Food for Thought (comic story): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Story | {{Infobox Story SMW | ||
|range = DWM comic stories{{!}}DWM Comics | |||
|number in range = 81 | |||
|image = Food for Thought TARDIS disappears.jpg | |image = Food for Thought TARDIS disappears.jpg | ||
|series = [[DWM comic stories]] | |series = [[DWM comic stories]] | ||
|number = | |number = | ||
|doctor = First Doctor | |doctor = First Doctor | ||
|companions = [[ | |companions = [[Polly Wright|Polly]], [[Ben Jackson|Ben]] | ||
|enemy = [[Mollusi]] | |enemy = [[Mollusi]] | ||
|setting = [[Apresar IV]] | |setting = [[Apresar IV]] | ||
|writer = | |writer = Nick Briggs | ||
|artist = [[Colin Andrew]] | |artist = [[Colin Andrew]] | ||
|editor = [[Gary Russell]] | |editor = [[Gary Russell]] | ||
|colourist = | |colourist = | ||
|letterer = | |letterer = | ||
|publication = | |publication = [[DWM 218]]-[[DWM 220|220]] | ||
|release date = | |release date = 29 September - 24 November 1994 | ||
|cover date = | |cover date = 26 October - 21 December 1994 | ||
|publisher = Marvel Comics UK | |publisher = Marvel Comics UK | ||
|format = Comic | |format = Comic | ||
|prev = The Lunar Strangers (comic story) | |prev = The Lunar Strangers (comic story) | ||
|next = Change of Mind (comic story) | |next = Change of Mind (comic story) | ||
|epcount = 3|reprint=Land of the Blind (graphic novel) | |||
}}{{comic stub}} | }}{{comic stub}} | ||
'''''Food for Thought''''' was a [[First Doctor comic stories|First Doctor comic story]] featuring [[Ben Jackson|Ben]] and [[Polly Wright|Polly]]. | '''''Food for Thought''''' was a [[First Doctor comic stories|First Doctor comic story]] featuring [[Ben Jackson|Ben]] and [[Polly Wright|Polly]]. | ||
{{as of| | {{as of|2023}}, it is the only [[missing episodes|wholly-surviving story]] told in a visual medium which featured this particular [[TARDIS team]], since Ben and Polly's only complete [[serial]], ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'', also included [[Dodo Chaplet|Dodo]]. In fact, it was the comic debut of this TARDIS team, as Polly and Ben had only appeared in [[World Distributors]] [[Doctor Who annual|annuals]] prior to this story — and then only with the [[Second Doctor]]. | ||
== Summary == | == Summary == | ||
The Doctor visits a planet under the control of massive slugs. | |||
== Plot == | == Plot == | ||
''to | The Doctor, Ben and Polly materialize on Apresar IV, where they find giant slugs roaming a deserted city. One such slug consumes the TARDIS, and while hiding from it Ben falls through a panel into the city's control network. There, he is pursued by robot service units who are feeding the cryogenically frozen Apresarians to the slugs' young. A spaceship lands on the planet to investigate the lack of response from the surface; Captain Galloran is returning terraformer Ellis Melthorpe following a survey of the outlying planets. They are attacked by a slug which the nervous, terrified Ellis identifies as a Mollusi, and Ellis flees as the Doctor is consumed by the Mollusi. Polly accompanies Galloran and his crew to planetary control, where they find Ellis and Ben. Ellis accuses Ben and Polly of killing his people, but before Galloran can execute them the Doctor arrives with a vat of larval Mollusi which he found in Ellis' quarters on Galloran's ship. Ellis admits that he was consumed by a Mollusi on his last expedition and gave in to its will in order to survive; upon returning to Apresar IV, he initiated the Apresarian emergency control procedures, placing the entire population of the planet into cryogenic stasis and programming the robot service units to harvest them as food for the Mollusi. The Doctor has used his own willpower to turn the Mollusi which attempted to consume him against its fellows, and he now instigates a security shut-down procedure which deactivates the service units. The Mollusi young break out of the cryogenic chambers and attack them, but Ellis, blaming himself for the deaths, flings himself at a Mollusi which consumes him. The Mollusi then becomes overwhelmed by Ellis' suicidal self-loathing and despair, and turns on the other Mollusi, killing them all. | ||
== Characters == | == Characters == | ||
| Line 40: | Line 43: | ||
* [[Galloran]] | * [[Galloran]] | ||
== | == Worldbuilding == | ||
' | * Upon seeing [[Apresar IV]]'s [[capital city]] deserted, Ben thinks it must be [[Sunday]]. | ||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
