Ground Zero (comic story): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Comic|
{{title dab away}}
comic name= Ground Zero |
{{real world}}
image= |
{{ImageLinkComics}}
series= [[Doctor Who Magazine comic strips|Doctor Who]] -<BR> [[Seventh Doctor Comic Strip Stories]]|
{{Infobox Story SMW
number= |
|range = DWM comic stories{{!}}DWM Comics
doctor= [[Seventh Doctor]]|
|number in range = 89
companions= [[Ace]]|
|image= AceDeadGroundZero.jpg
enemy= [[Threshold]]|
|series=[[DWM comic stories|''DWM'' comic stories]]
year= [[Notting Hill]], [[2082]]|
|adapted into= The Threshold (short story)
writer= [[Scott Gray]]|
|doctor= Seventh Doctor
artist= [[Martin Geraghty]], [[Bambos Georgiou]]|
|companions= [[Ace]]
publication_title= [[Doctor Who Monthly]] 238-242|
|featuring = Susan Foreman
publication_dates= 8 May - 28 August [[1996]]|
|featuring2 = Sarah Jane Smith
publisher= |
|featuring3 = Peri Brown
format= Comic - ? parts |
|enemy= [[Isaac (Ground Zero)|Isaac]]
previous story= [[Black Destiny]]|
|setting= [[Notting Hill]], [[London]], [[2082]]
next story= [[End Game]]|
|writer= Scott Gray
}}
|editor = [[Gary Gillatt]]
|artist= [[Martin Geraghty]], [[Bambos Georgiou]]
|colourist=
|letterer = [[Elitta Fell]]
|publication= [[DWM 238]]-[[DWM 242|242]]
|release date= 11 April - 1 August 1996
|cover date= 8 May - 28 August 1996
|publisher= Marvel UK
|format= Comic  
|prev= Black Destiny (comic story)
|next= Doctor Who and the Fangs of Time (comic story)
|epcount = 5|reprint = Ground Zero (graphic novel)
}}{{comic stub}}
'''''Ground Zero''''' was a comic story featuring the [[Seventh Doctor]] and [[Ace]]. Notable for featuring a fate for the character [[Ace]] not supported by any other sources, it was one of the most controversial ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' strips.


==Summary==
== Summary ==
When the Doctor and Ace visit the carnival at Notting Hill in 2082, Ace is kidnapped by an agent of the business known as the Threshold. The Doctor, alone on the streets, catches a glimpse of his grand-daughter Susan, and follows her to Isaac, another Threshold agent. Isaac frees Susan from his mind control and finally reveals to the Doctor that the Threshold have been working under his nose for the past 150 years, setting their own plans in motion. The human race is empathically united through their collective unconscious, which exists on another plane of reality -- but creatures born of hatred and fear have bred there and developed sentience. These creatures, the Lobri, hired the Threshold to find an escape route, and the Threshold decided to send humans directly into the Lobri's realm, for them to feed on until they had enough strength to break free by themselves. However, only time-travellers could survive the stress of the journey through dimensions, and the Threshold have thus kidnapped Sarah, Peri, and now Ace (they kidnapped Susan as well before realising that she wasn't human). When the Lobri escape from the collective unconscious, it will be destroyed, and the human race will descend into a riot of blind xenophobia as every human being becomes alienated from every other.
The [[Threshold]] have kidnapped three of the Doctor's former [[companion]]s, along with his current one, using them for their employer's benefit: the [[Lobri]] — a creation of the human unconsciousness, feeding on fear. They intend to destroy the unconscious link between humans. The Doctor must stop them, but at what cost?


The Doctor steals Isaac's Threshold ring and pilots the TARDIS into the collective unconscious; Isaac had claimed that only humans could survive, but the Doctor and Susan arrive intact, although the TARDIS console room is shattered by the journey. The Lobri are feeding on Peri's terror, but Ace escapes from her bonds and uses nitro-9 to drive them off -- and then the Doctor arrives and uses Isaac's ring to open a gateway into the heart of a sun, destroying one of the Lobri. Isaac then takes back his ring, and as the two surviving Lobri attack, Ace tries to defend the Doctor. One of the Lobri pins her down, but as it prepares to feed on her she pulls the tab of her last nitro-9 canister, killing both it and herself. The last remaining Lobri has enough strength to flee to Notting Hill, but not enough to destroy the collective unconscious behind it. The Doctor carries Ace's body into the TARDIS and returns to Notting Hill, where, due to the damage it has suffered, the TARDIS materialises in the same space as the Lobri, splattering its remains across the street. The Doctor confronts Isaac, realising that the Threshold deliberately used him to dispose of the Lobri while fulfilling their contract to the letter, and vows to avenge Ace's death. He then removes Susan and Peri's memories of events, takes them and Susan back to the timelines from which they were kidnapped, and departs, alone.
== Plot ==
''to be added''


