Sonic: Mega Drive was a mini-series comic published by Archie Comics meant to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog's then-upcoming 25th anniversary. It is written by Ian Flynn and featured artwork by Tyson Hesse, the latter later going on to help with the animation for Sonic Mania. Flynn states the mini-series is a prequel to the main Archie comic.
The story is designed in the vein of the original Genesis seriesnote and likewise fairly standard Sonic affair: After rescuing his friend Tails, Sonic is informed that Eggman is after some ancient, yet very powerful gears, which he hopes to use in a superweapon, the titular Mega Drive. Thus the duo sets off to stop him, joined by Amy and Knuckles along the way.
The story has two issues: Mega Drive and The Next Level. A third, Overdrive, was meant to finish out the comic. But the series was put into hiatus and ultimately cancelled when Sega and Archie broke ties.
Sonic Mega Drive uses the following tropes:
- Call-Forward:
- After Sonic and Tails point out to Knuckles that Eggman duped him, he runs off, worrying about the Master Emerald being shattered and thinking that it won't be fixed if that happens.note
- While making his way through a lava region, Sonic muses he should learn Parkour.
- Cliffhanger: The 2nd issue ends with Eggman tricking the heroes out of their gears and flying off with Metal Sonic to complete his plans. The only hope the heroes have is to collect the Chaos Emeralds in hopes of combating him.
- The Comedy Drop: At one point, Sonic catches Amy in his arms, where he then asks if she's okay. She sheepishly admits that if she says yes, he'll just put her down, looking to take advantage of the moment. Sonic quickly drops her with an unamused expression.
- Damsel in Distress: Amy in ''The Next Level" when Metal Sonic manages to get the drop on her after the group find the sixth ancient gear.
- Dumbass Has a Point: In the confrontation with Eggman to save Amy, Knuckles is curious why the doctor said to hand over the "final" gear when only six of them were found. Sure enough his hunch turns out to be correct, as Eggman already has the seventh and last gear.
- Gotta Catch Them All: The Ancient Gears in this series. Eggman want them to power his Mega Drive weapon, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy are trying to keep them out of his hands.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: In the first issue, Knuckles is against the group at first, believing Eggman's word that Sonic had "gone crazy" by going Super and leaving Eggman to look after the Master Emerald. Of course once the group set him straight that Eggman tricked him (again), it doesn't take much to convince him to join them.
- Hostage for MacGuffin: Amy ends up getting kidnapped by Metal Sonic in The Next Level and Eggman demands the sixth gear the heroes recently obtained for her safety.
- Idiot Ball: Knuckles believes Eggman's lies that Sonic has gone rogue and left Eggman to look after the Master Emerald to boot.
- Left Hanging: Due to Archie cancelling the book, it's unknown if the Mega Drive mini-series will be renewed to follow up on the cliffhanger The Next Level left on.
- Mythology Gag: Eggman's lie about Sonic going crazy upon turning Super is similar to what actually happens to him in Fleetway's Sonic the Comic.
- Oh, Crap!:
- When Eggman attacks the group in the Cascade Temple Zone, his machine gets damaged on a rock structure just as he's inches away from crushing the heroes. They all crowd around him...Eggman: Now let's take a moment to be calm, rational people about this... (Cue Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy bombarding his cockpit with attacks)
- The four get a collective one when Metal Sonic suddenly appears after they beat Eggman in the Eruption Ruin Zone.
- When Eggman attacks the group in the Cascade Temple Zone, his machine gets damaged on a rock structure just as he's inches away from crushing the heroes. They all crowd around him...
- The Oner: Yes, in a comic of all things. The page where Sonic, Tails and Knuckles invade Eggman's sky ship
is framed as if it's film in a rotating camera shot. - Out-Gambitted: After Eggman demands the sixth gear for Amy's return, Sonic willingly hands it over thinking he can get them back since Eggman had only has five and they have the sixth one with the seventh yet to be found. However, once Sonic does, Eggman reveals he already had found the seventh gear as Metal Sonic was being powered by it. They manage to fight Metal off but Eggman still gets away with all the gears.
- Prequel: Ian Flynn stated that the mini-series takes place some time before the main Archie comic, though there's no mention of the other Freedom Fighters.
- Shout-Out: In the snow region, Eggman unveils a robot with the line "Do you want to FIGHT A SNOWMAN?!".
- Stylistic Suck: Knuckles' flashback of Eggman tricking him is presented in crayon style drawings.
- Took a Level in Badass: As this takes place some time after the events of Sonic CD, Amy has her Piko Piko Hammer and can now defend herself.
