Issue 123 is the one hundred and twenty-third edition of Sonic the Comic. Released on the 11th of February 1998 at the price of £1.25, the Valentine's Day issue contains four original stories (two of them new), as well as several featues, a free gift of a keyring and a Sonic the Hedgehog & Amy Rose pin-up.

Contents

• Control Zone
• Sonic the Hedgehog - Order & Chaos: Part 1
• Knuckles the Echidna - On The Run: Part 3
• Speedlines
• Decap Attack - Love is Blind
• Graphic Zone
• Double Sonic - Root of All Evil: Part 2
• Next Issue

Strips

Sonic the Hedgehog

Order & Chaos is a 3-part story written and coloured by Nigel Kitching, with drawing by Richard Elson and lettering by Tom Frame. Sonic and Tails are investigating strange aircraft on the Floating Island when they notice that it is being invaded by the Drakon Empire. Sonic jumps in to help but Knuckles is nowhere to be seen. Despite an interruption from one of the Guardian Robots, the Drakons make it into the Emerald Chamber and to the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic is captured and is shocked to see the Drakons being led by Grimer.

Knuckles the Echidna

On The Run is a 4-part story by Kitching, Nigel Dobbyn and Elitta Fell. Panicked customers are seen fleeing The Purple Mushroom bar after Hammerhead attacks Knuckles. Mighty the Armadillo and Espio the Chameleon rush in to help, but it is down to Knuckles to save Porker Lewis. Soon, the whole scene is stormed by the police force and Porker admits he is Oscar the Pig.

Decap Attack

Love is Blind is a complete story by Kitching and Ellie de Ville. Igor tricks Chuck D. Head with a trap present, but the monster doesn't mind. At the Transylvanian Library, Igor and Head learn that Chuck has fallen in love with Dorothy the librarian and hatch a plan to show her what a monster she is going out with.

Double Sonic

Root of All Evil is a 2-part story written by Lew Stringer, drawn by Carl Flint, coloured by John M Burns and lettered by Frame. The situation in the Metropolis Zone is getting worse with Sonic, Amy and Tekno the Canary struggling to stem the weed problem. Tekno suggests heading to the source, scaring away Agent X and giving Amy a chance to destroy the Doom Seed with a bag of weedkiller.

Features

Megadroid kicks off the issue with the Control Zone, telling Boomers what to expect inside. There is also a list of winners of a competition from Issue 115. He returns in Speedlines to answer questions about Amy's pink spikes (hinting towards the Amy's Secret Past strip), Sonic's schizophrenic nature, the idea of putting Speedlines in the centre pages and a possible girlfriend for Knuckles. Printed letters and pictures won Boomers an Enamel Badge.

Graphic Zone continues the romantic theme with "True Love?", involving pictures of STC characters finding their life partners. All pictures this issue earned the artists a Sonic the Hedgehog watch.

Staff

• Deborah Tate - editor
• Gary Knight - designer
• Carl Flint - cover art
• Steve MacManus - managing editor
• Douglas Pocock - marketing manager
• Jane Ballard - product buyer
• Julie Goldsmith - managing director
• Steve Goldsmith - advertising

Timeline

The previous issue of Sonic the Comic was Issue 122. The next is Issue 124.