likewise he is the only one to express any kind of cynicism about where they’re going in this conflict, opining how there’s nothing that says they won’t be fighting Robotnik for twenty years without any end in sight. It’s an interesting contrast, given his rougher origins compared to his siblings, having been raised as part of a group of thieves by his foster father. It’s a lot of depth for a guy who sounds stoned out of his mind most of the time. 

And then there’s Sonia! Sonia is remarkable for how much her character develops over the show. Being raised in an upper crust setting and being used to the finer things in life, Sonia initially starts out as someone who has the most trouble adjusting to her new life as a member of the Underground. This, naturally, does a lot to sour people’s perceptions of her given that she comes off as whiny and spoiled... and in fairness, she initially is. Over the course however she grows out of it, gradually shedding her old airs and beginning to take the conflict more and more seriously. It’s a pretty stark contrast to see how she was when the show began and how she is by the end of it, and it is to this show’s credit that she is shown to grow out of her more bratty phase. 

Sonic having siblings might not be to everyone’s taste, and that’s understandable, but under the circumstances? It’s amazing Manic and Sonia actually do as well as they do as characters. 

There Are, In Fact, Pretty Great Episodes

Oh boy if that isn’t damning with faint praise I don’t know what is. But, all the same, it’s true! Yes, most of Underground’s episodes tended to be either unremarkable or outright bad, and that’s kind of unavoidable as the writing tended to vacillate between wanting to be a more serious and story driven show versus something more self-contained, episodic and comedic. In a way it kind of mirrors Archie in that regard. That being said, when this show bothered to make an effort? It could actually give us some pretty good stuff. 

In “Healer” we witness the unique premise of someone promising a cure for Roboticization, and all the troubles that unfurl when this ‘harmless con’ captures the attention of not just Sonic and company, but Robotnik himself. In ‘Bartleby the Prisoner’ we get a look at long standing side character Bartleby finally getting an idea of what Robotnik’s empire is REALLY like for everyone who isn’t a member of the aristocracy when he’s used as a pawn in Robotnik’s latest scheme against the hedgehogs. And in ‘Six is A Crowd’ we are treated to a unique spin on the old ‘Evil Twin’ angle where the Underground is sent to a dimension where Robotnik is the hero and THEY are the villains... only for it to turn out that their ‘evil twins’ are not truly evil, but spoiled and utterly oblivious to just how harmful their actions are to the people of Mobius. 

These are some of the best episodes the series have to offer, and they stand out all the more given the typical level of Underground’s writing. There are others, of course, and a large chunk of them are gonna come up later, but the point is there IS in fact Good Stuff in Underground... even if its relatively few and far between. 

Location, location, location! 

If Underground had one unambiguously, objectively good idea? It was the Camper Van. Sure, calling this thing a ‘van’ is a bit of a stretch when it’s more like a mobile house, but this is easily the best idea that Underground had. Why? Because it allowed Sonic and his siblings to travel all over Mobius, and in doing so it allowed us to travel to multiple locales on the planet. 

This is probably a minor detail compared to the others, and one of the best parts about Underground, I felt, was the fact we got to see our heroes go to so many places and meet so many people all across the planet. One of the big themes of Sonic in general is Sonic just running around and checking places out, and the sheer variety of stages from the Sonic Games help convey this. And in the case of Underground, the Camper Van provides an elegant solution in allowing Sonic and his siblings to travel the world, see the sights, and stick together. I’m being utterly sincere when I say that the Camper Van really is a great idea, because one of the strongest parts of the show was how we actually got to see such a great deal of Mobius while on the show. 

And Then There’s Knuckles

While Underground is pretty infamous for it’s premise and the inclusion of the (usually horrible) song interludes, the one thing that gives it a bit of positive attention is that it includes Knuckles. While it may seem strange to consider now, Knuckles was still fairly new at the time of this show, and as a result this is the only one of the old DiC shows to make use of Knuckles. Which is somewhat ironic, given that this is also the only show to not use Tails... funny how that works out, ain’t it?

