| Surge VS Scourge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Season | 1 |
| Overall Episode | 2 |
| Season Episode | 1 |
| Air date | 2024 (provisional release date) |
| Written by | RoadRollerDio |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Goku Black VS Enerjak (Pilot) |
Next Eggman VS Sigma |
| “ | IDW Publishing VS Archie Comics! These two mean, green duplicates of Sonic might share his DNA, but don't be mistaken; they're nothing like the Blue Blur! Which copycat will come out from under the other's shadow in this episode of DEATH BATTLE!? | „ |
Surge VS Scourge is the first episode of DEATH BATTLE! by RoadRollerDio, featuring Surge the Tenrec from IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog and Scourge the Hedgehog from Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog.
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Introduction[]
Wiz: Surge the Tenrec, the brainwashed creation of Dr. Starline.
Boomstick: Scourge the Hedgehog, the egocentric ruler of planet Moebius.
Wiz: As courageous as he is fast, there’s no denying that Sonic the Hedgehog represents the pinnacle of heroism. However, despite his near spotless record, some have found that to beat Sonic…
Boomstick: You need your own Sonic, and that’s where these two bastardised doppelgängers come in. He’s Wiz and I’m Boomstick!
Wiz: And it’s our job to analyse their weapons, armour and skills to find out who would win… a DEATH BATTLE!
Surge the Tenrec[]
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Wiz: Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is many things. A genius. A madman. A would-be conqueror humiliated time and again by his arch-nemesis, Sonic the Hedgehog.
Boomstick: But an idol? Someone to look up to? C'mon, no one in their right mind would think of him as that, right?
Wiz: For the most part, but even out there in this more colourful version of Earth, there are people just insane enough to adore such a heinous mastermind. Enter up-and-coming supervillain, Dr. Starline.
Boomstick: Starline here admired Dr. Eggman. So imagine his delight when, following his latest defeat, the doctor caught a case of amnesia, losing his memories and believing himself to be a kind ol' tinkerer by the name of, uh, Mr. Tinker!
Wiz: This left the door open for Starline to swoop in and rescue the not-so-good doctor, restoring his memories and making sure the threat of the Eggman Empire would rise once again, all while earning the doctor's trust in the process.
Boomstick: So, in an unusual move for the evil genius, Eggman repaid the favour by allowing the wannabe Bond villain to intern under him; to learn what made the brilliant overlord tick.
Wiz: However, it wouldn’t be all sunshine and rainbows for the aspiring sidekick. In aiding Eggman with a project known as the Metal Virus - a substance that could turn victims into zombie-like robots capable of passing the infection through a single touch - Starline came to learn of the doctor's flaws. Flaws which he wouldn’t address.
Boomstick: So the best thing to do would be to remind Eggman that "hey, you created these robo-zombos without finding a means of controlling 'em first. Maybe you should think ahead once in a while", right? Wrong!
Wiz: Unwilling to hear such criticism from someone Eggman believed to be an inferior intellect, Ivo made an executive decision and kicked Starline to the curb, leaving the disgraced schemer to not just plan his revenge on the hedgehog at the center of this mess - Sonic - but also his own attempt to take over the world.
Boomstick: However, to beat Sonic, Starline needed his own Sonic. And that "pseudo-Sonic" came in the form of Surge the Tenrec!
Wiz: Created alongside an "anti-Tails" in the form of Kitsunami the Fennec, Surge was once a regular citizen of Earth. But once Dr. Starline kidnapped her, brainwashing her into becoming his agent of chaos, that past was erased from existence, with the sadistic would-be conqueror wiping all evidence linking back to Surge's previous life.
Boomstick: Kind of a scumbag move, ain't it? But Starline wouldn’t stop there. Oh, no!
Wiz: A common problem for Starline was Surge's independence. At certain times, the tenrec would, out of nowhere, stop to question her purpose. To keep this in check, the doctor would once more brainwash the poor animal, instilling within her an artificial hatred of Sonic and all that he stood for.
Boomstick: Y'know, as sick as it all is, it's a smart move from Starline, going to such extreme lengths that even Eggman himself wouldn’t go to. But even with all that hindsight on his side, soon Starline's abuse would come back to bite him in the bill.
Wiz: Repeated exposure to Starline's brainwashing made Surge immune to the doctor's mind-numbing powers. Thus, when the chance arose, Surge took Kit and bailed on her creator with one goal in mind: get revenge on Sonic for her predicament, forcing the hedgehog to watch as Surge burned down the world the hedgehog had sworn to protect.
Boomstick: And she wouldn’t have much trouble giving him a hard time, either. Surge was made to be the polar opposite to Sonic. But, when you get down to brass text, you'll find that the tenrec ain’t all that different from the hedgehog after all.
Wiz: This is because Surge was made using the biometric data of Sonic himself, accentuating his negative traits all while being able to do whatever he can do but better.
Boomstick: Surge has the staples of Sonic's moveset. Spin Jump, Spin Attack, the Homing Attack, a giant tornado. You name it, chances are Surge can do it too.
