The Klepton Parasites (comic story)
The Klepton Parasites was the first TV Comic story, as well as the first Doctor Who strip of all time.
It featured Dr. Who and introduced two new companions for the comic, his grandchildren, John and Gillian Who.
Summary
On Earth, John and Gillian meet their grandfather, the Doctor. They travel in the TARDIS to the 30th century, where the Kleptons are attacking the peaceful Thains. The travellers help them repel the invaders, follow the Kleptons to their secret underwater city and defeat their plans.
Plot
Part One
In the far distant future, the Thains have lived happily and peacefully for many years, but one day, strange, menacing creatures hover above the city, in their glass pod like flying ships, threatening to take over their cities and their lands, and to enslave their race. The invaders have huge eyes, snouts and large finlike ears, and are known as Kleptons. Three of their flying ships then swoop down in formation, capturing many of the Thain people in a gravity lift that picks them up off the ground as if they were mere toys, to imprison them as hostages. Minutes later, the Kleptons unleash an ever spreading plant based life form whose root mass and appendages, grow at a fantastic speed, crushing the buildings of Thain City and bringing them crashing down. Having no weapons and no way to stop the Kleptons, the Thains fear they are doomed.
Across time and space, on a peaceful road in England, on 20th century Earth, two children named John and Gillian search through the darkened night for the home of their grandfather, a man who they've never before met. All they know is he lives on this road at number sixteen, and that he is an inventor. Realising number sixteen is not a house, but an empty yard, they wander in and discover a blue police telephone box, the type that was so often found on street corners. Its door was open, and John and Gillian went in. In a room that defied its exterior in terms of size, a white haired old man stood by a six sided control console, as the children told him, they were looking for their grandfather, Dr. Who. "You must be John and Gillian" came the man's reply, before he began to explain that they were inside his time travelling machine. , and that they could journey to any year in the past, or the future. With a child's curiosity, John then pressed a button on the console and with a sudden gust of wind, the police box revolves, then disappears, as Dr Who confirms they are rushing headlong into the 29th century. On, into the mysterious future they travel, until they come to a stop, land, and open the door, where they are greeted by the gun of a Klepton Podship, and orders that confirm they are about to be captured.
Part Two
The Kleptons return to the Thain city at the exact moment the TARDIS has landed, and one Thain attempts to kidnap Gillian via their airships. John throws a brick, breaking the glass of the ship and setting Gillian free. The ship crashes, causing the Kleptons to flee.
Valda, the leader of the Thains, introduces himself to the group and explains their plight. Valda fears that the Klepton's technology is too much for the unarmed race to take on, but the Doctor notes that if a simple brick could halt their plans, they could indeed defeat the Kleptons. John, noticing a museum in the city, suggests they look for weapons inside that can be armed and used against the invaders.
Inside, they indeed find century-old heat guns, which they repair. Suddenly, the Kleptons return to the city...
Part Three
to be added
Part Four
to be added
Part Five
to be added
Part Six
to be added
Part Seven
to be added
Part Eight
to be added
Part Nine
to be added
Part Ten
to be added
Characters
References
- The Doctor says that the TARDIS is travelling to the 29th century before it finally comes to a stop in the 30th.
- The Thain city is on land, while the Klepton city is on the ocean floor.
- The Thains are peaceful, but used to make heat guns which are now found only in their museum.
- The Kleptons possess flying machines, giant creepers and paralyser guns.
- Both the Doctor and John call the Kleptons "bug-eyed monsters".
- The Doctor speculates that the Kleptons cannot survive in the Thains' atmosphere.
- The Doctor mockingly calls one creeper an "overgrown aspidistra".
- The Kleptons keep their Thain slaves behind an electrified wire cage.
- The Doctor says he will try to get his grandchildren back to the 20th century.
Notes
- The first issue of this story was printed in TV 674. The cover to said issue advertised the narrative on the cover, stating "Starts today! Doctor Who".
- The Kleptons have huge eyes, snouts and large finlike ears.
- This was the very first Doctor Who comic strip. It opened with the following narrative: "In the far distant future, the Thains have lived happily and peacefully for many years. But one day, strange, menacing creatures hover over the city..."
- The very first words were spoken not by the Doctor himself but by the villains of the story, the Kleptons: "We are the Kleptons! We will take over your cities and your land! You Thains will be our slaves!"
- The very first words spoken by Dr. Who (who does not appear until the third panel of the second page) were: "You must be John and Gillian! How nice to meet you!"
- The title of this comic story logically applies to the city-destroying plants harvested by the Kleptons, the Creepers. However, some have taken the title to mean that "Klepton Parasites" is an alternate term for the Klepton race.
- John and Gillian's home time, presumed to be 1964 by most fans, is never stated in the comic, as it is just said that they are from the 20th century.
- John has been told that his and Gillian's grandfather Dr. Who is "an inventor or something", but the reader never learns who gave him this information.
- The word TARDIS is never spoken in this comic. Dr. Who's vessel is referred to as a "time travelling machine", "the 'Police Box'", and "the flying machine." The next story, COMIC: The Therovian Quest, would be the first to use the term.
- This story was reprinted in DWCC 2 in colour.
Continuity
- The Kleptons reappear in COMIC: Prisoners of the Kleptons and PROSE: Placebo Effect.
- The yard the Doctor appears in is similar to 76 Totter's Lane in appearance. (TV: An Unearthly Child)
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