New Archie Sonic Timeline

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

3 hours ago, shdowhunt60 said:

I don't know. I just find myself incredibly interested in this world that Ian set up. It's like he managed to take just about every major branch in the franchise and condense it into one super continuity. It just saddens me that some things will likely never be covered, like Sonic's backstory.

Yeah, I love the fact that the current Archie continuity combines so many major continuities into a coherent, enjoyable whole. Personally, though, I can't say I mind Sonic's backstory never being covered. I guess I'm fine with him being "just a guy who loves adventure"

[shdowhunt60]

And I find that blah. It makes everything he does feel absolutely insincere. I want the SEGA cast to get every bit as much as the expansion as everyone else gets, everyone included.

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

I've never been a sucker for backstories, honestly. I think what matters most is who the characters are now - their personality traits, their values, what they do, etc. Especially with characters that tend toward symbolization of traits, like Sonic - attitude, speed, freedom, kicking bad guy's butts, etc. I guess I see Sonic more as a character I value for his simplicity and the attributes he epitomizes - attributes I enjoy experiencing through him. (Yeah, I'm getting a little bit philosophical, but whatever xD) That's not to say I don't see Sonic as a character who's fleshed-out or "real" - not at all, really. He's just, well, simple, but I actually really like that simplicity.

Obviously, backstories can be really beneficial for some characters. I enjoy the fact that Tails has a little explanation for how he came to be with Sonic, as utterly simple as it is, as opposed to just being there (that only barely qualifies as a backstory, but you get what I mean, I hope). And it's not bad knowing the history of the Knuckles tribe, or how Shadow came to be. But in general, I just don't think backstories are the most important thing when it comes to some of my favorite characters, and that has a lot to do with personal preference, reallu. I think it says a lot that in one of my favorite versions of Superman (the George Reeves show), the backstory is featured in the first episode, but essentially nothing about it is referenced throughout the rest of the series.

[shdowhunt60]

And I like characters being fleshed out. I like having context. Why are they like this? Who are they? What made them the person they are?

I have a pretty practical perspective on the characters. I like thinking about the who's, what's, where's, why's, and how's. I like having context.

I never liked the whole "Well, Sonic just is a hero, because he feels like it". It makes him feel really detached, and like he doesn't actually care. It makes him feel flat.

The reason why characters like Knuckles, Shadow, and, yes, Tails are more interesting than Sonic himself is that they have very personal investment in the thing's they're involved in.

That's not to say I don't like Sonic. I like Sonic. But Sonic could be better. Eggman too.

I think Sonic never having any sort of appropriate context for his actions actually severely damages the character in several ways. It's the reason why, even in the best examples of Sonic media, Sonic almost never gets any character development. And that's bad. It means he's effectively stagnate. What's the point in having a character be a main protagonist if he isn't growing at all. That's why everyone around him gets development, and he never does. 

I feel like every time too that I point this out, that I want some sort of super tragic backstory, and that isn't really the case. I mean, yeah, I DO have a flair for the dramatic, and I can think of multiple areas where the dark, gritty, and dramatic has worked particularly well in several fanfiction, but it doesn't mean that I believe it has to be that way. It could even be something as simple as "Sonic watched a bunch of cartoons as a kid, and he decided one day he wanted to be a superhero".

What I want is a zero. A starting point. A point where I can say "Okay, this is where this character started, and this is how he's grown over time, and this is where we can take him in the future".

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

I would actually like to continue this discussion, but since we're getting fairly off-topic, I've started a new thread about it if you're interested. ^^

[Sonic is a Care Bear]

This timeline needs an update, but has consulted with Ian Flynn for accuracy is some parts, such as what games have and have not happened.

[Big Panda]

Some of us have theorised that the Jump and Dash stories are more "at some point in the future" things.

Also you may want to point out Worlds Unite in the timeline: if only the point where Sonic and Eggman wake up from the paradox.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Wait...Generations happened in the timeline?
 

