The Naked Flame (comic story)

Summary
The Doctor and Sarah materialise on the planet Vortis. Following the destruction of the Animus, Vortis has regenerated and the flower forests now once more bloom. A survey team of the winged Menoptera have disappeared while investigating the appearance of strange energy emissions. The only survivor, the wingless Jresta, takes the Doctor and Sarah to a large crystal in a forest clearing, but can’t remember what happened after her team discovered it. A follow-up expedition arrives led by the hostile male Menoptera named Vursus. Vursus looks down on Jresta for her deformity. He orders one of his team to break off part of the crystal for analysis, ignoring the warnings of the Jresta and the travelers. The crystal glows with light. It mesmerises the Menoptera and causes them to fly into the energy web, where they are consumed; Jresta only survives because she can't fly and Vursus because the Doctor knocks him unconscious. The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to generate a resonance pattern which shatters the crystalline entity and saves Vortis once again.

Characters

 * Fourth Doctor
 * Sarah Jane Smith
 * Jresta
 * Versus
 * Kalios
 * Clynex
 * Tellia
 * Rostos

Continuity

 * This is the Doctor's sixth visit to Vortis. His last visit had been in MA: Twilight of the Gods, and he would next visit in BFA: Return to the Web Planet.

Timeline

 * The Naked Flame occurs after TVC: Jackals of Space
 * The Naked Flame occurs before ST: Old Flames