* This | * This was the first story to feature Ben and Polly as companions of the First Doctor outside the television series, though, given that there was originally no narrative gaps between ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'', ''[[The Smugglers (TV story)|The Smugglers]]'' or ''[[The Tenth Planet (TV story)|The Tenth Planet]]'', it was unclear how ''Food For Thought'' fitted between them until the [[2017 (releases)|2017]] audio story ''[[The Bonfires of the Vanities (audio story)|The Bonfires of the Vanities]]'' explained the discrepancy. | ||
* [[Galloran]] describes being parked in orbit as "hanging about like [[Temperon]] droppings", a reference to the creature from [[Nicholas Briggs]]' [[Audio Visuals (fan work)|Audio Visuals]] series, that later appeared in [[Big Finish Productions]]' first ''Doctor Who'' audio, ''[[The Sirens of Time (audio story)|The Sirens of Time]]''. | |||
* In [[2018 (releases)|2018]], this story was collected in the graphic novel ''[[Land of the Blind (graphic novel)|Land of the Blind]]''. | |||
== Continuity == | == Continuity == | ||
''to be added'' | ''to be added'' | ||
{{TitleSort}} | {{TitleSort}} | ||
[[Category:First Doctor DWM comic stories]] | [[Category:First Doctor DWM comic stories]] | ||
[[Category:1994 comic stories]] | [[Category:1994 comic stories]] | ||
[[Category:Three part comics]] | |||
Latest revision as of 07:38, 29 June 2024
Food for Thought was a First Doctor comic story featuring Ben and Polly.
As of 2023[update], it is the only wholly-surviving story told in a visual medium which featured this particular TARDIS team, since Ben and Polly's only complete serial, The War Machines, also included Dodo. In fact, it was the comic debut of this TARDIS team, as Polly and Ben had only appeared in World Distributors annuals prior to this story — and then only with the Second Doctor.
Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Doctor visits a planet under the control of massive slugs.
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Doctor, Ben and Polly materialize on Apresar IV, where they find giant slugs roaming a deserted city. One such slug consumes the TARDIS, and while hiding from it Ben falls through a panel into the city's control network. There, he is pursued by robot service units who are feeding the cryogenically frozen Apresarians to the slugs' young. A spaceship lands on the planet to investigate the lack of response from the surface; Captain Galloran is returning terraformer Ellis Melthorpe following a survey of the outlying planets. They are attacked by a slug which the nervous, terrified Ellis identifies as a Mollusi, and Ellis flees as the Doctor is consumed by the Mollusi. Polly accompanies Galloran and his crew to planetary control, where they find Ellis and Ben. Ellis accuses Ben and Polly of killing his people, but before Galloran can execute them the Doctor arrives with a vat of larval Mollusi which he found in Ellis' quarters on Galloran's ship. Ellis admits that he was consumed by a Mollusi on his last expedition and gave in to its will in order to survive; upon returning to Apresar IV, he initiated the Apresarian emergency control procedures, placing the entire population of the planet into cryogenic stasis and programming the robot service units to harvest them as food for the Mollusi. The Doctor has used his own willpower to turn the Mollusi which attempted to consume him against its fellows, and he now instigates a security shut-down procedure which deactivates the service units. The Mollusi young break out of the cryogenic chambers and attack them, but Ellis, blaming himself for the deaths, flings himself at a Mollusi which consumes him. The Mollusi then becomes overwhelmed by Ellis' suicidal self-loathing and despair, and turns on the other Mollusi, killing them all.
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Upon seeing Apresar IV's capital city deserted, Ben thinks it must be Sunday.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- This was the first story to feature Ben and Polly as companions of the First Doctor outside the television series, though, given that there was originally no narrative gaps between The War Machines, The Smugglers or The Tenth Planet, it was unclear how Food For Thought fitted between them until the 2017 audio story The Bonfires of the Vanities explained the discrepancy.
- Galloran describes being parked in orbit as "hanging about like Temperon droppings", a reference to the creature from Nicholas Briggs' Audio Visuals series, that later appeared in Big Finish Productions' first Doctor Who audio, The Sirens of Time.
- In 2018, this story was collected in the graphic novel Land of the Blind.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