And you know what? Knuckles is actually pretty good on this show. Oh sure, his voice isn’t really all that fitting for him, but otherwise Knuckles time on this show is actually pretty stellar. All of the episodes he appears in are among the better episodes on Underground, and his personal arc is actually pretty great to behold. Even after the obligatory ‘gets tricked by the bad guys and gets off on the wrong foot with Sonic’ bit, Knuckles remains wary of directly involving himself in the affairs of the surface due to the fact that his first duty is to the island and the protection of the Chaos Emerald... until circumstances force him into making a difficult choice between his guardianship of the island, his friendship with the hedgehogs, and the greater good of Mobius. 

Knuckles’ appearance is comparatively brief on the show, but its pretty memorable for how much the show is able to fit in for that relatively brief period, and his episodes again are easily among the top tier of the show. 

...on a lesser note, the hints he and Sonia dig each other are just hilarious,  because oh my GOD could you imagine Sonic’s reaction to those two dating? 

Anyway!

This isn’t a post to suggest that Underground is a hidden gem- on the whole, it is in fact a less than stellar show. Multiple aspects of it are poorly done, from the writing to the animation to the character designs. It’s main overreaching arc takes convoluted and sometimes even infuriating steps in order to continue having Aleena play keep away with her kids, and in some cases the more we learn the more questions we wind up having. 

However, as I said, I don’t think this is a value-less show. And I think that it at least deserves some recognition for the things it DID do right, even in the face of all the things it did wrong. 

... if nothing else, the intro is actually pretty bitching as well.

There’s something so, so fitting about the fact the actual best music of this series comes from the intro. 

[thelediz]

Sonic Underground: The Chaos arc

That’s right, folks, it’s another three-parter, because this is the actual Knuckles arc, buckle up for a ride!

I’m watching Sonic Underground in search of inspiration to finish a fic I’ve been writing forever. It’s a sad state of affairs. See the recap of the first three episodes here, if you're interested!

The plot (for want of a better word): Robotnik has developed his greatest weapon yet: a giant gloating fortress powered by chaos emeralds! To defeat the undefeatable, the Sonic Underground call upon their ally Knuckles to help them save the day!

Sonic Underground 27: Flying Fortress

We kick off with the triplets on some kind of vacation day, Sonia sunbathing, Sonic playing frisbee against himself, Manic… digging for cash…? It’s all disrupted by a big flying ball with guns.

Now, this is Sonic Underground's equivalent of the Death Egg, but it isn't really a good one. It doesn’t look like the one from the games, and the equivalent of the Archie comics was much more egg-shaped. But it functions the same. It’s a big flying ball-shaped fortress powered by chaos energy.

The scary things about it are that it’s got an impenetrable outer shell (though Sonic breaks OUT of it okay), and a security laser beam thing that literally disintegrates anything it touches. Also its hallways are apparently labyrinthine, because Sonic spends a good minute running around it lost before the security system comes after him.

In this series, Sonic is not able to fall face-first from the upper stratosphere without harm. This is a problem, given the whole flying fortress thing, but Manic’s got a hoverboard so it’s fine.

But the good thing about Sonic getting chased out by the security beam is that he recognises the green energy as emerald energy. Which means they need to go see Knuckles.

Hilariously, in this series, Knuckles not only has traps, but also voice-activated anti-aircraft guns and a radio shack. It’s so very at odds with the mildly techno-phobic character we will come to know in the games, but it’s not entirely out of line for the Sonic 3 & Knuckles version, so cool.

Knuckles shoots the triplets (who are flying a converted SWATbot because why not) down, but Sonic uses their smoke to write his name in the sky and all is well. The most annoying part of this sequence is that the flying SWATbot was Manic’s idea and Sonic was against it, but when Sonic has an idea to stop Knuckles’ attack, Manic acts like it was Sonic’s. It’s… par for the course, but… mm. MM.

My headcanon to merge this series and the games kind of falls apart because of the conversation they have, where it’s very clear neither Sonic or Knuckles expect Robotnik to be able to get a hold of a chaos emerald, and Sonic can’t imagine there being more than one, but I hope you’ll forgive me my trespasses.

Knuckles, as per his original animated and comic nature, refuses to help because his duty is to protect the floating island. The Sonic Underground has to convince him with

THE SONG: No one is an island. Another Jamaican-style reggae tune, but thankfully without the accents this time. It’s not a bad sound, not bad lyrics, it’s generally okay, and more importantly, annoying enough to get Knuckles to give in.

