Fugitive (comic story)
Fugitive was the second part of the story arc which began in Doctor Who (2009) #1. As later confirmed in Tesseract, it was set late in the life of the Tenth Doctor, some time between Planet of the Dead and The End of Time. It saw the Doctor placed yet again on trial, this time for the events of of Silver Scream. In its closing pages, it introduced the guests of Scream as the Doctor's new companions, ostensibly the last multi-story companions the Tenth Doctor had prior to his regeneration in The End of Time. It was also noteworthy for introducing a relationship between the Ogrons and the Judoon, as well as a budding alliance between the Ogrons, Draconians and Sontarans. Its themes echoed those of The Waters of Mars, particularly the question of how much power the Doctor, as the last of the Time Lords, had to interfere with history and change fixed points in time.
Summary
The Doctor is put on trial by the Shadow Proclamation for saving Emily Winter's life in the 1920s and thus breaking the precepts handed down to them by the Time Lords by interfering with a fixed point in time. Furthermore, the universe is riddled with people who would be dead if not for the Doctor's interference. The proceedings are joined by a man the Doctor recognises as Mr. Finch, who appears to serve as the prosecuting attorney. The Doctor's defence counsel is a blue woman who goes only by the name "the Advocate".
An attempt is made on the Doctor's life by a shapeshifting Gizou assassin during recess, but the assassin is vaporised by a Judoon guard. The Advocate unsuccessfully tries to get the Doctor to flee the proceedings. He is found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on Volag-Noc. Mr. Finch tells the Judoon that the prison transport is to have a fatal accident before landing. The transport also carries a Draconian, a Sontaran, and an Ogron. After the Doctor introduces himself, the Ogron attacks him. Eventually, the cell mates calm the Ogron, who is overly emotional and has 'issues' with the Doctor over his past defeats of the Ogron people. Each of the aliens in the cell take the Doctor to task over his actions (a common thread in recent stories, including DW: Journey's End) towards their races. The Doctor unites them in an escape attempt, telling them that the Judoon are on orders to kill him, and thus obviously the others as well. The aliens are diplomats who are attempting to smooth tensions in the local region (which is why the Shadow Proclamation is involved).
Seizing control of the transport, the fugitives crashland, pursued by more Judoon loyal to Mr. Finch. Through a combination of the Doctor's cunning and the martial skills of the others, they capture a Judoon transport and escape the planet. The Doctor outlines a plan to defeat Finch, but it requires the trust of the other fugitives. Having come to trust him, they give it just as Finch gains control of the Shadow Proclamation vessels and takes the Shadow Architect hostage.
The Doctor contacts Finch and taunts him, saying he's already won.
Finch mocks the Doctor's bravado and plays his hand, showing the Architect as his prisoner, ordering the Judoon and Krillitane loyal to him to destroy the Doctor. At this point the Doctor plays his hand, revealing that the fugitives have contacted their respective fleets. The Ogrons are itching for a fight, the Sontarans ready for War and the Draconians deeply annoyed at being manipulated.
A brutal battle occurs, with the fleets quickly overpowering Finch's traitor Judoon. The Doctor, having realised that "Finch" is actually another Gizou impostor, incapacitates the shapeshifter with his sonic screwdriver and liberates the Shadow Architect.
Having saved the peace talks and cleared his name, the Doctor is rewarded with the return of his property and a warm Ogron hug. The Doctor is returned to the moment he was taken by the Shadow Proclamation, little knowing that "Finch" wasn't the leader of the revolution. The Doctor's Advocate was, and she reveals to "Finch" in his prison cell that she's placed something aboard the TARDIS that will soon result in the Doctor's demise....
Characters
- The Doctor
- Shadow Architect
- Lau'Tan a shapeshifting Gizou posing as the Krillitane Lassar
- The Advocate - a female solicitor who volunteers to defend the Doctor and tries to help him escape. Much like the Doctor, she intentionally is known only by her title.
- Brarshak, an Ogron
- Kraden, a Draconian
- Stomm, a Sontaran
- Matthew Finnegan
- Emily Winter
References
- The Shadow Architect compares the Doctor to the Master, Morbius, and the Rani.
- As Finch begins to act as prosecutor in the case against him, the Doctor remarks that he would prefer to be up against the Valeyard, who at least "had style".
- The Doctor and the Shadow Architect mention Charley Pollard as the last time he saved someone fated to die.
- At the end of part one, the Doctor is placed aboard a shuttle with a Draconian, a Sontaran (who utters "Sontar-Ha!", the battle cry introduced in DW: The Sontaran Stratagem) and an Ogron. As part 1 ends, the trio react none too kindly when the Doctor identifies himself.
- The prison planet Volag-Noc appeared in the animated episode The Infinite Quest.
- In part 2, the Doctor quotes Han Solo from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope but cannot remember where the quote came from. He later unapologetically quotes Solo. On both occasions he is referencing the concept of hyperspace, which appears to work as it does in the Star Wars universe.
