History Recap / SonicTheHedgehogIDWBadGuys

||Miniseries #: || 2||

* TheBadGuyWins: Considering this is a series based around the villains, ''someone'' was gonna get what they wanted, with Starline and Mimic walking away with their original goals fulfilled. Starline manages to get the base he tried to break into at the start of the mini-series under his command and convert it into his personal HQ. Mimic get his records deleted from Eggman's base, freeing him from Eggman's notice, while preparing for revenge against Whisper. Downplayed with Rough and Tumble, where the two ''are'' freed from prison and more then happy to walk away with that, planning to become their own villains instead of lackeys. Zavok is the only one who ends up with the short end of the stick, where he manages to ''barely'' survive Eggman's onslaught and heads off to recover and regroup with the rest of The Deadly Six.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: As the group pursue Starline, Zavok leaves Mimic to guard the control center. Ironically, just as Zavok is mocking Starline for his lack of foresight, Mimic, being Mimic, decides to pull his own coup and exposes the group to Eggman before bolting. Zavok at least lampshades [[HypocrisyNod he probably should have seen this coming]].
* DiscardAndDraw[=/=]MidSeasonUpgrade: After losing the Warp Topaz (which was taken by Dr. Eggman near the end of the Metal Virus saga), one of Starline's main goals is to obtain new power to match wits with Eggman and power with Sonic and the Restoration. He makes use of gadgets allowing him to stun and hypnotize his enemies, and later obtains materials to create the Tricore.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Of the unit, only Rough and Tumble show any genuine camaradarie with no intention of backstabbery. After dealing with Starline's betrayal and Zavok's lack of appreciation, they simply bail in disgust.

* ForegoneConclusion: Given how Starline shows up in Issue 35 of the main series with the Tricore, it's safe to assume he'll come out of this miniseries mostly unscathed.
** Starline's original plan was to get back to Eggman's good graces. While he was inspired to compete ''against'' him in the end, he is believes that the partners he rally for the plan would be a liability prompting him to dispose of them when the time comes. Zavok ''knows'' Starline has a hidden agenda that involves betraying him and the others in the end. He just happened to make the first move along with Mimic before Starline does.

* MeaninglessVillainVictory: Eggman attacks his own base to take down Zavok. The latter even disgustedly calls him out on how counter productive his methods are, though the doctor shrugs it off as a rebuildable sacrifice to squash him. Even worse, Zavok manages to escape with his life, making his lost infrastructure AllForNothing.
-->'''Zavok:''' Such a waste! And I ''hate'' waste!

** The T-rex robot seen in Issue 2 is based on Redzs from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' [[https://twitter.com/JLuisJoni/status/1314333579359518720 according to artist Aaron Hammerstrom]].
** The Power Cores used by Starline's team, and made to create his Tricore, work with the same mechanics from the video game VideoGame/SonicHeroes. Blue increases speed. Red increases power/strength. Yellow increases jumping abilities or granting flight.

* SequelHook: All the villains of the book have broken ties and split up to pursue their own devices. Eggman knows that Zavok, the only one of the bunch he fought, wasn't smart enough to have orchestrated the attack on his base and knows that someone else was pulling their strings. We see said person, Starline, turning the Eggman base he commandeered into his personal HQ, promising to surpass Eggman as the true conqueror of he world. There's also the matter of what's in the tubes that he went through all the trouble of getting the necessary equipment for, which wouldn't be revealed until the ''Imposter Syndrome'' mini-series.
* SmarterThanYouLook:
** Eggman and Zavok both, contrary to Starline's opinions of them. Zavok sees through Starline like polished glass, while Eggman, for the SpottingTheThread reasons described below, isn't fooled by the evil quintet's attempts to frame Sonic for their actions.
** Rough and Tumble not only manage to be useful throughout the mission despite their usual buffoonery, but catch wise to simply bail when they realize their allies don't share the same camaraderie, escaping just in time to avoid the carnage between Eggman and Zavok.

** Likewise at the end of the mini-series, Zavok is scapegoated to Eggman into believing that he was the one attacking his bases. But Eggman notes that the way Zavok operated wasn't his usual M.O. and knows someone else was behind his actions.

