Knuckles the Echidna #5

Knuckles the Echidna #5
Corner Box: No. 5 Sept. $1.50 (no picture)
Cover: Knuckles looks to his left as Julie-Su stands

Book Five: Lost Paradise (Part Two of Three)

"Fallout"
Ken Penders - Writer
Manny Galan - Penciler
Andrew Pepoy - Inker
Barry Grossman - Colorist
Vickie Williams - Letterer
J. Freddy Gabrie - Editor
Victor Gorelick - Managing Editor
Richard Goldwater - Editor-In-Chief

(Introduction page)
After learning his past was just an illusion, Knuckles searches for answers.

Locke talks to an echidna that has a book in his hands. He wonders what Lara-Le will say. Meanwhile, Knuckles, Archimedes, and Julie-Su are being escorted to an unknown location. Archimedes explains that Constable Remington will explain everything soon. As they approach the room, Constable Remington apologizes for not realizing that Knuckles' station sooner. Knuckles tells Remington that he can call him Knuckles, but Remington says that would be disrespectful. Knuckles and Julie-Su take their seats, and Remington presses a button. Suddenly two doors open below the chairs. Knuckles tries to figure out how to keep the chair from falling, but it soon hits the floor. Knuckles wonders what happened to Julie-Su, and Archimedes tells him that she will be fine. Knuckles walks forward toward a shadow, wondering if it is friend or foe. A voice says he is not a foe, but more than a friend.

Meanwhile, some echidnas are surprised to see dingoes in front of them. The dingoes are also surprised to see echidnas around them. One of the dingoes runs to make a report to General Stryker. When the dingo runs into the room, General Stryker says he already knows that the dingo, named Gerbil, is going to report about the echidnas that appeared but are not really there. Stryker says they must deal with the experiments of the echidnas and orders Gerbil to gather a team of commandos and then prepare for their orders. As Gerbil leaves, Stryker realizes that he had been ready to accept fate until this action. Now he will fight until the end, no matter what.

Knuckles sees an echidna in a wheelchair, who explains that he is a guardian. He is Knuckles' great-grandfather, "seven generations removed." Since Knuckles is here, he knows something is wrong and has Knuckles push him to his inner sanctum. Knuckles is instructed to remove a box containing discs and place one of the discs into a console. The disc shows the echidna's log from 200 years ago. The monitor displays a younger Hawking as he stops some dingoes that looted a storage depot. The voice of the younger Hawking explains that the dingoes have fought against the echidnas before the Floating Island existed. In the past, the dingoes would cause trouble, the echidnas would defeat them, the dingoes would wait, and then the process would begin again. However, this time things were different.

Hawking explains to Knuckles that the dingoes survive by being warlike. Although they understand echidna technology, the dingoes could only copy and adapt what they had learned. The dingoes stole technology but never thought about what they would do with it afterwards. The second disc is placed into the console, and a young Hawking is seen talking to another echidna about impending doom. Knuckles asks who the other echidna is, but Hawking refuses to answer. The disc continues to play and the young Hawking goes into a site that was sealed during Edmund's time.

Knuckles Fan Art - 1 page

Find Your Name in Print Page! - 1 page

The young Hawking readies a device, questioning if his people or his conscience was more important. As the nuclear weapons heads in his direction, Hawking activates the device, which destroys the missiles. The energy shield helped everyone survive, but the nuclear debris was deflected. It would now be impossible to evacuate the entire island. After studying Dimitri's old papers, Hawking decided to use Dimitri's theory on the existence of other zones as a starting point to create a Hyper Zone Projector. The projector would transport Echidnaopolis to another safe zone temporarily until the radioactive debris was cleaned. The dingoes would also be transported, but to a different zone.

Knuckles is amazed and Hawking says it took a lot of work to restore the island. Over a century passed before some of the inhabitants were able to return. The echidnas and dingoes were not yet restored since Hawking could not find an energy source large enough. Hawking begins to leave and Knuckles follows him to another room with a statue that represents Knuckles' responsibility and heritage. Knuckles says he has so much to learn. Hawking explains that Knuckles is the most special guardian, but he cannot explain why. Suddenly a tremor shakes the room, sending them to the ground.

Remington opens a door and asks Julie-Su to come with him. Julie-Su demands to know why she has been kept in a room. After explaining that it was for security reasons, Remington tells Julie-Su that he needs her help. Hostages have been taken by the dingoes, and Julie-Su must now act as Knuckles' representative. Remington gives Julie-Su a protective helmet, and they get into a van. As Remington drives, he explains that Lara-Le (Knuckles' mother from the last issue) was among the hostages. He needs somebody to consult while dealing with the hostage situation. Julie-Su says that Remington talks like the guardians are royalty. Remington thinks that the guardians could be like royalty even though they defer to the High Council. When the van arrives at the location, Remington tells everyone to be alert.

Knuckles asks Hawking if he is alright as Archimedes stands to his feet. Before Knuckles can help Hawking, he floats back into his wheelchair. Knuckles is impressed and wonders how Hawking did that. Hawking tells Knuckles he will learn someday and then returns back to his large monitor, explaining that there is trouble. Knuckles is shocked to find a dingo holding his mother captive. Archimedes assures Knuckles there is a plan. Hawking agrees and asks Knuckles if he can handle the plan.

(To be continued.)

Post Cards from the Hedge of the Floating Island highlights:
~ As far as Knuckles knows, his father was an only child
~ Knuckles' father gave him his sneakers before he left
~ Knuckles likes to think that he has a sensitive side, but he'd never admit it
~ You can become a member of the Chaotix by promising to protect the Floating Island and reading Knuckles' comic book every month

(Summary by Silver Starr)

Read the previous issue
Read the next issue

Back to the Knuckles the Echidna Comic Information page
Back to the Comic Information page
Home

E-mail

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws