Future Tense #4

Britain's Chilling New Science Fiction Weekly

26 Nov 1980; Cover price 14p.
32 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

One of Marvel's Big Ones!

Edited by Paul Neary.

Cover p: UNKNOWN.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Britain's Most Exciting Science Fiction Weekly! (half page) text introduction by Paul Neary. / The Concise History of the Galaxy (half page) UNTITLED [Fresh Brains] w: Tim Quinn; a: Dicky Howett. / Indicia

 3 The Micronauts Divided They Fall, part two, w: Bill Mantlo; p: Pat Broderick, i: Armando Gil, lettering by John Costanza.

r: Micronauts (Marvel Comics) #19 (Jul 1980).

12 Meet the Micronauts, part three, Bug w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

13 Seeker 3000! The Dying Sun!, part four, w: Doug Moench; a: Tom Sutton, lettering by Denise Wohl.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #41 (Apr 1978).

18 BMX - The Hottest Thing on Two Wheels! advertisement for Halfords.

18 Star-Lord Windhölme, part four, w: Chris Claremont; p: John Byrne, i: Terry Austin, lettering by Tom Orzechowski.

r: Marvel Preview (Marvel Comics) #11 (Summer 1977).

23 Paladin In Manhattan, They Play for Keeps, part four, w: Don McGregor; a: Tom Sutton, lettering by Gaspar Saladino & Bruce Patterson.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #43 (Aug 1978).

27 Warlock And Men Shall Call Him... Warlock!, part four, w: Roy Thomas; p: Gil Kane, i: Dan Adkins, lettering by Sam Rosen.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #01 (Apr 1972).

32 Science Fantasy in Television, Cinema and Graphics in-house advertisement for Starburst.

As we got to press this week, the big news is that we have got Star Trek for you, and its scheduled to begin in issue 7! We will be printing the Marvel authorised comic strip version of the recent film, and then getting into new adventures... untold stories of the crew of the starship Enterprise!

If the current roster of material was stronger then the announcement of a further two issues wait might have been bearable, but with the interminable "adventures" of the Micronauts, Star-Lord and Paladin to look forward to, this is not an announcement that is pleasing to read. But there is some news which has piqued my interest:

Also we might just have a few photographs of our recent Marvel Convention for you!

This is more like it. I'm a sucker for behind-the-scenes material, and any record of the convention has to be better than the strips. There must be a wealth of information on the Marvel Convention awaiting publication...

The brief appearance by Ant Man at the end of the current Micronauts story, leading into a full appearance in the next issue, shows that this is not, however it is marketed, an SF story, but merely another tired, predictable superhero story, with all the scientific curiousity of a cocker spaniel. The fact that it is a superhero story isn't an immediate mark against the series, but, because of it being marketed as SF, the superhero elements are a drawback.

The Seeker 3000 makes the jump intact, triumphantly blazing though an eternity of warped time and space!

For thr first time in man's history, infinity is at hand, the vast cosmos within grasp...

...and it took this to accomplish it: the death of the sun!

In one searing instant of cosmic hell, Earth's reality is... vaporised.

Every planet, every moon and asteroid, every man, woman and child in the solar system dies...

...save these precious few aboard a warp-streaking ark named Seeker-3000. They gather now, in mingled jubilation and grief...

The main problem with the warp sequence in Seeker 3000 is its glorious celebration of something which, elsewhere in the title, is treated as a relatively easy accomplishment, undermining the difficulty of the process, and making the characters look like idiots for not figuring out an easier way of accomplishing what others have done with far less destruction. It isn't even depicted with the strength of an average Star Trek or Star Wars FTL sequence, which further cuts away at the melodrama on show.

Thankfully a brand new story is promised for the next issue.

In Chinese Legend, it is told that Buddha died on a bleak new year's day...

On that dying day, Buddha supposedly summoned all living creatures to his side. Twelve responded, and he rewarded each with a year of homage on the lunar calendar.

The moments of interest in Paladin are largely unconnected with the battle which the titular character is involved in, and when he starts talking any tension evaporates. Paladin is a wooden, two-dimensional walking plot point, with dialogue so corny and hackneyed that I actually laughed out loud when reading his utterances:

You killed Marsha. She was sensitive... alert... vibrant.

You ended all her moods and excitements.

That makes me smile every time I read it. How, given the number of people involved in the creation of the strip, could such awful lines get through the entire creative process to see print? No comic strip of this type should turn the death of a character into prime comedy material.

#03

Future Tense

#05

Future Tense #3

Britain's Newest Science Fiction Weekly!

19 Nov 1980; Cover price 14p.
32 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Paul Neary.

Free 'Build Your Own Spaceship' piece, part three, designed by Rahid Khan.

Cover p: UNKNOWN.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Welcome to Issue Three (half page) text introduction by Paul Neary. / The Concise History of the Galaxy (half page) UNTITLED [Uncle Frank] w: Tim Quinn; a: Dicky Howett. / Indicia

 3 The Micronauts Divided They Fall w: Bill Mantlo; p: Pat Broderick, i: Armando Gil, lettering by John Costanza.

r: Micronauts (Marvel Comics) #19 (Jul 1980).

11 Meet the Micronauts, part two, Princess Mari... Marionette w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Seeker 3000! The Dying Sun!, part three, w: Doug Moench; a: Tom Sutton, lettering by Denise Wohl.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #41 (Apr 1978).

16 Marvel Back-Issue Bonanza! in-house advertisement.

18 Star-Lord Windhölme, part three, w: Chris Claremont; p: John Byrne, i: Terry Austin, lettering by Tom Orzechowski.

r: Marvel Preview (Marvel Comics) #11 (Summer 1977).

22 Paladin In Manhattan, They Play for Keeps, part thee, w: Don McGregor; a: Tom Sutton, lettering by Gaspar Saladino & Bruce Patterson.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #43 (Aug 1978).

25 Contact! w:/a: Tom Sutton; lettering by Tom Sutton.

r: Son of Satan (Marvel Comics) #08 (Feb 1977).

27 Warlock And Men Shall Call Him... Warlock!, part three, w: Roy Thomas; p: Gil Kane, i: Dan Adkins, lettering by Sam Rosen.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #01 (Apr 1972).

32 Science Fantasy in Television, Cinema and Graphics in-house advertisement for Starburst.

Before you think that the quality has dipped so low as to negate any possibility of salvation, The Concise History of the Galaxy contains a classic moment of comedy, with more than a hint of 2001: A Space Odyssey being lampooned. While I may be alone in seeing a slight resemblance, the Captain Caveman styling present is greatly appreciated.

With the immensely original title of Divided They Fall, this issue's Micronauts tale strikes out in a bold new direction, with Bug being spooked by a dog's appearance, then engaging in dramatic battle with a chicken, before being capture by a bespectacled amateur scientist who refers to himself as "Odd John." Would anyone actually call themselves such a name? Strips this bad are rarely seen, so to see this in a Marvel title is plain embarrassing.

Star-Lord gets a sentient ship, called (in another startling leap of originality) "Ship". Honestly, why do I bother tormenting myself with possibilities that the quality of this title might rise to the level of... mediocre, perhaps. A lot of the strip's charm has evaporated as the story has progressed, though the appearance of reptilian aliens provide a brief jolt of excitement.

A highlight of the issue is Contact!, which - although the punch-line has been used time and time again - manages to raise a smile thanks to clever writing, some lively art, and a sense of the ridiculous which is entirely appropriate. Unfortunately, yet predictably, things return to normal with Warlock's mangling of science, in a speech so idiotic that even readers possessing no scientific knowledge whatsoever are likely to utter a sigh of despair at how moronic the notion is.

There is word of Star Trek strips forthcoming in the editorial, though I doubt even as tasty a promise as this is likely to have ensured readers' attention through so much of the poor material slapped together for this title. Had the Star Trek material been present since the start it might have held more immediate appeal, though I can't help thinking that the only way for the title to distinguish itself was to opt for original strips.

#02

Future Tense

#04

Captain Britain Annual 1978

[1977] Annual. Original price £1.35
64 pages. Full color contents.
World Distributors Ltd.

SBN: 723504563

Contents:

 5 Captain Britain w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida, colouring by Marie Severin.

r: Captain Britain (Marvel) Vol.1 #01 (13 Oct 1976)

12 The Avengers full-color pin-up. p: Jack Kirby, i: Frank Giacoia.

r: Marvel Treasury Edition (Marvel) #07 (1975)

13 From the Holocaust… A Hero! w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida, colouring by Marie Severin.

r: Captain Britain (Marvel) Vol.1 #02 (20 Oct 1976)

21 Captain Britain full-color pin-up; a: UNKNOWN.

r: Captain Britain (Marvel) Vol.1 #01 (13 Oct 1976)

22 Mayhem on a Monday Morning! w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida, colouring by Marie Severin.

r: Captain Britain (Marvel) Vol.1 #03 (27 Oct 1976)

30 Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. full-color pin-up. a: Jim Steranko.

r: recolored cover to Strange Tales (Marvel) Vol.1 #167 (Apr 1968)

31 Hour of the Hurricane! w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida, colouring by Marie Severin.

r: Captain Britain (Marvel) Vol.1 #04 (03 Nov 1976)

38 Marvel Team-Up... full-color pin-up; a: John Romita.

r: Marvel Treasury Edition (Marvel) #09 (Sep 1976)

39 Captain Britain Has Been Beaten! w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida, colouring by Marie Severin.

r: Captain Britain (Marvel) Vol.1 #05 (10 Nov 1976)

46 Dr. Strange full-color pin-up; p: Bob Budiansky; i: Dan Adkins.

r: UNKNOWN.

47 Havoc at Heathrow! w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida, colouring by Marie Severin.

r: Captain Britain (Marvel) Vol.1 #06 (17 Nov 1976)

54 Fantastic Four full-color pin-up; w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).

r: Fantastic Four (Marvel) Vol 1 # (?)

55 Wind of Death! w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida, colouring by Marie Severin.

r: Captain Britain (Marvel) Vol.1 #07 (24 Nov 1976)

While it is nice to have the (colored) pieces of the original Captain Britain saga collected, it is a shame that there isn't more made of the Britishness of the character in supplementary material - all of the room left over being padded with pin-ups is a bit of a cheat. Even a crossword puzzle or a wordsearch would have made the title more engaging, but… That really doesn't matter.

For the longest time, this was the only place to read those early stories unless a reader wanted to track down all the original issues. For that reason alone it deserves recognition. While far from a definitive edition, this is an attractive repackaging of the first Captain Britain story, on far better paper than Marvel had access to.

One should be thankful that there isn't a feature on the proper way to make tea.

Doctor Who Weekly #4

07 Nov 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part four, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 7 Crazy Caption 4 competition; photograph (uncredited).

 8 Starting Next Week in Issue Five of... Doctor Who Weekly preview of Throwback strip; a: Paul Neary.

 9 The Monsters of Doctor Who The Yeti - Robot Pawns Controlled from Space text feature by Gordon Blows (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

12 Planet Puzzle Answer (quarter page) / Another S-F Winner from Marvel in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly.

13 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part four, w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 (1976).

18 The Dead Planet text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham; photographs (uncredited).

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Tom Baker fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks, part four, w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

28 UNTITLED Tom Baker pin-up; photograph (uncredited).

The Doctor's letter reminds readers not to play with fireworks, noting that they are still explosives despite their packaging and public perception. It is a message which can't be repeated enough, as even all these years later there are still horror stories of needless accidents being reported - such public safety notices have largely fallen out of favour, and these remnants from a time before social media are really evocative.

The Imperial Air-Galley enters the Temple of the Gods, an alien space-ship, and the Doctor convinces Morris to help his escape - which Morris is more than happy to do, given that he hasn't made an escape attempt for a couple of weeks. The Alien Guard, protectors of the temple, rush to prevent the escape of the prisoners. Managing to avoid recapture, the Doctor meets Vesuvius, the oldest robot in Rome. After performing minor repairs on Vesuvius, the Doctor asks where he can find the Gods - and realises that the Romans have been worshiping the Malevilus, most terrible of alien races.

Aliens who take the form of statues? Shades of the Weeping Angels raise this beyond any quibbles regarding the other-dimensional nature of the Romans. Morris is a great character, who really lightens the strip, as well as being oddly likable.

Although interesting, the Yeti aren't quite as memorable - or terrifying - as the Great Intelligence, who really should have formed the focus of the feature. As a history of the robots, however, it is a fine example of the recaps making the threats seem more credible than the episodes managed. The main drawback to the Yeti is their resemblance to Wombles, which is a complete drama-killer. How are the furry, rotund litter-pickers meant to scare when they are so damn cute?

I wouldn't say no to a pet Yeti.

I'll name him George. And I'll hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him...

War of the Worlds is one of the main foundation stones of alien invasions in popular culture, with some of the most dramatic scenes of devastation to focus on such an unlikely location. It should be told as the epic it is, and have at least one or two compelling, memorable images on every page. It should matter. While the adaptation is fine, it isn't exceptional. If there's one word which encapsulates the strip, that word would be "adequate".

The designs of the tripods owe much to the film adaptation, which overwhelms any positive artistic choices. Such a disappointment.