Wiz: But what makes Surge stand out from her arch-rival is her electrokinesis, allowing her to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum. She can short-circuit the power grid of an entire town through speed alone, start fires with a mere zap, amp her speed and power and even drain the power from other electrical sources.
Boomstick: Hell, one time she even used her powers in conjunction with water to help deactivate Metal Sonic with a single blast! Y'know, the same ruthless killing machine designed to match Sonic blow for blow!? That’s impressive!
Wiz: Sure. However, with this Surge can become even stronger.
Boomstick: Uh, Wiz? I hope I'm not expected to wear that.
Wiz: This is the Dynamo Cage, an prototype created by Dr. Eggman as an alternative means of harnessing the Hyper Go-On energy found in Wisps, alien creatures known for giving unique abilities to those who absorb their power.
Boomstick: And compared to Sonic, Surge can do that little bit more to give her the edge in battle. In other words, she’s a hell of a lot more versatile with 'em.
Wiz: Surge can rain cubes on her enemies, generate explosions, absorb non-Wisp energies from various sources and even levitate objects by using the Wisps in conjunction with her electrokinesis.
Boomstick: Plus, she can shoot lasers out of her eyes like some kind of evil Supergirl! Now that's awesome.
Wiz: Maybe so, Boomstick, but as with any extremely powerful weapon, the Dynamo Cage comes with a few drawbacks. While it's true it can boost Surge to the point she can blitz both Sonic and his metallic counterpart at the same time, the Dynamo Cage was never meant to be used in such a reckless way. As such, it's incredibly easy to overclock, leaving Surge helpless when it inevitably drains her stamina and causes her to pass out.
Boomstick: And that's not even considering the fact that it boosts her PTSD tenfold. The cage has caused her to suffer from hallucinations taking the form of her creator, Dr. Starline, causing a mental breakdown that leaves Surge open to attack.
Wiz: And while she eventually broke free of Starline's influence, that trauma never left her. It's incredibly easy for someone to take advantage of her mental state, especially those who excel in demeaning their opponents.
Boomstick: Like Sc-MMPH!
Wiz: Save it, Boomstick! 'Ahem', even in spite of these weaknesses, Surge remains a formidable opponent. As mentioned, she can hold her own against Sonic, who can move just as fast as his Light Speed Dash. He's claimed light speed to be "small time", and advanced machines like E-123 Omega have calculated his speed to be just as fast.
Boomstick: And this is the same Sonic who fought Ultimate Emerl, a machine who absorbed the seven Chaos Emeralds before his battle with the Blue Blur. Y'know, the same gems that can power weapons capable of shattering planets and obliterating constellations!
Wiz: Of course, this doesn’t mean Sonic is as strong as such WMDs, but the hedgehog's ability to hold his own for a time against the planet-breaking monster Dark Gaia at least implies Sonic is there or thereabouts. Thus, Surge should be too.
Boomstick: This tenrec is no slouch, and it seems that, according to her most recent adventure, Surge isn’t a baddie at heart. In fact, playing the hero in foiling the efforts of a masked Extreme Gear racer looking to cause havoc during a Grand Prix earned her an adoring fanbase, something Surge relished.
Wiz: This goes to show that Surge, at long last, seems to have found her purpose. She might have been created as the opposite of what Sonic stands for, but perhaps beneath that brash exterior lies a trusted ally. Surge's tale isn’t over, but for once, it looks to be heading in the right direction.
"We burn it all down! Sonic! Eggman! Every idiot that follows either of them! We end it all! No more heroes! Villains! Nothing! If we don't get a past, they don't get a future!"
Scourge the Hedgehog[]
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Wiz: The planet Moebius. At first, it might seem like an identical version of planet Mobius, but beneath that familiar exterior lies a backwards world where the good are bad and the bad are good.
Boomstick: And the "heroes" of this backwards world are the Suppression Squad, a band of ruthless aggressors who thrive on making people's lives a living hell! And the most prominent of these no-good troublemakers is their leader…
Wiz: …Scourge the Hedgehog.
Boomstick: Born to Jules and Bernadette Hedgehog just like a certain someone before him, Scourge grew up in an era of prosperity known as the Great Peace. However, unlike the Jules we know, Scourge's dad rarely - if ever - gave his son the time of day.
Wiz: And this neglect came back to haunt Jules, as Scourge grew up not a courageous hero, but an anti-social troublemaker who wished to seize power.
Boomstick: So in an effort to do just that, the hedgehog murdered his father, teaming up with Princess Acorn to banish her father to the Zone of Silence before taking over Moebius with an iron fist.
Wiz: At first, the future looked bleak for the once peaceful planet; even a super-genius like the respected Ovi Kintobor couldn’t make a dent in the Squad's rule. However, Scourge would soon meet his match in the form of his heroic counterpart, Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog. Otherwise known as Sonic the Hedgehog.
Boomstick: Sonic's arrival on Moebius was a complete accident. However, once the Blur Blur caught wind of his counterpart's evil nature, he was quick to put Scourge on his ass, humiliating him in front of his traitorous so-called allies.
Wiz: As a result, Scourge's ego had been shattered, and with his newfound knowledge of the multiverse's existence, Scourge swore revenge on his doppelgänger, vowing to take over Sonic's world as he did Moebius.
