Captain Plunder & His Sky Pirates! is a 4-part story first appearing in Issue 47. It was later reprinted from Issue 197 to Issue 200. Despite beginning in the same issue as Plunder's appearance in Mystery of the Sandopolis Zone and, therefore, appearing after said story, this adventure is stated to have occured before the Sonic the Hedgehog strip. The original script gives the story its own title, "Hard Times", but this doesn't appear in the finished comic.
Staff[]
- Nigel Kitching - script and art
- Elitta Fell - lettering
Story[]
Onboard the luxury Robotnicus, Doctor Robotnik is holding a birthday party, assembling a collection of Mobius' most villainous businessmen. His bash is interrupted when the Sky Pirates pull up alongside and begin to board. Filch is enjoying himself greatly and Captain Plunder confirms he should have shot him years ago if Filch liked being a ghost so much. Soon, Robotnik is tied-up and Plunder wants his "taxes". Unfortunately, neither of the two keys to the vault are on the ship, but Filch has his ways. Walking through the door, he uses his powers as a poltergeist to activate the Emergency Door Release and the vault swings open. As the pirates loot the safe, a pirate warns Plunder that six Badniks are arriving quickly, so he orders his crew to escape. Back on their own ship, Filch thanks Sonic for his information, the hedgehog having forgiven the pirates for wanting the Chaos Emeralds. Unfortunately, when Sonic wants to speak to Plunder, they realise they left him behind on the Robotnicus!
Despite fighting valiantly, Plunder has been arrested and put on trial. Exhibit 'G', a Trooper's head "luckily" cut off leads the case for the prosecution. Plunder's own lawyer puts forward a flimsy counter-case and Plunder realises he's just on a show trial. After being shot by a guard for trying to kill his own lawyer, the Robotnik Television Company production moves on to the sentencing, where the judge announces he must be hung by the neck until he is sorry... or dead, even. At Highview Corrective Centre, Plunder is fed a faceful of "water" by Mister Gullets but fellow inmate Simpson the Cat reveals he knows a secret way out of the cell.
Outside, Filch reads a copy of the Mobian Times and discovers where Plunder is being held. Inside, Simpson points out that the secret exit is on the other side of the bars from their cell, infuriating Plunder. Thinking, Simpson conjures a question mark above his head and uses it unlock the cell. Gullets discovers the escape and tries to kill Plunder. Unfortunately for him, Simpson has painted a hole with black paint and Gullets falls right into it! Irritated, Plunder assures Simpson that the story is they fought at least twenty guards. Simpson opens a door in the wall, revealing a tunnel built by Billy Gulch (the day he was going to use it, he was pardoned). On the other side, Filch's crew have also found the secret 'entrance' into the prison.
Despite getting stuck, the inmates eventually reach the tunnel system and Simpson conjures a light bulb to light the way. However, as voices approach, Simpson has trouble disposing of the light, having to swallow the bulb before Plunder punches him in the stomach, smashing it. Because of the darkness, Plunder has no idea the voices are from the Sky Pirates and hide, before taking the tunnel they entered from. The following day, (almost) all the newspapers are covering Plunder's daring escape. Back at the Mystic Cave Zone, Plunder is confused why his men aren't waiting for him. Filch eventually appears and says they all got captured trying to break him out of prison. Thinking that he'd have to share out the booty if he rescued the men, Plunder decides to find a new crew.
Papers and headlines[]
- Mobian Times - "Captain Plunder Captured! Held at Highview Corrective Centre!" Followed the next day by "Captain Plunder Escapes!".
- Mobian Mail - "Daring Escape From Highview Corrective Centre!"
- Metropolis Zone News - "Still No Sign of Escaped Pirate!"
- The Mobe - "Sonic the Hedgehog Ate My Hamster!"
Timeline[]
Plunder's last appearance was, chronlogically, in The Sonic Terminator. His next was in Mystery of the Sandopolis Zone. This story was Plunder's first solo story, the next being Shanghaied.