Warning! Spoilers ahead for Sonic the Hedgehog #50!
The severe implications that possibly resulted in Dr. Starline's death in IDW Publishing's Sonic the Hedgehog mirrors Dr. Robotnik's most disturbing defeat in Archie Comics' original series. This is a perfect development as it shows writer Ian Flynn who wrote both stories going full circle after more than a decade.
Undoubtedly one of the darkest moments in Archie's entire series, Sonic eventually thwarts Robotnik's latest scheme after one of the evil scientist's most successful victories. But rather than just slinking away in defeat as usual, Robotnik has a complete mental breakdown that shocks Sonic, in 2009's Sonic the Hedgehog #200 by writer Ian Flynn, penciller Tracy Yardley, inker Terry Austin, colorist Matt Herms and letterer John Workman. Although the villain's mind is eventually restored, Robotnik is out of commission for numerous issues.
Now Ian Flynn just allowed that same horrifying display to unfold in IDW's series after Dr. Eggman soundly defeats his defiant, traitorous fanboy Dr. Starline in Sonic the Hedgehog #50 also by artist Adam Bryce Thomas, colorists Matt Herms, Heather Breckel, Reggie Graham, and letterer Shawn Lee. As Eggman struts victoriously away from his defeated pupil, Dr. Starline just breaks down. He violently clutches his head in near fetal position as he grapples with how much he had utterly failed, and to further underscore his anguish, the issue's artists drew energic lines swarming around the struggling villain. His trauma is so all-encompassing that urgent calls for him to leave the vicinity fail to reach the doctor before he's lost in a sea of fallen debris.
Although both depict the deterioration of a villain's mental state, the original scene in Archie Comics is more in-depth, as Robotnik's outburst goes on for numerous pages. This breakdown is exacerbated by Sonic's face as he watches his archnemesis hurt himself. However, Flynn brings a new dynamic to Starline's episode. In Archie, it's assumed that Robotnik loses it because he had just achieved a massive victory over Sonic by destroying his home, and him getting defeated by Sonic soon afterward was too much for him. In IDW, however, Starline's loss is absolute. For multiple issues, Dr. Starline had convinced himself and readers that Dr. Eggman's flaws were insurmountable. Eggman always lost, and, to remedy this, Starline basically does the opposite of what Eggman would do - and yet, Eggman still won. Although Starline's breakdown is short in comparison, it's just as powerful because readers are equally as shocked as Starline is, especially since his traumatized state prevents Starline from trying to save himself.
Flynn's story in IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog could further transcend his original depiction of mental deterioration in Archie Comics if Dr. Starline actually survived. What made Eggman's maddened state so effective in Archie was how long his madness persisted. While locked in his padded cell, his traitorous nephew Snively helps the Iron Queen Regina Ferrum stage an effortless coup of Robotnik's empire where she rules as empress for 10 issues. Moreover, Dr. Robotnik's absence has a profound effect on Sonic, causing him to question his purpose. Sonic is the only Freedom Fighter unable to celebrate their victory. Although it's powerful knowing that IDW's Dr. Starline could have suffered so acutely that he dies, having him survive and remain traumatized would accentuate his mental anguish. Regardless, both moments are indeed well-written, and it just adds to the suspense of future issues of IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic The Hedgehog #50 is available now from IDW!