Boomstick: Fun fact, Scourge isn’t his real name. Nah, it turns out that in the past Scourge was known as Anti-Sonic. But, after a run-in with Knuckles' father, Locke, Scourge tried to power himself using the Master Emerald, turning his fur green and giving his leather jacket a badass flame finish.
Wiz: The name "Scourge" was conceived as a means of breaking out of Sonic's shadow, and with his rebirth, Scourge went from a mere fraud to one of Sonic's greatest enemies, even being able to beat the Blue Blur on occasion.
Boomstick: Like that one time he snatched Sonic's girlfriend, Fiona Fox, taking her in as his partner in crime. Or what about the time he bodied Sonic, the Freedom Fighters, the Suppression Squad, Shadow and Silver when he transformed into-MMPH!
Wiz: Not now, Boomstick.
Boomstick: Dude, again!? That’s twice now! Aw, now I'm gonna taste bionic arm for a week…
Wiz: But for as much as Scourge relishes the chance to show up Sonic as his superior, deep down the two aren’t as different as the king might think.
Boomstick: Scourge can do whatever Sonic can do just as well. However, while we all know about the Spin Jump, Spin Dash, and Homing Attack, this is the Archie Comics we're talking about. Here, Sonic and Scourge can do even more than the former's video game counterpart.
Wiz: For instance, Scourge can create the Vortex Vacuum - the Sonic Tornado from the games with the power to suffocate those unfortunate enough to be caught in its radius. He can burrow underground using the Triple-S Spin, and even phase through solid objects among others.
Boomstick: Hell, Sonic's even been shown to be able to keep himself airborne using the Super Peel-Out and can sense danger like he's freakin' Spider-Man or something! So it's safe to assume Scourge can do the same, too.
Wiz: What does set Scourge and Sonic apart, however, is the former's tendency to use weapons in combat. He might not have a version of the almighty Sword of Acorns, but he does have brass knuckles, a chain an iron glove capable of knocking Sonic out in one punch.
Boomstick: And when even that isn’t enough, Scourge has multiple items on hand to take the battle somewhere he has the advantage.
Wiz: This includes the Warp Ring, a tool various people - including Scourge himself - have used as a means of travelling across not just a single world, but dimensions as well. And then there's the Zone-Link Generator, a tool created for much the same purpose.
Boomstick: Which Scourge used to swap places with Sonic before, uh, coercing Sonic's then engaged friend Bunnie into sleeping with him…
Wiz: Not the comic's best plot, I'll admit, but it goes to show just how heartless of a sociopath Scourge is. Uh, moving on from that uncomfortable topic, while he never showed signs of it at first, it would later be revealed that Scourge could also harness the power of Chaos.
Boomstick: And while Scourge is nowhere near as familiar with it as Sonic, we know he can perform techniques such as Chaos Control to teleport. And what the heck! If he’s just Sonic with a different colour scheme it's possible he can also use it to freeze time and even rewri-MMPH!
Wiz: Not. Yet. Boomstick. We'll expand upon that last part in just a second.
Boomstick: Fine! Just please stop doing that!
Wiz: For as much as Boomstick’s being a motor mouth, he’s right in assuming Scourge can use Chaos Control like Sonic and Shadow can, further proof of this being the ace up Scourge's sleeve.
Boomstick: He might be someone who takes great pleasure in holding back to bask in the humiliation of his enemies, but when the chips are down Scourge can unleash his ultimate form: Super Scourge!
Wiz: Much like Super Sonic, Super Scourge is a behemoth, being far more powerful than his base form. He also has enhanced speed, power of flight, is even invulnerable to all forms of harm.
Boomstick: Unless it's harming his ego, that is, because the source of this incredible power - the Anarchy Beryl - is the opposite of the Chaos Emeralds.
Wiz: Meaning all of Scourge's stamina is drained the moment he returns to base form, something which Sonic was able to exploit.
Boomstick: That being said, going back to that whole "it's possible Scourge can use Chaos Control just like Sonic" thing, it's also possible that Super Scourge can use it just like Super Sonic can, allowing him to alter the fabric of space-time and even erase existence on both an extra-dimensional and conceptual level! Ain't that insane!?
Wiz: No question, but Scourge's pride prevents him from ending fights just like that. He thrives in the pain and suffering of others, and will take the time to break his opponent before finishing them off, often leading to his downfall.
Boomstick: But being able to keep up with Sonic is more than enough to make up for it. Remember, this is the same Sonic who can move through stopped time, match universe creating bat-lobster-rhino goblins blow for blow and tank hits from multiverse threatening foes with a mere few Power Rings.
Wiz: Those same enemies being people Super Sonic can go toe-to-toe with, including the creator of Chaos Control himself, Mammoth Mogul.
Boomstick: All this and more makes Scourge the Hedgehog one lethal son of a bitch. However, before he could get revenge on Sonic for his imprisonment in the interdimensional "Zone Jail", Scourge was erased from existence during the Super Genesis Wave incident.
Wiz: But even though his life came to an abrupt end, Scourge's impact on Sonic remained, always serving as a reminder of what the Blue Blur could become after just one bad day.
