The Sonic the Hedgehog Continuity Thread of Love and Timelines

Well, I tried to piece together the entire story of Project Shadow, here are the results:

The formation of the Guardian Units of the Nation
The Guardian Units of the Nation, also known as GUN, is a military group that defends the United Federation. Professor Gerald Robotnik created a power source for their machines known as Chaos Drives.
The Artificial Chaos
Professor Gerald did much research into the Knuckles Clan. He even recreated the altar of the Master Emerald for Space Colony ARK. After seeing images of Chaos, a god worshiped by the ancient culture, Gerald started creating experiments to try and replicate it. These experiments were then weaponized by GUN.
Discovering the Ifrit
In Professor Gerald’s research, he discovered an interdimensional being known as the Ifrit. The Professor wrote about the Ifrit in his journal. He knows how powerful and dangerous it is. And to release the Ifrit from it’s dimension would require the seven Chaos Emeralds.
Project Shadow
There was a research project started by Professor Gerald Robotnik to find immortality. His granddaughter was born on the research station Space Colony ARK and suffered from Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Gerald spent the next twelve years trying to find a cure for her.
The Biolizard
According to a Project Shadow report, the experiment was initiated to start Shadow’s first prototype on January 27th at 12:30 A.M. The experiment was successful. The life form’s eternal engine and the organ to start the Chaos control are working normally. However, the measurements of the experiment were higher than we expected, so we will continue this experiment at the Central Dome from now on.

Pr. Gerald pointed out that the growth speed of the first prototype is getting faster. The current body length is 2.7m, and the current weight is 350kg. It’s growing so fast in the last couple of days at an exponential level. Professor has requested that the control part of the life form’s vital organs needs to be reinforced.

We need to keep an eye on the prototype, because the prototype is still not strong enough to walk by itself, but it has a strong neck and a tail. The prototype is sensitive to the temperature and humidity changes, and its intelligence and learning ability level is still low. At this point, the prototype is still more like an animal.
Black Doom
In order to complete the ultimate lifeform, Gerald needed something. Then he made contact with the Black Comet and had a meeting with Black Doom, leader of the Black Arms. Black Doom claims to be immortal and offers his blood to complete the lifeform in exchange for the Chaos Emeralds, so it was promised that the lifeform would deliver the Chaos Emeralds to him in 50 years. Little did they know that a friend of Maria was watching in the background.
Discovering the Gizoid
Professor Gerald discovered a robot from the past known as a Gizoid. After experimenting with a Chaos Emerald, he learned the Gizoid is powered by Chaos Emerald energy. By showing the robot weapons, the Gizoid established a link with Gerald, following his every move.
Shadow’s birth
After years of research, Professor Gerald completed the ultimate lifeform. His granddaughter named him Shadow, because shadow shows the way of the light. Gerald wasn’t sure about the name at first but Maria convinced him.
Education
Now that Shadow is around, he needs to be educated about the world below his feet. So he starts going to “school” with Maria on the ARK. One of the assignments was to learn how to use a heal unit, one of Professor Gerald’s greatest inventions. Shadow and Maria’s friendship begins to blossom.
Shadow’s thoughts
One time while Shadow was staring down at the world below through a window, Maria saw Shadow and thought he must really like the planet. Shadow was told that the Professor’s research was for the people who lived down there, to make everyone happy, and that is his life’s purpose. But Shadow can’t find the reason why he was born, what is his purpose? And he thinks that maybe if he goes down to that planet he may find the answers.
The experiments escaped
Profesor Gerald’s Artificial Chaos experiments were let loose by the positive and negative electrode connectors getting reversed. The GUN Soldiers on the ARK tried to stop them from hurting the station but they were no match for them. Thankfully Maria let Shadow know and he took care of them.
The Gizoid incident
In an attempt to stop the government from shutting down Project Shadow, Gerald handed the Gizoid over to the higher-ups. This resulted in the Gizoid acquiring new weapons and going berserk, destroying much of the ARK in the process. Thankfully the researchers on the ARK managed to subdue the Gizoid. After this, Gerald tried to destroy the robot’s powercore, but nothing he tried worked. So instead he tried to reprogram the Gizoid’s AI to give it a heart.
The Eclipse Cannon
Fearing what will happen when the Black Comet returns 50 years from now, Professor Gerald develops the Eclipse Cannon to destroy the Black Arms. Gerald records a video for Shadow to watch in the future. He tells Shadow in this video that the government plans to shut down the ARK, cease all of their research, and imprison all that knows about him. He admits that this is all his fault for making contact with the Black Comet.
The Shutdown
The government sent troops to the ARK to shut down the project. The researchers were all imprisoned. Maria told Shadow to free all the researchers who were locked up in the laboratory. After freeing them GUN sent the Heavy Dog mech to take down Shadow and Maria. After Shadow destroyed the mech, Maria tried to get Shadow out of the station safely. The troopers attempted to stop her, but they failed, and Maria released Shadow in a pod to Earth. Maria told Shadow to give all the people on Earth a chance to be happy. As she was pulling the lever to release him, she was shot. The wound was fatal and Shadow was gone.
“Bring hope to humanity”
Professor Gerald is devastated to see the report of the government’s invasion of the ARK. His granddaughter he fought so hard to protect is on the list of casualties. He was told that her parting words were “Bring hope to humanity”. Gerald programmed these words into the Gizoid to activate his free-will code as the keyphrase.
Revenge
In his final days, Gerald lost control of his mind. Unable to think of anything other than the loss of his granddaughter. He completed his research and gained complete control over Shadow’s memories. Shadow is now an agent of his post-humanous revenge, ready to be released back into the world with a Chaos Emerald. And the ARK’s Eclipse Cannon has been reprogrammed. It’s propose has been changed from protecting the world from the Black Arms, to destroying the world as a bomb. Now the Biolizard, the prototype of the Ultimate Lifeform, is ready to guard the Cannon’s core and help bring humanity to its end, so everyone else will feel the same pain Gerald feels now.

