The Road To... (comic story)

 was the serialised backup story of Doctor Who: The Road to the Thirteenth Doctor published in 2018 as a prequel to Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor.

The story, told through three separate narratives, depicts the Doctor's encounter with the same mysterious portal with a hand reaching out of it in their Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth incarnations, preluding the Thirteenth Doctor's encounter with it in A New Beginning.

Part one
On the SS Madame de Pompadour in the 51st century, the Tenth Doctor has returned from a party in 18th century France where he is irritated to find that his human companions Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith have yet again wandered off, confiding his frustrations with Arthur the horse. His attention, however, is soon drawn to a rip in time, distinct from the time windows on the ship. From the rip, a humanoid hand is seen to emerge from a figure who asks for the Doctor to "grab on" as they "can't hold..." before quickly shattering as the rip closes. Bewildered by what has just occurred, the Doctor determines it to be "not good" but notes that it is something which needs to wait as he hears from a distance that his companions are at the mercy of the Clockwork Droids, promptly rushing off to rescue them.

Part two
During the events of The Power of Three, when the Eleventh Doctor is bored and try to kill time by doing anything, he is put in contact with the portal but doesn't notice it as it appears in his back. The portal soon disappears like the last time and the Doctor continues his life as if nothing happened.

Part three
On the Mondasian Colony Ship, during the events of World Enough and Time, The Twelfth Doctor, Missy and Nardole take the elevator to join Bill and save her, but this portal reappears and the Doctor remembers it from the SS Madame de Pompadour. After scanning it with his screwdriver, he asks Missy if she wants to save Bill or the person that wants to reach them with the portal. Missy answers that she wants to save Bill as she is the one that is afraid of her. The Doctor stores his screwdriver back inside of his pocket and they go to save Bill. The portal will wait.

Characters

 * Tenth Doctor
 * Arthur
 * Rose Tyler
 * Mickey Smith
 * Eleventh Doctor
 * Amy Pond
 * Rory Williams
 * Twelfth Doctor
 * Nardole

Continuity

 * The Tenth Doctor is on board the SS Madame de Pompadour. (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace)
 * The Tenth Doctor appears to converse with Arthur the horse. Indeed, his next incarnation would claim to "speak horse." (TV: A Town Called Mercy)
 * The Eleventh Doctor previously displayed his football skills. (TV: The Lodger)
 * The Ponds' living room is littered with cubes. (TV: The Power of Three)
 * Missy calls the Twelfth Doctor "Doctor Who". (TV: World Enough and Time)