Tom Wachowski

This character exists primarily or exclusively within the Sonic the Hedgehog (film series) continuity. Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity.

Thomas Michael Wachowski is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series produced by Paramount Pictures and its spin-offs. He is a human and the town sheriff of Green Hills, Montana. He is also the husband of the local veterinarian, Maddie Wachowski, and the adopted father of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Growing world-weary in Green Hills, Tom ambitiously sought to move to San Francisco for new opportunities to protect others from danger. Before his relocating to his potential job, he went on an adventure with Sonic who helped him realize his importance as a hero to the citizens of his home town. Eventually, after helping Sonic dispose of Dr. Ivo Robotnik, he was convinced to stay in Green Hills, where he took Sonic in as a member of the Wachowski family.

While living with Sonic, Tom became a father figure to the hedgehog. After leaving him home alone to go with Maddie to Hawaii for Randall Handel and Rachel's "wedding", Tom would eventually have to help Sonic beat Robotnik again with the aid of Miles "Tails" Prower and Knuckles the Echidna.

Some time later, Tom would get involved in an infiltration mission to retrieve a key to the Eclipse Cannon from GUN's London base. Upon retrieving the key, Tom was intercepted and knocked out by Shadow. This enraged Sonic to the point of wanting revenge.

Quick Answers

Who is the actor that plays the character of Donut Lord in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series?

James Marsden portrays the character Tom Wachowski, also known as the Donut Lord, in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series.

Provided by: Fandom

What is the significance of the nickname 'Donut Lord' for Tom Wachowski?

Tom Wachowski earned the nickname 'Donut Lord' from Sonic the Hedgehog due to his habit of eating and talking to donuts. Sonic viewed Tom as a protector of all creatures, enhancing his admiration for the 'Donut Lord'.

Provided by: Fandom

How does Sonic the Hedgehog influence Tom Wachowski's decision to stay in Green Hills?

Tom Wachowski, the 'Donut Lord', planned a move to San Francisco after an admission letter from the San Francisco Police Department. His interactions with Sonic the Hedgehog, discussing Sonic's powers and a highway chase, influenced his decision. Sonic's loneliness and desire for belonging resonated with Tom, who felt responsible for Sonic. This, along with the Wachowski family's tradition of protecting Green Hills, led Tom to see Green Hills as his true home and welcome Sonic into his family.

Provided by: Fandom

Appearance

Tom is an average sized, yet well-fit human adult with short brown hair, peach skin, and clear blue eyes. While on the job as Green Hills' sheriff, he wears a beige and black police uniform, sometimes with a brown clip-on-tie, and a pair of sunglasses. The patch for his agency is sewn on the sleeves just below the shoulders.

When he encountered Sonic for the first time, Tom wore a white t-shirt with 'San Francisco, Here I Come' on it, and red edges, a pair of jeans and black boots. He later changed to a dark green t-shirt and an unbuttoned red flannel shirt before meeting Robotnik. He then changed to a black shirt the following day, later adding a brown jacket while at Rachel's house.

For the most part, Tom wears his silver wedding ring.

History

Film series

Past

Tom was born and raised in Green Hills, Montana, as a part of a family whose members had been protecting Green Hills for more than fifty years. As an infant, he was breastfed. When he was young, his father would often bring him out to the lake for fishing and give him advice about heroism and responsibility.

At some point, Tom married Maddie Wachowski. While Maddie attended veterinary school, Tom took up two additional jobs; one to pay the rent and the second to pay for Maddie's tuition. While serving as the sheriff of Green Hills and head of the Green Hills Sheriff's Department, however, Tom grew world-weary; with his dull daily duties never providing him with "challenges" that allowed him to make a "real difference in peoples' lives", he would spend more time helping the locals with mundane tasks. Eventually desiring more "serious" police work in bigger cities that would allow him to prove himself, he put in an application for a position in San Francisco, California, as part of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). Like many people in Green Hills, he would also dismiss Crazy Carl's stories about the "Blue Devil".

While out on duty near a speed trap behind the Green Hills welcome billboard one day, Tom made a joke to Wade that he was in Barbados with Rihanna before jokingly testing a passing turtle's speed, until something passed by very quickly that set off his speed gun to record 300 mph. While investigating the strange circumstance, Tom found a strange blue quill pulsating with energy, which he took with him after being called back into town by Wade to retrieve a bagel from a duck.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Upon returning home one day, Tom learned from a letter that he had been admitted to the San Francisco Police Department, which he celebrated with Maddie. He also learned from Maddie that she had been looking to buy an apartment in San Francisco, which meant they would be moving away from Green Hills soon. In preparation for his departure, Tom began practicing his parting speech in front of donuts. Soon after however, electricity went out all over town during the night due to a power surge. During this, Tom was contacted by Wade, whom Tom gave a plan of action to deal with the blackout but hung up when he noticed that the quill he found earlier had begun glowing with energy.

