The White Dragon (comic story)

The White Dragon  was a comic story published in Doctor Who Magazine in 2020, featuring the Thirteenth Doctor and friends.

The comic marked the Thirteenth Doctor's return to the comic strip after being absent since May due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the publication of Monstrous Beauty starring the Ninth Doctor.

Part one
Hong Kong, 1940. With the sun setting over Guangli Bay, a talkative young fisherman called Hai Lan chats to his co-worker Chen Luo about their differing mentalities over work. As he does, their final haul reveals a strangely clean and shining porcelain-like oval which Hai obsesses over. Despite Chen asking for it, Hai refuses to hand it over due to their "finders keepers" rule, knowing that he could sell it for a fortune and retire. As he talks, Chen pulls out a dagger. Later that evening, Chen studies the object himself with Hai's arm draped unmoving over the hull of the ship, something new being born as their friendship dies.

32 years later, the Thirteenth Doctor, Graham, Yaz, and Ryan explore a bustling night market in the city, all excited to sample the sights and tastes. As the Doctor and Ryan try out the street food, Yaz goes jewellery shopping for a black pendant while Graham fails to get her to haggle.

Meanwhile, a young woman sprints through the market, knocking people aside before she finally bumps into Yaz, dropping the white pendant she was holding. Looking up, Yaz and Graham learn that she is called Tung-Mei and she is being pursued for lying by a man called Renshu and his bodyguard, both armed. As he threatens to take Yaz and Graham with them, Tung-Mei tries to plead their innocence. However, Renshu steals Yaz's pendant, believing it to be Tung-Mei's, and forces the trio into a car before threatening the crowd to stay silent.

With the Doctor still trying food, Ryan notices the car zoom past but is unable to catch the license plate. Although the public are unwilling to help, Ryan notices Tung-Mei's white pendant and the Doctor confirms with her sonic screwdriver that it is a receiver unit for some "telepathic alien tech". Picking up a signal nearby, the two run off to help.

Renshu and his bodyguard lead Graham, Yaz, and Tung-Mei out of the city and onto a small boat, threatening them to not ask questions. On the boat, Tung-Mei apologises and explains that she and her pursuers work for the same man and she was chased after trying to quit, but Renshu counters that she actually stole something from their boss. Finally, their destination appears: a huge floating castle that is populated by the rich and famous.

Inside, the boss calmly scolds Tung-Mei for her foolish ways, revealing himself to be an older and much more powerful Chen Luo. Renshu hands Yaz's pendant to him, only to be met with fury that he gathered the wrong item, demanding that Renshu finds the correct pendant or he will kill him. As Renshu runs off, Chen demands his guards lock up the three visitors so his son can talk to them later.

Meanwhile, on a tram in the city, the Doctor holds the pendant to her forehead to try and track its telepathic pulse, receiving some strange looks from locals. Soon, Renshu and his backup continue to trawl through the market, spreading the word that they need to find two Brits who have the correct pendant before the night is out.

Hours later, the Doctor and Ryan reach the upmarket area of the Walled City of Kowloon, seemingly finding the source of the pendant's pulse. Sonicking her way into the grounds of a very posh villa, the two prepare themselves for anything, but they are met at the front door by its owner, furious at them for breaking and entering - Bruce Lee! The Doctor and Ryan are speechless and Bruce advances on them, assuming they are fans that have greatly overstepped the mark, but they are interrupted by Renshu, now with a whole gang of armed backup. Surrounding the Doctor, Ryan, and Bruce in a circle, he warns her to hand over the pendant "and maybe we'll just shoot you a little."

Characters

 * Thirteenth Doctor
 * Graham O'Brien
 * Yasmin Khan
 * Ryan Sinclair
 * Hai Lan
 * Chen Luo
 * Renshu
 * Tung-Mei
 * Bruce Lee

Historical figures

 * The Doctor name-drops Marco Polo, Virginia Woolf, and the Qianlong Emperor.

Locations

 * The TARDIS team arrive in Hong Kong.
 * The market street reminds Graham of Brick Lane.
 * Bruce Lee's wife and children are visiting family in America.

Food

 * Ryan says that he fancies a but of dim sum.
 * The Doctor eats a wonton and some somasas.

Culture

 * The Doctor eats with chopsticks.

Slang and colloquialisms

 * Team TARDIS are referred to as "brits" by the locals.
 * Graham calls Shui Long "sunshine".

Miscellaneous

 * Yaz wants to buy some jewellery for her mum and Sonya.
 * The Doctor asks Ryan if he saw the licence plate of Renshu's car.
 * Bruce Lee's house has a library.
 * Ryan mentions his Dyspraxia.
 * The Doctor performs unarmed combat, asking herself "What is it about the seventies...?"

Original print details

 * (Publication with page count and closing captions)


 * 1) DWM 559 (8 pages): Next: The Dragon's Wrath!
 * 2) DWM 560 (8 pages): Next: The Mother of Sorrow!

Continuity

 * The Doctor recalls trekking with Marco Polo. (TV: Marco Polo)
 * The Doctor mentions having met Virginia Woolf. (TV: The Time of Angels; AUDIO: The Quantum Possibility Engine)
 * Ryan tells Bruce about his Dyspraxia. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth, The Ghost Monument, et al.)