No, literally. He is giving in because he’s been peer pressured through song.

So while Knuckles prepares a fighter plane, he is visited by his (recoloured) Great Grandfather Athair (Archie comic continuity is a go)(no Archimedes though, which I consider a damn shame) who has been given a Sean Connery voice and we just roll with it. Athair tells him that if he leaves the Floating Island, Mobius is doomed, but hey, maybe the future can be changed, so whatever man, you do you.

Meanwhile, in another REMARKABLE show of continuity, Robotnik is targeting Port Mobius because they have turned against him. Remember? Episode 9? Won’t blame you if you don’t, but wow, credit where due.

Also, Sleet and Dingo point out Port Mobius only rebelled because they rigged up a sea monster, because they’re not actually evil so much as employed/forced to be (according to this writer, at least), and Robotnik snaps that they’ve caused so many failures that he’s close to getting rid of them if they interrupt him again.

THE CONTINUITY. SOMEONE CARED ABOUT THIS SHOW. -WILD FLAILING-

Sleet is afraid of getting robotocised because they’re no longer needed, so he declares they need to do something. Yes, that’s right, folks, Sleet and Dingo are going to be sabotaging Robotnik for this arc to make sure they stay employed.

Meanwhile, the triplets and Knuckles have snuck on board and Knuckles pulls out a ‘chao-meter’ (kay-o, not ciao) which is basically an emerald tracker. It even kind of looks like an early build of Rouge's emerald tracker that we see in Adventure 2. So weird to see, in hindsight. Oh, wow, what if Adventure 2’s writers watched this series and… Nope. No, we’re not going there.

While they hunt it down, Sleet and Dingo are already stealing the emerald. Lucky for them, Robotnik knows our heroes are onboard, so only thinks Sleet and Dingo are trying to escape the falling ship.

And so episode 1 of 3 ends with the Flying Fortress in the sea, Sleet and Dingo on the run with the emerald, and nothing but danger ahead…!

Sonic Underground episode 28: No Hedgehog is an Island

First off, can we talk about how misleading that title is, and how good of a plot-relevant episode it could have been, about how Sonic needs to learn to rely on his siblings? Back in the day, it would have been a bit nonsensical in context, but in the current culture you could totally have him burning out or getting frustrated, and that leading him to screw up something, until his siblings help him de-stress and he gets his head back on straight, and…

Anyway. We have an episode to recap.

“How much would we risk to save the world from chaos?” Side-eye. Much side-eye, Aleena. On multiple levels.

Two things in immediate contrast to last episode: one, the chaos emerald is now much longer and pointier, and two, Sleet and Dingo (who originally stole the emerald to keep their jobs with Robotnik) are crowing about ‘so long, Robotnik'. So we’ve apparently given up on last episode’s proud continuity.

Knuckles is the hero of this episode, saving the siblings from drowning in the middle of the ocean and keeping everyone focussed on the emerald. It’s not yet about him worrying over the whole end of the world thing Athair warned about, but I’m sure we’re getting there.

So Sleet’s new plan is to use the chaos emerald to become ruler of Mobius. And then, for reasons that are only seeded if you don’t think Dingo actually likes Sleet, Dingo decides to use his physical strength to overpower him and take the emerald for himself.

Which. Look. I don’t tend to think too much about Sleet and Dingo – they’re the required hench-villains, they’re clocking in as evil (unless the writers demand otherwise), whatever. But as soon as you start thinking about Dingo, he’s… How does he morph? Why does Sleet have his controller? Why does he LET Sleet have his controller? As this episode proves, he’s perfectly capable of taking stuff off him. He doesn’t seem to enjoy being transformed. Why does he put up with Sleet’s insults? I kind of handwave it in that Dingo appreciates Sleet’s intelligence and ability to think beyond the current moment, but then that makes this a bit stupid, and also makes Sleet insulting him so much also stupid. Better to manipulate your muscle than build up resentment, or stuff like this will happen. And at the end of the day, he’s going to take Dingo back anyway, and nothing will change about their relationship, and…

I’m gonna stop and leave this to @shinymisty-blog to figure out.