Continuing the recap of The Dead Planet, the same handful of images which always get published are, quelle surprise, dusted off and printed onece more. Are the choices of photographic record for the first doctor so limited that we never get new (or at least unpublished) material? Surely someone was a bit snap-happy on set, and there remains, somewhere, a few pieces we haven't seen dozens of times. Which isn't a complaint aimed at Doctor Who Weekly in specific, but all coverage of the first Doctor.

After 800 years, the Daleks have returned to the planet Anhaut, seeking revenge for their former defeat. Movie producer Glax and his star, Hok Nepo, have found the weapon chamber of the ancient General Nor-Din... Only to have its contents destroyed by the Dalek agent, Kuay, before they could learn its secret...

Prepared to kill everyone, and destroy everything, in their path, the Daleks approach the pyramid. Seemingly trapped, and destined to die in the pyramid, Kuay tells Glax that the Daleks' hold on her ended when she touched a crystal helmet - a device which rapidly ages the user. Hok takes the helmet from Kuay, though he cannot get it to work. Knowing her Dalek implants will enable use of the device, Kuay prepares to sacrifice herself to end the menace once and for all.

As endings go, Return of the Daleks pulls out all the stops.

While I'm going to miss Glax, his transformation from amoral exploitation producer to (albeit reluctant) hero has been a great way to expand the confines of the series. The history of the Daleks outside of strict continuity had already produced a few brilliant stories, and if they were to break free of the series, to invade television screens on their own, this strip would have to be considered as an inspiration.

#03

Doctor Who Weekly

#05

Doctor Who Weekly #3

31 Oct 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part three, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 7 Crazy Caption 3 competition; photograph (uncredited).

 8 The Monsters of Doctor Who The Ice Warriors text feature by Gordon Blows (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

10 Monster Mix Answers (quarter page) / Another S-F Winner from Marvel in-house advertisement for Starburst.

11 Planet Puzzle illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part three, w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 (1976).

17 The Dead Planet text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham; photographs (uncredited).

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Jon Pertwee fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks, part three, w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

28 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

Albert and Elsie Olthwaite should be revived for the new series, just so this issue's letter from the Doctor can be regarded as canon. An exceptionaly strange manner in which to begin the issue, though the sense of whimsy evoked by such a communication from the Doctor is reminiscent of the Tom Baker era as a whole. Slighty mad, yes, but with insights which pierce through 'common sense' to deliver profound statements.

Which likely makes the show sound a bit pretentious.

The Doctor faces the Ectoslime, which stuns its victims with its odour before liquefying them and drinking them. Searching his memory to recall if he had ever faced one before, he recalls the fact they have a highly developed sense of humour to make up for their appearance - so tells it a joke:

Having saved himself from a gruesome death, he is dragged from the arena and placed as a slave in an Imperial Air Galley by General Ironicus. A fellow captive aboard the ship is surprised that the Doctor isn't afraid of him due to his appearance, though the Doctor explains that, compared to the Ectoslime, he is almost handsome. Catching a glimpse of Caesar's mother, the Doctor thinks he has discovered the secret of the Galactic Roman Empire...

Has anyone attempted to translate the joke? I'm hoping it is presented in a code, and not merely a jumble of symbols, as such small details add a certain something to the character - even if I'm too lazy to find a suitable solution. The design sensibilities of the Roman-inspired world are rich in detail, with a few exceptional panels. The image of Caesar's mother is one of the few times we get to really see the world as the Doctor does.

And there's almost that Bugs Bunny line, for those amused at such things.

Whatever amusement could be gained from the Crazy Caption images is rather muted by the poor choice of images for this purpose. Screen captures of actors in the middle of unlikely and improbable events, with appropriately weird expressions, are much more suited to captioning. Before anyone points out how difficult such images were to get in 1979, such systems were available.

The Ice Warrior is an odd choice for Doctor Who's "monster of the week" feature, as they never really felt like top-tier enemies until later development, though the article is very informative. Behind-the-scenes images of Bernard Bresslaw getting prepared for his role as Varga are wonderful glimpses into the process of bringing the character to the screen, and worth the cover price alone. The paper quality doesn't do the images justice, though any opportunity to get a peek at the workings of Doctor Who's special effects are welcome.

Recapping The Dead Planet, the entrance of Daleks to the series is captured well, yet its importance in solidifying the series' popularity isn't addressed. It should have at least had a few newspaper reviews, or even snippets of Radio Times publicity material, which would have really sold the time period in which the episode was broadcast to readers.