- The Doctor bemoans the confiscation of his clockwork mouse (last seen in DW: The Doctor's Daughter). Amongst the other things in his pockets are: jelly babies and a yo-yo (strongly associated with the Fourth Doctor), a P. G. Wodehouse book, and a primary and backup sonic screwdriver.
- The Doctor refers to Stomm as "Mister Potato Head" (DW: The Sontaran Stratagem).
- The Doctor makes reference to both Generals Stor and Staal. (DW: The Invasion of Time, The Sontaran Stratagem)
- At the point of this story, the Sontaran's war against the Rutans is going so badly that they need to seek alliances with other races, like the Ogrons and Draconians.
- Finch's ultimate plan is to use the intelligence of Draconians to solve the Skasis Paradigm. The Doctor makes reference to the failed attempt to do so at Deffry Vale. (DW: School Reunion)
- Kraden reaffirms the fact that the Doctor is Draconian nobility, as revealed in DW: Frontier in Space.
- One of the central themes of the Tenth Doctor's life is explored extensively in part 4. There, the Doctor is a party to significant discussion about whether he should travel alone. Kraden notes that the Draconians last encountered the Doctor when he travelled with Jo Grant, and that he believes there is need for him to seek out another companion. He notes a "darkness coming" and thinks the Doctor needs someone to help him "be strong". Meanwhile, the Shadow Architect sends a mixed signal to the Doctor on this issue, at first suggesting he works better for the Shadow Proclamation when he travels alone, but then whispering that he should "be with friends" when "he knocks the fourth time". (DW: The Runaway Bride, Voyage of the Damned, Planet of the Dead, The End of Time)
- The Doctor claims King Arthur called him Merlin. (DW: Battlefield)
Notes
- Although likely unintentional, the circumstance of having the Doctor trapped in a room with a Draconian and a Sontaran echo the events of the independent film Mindgame, in which a human (played by Sophie Aldred and strongly implied to be Ace, a companion of the Seventh Doctor) is trapped in a cell with a Draconian and a Sontaran.
- The cliffhanger ending of part 2 resembles the crash-landing cliffhanger featured during DW: The Caves of Androzani. This is more likely intentional, as one of Tony Lee's stated goals for the ongoing comic series is to revive the tension of the old televised serial cliffhangers at the ends of his issues.
- Cover art was done by Paul Grist and Matthew Smith
Cover Gallery
Doctor Who Ongoing
Issue 3 (Cover A)
Doctor Who Ongoing
Issue 3 (Cover B)
Doctor Who Ongoing
Issue 4 (Cover A)
Doctor Who Ongoing
Issue 4 (Cover B)
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Issue 5 (Cover A)
Doctor Who Ongoing
Issue 5 (Cover B)
Doctor Who Ongoing
Issue 6 (Cover A)
Doctor Who Ongoing
Issue 6 (Cover B)
Continuity
- In an interview, Tony Lee confirmed that the ongoing series featuring the Tenth Doctor occurs right before the final specials. DW: The End of Time, Part One establishes that an interval of indeterminate length occurs between that story and The Waters of Mars in which the Doctor professes to have had many adventures.
- The events of the series take place before The Darksmith Legacy as the Doctor implies this is his first encounter with the Shadow Proclamation since DW: Journey's End leaving no gap for TDL: The Pictures of Emptiness.
- This marks the first time a character from the Big Finish Productions audio dramas, Charley Pollard, has been referenced in a comic book. In the audios, Charley travelled with both the Sixth and Eighth Doctors.
- Finch previously faced off against the Doctor in DW: School Reunion.
- The events of DW: The Stolen Earth/Journey's End are referenced.
- The Gizou were introduced in IDW: Agent Provocateur.
- A member of the Scholars of the University of Rago Rago 56 Rago is seen in the Shadow Proclamation, last seen in DW: The End of the World.
- The Third Doctor is referenced, and it's indicated that the defeat of the Daleks and the Ogrons in DW: Day of the Daleks led to the Ogron race being disgraced and supplanted as the galaxy's main enforcers-for-hire by the Judoon. A planet-wide recession on the Ogron homeworld resulted.
- The Time War is referenced.
- The Doctor carries a sheet of "suggestibility paper" which appears to be a variant of psychic paper.
- The Doctor says he is the head of the Stockbridge Chess Society.
- The Shadow Architect refers to someone knocking four times.
- Matthew Finnegan and Emily Winter, introduced in Silver Scream, return at the end and accept the Doctor's offer to travel with him in the TARDIS.
Timeline
- Fugitive occurs immediately after: IDW: Silver Scream, and at some point after the events of DW: Planet of the Dead owing to the reference to the "four knocks" prophecy. Later events in Tesseract further confirm the post-Dead placement, but its positioning with respect to The Waters of Mars is less clear.
Omnibus reprint
Fugitive, along with Silver Scream, was reprinted in Doctor Who Volume 1: Fugitive, a graphic novel-style omnibus from IDW Publishing issued in March 2010.
