Impasse (comic story)

Impasse
Main character(s):	2K
Main enemy:	Skaro City Daleks, Mechanoids
Main setting:	Zeros, Skaro, Mechanus
Key crew
Publisher:	City Magazines
Editor:	Alan Fennell
Writer:	unclear authorship
Artist:	Ron Turner
Release details
Number of parts:	7
Printed in:	TV Century 21 63-69
Release date:	2 April - 14 May 1966
Reprinted in:	DWM 62, DWCC 12
Format:	Comic
The Daleks comics
← Previous	The Rogue Planet
Next →	The Terrorkon Harvest

Impasse was a comic strip in TV Century 21's The Daleks series.

Summary

The war between the Mechanoids and the Daleks is brewing, but on the planet Zeros they are worried that the victor will come for them, so they decide to send an agent to ensure that neither is victorious.

Plot

On the planet Zeros, a planet which has a functioning political and media system, their leaders are concerned over the coming war between the Daleks and the Mechanoids, so they create an agent: 2K, a robot that will ensure that neither the Daleks nor the Mechanoids has success in their coming war.

2K arrives on Skaro and finds his way to the Dalek Information Chamber and learns of the Daleks' planet Skardal on heading towards the Mechanoids, he decides it must be stopped or else it will destroy the Mechanoids.

Almost immediately 2K is discovered by the Daleks, using their Magnetrap, but 2K manages to escape by tunnelling down through the surface; he finds himself in an underground silo where he manages to escape the Dalek's by using their own rocket and warhead.

But as he is escaping, the Daleks realise what he is doing. To confuse the Daleks 2K separates the warhead from the rocket, sending the warhead towards Skaro, and taking the rest of the rocket to Mechanus, with the warhead to follow after him to blow up the rogue planet Skaradal. The Daleks send interceptors after the warhead.

On Mechanus 2K arrives and shows the Mechanoids the rogue planet heading towards them, then the Daleks' warhead explodes disintegrating the rogue planet. 2K tells the Mechanoids that the Daleks destroyed the planet to save them, rather than let it crash into their planet. The Mechanoids tell 2K that the Daleks and Mechanoids are still enemies, but allow him to go free.

Characters

• Gry and the Rulers of Zeros
• 2K
• Dalek Emperor
• Daleks
• Mechanoids
• Nikita Bandranaik
• Phones Sheridan
• Mu Fingint
• Controller Adams

Worldbuilding

• The native of Zeros are Zerovians.
• The latest medical bulletin from Madagascar reveals that General N'Mobo's condition is critical. Doctors have stated that there is nothing more they can do with his life now resting in the hands of International Rescue, who are searching for the missing Doctor Adams.
• Joined by Senators representing many Pacific islands, Senator Fingint of Fiji demanded to know the exact plans for dealing with the "weed menace". He suggested that the weed could start attacking whole islands if it was also a danger to shipping.
• The Interplanetary Chemical Mining Company has announced in Unity City that they are suspending mining operations on all planets. Special security measures are being put in place to protect personnel from the unknown menace which affected the crew on Syntex.
• Spotter tower TR5, which is situated four miles off the Marineville coast, has reported extensive Terror Fish activity in the area. Controller Adams was unable to say why they were there but said that there seemed to be four or five cruising beneath the water surface.
• Panic is spreading in Space City and armed forces are rushing to the scene of a mysterious object which landed from outer space. Reinforcements have been sent for.
• The World President has appealed for calm following the landing at Space City of alien creatures. He claimed that everything possible was being done to contain the menace and that there was no cause for alarm.
• A report has reached Marineville from a bathyscaphe searching Area 13 for Stingray. The report states that Lieutenant George Lee Phones Sheridan has been picked up and is recovering but that no contact has yet been made with the submarine.

Notes

• In the caption boxes at the start of the comic, 2K's name is spelt both "Two K" and "2K".
• The Skardal arc is concluded and the Mechanoid story arc ends abruptly.
• Skardal is mistakenly referred to as "Skardel" on the seventh panel of the second page.
• In 2007, Altered Vistas released an animated adaptation of this story.

Continuity

• The Daleks have set Skardal on a course to Mechanus. (COMIC: The Rogue Planet)
• The conflict between the Daleks and the Mechanoids is settled. (COMIC: Eve of War)
• Skaro's defences disturb the Terrorkons, leading into the next story, COMIC: The Terrorkon Harvest.