The intended story following Mina's new-found super-speed would end up having to go on the back-burner for a few years The artist James Fry (who had been drawing various issues involving Mina Mongoose) had intended to grant Mina an 'X-men-onstage-puberty-awakened' hidden power, but the Sonic Adventure game adaptation (ordered by Sega in hopes of promoting their upcoming game) had taken all the time the writers needed to develop Mina's speed. Finally, Patrick Spaziante (a chief Sonic artist at Archie Comics) finished a design of a lilac-haired mongoose with yellow fur and large green eyes. He took the name, shortened it and it went from Minerva to Mina.

So, Bollers decided to dedicate her name to his grandmother, Minerva. Writer Karl Bollers opted against it, however, since Chloe had the long 'e' sound at the end of the name and made her blend in with the rest of the females already established (ex: Amy, Sally, Rosie, Dulcy, Hershey, Julie-Su). The initial name that was proposed for her was Chloe. Because the new character was supposed to be fast, it was decided from the start that she be a mongoose (as real life mongooses are fast creatures). In order to make her a viable threat to Sally, Gabrie specified that the new character have something in common with Sonic that Sally didn't: speed. When considering the character's personality, former Sonic the Hedgehog editor Justin Freddy Gabrie wanted to conceive of a new potential love interest for Sonic to be introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog #76.

Archie staff liked the design, and asked for it to be added to the comic.

Prior to her introduction to the series, an early design for Mina lay unused in the Archie offices for some period of time (the original intention of the design is unknown).

Sonic female characters