The Humanoids (comic story)


 *  was the first story in The Dalek Book to feature all three Stone siblings on the offensive against the Daleks. Reunited after having been separated by the Dalek invasion of Venus, the trio were now on Mars, beset by a problem implied by a single panel in City of the Daleks: humanoids.

This story was notable for introducing Dalekenium, the metal that formed the outer casing of Daleks. The metal remains a fixture of the Dalek mythos, having been namechecked in the scripts of recent Dalek adventures like Evolution of the Daleks and Victory of the Daleks.

Summary
The Stone siblings, fresh from their victory over the Daleks on Venus, are now en route to Mars. Andy has a new weapon in their fight against their non-humanoid foes. He's discovered that Dalek casings are made from Dalekenium, a metal found only on Skaro. Thus, he can set the spectroscanners to look specifically for that metal. With this new weapon, humanity have a chance to gain a significant tactical advantage.

Discussion of Dalekenium is temporarily brushed aside, however, when they land on Mars. The trio immediately find a couple of cylinders near their landing site. Inside are what appear to be badly-injured humans. Mary takes them inside the ship to the sickbay so she can nurse them back to health. When they wake sometime later, they reveal themselves to be humanoids — humans that have undergone a surgical procedure to become agents of the Daleks. They reveal that the Daleks have promised them lordship over Mars if they destroy the Stone siblings. Andy and Jeff quickly knock out the humanoids then go to survey the damage that's been done to the ship.

The humanoids managed to destroy the spectroscanner, so now their advantage is lost. Still, they've thwarted the Daleks' plan ahead of a massive Dalek attack. When the Daleks converge on their ship, the Stones are ready. They use their ships weapons to easily overwhelm the unsuspecting Daleks. They lift off and head for Venus, where they'll report on the new humanoid threat.

En route, Mary jokes that it'll probably take them 50 years to pay for a new spectroscanner to replace the one the humanoids smashed.

Characters

 * Jeff Stone
 * Andy Stone
 * Mary Stone
 * Daleks
 * Humanoids, including one named Catilla

Continuity
to be added