Jon Pertwee's mini-bio highlights the inadequacy of the short overviews - despite being in line with previous entries, there's much more to his career than is presented here. Neither pin-up nor biography, the photo-files are a weird hybrid which serves neither function. While later incarnations of the title would handle the balance better, I find myself frustrated with the self-imposed limitations the title has created for itself.

Return of the Daleks, remaining a beautiful isolated glimmer of gold in the Doctor's universe, finds Glax and Hok knocked from their steeds by a whirling sandstorm. Within the winds, which they struggle through, they find a pyramid which is topped with a strange light. A door opens as they approach it, granting them access to a recording revealing the secret to the Daleks' defeat. Before Glax can learn what they must do, Kuay blasts the device and summons her Dalek masters.

The strips and television series information continues to make this a title which is well worth seeking out, though its lightweight features are beginning to grate.

#02

Doctor Who Weekly

#04

Doctor Who Weekly #2

24 Oct 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 SEACON '79 Photographs from the 1979 World Science Fiction convention; photographs by Joyce A. Agee.

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part two, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 7 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 8 The Cybermen text feature by Gordon Blows; photographs (uncredited).

11 Monster Mix wordsearch; illustration by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part two, w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 (1976).

17 An Unearthly Child text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham.

21 Crazy Caption 2 competition; photograph (uncredited).

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Patrick Troughton fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks, part two, w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

28 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

K-9, looking remarkably spiffy, shares a cover with Tom Baker, and there is no hint of any animosity which Baker felt for the useless tin can. Although designed with television in mind it is a photogenic prop, although red blinds over its eyes still makes little to no sense.

The Doctor has fallen foul of the Iron Legion - strange war robots, led by the sinister General Ironicus. He makes a dash for the TARDIS as one of the Legions tanks opens fire!

At the very second the shell explodes, the Doctor has thrown the TARDIS out of dimension!

Caught in a dimensional disturbance, the TARDIS isn't happy at being thrown around. He eventually manages to arrive at the Rome Hyp-Arena, where Maximus Bilious is commentating on events for viewers watching elsewhere. Seized by the Emperor's guards, the Doctor comes to the realisation that he is witnessing events from an alternate Earth where Rome never fell, instead developing a sophisticated technology with which to conquer the entire galaxy.

Alternate realities may be fine for the Marvel superheroes, but... The answer as to the origin of the robots is a bit of a cop-out. It fits perfectly with what we have seen, yet feels as if it hasn't been given enough consideration given the multitude of strange events already seen in the series - it doesn't stretch the parameters of the character to fit the medium, as much as it pastes conventions of comics to the format of the series. The end of this installment is, however, a perfect note to conclude on, though ending every single strip on a physical threat, rather than a puzzle or revelation, might get old if overused.

Not wanting to trust the pigeon post from Ganymede again, I'm sending this letter via Beam-a-Zeat. I did notice they were also sending a batch of smoked klim-bait (a local delicacy) in the same container, so sincerest apologies if this letter pongs a bit.

The Doctor was hanging out with Ace Rimmer back in 1979? This is news which could only be improved if we were to get the revelation he also borrowed Arthur Dent's towel to flick at a Dalek.

The Cybermen does a fairly good job of untangling the (at times confusing) continuity of the characters, though stops short of providing a background to their creation for the show. There have subsequently been a number of publications which have provided more comprehensive information, giving the episode's air-dates and cast, though I'm sure readers were glad to have their memories jogged by such a tight recap of essential details.

Although obviously aimed at younger readers, Monster Mix is a wordsearch which has me thinking - have writers, needing appropriately alien names, used the jumble of letters to form the basis of alien names, species, or worlds? I actually started looking for various names (Saxon isn't present, sadly), but I couldn't remember enough without a reference book handy.

London, November 1963. Under a blanket of thick, swirling fog a policeman pounds his solitary beat amid the high brick walls of the inner metropolis.
   Casting a pale yellow beam, the light of his torch falls upon the large wooden gates of a junkyard, bearing the words: "I.M. FOREMAN, 76 TOTTERS LANE".
   As the policeman walks into the darkness, he fails to notice one of the gates swing open.
   Had he noticed it, he would have been most puzzled by what was inside.
   For, among the debris of the scrapyard was the then-familiar blue shape of a London Police Public Call Box.
   Yet this police box was not what it seemed. For, unlike every other one in the city, this police box hid an awesome secret.
   Just audible to human hearing, it was emitting a humming sound along with a faint vibration coming from within...