Of course Dingo immediately drops the emerald and… it breaks. This actually makes no sense for an item of ultimate power unless Mobian rock is laced with a conflicting mineral that warps and contains the power of chaos into but we accept. The emerald kind of explodes in power, bathing Dingo in energy and recharging the van that Sonic’s trying to get started. Why not.

Cute little character moment – Manic drums in his sleep and snores in time. It’s kind of adorable, if very silly.

Aaaand we get the start of the Knuckles x Sonia romance. Knuckles is now on to blaming himself for not getting the emerald back, and Sonia comforts him. They’re then attacked by rogue chaos energy, and Knuckles has to save her from falling into a hole in the earth. And as everyone in the 90s knew, a person comforting a member of the opposite sex who’s getting down on themselves, AND then the first person getting saved by the second, can only lead to True Love. Et cetera. Sigh.

I’m not gonna lie, I strongly suspect this romance is a big part of what soured me to Sonia’s inconsistent love life when I was younger. It was so utterly unnecessary.

Also, Sonia can make herself into a spinning whirlwind. Are you honestly telling me she can’t - No. No, I’m not doing this. Just accept and move on.

So because chaos is breaking out all over, Sleet decides he needs to go crawling back to Robotnik, who is the only person who knows how to bring chaos under control. Another side-eye for the fic purposes.

Meanwhile, while the chaos energy is about to attack Port Mobius, Manic does something weird that doesn’t go particularly explained. He brings out his drums and plays them hard and loud until… the energy disperses? In the series, this is just one of the reminders that Manic’s power DOES actually equal his siblings’, it’s just entirely wrapped up in drums, but HOW it works is never mentioned or explained. He just… has that power over chaos, or something, I guess. He will not use it successfully again.

The song: Learn to overcome, which is some early Blink 182 like you can’t even guess. Like, M&Ms or Man Overboard type sound. Which is kind of funny because the music video is really trying to imply this is some hard punk rock sound and… ohh, honey, no. I love pop-punk and worship the godfathers of it like any good millennial, but it is NOT hardcore. And now I have Man Overboard in my head. It's just another, it's just another, it's just another night aloooone!

Also, just a weird side note that I wish I couldn’t notice, but whoever animated Sonia this episode really liked her boobs. Just saying. They are super noticeable for some reason.

So properly bolstered (or terrified, the expression leans more toward the latter) by the music, Knuckles suggests they go see Athair for advice. Anyone who has read the Archie comics knows this is going to be pointless without Tails.

But he gives them a cannister that can reform the emerald, and says they must make an alliance with Robotnik, which will somehow enable the cannister to work. It’s nonsensical, but it’s something that always had to happen in these cartoons, so we accept and deal.

The Sonic Underground refuses to make the alliance, but Knuckles decides to betray them and follow his grandfather’s advice…

Sonic Underground episode 29: New Echidna in Town

Aleena is on her nonsense again, talking about how sometimes it takes a whole world to learn a lesson, and that Mobius is now “learning the greatest lesson of all”. She does not tell us what this lesson is. I infer that it’s ‘chaos is dangerous’. And I mean… honestly, woman. We're about to have the Adventure games. STOP.

Robotnik informs Knuckles he’ll only make a deal with him if Knuckles brings him the Sonic Underground. Knuckles of course says no, but Robotnik is more than happy to call his bluff. “If I can’t defeat Sonic, I’d rather Mobius was destroyed.” Which I mean If Mobius isn’t the entire planet, that’s less insane and more evil than I think the writers intended. In series, Robotnik’s just insane as hell, which is appropriate because, y’know, back in the day all villains were all irrationally evil. Or Robotnik has gone crazy from chaos and anarchy beryl poisoning and

Anyway. Knuckles agrees, for the good of Mobius. Besides, Robotnik ‘promises’ not to robotocise the triplets. He’ll just keep them locked up. Honest. This is definitely not a lie that Knuckles will be horrified to discover later.

Meanwhile, the triplets are talking about what to do (Sonia wants to save Knuckles, Sonic wants to save the world, Manic points out they need Knuckles to save the world) and I do not know what Jaleel White was thinking, but Manic’s sing-song tone in this scene is so incredibly grating…

Knuckles comes back. And we have another moment of Sonia x Knuckles, and I mean… just… just look at this.

