Insect (comic story)

Insect
Doctor:	Third Doctor
Companion(s):	The Brigadier
Main setting:	Cragwell, West Country, the 1970s
Key crew
Publisher:	Polystyle
Writer:	Roger Noel Cook
Artist:	John Canning
Release details
Number of parts:	5
Printed in:	TV Comic 955-959
Release date:	4 April - 2 May 1970
Format:	Comic
TVC comic stories
← Previous	The Multi-Mobile
Next →	The Metal Eaters

Insect was a Third Doctor comic strip published in TV Comic.

Summary

When an insecticide causes Britain's insects to grow to enormous size, the Third Doctor must make a formula to stop them.

Plot

to be added

Characters

• Third Doctor
• Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
• Dan Lane
• Lorry driver
• Man
• Radio operator

Worldbuilding

• Among the insect species affected by the improperly mixed pesticide spray are caterpillars, ants and wasps.
• The Doctor and the Brigadier use a UNIT helicopter equipped with riot gas.
• A military gun crew are told they will be transferred to Iceland if they miss their targets.

Notes

• Insect contains the earliest direct reference to World War II in Doctor Who fiction, with the Brigadier referring to the conflict by name. However, both Invasion of the Daleks and Doctor Who and the Crusaders had previously alluded to the conflict. This reference was followed by Timebenders, the first Doctor Who story to be set during the war.

Original print details

(Publication with page count and closing captions)

• TVC 955 (2 pages) Next week, Dr. Who attacks the monster from the air!
• TVC 956 (2 pages) What is the Doctor's plan ? Don't miss next week's episode.
• TVC 957 (2 pages) Will the giant insect attack?
• TVC 958 (2 pages) Will the cage hold this giant caterpillar? See next week.
• TVC 959 (2 pages) Thrilling new story next week. Mysterious meteorite comes to earth.

Continuity

• The First Doctor previously encountered seemingly large insects as a result of harmful pesticides, though that was because he had shrunk down to their size. (TV: Planet of Giants ^[+]Loading...["Planet of Giants (TV story)"])
• Once again, the Doctor is annoyed that the Brigadier won't let him get on repairing his TARDIS. (COMIC: The Arkwood Experiments ^[+]Loading...["The Arkwood Experiments (comic story)"], The Multi-Mobile ^[+]Loading...["The Multi-Mobile (comic story)"])