In Their Nature (comic story)

In Their Nature
Doctor:	Fifth Doctor
Companion(s):	Adric, Tegan, Nyssa
Featuring:	Sontarans
Main enemy:	Rutan Host
Main setting:	Rutan weapon test field
Key crew
Publisher:	IDW Publishing
Editor:	Denton J. Tipton
Writer:	Scott & David Tipton
Artist:	Philip Bond
Letterer:	Tom B. Long
Release details
Printed in:	POT 5
Release date:	29 May 2013
Traded in:	Prisoners of Time: Volume 2, Doctor Who Archives: Prisoners of Time
Format:	American comic book
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In Their Nature was the fifth issue of Prisoners of Time featured the Fifth Doctor and his companions Tegan Jovanka, Adric and Nyssa

Publisher's summary

Our yearlong celebration of Doctor Who's 50th anniversary continues! Brave heart, Whovians, for the Fifth Doctor takes the spotlight in this issue of a 12-part epic adventure featuring all 11 incarnations of the Doctor!

Plot

Somewhere in a place between places, the hooded figure tries out a new weapon, which he uses on a fake TARDIS as a target; he then storms out and walks past all of the Doctor's companions that he has collected thus far.

The Doctor and Tegan Jovanka meet the Rutan Host.

Meanwhile, the TARDIS materialises, and out step the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Adric and Nyssa. The Doctor is trying to replenish the TARDIS with artron energy, but they find themselves in the direct line of fire of a missile. They manage to run into a ditch where the Rutans are waiting. They take all three prisoner, and when Adric tries to fight back, a Rutan host tries to electrocute him, but is stopped by the Doctor.

The TARDIS has landed in the middle of a Rutan weapon test field, and the Rutans think that the TARDIS crew are Sontaran spies. The Doctor tries to explain, but the Rutans believe that they are telling lies, and plan to exterminate them.

Adric tells them to "get ready" and shoves the Rutans into one another, knocking them over. The crew uses this chance to escape, and race for the TARDIS. They're almost there when they are captured by a Sontaran scout fleet.

The Sontaran fleet brings the crew to their leader, Commander Strock. He tells them that they have aggravated the Rutans. The Sontarans don't see the Doctor as a threat, especially since his "soldiers" are nothing more than children.

The Sontarans get the Doctor to help them defeat the Rutan Hosts on what the commander has described as a "worthless rock". The Doctor spots a massive flaw in the Sontarans' strategy and pleads that there must be an alternative to this worthless assault. The Sontarans nevertheless want to die as Sontarans, in the midst of battle in a full frontal assault.

The Commander sets out a squad to help the Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric back to the TARDIS as Strock and the other Sontarans lead into battle. All three make it to the TARDIS safely and the squad leaves to join the battle, screaming "Sontar-Ha!".

The Doctor tries to tell Adric about the "Frog and Scorpion", and turns around to find Adric, Tegan and Nyssa unconscious and the hooded figure standing over them. The figure brags saying that he "let his friends down", and "put all three of them into harms way".

He then disappears, taking Nyssa, Adric and Tegan with him, the Doctor realises that this has happened before...

Characters

• Fifth Doctor
• Nyssa
• Adric
• Tegan
• Rutans
• Sontarans
• Commander Strock
• Cloaked figure

The cloaked figure's fortress

• Ian Chesterton
• Barbara Wright
• Jamie McCrimmon
• Zoe Heriot
• Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
• Sarah Jane Smith
• Leela
• K9 Mark I

References

• The cloaked figure resides in a fortress in a place between places and uses a memory distortion to keep the Doctor from remembering him. With every attack, it grows weaker and finally fails when the Fifth Doctor remembers him after he takes Tegan, Nyssa and Adric.

Continuity

• The Rutans recall their scout's demise at the hands of the Fourth Doctor at Fang Rock. (TV: Horror of Fang Rock)
• The Doctor remembers the fight with the Sontaran Linx on Earth (TV: The Time Warrior) and he knows his role in foiling the Sontaran invasion of Gallifrey, even if he has "hazy" memories about those events. (TV: The Invasion of Time)