Dimitri the Echidna

Dimitri (also known as Enerjak) serves as the Doctor Eggman/Robotnik-counterpart to Knuckles the Echidna in the fictional universe of the Sonic the Hedgehog Archie Comics.

Originally, Dimitri was an anthropomorphic, humanoid, red-furred echidna who wore the dreadlocks of his species in braids and wore a scientist's lab coat. While in his Enerjak persona, Dimitri wore a ceremonial outfit created for ancient Echidna generals. It consisted of a golden faceplate, skirt, breastplate, and various bands of gold around the elbows, wrists, fingers, knees, and ankles. The rest of the outfit was blue, the rest of the helmet including a red gem in the forehead and openings that allowed the dreadlocks to stick out. When removed, his faceplate revealed the face of Dimitri, untouched by centuries of aging. However, upon losing his powers, he became an aged, wrinkled shadow of his former self; near death, his existence was perpetuated through the use of cybernetic implants.

Upon becoming a cyborg, much of Dimitri's body was replaced with asyemtical steel-gray components. His limbs include a three-fingered right hand, a left hand with standard fingers, a right foot with two toes and an elongated heel, and a left foot resembling a metal boot. Dimitri's right eye is a standard implant shared by several other characters, while his left eye is triangular; both eyes are red. In this form, he has only a small fraction of organic body visible, including his silver ring-adorned dreadlocks, his right leg above the knee, and his neck. Later, this body was immobilized and had to be mounted atop a flat, table-like surface with life support systems built in. Eventually, his situation deteriorated to the point where Dimitri was reduced to his cyborg head, contained within a floating glass orb as seen in Mobius: 25 Years Later and issues following #171.

Enerjak
Enerjak was once Dimitiri, Knuckles' great uncle. He was a scientist who with his brother Edmund, Knuckles' ancestor, developed a machine known as the Chaos Siphon to drain the powers of the Chaos Emeralds holding the Floating Island in the air so they could bring it back to the surface. Dimitri's proposal was refused, and in retaliation, he used the Siphon to drain eleven of the twelve Chaos Emeralds into himself. The result was an insane, super-powered Echidna with a massive superiority complex and no compunctions about harming others. Using his powers, Enerjak created Necropolis, the dark twin city to Echidnaopolis. However, his brother Edmund managed to defeat Enerjak by having several fire ants eat through the city foundations, and Enerjak was buried. Centuries trapped in Necropolis' ruins, which came to be called Mount Fate, only increased Enerjak's knowledge of his powers-and the insanity that they had invoked in him. All the while, he was unaware that his actions had given rise to a line of Chaos-powered descendants of Edmund, known collectively as the Brotherhood of Guardians.

Years later, he returned and confronted the Chaotix, and only with assistance from Knuckles' father Locke, were they able to overcome him, sending him into outer space. Enerjak later returned to lead the Dark Legion, the technocratic organization founded by his son Menniker. However, he later found that Mammoth Mogul was behind his return to implement his master plan. Mogul used the stolen Sword of Acorns to drain the power of the eleven Emeralds from Enerjak. Without his power, Enerjak vanished, leaving behind the frail old form of Dimitri.

Dimitri Returns
To preserve him, the Dark Legion replaced most of his body with robotic parts. He continued to be a menace to Knuckles the Echidna, until he drastically changed his views and attempted to reunite the Echidna people. The producers of the comic account for this due to Dimitri having been stripped of his Chaos powers and slowly regaining his sanity from the emerald power induced madness that made him Enerjak in the first place.

Shortly after Dimitri regained control of the Legion, he attempted to put an end to the long standing war between the Legion and the rest of Echidna society. Lien-Da secretly attempted to use the meeting between Dimitri and the Mitre (the political leader of the Angel Island Echidnas) to her own advantage, and arranged an assassination. The intended target of this assassination, however, was never stated (although some evidence suggests it was Dimitri). Regardless, the assassination was foiled by Lara-Su, Knuckles' daughter from an alternative future. Knuckles himself took a laser bolt aimed at either the Mitre or the Grand Master, and temporarily faked death so as to make sure that Dimitri's new goals were genuine.

