Ground Zero (comic story): Difference between revisions

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{{real world}}
{{real world}}
{{ImageLinkComics}}
{{ImageLinkComics}}
{{Infobox Story
{{Infobox Story SMW
|range = DWM comic stories{{!}}DWM Comics
|number in range = 89
|image= AceDeadGroundZero.jpg  
|image= AceDeadGroundZero.jpg  
|series=[[DWM comic stories|''DWM'' comic stories]]
|series=[[DWM comic stories|''DWM'' comic stories]]
|adapted into= The Threshold (short story)
|doctor= Seventh Doctor
|doctor= Seventh Doctor
|companions= [[Ace]]
|companions= [[Ace]]
|featuring = [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Sarah Jane Smith|Sarah]], [[Peri Brown|Peri]]
|featuring = Susan Foreman
|enemy= [[Threshold]]
|featuring2 = Sarah Jane Smith
|featuring3 = Peri Brown
|enemy= [[Isaac (Ground Zero)|Isaac]]
|setting= [[Notting Hill]], [[London]], [[2082]]
|setting= [[Notting Hill]], [[London]], [[2082]]
|writer= [[Scott Gray]]
|writer= Scott Gray
|editor=[[Gary Gillatt]]
|editor = [[Gary Gillatt]]
|artist= [[Martin Geraghty]], [[Bambos Georgiou]]
|artist= [[Martin Geraghty]], [[Bambos Georgiou]]
|colourist=
|colourist=
|letterer=[[Elitta Fell]]
|letterer = [[Elitta Fell]]
|publication= ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' [[DWM 238|238]]-[[DWM 242|242]]
|publication= [[DWM 238]]-[[DWM 242|242]]
|release date= [[11 April (releases)|11 April]] - [[1 August (releases)|1 August]] [[1996 (releases)|1996]]
|release date= 11 April - 1 August 1996
|cover date= [[8 May (releases)|8 May]] - [[28 August (releases)|28 August]] [[1996 (releases)|1996]]
|cover date= 8 May - 28 August 1996
|publisher= Marvel UK
|publisher= Marvel UK
|format= Comic - 5 parts
|format= Comic  
|prev= Black Destiny (comic story)
|prev= Black Destiny (comic story)
|next= Doctor Who and the Fangs of Time (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.
'''''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 ==
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?
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?


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
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* [[Sarah Jane Smith]]
* [[Sarah Jane Smith]]
* [[Peri Brown]]
* [[Peri Brown]]
* [[Threshold]]
* [[Isaac (Ground Zero)|Isaac]]
* [[Dixon (Ground Zero)|Dixon]]
* [[Zhanna]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
=== Energy and radiation ===
=== Energy and radiation ===
* Ace, Sarah, and Peri are sent to a place of pure [[psionic energy]].
* Ace, Sarah, and Peri are sent to a place of pure [[psionic energy]].
Line 46: Line 54:
* The Threshold [[neuro-lock]] Susan.
* The Threshold [[neuro-lock]] Susan.
* Peri is tortured in order to harvest the greatest amount of [[fear]] from her.
* Peri is tortured in order to harvest the greatest amount of [[fear]] from her.
=== Timeline ===
* Peri was taken from [[Hollywood]], [[14 May]] [[1938]].
* Susan was taken from [[London]], [[22 October]] [[1963]].
* Sarah Jane Smith was taken from [[Takhail]], [[Russia]], [[25 April]] [[2086]].


=== Species ===
=== Species ===
Line 65: Line 68:


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
[[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.
* The first part of this comic starts with three inset panels from the last part of this comic.
* This comic features the apparent death of Ace, still a teenager, an account not supported by any other media.  
* 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?"''
:* 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]]'' and the similar and conflicting [[Silurian]] stories ''[[Final Genesis (comic story)|Final Genesis]]'' and ''[[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."
* 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.
* Part four was published in the same issue dedicated to the recent death of [[Jon Pertwee]]
:* 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."''
* The Seventh Doctor is wearing the same outfit he is wearing in [[TV]]: ''[[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.
* 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]].


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* Sarah was taken by the Threshold in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Black Destiny (comic story)|Black Destiny]]''.
* The Doctor recalls that he used to [[Smoking|smoke]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'')
* Peri was taken by the Threshold in [[COMIC]]: ''[[The Curse of the Scarab (comic story)|The Curse of the Scarab]]''.
* 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]]'')
* Susan was taken by the Threshold in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Operation Proteus (comic story)|Operation Proteus]]''.
* 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]]'')


== External links ==
== External links ==
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{{Seventh Doctor DWM comics}}
{{Seventh Doctor DWM comics}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{comic stub}}


[[Category:Seventh Doctor DWM comic stories]]
[[Category:Seventh Doctor DWM comic stories]]
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[[Category:Stories set in London]]
[[Category:Stories set in London]]
[[Category:1996 comic stories]]
[[Category:1996 comic stories]]
[[Category:Ace 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]]