After Gerald recorded his final words of revenge, he was executed in his prison cell. The video was transmitted to the ARK, ready to be shown across the world when the seven Chaos Emeralds were placed into the Eclipse Cannon.
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Looks like a very good work!

I would argue though that you should put the source of every sentence, in order to make clear what is clearly written somewhere and what is some interpretation of the events. I know for a fact that Ifrit (and the Rivals series itself) is no longer canon, and I actually didn't get why would it matter for this.

And where was Professor Gerald during The Shutdown? He should be on the ARK, shoudn't he? Did GUN let him finish his research in order to control Shadow - who was captured by GUN by now - inside their facilities?

(I am really not trying to debunk anything; I am not an expert on SA2's story because I don't like the game at all)

 

Well this was written for my timeline, and Ian Flynn seems to still think Rivals 2 is canon, so that's why I included it. Evan Stanley was told it was non-canon when working on Silver Age, and it's unclear if that is still the case. Wouldn't SEGA have updated Flynn on that while working on the Speed-ia? And I think adding sources is a good suggestion, but I'm not sure how to do that in a good way on a Google Doc.

As for your second point, it is unclear why Gerald wasn't on the ARK when Maria died. But that is a consistent detail throughout all Project Shadow flashbacks and Journal entries.

 

Yes, actually. There's Japanese Supplementary Material that cover this: G.U.N. had him resume work on Project: Shadow after capturing him, which is when he introduced the "Kill all Humans" part.

It also further explains G.U.N. weren't the ones who had Gerald making Project: Shadow in the first place. It was the then President of the United Federation, who wanted immortality. Gerald agreed since he could use that research to cure Maria: G.U.N. saw it as a danger due to the risk of corruption and control of an immortal President and immediately set about stopping it.

 

The Knuckles tribe didn't worship Chaos.

Do you have a source for this?

Not "a" Gizoid. Just "Gizoid", or "the Gizoid". In Sonic Battle, Gizoid was a single robot. Sonic Chronicles is non-canonical.

He was on the ARK, according to the Japanese guide books: https://pastebin.com/hudavzXH


ＡＲＫ研究所施設で突如発生したバイオハザード、その災厄からコロニー居住者全員を救出し、コロニーを封鎖する。これがこの作戦の表向きの目的だった。もちろん真の目的は、ＡＲＫ研究施設を閉鎖してプロジェクトシャドウを抹消し、そしてＰｒ．ジェラルドを災害の責任者として拘束することに他ならない。作戦はＧＵＮ創設以来かつてない規模で実施され、作戦開始後わずか７日間のうちに、ＡＲＫの居住者は全員地上へと移された。ＡＲＫの全施設はＧＵＮによって凍結され、そしてＰｒ．ジェラルドを除くプロジェクト・シャドウの関係者は全てこの災厄の犠牲者として発表されたのである。作戦はコロニーの最深部で発見された「究極生命体プロトタイプ」を封印して完了した。

"We must rescue all the inhabitants of the colony from a bio-hazard that has suddenly occurred at the ARK research facility and seal the colony off." This was the ostensible purpose of this operation. The real goal, of course, was nothing less than to shut down the ARK research facility, erase Project Shadow, and detain Pr. Gerald as the person responsible for the disaster. The operation was conducted on an unprecedented scale, the likes of which had not been seen since the founding of GUN, and within seven days of the operation, all ARK residents were moved to the Earth; all ARK facilities were frozen by GUN and all Project Shadow personnel, with the exception of Pr. Gerald, were announced as victims of the disaster. The operation was completed with the sealing of the "ultimate life form prototype" found in the deepest part of the colony.