The first four episodes of the series are covered by Jeremy Bentham, though there's nothing to indicate a separate pilot was shot prior to broadcast. While the brief recaps are very well written, the lack of detail about the shooting, or other circumstances surrounding the broadcast, leaves this feeling somehow incomplete as an account of the early days of the series. While we are informed that the shooting budget was a mere £2000 per episode, we get no indication of how this was allocated, nor if it was achieved without rewrites. A note on the series reception hints at the praise, though there's no reproduction of the reviews, which would have been a fantastic glimpse into the audience's immediate reactions.

Patrick Troughton remains an enigma, despite the Photo-File's admirable attempt to cover his career, admitting in a disclaimer that the man was so shy he never participated in the usual publicity rigmarole which has become part and parcel of the role. He rarely seems to be properly credited for increasing the scope of the series in a substantial manner, and numerous questions linger regarding his acceptance into the series.

Return of the Daleks opens with Hok Nepo, star of the hologram-movie escaping from the Daleks, who are under the impression that he is their enemy Nor-Din. As the Daleks begin attacking the studio, Glax and Hok manage to escape to a police station, where they inform the officers of events. The police are soon overwhelmed, and decide the situation is best left to the military. Glax, seeing his studio destroyed, decides to head to the Desert of Vash to learn how the Daleks were originally defeated, taking Hok along with him. Kuay, the Daleks' faithful servant, follows them...

You don't need any knowledge of Doctor Who, or the spin-off material, to enjoy the story, which is a great benefit to the story's entertainment value as it increases in scale - still a self-contained piece of storytelling, with no overt call-backs to the Dalek strips of old, there's real tension created by using characters and a setting which haven't been seen before. While we know London isn't going to get destroyed, this hitherto-unseen planet doesn't have the same protection hanging over it.

#01

Doctor Who Weekly

#03

Doctor Who Weekly #1

17 Oct 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 "Things looked bad for me after the TARDIS materialised on board a Vorgan space platform." Panorama; a: Dave Gibbons.

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part one, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 8 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 9 Day of the Daleks text feature by B. Aldrich [Dez Skinn] & G. Blows; photographs (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 ().

16 Two More S-F Winners from Mighty Marvel (half page) in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly and Starburst.

17 "Hello again, all." text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

18 The Story of Doctor Who text feature (uncredited).

20 Crazy Caption 1 competition; photograph (uncredited).

21 Chew the Gum (half page) advertisement for Bazooka Joe. / 111 Stamps (All Different) FREE (half page) advertisement for Bridgnorth Stamp Co. Ltd.

22 Doctor Who Photo-File William Hartnell fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 I'd only landed on Magnon 5 to stretch my legs, but a malfunction of the TARDIS caused it to disappear, leaving me stranded!" Panorama; a: Dave Gibbons.

28 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

There's a fair few conventions of cover design which, in principal, are entirely justifiable, but are nevertheless completely inexplicable. The free gift (here transfers) is almost always prioritised over the cover art (or, in this case, photograph), despite the likelihood that most copies will be deprived of their items soon after sale. What this means, in terms of aesthetics, is that first issues can tend to be rather unappealing. There is a large blank box upon which the transfers would be affixed, had they been present, though there's no real need to cover the photograph so.

Is the Dalek shy? Is it hiding a spot of rust? Is it trying to disguise itself as a piece of cheese?

The panoramas, on the inside covers, are interesting, though add nothing to the universe of the Doctor. Had they been tied in to stories appearing in the title, or acted as a bridge between television episodes and the comic, then there would be a real incentive to study them for details. On their own, and without any continuation of the narratives, they are simply pretty pictures with some justifying text.

They fought their way across a thousand planets - robot veterans of the eternal war - destroying, with ruthless discipline, all who stood in their way!

And now, the peaceful tranquility of the English countryside is rudely shattered as they appear - as if from nowhere - brutally dragging people out and razing their houses to the ground!

And yet... for all the robots' strangeness, there is something... grimly familiar about them!

The Doctor lands the TARDIS in a small village, immediately heading for the nearest store to stock up on provisions. The owner is distracted, however, and cryptically utters "They're coming!" before explaining himself - the town is surrounded, and he returned to the store as he didn't know what else to do. At that moment a robot smashes into the building and demands that the inhabitants remain where they are. Killing the man, it soon becomes confused at the Doctor's odd biology, which the Doctor uses to his advantage, learning the robot is First Cohort of the Ninth Legion.

Robots and Roman legionnaires. Two staples of British television brought to the printed page in glorious, mad, and rather brilliant fashion. There have been a multitude of stories placing the Doctor in small villages which are tormented by extraterrestrial dangers, and this follows most of the conventions save for the immediate death of what appears to be the sole surviving inhabitant. Without companions, and the man killed immediately, the opportunity for his prodigious running commentary on events, and asides, is limited, though with such speedy pacing this ought not to be a critical problem.

