Bernadette the Hedgehog

* Normal
* Soulless

**Bernadette Ann the Hedgehog**, is wife of Jules the Hedgehog and the mother of Sonic the Hedgehog, is one of the first characters met in the comic with an important role, even after her death in Issue 11 - Ambush. From what's been shown, she opposed Zielo throughout her life, especially after the death of her husband at the god's hands. Her own death later on had a deep impact on Sonic which caused him to become Tainted

## History

### Early Life

Not much is known of Bernie's life before Zielo's attack. As shown in a flashback during Issue 5 - Encounters, when Sonic was six Bernadette and Jules' residence was set aflame by Zielo. Bernie was resolute in finding Sonic before leaving, despite Jules' attempt at reason concerning the collapsing residence. When the two hedgehogs heard their son's scream, they fled outside to find him. When they found Zielo and Sonic, Bernadette went to comfort her son while Jules confronted the dark god. When Jules died, Bernadette was left in tears. She presumably took Sonic and fled. Bernadette attended Jules' funeral alongside her young son, wearing a black funeral outfit.

### Flight from Zielo

Several years later, Bernadette is seen fleeing from Zielo with the Energy Controller that would later be shown as a stolen fragment of Silver's soul. She obtained it with "surprisingly little difficulty" despite how heavily it was guarded, and correctly presumes that it won't take Zielo long to find out it's gone. When Zielo pursues her, she is slashed across the left arm without the dark god moving. Bernadette attempts to attack him, crying for vengeance for her husband, before running to the side of the island and jumping off. According to Sonic, this action would cause the deaths of millions at Zielo's hands. Bernie later appeared to Sonic, happy that she had been able to find him. Sonic's return and Bernie's escape had happened extremely close to each other, as her arm was still bleeding. Upon learning of Sonic's forced servitude to the humans, she expressed regret for her son's trouble. She felt her head hurting before being called to by Zielo and teleported away, Zielo being able to do so due to her soul apparently belonging to Zielo. Before vanishing, Bernadette gave Sonic the Energy Controller and told him to run.

### Soulless Fight Against Sonic

While in the Ini Pyramid, after his vision concerning Heephis, Sonic saw his mother in a doorway and ran to her. Despite Shadow's warnings of it being a trap, Sonic dashed up to Bernadette only for her to attack him. Bernie, now a Soulless and puppet of Heephis, proclaimed that it was time for another game.

Despite Bernadette's attempts at killing him, Sonic refused to fight back, pleading that he can still save his mother. Bernie decided to show the symbol of the Soulless, revealing the truth behind the Soulless process and proclaiming that none could save her now. Upon Sonic's further determination to save her, Bernadette's true personality shown through, demanding Sonic to destroy the seal and save her soul. Upon Zielo's control relapsing, Bernie revealed that destroying a seal also kills the individual the seal is connected to. Sonic fled, and his mother followed. Upon being cornered, Sonic attempted to use memories of the past to save his mother before being choked with a manifestable whip. Sonic lured Bernadette in close before knocking her out. Bernie reawakened at some point during Sonic's battle with Zielo. When Sonic thought he finally landed a hit on Zielo with his energy blade, he was horrified to learn the god had summoned Bernadette to use as a human shield. Bernie smiled as she turned to ash, freed before she got any worse. The death of his mother would almost immediately after trigger Sonic's Tainted form.

## Source Character

Bernadette is based on the Archie Sonic character of the same name, Bernadette Hedgehog , from the Archie Comics series. They obviously have different histories, due to the different worlds and pasts, but have nearly identical families save for the absence of Bernie's brother-in-law, Charles Hedgehog, from The Murder Of Me and the nonexistance of Jonathan Hedgehog in the Archie Comics canon (if Jonathan is indeed confirmed to be her ancestor, that is).

## Personality

Much like how she originally is, Bernadette is a headstrong and determined individual, willing to power through a cut arm and the pain of falling off of a cliff into water in order to escape from Zielo. She cares about her husband and son above any other, breaking into tears upon Jules' death. In her Soulless state, she is fearsome and merciless like many others. Being an extension of Zielo's will, Soulless Bernadette enjoys causing pain to Sonic and presumably the other Sons of Heephis as well. Soulless Bernadette is completely willing to choke Sonic to death. Upon becoming a Soulless, it's clear Bernie only saw death as a good future, smiling after being stabbed and killed by Sonic.

## Trivia

* Bernadette was referred to as "Bernette" by Gigi in the description of the first page of issue 2. This was corrected in later pages.