The next day, while marking his route to San Francisco, Tom received a call from Maddie, who was visiting her sister Rachel outside of San Francisco while looking for an apartment. During their conversation however, Tom heard a commotion in the garage and thought raccoons were behind the noise. Arming himself with Maddie's bear tranquilizer gun, Tom intended to scare the animals. However, when he went inside the garage, he found an alien anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic. Frightened by Sonic, Tom fired a tranquilizer into Sonic's leg. As Sonic passed out however, he opened a Ring portal to the Transamerica Pyramid and dropped his bag of remaining Rings into it, which closed before he could get through it. Locking Sonic in a dog cage, Tom examined Sonic, whom he realized was the "Blue Devil" and that the blue quill belonged to him. However, Sonic escaped the cage after waking up. As Tom tried comprehending Sonic's story and predicament though, a United States government truck arrived outside his house, prompting Sonic to plead Tom to help him hide from them as his life was on the line and his legs had not recovered from the tranquilizer. Persuaded, Tom hid Sonic in his attic. Soon after, Dr. Robotnik arrived, who introduced himself as an employee from the power company investigating the blackout. Not buying his story, Tom quickly exposed the doctor's lie, who revealed himself to be a government operative. Despite this, Tom remained uncooperative. This did not stop Robotnik however, who burst into Tom's house upon hearing a noise. When he tried to pass the noise off as banging pipes and a raccoon however, Tom got exposed when Robotnik found Sonic's quill. He then proceeded to threaten Tom with gunshots from one of his aerials Badniks if he didn't reveal where he was keeping Sonic. Although Tom refused to speak, Sonic soon came out, begging Robotnik not to harm him, which freaked Robotnik out, and allowed Tom to stun him with a punch to the face. Tom and Sonic then took Robotnik's Badnik down. Afterward, Tom took Sonic into his truck, and drove away.

While on the road, Tom learned from Sonic that he needed his help to retrieve his lost Rings from the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco so could escape the government and flee to the Mushroom Planet. Not wanting to get himself into more trouble with the government, Tom selfishly attempted to ditch Sonic. Sonic, however, didn't of know where San Francisco was, and, after being reminded by Sonic that he had shot him and sabotaged his escape from Earth, Tom agreed to help him, albeit reluctantly. Along the way, Tom stopped to make a phone call to Wade from a phone booth. However, their conversation was interrupted by Robotnik, who had already occupied the Green Hills Sheriff's Department and tells him the story about how he dealt with his school bully the last time he got punched. Regardless, Tom hung up after having enough of him. Tom then went on to buy a meal for himself and Sonic, but when he returned to the car, he realized Sonic had gone to the nearby Piston Pit biker bar. Going inside, Tom tried to leave with a disguised Sonic, but Sonic persuaded him to let them stay. After then deceiving the waitress with a lie about Sonic's appearance, Tom brought up the bucket list concept, prompting Sonic to make one himself. After that, Tom decided to spend some time with Sonic, helping him check off the things on his bucket list he always wanted to do before leaving Earth. However, the fun got interrupted by a group of thugs who did not like them. Tom initially wanted to leave without causing a fuss, but Sonic soon started a bar fight. During this, Tom was caught by two thugs, but Sonic saved him and overpowered the entire bar. The two then escaped in Tom's truck and stayed overnight at a motel. There, Tom saw Sonic admit how much he did not want to leave Earth despite the danger he was in. When Sonic later fell asleep, Tom tucked him in and noticed that making a real friend was on his bucket list. He also noticed on the news that he was wanted for domestic terrorism, likely due to Robotnik's machinations.

The next day, while Tom and Sonic were on the road again, Tom confessed to Sonic when the latter asked for his bucket list that he wanted to leave Green Hills for a job as a street cop in San Francisco, which outraged Sonic. Sonic insisted that Tom should stay in Green Hills and help the community there who relied on him. However, their argument got interrupted when they were attacked by a Badnik tank sent by Robotnik, which harpooned Tom's truck. As Sonic's anger over Tom's decision intensified, Tom noticed that Sonic had begun glowing with energy. When Tom had to brake to release the harpoon, he launched Sonic away, who destroyed the Badnik while curled into a ball. Returning to Sonic, Tom was surprised to see that Sonic was still alive. However, he soon had to drive off again when the defeated Badnik deployed a smaller Badnik. Fortunately, Sonic destroyed it, only for it to deploy another Badnik. Deeming it his turn, Tom had Sonic take the wheel while he destroyed the Badnik up close from the backseat with a stick. As Tom resumed driving however, a miniature aerial Badnik appeared and cut the roof off Tom's truck with a laser. Though Sonic crippled the Badnik, it attached a bomb to his hand, forcing Tom to pull off the road and help Sonic get the bomb off. Although they eventually got the bomb off, Sonic was knocked unconscious by its explosion. Taking the unconscious Sonic to Rachel's house in San Francisco, Tom tried getting Maddie's help, but Rachel refused to let him in. When he did get in, however, Ozzy pulled away the cloth that Tom was using to hide Sonic, causing Rachel to pass out. After tying up Rachel, Tom had Maddie take a look at Sonic. When Maddie later revitalized Sonic, Tom explained the situation to a frazzled Maddie, who ultimately agreed to help them both.

