Megathread Archie Sonic Main Discussion

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

2 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

One thing struck me weird about this preview. Knuckles said "I don't know how I would up looking after Master Emerald myself"

So this is official? Knuckles just woke up one day with terrible hangover and ME next to him, possible with note "please take care of me"? I know that Knuckles doesn't know details about his job, but I always assumed his dad/spirit/anybody gave him some primal directions. How he even knows Master Emerald's name?

To be fair, it does sort of seem to simply be echoing the sentiments he expressed at the beginning of Sonic Adventure.

There could also be a bit of hyperbole at play. Maybe he was instructed to guard the Master Emerald and told its name and all that, but he wasn't really given any details as to why, or why he should have to do it. And he just accepted it at the time because he was too naive to think there was anything weird about that.

[Kuzu]

Yea, it did seem weird that they never actually referred to Nixus specifically as an Echidna, even though the implications are there. 

 

[KoDaiko]

Someone said before that Archie made it easy to guess Nixus=Naugus because they probably don't want to get in trouble with SEGA about adding an echidna character. Maybe not saying the term 'echidna' is part of the attempt?

To me Archie seem to be saying "hey look he looks like Boom Knuckles, talk as if he is one of his kind, who is this guy??? can we trust him????" to the reader and "hey we didn't confirm him as an echidna (and we made it very obvious he is not one) so don't get us into trouble" to SEGA.

[MetalSkulkBane]

Crazy theory what's gonna happen in next "Shattered" issues.

Spoiler

Eclipse really is there with Nixus. Flynn made a paper thin hidden twist, to surprise us with double twist.

 

[DabigRG]

1 minute ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

Crazy theory what's gonna happen in next "Shattered" issues.

  Hide contents

Eclipse really is there with Nixus. Flynn made a paper thin hidden twist, to surprise us with double twist.

 

That was my thought as well.

Though that in and of itself could also be a switch and bait hiding the fact that Eclipse himself may not show up at all except for a very slim cameo at the very end. I just listened to an interview that stated that we would see him again after World's Unite so that's the only thing making think he will.

[Big Panda]

On 6 August 2016 at 6:53 PM, KoDaiko said:

Someone said before that Archie made it easy to guess Nixus=Naugus because they probably don't want to get in trouble with SEGA about adding an echidna character. Maybe not saying the term 'echidna' is part of the attempt?

The very first solicit mentioned Nixus being an echidna, only for that tidbit to be removed in later versions.

I believe that's a safe assumption.

[KoDaiko]

That reminds me, is the Chronicles canon? Like is it considered part of SEGA's official Sonic history? 

Because there was a whole tribe of sci-fi echidnas there.

[Tylinos]

7 minutes ago, KoDaiko said:

That reminds me, is the Chronicles canon? Like is it considered part of SEGA's official Sonic history? 

Because there was a whole tribe of sci-fi echidnas there.

Even if it is, it takes place after the rest of the series, doesn't it?  Anything there wouldn't really affect much.

[Shadowlax]

2 hours ago, KoDaiko said:

That reminds me, is the Chronicles canon? Like is it considered part of SEGA's official Sonic history? 

Because there was a whole tribe of sci-fi echidnas there.

Nope

Not at all it cant even be used iirc 

 

[Tails spin]

So let me get this straight. Cuz of the Archie vs Penders case, Penders basically got what seems like  a copyright to the common word of a real life animal to the point that Archie doesn't want to use it

[blade57331]

2 hours ago, KoDaiko said:

That reminds me, is the Chronicles canon? Like is it considered part of SEGA's official Sonic history? 

Because there was a whole tribe of sci-fi echidnas there.

After this whole Penders' mess? How do you think?

Hell, this game was made by other company, I doubt it was consider canon even before copyrights came in.

[Celestia]

15 minutes ago, Tails spin said:

So let me get this straight. Cuz of the Archie vs Penders case, Penders basically got what seems like  a copyright to the common word of a real life animal to the point that Archie doesn't want to use it

No. He's part of the reason Archie's apparently avoiding using the word "echidna", but more specifically it's because SEGA (and Archie, for that matter) most likely wants to avoid dealing with Penders unless they have to. This also ties into Archie not being allowed to use things from Chronicles, since I'm pretty sure he raised a fuss over that having echidnas.

That's my understanding of the situation, anyway.

Edited August 8, 2016 by Celestia

[KoDaiko]

 

18 minutes ago, Shadowlax said:

Nope

Not at all it cant even be used iirc 

 

12 minutes ago, blade57331 said:

After this whole Penders' mess? How do you think?

Hell, this game was made by other company, I doubt it was consider canon even before copyrights came in.

Ah, ok. I personally didn't want it to be canon, but since they released it in Japan too I was worried.

Also didn't think much about Penders, I didn't know he was one of the reason for the avoidance thing. I just thought it was part of SEGA's mandate for not altering or contradicting official game characters info.

 

2 hours ago, Tylinos said:

Even if it is, it takes place after the rest of the series, doesn't it?  Anything there wouldn't really affect much.

