Nack the Weasel, more commonly called Fang the Sniper is a fictional character in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. He is a purple anthropomorphic weasel that first appeared in the Game Gear videogame Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble (alternatively known as Sonic & Tails 2 in Japan) as a treasure hunter who sought the Chaos Emeralds.
Overview
He is a slick, sneaky, and mischievous character who will steal the Emeralds for an easier job or to sell on the black market. Nack tries hard to outwit others, but is held back by naivety and arrogance in his own strength and because of this he often fails in whatever scheme he is doing
Nack also appeared in Sonic Drift 2 as a playable racer, and in Sonic the Fighters as a playable fighter. He was set to appear in Sonic X-treme as a boss character, but the game was cancelled. Nack makes a cameo in Sonic Generations on a "Wanted" poster in the City Escape stage. The poster reads "Wanted Fang A.K.A. Nack.
In Sonic Mania, Fang, along with Bean and Bark, can be seen on various wanted posters throughout the Mirage Saloon Zone. Later, during the Act 2 boss fight, Heavy Magician shapeshifts into Fang, Bean and Bark in order to attack; in her Fang form, she bounces back and forth firing blasts from her popguns.
Appearances in Other Media
Sonic the Comic
In Sonic the Comic, Nack used to be a member of the Chaotix Crew, but betrayed them and sold them to the Brotherhood of Metallix for money. He reappeared sporadically throughout the comic, working solely for financial gain either through mercenary work or robbing banks/ancient treasures, and he battled the Chaotix twice. He was later instrumental in shrinking various characters (including himself and Sonic the Hedgehog) to sub-molecular size, initiating a string of adventures on the sub-molecular world of Shanazar.
Archie Comics
In the Sonic the Hedgehog and its spin-off comic series published by Archie Comics, Nack is a dangerous bounty hunter, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, though he is clumsy and often messes up. In this media, he also has a sister named Nic the Weasel, who he does not get along well at times though they have worked with each other in the past. Nack is a frequent foe of Sonic and the other Freedom Fighters, and even has a grudge against Sally Acorn after failing to take her as hostage. He has been known to take jobs from multiple clients, including Mammoth Mogul and even Doctor Robotnik. He is also often a part of his own team named the Hooligans, along with Bean the Dynamite and Bark the Polarbear.
Gallery
Trivia
- According to the Japanese manual of Sonic & Tails 2, it is said that Fang resides in the mysterious Special Stage, which is described as another dimension.
- Fang the Sniper is one of the few characters (such as Mephiles the Dark and Bean the Dynamite) to have a title that does not refer to his species. The Sniper references his penchant for using guns.
- In most media, unlike most other characters, Fang has 4 fingers instead of 5, even in Japanese promotional artwork. The reason for this is not known, although the most common theory is that this is a reference to Yubitsume, a Japanese ritual to amputate parts of one's own finger that is practiced by members of the Yakuza, a prominent Japanese criminal organization.
- Alternatively, his varying number of fingers may simply be a result of his being from another dimension. He is the only inhabitant of the "Special Stage" that has been seen and his four fingers could be representative of all other beings from the Special Stage.
- Originally, Fang's signature weapon was going to be a realistic gun, but he eventually used a cork-firing popgun in Sonic the Fighters after Sega axed the idea.
- In character select of Sonic the Fighters, Fang's gloves are miscolored white instead of brown in his icon.
- Originally Fang was supposed to be in Sonic X-treme as a boss. In several magazine screenshots Fang is shown to be unusually giant, similarly to Metal Sonic in the video game. According to the developers, the reason for this was the fact, that the players would have easier to get hit precision to the boss characters. Because the game was canceled, Fang never made an appearance in the game.
- Fang was left out of Sonic Tweet for unknown reasons.
- In Archie Sonic Universe Issue 24, Nack is introduced at the beginning as "Nack the Weasel: fanged sniper" referencing his usual name. Also, Nack is again referred to as a "fanged sniper" in Issues 187-188.
- Fang was a prominent figure in the classic era as he had the most appearances of any side character from that era in Sonic.
- His most famous appearance within the comics was when he appeared as the main antagonist in the arc "Treasure Team Tango".
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Archie & Riverdale Sabrina the Teenage Witch & Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Katy Keene Sonic the Hedgehog Dingo Regime Team Dark Hooligans Battle Bird Armada Babylon Rogues Suppression Squad Deadly Six Others |