Boomstick: Yeah! Hail to the king, baby!
"I know why you hate me. I know. And it's not just the Fiona thing, or that I'm better looking. It's that all it takes is one bad day, and you'd be just like me.
DEATH BATTLE![]
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Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!
The scene opens to a bright morning in the peaceful town of Windmill Village, where Surge the Tenrec could be seen snoozing on a park bench. Parked next to her was her Extreme Gear, an emerald coloured two-wheeler propped up beside the chair's armrest, holding her jacket and orange triangular shades on the saddle.
It all seemed nice and peaceful, a delightful change of pace for the tenrec considering all the trauma she had suffered at the hands of her creator, Dr. Starline. However, Surge's alone time would soon be disturbed as a large rumble echoed throughout the town.
Thinking it to be her stomach, Surge ignored the noise and went back to her nap as the disturbance soon came to a halt. What happened next, however, would be the last straw.
A ring shaped portal opened in the middle of the park, scaring the townsfolk who fled for their lives. At first, it seemed nothing was going to come out of it, but mere seconds later a green blur sped through, moving so fast the wind threw Surge to the ground.
Scourge the Hedgehog stopped at the park's entrance, wearing his iconic leather jacket and SEGA branded shades. It seemed as though he was chasing someone, but with no one in sight, it soon became clear the mean green speedster had lost his target.
Scourge: Damn it! I had Sonic right where I wanted him! I swear, I'm going to rip that two-bit faker apart if it's the last thing I do!
Scourge turned around and prepared to make the trip back to planet Moebius. However, before he could take a single step, a feminine voice shouted to him from the other side of the park.
Surge: Yo, douchebag! You think I'm gonna let some fashion disaster wannabe throw me around like that!?
Scourge once more turned around, this time to face the enraged tenrec standing before him. Chuckling in response, Scourge lowered a brow and pointed towards Surge, curious as to who this girl thought she was.
Scourge: You're one to talk with those shades, girlfriend. Who're you supposed to be, anyway?
Surge merely smirked, throwing on her coat and placing the sunglasses firmly on her head. Mounting her Extreme Gear, the tenrec the revved up the engine, preparing herself for a race.
Surge: The name's Surge, Sonic's worst nightmare and the tenrec who's going to kick your ass back to where you came from.
Scourge smiled, and then laughed. This random girl thought she could take him on? What a load of bullshit. And the hedgehog told Surge just as much.
Scourge: You think you can take me in that hunk of junk? Heh, you're just as dumb as you look. Still…
Scourge prepared himself like an Olympic sprinter, planting his fingertips on the ground and arching his back as he looked to get the fastest possible start.
Scourge: …if it's a race you want, it's a race you'll get. Let's rumble baby!
Surge and Scourge were neck and neck as they blasted through the park gates, taking a sharp right-hand turn before bolting through the meadows, weaving between the many trees as they did so.
Eventually, the racers found themselves on open road, with Surge barely ahead of the King of Moebius. However, it was here where Scourge would raise the stakes, curling into a ball before turning in on Surge's motorcycle, slamming into the side with extreme force.
Surge: Oh, so that's how you wanna play it, huh!? Take this!
As Scourge rolled in for an even harder strike, Surge weaved to the right of an oncoming vehicle before taking a sharp left, ramming into the hedgehog and sending him flying into the side of a car on the other lane, causing it to spin out.
Scourge stumbled a little bit getting back on his feet, but he hadn’t been slowed down enough to give Surge a significant advantage in the race. As a result, he it wasn’t long until he came back for more, hopping into the air before landing several Homing Attacks onto the side of the Extreme Gear. Surge tried her best to hold her balance, but Scourge knew she was at the end of her rope, charging one last Homing Attack aimed directly at the tenrec herself.
Fortunately, Surge was tougher than Scourge gave her credit for. She caught the spinning ball of spikes with her left hand, fighting through the pain as she leaned to the left, rolling Scourge like a bowling ball into the path of an oncoming semi-truck!
Surge set herself upright as Scourge made contact with the front of the Mack, the tenrec wasting no time looking into her left wing mirror in the hopes of seeing a squashed hedgehog. What happened next, however, quickly wiped the smile off her face.
Scourge carved through the truck with relative ease, leaping up to the detached trailer before launching himself off the edge and landing on the back of Surge's bike.
Surge: Wait, WHAT!?
Scourge: Surprise! Did you miss me?
The hedgehog continued his assault on Surge, reaching into his pocket to pull out a chain. He then wrapped it around the tenrec's neck, strangling her with such force it would break a lesser man's neck. But, even though it seemed the Moebian had the upper hand, there was something about Surge that Scourge didn’t know about.
Surge: D-Did you ever learn… ngh… that metal conducts electricity?
Scourge was caught off guard by the question, but it wouldn’t be longed until he discovered what Surge was planning. Charging her body with the power of electrokinesis, Surge shocked her opponent through the metallic weapon, short-circuiting the Extreme Gear in the process and leaving it to crash as it entered Sunset Heights.
