Thinktwice (comic story)

Thinktwice was a Tenth Doctor comic strip story in Doctor Who Magazine that returned Vessican Majenta Pryce to the Tenth Doctor's life. It was significant for making Pryce a regular character in the pages of DWM. For the first time since the use of Destrii in The Flood — which is to say, for the first time since the beginning of the BBC Wales series — Thinktwice gave DWM a regular companion created by their staff, rather than one seen on television. It also included references to several of these past "exclusive" companions. Thinktwice also began a loose story arc to which Pryce's introductory story, Hotel Historia, was retroactively connected.

Because the story featured the return of a one-off companion, it was possible to compare it to the televised story, Partners in Crime.

Summary
The Doctor arrives at a prison in space, A machine is taking the minds of others...

Part 1 Thinktwice
An alien woman called Zed tries to wake up a sleeping Majenta Pryce. She asks her to tell her a story. Majenta starts to tell the story of how she was a thief, stops. She says she does not know who she is nor why she is in Thinktwice prison. The prisoners are woken by Jonah Gripton's voice over a tannoy.

While Majenta and Zed are having breakfast, a squid-like alien named Ceecee walks up and eats Zed's launch. Majenta challenges her and insults her size. Ceecee attacks Majenta. She is restrained and taken away by the guards.

Majenta is taken to the sick bay and is examined by Doctor Smith -- The Doctor. She steals a scalpel for a weapon. Ceecee is taken to a scientist. Her head is put under a machine and she lets out an agonising scream.

Later in the prison library, a blue-skinned woman walks up to a guard and grabs his baton. She kills herself with it. Majenta tells Zed not to look.

At the labs a scientist says to Flatch, another scientist, that Ceecee is brain dead. Jonah starts hearing things. The voice says Ceecee's mind tasted sweet.

The Doctor climbs into the ventilation shafts. His sonic screwdriver is shot by little robots.

Majenta finds Jonah's lab. He stuns her with his baton and her memories are wiped.

Part 2 Secrets of the Space Gulag
Majenta is in the machine, with the machine shouting "Mental collapse imminent. The Doctor jumps out. Mr. Flatch attacks him, but the Time Lord releases laser-spitting robot birds. He rescues Majenta, and they escape.

The fugitives go through the kitchens and the Doctor throws an electrically charged ladle at the guards, who arrest them. They go to the TARDIS, which is on the other side of the prison.

Back in the Knowsall room, Flatch tells Gripton where the prisoners have gone. Gripton isn't listening. He is being contacted by some telepathic aliens, who shout, "WE FEED" Suddenly, all the guards in the room have their minds absorbed. Zed, wakes to find the room empty. She wonders where Majenta is.

The Doctor explains to Majenta why he came to Thinktwice. They run into a group of aliens. Flatch and Jonah Gripton, the only two survivors, see the monster descending. They tell Gripton that they want the Doctor's mind.

Majenta recognises the aliens, who the Doctor says are brain dead. They were taken to Knowsall for a final session. Majenta becomes very angry and tells the Doctor she won't end up like those people. He delves into her mind, making her recall her earlier encounter with him. When she remembers that the Doctor sent her to Thinktwice, she punches him. Suddenly they are confronted by the creatures, who introduce themselves as the Memeovax.

Flatch tells Gripton about the creatures, who calmly replies they are unique. Flatch opens the waste tanks, sending the Doctor, Majenta and the Memeovax flying out into space...

Part 3 Rage against the Machine
Gripton shoots Flatch.

The Memeovax tell the Doctor and Majenta that they were born in the void and will not die, unlike them. The Doctor persuades them to save Majenta and him in return for his mind. The Doctor gives them a memory of Hemingway and him drinking and the hangover from Hell. The Memeovax overload. The Doctor gives Majenta a TARDIS key, and sends her to the ship.

He allows himself to be captured and taken to Gripton. He is taken by surprise by Flatch's replacement, Royce, who knocks him unconscious.

In the library, Zed finds Majenta hiding behind a bookshelf. They are attacked by Memeovax, who come in in force.

The Doctor has been put into Knowsall. He forces Gripton to tell him why he is doing all this. Gripton says he first met the Memeovax when they absorbed his annoying sister's mind and they have never left him since. He built Knowsall to sate their appetite. Soon more of the same machines will be all over the cosmos!

Gripton grows angry at this and switches on Knowsall.

In the library, chaos reigns. Majenta wonders why nobody is fighting back. Zed tell her it is because of Knowsall. It has wiped their minds, taking the fight out of them. Majenta goes to find The Doctor.

The Doctor has no problem with Knowsall, so Gripton turns it up to full power. The machine explodes. He sends all the minds back to their owners.

Zed is about to be killed by a Memeovax when she gets her mind back and remembers her name is Zephyr. She kills the Memeovax threatening her. Royce knocks out Gripton out and rescues the Doctor. Flatch had been shot in the back.

Majenta runs in and is grabbed by a Memeovax. The Doctor runs to help, but Majenta becomes angry and destroys all the Memeovax with something unleashed from her mind.

Together they go to the TARDIS.

The Doctor explains what he did and that he is worried about whatever it was that came out of Majenta's mind. It's something more powerful than he's ever felt before. Majenta tells him that she hasn't got her memory back. She has to stay with him as a patient. They go on to new adventures...

Characters

 * Tenth Doctor
 * Majenta Pryce
 * Jonah Gripton
 * Mr. Flatch
 * Mr. Royce
 * Zephyr
 * Memeovax
 * Zed
 * Ceecee

Continuity

 * Majenta Pryce returns, having last appeared in COMIC: Hotel Historia.
 * Frobisher, Destrii, Izzy Sinclair, Maxwell Edison and Kroton appear in the Doctor's memories on Knowsall.
 * Zed returns in The Crimson Hand.