I must've missed that memo.

[Big Panda]

8 hours ago, ChaosSupremeSonic said:

Wait...Generations happened in the timeline?
 

I must've missed that memo.

Yep. It was first stated by Ian around the time the new continuity began, then confirmed during Worlds Unite.

[Forte-Metallix]

More specifically, Generations happened right before Worlds Collide. After the Time Eater's destruction, the blue Chaos Emerald ended up in Mega Man's world. Wily found it and came into contact with Eggman, who was trapped in White Space. (Which begs the question: What happened to Classic Robotnik?)

What I really wanna know is where Genesis fits into the timeline. How did Eggman first get the idea to rewrite reality, and were there any consequences aside from Naugus losing his magic?

[Zaysho]

6 hours ago, Forte-Metallix said:

More specifically, Generations happened right before Worlds Collide. After the Time Eater's destruction, the blue Chaos Emerald ended up in Mega Man's world. Wily found it and came into contact with Eggman, who was trapped in White Space. (Which begs the question: What happened to Classic Robotnik?)

What I really wanna know is where Genesis fits into the timeline. How did Eggman first get the idea to rewrite reality, and were there any consequences aside from Naugus losing his magic?

"Genesis" is such a weird storyline because Eggman rewrote reality to the point that he didn't seem to know exactly why things were happening as they were. The way I'm looking at it is that the events of "Genesis," as they occur in the book are an altered timeline created by Present Eggman's Genesis Wave. The original events were probably similar to the original games, with the inclusion of the Freedom Fighters, Snivley and other comic-exclusive details/characters, but the Genesis Wave was Eggman's first attempt at rewriting things and he used it to send the Death Egg back in time to his past self (the Classic Eggman) to try to get rid of Sonic earlier. He (Present Eggman) later perfected the Genesis Wave which is what led to "Worlds Collide" and so on.

I dunno, that might at least explain things like the characters' feeling of deja vu or why Genesis Eggman's memories are scrambled and he's recalling things vaguely like Sonic is. As for what happened to him, it's always possible he got pulled back to his own timeline while Present Eggman was stranded in the White Space until Wily found the Chaos Emerald.

Not sure if any of that makes sense, but that's how I'm looking at it if the events of the original comic universe are to be completely disregarded.

[Tails spin]

Correct me if I'm wrong since I stopped following the comics but I though other than Neo Metal Sonic showed up amd Omega as well they kind of skipped the heroes arc.

[Big Panda]

2 minutes ago, Tails spin said:

Correct me if I'm wrong since I stopped following the comics but I though other than Neo Metal Sonic showed up amd Omega as well they kind of skipped the heroes arc.

The original continuity never had a Heroes arc (they bought Omega in differently). In the new continuity, Heroes happened in the past.

[Big Panda]

 

 

281 has two pretty expansive flashbacks and the second contains a hint to the timeline.

What we see is Tails comforting a still-wheelchair-ridden Bunnie (at Rosie's home I assume). Tails says that Sonic has "gone off to fight on South Island".

The only two games I know of were Sonic goes solo on South Island is the first game, and the Game Gear version of Sonic 2, except Tails is clearly safe and sound at home so it's not that. This would indicate that Sonic knew Tails before even the first game. This would also indicate that Sonic has been to Westside Island before Sonic 2. And Bunnie still being in a wheelchair would also indicate this scene occurred sometime before Sonic 2.

 

[Big Panda]

It seems the timeline could do with an overhaul in light of some recent reveals from Ian.

-Sonic 1

-Sonic 2

-Sonic 3 & Knuckles

-Sonic CD (based on the recap page of SMD, it's implied that this is where it takes place in the timeline)

-Sonic Mega Drive

-Sonic Mega Drive: The Next Level

-Sonic 2 8-bit and Sky Patrol take place at some point during this stretch of timeline.

-Sonic R (apparently)

-Sonic 4 (Ian considers it the bridge between classic and modern)

-Sonic Adventure and onward