Star Tigers (comic story)

The 26th century: Draconians watch, undecided on a course of action, while three Dalek craft enter their territory in pursuit of another ship. Prince Salander watches as the Dalek craft are destroyed by the stranger in the fourth craft. To shortcut bureaucratic complications, Salander greets the fourth craft's pilot, Abslom Daak, without the permission of the Emperor. Daak is searching for a way to resurrect Taiyin from her cryogenic unit. Salander offers to help, but is accused of treason by fellow Draconian Axiron. Daak and Salander are placed under house arrest, but Salander learns of his son's death by Dalek fire and the Emperor's refusal to retaliate. After they have collected Taiyin's body, Salander and Daak make their escape in Salander's private spacecraft.

Part two

Having fled the Draconian Empire in a prototype attack ship now christened the Kill-Wagon, Abslom Daak and Prince Salander search for a crew. On the decadent and hedonistic planet Paradise they find Harma, an Ice Warrior now employed as a contract killer. Daak overpowers Harma, makes him break his contract and goes with him to the planet Dispater to find Vol Mercurius.

Part three

Mercurius has a cybernetic hand. He plays a game of parachess with the robot Klikbrain as Kill-Mechs close in on his home and planet. Daak had taken his hand in return for the loss of "his" girl, Selene. Mercurius agrees to go with the others, callously ignoring Klikbrain's plea to take him offworld with them.

Part four

The Kill-Wagon has come to a meteoroids belt — really Dalek Space-Commando Units. Daak wants to attack at once, but Mercurius says to wait twelve hours until the Daleks have to recharge. The Kill-Wagon crew launch a successful nuclear attack on a Dalek craft inside a volcano.

Characters

References

to be added

Notes

There was an unexplained break to this story during the transition from Doctor Who Weekly to Doctor Who Monthly.
The Daleks were originally to have featured in part six, when they would have been seen closing in on Mercurius' home on the planet Dispater. However, the instalment had to be rewritten and revised to replace the Daleks with the Kill-Mechs, totally original creations, when it was rumoured that Terry Nation was planning to withdraw the licence to use the Daleks in the strip. Fortunately, it turned out Nation had no such intentions and the Daleks returned in part seven. The Abslom Daak: Dalek Killer graphic novel restores the original dialogue and art, removing the Kill-Mechs altogether.
A minor crossover with Ship of Fools occurs in part five: when Daak and Salander are on the streets of Paradise wondering how to find Harma, a Cyberman can be seen in the background with its back to the reader. This implies that the Cyberman was Kroton and the planet seen from Flying Dutchman II in Ship of Fools was Paradise.

Original print details

Publication with page count and closing captions

DWM 27 (4) To Be Continued.
DWM 28 (4) To Be Continued.
DWM 29 (4) More Next Week!
DWM 30 (4) More Next Week!
DWM 44 (4) More Next Month!
DWM 45 (4) ...More Next Month
DWM 46 (4) The End ... For Now ...

Reprints

Coloured and reprinted by Marvel in DW84 9 - 12.
Reprinted as part of a linked narrative tale in DWMS Summer 1981.
Included as part of the Nemesis of the Daleks graphic novel in 2013.

Continuity

to be added