Doctor Who and the Star Beast (comic story)

 — or The Star Beast — was a Fourth Doctor comic strip published in Doctor Who Magazine.

Summary
Pursued by Wrarth Warriors, Beep the Meep crashes his craft in Blackcastle, where he is found and hidden by school children Sharon and Fudge. The Doctor follows the flames of the neutron drive star cruiser and investigates, unaware that he is leading the Wrarth Warriors directly to the Meep. The Warriors attack K9, making him useless. After he has sent the Meep with Sharon for safety, the Doctor learns from the Wrarth officers, Sergeant Zogroth and Constable Zreeg, that Beep is being hunted by the Wrarth (biological constructs of the five strongest races in the galaxy) for unspeakable crimes.

The Meep were once a happy advanced race. Radiation from the Black Sun, however turned them into conquering, savage beasts. Beep was shot down following his escape from the Battle of Yarras.

Taking the Wrarth Warriors with him, the Doctor finds Sharon and the locals turned into zombie drones by the radiation of the Black Star drive. Beep has made them work to repair the ship for a star jump from Earth. The Doctor, along with Blackcastle and the workers, are caught in the star jump.

The Doctor returns the workers (the radiation effect has started to wear off) to Earth in the TARDIS. The Wrarth ship captures and boards the Meep’s ship and Sharon is returned to the Doctor and K9, who is erratic and purring like a cat but back together. The Doctor agrees to take Sharon with him in the TARDIS so he can return her to Earth.

Characters

 * Fourth Doctor


 * K9 Mark II


 * Sharon


 * Beep the Meep
 * Ruthless galactic criminal and leader of the Meep. Beep referred to himself as the Most-High. Pursued by the Wrarth Warriors to Earth, his neutron drive star cruiser crashed at Blackcastle steel mills. Using the ship's black orb to expose and control the locals by exposing them to neutron radiation. Beep created a workforce of drones to help repair his ship. The Doctor's interference limits the take-offs damage but the star jump from Earth sucks the steel mill and its inhabitants into a black hole (using the TARDIS the Doctor was able to return the workers home). The Meep was eventually captured by the Wrarth Warriors and taken away for trial.


 * Constable Zreeg
 * Wrarth Warrior sent in pursuit of the Meep


 * 'Fudge' Higgins
 * School friend of Sharon lived with his mum. Keen reader of sci-fi pulp comics, especially the adventures of Captain Starflash. Along with Sharon, he found Beep the Meep hiding in a neighbours's shed in Blackcastle. Shortly after, he hid the Meep in his bedroom.


 * Meep
 * The Meep are three-foot tall balls of fur with large eyes and ears and a cute look that deceives many. They are ruthless killers in the name of conquest. Once a highly advanced peaceful race, envied throughout the universe for their happiness, the race was mutated by the rays of a Black Sun which turned them into conquest-hungry, planet-grabbing  killers.


 * Sergeant Zogroth
 * Wrarth Warrior sent in pursuit of the Meep


 * Wrarth Warriors
 * Biological constructs created as law enforcers of the stars. Their homeworld unnamed but has sulphuric acid seas and smells of methane. With their external skeleton acting as a skelo-shield, they have formidable strength. Their eyes are like large lights and give excellent infra-red night vision (susceptible to ultra-white light), their teeth are razor sharp, their tongue have digits to secure their food. They have one giant, left-handed, detachable claw and on the other a five digit tendrilled hand. They are accountable to the Star Council on the other side of the galaxy.

Following the Battle of Yarras they pursued the surviving Meep leader to Earth. With the Doctor’s help the Meep was taken into custody.

Original print details

 * Publication with page count and closing captions


 * 1) DWM 21 (4 pages)  Next Week: Doctor Death!
 * 2) DWM 22 (4 pages)  Next Week: Revenge of Wrath!
 * 3) DWM 23 (5 pages)  Next Week: Hour of the Beast!
 * 4) DWM 24 (4 pages)  Next Week: Countdown to Apocalypse!
 * 5) DWM 25 (4 pages)  Next Week: Stardeath!
 * 6) DWM 26 (4 pages)  Next Issue:  Join the Doctor, Sharon and K9 in...Devil-Spawn!

Reprints

 * 1) Doctor Who (Marvel Comics) (Issues 1-2) reprinted in colour with colouring by Andy Yanchus.
 * 2) Doctor Who Classic Comics Issue 25-26 reprinted in colour with colouring by Paul Vyse.
 * 3) Iron Legion graphic novel published in 2004 reprinting, as original, cleaned up comic strips covering strips from Doctor Who Magazine in B&W.
 * 4) Doctor Who Classics Issue 4-5 reprinted in colour with colouring by Charlie Kirchoff.
 * 5) Doctor Who Classics Volume 1, a graphic novel colection of Doctor Who Classics colourised reprints.
 * 6) Doctor Who Classics Omnibus Volume 1

Continuity

 * As with COMIC: Timeslip, this story appears to take place after the events of TV: The Armageddon Factor owing to the randomiser being in use, however Romana is absent for reasons not explained, although K9 is still present (Romana's absence is referenced in the previous story, however), placing this before the TARDIS enters E-Space in Full Circle.
 * Beep reappears in COMIC: Star Beast II.
 * Beep reappears in audio form in AUDIO: The Ratings War.