Sonia is magically attracted to men that are going to screw her over, I think is what we’re supposed to be getting from this. OR she’s just attracted to wet cats. One of the two.

And Manic plays wingman for his sister. We stan a supportive brother, even if we hate the relationship he’s batting for.

Anyway, so, Knuckles leads them into Robotnik’s trap and the triplets get captured in sticky stuff, and Robotnik immediately orders robotocisation. Five minutes, kids. FIVE. MINUTES.

So of course Knuckles turns on Robotnik and rescues the siblings. So the betrayal lasted all of two minutes. Conflict and resolved! -dusts hands-

Sleet and Dingo reunite, and Sleet transforms Dingo into a box to contain the broken emerald pieces. Naturally, this causes Dingo to mutate into a kaiju blob monster. I mean, obviously.

While Dingo goes on his rampage, Robotnik remains obsessed with capturing hedgehogs, until Sonic smooth-talks him into working with them to get back at Dingo. Like I said a few episodes ago, manipulation was once a thing Sonic was REALLY good at.

The song: The Mobius Song. Rocking tunes, brah. Like, totally tubular jams. For sure. That’s all I can get from this, and I don’t know why, because it’s actually kind of mod-rock, so I don’t know why my brain went there.

It distracts Dingo enough for Robotnik to catch him with sticky stuff, which is enough for Dingo to fall over and cough up the emeralds, which Knuckles catches, and… yeah, okay, let’s go with it. Enemies aligned, harmony was achieved, the day is saved. Hurrah.

So uh. Yeah. First, the counters, because it’s been a while:

Sonic implying less than 100% American heterosexuality: 5

Sonia in love with Bartleby: 4/37

Sonia in love with someone who is not Bartleby: 3/37

Sonia’s got super strength: 4

Manic’s thieving Is A Problem: 4

Then I have to process what kind of… narratively frustrates me, as world-builder, because we just have to accept the characters for what they are. But the… I think this is a problem Sega actually had, and still probably has, in that it doesn’t actually know what Chaos Energy does. It doesn’t know why Sonic (and Shadow and Silver) can use it to become a demi-god, or why it makes Angel Island float. It was only in the Adventure era that Sega solidified Chaos as emotions become form, and that’s part of why it quietly hasn’t ever acknowledged the Super Emeralds since, because they’re like… what? Super Emotions? Whatever. And what do emotions have to do with making stuff float, I mean... anyway. Anyway.

But that lack of clarity was really obvious in things like this, where Sonic doesn’t have power over chaos, so they take the safer route of chaos = bad, rather than the games’ line that you need to find control in chaos so that you can move forward with strength and resilience (GOD I LOVE THIS FRANCHISE).

And I actually think that could have been a really cool thing for Sonic Underground to explore, with its themes of resistance and harmony and not giving into the order of post-industrialisation and Taylorism and… and instead it just… chaos is bad, order is good, except when it’s not, don’t think about it too much, just look at the funky blue hedgehog and dance to the cheesy music woo.

But anyway. I am a problem and we know this. Dance to the music, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

[viddo3k]

Okay so... I watched Sonic Prime, the first season. And I'll have to say, i was (almost) pleasantly surprised. (Spoilers for Season 1 i guess?)

Before watching it, i remember what my friend told me, to watch this show without the mindset of a Sonic fan, or something like that.

I didn't listen and i regret it BUT it ended up not being as bad as i thought.

Season 1 was decently quick to watch, the 8 episodes were roughly 25 minutes long so i easily got through all of it in one go; something I haven't done in a looong while 💔

The pacing seemed pretty fine to me, most of the time, it had decent set-up, get introduced to familiar faces, get to see the classic Sonic v Robotnik fight, you know, the good stuff, and all seems well. Then the Paradox Prism Shatter happens and all goes to shit, both in and for the show.

I think they had lots of cool stuff they could work with; the Sonic franchise is filled to the brim with lots of events that could be twisted around to create alternative realities that could've been interesting! Problem is, they did exactly not that, or at least they didn't for the Jungle and the Pirate dimensions.