Taking Rachel's car, Tom, Maddie and Sonic drove to the Transamerica Pyramid, which had Sonic's Rings on the top. Using his power as a sheriff and a lie that there was a jumper on the roof, Tom got the receptionist to give them the keys to the roof while Tom and Maddie smuggled Sonic up there in a bag. On the roof, Sonic found his Rings, and Tom had a heartfelt goodbye with Sonic. Just as Sonic prepared to leave however, they were interrupted by the appearance of Robotnik in the Eggpod and his army of aerial Badniks. As Tom traded insults with Robotnik, he realized that he and Maddie were totally defenseless against Robotnik's drones as they readied their machine guns and missiles. To save them, Sonic threw Tom off the roof with Maddie. As they both fell however, Sonic managed to reach them and open a Ring portal that sent them back to Green Hills, where they landed in a haystack on Farmer Zimmer's farm. Tom and Maddie later arrived at the town's main street, where Sonic was at the mercy of Robotnik. Using one of the Rings from Sonic's dropped bag, Tom got behind Robotnik on his Eggpod, and forced Robotnik into a fistfight, only to be thrown from the vehicle. Fortunately, the people of Green Hills came to Tom's defense when Robotnik threatened to kill him. As it seemed that Sonic was dead though, Robotnik criticized everyone for standing up to him. This prompted Tom to tell Robotnik that Sonic was more human that Robotnik could ever be, and admitted that Sonic was his friend. This statement awoke Sonic with his full power unleashed. As Sonic proceeded to beat Robotnik's Eggpod into submission, Tom opened a Ring portal to the Mushroom Planet, which Sonic sent Robotnik flying into. With Robotnik defeated, Tom gave Sonic a high-five and sealed their friendship. Returning Sonic's Ring bag, Tom gave him a slight reprimand for pushing him and Maddie off the Transamerica Pyramid as he did so. Feeling as well that he had proven himself as he had wanted to, Tom decided to stay in Green Hills and take care of the people around him.

Sometime after, as Tom and Maddie were renovating their house from Robotnik's attack, they were visited by Commander Walters, who informed them that Robotnik had never existed in the eyes of the government and gave them a $50 gift card to the Olive Garden restaurant as thanks for keeping quiet about the incident. Walters then persuaded Tom to hand over Sonic, although Tom lied and denied Sonic's presence. After Walters had then left, Tom and Maddie showed Sonic his new room in their attic, having moved all of Sonic's belongings from his cave up there. Tom and Maddie would then welcome a happy Sonic home as a part of the Wachowski family.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Over the next several months, Tom would notice Sonic sneaking out of the house to commit vigilantism and then lie about his actions, which would prompt discussion between him and Sonic. During one night in particular, Tom was bringing Sonic new comics when he activated a poor setup by Sonic in an attempt to mask his presence while he was away in Seattle stopping a robbery. The next day, Tom went out fishing with Sonic in a lake, only to notice that Sonic had fallen asleep while trying to strike a conversation with him. With Sonic tipping into the water shortly thereafter, waking him up as he struggled to swim, Tom fished him out and began confronting him with his reckless escapade in Seattle by presenting him with a newspaper about the havoc he caused in the city. As Sonic insisted that he was a hero despite all that and that he could take care of himself, Tom would give him a lesson about how being a hero meant taking responsibility for others rather than themselves and being ready to use his powers when his moment arrived, but that he had to be more mature until then. Agreeing to that, Sonic would give Tom and himself some high-speed sailing, much to Tom's distress.

Not long after, Tom and Maddie were heading to Hawaii to attend Rachel's wedding with her fiancé, Randall. With Sonic providing them with a Ring portal to their destination, Tom, Maddie, Ozzy and Sonic shared a sendoff. Tom then received another Ring from Sonic to use to return home with, and he and Maddie parted ways with Sonic, having left him in charge of Ozzy and the house and tells him not to misbehave while they are away. Tom would soon after contact Sonic via FaceTime to check up on him. While he was certain that Sonic was up to something, he was nonetheless sure that Sonic could clean up his mess in good time, who encouraged him to just enjoy his vacation. Ending his call with Sonic, Tom went to meet Randall, who briefly intimidated him with a joke about how he treated Rachel back in San Francisco, before starting to treat him amicably. Soon after, Tom met Rachel, who offered to bury the hatchet between them. While Tom accepted it, Rachel silently warned him not to mess up her wedding, or else, leaving him very uneasy. Tom and his team later had a volleyball game with Randall and his squad. Despite losing it, Tom remained on good terms with Randall. Afterwards, Tom met up with Jojo and Maddie, the former having been chosen as ringbearer for the wedding. When it seemed that Jojo had lost one of the wedding rings however, Tom revealed that he was just playing her and gave her the wedding ring back with a magic trick. Tom would then express to Maddie about how he wished for Sonic to have friends like Randall's, but Maddie assure him that Sonic would be fine. Not long after, Tom would check up on Sonic with a text message.

