Cold Blooded War! (comic story)
The title page shows the comic's title as Cold Blooded War!, however the cover page hyphenates Cold-Blooded.
Publisher's summary
To be added
Summary
A blue skinned news reader reports the top story of the day that the situation on Draconia has worstened in recent weeks with the royal houses in embroiled in civil war. A Draconian explains that the federation's diplomatic entreaties have been refused. An Ice Warrior reports that the Shadow Proclamation has not been called in but that Judoon may soon have to patrol Draconian cities. A report then comes from an adipose who says that adjudicators have been dispatched by the president of Earth to make peace but that insurgents are claiming the problems are due to Earth becoming part of the federation. Further details come from a pale skinned humanoid, who reports the centre of the troubles come from the ascension of Lady Adjit Kwan to Empress of the royal house of Adjit Assan. The report then goes to the press conference of the Empress, who says she will not assume the traditional subservient role of females and will not shirk her responsibility.
On board a spacecraft, adjudicators Hall and Splane are enroute to Draconia and are discussing the situation with a congressman. The congressman believes that the Empress cannot overturn the whole male-dominated culture of Draconia whilst Hall, although he believes that Kwan is a terrible diplomat, thinks that documents from the Draconian archive prove that, prior to the industrial epoch, Draconian women shared as much power as men and that their culture is brilliant and progressive. Hall attempts to open his box when a ticking sound begins and soon the spaceship is destroyed in a huge explosion.
Unaware of these events, the Doctor is heading to the Opera on Coronis Minor, having attempted to get there previously in his Fourth incarnation with Leela. However, Donna steps out into a cloakroom. The Doctor realises this cannot be the right planet, and, exploring further, they discover Draconians of the house of Adjit Assan greeting Martian monitors. The Doctor shows them his psychic paper and they welcome them as the adjudicator from Earth and Lady Chiswick. It is then that Alpha Centauri runs through the room, unwilling to stay due to all the male hormones upsetting its metabolism.
Suddenly, they are attacked by the Brothers of Fuseck Kljuco. They take the Doctor prisoner and attempt to kill Donna. However, one of the Martians uses his arm mounted sonic weaponry to save her, but the Brothers still flee with the Doctor. The different Draconian houses accuse each other of orchestrating the attack but Donna says they need to get the Doctor back, to no avail. It is when the Ice Lord insists they have to rescue him or enforce martial law that the Draconians pay attention.
The Doctor is lead down darkened steps and has the hood removed from his head. Fuseck Kljuco, a scarred Draconian, removes his own hood and tells the Doctor he cannot be the adjudicator as there ship was destroyed hours ago. The Doctor then bows before him and reveals he is a noble of Draconia. Kljuco does not believe him and has him locked up awaiting execution.
At the same time, Donna and the Martians are being led to the Empress' throne room. Donna asks the Ice Lord about the situation and he explains that the house of Jandi Hussan does not wish to accept the rule of women and it used to be forbidden for women to speak in the presence of men. Donna notices that the women appear to be wearing Burqas and complains, a Draconian explains the ceremonial dress is to prevent women from the prying eyes of men. Donna shouts back at him, however the Ice Lord tells her they must respect local custom.
In prison, The Doctor notices a small Draconian in the cell adjacent to his and talks to her. She explains her name is Agita but she must be quiet as she is a girl or bad things will happen. The Doctor asks what she is holding and she explains it is a talking stick, which means she can talk about what she wants during council without being interrupted. However, her mother didn't have one when she told her husband, Kljuco, that it would be a good thing for Kwan to be empress. The Doctor then observes that the bars are sonic and so he uses his sonic screwdriver on them to disrupt the guards, whilst he and Agita escape.
Inside the throne room, the Empress assures Donna that the Imperial guard will find the Doctor but the different Draconian houses once again start accusing each other. The Ice Lord says he will be forced to embark on military action. However, the Draconian from the house of Jandi Hussan uses this as evidence for the Empress' bad rule, whilst the draconian of Adjit Assan accuses the other house of being associates of Kljuco. Donna, annoyed by the squabbling, tells them to 'Shut It' and then finds everyone in the room staring at her.
In the cell room, Kljuco returns to find the prisoners escaped and the guards dazed. He therefore decides he must kill the Empress himself. At the same time, the Doctor and Agita run through the Draconian streets towards the palace.
Back inside the palace Donna berates the Draconians for squaballing when the Doctor is in trouble. The member of Jandi Hussan starts to protest, but Donna berates him back saying he already had a mother, and therefore should be used to a woman in charge, and he should spend more time conquering his insecurities rather than squaballing over who is in power. Instead he should accept Kwan as a good ruler. The representative appears to heed her words and both houses bow before the empress. It is at that moment the Doctor enters with Agita and explains about his escape.
Kljuco scales the walls of the palace and sneaks inside, having learned how an assassin can sneak in anywhere after a female assassin almost killed him during his time as supreme commander of the Draconian forces. Now, outside the throne room, he intends to get revenge on the Empress for dismissing him. Jumping between the Martians he fires his gun at Kwan but at the same time Agita moves and is hit by the blast in the centre of the chest.
Kljuco is restrained by the Martians and the Doctor moves to Agita, cradling her in his arms, but it is too late, she is dead. Whilst the rest of the room is in mournful silence the Doctor shouts at Kljuco, saying that he would kill both his wife and daughter as a way of demonstrating male supremacy. The Ice Lord tells the Draconian representatives they should immediately ratify Kwan as Empress and place Kljuco on trial for treason before they kill all their children.
Back inside the TARDIS the Doctor sits holding his knees up to his chest and with Donna standing behind him. The Doctor blames himself for Agita's death but Donna tells him her death saved thousands of innocents. She hands him Agita's stick, to remember her by and in case he needs to talk.
Characters
References
- The Doctor makes reference to his fourth incarnation and Leela.
- The comic marks the return of the Draconians and the Ice Warriors.
- Alpha Centauri makes a cameo appearance.
- The Shadow Proclamation is mentioned.
Planets
to be added
Notes
- Donna Noble once again appears as the Doctor's companion; the IDW standalone series of comics is not being published in chronological order.
- Reprinted in the graphic novel Through Time and Space.
- It is interesting to note that Russel T Davies was not going to introduce the Ice Warriors into the new series of Dr Who, although they have been mentioned in those episodes.
Cover Gallery
Cover A
Cover B
Continuity
- Few clues are given as to when in Donna Noble's travels with the Doctor that this occurs. Her somewhat snarky demeanour, a trait that lessened considerably later in her travels, would suggest this took place early on.
- Several alien races are revealed to have some form of news media: the Draconians, the Ice Warriors, and even the Adipose.
- The Doctor states that he is a nobleman of the Draconian Empire, as he did in DW: Frontier in Space. In the earlier story, he reveals that he was given that title after performing a service for the empire on a previous visit to Draconia.
External Links
to be added