They have this Dimension where you have an almost Sonic Forces setting; Robotnik controls an entire city, everyone is sad, everything is robotic, and Sonic is uh... Not gone, per se? He was completely non-existent, so It's more or less the same. You also have a group of rebels too, commanded by Rouge (known as Rebel) and Knuckles (known as Knux. No I'm not kidding), so it really seems like a Sonic Forces' premise rehash, which I was excited about.

As a matter of fact, this New Yoke City dimension is actually pretty good, and it had some cool stuff going on around it. For one, Robotnik and his other 4 alter egos managed to capture a Shard of the Paradox Prism and use it as an energy source, and Sonic wants to get them Shards to fix the Prism, once he's realized his mistake, that of breaking it.

When Sonic goes around the dimensions, Nine (Tails) gets the Shard for himself and starts going around places and/or dimensions to find one most suitable for him, and he did, in the form of The Grim (as he calls it), all while the Resistance is managing to rally up against the 5 Robotniks.

I found this whole thing happening pretty damn cool, which is a shame because the other dimension are pretty disappointing by comparison.

This show is targeted towards children and it shows in the Jungle and Pirate worlds. I honestly think that it was borderline lazy, they literally just made everyone a pirate or a monkey, and have the most basic ass conflicts going on.

Like, in the Jungle episodes, Knuckles, Rouge, Big?? And Tails were all thrown on top of big big trees because Amy thought they were disrespecting and destroying the forest (they were), then at the end Sonic just gets them to do a quick Ted talk and look at that, all the problems are suddenly gone. A shame because it also had cool ideas, that of gigant flickies and the Shards having specific powers tied to the dimensions they're in (the Jungle Shard can grow trees at light speed). And God forbid they don't show you a flashback at least 20 times.

Then the Pirate episodes are just Knuckles having ptsd after he failed to grab the Shard for himself and his old crew, but then Sonic's all like "dude you could become famous" and suddenly he wants it again, and the funniest thing is that he actually gets it; much to Sonic and New Yoke City's Amy's dismay (she's evil over there). Unfortunately this world's Shard doesn't have any specific power, excluding for being exceptionally bright but every Shard glows anyway.

It kinda just boggles me how they went for such boring alternate world ideas when they had so much potential to work with, and i just think it's kinda lame, especially because the only actual location ever used is Green Hill Zone, It's like Sonic Generations all over again!

It's also worth noting that Sonic in this show is nothing like ever seen in the franchise: He's an actual idiot.

It's almost as though he's never had any coherent thought, since he struggles to make the easiest of connections throughout the show, and he's also kind of annoying at some points, ESPECIALLY in episode 2, good lord. I can hardly believe this is the same Sonic that went through Sonic Forces and/or the Metal Virus, and yet it is and it's terrible.

On a more positive note, this show looks pretty damn good, the animation is just on point, on par or even better than Sonic Boom's, which had great animation of its own; this goes to show just how much emotion can the Sonic cast portray simply via well animated gestures and such. They also had pretty well animated action scenes, like the Shadow v Sonic fight, or the Big Flicky chases. The environments themselves look pretty good too, especially NYC but that's probably just because I'm very emo.

I also liked the OST a bunch, i liked the almost underground mixed with Hip-hop influence the soundtrack had in NYC, and the Pirate/Jungle themed uh... Hip-hop tracks it had; yeah i think the Prime composers liked Hip-hop, It's like listening to Linkin Park, but i think that's cool, I'd like to see more of it in the Sonic Franchise.

Then there's the voice acting and like... I don't know about it. The cast just sound really weird for some reason, like the vas we're trying to do playful impressions of the game vas, mind you I didn't check who's voicing who so yeahh lol.

Well, i guess that's it really. What did i think about Sonic Prime's Season 1?

It's... Fine. Nothing outrageously bad and nothing amazingly good, just a Sonic themed kids show that has a surprising amount of potential left untouched by the authors, albeit with great animation and backing music, which isn't anything new to Sonic but yeah, still worth noting.

I'm hopeful for Season 2 actually, I've been told it's better than Season 1 so i have relatively high hopes for it, and I'll be definitely watching it soon and talk about it, so yeah, wait for it. All i hope is that they use more interesting ideas for alternative universes other than "Knuckles is a lame ass Pirate now".

[scribblestatic]

So, this is less a storyline thing and more making sure I have the background stuff straight.

