PANIC IN THE SKY
Writers: Mike Kanterovich and Ken Penders
Pencilers: Art Mawhinney (chap 1) & Dave Manak (chap 2)
Inker: Rich Koslowski
Colorist: Barry Grossman
Letterer: Mindy Eisman
Editor: Scott Fulop

Some Mobians are playing volleyball by the ocean shore, when they notice a huge island floating in the sky and heading in their direction. Rotor informs Sally, Bunnie, and Antoine that the island is heading toward Knothole Village. Sonic and Tails walk in and they immediately recognize the floating land mass as "The Floating Island." Sally wants to know what is it that those two know that everyone else doesn't. Sonic recaps his and Tails' previous encounter with Knuckles. Sally asks Sonic if he knows who's side is Knuckles on and Sonic says that Knuckles didn't seem to be for the Freedom Fighters or against them. Sally says that they should assume the worst and sends Sonic, Tails, and Antoine to take a closer look.

Moments later, Antoine is flying a plane toward the Floating Island. Suddenly, the plane is under attack as weaponry has suddenly been added to the underside of the Floating Island. Sonic tells Antoine to fly above the island and after Sonic and Tails go to check out the island, Antoine heads back to Knothole. Once Sonic and Tails land, Knuckles follows them, while hiding in the bushes.

Sonic and Tails enter an area full of giant mushrooms (Mushroom Hill Zone) and Sonic gets hit in the head by a pendulum. The giant mushrooms are thinking about having Sonic for lunch, but he uses the pendulum to pull himself up and then runs over them. Then Sonic runs into a 'bot (the first boss of the Sonic and Knuckles game for Genesis). Sonic easily trashes the 'bot, but he doesn't go very far before the ground gives away beneath him. Sonic manages to grab on a ledge and thinks he's lucky becuase he avoided falling. However, before he can pull himself up, he's greeted by Knuckles.

Knuckles starts stepping on Sonic's hands, but Tails drops a rock above Knuckles head. Instead of getting Knuckes away from Sonic, both Sonic and Knuckles fall down the hole into a lava filled area. Knuckles plans on beating up Sonic, but the slab of rock that they're on starts sinking into the lava. Tails comes and grabs them both. He pulls them out the hole and back to the surface of the island. Sonic gets Knuckles to finally notice that the Floating Island has been "hijacked." Knuckles opens the "Zoot Chute" and Sonic and Tails follow him down the chute to the Chaos Chamber. Once there, the trio see "energy syphons" that are taking power away from the Chaos Emerald. Knuckles touches the beam and gets zapped. Then, the person responsible for the whole mess appears via holographic image: Robotnik. Robotnik explains that he attached a mobile command base to the bottom of the island and added attachments later to make the island his flying fortress. Now that the island is over Knothole, he plans on torching Knothole. To Robotnik's surprise, Knuckles decides to destroy the Chaos Emerald, so that Robotnik can't destroy Knothole. One problem, the Floating Island starts to fall. Robotnik takes off in his mobile command ship thinking that Knothole will be destroyed anyway. However, in the Chaos Chamber, Knuckles takes out another Chaos Emerald and puts in place of the one he destroyed. The Floating Island begins to rise again. As Sonic and Tails get ready to leave, Knuckles explains that pulled a switch on Robotnik and destroyed a fake emerald, not the real one. Sonic asks Knuckles to join the Freedom Fighters, but Knuckles declines.

Sonic and Tails are welcomed in Knothole by the rest of the core Freedom Fighters. Sally asks Sonic about Knuckles and Sonic says that Knuckles will probably never be a Freedom Fighter and that "now and forever...he's on his own!"


FIRE DRILL
Writer: Ken Penders
Penciler: Ken Penders
Inker: Jon D'Agostino
Colorist: Freddy Mendez
Letterer: Bill Yoshida
Editor: Scott Fulop

Knuckles is walking when suddenly he hears an explosion come from the beach. When Knuckles gets there, he's sees a crater and footprints which lead to a bush. Knuckles figures the culprit is hiding in them and jumps right into them. However, no one is there and he heads toward the ruins in Sandopolis. Knuckles says that the only way someone could've gotten past without him seeing him would have to be extremely fast and figures that it's Sonic. Knuckles heads into the dark ruins intent on beating up a certain hedgehog, but he just barely manages not to get buried by some boulders. That only makes Knuckles angrier than he already was as he continues through the ruins. He dodges an axe that nearly cuts him and then he notices a door. He goes through and says that he wishes his father taught him more about this place. He doesn't get to think about that for long as he starts to buried in sand. He flies blindly and gets out of that trap and then smashes through a wall. Knuckles sees the footprints again and takes off after he foe. The tracks lead to the edge of the island, so Knuckles figures that Sonic is gone. However, in the bushes, someone is watching and says "This was only your first lesson and I can see already you have a lot to learn!"


LORD OF THE FLOATING ISLAND
Writer: Ken Penders
Penciler: Harvey "Harvo" Mercadoocasio
Inker: Harvey "Harvo" Mercadoocasio
Colorist: Freddy Mendez
Letterer: Bill Yoshida
Editor: Scott Fulop

Knuckles is flying around the island, but the wind has picked up. Knuckles notices a baby kangaroo looking for his mother. Knuckles lands because he can't fly holding the baby kangaroo and with the wind. Knuckles introduces himself to the kangaroo, who tells him that his mother told him that Knuckles watches over everyone on the island. The kangaroo asks Knuckles if he can bring back the sky as the area becomes dark suddenly. Knuckles looks up and tells the kangaroo that it's okay because it's just a lunar eclipse. Knuckles and the kangaroo go up a tree to avoid a stampede of dingoes. Knuckles then continues to talk with the kangaroo, while the lunar eclipse passes. Right after the eclipse is over, the mother kangaroo finds them and the baby kangaroo's name is "Benjy." The mother thanks Knuckles, who says "Just doing my job, ma'am! This is my island! And I live to protect and serve!"

Next Story is in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: TRIPLE TROUBLE