Getting through so much in such a brief page count does mean we have no sense of how long the robots have been prowling the streets. For a character so tied to time, the nebulous time-frame in which an organised invasion (however contained) could be mounted is a niggle which eats at enjoyment of what ought to be a riotous celebration of the character finally earning his own title.

The letter from the Doctor helpfully suggests that the reader look out for #879 ("It really was a beauty"), which suggests that, when it appears, it had better pull out all the stops. A double length issue with a plethora of free gifts, and a complete comic strip... If your copy of #879 isn't an epic tour de force, then you need to immediately return the issue to Panini with a strongly-worded letter of outrage, demanding they immediately send you the highlight of the series.

Now, where was I? Oh, yes.

Day of the Daleks, which recounts both the inspiration for the appearance of the race, and briefly recounts their first appearance, is the kind of light, breezy feature which doesn't push forward the history of the series to any great degree. There are plenty of facts present, though with only three pages to include the entire history of the Daleks it is understandable that the omissions outweigh inclusions.

No one would have believed in last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own...

With infinite complacency, men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs. Serene in their assurance of their empire over matter.

No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable.

Though the adaptation only reaches the discovery of the cylinder on Horsell Common, the telling - both script and art - are slightly above average for the form. While it isn't visually daring, there are nice touches, such as the horse-drawn carriage on the first page. The appearance of the tripod isn't, it has to be said, the most exciting or logical solution to the book's description.

The Story of Dr Who is a puff-piece which isn't far removed from the kind of features seen in general SF magazines, suggesting caution hanging over the issue - not brave enough to really dig into intricacies of script development or continuity, though attempting to centre attention on the series regardless. A Photo-File of William Hartnell (to whom the first issue is dedicated) is so light on biographical information that it doesn't cover his life away from the screen at all, which is, in these days of round-the-clock reality television inanity, rather incomprehensible. He's someone who exuded charm and charisma, and really deserved more than this.

The Return of the Daleks centres on Anhaut, once the scene of a Dalek invasion.

Today, Anhaut is a thriving peaceful world... at least, it's thriving unless you listen to our friend here... His name's Glax... and he's the owner of Galactic Glax Picture Corporation...

Concerned about declining returns on his hologram-movie releases, Glax overhears a mother chide her child for bad behaviour, warning him a Dalek will get him if he doesn't behave. Pondering this as a possible plot, Glax wanders off deep in thought. Hunting in the archives for information, he finds a view-film from eight hundred years earlier. Describing how a Dalek scout landed one night, the footage shows how a band of 23 Daleks rampaged across the planet, slaughtering and destroying. Although the end of the story is tantalisingly vague, Glax is determined to commit the story to film. Unbeknown to Glax, the real Daleks are freed from their prison, and roaming the set.

A slight, though amusing, story of the real deal being mistaken for props, which is a slightly worn set-up, the story nevertheless holds enough charm to excuse its plot. These are characters who are deserving of more added to their story. Even if all we get is a cutaway scene of the Doctor watching one of the hologram-movies between bouts of running through corridors, there's something about the story which always appealed.

If this type of launch, with short comic strips and insignificant text features, had appeared as little as ten years later it would have been laughed off the shelves, but nobody had really exploited a live-action television series to this degree before. As a launch of its era it is very impressive. It isn't perfect, but it is very British.

Read it with a bag of jelly babies to hand, and enjoy the fleeting moments of genius.

Doctor Who Weekly

#02

Captain Britain Vol.1 #1

13 Oct 1976. Cover price 10p.
36 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Larry Lieber & Neil Tennant.

Cover p: Larry Lieber (signed); i: Frank Giacoia (uncredited).

Free Captain Britain mask.

Contents:

.2 Captain Britain UNTITLED [] w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe; i: Fred Kida, lettering by Irving Watanabe, colouring by Marie Severin.

.9 A Personal Message from Stan Lee introduction.

10 All the Excitement of the Battlefield from Atlantic advertisement.

11 To Celebrate the Launch of Captain Britain (half page) announcement. / Fun Jokes (quarter page) advertisement for novelty catalogue. / Free Stamp Collectors Outfit (eighth of page) advertisement for The Bridgnorth Stamp Co. Ltd. / Free Complete Stamp Collectors Outfit (eighth of page) advertisement for Philatelic Services.

