The Witches (comic story)

The Witches
Doctor:	Second Doctor
Companion(s):	John, Gillian
Main enemy:	The Grand Witch
Main setting:	Vargo
Key crew
Writer:	Roger Noel Cook
Artist:	John Canning
Release details
Number of parts:	5
Printed in:	TV Comic 837-841
Release date:	30 December 1967 - 27 January 1968
Reprinted in:	DWM 308, DWM 309, DWM 310, DWM 311, DWM 312
Format:	Comic
TVC comic stories
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Next →	Cyber-Mole

The Witches was a TV Comic story featuring the Second Doctor, John and Gillian.

Summary

The Doctor encounters witches on Vargo.

Plot

Witches arrive from all over the universe for the annual meeting on the planet Vargo - they listen to the speach of the Grand Witch, who turns a huge tree into granite to prove her power. Suddenly, the TARDIS lands in the middle of the meeting - the Doctor, John and Gillian scan the area and realise they are surrounded by witches.

The Doctor puts on his utility belt and goes outside to face them. He claims to be a great wizard and tells them to get off this planet. The Grand Witch conjures a huge beast, and the Doctor defeats it with one of his gadgets from the belt. Convinced by the power of the Doctor, most of the witches fly away from the planet, but the Grand Witch and her several accomplices don't believe the Doctor and decide to spy on him. He takes off his belt and rejoices at how he managed to fool the witches. He heads back into the TARDIS.

The Grand Witch conjures a giant crab that enters the opened TARDIS and grabs the Doctor. The witches take the Doctor to their lair inside a cave, and place him next to a pool of liquid lead - they intend to execute the Doctor. John and Gillian follow the witches into their lair, with an element of surprise on their side. John pretends to be a magical voice, shouting instructions to the witches to release the Doctor. Being superstitious, they obey and let him go.

The Doctor and his grandchildren hurry towards the TARDIS. The Grand Witch uses x-ray vision and realises that the Doctor had accomplices who fooled them. She conjures an impenetrable net around the TARDIS. The Doctor, John, and Gillian hide in a cave before the witches arrive to the TARDIS. The cave turns out to be another entrance to the witches' lair, where they find a black book of spells. The Doctor uses one of them, turning the witches to dust, causing the conjured net to disappear as well.

Characters

• Second Doctor
• John Who
• Gillian Who
• Grand Witch

Worldbuilding

• The Doctor calls himself "the Wizard of Omega."

Notes

• This story was reprinted in DWM 308-312.
• This is the first Doctor Who story that treats magic as a real phenomenon, not explained by science.

Original print details

(Publication with page count and closing captions)

• TVC 837 (2 pages) Dr. Who is in deadly danger... see the outcome next week!
• TVC 838 (2 pages) Can Dr. Who escape from the witches' giant crab? See TV COMIC next week!
• TVC 839 (2 pages) Is this the end of the Doctor? See next week's thrill-packed instalment!
• TVC 840 (2 pages) What have the evil witches in store for Dr. Who? See next week!
• TVC 841 (2 pages) Starting next week! A thrilling new story with Dr. Who tackling the Cybermen!

Continuity

• The Doctor uses his utility belt, where he stored several useful gadgets before. (COMIC: Egyptian Escapade)