Coral Maze (comic story)

 is a Doctor Who Adventures comic strip published in 2013.

Summary
Newly arrived colonists unwittingly threaten the survival of a giant coral brain when they set up base.

Plot
Taking Clara to see the amazing glowing coral on the small human colony planet of Polypia 4 (in 2211) the peace is soon disrupted by a giant two-headed shark creature with arms and legs that as usual appears, scares the colonists then suddenly disappears. The the Doctor makes introductions with the five explorers from Earth that had recently decided to settle on the planet. The two-headed shark has been appearing every night but never seems to attack. The Doctor suspects it has something to do with the coral and takes one of the female researchers (a “poor, frightened colonist person!”), aboard the TARDIS. From high above the planet the Doctor presents an aeriel view from the TARDIS’s open door showing the coral to be a giant brain, an organic creature that is alive and capable of dreaming. The colonists arrival gave the coral nightmares – and the sharks were part of that nightmare and not real, just angry illusions created by the coral stress. Clara suggests that rather than building their base on the living coral which is hurting the coral brain the colonists move across to one of the other more boring but less ‘alive’ islands. Not intending to have hurt the coral brain the colonists willingly agree to move camp and within a few days they are rewarded by the sight of a happier coral brain – now a mass of glowing colours and with even more new and colourful coral growths. The beginning of a beautiful friendship observes the Doctor as he returns to the TARDIS with Clara.

Characters

 * Eleventh Doctor
 * Clara Oswald

Original print details

 * Publication with page count and closing captions
 * 1) DWA 317 (4 pages) More adventures next week
 * No reprints to date.

The final frame contains the caption "more adventures next week" - which for a now fortnightly title is incorrect and also reoccurs in several later issues.

Continuity

 * The Doctor reply to new travelling companion Clara's comment that with "no more monsters! I suppose that means it's time for us to go!" (not a question but a statement), that she is "definitely getting the hang of this [travelling thing]!"