Android of Death (comic story)
Opening narration box
The Quarsians have created an evil android double of the Doctor …
Summary
While the Doctor is refusing to explain to the Quarsians (and the android Doctor) what he’s done to the ship's engine, there is a sudden explosion. The Doctor and Nadia make their escape back to the TARDIS where the Doctor explains that he used the Sartor diamond crystals like a dam in the Zortron energy stream to overload the crystals' energy-storing properties, creating an overload to the engines which will take the Quarsians months to fix. Back at control they find the android Doctor has transmatted down before the Quarsian ship left and has settled in, warning the others that the Quarsians may send a duplicate Doctor! The two Doctors' identities become confused; even Nadia becomes confused which is the real Doctor. One Doctor produces Nadia's sonic disruptor, which the other Doctor claims must have been swapped. The real Doctor, however, is able to prove who he is by producing all manner of things from his pockets (including jelly babies and a 500 year old diary) – one thing that the Quarsians couldn’t duplicate: the contents of a man’s pockets. The android Doctor, now unmasked, identifies as Destructor Unit J7, and is determined to carry out his function of destroying the base, everyone and everything. The Doctor allows the android to start his destructive work, offering him one of Sartor's crystals (taken from onboard the ship). As the android blasts away at the crystal, the Doctor hurries everyone out of the control centre, just before the crystal explodes, destroying the control centre and the android. The Doctor waves goodbye as he leaves the colonists to build a new, improved force field, harnessing the qualities of their precious stones. The Doctor is one Diamond Geezer!
Characters
- Tenth Doctor
- Quarsians – experts at android construction, from crude storm trooper soldiers to facsimile copies of people. Clumsy, green, upright walking blobs, with eyes on protruding stalks.
- Nadia – Lead scientist of the colonists on the planet of Sartor. Her sister Kamini (a Lieutenant in the army), was killed during the first attack by the Quarsians, then duplicated by their android technology. She later shot the duplicate using a handheld sonic disruptor which she had made.
- Destructor Unit J7 - A robot duplicate of the Doctor created by the Quarsians to infiltrate the base.
Original print details
Installment, publication title with page count and closing caption.
- 3/3 DWBIT 36 (4 pages) THE END
- No reprints to date.
Notes
- Supporting the series of collectable Doctor Who trading cards, the magazine carried a regular four-page, individually titled comic strip of the Tenth Doctor’s adventures.
- The artwork and colours were bold and bright, reflecting the tone of the magazine and, as did Doctor Who Adventures, reflected the appeal to readers younger than those catered to by Doctor Who Magazine.
References
- The Battles in Time comic strip often sought to reinforce the association of the Doctor here with the one seen on screen by using ‘props’ from the TV series: blue/brown suit, sonic screwdriver, psychic paper and his intelligent glasses.
Continuity
to be added
Timeline
- This story takes place after DWBIT: Quarsian Mission
- This story takes place before DWBIT: Blooms of Doom!
