The Chaos Emerald mini-series starts off with Robotnik waiting for a good scientist, Professor Caninestein, to finish working on a time machine. Robotnik says he's going to use it to go back in time and steal four all-powerful "Chaos Emeralds of Invisibility, Invincibility, Immortality, and (the Power of) Life." Once he has all of them, he will become The Surpreme High Robotnik! While Robotnik and his Dumbbots get the time machine in use, Caninestein heads for the beach and warns Sonic (who seems intent on impressing all the babes) and Tails about Robotnik's plot. Using some "atomic-relativity boots" that Caninestein made, Sonic and Tails chase Robotnik to the time of Blackbeard the Pirate. Robotnik uses a "Robot-Transmogrifier Ray" to roboticize Blackbeard (because he knows where to find the Emerald of Invisibility) and make him work for him. Sonic and Tails show up before Robotnik (who's now had plenty of time to buy some pirate gear for himself and the crew) and Blackbot can reach l