Summary

• Sonic faces a major threat from Clutch, an unlikely villain whose complex plan dwarfs even Dr. Eggman's schemes.
• Clutch employs deception and infiltration to undermine Sonic's team and prevent the distribution of stolen Egg-Tech for free.
• Unlike Dr. Eggman, Clutch proves to be a more devious and subtle operator, suring him in destructive potential.

Warning: contains spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog #67!A once-minor Sonic the Hedgehog villain named Clutch is fast becoming a major problem as his dastardly deeds dwarf even those of Dr. Eggman. In fact, the villainous opossum's current master plan is now a three-pronged threat that fans are only just seeing the full scope of, as his true strategy slowly comes into view.

Currently, Clutch has unleashed two separate teams into Sonic's HQ who are masquerading as allies to cause havoc from within, while he simultaneously uses Sonic's friend Jewel the Beetle to undermine her allies in Sonic the Hedgehog #67 by writer Ian Flynn, penciler Thomas Rothlisberger, inker Matt Froese, colorist Leonardo Ito and letterer Shawn Lee.

Clutch's efforts are fueled by his desire to stop Sonic's team the Restoration from distributing stolen Egg-Tech for free to the people, since their actions prevent his company Clean Sweep from swindling the public by selling the same Egg-Tech at outrageous prices.

Clutch Is Secretly Targeting Sonic's Restoration

Sonic Can't Get Ahead of Clutch's Plotting

Clutch has come a long way since his debut, becoming a surprisingly capable puppet master. For his current scheme, Clutch first leveraged the assassin Mimic's hatred of Whisper the Wolf to get him to infiltrate Sonic's HQ. Next, Clutch conned the Restoration into a business deal that hurt the team, with Amy Rose and Sonic none the wiser. Now, Clutch has given the cyborgs Surge and Kit the opportunity to get revenge on their counterparts, Sonic and Tails, by getting them to infiltrate the Restoration as well in Sonic #67.

Dr. Eggman Has Been Replaced as Sonic's Mastermind Villain

Eggman Saves His Intricate Plans for Fellow Villains

Despite his fearsome reputation, it's been a long time since Dr. Eggman enacted this kind of complex, multi-stage plan. His most deadly scheme involved unleashing the Metal Virus on Sonic's planet, but even then, his lack of foresight resulted in him needing to team up with his nemesis to fix the resultant damage. Ironically, Dr. Eggman's most devious plot was against his own ally, the villainous Starline. Fans originally believed that Starline had completely outsmarted Eggman when he began scheming against him, but in Sonic #50, Eggman revealed that he had never trusted Starline and made quite a few contingency plans in case he ever betrayed him. But when it comes to Sonic and other heroes, Eggman tends to lash out without a plan.

In this way, the threat of Dr. Eggman pales in comparison to Clutch, who has orchestrated a plan where multiple groups descend on the Restoration for their own reasons. Clutch has gradually become the dark heart of every immediate threat to Sonic the Hedgehog and the Restoration, showing that by being a far more devious and infinitely more subtle operator, he's sured even Dr. Eggman in his destructive potential.

Sonic the Hedgehog #67 is available now from IDW Publishing.