だが、この作戦にもたった一つ誤算があった。この作戦が実施されたとき既にＰｒ．ジェラルドは別の素体を使って究極生命体「シャドウ」をほぼ完成させていたらしいのである。ＧＵＮ特殊部隊が研究所に突入した際、逃げるジェラルドが孫娘のマリアにそれを託し、そしてその時一つの脱出カプセルが、地上へ向けて発射されたのが確認されている。（その時のカプセルの行方は現在もなお分かっていない。）

However, there was one miscalculation in this operation as well. It is believed that at the time the raid was carried out, Pr. Gerald had already nearly completed the ultimate life form, Shadow, using a different model, and when the GUN Special Forces rushed into the facility, the fleeing Gerald entrusted the life form it to his granddaughter, Maria, and at that time, one of the escape capsules was confirmed to have been launched to Earth. (The whereabouts of the capsule launched at that time are still unknown to this day.)

結果ジェラルドはその後の特殊部隊に捕らわれ、プリズンアイランドへと収監させられたようである。かのハリネズミ「シャドウ・ザ・ヘッジホッグ」なき今、プリズンアイランドに封印されていた「シャドウ」がジェラルドの手によるレプリカなのか、それとも地上へ向けて射出され、回収された「シャドウ」本体であるのか、もはや確かめる術はどこにもない…

As a result, Gerald was later captured by the Special Forces and imprisoned on Prison Island. Now, without Shadow the Hedgehog, there is no way to know whether the Shadow that was sealed on Prison Island is a replica made by Gerald or the original Shadow that was launched to Earth and recovered...

What Japanese supplementary material is this?

 

FWIW it was implied that the Knuckles Clan members from before Pachacamac's time knew about Chaos and likely revered him.

Sadly I can't find the reference right now, but I recall reading the same thing in fan-translated Japanese material a few years back. GUN claimed to have closed Project Shadow, but secretly forced Gerald to continue working on it under their supervision.

 

My reason for including that was because of dialogue in Shadow the Hedgehog, but admittedly I did word that a little oddly.

I don't exactly remember myself because I wrote that part months ago. Sonic News Network sources the Sonic Adventure 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide for it.

Doesn't really make a difference to me since Eggman makes more Gizoids later on in Battle and Advanced 3.

Cool, I will look more into this later.

 

Looks like they talked about Rivals 2's canonicity on today's Bumblekast at 45:10, still is in a grey area very much on if it actually is canon or non-canon.

 

It certainly should be canon, because otherwise it creates an unsolvable plot hole.

 

I mean, have you seen the modern game continuity? Also Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). I can explain Mephiles, i can't fathom that damn rogue Chaos Emerald...

 

What rogue Chaos Emerald? That lucky charm?

 

The only "important" parts of Rivals are:
- Eggman Nega is now a descendant from the future
- Silver comes back from the future for new reasons.
Neither of which are necessary for any game after them. Nega hasn't appeared outside of non-canon crossovers, and Silver's origin isn't technically nessecary.

 

Of course it is. Silver knows Sonic in Colors DS and Generations, but he doesn't remember anything from 06. You can't solve it without Rivals.

 

Yeah, Elise gets it as a kid, she hands off to Sonic, who hands it over to Robotnik, who loses it to Silver, who goes back in time to give it to Elise.

The most I could think is that gap between Robotnik having it and Silver getting it, it's actually the Chaos Emerald at different points.

Mainline games > Silver picks it up > goes back in time > hands to Elise > Elise hands to Sonic > Sonic hands to Robotnik > Mephiles snags with his Chaos Control.

It seems odd Robotnik would use it in the Egg Genesis when it's already fought Sonic, and he's been after that Chaos Emerald for a while.

 

I would just assume Sonic and Silver had more offscreen adventures that we didn't get to see.

 

Just say there are two identical Chaos Emeralds during the mainline games, one from the present and the other from the future which became Elise's lucky charm.

So, basically, Rivals.

 

Prima's strategy guide isn't a reliable source for story information. Too many embellishments that aren't in the game or the Japanese guide books, as well as some contradictions.

Have G-merl and the Phi series ever been referred to as "Gizoids" in official material? Gizoid is the name of the original robot. Phi and G-merl and robots based upon Gizoid.

Just to clarify, for anyone who doesn't have the chance to listen to the podcast: Ian doesn't say that it's a grey area. He says that he's never asked, it's never come up.

 

Can't Nega be both? A descendant from alternative future?

But to be honest, I can't really see Eggy... Well... Puyo Puyo anyone with his mean bean machine. It would make more sense to me if Nega was a clone of the doctor, developed by Eggman, so his rule is eternal, or that Eggman send him to conquest other dimensions.

 

My head canon is that Nega is just an alternate dimension Eggman, but in the actual canon I’m pretty sure he just ended up in Blaze’s dimension at some point before the Rivals games.

IMO the best way to reconcile some plot holes and inconsistencies is just to say some version of the game in question’s story happened, but in a way that doesn’t contradict the current canon. You could think of it kinda like the gameplay. Sure, Sonic collects rings and power ups and goes to special stages and sometimes dies, but that’s not canon.

 

Although I would argue that the special stages are cannon. If the lost hex is cannon why wouldn't the special stages?