Around the same time as Sonic Adventure 2's release, the now-discontinued Sonic comic book series by Archie Comics decided to take their shared history and blow it out of the water, giving way to a much stranger and confusing rivalry. As is his nature, Sonic inevitably gets caught up in this vengeful anger before helping Shadow see the light.

The game Sonic Adventure 2 introduced Shadow as a genetically engineered 'Ultimate Lifeform' who wants the entire world to pay for the death of a girl who meant everything to him. The turbulent relationship between Sonic the Hedgehog and Shadow the Hedgehog is notorious in the gaming world, but the two super-powered rodents share a similarly chaotic albeit bizarre rivalry in the comics.