While attending Rachel and Randall's wedding ceremony later on, Tom received a call from Sonic. Though he tried to ignore it at first, he eventually went to a secluded spot to answer it so not to disturb the ceremony and incur Rachel's wrath. During that call, Sonic revealed that he was currently trying to escape an avalanche and that he needed Tom to open a Ring portal in his location. When Tom threw the ring and nothing happened, he realized he had mixed Rachel's ring up with the actual Ring when he was playing with Jojo. With Randall about to put the Ring on Rachel's finger, Tom intruded on the ceremony in order to retrieve it. When Randall refused to hand it over however, Tom was forced to punch him. Opening the Ring portal immediately after, Sonic came through the portal with Tails and a wave of snow that buried the ceremony. Tom and Maddie then checked up on Sonic, who revealed Dr. Robotnik had returned and was seeking the Master Emerald. However, immediately after, Randall's guests revealed themselves as U.S. federal agents of G.U.N., who proceeded to capture Sonic and Tails. Tom tried to save them but got restrained by Randall and taken into custody with Sonic and Tails in the local hotel. Fortunately, Tom, Sonic, and Tails were freed by Maddie soon after. While tending to the unconscious Tails outside, Tom and his friends saw a pillar of energy erupt in the horizon, which was a sign that Robotnik had found the Master Emerald. Tom and Maddie wanted them to make a plan together, but Sonic, who refused to let anyone get hurt, left them to deal with Robotnik alone. As Tails then woke up, Tom and Maddie tried to tend to him, only for Tails to warn them of the threat Sonic was facing. As such, they agreed to free Commander Walters from their captivity and arrange a transport for them.

Returning to Green Hills in a G.U.N. military helicopter, Tom and Maddie joined G.U.N. as they surrounded the Mean Bean Coffee Café, Robotnik's current place of operations, where they learned that Wade was being held hostage as well. There, they saw Robotnik emerge in a Master Emerald-empowered state. After Tom and Robotnik got reacquainted with each other, Robotnik began using his powers to construct the Giant Eggman Robot, which forced Tom, Maddie and G.U.N. to retreat. When Sonic later began luring the Giant Eggman Robot out of town, Tom and Maddie helped evacuate the citizens until they borrowed a truck from one of them to go get Sonic. Outside of town, as the Giant Eggman Robot was about to trample on Sonic, Tom and Maddie swooped by in the truck and rescued both the hedgehog and the Master Emerald. However, the Giant Eggman Robot then managed to topple the truck. As Tom, Maddie and Sonic emerged from the truck, Sonic hoped to use the Master Emerald to stop Robotnik, only for the gem to crumble in his hands and release the Chaos Emeralds. As the trio then got surrounded by a ring of fire from the Giant Eggman Robot, Tom and Maddie chose to stay by Sonic and face their end together as a family as the Giant Eggman Robot prepared to crush them with its foot. However, Tom and Maddie were saved when Sonic inadvertently absorbed the Chaos Emeralds and transformed into Super Sonic. Tom then saw Sonic tear the Giant Eggman Robot apart and defeat Robotnik. As Tom and Maddie tried approaching Super Sonic however, Knuckles warned them that Sonic had gone mad with power. However, Sonic disproved that by remaining in control, summoning celebratory chili dogs and relinquishing the Chaos Emeralds. Afterwards, Tom would share a hug with Sonic, whom he saw form an order with Tails and Knuckles to guard the Master Emerald.

Some time later, Tom had a baseball game with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Maddie, encouraging the serious Knuckles to just relax and have fun. After Knuckles made them lose their only ball though, they decided to go for ice cream. Before they left, Tom expressed pride in Sonic for finding his own squad, who in turn accepted Tom as his father figure for the first time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Tom and Maddie get Team Sonic to race each other, using it as a distraction for Sonic, preparing a surprise party for the anniversary of the day he arrived on Earth. During the celebration, Tom follows Sonic back to his old cave, where Sonic finds all the old items that he left behind, including a mural he painted of Longclaw and him on his first night on Earth. Tom talks to Sonic, telling him that despite all the pain Sonic went through over the years, he never let the pain overcome him, never changing his heart for the worse. While roasting marshmallows at night, a G.U.N. helicopter lands next to them, requiring Team Sonic's assistance in Tokyo. While Team Sonic was on their mission, Tom and Maddie found new hobbies and did many activities, including making a puppet of Tom. A few days later, Team Sonic comes back home using a ring portal, needing Tom and Maddie to help them in their mission. Tom and Maddie immediately agree to join, feeling that staying at home was boring without them.