When Dimitri's health took a turn for the worse, he was immobilized and connected to a life support machine to keep him alive. Lien-Da assisted him in a plan to convince Knuckles (who at the time was essentially a living Chaos Emerald) to use his powers to give Dimitri new life. Firm in his belief that the Dark Legion must reunify with the rest of Echidna society, he made Lien-Da promise to continue his policies should he die. The plan to use Knuckles' power to save Dimitri failed due to interference from Mammoth Mogul, who tried to steal Knuckles' powers for himself. During the year that Sonic was missing from Mobius, Lien-Da apparently inherited control over the Dark Legion. When last seen, Dimitri was alive (having survived the battle between Knuckles and Mammoth Mogul), but without Knuckles' assistance he had no apparent way to extend his life much further. Following Sonic's return, Lien-Da stated that Dimitri "is no longer with us".

Lien-Da's words are proven false when Dimitri, reduced to a cyborg head in a floating glass ball as part of Dr. Finitevus's efforts to keep him alive, resurfaces at the side of the albino Echidna. He grudgingly tricks Locke into leaving the Master Emerald and all of Angel island in Dr. Finitevus's trust and that of the Destructix, despite his apparent dislike of Finitevus. There also appears to be a deal between Dimitri and Dr. Finitevus, who apparently promised to use the Emerald to restore Dimitri to his status and power as Enerjak in the hopes of crushing the Dingoes and bringing the warring Frost and Flame Legions back into one group.

Possible Future
Dimitri is one of several characters seen in the Mobius: 25 Years Later story arcs, still in his recent floating head incarnation. Dimitri was left in this state after Dr. Eggman, on the brink of defeat and desperate for help, ripped Dimitri from his life support unit in rage at the Grand Master's refusal to give him aid. Despite this, Dimitri remains in a position of power over the Legion. He also has some unresolved issues with Lien-Da, no doubt stemming from some past argument, but is quite fond of his great-great-great grandson Rutan. His attitude of reunifying the Echidnas seems to also remain, as he thinks that Lien-Da and Julie-Su should mend the rift between them. He reappears in another alternate future found in the second Mobius: 25 Years Later story. In this timeline, his now moderate policies have lost him a great deal of Lien-Da's respect, and she mockingly keeps him as a virtual prisoner in her home. Upon discovering of her conspiracy with King Shadow the Hedgehog, he angrily declares that he had never been so ashamed of his line since he worked with Dr. Finitevus.

Personality
Dimitri's personality varied between his two forms. As Enerjak, he was of course completely insane, making him dangerously unpredictable. Typically for most functinally omnipotent villains, he saw himself as superior to all other living things. Enerjak saw such beings as his playthings, useful only to serve or amuse him. He was also easily angered, and quick to swear revenge.

Upon regaining his sanity, Dimitri became a smoother operator. Other beings remained pawns in his operations, but he was more subtle about how he used them. In addition, he began to desire a more unified existence, from making peace in his own family to reuniting the Echidna people, a goal made difficult by opposition on both sides.

As time went on, Dimitri abandoned his goals of world domination, and even became repentant. This is particularly evidenced in Mobius: 25 Years Later, when he clearly laments all the things he did as Grand Master of the Dark Legion.



Abilities
Enerjak's abilities are highly varied. While he possessed the power of Chaos, he was functionally omnipotent, and claimed that he could do anything by just thinking of it. Abilities Enerjak displayed included teleportation, telepathy, mind control, levitation, control over matter and energy at a molecular level, electromagnetic pulse generation and super strength. These abilities made Enerjak something of a Super Transformation for Dimitri.

As a cyborg, Dimitri initially had impressive physical strength, as well as control over electricity. However, his immobilization left him unable to move, which only slightly improved after he took on the form of a floating head. In any of his forms, Dimitri's genius has been a great asset to the Dark Legion.