The Time of My Life (comic story)
The Time of My Life was a Doctor Who Magazine comic that featured the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble. It was Donna's final appearance in the DWM strip, taking place after the events of the Series 4 finale.
The comic was made up of several stories that led into each other by the partition of speech. It included a number of nods to the past, with a TARDIS recording and the reappearance of Zyglots. It also saw the Tenth Doctor take Donna to see The Beatles. A nearly identical scene appeared in COMIC: Signs of Life, when the Tenth Doctor took Martha Jones to see the group.
Summary
Donna has been on many great and similar adventures...
Plot
The plot switches from one story to the next, via what the characters say.
First story
The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble land in a crater - the Doctor wants to show her something and they start climbing the edge of the crater. Donna complains at the temperature, but the Doctor promises that it'll be worth it. They climb out of the crater and watch the courtship of the Zyglots. The Doctor explains that this event only happens once every five centuries. Donna is fascinated by it, and accuses the Doctor of bringing him here so he could...
Second story
"...show off," Donna tells the Doctor, which hurts him, because he thinks that she should be impressed. The Doctor goes over to a window, and they realise they are in a spaceship overlooking London - and Donna notes that one of her neighbours has a swimming pool. They are met by talking dogs who have decided that they will rise up against their human masters. The Doctor tells Donna to "get ready to..."
Third story
"...run!" yells the Doctor, as they escape from menacing swamp creatures. Donna sarcastically says that she thought they would wait to be eaten. They meet up with a group of humans, who tell them that the swamp is a single living organism. They help the travellers escape - causing Donna to wonder what would have happened if they had not reached them in ...
Fourth story
"...Time?" asks Donna. The Doctor is surprised at her - expecting her to notice that the clock is ticking too slow. Suddenly Donna notices that the clock is speeding up - and suddenly they are menaced by a robot that had disguised itself as a statue. Donna exclaims "Oh my..."
Fifth story
"...Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" is being played at a Beatles concert in The Cavern Club. Donna calls out to Paul, telling him not to marry Heather. After the concert, she asks John to sign an album for her. The Doctor is not happy, because they haven't released that one yet - in fact, it's the utterly anachronistic 1 compilation CD - but Donna assures him that she won't put it on eBay. They leave the concert as the Doctor said "it's time we got back to..."
Sixth story
"...the TARDIS!" he tells her - as they escape from the vampires. Donna refuses to go, asking what would happen if he didn't make it back - and the Doctor explains about the recorded message in the TARDIS known as Emergency Program One in case something happens to him. Donna still doesn't want to go - and threatens the vampires with "a knee in the...
Seventh story
...Cossacks!" exclaims the Doctor - and the pair run through the town to escape. As they run through the town, Donna complains of people trying to kill them. As they hide, the Doctor notes that the infantry has arrived, but with impulse mortars - "Someone's been meddling in..."
Eighth story
"...History!" a child Donna tells an equally young Doctor in a history classroom. The Doctor explains that they have been infected by a psychic parasite who brought Donna to a reality where it can feed on her embarrassment. The teacher proves this correct by insulting her. The Doctor tells her to look for something that doesn't fit - and she notices the TARDIS. This causes the reality to collapse. Donna is shocked as the teacher transforms - and calls to the Doctor...
Final story
..."bet you didn't expect to see me again!" the Doctor hears from Donna. She has recorded a message on Emergency Program One for the Doctor in case something happened to her. She tells him not to worry because it was her choice. She then goes on and tells him to get someone else - not to stop him as she claimed at Christmas - but to show off to, and to keep him going. She has had the time of her life. "Thanks, basically," says Donna. "And good..." "...bye," the Doctor replies.
Characters
References
- The Doctor and Donna see The Beatles perform "My Bonnie" at The Cavern Club.
- Donna asks John Lennon to sign a copy of the 1 album CD for her mum.
- Donna tells Paul McCartney not to marry Heather.
- Emergency Program One, spelt Programme in this story, is a recorded message in the TARDIS that leaves instructions to get Donna back home if anything were to happen to the Doctor.
Notes
- Rather than show a complete adventure, this comic strip shows parts of many of Donna's adventures that lead into each other via what characters say.
- Emergency Program One is spelt Programme in this story, despite British English using the "programme" spelling for television broadcasts and theatre information leaflets, not computer programs.
Original print details
- (Publication with page count and closing caption)
- DWM 399 (10 pages) The End
Continuity
- The Zyglots appear. They previously appeared in COMIC: Polly the Glot.
- In Donna's message to the Doctor, she refers to their first meeting in TV: The Runaway Bride.
- The Tenth Doctor took Martha Jones to see The Beatles in COMIC: Signs of Life.
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