12 The Fantastic Four One From Four Leaves Three! w: Stan Lee; p: John Buscema, i: Joe Sinnott, lettering by Mike Stevens.

r: edited Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) #110 (May 1971).

17 Get These 4 Great Mags Everyweek! (three quarters page) in-house advertisement for Super Spider-Man, Planet of the Apes and Dracula Lives, The Titans, and The Mighty World of Marvel starring The Incredible Hulk and the Avengers / Free Next Week... Captain Britain Boomerang!! (quarter page)

18 Have you got a meccano tank, plane, horse, jeep, submarine, skyscraper, motorboat, showboat, racing car, railway-engine, taxi cab, windmill, cable car set? (half page) advertisement for Meccano. / Marvel T-Shirts (half page) in-house advertisement.

24 Captain Britain's Fun Page puzzles. w:/a: Owen McCarron.

25 A Marvel Masterwork Pin-Up Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. a: Jim Steranko.

r: cover from Strange Tales (Marvel Comics) #167 (Apr 1968).

26 Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. From Hell -- Fury! w:/a: Jim Steranko, lettering by Jerry Feldman.

r: cover from Strange Tales (Marvel Comics) #159 (Aug 1967).

31 A Marvel Masterwork Pin-Up Captain Britain! p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida.

32 Win These 3 Great Mogul Toys advertisement.

Splashing out on full-colour pages, with which to showcase Captain Britain, makes a real difference to the title as a whole. Flat colouring really doesn't matter, and gives the strip the feeling of belonging to the same tradition as Captain America, Spider-Man and other US characters - this is a British character with firmly American roots. Lieber's cover design looks back to mid-sixties US covers for inspiration, and - compared to other British launches - shows great restraint in text placement.

Opening somewhere on Cheviot Hills, our fledgling hero faces off against Reaver and his associates. There are (Duddo?) standing stones making interesting background scenery for a action-packed sequence, as Reaver states that Cap is all that stands between him and enough power to rule the world. Reaver's forces don't stand a chance against the strength and reflexes of Captain Britain, who casually swats them away.

A highlight of this is the thought balloon: "I'm a physicist, not some... Super-hero!" Was a Star Trek re-run playing in the background when this was written?

Instinctively stating that Reaver can call him Captain Britain, we get treated to a flashback origin story - not the most elegant manner in which to impart this information. This section doesn't work quite as well. Darkmoor Research Centre, a top secret nuclear complex half-hidden on the lonely moor, is a bustling, futuristic facility which looks more like a hydro-power plant designed by a madman. That it is only half-hidden is an interesting fact - what was wrong with completely hiding it? Did they run out of time? Did they run out of money?

Brian Braddock, working as an assistant to Dr. Travis - a pipe in his mouth throughout, hopefully unlit considering his location - gets told that the complex is on the threshold of developing a practical, safe fusion reactor system which will solve the world's energy crisis overnight. Their conversation is interrupted by shooting from outside, and a nearby wall collapses as Joshua Stragg - the Reaver - enters in a futuristic tank to kidnap the assembled scientific minds.

Dr. Travis is killed in the assault, and Brian flees - abandoning his pipe - with Stragg's men in hot pursuit. Crashing his motorbike off a cliff, Brian has a vision of two immense faces. Informed that he is in an ancient circle of power, Brian learns that he is going to be judged on peril of his immortal soul. He is then told to choose between an amulet and a sword...

Which is where the story breaks off, sans a satisfying conclusion.

It feels like an American reprint, especially given the uncomfortable break just as things are getting interesting, a matter not aided by the very large panels more befitting a younger audience than intended. Still, this is a nice change from endless reprints, so must be applauded.

The Fantastic Four story continues on from material published in Titans, which is simply unacceptable in a launch issue - stories should feel fresh and exciting, and not immediately tie to other publications which are not assured to still be available. Facing certain death in the Negative Zone, Reed attempts to save himself as the rest of the team watch on via the Visi-Scanner.

Having been deprived of the opening part of this adventure I can't say that I care much how Reed survives (as he must), though it is an attractively-drawn tale with enough style to validate its inclusion.

Steranko's work is always appreciated, though (once again) we begin mid-story - there is no alteration to remove a "see last ish" reference in an opening text box, making me wonder is the decision to include the strip in this title was a last-minute decision. A couple of pin-ups - Nick Fury and Captain Britain - are also included, but special mention must be made of the free gift. There's a distinct lack of blue mouthpiece, but it is a great-looking mash when flat.

An unfocused and slightly scrappy first issue, but with an appeal which transcends its limitations.