The Archives of Phryne (comic story)

The Archives of Phryne
Main enemy:	Skaro City Daleks
Key crew
Publisher:	City Magazines
Editor:	Alan Fennell
Writer:	unclear authorship
Artist:	Eric Eden
Release details
Number of parts:	7
Printed in:	TV Century 21 52-58
Release date:	15 January - 26 February 1966
Reprinted in:	DWCC 6
Format:	Comic
The Daleks comics
← Previous	Eve of the War
Next →	The Rogue Planet

The Archives of Phryne was a comic story in The Daleks published by TV Century 21. It was significant for featuring artist Eric Eden's only work on the series and for his choice to model his Daleks on the 1960s Dalek movies with Peter Cushing.

Summary

The Daleks are searching their surrounding space, preparing for their coming war with the Mechanoids when they find the planet Phryne.

Plot

With war with the Mechanoids on the horizon, Dalek Searcher saucers leave Skaro on the hunt for new technology to create more advanced weapons. Searcher One, commanded by the Black Dalek, encounters a dead planet in a seemingly empty region of space before discovering the rest of the planets in the solar system are cloaked by an invisibility shield. Meanwhile on Phryne, Saf warns the Controller that ships are landing on Phyrne's moon but the Controller takes no immediate action. When they intercept Dalek transmissions reporting that the Daleks are working to pierce the invisibility shield, a squadron of fighters is dispatched to stop them. They are destroyed by Dalek missiles. The last surviving ship it set by its pilot on a suicide course and destroys the Dalek machine. Searcher One takes off just in time and passes through the invisibility band.

The Phrynians activate their actinic rays while the Controller tries to stop the citizens from panicking. The rays begin heating up the Dalek ship so the Daleks response with a gamma beta ice ray with destroys the defences and they land. Citizens flee and Phrynian atrevolvers are swiftly overcome. The Controller is quickly captured and tells Saf to get everyone into hiding so that they may construct new weapons to one day fight back. The Daleks demand the Controller tell them the secrets of Phryne but he jumps from the building so that the secrets die with him. The Daleks conquer the planet but the Phrynians are determined to one day win back what is theirs.

Characters

• The Controller
• Sal
• Black Dalek
• Professor Blinsteen

Worldbuilding

• Natives of Phryne are Phrynians.
• The Daleks use a Logic Computer.
• Marineville and Space City have released statements warning spacecraft and shipping to stay clear of certain areas. For ships, the Mid South Pacific and for spacecraft, Sectors 3, 4 and 6. These restrictions are to last until space and sea trials are complete.
• Tracking stations throughout America report the presence of an unidentified craft heading north towards Canada. It is travelling too fast for stations to identify but the latest report reveals that it is slowing as it nears central northern Canada.
• The World Senate Secret Police led by Li Chan joined forces with USS agents in a dawn raid on houses in the Churchill Avenue section of Unity City. Suspects were arrested.
• Video-scan operators at the World Maritime Agency's Panamanian tracking station report that they are unable to trace the merchant marine vessel Florida. The ship vanished suddenly from all screens with Maritime search craft investigating.
• The Canadian Forest Fire Patrol claim the damage so far in the timber forest blaze to be the worst for years. An estimated forty million dollars worth of timber has been destroyed. The head of the Patrol has ordered an investigation into its origins.
• The trial of Admiral Beatty, who was recently arrested for passing secret information to Bereznik, has been fixed for 26 February 2066 and will take place at Unity City Espionage Court.
• Space City has officially announced that no further details will be released to the press concerning the disappearance of the Electrode 909 and Fireball, with security reasons being given. TV 21 readers are to be kept informed of developments through the Laser-accelerated Spectro-view.
• Fireball and Electrode 909 crashed on Mellates, one of the galaxy's deadliest planets. This was stated by Professor Blinsteen, the head of astro-research in Unity City. He claimed that Earth's survey ships did not land when it was first discovered and that tests taken from orbit revealed many dangers to man. Blinsteen also said that the report was classified and he was unwilling to divulge its exact contents.

Notes

• This is the first chapter of The Daleks in which the Dalek Emperor is absent, although he is mentioned.
• A new blue title panel by Eric Eden makes its first appearance in the first instalment, and would be used until TV21 Issue 75.
• In 2006, Altered Vistas released an animated adaptation of this story.

Reprints

• Doctor Who - A Marvel Monthly 54-55 in black and white
• Terry Nation's Dalek Annual 1977 in black-and-white
• Doctor Who Classic Comics 6 in colour
• DWMS The Dalek Chronicles in colour

Continuity

• The Daleks are searching space for alien inventions. (COMIC: Eve of War)