Completely by utter accident, as I was bathing yesterday and thinking about the Sonic Robotnik AU, I was like, "What if Sonic was previously made by G.U.N. using notes from Shadow's creation, but since they didn't have an abundance of ultramega powerful alien to use cells from, they used Chao and Wisp cells? But all of their previous attempts at building the creature up correctly kept failing, so they decided to try a few different cell clusters. A scientist with G.U.N. gets one of them to work. What they didn't tell anyone is that the cells are from Maria Robotnik's corpse."

And then I thought about the fact I'd given Sonic the real name "Matija" in this universe and I was like, "Damn. This checks out fr."

So yeah, that's what I'm going with.

Matija "Sonic" Robotnik was originally made as a G.U.N. experiment to create their own version of Shadow, but it "failed" because some of the binding cells to ensure everything worked together came from Maria Robotnik. As such, Matija inherited her NIDS, and G.U.N. deemed his creation a failure, so they were going to incinerate him just like how they'd incinerated the previous attempts. But some people with some actual fucking morals decided to try and save the little experiment by falsely marking him as incinerated and actually escaping with him.

Tragically, a car accident killed one of the people in the small group saving him, though the little hedgehog survived because his body might be killing itself, but he can inherently stand blunt force trauma.

That's where Ivo comes upon the crashed car and the dead person since his sensors picked up a strange energy from the area. While inspecting the crash, he sees the little creature the person was protecting and decides to study them.

After some blood tests, he finds out fairly quickly about the NIDS, and the little thing is having a hard time breathing, so Ivo puts the little experiment in something of an incubator. He notices the chaos energy coming off the struggling creature, so he's like, "Well, if this little thing wants to survive, I suppose it's best to tend to it. After all, it's an interesting study subject."

He does his best not to admit how much he cares for the little creature once he gains enough strength to curl his little paws around one of Ivo's fingers.

He's most definitely not gotten in too deep once he gives the creature the "Proper Robotnik name" of Matija (again, pronounced MA-tee-ah, which is like Matthew but Serbian).

He definitely doesn't take pictures of Matija when his little ears open up and he responds to sound, or when his eyes finally blink open for the first time.

His heart does not melt when the little infant Mobian starts cooing happily or trying to crawl toward him whenever he sees him.

And he doesn't feel anger the longer he struggles to solve the problem with NIDS, going as far as to study medical science to try to better understand the syndrome. It most certainly doesn't help that Matija's body is a really screwy cocktail of Mobian, Chao, and Wisp with remnants of Black Arms and even teeny, nearly indecipherable, incredibly damaged and scrambled insertions of what used to be human DNA. Making medicine that works for him is an absolute nightmare, but it's a problem the great Doctor Robotnik can most definitely solve as a genius.

And he doesn't feel sadness seeing the days Matija's NIDS acts up more and he has to have a little oxygen tube uncomfortably inserted in one of his little nostrils just to help him breathe.

Matija is definitely not his son. For sure.

He absolutely does not become a softer, more caring but still selfish man simply because of the little Mobian's influence

...Anyway, by the time Sonic meets Knuckles, Dr. Robotnik already knows that Sonic's body uses chaos energy, but he doesn't have the know-how to teach him how to channel it or possibly try to self-heal himself. So, when Sonic starts learning how to start controlling the chaos energy in his body more, he considers it a bonus, but he's dedicated to eradicating the pumped-up bastardized disease for good.

To Sonic, Robotnik is his dad, wacky uncle, and primary care physician. And he'd do just about anything for him, short of taking over the world. Thankfully, Robotnik's megalomaniacal tendencies have shifted to better, more manageable goals and topics. Still incredibly selfish, yes, but that's just how his dad is. He loves him regardless.

[stobotnik-forever]

Stobotnik fanfic

The ending is really fluffy guys<333

"STONE," Robotnik barked.

"Hmph? Omp yes, sir," Stone said, spinning around, his mouth full of chocolate.

"Lunch break ended 10 minutes ago! What have you-"The doctor stopped speaking for a moment, mouth pursed into a thin line as he stared at his agent's chocolate covered fingers-"So this is what you've been up to," he mumbled.

Stone swallowed the remnants of the chocolate as quickly as he could, moving to stand in front of the garbage can, and hurriedly wiping the chocolate off his fingers. "S-sorry doctor, I'll get back to work right away!"

