The Legacy of Torchwood One! (comic story)
Summary
Ianto is walking the streets of Cardiff in the early evening, when Rupert Howarth, his old mentor from Torchwood One, whom he believed to be dead, confronts him. Ianto takes him back to The Hub where he is questioned by Jack.
Rupert was the head of Torchwood One's Bio-Medical Research Division. He was on the verge of a massive breakthrough in Immunity-Boosting Drugs which would have wiped out all viral diseases. However, various pharmaceutical companies found out and at first tried to bribe him, then kill him so that they could retain their control over third world natural resources. So, he faked his own death by burning down his lab and went into hiding.
At the end of Rupert's story, Tosh picks up a police report about something running from a burning warehouse, leaving behind a neat pile of dead bodies. Jack, Gwen and Owen go to investigate the warehouse, inside: the bodies of several homeless people. Gwen believes that the fire and the fact Rupert had been sleeping rough was too much of a coincidence for the warehouse not to be a targeted attack.
As they are leaving, Jack, Gwen and Owen are attacked by a creature. It looks different to each of them. The creature says that he wants to see Rupert, or those Jack loves will die.
Back at the Hub, Jack confronts Rupert regarding the creature. Rupert reveals that it's called a Chimera. At Torchwood One they had acquired some alien tissue samples that provoked a primal fear response. They planned to create a hybrid DNA strand to be used by special forces against terrorists. They had tested the DNA on the homeless and drug addicts. All of them died but one. It became uncontrollable and fought back against its creator, which was the true reason Rupert faked his own death.
Whilst Rupert was telling his story, the Chimera had broken into the Hub and the alarms began to go off. Rupert reveals that before he disappeared, he started a program that would find the combination of drugs that would suppress the alien DNA in the Chimera. The reason he tracked down Ianto and Torchwood Three was to access the Torchwood Mainframe to retrieve the recipe for the serum.
Ianto is disappointed that Rupert lied to him after looking up to him so much, so goes off in search of the creature on his own. When he finds it, it appears as a man made of metal and begins to strangle him. At the last minute, Rupert runs in and injects the creature with the serum. However, the Chimera fights back and kills Rupert in its death throes.
Ianto and Jack place Rupert's body in the vaults and wonder what legacy they will leave behind.
Characters
References
- Jack's coral can be seen sitting on his desk in one of the panels.
- Ianto's fear is a man made of metal, a reference to his ordeals with the Cybermen. (DW: Doomsday, TW: Cyberwoman)
Notes
Continuity
- Reference is made to Ianto's first experiences at Torchwood One, a time that is further explored in TWN: Trace Memory.
- Owen witnesses Jack die and come back to life, meaning the story is set after TW: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Owen is injured by the Chimera meaning the story is set before TW: Reset.
- It is reasonable to assume that Ianto's reflective nature at the start and anger at Rupert letting him down means he is still bitter after Jack left him for three months. (TW: End of Days, DW: Utopia)
