Issue 94

Issue 94 is the ninety-fourth edition of Sonic the Comic. Released on the 25th of December 1996 at the price of £1.20, the issue contained four original stories (all of them new) as well as several features and a Crawl Badnik pin-up by Ferran Rodriguez. The comic was marketed as a New Year's edition.

Strips

Sonic the Hedgehog

Eve of Destruction is a complete story written by Lew Stringer with art by Nigel Kitching and lettering by Tom Frame. Sonic and the Chaotix Crew are ready to enjoy the last of New Year's Eve but midnight is interrupted by the appearance of Doctor Bob Bobble - now The Incredible Bulk. After an accident with a Delta Ray Machine, Bobble has mutated into a monster and it'll take the combined efforts of a good punch-up and reversing the polarity of the neutron flow to save 1997!

Knuckles the Echidna

Roots is a 3-part story by Nigel Kitching, Nigel Dobbyn and Elitta Fell. On his way back to the Floating Island, Knuckles spots a protest gathering around some trees in the Metropolis Zone and steps in just in time to save them from a Special Badnik Service attack. Ebony isn't new to violence and joins in with the defence, teaming up with Knuckles to save the civilians... and the talking trees.

Decap Attack

The Hungry Guest is a complete story co-written by Richard Rayner and Kitching, also drawn by Kitching, with letters by Ellie de Ville. It's also New Year's at Castle Frank N. Stein but, so far, the only guest to arrive at the fancy-dress party is young Billy No-Friends. The extremely hungry boy eats his way through the castle as Chuck D. Head displays his Apollo moon landing and Professor Frank N. Stein persuades Igor to wear a cuddly woodland creature outfit. When Billy gets so ravenous that he eats Frank, the mad scientist kicks out the child and vows to never have another costume party. To Igor's relief, he sneaks out and gives nephew Billy some money for ruining things and to get himself a pizza.

Sonic's World

The Monster Wakes is a 2-part story written by Stringer, with artwork shared by Roberto Corona and Andy Pritchett, Frame providing the letters. The Freedom Fighters are also celebrating New Year in Tekno's Workshop and Tekno the Canary suggests her friends use her base as a hideaway. The place is a bit small, so they recruit passing Knuckles to dig tunnels around the workshop. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, they appear to have awoken a gigantic dragon a thousand years too early and it's none too pleased...

Features

In this week's Control Zone, Megadroid asks if the Boomers are full from Christmas before digging into this issue. He's also in a state of shock since the Humes bought him a copy of Sonic 3D for Christmas. Unfortunately, prices go up 5p from next issue onwards, but there will be free gifts in the next two issues. The Sega Charts see new entries Premier Manager '97 and Daytona USA Champ Edition go straight in at the top of the Mega Drive/Saturn charts. Ecco the Dolphin re-enters at the head of the Mega-CD chart and Dynamite Headdy moves up to lead the Game Gear games.

Chris Jones covers both of the titles in this week's Review Zone, awarding Fighting Vipers (SS) a high 95% but Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble only reaches 70% for being a "dull platform game". The Q Zone continues with its revisit of Sonic the Hedgehog, helping players get through Zones 3-5's bosses. Speedlines contains letters about teachers confiscating STCs, the useless Data Strip and someone wanting Sonic to kill "everybody in the city". Even that letter won a Sega Mega Hog Tag. Coincedentally (although probably not), the Data Strip made its last appearance this issue.