“Chaos Emeralds are Forever” - Sink or Spin II - Sonic the Hedgehog #151
So we pick right back up where we left off last era. Sonic and Scourge have switched places and Sonic’s now trapped on Anti-Mobius with the Suppression Squad and, unbeknownst to him, the real Antoine.
We also finally, finally get to meet Anti-Bunnie, a.k.a. Buns.
We don’t get much insight into her character; only that she isn’t a cyborg because Robotnik’s not a villain who robotizes people in this world. Also she and Scrouge had a thing once and she’s now mad at him for cheating on her. Or mad at Sonic rather.
Ya see, the Squad here all think Sonic is Scourge and beat him up before he can do or say anything. Including our Antoine.
He actually organizes everyone together to get rid of “Scourge”. And if we go with the games’ characterization, drowning is probably the best way to kill any version of Sonic.
Which makes it all the more baffling that he survives with little explanation.
Yeah I’m calling bullshit on that one.
Anyways, Antoine decides to attack Sonic because he still thinks he is Scourge, and we get a bit of a inner monologue.
“No matter how much I wish to skewer le Pig - I mustn’t forget he’s my only means to return home!”
Then why were you trying to kill him just two minutes ago? Not to mention that Anti-Rotor built the dimensional jumping device and apparently has a spare lying around as is revealed later. You couldn’t trick him into helping you or just steal it from him?
(Also is that scar just make-up? Cause he is never shown with it after this)
Faulty logic aside, this scene does reveal a lot about Twan as a person and how being trapped here might have changed him.
For starters he is fully aware of the dangers Patch presents to those he loves. He may not know the full details of Patch’s plan or all the atrocities he is committing at this moment but he’s got the general idea. And being the over protective sweetheart that he is, he’s no doubt on edge right now.
There’s also the fact that being forced to pretend that he’s evil in the hopes of saving everyone he knows and loves possibly damaged his psyche as well. The comic never goes into it fully, but Antoine must have harmed or possibly even killed other people, innocent people, in order to remain undercover or to appease Scourge’s sick sense of humor. For someone with a strong moral code coupled with a lot of self deprecation issues, that can’t be good for his mental health. Like I would not be the least bit surprise if it turned out he had PTSD after his experience here.
But outside of the briefest of hints, the true damage from Twan’s trauma is left simmering under the surface. He’s more or less readjusted, but there’s a harder edge to the way he carries himself, he’s more serious, he less likely to jump at shadows, and he’s also much more fierce in battle.
Nowhere is that more evident than here, where not only is Antoine willing to kill, he even admits to himself he would enjoy doing it. This is an Antoine who would murder someone else if it meant protecting people. And despite his claims to the contrary later, this is an Antoine who doesn’t have any problems with revenge.
That really makes Antoine unique among Sonic heroes. With the exceptions of Shadow, who’s an anti-hero, and Silver/Blaze in 06 (who were duped) no other character really has been shown to consider death as a means to an end. The only reason Robotnik/Eggman has been a threat for as long as he has is because Sonic and company can’t or won’t kill. That’s not to say Antoine is unreasonable or will go out of his way to seek revenge. Heck, before his experiences in Anti-Mobuis he probably held similar views with the rest of the FFs. But now I fully believe that, if given the chance, Antoine would gladly slay the likes of Scourge, Patch, or Eggman in battle and would feel very little remorse doing so.
like the saying goes..
If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow from the wrong end, if a man has you entirely at his mercy, then hope like hell that man is an evil man. Because the evil like power, power over people, and they want to see you in fear. They want you to know you’re going to die. So they’ll talk. They’ll gloat.
They’ll watch you squirm. They’ll put off the moment of murder like another man will put off a good cigar.
So hope like hell your captor is an evil man. A good man will kill you with hardly a word.”
― Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
However this character insight is cut short when Sonic knocks him out cold.
Afterwards Sonic takes out the other antis and strong arms anti-Rotor into sending him back home. Where upon he stops Scourge and Rouge from stealing the master emerald and is greeted by both Amy and Bunnie now flirting with him.
Guess that means we’re in for some more relationship drama next issue. Oh, boy.
Also to reiterate both Sonic and Antoine part ways without either of them ever figuring out who the other really was.
So close and yet so far.
The second story this issue is “Stargazing”. It’s the story where Nicole builds herself a body for the first time and is perhaps the beginnings of the Salicole ship, if you’re into to that.
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