Art by Richard Elson
The Lava Reef Zone is a Zone on the Floating Island. It is essentially one giant volcano, with large build-ups of lava filling much of its floor. Even the platforms that are able to be walked on contain rocky structures that, at times, are filled with lava. An exterior to the Zone was later shown, the ground littered with holes that occasionally spew out flames.
The Zone is connected to a series of underground tunnels, one of which leads to the secret exit from the Lost Pyramid of Sandopolis. The entrace to the Hidden Palace can also be found here. Knuckles the Echidna also stated it was somewhere near the Mushroom Hill Zone.
Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog once visited the Zone having escaped from the Sandopolis Zone. To Knuckles' dismay, the Death Egg (and Launch Base Zone) was resting on the volcano's funnel, completely blocking all sunlight. The heroes were confronted by dozens of EggRobo Badniks, so Knuckles punched one of the aforementioned rocky sculptures, pouring lava all over them. They then left to go to the Emerald Chamber. Knuckles returned a second time to chase an EggRobo he believed to have kidnapped Jake, a member of the Emerald Hill folk. A punch from the echidna sent the Badnik into one of the Zone's flamethrowers, destroying it and seemingly killing Jake. Fortunately, the boy had never been in the Badnik at all.
Appearances[]
- Issue 49 - Count Down to Disaster (although it is not named in-strip)
- Knuckles Knock-Out Special - Jake's Story
Furthermore, the Zone originally appeared in Sonic & Knuckles.