Tom and Maddie go into G.U.N. Headquarters and disguise themselves as Randall and Rachel, pretending that they were going to have lunch with each other. After Maddie convinces the G.U.N. agent to let them enter together, they use a USB to hack into the systems, disabling the shield covering the building. However, the two get caught by Director Rockwell later on, also having captured Sonic and Tails, bringing them to the vault containing the key to the Eclipse Cannon. After Knuckles accidentally breaks the gravity controller when trying to save them, the artificial gravity starts affecting everyone in the room, including Director Rockwell and the G.U.N. soldiers.

After the gravity returns to normal, Director Rockwell gets the key and walks away. Tom disguises himself as the now-deceased Commander Walters, successfully getting the key from Rockwell. When escaping, he meets Shadow. Shadow, seeing the disguise, thinks that Tom is really Commander Walters and attacks him with a Chaos Energy-charged punch, knocking him unconscious. The disguise wears off a few seconds after, much to Shadow’s confusion. Tom gets sent to the hospital, leading to a livid Sonic seeking revenge. After an argument, Knuckles reluctantly allows him to use the Master Emerald (which Wade was using as a hockey puck) to become Super Sonic again, who fights Shadow (who also transforms into his Super form) and sends him to the moon with an uppercut to the face. However, before Super Sonic could kill him, he remembers Tom's words, that he never let his pain change him no matter what. Super Sonic, realizing this was not who he was, turns back into his regular form, realizing that revenge wasn't the answer.

After the Eclipse Cannon is destroyed, Team Sonic returns to Green Hills, having a camping session. Tom is seen in a cast, still healing from his injuries after being discharged from the hospital. He and Maddie get Team Sonic to race again, this time for real, before Sonic unknowingly runs all the way to New York, where he meets an army of Metal Sonics before being saved saved by Amy.

Comics

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Adventures of Sonic & Donut Lord

While on the outskirts of Green Hills, waiting dutifully at the speed trap, Tom detected something move past him at 300 mph, but could not see it.^[21]

On the day after a power blackout in town, Tom worked on doing what he could on his final days in Green Hill before starting his new job in San Francisco. While talking with Wade over the phone however, Tom heard what he believed to be raccoons in his garage. When he went to check on it however, he found an alien anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic. Sonic explained that he was on the run from a United States government truck and that he was about to escape to the Mushroom Planet with his Rings. While Tom had a hard time grasping what he had just seen and Sonic's story, he nonetheless had Sonic stay in hiding while he went to check on the truck following him. Meeting Dr. Robotnik and his Badniks, the doctor told Tom that he was here to investigate the blackout. Despite Tom denying knowing anything about it, Robotnik began threatening him with a fate worse than death if he did not tell him what he knew. When Robotnik detected Sonic however, he sent his Badniks after the hedgehog so he could learn the secret to Sonic's power despite Tom telling him that they did not know if Sonic was a threat.^[21]

Using his knowledge of the town's shortcuts, Tom caught up to Sonic. After hearing about Sonic's situation, Tom complained about having not moved to San Francisco earlier and being spared all this weirdness, which prompted Sonic to open a Ring portal to San Francisco. Immediately after however, Badniks attacked them, causing Sonic to accidentally throw his remaining Rings into the portal, which closed before he got through. As they were being shot at, Tom had Sonic come with him to his truck. After escaping the Badniks, Sonic wanted to go to San Francisco and get his Rings. However, since Sonic did not know the way, a bemused Tom opted to take him there. On the way there in Tom's truck however, Tom brought up the bucket list concept to Sonic, who decided to make one for himself. As they discussed things to add to it however, Tom thought he heard that Sonic wanted a BFF. When they had to stop for the night however, Sonic went against Tom's orders and checked out the local Piston Pit biker bar. There, Tom saw, to his own amusement, Sonic start a bar fight and participate in other escapades to cross things off his bucket list. The next day, while on the road, Tom was hearing Sonic's explanation for the nickname "Donut Lord" that the hedgehog had given him when they found themselves pursued by Robotnik's truck and his Badniks. Fortunately, Sonic managed to destroy all their pursuers.^[21]

After arriving in San Francisco and picking up Maddie, Tom went to the Transamerica Pyramid with her and Sonic while explaining his situation to the former. Upon arriving at their destination, Tom and Maddie smuggled Sonic up to the top floor in a bag. There, they found Sonic's bag of Rings. Immediately after however, Robotnik appeared in his Eggpod with his aerial Badniks. As Robotnik opened fire upon them, Tom decided to put his faith in Sonic upon his request. In return, Sonic pushed him and Maddie off the roof, away from the gunfire and into a Ring portal that led back to Green Hills. There, Tom admitted that he felt like he was truly home in spite of his previous opinions about Green Hills. Sonic then appeared from a Ring portal with Robotnik hot on his heels in the Eggpod. As Robotnik voiced his intention to dissect Sonic and neutralize Tom and Maddie, the pair berated Robotnik for his lack of humanity in comparison to Sonic, whom they declared as their friend. Upon hearing this, Sonic managed to unleash his full power and defeat Robotnik. As gratulations were made, Tom, with his wish of having saved a life fulfilled, declared their plans to move to San Francisco off, now feeling that Green Hills was truly home. Not long after, Tom and Maddie moved all of Sonic's belongings in the Hedgehog Cave into their attic and welcomed Sonic home as a part of the Wachowski family.^[21]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill

