DEEP COVER, Part 1: THE GUARDIAN WHO FAILED!!!
Writer: Ken Penders
Penciler: Manny Galan
Inker: Andrew Pepoy
Colorist: Barry Grossman
Letterer: Vickie Williams
Editor: Justin Freddy Gabrie

It's morning and on the Mobian mainland, an old brown echidna sees the Floating Island soaring above him and can't believe it. He flies up toward it and lands on the edge. Much to his dismay, the first echidna he sees is Julie-Su, or "a Dark Legionnaire!" as he put it. In anger, he attacks Julie-Su, who had been asking if he was all right a moment ago. A fight begins, but it doesn't look good for Julie-Su, who is grabbed around the neck and is being choked by the brown echidna.

Meanwhile in Echidnaopolis, Knuckles is trying to meditate on the top of a skyscraper, when Archimedes appears on his shoulder. Knuckles tells Archy that he has missed him, but he's not interested in talking at the moment. Knuckles then starts gliding around the city and makes a perfect landing, with his eyes closed. He was holding onto the Star Gem that Yanar gave him and he figures that this is what enabled him to "see" where he was going, even though he literally couldn't.

As usual, Knuckles is being watched in Haven by Locke and Sabre. Sojourner and Tobor join them and Tobor asks who's approaching Knuckles. Locke tells them that it's Julie-Su, but he doesn't know who the echidna is with her (it's the brown echidna from before). However, the screen goes black and the power goes out in Haven. Sabre sends Sojourner and Tobor to the med-labs, while he and Locke go check the power core. In the med-lab, the back-up power kicked in so Hawking is fine. Then they go check on their "guest" who is part of "an outsider's cause." The guest seems to be all right, so they decide to check on Sabre and Locke.

At a little outside cafe, Knuckles, Julie-Su, and the brown echidna are sitting at a table. He says his name is "Tobor" and that he was a "Guardian," which Knuckles doesn't believe him until Tobor takes off his shirt and reveals his white ring, which all Guardians have. Now Knuckles is "all ears" and he and Julie-Su, who heard it already, listen to Tobor's story. When Tobor was 20, his father, Hawking, was Guardian and passed down the honor of being Guardian to him. His mother, Sonja-Ra, and his wife, Voni-Ca, were very happy. Hawking left to try and help fix the Floating Island, which had be devasted by the dingoes attack. Not long after Hawking left, the Dark Legion, led by Moritori Rex, came through a dimensional barrier and attacked Echidnaopolis. A fight began and Tobor ended up fighting Moritori Rex, one-on-one. Tobor had the upper hand, when Moritori Rex took out a device that seemed to destroy the two of them, but they really ended up on the Floating Island in the middle of ancient ruins. The ruins collapsed on them. Tobor doesn't recall how long he was in darkness, but he remembers hearing his father's voice calling him. Tobor figured his dad was there for him, but when he listened to the words carefully, he realized that Hawking was mistaking Moritori Rex for him. He watched as Hawking carried away Moritori, thinking it was him. Tobor managed to dig himself out about a day later, but he couldn't go home because he felt like a failure. Tobor thought he wanted vengeance, but what he really wants is his family back as he starts to cry. Knuckles and Julie-Su give each other a glance and then Knuckles goes over to Tobor and gives him a hug.

Back at Haven, Locke is examining the power core and has found the circuit that caused the problem, while "Tobor" and Sojourner walk in. Locke says that the circuit part is an original and that he'll have to build another from scratch. That means the power will be out for awhile.

Meanwhile, Knuckles is with Constable Remington at the Echidna Security Agency. The reason Knuckles has come to the ESA, Knuckles wants to have a chat with one of the inmates, namely...Kragok.

To Be Continued in KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA #18