Sticky Problems is a complete five-page story published in The Official Sonic the Hedgehog Yearbooks.
Staff
- This story is uncredited. The lettering appears to be from John Aldrich.
Story
In one of Doctor Robotnik's sooty facilities blighting the landscape of the Emerald Hill Zone, the Doctor himself is experimenting with a vile brown-coloured concoction. A rabbit who has infiltrated the facility observes Robotnik at work, and reports to Sonic and Tails that their enemy is preparing a new nefarious scheme.
Sonic and Tails set off to attack Robotnik, but when he tries to bounce off of a spring Sonic suddenly discovers that he's stuck fast - the spring's pad has been coated in a special instant-setting glue (the fluid that Robotnik was developing - his facility is a dedicated factory for the chemical). With Sonic immobilised, Robotnik appears to gloat before activating the Drill Eggman vehicle, with the intention of running Sonic down where he stands.
Tails rushes off to retrieve a spare pair of Power Sneakers for Sonic. In the meantime, Sonic evades Robotnik's charge by leaping out of his glued-fast pair - neatly dropping into the outstretched new pair in Tails' hands during his descent. Absorbed by the incredible gymnastic feat despite himself, Robotnik loses sight of where he is going and drives the Drill Eggman off of a cliff...! He hits another spring on the way down, but much to his dismay it isn't one that he's already spread glue on - so hitting the spring only flings him further still!
Robotnik continues to bounce around the landscape through sheer momentum. He almost crushes Tails who's stopped to collect an errant Power Ring, but Tails is snatched out of the way by Sonic. Eventually Robotnik is catapulted off of a palm tree (almost decapitating Sonic and Tails, but they both just duck in the nick of time) and crashes straight into his glue factory, destroying both it and his vehicle. Amidst the wreckage of the plant, Robotnik has been lathered in glue himself and is most definitely stuck in place. Robotnik pleads to Sonic to help free him, but the two heroes decide to leave and let Robotnik stew for a while.
Trivia
- Robotnik had another inadvertant mishap with glue earlier on in the Yearbook series, in Cartoon Concerto. He must have been hoping that lightning wouldn't strike twice in the same place.
- The scriptwriter makes a ham-fisted attempt at giving the Hedgehog With Attitude some Cool Dude Lingo: when dodging the Drill Eggman his quip is "Apologies, Doc, but I gotta flail", which according to a caption means "leave". Um, apparently.
- Tails briefly becomes the Fastest Thing Alive, having time to rush over the horizon, hold a brief conversation with the Emerald Hill Folk, and return with new Power Sneakers perfectly aligned for Sonic's jumping arc... in the time that it takes Robotnik to drive a hundred yards.
Timeline
This story is a standalone oneshot and does not refer to any other adventures.