* TheUnreveal: We never see what's in the tubes that Starline is making. This mini-series is just to set up that plot point for later.
* VillainEpisode: The mini-series revolves entirely around several of the IDW comic villains teaming up to fight Eggman; none of the main heroes like Sonic or Tails even make a physical appearance.

** Mimic is quick to consider offing Starline after knowing his true intentions, though notes to himself that the doctor had the right idea, and shortly backstabs the whole team himself by alerting Eggman.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: As the group persue Starline, Zavok leaves Mimic to guard the control center. Ironically, just as Zavok is mocking Starline for his lack of foresight, Mimic, being Mimic, decides to pull his own coup and exposes the group to Eggman before bolting. Zavok at least lampshades [[HypocrisyNod he probably should have seen this coming]].

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Of the unit, only Rough and Tumble show any genuine camaradarie with no intention of backstabbery. After dealing with Starline's betrayal and Zavok's lack of appreciation, they simply bail in digust.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Zavok mocks Starline for pulling all the same {{Villain Ball}}s as Eggman, taking amusement that the doctor's biggest critic acted exactly like him. Even more ironically Zavok himself falls victim to this trope straight afterwards, as his own mismanagement of the group gets him backstabbed in turn and left the sole fall guy of the mission.

* NoHonorAmongThieves: The core theme of this miniseries in a nutshell, with the last issue even called that. Starline considers his "teammates" expendable thugs, with Zavok and Mimic returning the sentiment. Only Rough and Tumble show any level of camaradarie, and just leave the group when they realise they're all no good.

** Zavok gets this when he is greated by Eggman via monitor at the Hub's control center.

* SequelHook: All the villains of the book have broken ties and split up to pursue their own devices. Eggman knows that Zavok, the only one of the bunch he fought, wasn't smart enough to have orchestrated the attack on his base and knows that someone else was pulling their strings. And we see said person, Starline, turning the Eggman base he commandeered into his personal HQ, promising to surpass Eggman as the true conqueror of he world. There's also the matter of what's in the tubes that he went through all the trouble of getting the necessary equipment for, which wouldn't be revealed until the ''Imposter Syndrome'' mini-series.

** Rough and Tumble not only manage to be useful throughout the mission despite their usual buffoonery, but catch wise to simply bail when they realise their allies don't share the same camaradarie, escaping just in time to avoid the carnage between Eggman and Zavok.

** Finally Starline, after hearing Zavok's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech and finding out what Mimic has done, quickly reprograms the Eggman base he wants under his command and bolts before Eggman shows up. Leaving only Zavok there to take the brunt of Eggman's attack.
* SlasherSmile: The final panel of the third issue ends with a very anxious Starline realising the rest of the group are aware of his plan to betray them, and all sporting rather concerning grins now that ''they'' no longer need ''him''.

* NoHonorAmongThieves: The core theme of this miniseries in a nutshell, with the last issue even called that. Starline considers his "teammates" expendable thugs, with at least Zavok returning the sentiment.

* AllYourPowersCombined: The Tricore gives Starline the powers of SuperSpeed, SuperStrength and {{Flight}}. In other words, he has the full powerset of a ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''-style team.

* SmarterThanYouLook: Eggman and Zavok both, contrary to Starline's opinions of them. Zavok sees through Starline like polished glass, while Eggman, for the SpottingTheThread reasons described below, isn't fooled by the evil quintet's attempts to frame Sonic for their actions.

* VillainHasAPoint: In the final issue, as Zavok tries to hunt Starline down, [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech he tells him that his methods weren't any better than Eggman's and he fell into the same mistakes as his idol which turned the villains against him]]. Starline silently concedes that Zavok is indeed right despite doing his best not to pattern himself after Eggman and vows to be better than him.

* VillainRespect: When Orbot suggests that Tails was trying to cover up evidence of "Sonic's" attack, Eggman responds that the handiwork they've seen is to be Tails.