==Characters==
== Characters ==
''to be added''
* [[Seventh Doctor]]
* [[Ace]]
* [[Susan Foreman]]
* [[Sarah Jane Smith]]
* [[Peri Brown]]
* [[Isaac (Ground Zero)|Isaac]]
* [[Dixon (Ground Zero)|Dixon]]
* [[Zhanna]]
 
== Worldbuilding ==
=== Energy and radiation ===
* Ace, Sarah, and Peri are sent to a place of pure [[psionic energy]].
 
=== Individuals ===
* The Threshold [[neuro-lock]] Susan.
* Peri is tortured in order to harvest the greatest amount of [[fear]] from her.
 
=== Species ===
* The Threshold's clients are called the [[Lobri]].


==References==
=== TARDIS ===
''to be added''
* The Doctor links the Threshold's ring to the TARDIS's [[trans-reality navi-systems]].
* As the TARDIS breaks through the collective unconsciousness, it starts to break apart, the [[cloister bell]] begins to ring, the Doctor tells Susan to refocus the [[force-field prisms]].
* After the TARDIS's journey into the collective unconsciousness, the Doctor tells Susan to re-establish the [[tertiary navi-links]].
* The Doctor lands the TARDIS inside the Lobri, claiming that the [[safety interlocks]] would have prevented this had they been functioning.


==Notes==
=== Weapons ===
''to be added''
* [[Nitro-9]] is powerful enough to dispatch several of the Lobri.


==Continuity==
== Notes ==
''to be added''
[[File:Ground Zero DWM 289.jpg|thumb|Colourized page ([[DWM 289]])]]
* The first part of this comic starts with three inset panels from the last part of this comic.
* This marks the final appearance of the [[Seventh Doctor]] in regular comic strip format. His final lines in his comic book tenure are; ''"Isaac... Do you seriously believe there is anywhere in existence you people can hide from me now?"''
* This comic features the apparent death of Ace in an account not supported by any other media. The story itself does not confirm her age, and she wears her teenage bomber jacket over an obviously more mature outfit, but her characterization is closer to that of her younger self from the TV series.
:* Then ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' Editor [[Gary Gillatt]] explained this choice in [[DWM 240]], citing the resurrections of [[Abslom Daak]] in ''[[Emperor of the Daleks! (comic story)|Emperor of the Daleks!]]'' not being known of by the Doctor in ''[[Deceit (novel)|Deceit]]'' and the similar and conflicting [[Silurian]] stories [[COMIC]]: ''[[Final Genesis (comic story)|Final Genesis]]'' and [[PROSE]]: ''[[Blood Heat (novel)|Blood Heat]]'' as instances where the continuities had diverged in the past. He stated, ''"...as a result, we concluded things would be much simpler if the Marvel strip followed its own path"''. Following this, in [[DWM 242]], Gillatt stated, ''"The bottom line is that Marvel's ''Doctor Who'' comic strip has been going strong since 1979. With seventeen years of [[2-D universe|our own continuity]] to draw upon we see no need (or feel any obligation) to try and shoehorn another publishing company's characters and concepts into our own."''
* Part four was published in the same issue dedicated to the recent death of [[Third Doctor]] actor [[Jon Pertwee]].
* The Seventh Doctor is wearing the same outfit he is wearing in ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]'', and the console room and the rest of the TARDIS, resembling the design last seen in ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'', is heavily damaged during this story, seemingly setting up for the changes seen in the TV movie.
* This story subtly references the [[Eighth Doctor]]'s claim to be half-human from the TV movie. The Doctor tells Isaac he might be "more human" than he looks. Later, both the Doctor and Susan, grandfather and granddaughter, are able to enter the collected human unconsciousness unharmed after multiple assertions that anything alien would be rejected or destroyed.
* A page from Part Five was colourised for the article "Life after Death" in [[DWM 289]].


