Timeslip (comic story)

Timeslip
Doctor:	[[doctor::Fourth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	K9 Mark II
Featuring:	First Doctor, Second Doctor, Third Doctor
Main enemy:	Space amoeba
Main setting:	The TARDIS
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::Marvel Comics]]
Editor:	Dez Skinn
Writer:	Dez Skinn (plot)Paul Neary (script)
Artist:	Paul Neary
Release details
Printed in:	Doctor Who Weekly 17-18
Release date:	6 February 1980 - 13 February 1980
Format:	Comic - 2 parts (8 pages)
DWM comic stories
← Previous	City of the Damned
Next →	Doctor Who and the Star Beast

Timeslip is a Doctor Who Weekly comic story featuring the Fourth Doctor and K9 Mark II.

Summary

The Doctor and K9 drift into contact with a deep space entity which feeds on Time itself. As Time begins to move backwards, K9 reverts to the components from which he was made and eventually to a pool of metal. Meanwhile, the Doctor moves back through his third, second and finally his first incarnation at the point where the Doctor first threw the switch to bring life to his TARDIS.

As the power reversal switches the power off, the entity weakens and time moves forward enough to throw the switch on, then back off, then on and so on. Each time the switch is changed, the entity experiences indigestion and eventually weakens. As Time rolls forward once again, all that is left of the entity is a puddle on the TARDIS floor.

Characters

• Fourth Doctor
• First Doctor
• K9 Mark II
• Space amoeba

References

to be added

Notes

• Announced in the previous issue of Doctor Who Weekly as Time Trap.
• This is the first comic strip story to feature another depiction of the Doctor other than the then-current fourth incarnation, and the first appearance in the comic strip of K9.
• This marked the first DWM appearance of the First Doctor, Second Doctor and Third Doctor. While the First and Fourth Doctors drive the story, the Second and Third appear only transitionally.
• The full-page regression of the Doctor (which relied heavily on photo-reference of stock photos) through his earlier selves was also used as the basis of a colouring competition in DWM 24. The lettering in the Doctors' speech balloons was also changed to read as follows:

(Fourth Doctor) Children...

(Third Doctor) Colour in our picture of the Four Doctors...

(Second Doctor) And win one of...

(First Doctor) OUR 100 DOCTOR WHO POSTERS!

• The images of the various Doctors (and enemies) appear to have been based on promotional images that were around at the time.

Original print details

Publication with page count and closing captions

1. DWM 17 (4 pages) Next Week: Bid Time Return
2. DWM 18 (4 pages) Next Week: The Star Beast

Reprints

1. DWMS Summer 1981
2. DW84 18 Reprinted in colour.
3. DWCC 27 Reprinted in colour.
4. The Tides of Time Reprinted in black and white, with closing captions. (Unlike the rest of the stories, printed in full colour).
5. Doctor Who Classics Omnibus Volume 1

Continuity

• Reference is made to the Randomiser being operative, placing this story after the events of DW: The Armageddon Factor (and therefore quite a bit later than the preceding strip, DWM: City of the Damned). Romana II is said to be absent, but the presence of K9 and absence of Adric indicates this story (as well as those immediately following in which the Doctor travels with K9 and Sharon) has to occur prior to the TARDIS entering E-Space in DW: Full Circle.
• The reason for Romana's absence is not explained. The Doctor expresses a wish that he could contact her, suggesting that where ever she is (or perhaps due to the randomiser) that communication is difficult.

Timeline

• This story occurs after: DWM: K9's Finest Hour
• This story occurs before: DWM: The Star Beast