I brought it up because they justified echidnas by saying "they are another clan and were trapped in another dimension, so its not against the rules uwu" and wondered if Archie can do the same trick. Which I don't want them to do tbh even if they can.

[Zaysho]

15 minutes ago, Celestia said:

No. He's part of the reason Archie's apparently avoiding using the word "echidna", but more specifically it's because SEGA (and Archie, for that matter) most likely wants to avoid dealing with Penders unless they have to. This also ties into Archie not being allowed to use things from Chronicles, since I'm pretty sure he raised a fuss over that having echidnas.

That's my understanding of the situation, anyway.

It's not that Chronicles used Echidnas. It's that the Nocturnus and Shade were a little too close, in his mind, to the Dark Legion and Julie-Su to the point of wholesale rip-off. I haven't played Chronicles so I don't know the details, but I've heard the similarities are pretty much surface (insofar as villainous Echidna who use technology being locked in an alternate dimension and female Echidna that changes sides and may or may not be a potential love interest for Knuckles).

I've also heard that Ian justified the Nocturnus not showing up because Chronicles takes place further down the timeline, and he's also avoiding them because of Penders, so it works out either way. I also wouldn't be too surprised if SEGA's put a tight mandate on Echidnas barring Knuckles and Tikal, if only to avoid giving Penders something else to complain about.

[Big Panda]

Actually, I thought SEGA had no problem with Chronicles stuff appearing in the comic, it's just Archie who want to avoid it.

[Forte-Metallix]

I recall hearing somewhere that Sega forbids any new echidnas not just because of Penders, but also because being the last of his kind is a central point to Knuckles's character. (Tikal's fair game because she's a ghost)

And Chronicles is its own continuity, like '06. Sega's fine with the two games being referenced (hence why Crisis City was in Generations, and Mario and Sonic Vancouver Wii sort of got a Chronicles-themed Dream Bobsleigh level), but Penders is the one thing keeping the Archie book from using Chronicles.

[goku262002]

So what, Knuckles can't have his full title now thanks to this word ban? love it if the comic just wrote him as "Knuckles The...Umm..."

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

1 hour ago, Forte-Metallix said:

I recall hearing somewhere that Sega forbids any new echidnas not just because of Penders, but also because being the last of his kind is a central point to Knuckles's character. (Tikal's fair game because she's a ghost)

Yeah, personally I always assumed it had to do with Sega wanting to keep the comics a bit closer to the games, but I don't think I have a source for that or anything...does anyone know when/where/if anyone has spoken publicly about new echidnas not being allowed?

[Tylinos]

13 minutes ago, goku262002 said:

So what, Knuckles can't have his full title now thanks to this word ban? love it if the comic just wrote him as "Knuckles The...Umm..."

The "Welcome to the Sonic Comic Universe" blurb at the start of SU #87 still calls him Knuckles the Echidna, even if his title card doesn't, so it's not like the word itself is completely banned from the book.

[Betz]

I'm sorry but a word ban on "Echidna" is stupid. It's a species. Seriously SEGA? Penders can't sue you for using a species' name. He can suck it up and get over it. He doesn't own Echidnas. 

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

I highly doubt that the word "echidna" is banned, per se; they're just refusing to use that word to refer to Nixus (or any other theoretical character they might introduce in the future), probably because of Sega mandates, fear of another Penders suit, or some combination of the two make them wary of introducing any echidna characters, to such an extent that they don't even want to refer to this fake-echidna as an echidna. But Knuckles, Tikal, Pachamac, can still be called echidnas, I'm sure.

[Sean]

I for one would be totally up for calling Knuckles a mole again

[MetalSkulkBane]

I have no idea if Chronicles is cannon or not, but does it even matter? It's not like Sonic was continuity heavy. Game Gear games, Sonic Rivals, Fighters, Knuckles Chaotix, Shuffle, Runners, there are a lot of games with questionable continuity. (I guess we'll find out how much canon it is, when Mario/Sonic Olympics will need extra playable characters).

Archie isn't touching it, cause Penders. Simple

[Shadowlax]

48 minutes ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

I have no idea if Chronicles is cannon or not, but does it even matter? It's not like Sonic was continuity heavy. Game Gear games, Sonic Rivals, Fighters, Knuckles Chaotix, Shuffle, Runners, there are a lot of games with questionable continuity. (I guess we'll find out how much canon it is, when Mario/Sonic Olympics will need extra playable characters).

Archie isn't touching it, cause Penders. Simple

Considering we are talking about comic continuity, a comic who is explicility given information in regards where games set in a set timeline by the commissioning company yes it does matter. 

Also you list a lot of games that are of " questionable canon" Ockham's razor, most of those games aren't canon. Simple as that.There is only one game you mentioned that is of questionable continuity , and its not even that game, its the games they its connected two by virtue of a single character inclusion. The rest, non "canon".

[Zaysho]

About whether or not "Echidna" is banned from the comic, I think we're forgetting something.

I don't think there's going to be an issue.