In Sonic the Hedgehog #39, Sonic and Tails borrow a move from the X-Men to take down a suped-up version of an old foe
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog #39, by Evan Stanley, Bracardi Curry, Matt Herms, Maria Keane and Shawn Lee, on sale now.
In a fight for their lives at the heart of one of Eggman’s craziest facilities, Sonic and Tails need to pull out every move they have to stay alive. As it turns out though, Sonic and Tails are pulling out more than just their own moves to best the evil Dr. Eggman. This iconic videogame duo just borrowed one of the most famous team-up moves in comics and one that’s a prime example of the new term “Mutant Technology.”
The previous issue of IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog series saw Sonic, Tails and Amy investigating a mysterious tower that was interfering with the local weather. When they got inside, however, they discovered it was more than just weather this tower could affect — it could manipulate the laws of physics too. The tower’s true purpose is soon revealed when Eggman notices the intruders in his top-secret facility. The tower is a testing site for Eggman’s most experimental badniks and he’s decided that pitting them head to head against the blue blur is the ultimate test.
Having smashed their way through a town full of Eggman’s super badnik army and getting closer to finding a way out, Eggman decides to turn the tables — literally. The world turns upside down around them, allowing Sonic and friends to fall into a totally different test chamber. What greets them in this new environment is an old foe — the Egg Viper boss from the Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure.
Whilst Sonic was alone the first time he fought this mechanical monstrosity in that game, this time he has help. The attack pattern that once worked for Sonic the first time around is greeted this time by a nasty electric shock, but Tails is ready to lend Sonic a helping hand. As Tails grabs Sonic in midair, he quickly spins and launches Sonic back at their foe in a finishing move that is, unmistakably, Wolverine and Colossus’s iconic move — the “Fastball Special”.
The Fastball Special was first used in Uncanny X-Men #100 by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and Bonnie Wilford against evil robotic replicas of the original X-Men. Since then, Wolverine and Colossus have employed the move multiple times, as have a few other X-Members too. At one point the arrangement was even reversed in X-men #137 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Terry Austin and Glynis Wein, with Wolverine being the one throwing Colossus.
Recently the Fastball Special has been redefined as the first known example of “Mutant Technology”. Mutant Technology is a term now used to describe moves that see multiple mutants combing their abilities and working in sync to achieve a specific goal, something that neither mutant could do alone. A more recent example of Mutant Technology would be the Five, who combine their powers to run the mutant resurrection machine.
Sonic, Tails and Amy could use some more Mutant Technology right now as, while they defeated the Egg Viper with the Fastball Special, that was only the first round. Three more Egg Vipers emerge on all sides, now with elemental twists. The trio is currently burnt, bruised and (literally) washed up, making it clear they can’t defeat these beasts three on three with their individual skills alone. They’ll need to work together to get out of this one.
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