The Hat Trick (comic story)

In 1923, Miraclo the magician is on stage in a New York City theatre. The audience look excited, as he is about to reveal his next trick. He says he will pull a rabbit out of an ordinary looking top hat. As soon as he reveals his trick, a voice from the back of the stage speaks, saying that he wouldn't want to do that, because it's dangerous. Clara appears, and agrees with him. The Eleventh Doctor asks him nicely to put that hat down (wearing a fez). Miraclo the Magician refuses, because it will make him famous. He puts his hand in the hat, and pulls out an army of alien rabbits! They start firing everywhere, mostly at the audience than anyone else. He takes Miraclo back, where the TARDIS landed. He asks what was happening. He finally reveals that the long eared invaders are Lepus Warriors, who jump from dimension to dimension, conquering worlds as they go.

According to the Doctor, he was hypnotised and made him turn his hat into a "warp gate". One of the Lepus Warriors saw him, and asked who he was. He called himself "the Headline Act" and that he has a trick or two up his sleeve. He went on stage, with the spotlight aimed at him. He told the audience to calm down. He took out a fob watch and told them that everything was under control. The Lepus Warriors became hypnotised by the swinging fob watch, and one made a weird URP! sound. He performs this live, explaining that the Warriors are under his control, and that he will show them the way home. When they enter, Clara steps on the hat, which will stop them ever coming back to Earth. The audience cheers. The Doctor says that there will be a last trick. They will step into the box, and vanish into thin air.

Characters

References

to be added

Notes

to be added

Original print details

Publication with page count and closing captions

DWA 324 (4 pages) More adventures next time

Next week - More adventures next week! is said on the last page. This is technically incorrect, however, as DWA changed to biweekly publication after this issue and thus two weeks passed before the next comic story was published.

Continuity

The Doctor uses the TARDIS as a benefit (in this case, a magic show) for himself. (TV: The Bells of Saint John).
The Doctor seems to be partial to New York theatre, visiting it again a few years later in TV: Daleks in Manhattan.