Warning: contains spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog #56!A new twisted villain has been born from Sonic and Tails' repeated failures to convert him into a potential ally. The irony is that this now fully established antagonist originally possessed many traits that suggested he would end up on the side of the angels.
After numerous violent run-ins dating back to the series' iconic 50th issue, the cyborg replacement for Tails named Kitsunami "Kit" the Fennec just officially rejected becoming a hero and embraced a life of villainy. In Sonic the Hedgehog #56, Kit's journey towards redemption comes to an end when he concludes that his abusive colleague Surge the Tenrec, an evil cyborg replacement of Sonic, actually needs him as he is, while Sonic and Tails would only mold him into who they want him to be. The issue comes from Evan Stanley, Reggie Graham and Shawn Lee.
Long before meeting Sonic and Tails, Surge's perpetual mistreatment of Kit in the tie-in miniseries Imposter Syndrome suggested that Kit would eventually leave Surge. This possibility felt even more plausible when Kit finally clashed with his fully organic counterpart Tails in Sonic #50. Kit clearly began to exhibit signs that his convictions were wavering as Tails showed him kindness, a form of respect Kit had clearly never experienced before. Tails also proved to be quite adept at trying to find common ground with the fennec during this time, which the villain clearly appreciated. Later, Sonic was actually able to convince Kit to work with them at least for as long as they shared a common enemy. Now, that alliance has come to an end.
Kit Is Now as Twisted as Surge
Kit just learned that contrary to what he believed, Surge is still alive, and mistakenly decides Sonic lied to him in order to manipulate him. Kit's programmed dependence on Surge prevails, and he attempts to escape with her while allowing Sonic and Tails to be crushed. It's a straight-up villain turn for the likable but flawed cyborg sidekick, and one which flies in the face of fan belief that Sonic and Tails might have done enough to win him over as an ally. Ultimately, Kit's greatest desire is to be needed, and while Sonic and Tails treated him with kindness and respect, they couldn't offer him this key trait - something that despite her abuse, Surge does.
Kit Is Now Committed to Destroying Sonic & Tails
What's so shocking about Kit's transformation, however, is that he's now espousing the same extremist views as Surge, a villain who was always obviously twisted, unlike Kit. Now Kit lumps everyone together as an enemy that must be eliminated. Surge first articulated these same views in Sonic #50 to justify why she had to destroy everyone, including Sonic. While Kit was always unstable and capable of snapping at the slightest provocation that concerned Surge, he wasn't inherently twisted and actually had some redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, Sonic and Tails failed to capitalize on the potential window of redemption, and now Kit has become a huge threat in his own right.
Sonic the Hedgehog #56 is available from IDW Publishing.