Sunscreen (comic story)

Sunscreen (comic story)

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Sunscreen
Doctor:	[[doctor::Tenth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Martha Jones
Main enemy:	Silhouettes
Main setting:	Earth, 21st century Great Solar Shield, 21st century
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::Panini Comics]]
Writer:	Jonathan Morris
Artist:	Martin Geraghty and David A. Roach
Release details
Format:	Comic

Sunscreen was a comic strip featured in the Doctor Who Storybook 2008, starring the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones. It was written by Jonathan Morris, and drawn by Martin Geraghty.

Summary

The TARDIS lands in the late 21st century, on the great sun shield - according to the Doctor the single greatest achievement of the 21st century. It is designed to partially block the sun, to stall the effects of global warming. The Doctor and Martha go into the control room, where the staff are shocked by their arrival. The commander of the ship explains the sun shield was never meant to be accessed from outside; every member of the crew will die from radiation poisoning in five years. Suddenly, a large object appears on the scanner, heading toward the sun shield. The Doctor recognises it as more than an asteroid; it is a swarm of Silhouettes: energy parasites from the dark times of the universe. The Silhouettes swarm the shield, and crew member Tanaka is turned to dust by their touch. When a Silhouette attempts to attack Martha, however, it screeches and flies away.

Back in the control room, the Doctor seess that the Silhouettes are now leaving the sun shield and heading for Earth instead. He quickly realises that the Silhouettes are allergic to bright colour - like the colour of Martha's T-shirt - and alters the path of the sun shield to create a rainbow, making the Silhouettes flee. The sun shield, under strain from the attack, begins to break up, so the Doctor takes everyone on board back to Earth, via the TARDIS. The group watch as the sunlight breaks free from the sun shield for the first time in years.

Characters

• Tenth Doctor
• Martha Jones
• Commander Chaudhuri
• Tanaka
• Other crew members

Notes

• Sunscreen is the only comic strip to appear in the 2008 storybook.

References

• On arriving at the sun shield, the Doctor says 'The future's so bright, you've gotta wear shades!'. This is a reference to Timbuk3 song 'The Future's So Bright'.
• When discussing a way of stopping the Silhouettes, the Doctor says 'Exactamundo, Martha Jones!'. This is a reference to Doctor Who episode School Reunion, in which the Doctor says 'Correctamundo!'

Continuity

To be added.

Timeline

• Sunscreen occurs after DWS: Zombie Motel
• Sunscreen occurs before DWS: The Iron Circle