Cars crashed to a halt and pedestrians ran for their lives, not wanting to be caught in the carnage caused by Sonic's rogue doppelgängers. Speaking of which, Scourge was the first to stand up, looking over to the trashed motorcycle lying on the ground.
Scourge: Damn, I was gonna take that baby for myself once I dealt with the-
Only to be snapped out of his disappointment by a punch from Surge, causing him to stumble back.
Surge: Dealt with the what? The girl that's gonna kick your ass? Dream on, bozo!
Surge then followed it up with a couple of punches, but Scourge was fast enough to see them coming, bobbing and weaving around each attack with ease. He then launched a counter-attack, landing multiple quick-fire strikes on the tenrec's torso. The winded Surge then watched as Scourge charged up a Spin Dash, shooting past her before crashing into a wall and using the momentum stored in his body to ricochet off of it like a cannonball.
Surge: Neat trick, but two can play at that game. Let's roll!
Charging up her own Spin Dash, Surge rushed toward Scourge just as fast as he was travelling toward her, and the subsequent impact was devastating. Glass across the entire city block shattered because of the shockwave, and when the duo tried bombarding each other with aerial Homing Attacks, sheer chaos was unleashed.
Cars were overturned, lights started to flicker and all the power across the street was being filtered into a single source: Surge.
The tenrec took advantage of her connection to the electromagnetic spectrum and augmented her power with copious amounts of electricity. Soon, she became so powerful that her final Homing Attack catapulted Scourge into the ground, creating a humongous crater in the middle of the road.
Landing on the shattered pavement, Surge laughed as the electricity sparked around her body.
Surge: What's wrong, hedgehog? Afraid of a little thunder? You're no better than that goody two-shoes fox-
Scourge had a plan. Unfazed by the many volts of electricity shot into his body, he shot up faster than Surge could react, becoming a green blur as he circled the tenrec many times faster than the speed of light.
Scourge: Puh-lease, thunder's lame. Let's see how you handle a lotta lightning!
As the hedgehog kept circling his opponent, a tornado started to form, picking up debris as it grew larger and larger by the second.
Assuming this had intensified the electricity surging - no pun intended - through Surge's body to the point of being uncontrollable, Scourge strapped on his iron glove and leapt into the chaos, jumping from car to car as he threw an almighty punch Surge's way…
…only for the emerald speedster to catch it with ease.
Surge: See ya!
Grinning teasingly, Surge shot trillions of volts through the king's metal accessory, shattering it all while shocking Scourge in the process. She then pounded her left fist into her opponent's gut, throwing him out of the Vortex Vacuum and into the street with a painful "crash"!
However, even with Scourge seemingly down and out, Surge wasn’t done yet. Her control over the electromagnetic spectrum allowed to levitate objects, after all, and here she was surrounded by all sorts of them. So she launched each and every one of them all at once, landing on the ground after the hurricane dissipated to see how this would unfold.
Unfortunately for Surge, it didn’t end with the desired outcome.
Scourge rolled back to avoid being impaled by the bottom end of a halved lamppost, racing forward as he quickstepped between more falling objects. Soon enough, only one obstacle remained, and running at full speed he took to the air, planting his feet on the massive slab of tar before pouncing at the tenrec.
A punch was thrown, but to Surge's surprise it didn’t hit her. Hell, the entire image of Scourge in front of her just vanished from existence.
Scourge (in a girly voice): Surprise! Did you miss me?
Turning around to face the hedgehog standing behind her, Surge was immediately met with brass knuckles to the face, and Scourge continued his attack by throwing in a few more just for good measure. Surge struggled to keep herself on her feet, but she still had enough balance to duck and dodge past Scourge's subsequent punches.
Angered by the tenrec's slippery nature, Scourge decided it was time to end his assault. He spun around, trying to deliver a roundhouse kick to Surge's head…
…but Surge caught it.
Surge: Aw, how cute. Want me to break that leg for you?
Scourge laughed.
Scourge: You don’t know who you're dealing with, do you?
In an instant, Surge's smug demeanour changed to one of shock. Scourge had phased through her body, emerging behind Surge with a devilish grin on his face.
The emerald speedster yelled in pain as the King of Moebius elbowed her in the back. Surge turned to face him in the hopes of collecting herself before her opponent could land another strike, but that only left her open to a barrage of kicks and punches, with Scourge hitting her faster than the speed of light.
Seconds felt like hours to Surge as Scourge continued landing the smackdown on her, but soon enough, it stopped. Scourge had taken a step back, charging up a Super Peel-Out before unleashing the full extent of his speed, ambushing his opponent before she could fully register what was going on. The next thing Surge knew, she was about to be carried into a wall…
…but instead she started falling from the sky, questioning how exactly she got here. She didn’t have time to think much on it, though, because she was still being held by the throat by a distracted Scourge.
Scourge: Damn it, when I wished for that stupid Warp Ring to take her somewhere she'd splatter I didn’t think it'd throw us thousands of feet into the-
A heady collision - literally - snapped Scourge out of his anger, with Surge giving the hedgehog a smug wave now she had broken free of his grasp.
Surge: You talk too much!