* TheBadGuyWins: Considering this is a series based around the villains, ''someone'' was gonna get what they wanted, with Starline and Mimic walking away with their goals fulfilled. Starline manages to get the base he tried to break into at the start of the mini-series under his command and convert it into his personal HQ. Mimic get his records deleted from Eggman's base, freeing him from Eggman's notice, while preparing for revenge against Whisper. Downplayed with Rough and Tumble, where the two ''are'' freed from prison and more then happy to walk away with that, planning to become their own villains instead of lackeys. Zavok is the only one ends up with a short straw, where he manages to ''barely'' survive Eggman's onslaught and heads off to recover and regroup with the rest of The Deadly Six.

||Episode Count: || 4||

* TheBadGuyWins: Well considering this is a series based around the villains, ''someone'' was gonna get what they wanted. [[spoiler: And that ultimately is Starline and Mimic. Starline manages to get the base he tried to break into at the start of the mini-series under his command and convert it into his personal HQ. While Mimic get his records deleted from Eggman's base, freeing him from Eggman's notice, while preparing for revenge against Whisper. Still though, Rough and Tumble ''are'' freed from prison and more then happy to walk away with that, planning to become their own villains instead of lackeys.. While Zavok manages to ''barely'' survive Eggman's onslaught and heads off to recover and regroup with the rest of The Deadly Six.]]

* EvilVersusEvil: The story is mostly about Starline and his recruits going up against Eggman, largely as revenge against the doctor for firing him. Though in truth, Starline wants to prove himself superior to his idol and secretly hopes this stunt will get him back into Eggman's good graces. Likewise, Zavok is no fool to Starline's promises and flattery and schemes to betray him when the opportunity presents itself. Mimic doesn't trust Starline either, though he holds off on drawing conclusions until he gets solid proof. This eventually comes to a head in Issue 4 where Zavok, the Skunk Brothers and Mimic try to take out Starline after his treachery is revealed. [[spoiler: Likewise Zavok tries to take on Eggman by himself after the all the other villains have fled the facility. The base is brought down around him, but some quick thinking and using up the last bits of his Power core allow him to barely survive and he heads off to recover. The end of the series also implies that with Starline fully committed to striking out on his own, this will be the case for his relationship with Eggman going forward.]]
* ForegoneConclusion: Given how [[spoiler:Starline shows up in Issue 35 of the main series with the Tricore, it's safe to assume he'll come out of this miniseries mostly unscathed.]]

* ILied: Starline offer something to each of his recruits to his team: Weapons for the Skunk Brothers, wiped records from Eggman's computers for Mimic and leadership of the team and revenge against Eggman for Zavok. However in Issue 3, we see him recording on a video log that he has no intention of upholding his word to the group and plans to have them all of them terminated once he finally gets what he needs, seeing them all as liabilities. When Mimic and Zavok turn on him first, they force him to subvert this.

* SequelHook: All the villains of the book have broken ties and split up to pursue their own devices. Eggman knows that Zavok, the only one of the bunch he fought, wasn't smart enough to have orchestrated the attack on his base and knows that someone else was pulling their strings. And we see said person, Starline, turning the Eggman base he commandeered into his personal HQ, promising to surpass Eggman as the true conqueror of he world. There's also the matter of what's in the tubes that he went through all the trouble of getting the necessary equipment for.

* SurroundedByIdiots: Mimic is exasperated at how easily [[DumbMuscle Rough and Tumble]] are duped into joining Starline.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: As mentioned above, Starline considers the other villains expendable and plans on discarding them after achieving his goal. However, this gets turned on him as Zavok and Mimic are wise to his con and expose him to Rough and Tumble. Zavok even says this word-for-word at the end of the third issue.

[[quoteright:296:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9781684057962.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:296:Bad to the bone.]]

-->Featured in a 4 issue mini series of its own

In the aftermath of the Metal Virus pandemic, Dr. Starline finds himself in a pickle of sorts. He requires resources from one of Eggman bases to complete a project. However, his idol unceremoniously fired him, i.e. robbed him of his greatest asset, the Warp Topaz, and punted the platypus through a portal. After a botched solo attempt at "borrowing" them on his own, he realizes that alone he simply has no means to acquire them and he's certainly not into going into another trusting partnership. But, what if he had powerful pawns that he could use and then dispose of after? With that thought, a sinister scheme is born...

* AllYourPowersCombined: The Tri-Core gives Starline the powers of SuperSpeed, SuperStrength and {{Flight}}. In other words, he has the full powerset of a ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''-style team.