WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog #42 on sale now from IDW.
Life has been nothing but excitement and mystery for Sonic the Hedgehog lately. From the very beginning of his current comic series, Sonic and his friends have been battling vicious robots, fearsome mercenaries and even a metal virus. As one global threat is quelled, another rises to take its place. As the evil Dr. Starline moves ever closer to achieving his ultimate plan, it’s becoming clear that Belle, Sonic’s new friend, is at the center of it.
Sonic and Tails first discovered Belle in an abandoned Eggman facility in Sonic the Hedgehog #34 by Evan Stanley and Reggie Graham. Belle proved to the heroes that she meant them no harm and pleaded that they take her with them. Believing her, Sonic and Tails took Belle with them back to the chateau that Amy and the other Restoration members were staying at. It didn’t take long for Dr. Starline to show up and give the members of the Restoration grief. While dealing with Tails, Dr. Starline saw Belle for the first time and became interested in her instantly. An avalanche crashed through the chateau at a very dramatic and opportune time, though, and wiped Dr. Starline away.
Having broken away from Dr. Eggman, Dr. Starline has been busy constructing his own dastardly plan for world domination. What exactly he has planned is still unknown, but his solo series, Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys by Ian Flynn, Jack Lawrence, Aaron Hammerstrom, Bracardi Curry and Leonardo Ito, gave ample insight into what the mad doctor has been up to. Dr. Starline has utilized the help of a horrible host of villains in order to steal the technology capable of creating his powerful device, the Tricore. The Tricore grants Dr. Starline immense bursts of power in strength, speed and flight, but even this awesome power isn’t enough for the mad doctor’s plans.
In Sonic the Hedgehog #42 by Ian Flynn, Tracy Yardley, Matt Froese and Matt Herms, Dr. Starline infiltrates the Restoration’s hidden base while the Deadly Six launch a surprise attack. Moving through the base without detection, Dr. Starline finds what he’s looking for within moments: Belle. Being as cryptic as ever, Dr. Starline refuses to give Belle the full reasons as to why he wants her. All he says is that after he knew that she would be integral to completing his plans from the moment he saw her back at the chateau.
One of the most upsetting aspects of Dr. Starline kidnapping Belle for his plans is that not even Belle herself knows who or what she truly is. It was revealed that Belle had been created by Dr. Eggman when he had lost his memory and became the kindly Mr. Tinker. What hurts Belle most are her memories of how wonderful Mr. Tinker had been and how awful Dr. Eggman is. It crushes her to know that such an evil man like Eggman had been the wonderful man she considered her father. While she had been created to bring joy to the world, she now has no idea what her place or purpose in the world could possibly be.
Since Dr. Starline is a scientist capable of creating some of the most powerful devices on the planet, it’s not clear why he needs Belle for his grand schemes. While Dr. Eggman seemed entirely disinterested in her when they spoke, there’s always a chance that he, too, could have a secret plan in store for her.
The most that Belle can do at the moment is hope that things take a turn for the better, be that Sonic and the Restoration coming to save her or her discovering a hidden power that can thwart Dr. Starline. At first, Belle thought she was powerless, but has since demonstrated her fighting prowess and ingenuity in the face of danger. If history has proven anything for Sonic and his friends it’s that nothing is ever as it seems and that the tides always turn. Here’s hoping the next issue will bring the answers Belle so desperately needs.
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