The Archives of Phryne (comic story)

, also known as The Quest, was a comic story in The Daleks published by TV Century 21. It was significant for featuring artist Eric Eden's only work on the series and for his choice to model his Daleks on the 1960s Dalek movies with Peter Cushing.

Summary
The Daleks are searching their surrounding space, preparing for their coming war with the Mechanoids when they find the planet Phryne.

Plot
With war with the Mechanoids on the horizon, Dalek Searcher saucers leave Skaro on the hunt for new technology to create more advanced weapons. Searcher One, commanded by the Black Dalek, encounters a dead planet in a seemingly empty region of space before discovering the rest of the planets in the solar system are cloaked by an invisibility shield. Meanwhile on Phryne, Saf warns the Controller that ships are landing on Phyrne's moon but the Controller takes no immediate action. When they intercept Dalek transmissions reporting that the Daleks are working to pierce the invisibility shield, a squadron of fighters is dispatched to stop them. They are destroyed by Dalek missiles. The last surviving ship it set by its pilot on a suicide course and destroys the Dalek machine. Searcher One takes off just in time and passes through the invisibility band.

The Phrynians activate their actinic rays while the Controller tries to stop the citizens from panicking. The rays begin heating up the Dalek ship so the Daleks response with a gamma beta ice ray with destroys the defences and they land. Citizens flee and Phrynian atrevolvers are swiftly overcome. The Controller is quickly captured and tells Saf to get everyone into hiding so that they may construct new weapons to one day fight back. The Daleks demand the Controller tell them the secrets of Phryne but he jumps from the building so that the secrets die with him.The Daleks conquer the planet but the Phrynians are determined to one say win back what is theirs.

Characters

 * The Controller
 * Sal
 * Black Dalek

Reprints

 * Doctor Who - A Marvel Monthly 54-55 in black and white
 * Terry Nation's Dalek Annual 1977 in black and white
 * Doctor Who Classic Comics 6 in colour
 * DWMS The Dalek Chronicles in colour

Continuity

 * The Daleks are searching space for alien inventions. (COMIC: Eve of War)