Continuing her assault on the Moebian, Surge charged up a Homing Attack and fired herself like a rocket towards Scourge, her speed and power amped by the electricity coursing through her body. In response, Scourge did much of the same, with the pair duking it out in the skies.
Closer and closer to the ground they went, with neither gaining the upper hand. However, when Surge came in for one last attack with the aim of blasting her opponent into the dirt, Scourge caught her off guard by catching her mid-flight, turning around before tossing her into an abandoned building.
The ground around Surge shook as she crashed through the ceiling, causing a crater to form around her. With his enemy in a prime position, Scourge started to increase the velocity of his fall, reeling his arm back to throw an almighty punch that caused debris to fly everywhere once his fist smashed into the concrete.
It took a moment for the dust to settle, but when it did, Scourge noticed Surge had vanished.
Scourge: Ugh, the hell did that broad go!?
Looking around the room - one only slightly illuminated by the gap in the ceiling where the sun shined through - Scourge scratched his head in disbelief. However, the striking image of a certain doctor's logo quickly distracted him.
Scourge: Huh, seems like an abandoned Eggman base. Don’t suppose the doc has any hidden weapons round here, eh?
???: Oh, ho, ho, ho! Only one, baby, and it's mine!
Scourge was spooked, quickly scouring what he could of the area to locate the mysterious yet all too familiar voice. Unbeknownst to him, however, the source was right behind him, her eyes glowing cyan with the power of Hyper Go-On Energy.
Surge had obtained the Dynamo Cage!
Scourge turned around only to get blasted out of the room by a laser beam from Surge's eyes, rolling into a ball to minimise the damage for when he inevitably crashed into a wall outside. Surge wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, however, racing past him before kicking him like a football into the side of the entrance.
Scourge, albeit weakly, picked himself up. However, he didn’t have time to fully recover, dodging out of the way as Surge launched scrapped Egg Pawn remains at him using her electromagnetic levitation in conjunction with the Hover Wisp.
Running forward, Scourge leapt into the air and Homing Attacked his way across the trail of parts headed towards him. Before he could land a finishing blow on Surge, however, a train of blue cubes came rushing in, slamming into him head-on.
Surge: Hahahahaha, and here I was thinking you were going to be a challenge. Seems you're all bark and no-
The tenrec's boasting was cut short when Scourge suddenly appeared right in front of her, no longer holding back his speed. He smashed his fist into the tenrec's abdomen to send her flying, cutting off her momentum as he started crashing into her with a boost empowered Spin Attack. Then another. Then another.
Soon enough, all that could be seen was a green blur shooting through Surge from all angles. It looked like it was all over for the green doppelgänger, but with one quick blast from the Burst Wisp, Scourge's assault was halted, the hedgehog sent careening to the ground in a matter of seconds.
With the Moebian right where she wanted him, Surge switched to pink energy, morphing some of it into a pair of saw blades she intended to use to slice off Scourge's arms. As she lowered herself down to finish the job, however.
???: Go ahead, end this imbecile.
The visions of Dr. Starline had returned, distracting Surge long enough for Scourge to prop himself back up, readying himself into a battle stance.
???: Come on, finish him! Or are you just a gutless coward who'll try to run again?
Surge: Shut up! Shut up!
???: Oh, I see how it is. You play the hero once and now you can’t stand the thought of taking a life. How disappointing.
Surge: Leave me alone! This is my fight, not yours-
As the electricity around Surge's body started to crackle, Scourge used the distraction as an opportunity to pin the tenrec right where he wanted her. He charged up a Super Peel-Out and boosted forward, leaping into the air before punching her in the face with the force of a supernova, incinerating the forest's worth of trees behind them with just the shockwave alone as the pair crashed into the dirt.
Now sitting on top of Surge, Scourge started pummelling away at the tenrec's face, the viridian speedster too caught up in her mental battle to defend herself against the king.
Scourge: Hallucinating in the middle of a fight? Heh, you're not cut out for the big leagues, kid.
The ghost of Starline gave a light chuckle in response, leaning over Surge as the hedgehog kept beating on her.
Starline: He's right, y'know. I created you to match Sonic yet here you are being overwhelmed by some otherworldly evil counterpart.
Scourge: You're pathetic. Just some poser looking to be the next big rival to someone who's already got better ones.
Starline: Case in point…
Scourge: The blue bucket of bolts, that beaked freak, the edgelord, me, you wouldn’t even be able to lace our boots, let alone his.
Starline: I'm sorry, my dear, but your time…
Scourge: …is…
…up!
Surge's mix of anger and sadness started to rile up any and all sources of power in the area, from Eggman's abandoned headquarters to the pylons in the far distant background. All the energy started filtering into Surge, and just as soon as the hedgehog was about to throw the knockout punch…
Surge: I AIN'T DONE!
A massive burst of electrokinesis shot out of Surge's body like a supercharged EMP, not only catapulting Scourge into the base but doing it hard enough that the whole complex exploded, burying the hedgehog in a pile of rubble.
Surge: Come out and face me, you son of a bitch! I'm gonna send you to Hell with that stupid billed bastard!
