I can't remember what issue number it was, but it was the second part of the Chaos saga where Johnny was killed. The art was amazing, the story was intense... and it was totally unexpected. Sheer brilliance.
It has to be issue 100, not only becase it was my first issue, but because it combined a lot of the elements and characters into one story, and they used all the best artists on the seperate stories. It was a brilliant way to end Robotnik's rule.
I found out the issue no. it was #184. yeah that story was ace! My second favourite issue was when Sonic and Knuckles teamed up to take on Metal Sonic when he tried to steal the master emerald and Super Sonic destroyed Metal with one punch. I can't be bothered hunting through my 150+ issues to find out what issue it is!!!
any of the S3K adaption issues, STC was at their peak then.
I have fond memories of reading it buy a swimming pool and then putting on the gold tattoo's afterwards...
And the S3K adaption was almost perfect 
Yes, it was indeed a golden age.
With a golden cover, and gold tatto's
issue 100 for me as well. it wasnt my first issue (i remember having one in the mid 90s that had something to do with sonic and knuckles fighting robotnic somewhere, could have been the floating island, and the place starts to fall apart (i think) so robotnik escapes in his little pod)
issue 100 kikced ass. period. would have love to have read more about Zachary, though
The "Robotnik reigns supreme" story from issue 125-130, Robotnik absorbs the emeralds power and makes sonics life a misery.
I love this story as it's the first time sonic shows real emotion after realizing that Tails is dead (Robotnik changed history with the power of the emeralds).
He also fights several of the most popular villans from the series.
The one thing I didn't like was the lack luster ending personally I would have like to see Sonic go Super and use the Emerald power against robotnik.