==External Links==
== Continuity ==
''to be added''
* The Doctor recalls that he used to [[Smoking|smoke]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'')
* Isaac took Peri from [[Hollywood]] on [[14 May]] [[1938]], ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Curse of the Scarab (comic story)|The Curse of the Scarab]]'') Susan from [[London]] on [[22 October]] [[1963]], ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Operation Proteus (comic story)|Operation Proteus]]'') and Sarah from [[Takhail]], [[Russia]] on [[25 April]] [[2086]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Black Destiny (comic story)|Black Destiny]]'')
* Ace remembers the Doctor criticising her [[Nitro-9]] for having poor timers. ([[TV]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|Remembrance of the Daleks]]'')
* As she dies, Ace once again asks the Doctor if they "did good". ([[TV]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|Remembrance of the Daleks]]'')


{{stub}}
== External links ==
{{dwrefguide|comic7.htm#groundzero|Ground Zero}}
{{Seventh Doctor DWM comics}}
{{TitleSort}}


[[Category:Seventh Doctor stories]]
[[Category:Seventh Doctor DWM comic stories]]
[[Category:Doctor Who Magazine comics stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2082]]
[[Category:Stories set in London]]
[[Category:1996 comic stories]]
[[Category:Five part comics]]

Latest revision as of 18:10, 22 May 2024

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Ground Zero was a comic story featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace. Notable for featuring a fate for the character Ace not supported by any other sources, it was one of the most controversial Doctor Who Magazine strips.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Threshold have kidnapped three of the Doctor's former companions, along with his current one, using them for their employer's benefit: the Lobri — a creation of the human unconsciousness, feeding on fear. They intend to destroy the unconscious link between humans. The Doctor must stop them, but at what cost?

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Energy and radiation[[edit] | [edit source]]

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Threshold neuro-lock Susan.
  • Peri is tortured in order to harvest the greatest amount of fear from her.

Species[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Threshold's clients are called the Lobri.

TARDIS[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor links the Threshold's ring to the TARDIS's trans-reality navi-systems.
  • As the TARDIS breaks through the collective unconsciousness, it starts to break apart, the cloister bell begins to ring, the Doctor tells Susan to refocus the force-field prisms.
  • After the TARDIS's journey into the collective unconsciousness, the Doctor tells Susan to re-establish the tertiary navi-links.
  • The Doctor lands the TARDIS inside the Lobri, claiming that the safety interlocks would have prevented this had they been functioning.

Weapons[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Nitro-9 is powerful enough to dispatch several of the Lobri.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Colourized page (DWM 289)
  • The first part of this comic starts with three inset panels from the last part of this comic.
  • This marks the final appearance of the Seventh Doctor in regular comic strip format. His final lines in his comic book tenure are; "Isaac... Do you seriously believe there is anywhere in existence you people can hide from me now?"
  • This comic features the apparent death of Ace in an account not supported by any other media. The story itself does not confirm her age, and she wears her teenage bomber jacket over an obviously more mature outfit, but her characterization is closer to that of her younger self from the TV series.
  • Then Doctor Who Magazine Editor Gary Gillatt explained this choice in DWM 240, citing the resurrections of Abslom Daak in Emperor of the Daleks! not being known of by the Doctor in Deceit and the similar and conflicting Silurian stories COMIC: Final Genesis and PROSE: Blood Heat as instances where the continuities had diverged in the past. He stated, "...as a result, we concluded things would be much simpler if the Marvel strip followed its own path". Following this, in DWM 242, Gillatt stated, "The bottom line is that Marvel's Doctor Who comic strip has been going strong since 1979. With seventeen years of our own continuity to draw upon we see no need (or feel any obligation) to try and shoehorn another publishing company's characters and concepts into our own."
  • Part four was published in the same issue dedicated to the recent death of Third Doctor actor Jon Pertwee.
  • The Seventh Doctor is wearing the same outfit he is wearing in Doctor Who, and the console room and the rest of the TARDIS, resembling the design last seen in Battlefield, is heavily damaged during this story, seemingly setting up for the changes seen in the TV movie.
  • This story subtly references the Eighth Doctor's claim to be half-human from the TV movie. The Doctor tells Isaac he might be "more human" than he looks. Later, both the Doctor and Susan, grandfather and granddaughter, are able to enter the collected human unconsciousness unharmed after multiple assertions that anything alien would be rejected or destroyed.
  • A page from Part Five was colourised for the article "Life after Death" in DWM 289.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

v • e
DWM Seventh Doctor comic stories
Original run
Frobisher
Olla
Solo
Ace
Benny
Ace & Benny
Solo
Newspaper pilot
Ace
Later stories
Ace
Ace & Benny
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