Origins (comic story)

Origins
Doctor:	Fugitive Doctor
Companion(s):	Taslo
Featuring:	Weeping Angel, Gat
Main enemy:	Gallifreyan Councillor
Key crew
Publisher:	Titan Comics
Writer:	Jody Houser
Artist:	Roberta Ingranata
Colourist:	Warnia K Sahadewa
Letterer:	Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Release details
Printed in:	ORIGINS 1 - ORIGINS 4
Release date:	8 June - 7 September 2022
Format:	Comic
Doctor Who Comic
← Previous	Empire of the Wolf
Next →	Firelight

Origins was the story published in Titan's Doctor Who: Origins miniseries in 2022, starring the Fugitive Doctor.

Summary

After completing a mission for Division, the Fugitive Doctor is a assigned a new companion and tasked with the destruction of an interplanetary cult bent on the destruction of Gallifrey. Distrusting the organisation, the Doctor decides to take a closer look only to find a seemingly peaceful village.

Plot

Part 1

The Fugitive Doctor is following some readings across metallic, spider-web covered hallways. Eventually she finds what she was looking for, a clutch of eggs. She claims their mother will be glad to see them again only to notice a giant nebula spider behind her. The Doctor starts running away from the spider, bag of eggs in arms, asking for the help of an unseen individual. Realising she has to "open the avenues of approach", she blinks and stops running. Where the spider was, now stands a Weeping Angel. The Doctor asks it to not "look at [her] like that", claiming she did all the hard work. In her TARDIS, flying through the Time Vortex, the Doctor comments that the Empress of Weavers will be glad to have her children back and asks the Angel if it knows when it sent the captor, the Empress' sister. The Angel seems to answer no and the Doctor responds saying it doesn't matter as long as the job is done. While "talking" about the Angel's personal relationships, the Doctor receives a call on the console phone about a new assignment. After ending the call, she starts explaining to the Angel that she has to drop it off, only to notice it feeding on the TARDIS, prompting the Doctor to reprimand the Angel and its kind for the habit.

In an unknown world with three moons, the Doctor arrives at a restaurant where she is greeted by Taslo, another Division agent. Taslo is excited for her first mission and to meet the Doctor. Then, an assistant sent by the High Council arrives and activates a perception blockade, allowing them to speak without being noticed. The Doctor asks what is it they can't discuss on Gallifrey, and the assistant responds the two agents have been tasked with stopping the destruction of Gallifrey. After being asked for more information, he explains that a cult spanning multiple species and planets is planning Gallifrey and its people's destruction because of their mere existence. The assistant hands them a device containing the location of the first cult stronghold and tasks them with its stealthy destruction, cultists included. He also mentions Division has supplied them with a weapons cache for the job an deposited it by the Doctor's TARDIS, before deactivating the perception blockade and leaving. The two agents go to the TARDIS and collect the weapons package.

On the way to their destination the Doctor and Taslo discuss the oddness of their mission, agreeing to "take a closer look" at the target. In orbit of the planet, the TARDIS' scanner doesn't detect any technology that could be a threat to Gallifrey. Taslo proposes the cult's weapons could be in another planet, to which the Doctor asks why aren't they attacking that world. Taslo suggests Division doesn't know that information yet and the Doctor responds by piloting the TARDIS to the planet's surface. When Taslo demands following their orders and activating the weapons package, the Doctor confesses the TARDIS got rid of it some time ago. The ship materialises in the outskirts of the village and the two Time Lords step out. Taslo brings her gun, much to the Doctor's dismay. The two are approached by the villagers, one of them recognising a TARDIS and asking if they are Time Lords. After the Doctor confirms they are, she expresses relief that Gallifrey finally sent someone to help them. The Doctor decides to play along with the situation.

Later, the Doctor and Taslo are sitting a long table with the rest of the villagers, presided by leader Noat (the one who talked to them earlier). Noat announces they are celebrating "in honor of [their] new friends from Gallifrey". Taslo is frustrated because they were sent here to stop these people from destroying Gallifrey, not party with them. The Doctor notes they haven't been threatening and having direct contact with them will help determine if they are an actual threat. Leader Noat approaches to ask if the feast is to their liking and offers them accommodation. Taslo and the Doctor refuse the offer, preferring to pass the night in the TARDIS. Leader Noat understands and says she will give them a tour of the village in the morning, showing them the state of things and discussing the things they need from Gallifrey. The Doctor accepts.

to be added

Characters

• Fugitive Doctor
• Taslo
• Weeping Angel
• High Council assistant
• Waitress
• Leader Noat
• Gallifreyan Councillor
• Gat

Worldbuilding

• The High Council assistant sets up a perception blockade so that he, the Doctor and Taslo can talk without people noticing their presence.
• Two Catkind are present at the bar.
• Kreb is a Gallifreyan colony.

Notes

• The story is set before the events of Fugitive of the Judoon for the Fugitive Doctor.

Continuity

• The Division employs Weeping Angels. (TV: Village of the Angels)
• Weeping Angels can feed off the energy of a TARDIS. (TV: Blink)
• The Time Lords' weapon cache resemble the Genesis Ark. (TV: Army of Ghosts / Doomsday)
• Per Article 7, genocide is a crime on Gallifrey. (TV: Terror of the Vervoids)