The Age of Chaos (comic story)

The Age of Chaos was the first Doctor Who comic story originally produced in full colour by Marvel UK. It predated the advent of colour in the main Doctor Who Magazine comic strip by almost seven years (although several colourised versions of the strip had been reprinted since the mid-1980s).

It was also the only occasion on which Marvel printed a single, original, novel-length Doctor Who story. Previous efforts like Voyager and Abslom Daak — Dalek Killer were lengthy, but were comprised of several different stories, none of them original to the volume. In fact, until the publication of The Only Good Dalek in 2010, The Age of Chaos was the only example of an original graphic novel in Doctor Who comic history, despite the advertising claims seen on various collected editions of Doctor Who Magazine strips. However, it was originally intended to be published as a four-issue series in 1993 until hit by art delays.

It was also the first, and so far only, comic strip written by an actor who played the Doctor on televised Doctor Who. Colin Baker's authorship of the story nearly doubled the number of comic panels that had been devoted to his incarnation of the Doctor.

The story itself served as a kind of sequel to The Trial of a Time Lord, in that it centred around the Sixth Doctor and Frobisher's adventure with Peri's grandchildren from her marriage to King Yrcanos. (TV: The Ultimate Foe)

Story synopsis
The Doctor makes one of his regular visits to see Peri's grandchildren on Krontep, but lands during a time of civil war between Peri's grandsons Artios and Euthys. To prevent it, he enlists the help of Frobisher, Peri's granddaughter Actis, and a warrior named Carf and ventures out to the land of Brachion where he suspects alien involvement. The journey is beset by many monsters, but he eventually learns that the Nahrung are behind the problems on Krontep, an ancient race who feed on the pain and suffering of other creatures. They are also shapeless and inhabit other bodies, and the Doctor defeats them when they try to take over his body with the immortal cry of "The time has come to ride a Time Lord!" The Doctor stops one of his hearts and kills them.

Characters

 * Sixth Doctor
 * Frobisher
 * Princess Actis
 * Farlig
 * Ptou
 * Ranith
 * Carf
 * Artios
 * Euthys
 * Bionema
 * A Nahrung
 * Algifer and the Monks

Additional features

 * Introduction by Colin Baker

Credits

 * Written by: Colin Baker and Barrie Mitchell
 * Words: Colin Baker
 * Pictures (Pages 3-23): John M Burns
 * Pictures (Pages 24-91): Barrie Mitchell
 * Colours: Steve Whitaker
 * Letters (Pages 3-23): Jane Smale
 * Letters (Pages 24-91): Amer Anwar
 * Front Cover: Alan Davis
 * Editor: Gary Russell
 * Assistant Editors: Marcus Hearn and Warwick Gray
 * Designer: Gary Gilbert
 * Production: Julie Pickering and Mark Irvine

Continuity

 * The Doctor tells Frobisher not to call him "Doc." (TV: The Myth Makers, The Five Doctors, Dreamland)