Daleks Versus the Martians (comic story)

Daleks Versus the Martians
Doctor:	Dr. Who (Dr. Who and the Daleks)
Companion(s):	Louise, Susan
Main enemy:	The Daleks
Main setting:	Mars
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::Marvel Comics]]
Editor:	Gary Gillatt and Scott Gray
Writer:	Alan Barnes
Artist:	Lee Sullivan
Letterer:	Elitta Fell
Release details
Printed in:	Doctor Who Magazine Spring Special (1996)
Release date:	February 1996
Format:	B&W 1 part / 8 pages

Summary

While exploring the mysteries of the Martian Sphinx, Dr. Who, Louise and Susan are captured by Daleks who have moved into the Sol system, closer to Earth. Dr. Who and Susan escape with the help of the native Martians and are taken to a city beneath the Sphinx. Dr. Who activates a dormant fighting robot there. As Dr. Who rescues Louise from the Daleks (who have learnt about TARDIS), the robot attacks and destroys the Daleks' Martian base. This only delays their future attack on 'the Blue Planet'.

Characters

• Dr. Who
• Louise
• Susan
• Daleks
• Martians

References

Mars

• The Sol system planet Mars is home to the Mars Bubble, a hundred-mile-wide atmospheric pocket capable of sustaining life and one of the natural wonders of the universe. Located within the bubble live the surviving native Martians and the Martian Sphinx.

Species

• Martians are small, telepathic, hairless humanoid creatures with large eyes, no mouth or nose. Driven to live in the underground canal and cave systems by the Devastation, many died, along with an understanding of their former technology, which was left abandoned or unused.

Weapons

• The Martian Sphinx is the ultimate weapon of war, a giant robot with formidable firepower. It lay dormant with all but its face beneath the surface for many generations. It was regarded as a curiosity until revived by Dr. Who, who interpreted a series of carved hieroglyphs in the underground cave system as activation codes for the robot. It was reactivated in time to destroy the Daleks who were planning to use the planet as a launch base in an attack on the Blue Planet (aka Earth).

Susan

• Susan, Dr. Who's granddaughter, helped revive the Martian Sphinx with her understanding of the hieroglyphs found in the cave system below the surface of the planet.

Notes

• This comic strip is "In memory of Peter Cushing OBE. 26th May 1911 - 11th August 1994". In reality, however, Cushing was born on 26 May 1913.
• As in the movies, the Doctor is referred to as "Dr. Who" and the TARDIS as simply Tardis.
• This occurs before the Daleks' successful invasion of Earth. (NOTDWU: Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.)

Original print details

Publication with page count and closing captions

• DWMS Spring 1996 (8)

External links

• Daleks Versus the Martians at the Doctor Who Reference Guide