During his present vacation, Tom went ice fishing with Wade on a lake near Walla Walla, Washington. As Tom talked about getting a worthwhile moment of tranquility, Wade thought about them getting a police helicopter, which Tom spoke against due to his fall off the Transamerica Pyramid. As Wade expressed hopes for a call to adventure though, the two of them received an all-points bulletin from the authorities in Walla Walla about a bank robbery in the First bank of Walla Walla. Though Tom reminded Wade to cool his jets, the two of them nonetheless headed out there to provide the local police with tactical support. Upon arriving at the scene of the robbery, Tom reminded Wade to stay professional before asking an officer at the scene about how they could help. Suddenly, the group saw aerial Badniks arrive and try to tow the bank's vault away with them. When the vault began spinning uncontrollably, Tom and the others took cover. After the Badniks then dropped the vault, Tom had enough and used his fishing pole to pull one of the Badniks into the other, destroying them as he said that he was supposed to be on vacation right now. Despite having no local authority, Tom proceeded to enter the bank and demand that the bank robbers surrendered. However, much to his surprise, they did so without putting up a fight and said that they had realized the error of their ways. With the robbers apprehended, Tom told Wade about his concern over having more Robotnik tech out there to deal with. In addition, he chose not to tell Sonic about this, fearing that he would actively track them down.^[23]

Shorts

A Very Sonic Christmas

Tom can be seen on a photo together with Maddie and Team Sonic.

TV Series

Knuckles

"The Warrior"

Although Tom doesn't appear in the show, it is revelated by Maddie that Tom took a trip outside of Green Hills. He also gave Wade a master key to keep him from being handcuffed after several incidents.

Personality

Kind-hearted and hard-working, Tom actively pursues the chance to help other people and is dedicated to his profession as a police officer. He is very brave and is not afraid to use physical force if the need arises, although usually only when he needs to be defensive, and is protective of those he cares about. Despite his sharp tongue, an occasionally dark sense of humor and misplaced jokes though, he is very sweet and gentle and frequently goes out of his way to assist others. Tom also enjoys telling corny jokes, whether he is alone or with company. In addition, Tom shows an eccentric habit of talking to donuts; according to Sonic, Tom often talks with donuts for fun and eats them if they "get out of line".

Tom is shown to dislike boredom, which stems from a genuine wish to help people in real trouble. This eventually reached the point that Green Hills' lack of action nearly drove him out of his hometown in order to pursue a more interesting career in San Francisco. However, after realizing that he had what it took to save a life following his first adventure with Sonic, Tom changed his mind about moving and came to understand that he was needed by the small community in Green Hills. Tom is as well openly skeptic when presented with a situation that seems odd or fabricated, such as when he first met Dr. Robotnik and heard his "story" about being from the power company in order to get inside his house. Not one to be easily fooled, despite Robotnik's belief to the contrary, Tom is witty and cunning, able to outwit even Robotnik and is ready with a smart-mouthed reply in the face of opposition.

Although Tom is not afraid to fight, he prefers to avoid resorting to violence unless if it is absolutely necessary, as shown when he tried to leave the Piston Pit when confronted by angry bar patrons, or when he punched Randall to get back a Ring needed to rescue Sonic only after Randall refused to hand it over.

Powers and abilities

This section requires an expansion.

As a trained police officer, Tom has basic combat training. His police training has also made him a skilled driver, capable of keeping a car under control during high-speed pursuits. Tom is also shown to have knowledge of several police tricks, such as using heavy duty flashlights as makeshift clubs and fishing rods as whips and catch someone lying.

Relationships

Maddie Wachowski

Tom is a faithful and loving husband to his wife, Maddie. They have a very trusting relationship and like joking and being sarcastic with each other. There is likewise rarely any strife between them, and they are shown to spend cozy movie nights together, enjoying each other's company. Tom in particular has proven himself to be incredibly supportive and self-sacrificial for Maddie's sake, having taken up two additional jobs in the past so that Maddie could focus on her career as a veterinarian. Maddie is likewise equally sacrificial for Tom as she was willing to let Tom follow his dream to pursue a police career in San Francisco. In return, Tom still took Maddie in consideration regarding his dream, as he would wonder if she was okay with this, indicating that he values her opinion. Even when Tom was in hot water with the government and was on the run with an alien, Tom still came to Maddie with his problems, showcasing an extreme level of trust in her.

