Radio Times comic stories

The Radio Times comic strips were a series of five comic stories featuring the Eighth Doctor, printed in the Radio Times, that ran for 42 issues starting the week after Doctor Who: The TV Movie was first broadcast on BBC1, making these the first-ever appearance of the Eighth Doctor in a non-television medium and the second-ever appearance of the Eighth Doctor in any medium.

Production details
The were scripted by Gary Russell with art by Lee Sullivan, colour by Alan Craddock and lettering by Alitta Fell.

The stories were ended early due to a change of management at the Radio Times. Originally they were planned to last for 60 issues with the fifth story to have the title Deceptions. Instead,Coda was produced to tie up dangling plot elements, rather abruptly.

Continuity
In terms of continuity, these probably take place between The Eight Doctors and The Dying Days. The strips also introduced two new companions, Stacy Townsend and Ssard who would both later appear in the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures novel Placebo Effect, a sequel to the comic strips.

The stories

 * Dreadnought (10 Parts) 1 - 7 June 1996 - 3 - 9 August 1996
 * Descendance (10 Parts) 10 - 16 August 1996 - 12 - 18 1996
 * Ascendance (10 Parts) 19 - 25 October 1996 - 21st December 1996 - 3rd January 1997
 * Perceptions (10 Parts) 4 - 10 1997 - 8 - 14 1997
 * Deceptions (10 Parts, abandoned)
 * Coda (2 Parts) 15 - 21 March 1997 - 22 - 28 1997

Dreadnought The Tardis lands on the deep space haulage ship Dreadnought which has been taken over by Cybermen. The Doctor befriends a survivor called Stacy Townsend. The Cybermen capture the Doctor and Stacy and attempt to turn the Doctor into a Cyberman in order to steal the secrets of time travel. However a distraction caused by a man called Bill who has partly converted into a Cyberman allows the Doctor and Stacy to escape. The Doctor reverses the polarity of the TARDIS's neutron flow which destroys the Cybermen.

Descendance The Doctor and Stacy arrive on Mars and are captured by Ice Warriors. The Doctor becomes involved in a power struggle between Lord Uzoxx and Lord Artix. The Doctor, together with Stacy and an Ice Warrior called Ssard are attcked and become separated. The Doctor rescues the Martian Prince Izaxyrl from the clutches of Artix.

Ascendance Following the events of Descendance, Stacy and Ssard are being held captive by Artix. The Doctor and Izaxyrl rescue Stacy and Ssard. Uzoxx's wife Luass is in league with Artix and attempts to frame the Doctor with murder. However Artix confesses their plans and Luass is killed by Uzoxx. Ssard joins the crew of the TARDIS.

Perceptions The travellers arrive in Victorian London and discover a space ship which is invisibel to the people of the time. They meet the ships inhabitant P'fer'd who is an Equanoid, a horse-like alien. P'fer'd tells the Doctor that his wife M'rek'd is missing. Stacy, along with some street urchins rescue M'rek'd from a freak show. However the owner of the freak show is a shape shifting alien and Stacy and the urchins are attacked. M'rek'd and P'fer'd are reuinited and Stacy returns.

Coda The Doctor discovers that Stacy has been replaced by a shape shifter. The Doctor traps the four shape shifters in a sonic bubble and returns them to their home planet. The Doctor, Stacy and Ssard continue on their travels.