For a moment, nothing but silence. Scourge wasn’t responding, and for a time it seemed he was well and truly dead. However, a bright, purple light started to emanate from underneath the remains. And before Surge could move in for a closer look, an explosion of power threw her back.
Scourge: Finally, a reason to let loose! Let’s do this, baby!
Super Scourge had arrived, and upon realising this was one of those fabled forms Sonic was said to be able to transform into, Surge grinned with excitement, the faint vision of Dr. Starline fading away as she finally found her purpose…
A legend killer!
Surge: Heh, now who's not worthy to lace Sonic's boots, quackers? Let’s kick some ass!
Surge and Scourge simultaneously pulled their arms back for a punch, throwing them forward and clashing with a strike that sent shockwaves across the continent. This was shortly followed by a minute's worth of trading blows, with both landing hits as much as they were avoiding them. However, between the two, there was a key difference.
No matter how hard she struck, Surge wasn’t doing any meaningful damage. Hell, she wasn’t doing anything at all. On the other hand all of Scourge's attacks hurt like hell, making it seem like a losing battle. She had to rely on the power of the Wisps.
Charging up an aerial Spin Attack, Scourge pushed forward in an effort to launch Surge miles away, but much to his surprise the tenrec dodged it, ambushing him with an omnidirectional burst of Cyan Laser energy, blinding the hedgehog in the process.
Scourge: Why you-
Surge interrupted him by continuing her counter-attack, hitting Super Scourge with a dual punch-punch-kick combo that, while it didn’t hurt him, did start to phase him. Before she could hit him again, however, Scourge swatted her hand away and tried to knee her in the stomach. Just a shame that the power of the Jade Ghost let her phase through unscathed, leaving the King of Moebius open to a particularly nasty strike.
Turning around, Scourge was met with an earth-shattering elbow to the stomach, leaving him defenceless as Surge delivered a hammer blow to the back of his neck, sending him down to the ground. The impact sent trees flying, tearing them from their roots like tissue paper. Dust clouded the area for a few seconds, but once it dissipated, a startling sight shook Surge to her core.
Surge: Where is he!?
???: It's called Chaos Control, babe.
Surge turned around to see Scourge hovering behind her, a smug smirk adorning his hateful face. He then disappeared again, showing up in front of her to throw a punch that struck her in the face. Then he did it again from the side. And again. And again. And again.
Surge didn’t know what to do. Every punch she landed did nothing, and even with all the Wisp powers at her disposal her opponent had nearly every other trick in the book. She needed more power, and using the Dynamo Cage she attempted to drain the power from Super Scourge every time he touched her. He had to be using the Chaos Emeralds, right?
Big mistake. After being content with the amount of power she had absorbed, Surge let out a loud roar, using her newfound energy to push Scourge back with a massive violet blast of electricity. She then raced around Scourge, who waited a moment until she came closing in for a cheap shot. Scourge avoided it. He then started to chase the tenrec, and the pair met up for several boost clashes, hitting each other so fast they flashed as sparks in the sky.
Until it stopped. Charging a Burst explosion in her fist, Surge blasted Scourge away with a punch mixed with fire and lightning, laughing in triumph as she prepared to change the tide of battle.
Surge: Finally! I’ve got you now you motherf-
Time froze for a moment. Not because of Scourge using Chaos Control or anything like that, but because Surge screamed in agony, the Dynamo Cage having been both overclocked by Surge's reckless supercharge and driven haywire by the backwards energy of the Anarchy Beryl.
Scourge watched on as the device on his opponent's head generated an electrical light show, zooming forward when it was safe to do so to deliver the penultimate blow. He axel kicked the back of Surge's neck as payback for her similar attack earlier, sending her careening to the ground with even more force than his landing prior.
Scourge: Say hi to Jules for me.
Cursing his father under his breath, the Moebian hedgehog shot up into the stratosphere, charging up a universe shattering Spin Attack before shooting down like a lightning bolt.
On the ground, a tired, weakened Surge watched a green blur fire towards her, shedding a tear as the last thing that came to her mind wasn’t Kit nor Sonic nor Starline…
…but her previous life, flashing before her very eyes. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Surge gave a genuine smile, knowing that even if she was going out, she would do so in peace. The last thing heard was a loud explosion and the crumbling of dirt and debris before the screen cut to black, ending the battle once and for all.
Results[]
Boomstick: That. Was. Awesome! Run it again!
Wiz: At first glance - at least to the uneducated eye - this was an incredibly close match. Both combatants have shown their worth against Sonic the Hedgehog and had plenty of abilities to keep the other on their toes.
Boomstick: Unfortunately, as Wiz said, you'd have to be completely uneducated on the Sonic franchise to think this wasn’t a complete wash from the start. Surge may scale to the Sonic we know from the games, but Archie Sonic is just on a whole 'nother level.
Wiz: Let's start with the obvious, that being power. Sure, it is impressive that Surge has held her own against someone who can beat star-busting machines like Ultimate Emerl, but Scourge's Mobian counterpart in Sonic could match Ixis Naugus - the creator of the Zone of Silence - in a one-on-one duel.