Despite their loving relationship though, Tom and Maddie have different viewpoints about how to deal with wild animals. While Maddie sympathizes with them, Tom is willing to take more drastic measure in order to keep them away when they invade his home. While he respects Maddie enough not to actively kill wild animals, Tom is quick to talk himself out if such arguments with Maddie so he can handle things his way.

Wade Whipple

Wade Whipple is Tom's deputy and a good friend. The two of then have spent a lot of time together with activities such as ice fishing. While Tom trusts Wade to handle serious matters though, he also knows that he is not the sharpest tool in the shed and quite awkward.

Rachel

Tom's sister-in-law, Rachel, does not have the best opinion about him. Having deemed him unworthy of her sister Maddie, Rachel thinks Tom is no good and actively tries to convince Maddie to divorce him. Despite this hostility, Tom meets it with unwavering indifference and wise remarks. No matter what Tom does for Maddie or how well they get along, Rachel cannot tolerate him, which became even more apparent when he brought Sonic to her house. There, Rachel's contempt for Tom kept her from letting him in at first then, and when she passed out upon seeing Sonic, Tom and Maddie had to tie her up to keep her from causing trouble.

After Rachel met Randall Handel, she was ready to bury the hatchet between her and Tom. While Tom gladly welcomed the truce, he was also promised by Rachel that she would end him if he screwed up her wedding. While Tom was terrified by this threat, he nonetheless broke their deal in order to save Sonic. Even then though, he was both furious and scared of Rachel's wrath.

Sonic the Hedgehog

At first, Tom only saw Sonic the Hedgehog as a weird extra-terrestrial and a bit of a nuisance and a trouble-maker. When they first met, Tom was frightened by Sonic, prompting him to shoot with a bear tranquilizer, which led to Sonic being stranded on Earth. Despite his initial unease around Sonic though, Tom eventually overcame them and agreed not to hand Sonic over to the government. This was also due to his drive to help people. At first though, Tom had his doubts about his relationship with the hedgehog and wanted to part with him as soon as possible, but he soon saw that Sonic could not retrieve his lost Rings with him after Sonic pointed Tom's part in Sonic's loss of them, and so sought to help him.

Despite Sonic's initial attempts to be friendly, Tom was continuously annoyed by Sonic's sense of humor and easy-going demeanor. However, after discovering Sonic's own sense of humanity and desire to make a real friend, Tom slowly but surely came to understand that Sonic was just a lonely person, like any other human. From that moment on, Tom became increasingly caring towards Sonic, to the point of even acting as a parental figure to him, as shown when he tucked the hedgehog into bed at a motel and when he hurriedly sought help for him when he was knocked unconscious after an encounter with some Badniks. He even went as far as fight the doctor himself despite not having much of a chance against his machines when he had Sonic pinned down. Ultimately, after Sonic was seemingly killed by Dr. Robotnik, Tom's guilt and sense of loss prompted him to tell Robotnik that Sonic was more human than Robotnik would ever be and declare Sonic his friend, which motivated Sonic into standing up to Robotnik. After Robotnik's defeat, Tom moved Sonic's belongings from his cave to the Wachowski residence's attic and welcomed Sonic as a part of the Wachowski family, which Sonic was overjoyed about.

As time went on, Tom and Sonic's relationship would evolve from a friendship to a form of son-and-father relationship (whether Tom was aware of it or not), with Tom trying to be a supporting presence to Sonic by reminding him that the time will eventually come for him to use the incredible powers he possesses, but are not allowed to use in public.^[24] He would similarly act as a voice of reason and role model for Sonic in order to steer him in the right direction, namely by disapproving of his reckless behavior. While he understands his good intentions for becoming a hero, he also believes that Sonic has to be more responsible with his power and other people. Ultimately, Tom would declare his fatherly love for Sonic when it seemed like they were going to get killed by the Giant Eggman Robot, with Sonic returning this love as only a foster child could do. Afterward, Tom and Sonic would recognize each other as true family members.

Dr. Ivo Robotnik

Tom has a hostile relationship with Dr. Robotnik, whom he considers a psychopathic "weirdo" and "whack job". From the start, Tom has stood in opposition to Robotnik and his first attempt to capture Sonic, with Tom's compassion and kindness contrasting Robotnik's evil and hatred of others. In return, Robotnik loathes Tom since he represents the "mediocrity" of mankind that he so despises. When they first met, Tom earned himself Robotnik's personal dislike by outsmarting him while remaining uncooperative in order to keep Sonic hidden from him, although he was unnerved at the power the doctor held. This ultimately led to Robotnik threatening to kill Tom if he did not tell him what he knew about Sonic. In order to protect Sonic, Tom went as far as to punch Robotnik despite his association with the United States. This act also made Tom a personal target for Robotnik, who had never lost a fight since his fight with his childhood bully. While he initially reluctant to help Sonic in the long run, Tom decided he had no choice as Robotnik would be chasing him anyway. Even when faced with Robotnik's anger however, Tom has never caved into Robotnik's intimidation tactics, remaining fearless and unshaken whenever confronted by him and even having a smart-mouthed reply or defiant action ready to counter the doctors.

