The explosive Chaos Energy was harnessed by the Wise Ones, who fashioned it into seven crystalline gems known as the Chaos Emeralds. They were promptly stolen by Knuckles (and later, by Sonic), who found that they had the ability to turn anyone "super". Sonic used them to become Super Sonic, which made the Wise Ones afraid. They locked the Chaos Emeralds away into an alterdimensional labyrinth called the Special Stage, but Sonic and his friends found the Emeralds anyway. Ever since then, the Chaos Emeralds have been tossed from foe to foe, causing conflict all over Sonic's home planet, Mobius.