Boomstick: Zones in the comics are more than just average beaches and grassy fields like they are in the games; they're their own universes, each with their own separate space-times! Think places like the No-Zone, Special Zone - which itself used to be the Zone of Silence - and even Scourge's home world of Moebius as a few examples.
Wiz: And even though Sonic's base form has endured numerous hits from universal foes like the Time Eater, Erazor Djinn and the Dark Queen, it's important to note that he's always needed to use a more powerful form to truly stand up to them. Heck, Time Eater and Merlina on their own almost killed him until the intervention of said forms' sources of power.
Boomstick: So power and durability go to Scourge, got it! But what about speed? Surely Surge had an advantage there, right?
Wiz: Not necessarily. Both do have arguments for incalculable speed in just their base forms, but game Sonic's one is a lot more questionable: White Space.
Boomstick: White Space is a barren nothingness completely void of time, right, and both Sonic and his Classic counterpart were able to move freely in this zone. Sounds like incalculable speed to me, so what's the problem, Wiz? Surge scales to Sonic, so…
Wiz: The problem is, ironically enough, Dr. Eggman. In the post-credits cutscene of Sonic Generations, it is revealed that both the doctor and his younger self were trapped in White Space following their defeat.
Boomstick: So, uh, (cracks open a can of beer), what’s wrong with that?
Wiz: Simply put, both versions of Robotnik were able to move within White Space despite having never exhibited the sort of speed shown not just by Sonic, but even some of his lesser friends like Vector, Charmy and Cream. Taking this into account, it appears as though the ability to move within White Space is merely a case of resistance to time manipulation and/or existence erasure, rather than a feat of pure speed.
Boomstick: But do you want to know who could move through stopped/erased time through speed alone? Archie Sonic!
Wiz: In a clash with Flash Man - yes, the Mega Man character - a roboticised Sonic was able to resist the Time Stopper, declaring it to be "too slow" before taking out the Robot Master without so much as a second thought. Compare this to game Sonic, who was unable to resist the Time Eater's "Time Break" even in his Super form, and it should become clear who has the advantage in regards to speed.
Boomstick: I could have Wiz go into detail breaking down the feat of Eggman's base level Egg-Mobile travelling to Nonaggression alongside Super Sonic that we mentioned in Surge's analysis, but there’d be no point. Tack on all the zeroes you want, that number can still be calculated, leading us to the Goku Black VS Enerjak problem we talked about last episode!
Wiz: To avoid repeating ourselves though, let’s move on. In a war between battle smarts, who'd come out on top?
Boomstick: Scourge may have an ego on him, and yeah, people like Sonic have taken advantage of this before. However, between being duped and having severe mental trauma, only one can be avoided through a power Scourge has that his opponent doesn’t. Hindsight!
Wiz: Following his humiliation at the hands of Sonic, Scourge was imprisoned in the Zone Jail, a prison housing multiversal super-criminals. There, he was tormented and bullied, but his previous defeat taught him how to swallow his pride, stopping him from retaliating as he waited for his team to break him free.
Boomstick: Meanwhile, Surge has never truly escaped the trauma of being used like a puppet. Her breakdown over being unable to break free from Pimp the Opossum's influence is just one example of this.
Wiz: Plus, it’s entirely possible that Scourge's ruthless, no-holds barred banter could open up old Starline related wounds, especially with the Dynamo Cage overclocking Surge's mind. As a result, if either were more likely to land the finishing blow, it'd be Scourge by a landslide.
Boomstick: That's cool 'n all, but what about their powers? I thought Surge would have the upper hand, having access to the Wisps and whatnot.
Wiz: It did seem that way going into it, but even though he doesn’t have all the hax Sonic does, Scourge had more than enough to deal with the Wisps and then some. Phasing with the Jade Ghost, for instance, is something Scourge can do on his own through molecular vibration. Cyan Laser beams and the Blue Cubes would mean nothing to someone who can move at incalculable speed, and Hover's ability to levitate objects would just make Surge another Silver.
Boomstick: Who, need we remind you, Super Scourge was able to overpower even when he was the thing being levitated. If Super Scourge could break free from telekinesis against someone weaker than him, what's stopping base Scourge from doing the same against the Hover Wisp. Speak of the devil, what about Super Scourge?
Wiz: What about him? We've already established that base Scourge is enough to beat Surge at her best, so throwing in his ridiculous extra-dimensional stats, immeasurable speed and the reality warping plus existence erasure of Chaos Control from his Super form is, quite frankly, overkill.
Boomstick: …yeah, can’t argue with that.
Wiz: Don’t get us wrong, Surge is a formidable rival to Sonic on her own, but Scourge's ruthlessness, tenacity and extraordinary power made him more than a match for the electrifying tenrec.
Boomstick: …
Wiz: You not going to make a pun, Boomstick.
Boomstick: Nah. (Crumples can). I ran out of beer. Now I ain’t feeling up to it anymore.
Wiz: Oooookay? The winner is Scourge the Hedgehog!
Trivia[]
- This battle used to be Natsu VS Knuckles until RoadRollerDio moved it to his blog post series: DEATH BATTLE!: The Misfit Season as part of his categorical quality control.