Resenting Robotnik for his lack of humanity, Tom would berate Robotnik for being less of a human in comparison to Sonic, an alien from another planet, after seemingly killing the latter. Tom's dislike of Robotnik also prompted him to help Sonic banish the doctor to the Mushroom Planet without hesitation. In their later encounters, Tom would be more confident and less unnerved by Robotnik, even when Robotnik was in possession of ultimate power.

Randall Handel

When he first saw Randall Handel, Rachel's fiancé, Tom hoped to start out their relationship on the right foot. When they met though, Randall feigned hostility towards Tom for what he did to Rachel in San Francisco, which frightened Tom, although they quickly established a friendly relationship after Randall revealed that he was joking. From there, the two got along quite well with each other by spending time together. Tom in particular would also envy Randall a bit for the group of friends he had gathered around him, claiming that Sonic could use a life-long squad like Randall's. However, their friendly relation went down the drain when Tom punched Randall during his wedding ceremony in order to retrieve his Ring from him. When Randall later revealed himself as a G.U.N. agent seeking to capture Sonic, Tom got stopped by him while engaging in a fight with other G.U.N. agents.

Friends/allies

• Crazy Carl
• Farmer Zimmer
• Green Hills Sheriff's Department
  • Wade Whipple (close friend)
• Guardian Units of Nations
  • Commander Walters †
  • G.U.N. Mean Bean Agent
  • Randall Handel (future brother-in-law)
• His dentist
• Jojo (niece)
• Maddie Wachowski (wife)
• Mailman
• Ozzy (pet)
• Roadhouse Waitress
• Team Sonic
  • Knuckles the Echidna
  • Miles "Tails" Prower
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (adoptive son)

Neutral

• Businessman
• G.U.N.
  • Director Rockwell
  • Drench
  • Priest
  • Rockwell's Assistant
• Rachel (to a degree; sister-in-law)
• Shadow the Hedgehog (attempted killer)

Enemies

• Agent Stone
• Badniks
  • Matryoshka Drones
    • Badnik Tank
      • Quad Drone
        • Monopod Drone
          • Tiny Drone
• Dr. Ivo Robotnik
• Gerald Robotnik †
• Roadhouse Thug

Quotes

Trivia

• His ringtone is the Green Hill theme, as revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
• Prior to the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it was speculated that Tom was going to die in the film — this was partially true as Shadow knocked Tom out when he mistook his disguise for the real Commander Walters. Despite this, he didn't actually die and was only merely injured. By the end of the film, he made a full recovery, but his arm was in a cast, due to the fact that it was still recovering from Shadow's attack.
  • According to Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who wrote the film's screenplay, Tom was originally planned to be killed by Shadow, but they decided against doing so lest they risk alienating the film's audience.^[25]
• Tom Wachowski's full name could be a reference to Tom Kalinske, the president and CEO of Sega of America from 1990-1996, whose marketing decisions are often cited key elements of the success of the Sega Genesis in the US.
• Every movie shows Tom almost getting killed by the villains. In the first movie, Dr. Robotnik threatened to kill Tom if he didn't tell him where Sonic was. In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Dr. Robotnik tried to use his Giant Eggman Robot to kill Tom, Maddie, and Sonic. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Shadow knocked Tom out when he thought that he was Commander Walters. Out of all the movies, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the only movie where Dr. Robotnik doesn't try to kill Tom.

See also

• Tom (disambiguation)

References

External link

• Tom Wachowski at the Sonic Cinematic Universe Wiki.

Sonic the Hedgehog (film series) universe

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• Characters
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• Heroes
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Sonic the Hedgehog

Tom Wachowski

Maddie Wachowski

Miles "Tails" Prower

Knuckles the Echidna

Amy Rose

Wade Whipple

Rachel

Longclaw the Giant Owl

Wendy Whipple

Shadow the Hedgehog

Commander Walters

Director Rockwell

Pachacamac

Air Force Chief of Staff

Army Chief of Staff

Drench

Faucet

Grommet

Gun Hunter

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Kyle Lancebottom

Major Bennington

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Priest

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Scavengers

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Tack

Unit

Wisco

Dr. Ivo Robotnik

Agent Stone

Professor Gerald Robotnik

Metal Sonic

Metal Sonic (mass-produced)

Agent Willoughby

Agent Mason

The Buyer

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Drone

Heat-Seeking Drone

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Lindsey

Jason

Rava the Destroyer

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Iblis

Ozzy

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Maria Robotnik

Wanda Whipple

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Businessman

Champ

Crazy Carl

Dylan Beagleton

Fairley

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Gabriella

Gary N. Sinclair III Esq.

George

Jojo

Juan

Karen

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Liam

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Pablo

Receptionist

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Sally

Susie Barnes

Tatiana

Tina

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Bumper

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Operation: Catfish

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Echidna

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La Última Pasión

Police & Peace

Super Solicitor

Zillow

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