City of Devils (comic story)

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City of Devils
Main character(s):	Sarah Jane Smith
Featuring:	Silurians, Sea Devils
Main setting:	Egypt, 1983
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::Marvel Comics]]
Editor:	John Freeman
Writer:	Gary Russell
Artist:	Vincent Danks
Colourist:	monochromatic
Letterer:	Annie Halfacree
Release details
Printed in:	DWM Holiday Special 1992
Release date:	1992
Format:	B&W 1 part / 8 pages
DWM backup comic stories
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Next →	Unnatural Born Killers

Summary

On Aunt Lavina's request, Sarah Jane Smith and K9 join Dr Warren Martyn and his assistant, Dexter Townsend, on an archaeological dig in Egypt. They have uncovered a hidden city of the Eocenes (correctly identified by K9!).

Dexter is only after the treasures and is killed, but the Eocenes are seeking peaceful co-existence with the humans. Warren agrees to stay so they may exchange cultures and Sarah is given free passage to return home to negotiate their terms.

Sarah is optimistic after speaking with the Brigadier. UNIT this time round seems more sympathetic.

Characters

• Sarah Jane Smith
• K9
• Lavinia Smith
• Warren Martyn
• Dexter Townsend
• Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (not seen, only mentioned)

References

to be added

Notes

• This is the only known comic strip based on K9 and Company.
• This comic strip story is respectfully dedicated to Malcolm Hulke.
• The Silurians are correctly referred to as Eocenes because of the period from which they date.
• In the comic strip, K9 relates the earlier attempt by the Doctor to negotiate a peaceful co-existence.
• K9 also makes reference to The Daily Telegraph report of 12 April 1929 which tells how an Antarctica expedition was lost following their claim to have found a lost city of intelligent reptiles.
• The entrance to the tunnels is rich in hieroglyphics that predate Zoser (2650 BC) yet are more recent. The dig officially reports no findings although Dr. Martyn never returns.
• Artist Vincent Danks includes K9 in a couple of fun, tongue-in-cheek visual gags that don't make a great deal of sense. For instance, we see K9 reading the book, The Adventures of Lassie, without particularly indicating how K9 might have turned the pages. Given K9 Mark II's continual insistence that he was not a dog, it is unclear why K9 Mark III would have been particularly interested in a dog story like Lassie. Later, in Egypt, K9 is shown wearing an adventurer's pith helmet.

Publication

Original print details

(Publication with page count)

• DWM Summer Special 1992, sometimes called the Sarah Jane Holiday Special. 8 pages.

Continuity

• K9 calls the Silurians and Sea Devils as "Homo Reptilia," a practice the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors would later pick up. (COMIC: Cold Blooded War!; TV: The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood; GAME: The Eternity Clock)