Robotnik's brow furrowed. Why is Stone so nervous? He's only eating chocolate but he looks like he's been caught in the act of...well Robotnik wasn't really sure what but he'd be damned if he didn't find out. "Where'd you get that chocolate, agent," he asked, venom creeping into his voice.

"I don't see why such a simple thing should matter to a genius like you. Now come on, we've already wasted enough work time," the shorter man said.

"Just tell me where you got the chocolate and we can get back to work," the doctor growled, moving closer to him.

Stone took a few steps back, running into the trash can behind him, falling over as the contents of the trash can spilled out all over the floor. And that's when Robotnik saw it. The heart shaped box that used to hold the very same chocolates his agent had been eating.

"So that's how it is," Robotnik muttered darkly.

The agent saw where Robotnik was looking. "No wait, doctor, it's not like that," he cried, hurrying to his feet.

The doctor could feel an explosion of emotions welling up inside him like a volcano but the strongest one was the hurt, the betrayal. Stone had been pretending to love him this whole time to get secrets out him all while having someone else he loved, someone he really loved. All the nights Stone probably laughed with another about how gullible Robotnik was....his fists clenched at his side, "Get. Out."

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me," Robotnik hissed bitterly, turning his back to his former boyfriend and storming out.

"I'm not cheating I swear! If you'd just listen, please," Stone yelled, running after him.

"Leave before I order the badniks to incinerate you," the doctor spat. He knew he couldn't go through with it but Stone didn't have to know that, he decided while locking himself away in his lab.

Stone stopped at the lab door, "Agent Kelly gave the box of chocolates to me this morning. I-"Oh please even if I did believe your pathetic little attempt at a cover up-which I don't-you didn't have to accept the gift," the taller man cut in snidely, from the other side of the lab door.

"She's my friend...it would've been rude not to b-but I assure you I made it explicitly clear that I have no interest in her, romantically or otherwise," the agent explained, quickly.

There was a long strech of silence before Robotnik finally asked, "If you insist on sparing the feelings of that lower lifeform then why bring it here? Why not just throw the box of chocolates out once she's out of sight?"

The agent didn't have to think about that long, "Because it's chocolate. Who wouldn't eat free chocolate?"

More silence followed and Stone started to worry the doctor wasn't going to talk to him when the door to the lab slid open. Robotnik stared down at him, eyes still harboring distrust. "So you're not just pretending to love me to get a piece of my genius? There...there really isn't anyone else you genuinely love?"

"No, I'm not pretending, there isn't anyone else I could even imagine loving the way I love you, Ivo," Stone spoke softly, looking up at him with his usual puppy dog smile.

"That's...sappy but believable. Aaaanyway let's get to work, Stone," Robotnik said, holding a hand out to the other man.

Stone looked down at the outstretched hand and his smile only grew, a deliciously lovely warmth spreading through him as he locked fingers with the gloved hand. "Okay, doctor."

[scrunt-2]

I am rambling about stob lol

i think my fave dynamic of Stobotnik might be “years long mutual pining, not even an established relationship in the second movie.” There is something that is so charming about a character who is:

A. Brave enough to shed societal norms and become a super villain and try to take over the world, while fighting super powered aliens, but also being too chicken shit to tell a man he has feelings for him

B. Literally the smartest person on the planet by far, but in YEARS hasn’t realized that the man who draws hearts in his coffee and makes puppy eyes at him, MIGHT be interested in him (the self esteem is in hell)

C. A man in his LATE 50s!! who is extremely emotionally stunted and immature, experiencing a school boy level crush (for the first time EVER). The urge to “tee hee” playfully bully him is stronger than any natural force in the universe.

Also the longer the time spent pining the funnier it is to me. Imagine it’s a DECADE. A full 10 years of two dumb asses experiencing sexual tension every single work day. And it’s starts literally the first day they meet, and never lets up. Like that first professional handshake is electric. Robotnik gets his new assistant and damn if his first thought isn’t “oh he’s.. pretty..” like “I hope this doesn’t awaken anything in me” but its too late, it already has lmao. (Love at first sight tropes are sooo corny… which is perfect because these MOVIES are corny!!!)