Silver Scream (comic story)

Silver Scream was the first of four parts of a connected storyline that extended through the Tenth Doctor's run in Doctor Who (2009). It introduced the characters of Matthew Finnegan and Emily Winter, who would later (in IDW: Fugitive) join the Doctor as companions. Important to the overall story arc in this series, the Doctor saved Winter's life, even though her death was a fixed point in time. This act led directly into his trial by the Shadow Proclamation in Fugitive.

Summary
The Doctor arrives in 1926 Hollywood to investigate a static point in time and to visit Archie Maplin, who he has apprently already met "several times' but this is the first time Archie's met him. The Doctor also meets actress Emily Winter and a runner for United Acting Studios, Matthew Finnegan, at a party full of Hollywood producers and actors. He immediately becomes suspicious of actor Maximilian Love and director Leo Miller. The Doctor finds that he was correct, and that Leo Miller has been sucking the hopes and dreams out of young actors to fuel the success of Maximilian. The Doctor eventually manages to stop the machine allowing Miller to do this, but this starts a fire in the studio, a fire which is supposed to kill Winter. However The Doctor saves her life. He manages to catch Miller and Love, who are both arrested, but is in deep trouble with the Shadow Proclamation for saving Winter's life.

Part 1
In Hollywood 1926, some of Hollywood's biggest names are gathered at the party of Archibald Maplin Esq. However Mr. Maplin is informed by Kato, his Butler, that he has a gatecrasher. It is revealed to be the Doctor telling an old lady about going over Niagara falls. The Doctor tells Maplin much he likes his work, especially his later stuff. This confuses Maplin who doesn't recognise the Doctor but he is assured they've met several times, just they haven't happened to him yet. Enquiring after the Doctor's accent he says it comes from the Powell Estate, Peckham. Maplin is pleased to hear this as he was also born in Peckham and asks the Doctor to come to the studio. Kato asks his name and he tells him Tom Cruise.

As Maplin leaves the Doctor accidently elbows a blonde lady by the name of Emily Winter. He tells her that he is investigating a static point in space and time and somehow it is connected to her. They are interrupted by Matthew Finnegan, a runner at United Actors. When the Doctor mentions his travels to them they assume he is a movie extra.

At that moment Maxmillian Love and Leo Miller enter the room to much commotion. Emily tells the Doctor that Maximillian Love is going to be the biggest thing in Hollywood but the Doctor has never heard of him. The Doctor manages to get Miller to grant him an interview tomorrow, whilst Emily thanks Miller for the chance to interview for him tomorrow.

The next morning the Doctor goes to the United Actors studio. The security guard originally does not wish to allow the Doctor entry, however when he uses his psychic paper as an all-access pass he goes through.

Inside he meets Maplin in his Charlie Chaplin film outfit. The Doctor tells him that he is here as this was the last thing Donna wanted to do and that the studio is in the middle of the Chronal Template. Maplin doesn't understand what the Doctor is talking about and goes off to filming, leaving the Doctor alone.

Unbeknownst to the Doctor, he is being watch through a monochrome viewing screen by Love and Miller, from inside a black, blue and grey room, filled with what appears to computers and operating equipment. They conclude that his use of psychic paper means he is not human and is an obstruction that must be removed. At that moment a buzzing noise goes off, indicating Emily Winter is in reception. Miller goes to greet her and asks about the Doctor, although she does not know anything other than that he wanted to be called the Doctor. Taking Emily inside she is restrained as Miller tells her he shall take her hopes and dreams from her.

Outside Matthew Finnegan is spying on Miller's offices. He is interrupted by the Doctor who enquires as to what he is doing. Matthew informs the Doctor that only ten percent of those who audition for him get through whilst the other ninety never want to act again.

At that moment Emily comes out and is approached by Matthew and the Doctor. When asked about the audition she says she doesn't care. The Doctor looks at her and concludes they have altered the parts of the brain that give optimism and hope.

It is then that Maplin arrives and the Doctor asks him about Miller. Archie says that his film, Fun Fair, was going to collapse due to running out of money when Leo Miller turned up and paid cash-in-hand for the studio space. The Doctor therefore decides to investigate Miller's offices with Maplin whilst Matthew attempts to take Winter to a hospital.

Once inside they find the unusual audition room. The Doctor explains it contains a transference machine which takes other peoples hopes and dreams and puts them into Maximilian Love. On the side he finds writing on the side in Terronite revealed it was stolen from a museum. They are held at gunpoint by Miller, who has entered the room with Love. Maplin attempts to stop them but is stunned by Miller's gun, who then aims it at the Doctor.

Outside Matthew is still trying to convince Emily that something is wrong when Miller and Love lead the Doctor outside. They duck behind some crates as the Doctor is lead into a car which drives off. Emily is angered that they might have done something to her brain and therefore gets Matthew to follow them.

The Doctor is taken out of the car next to some railway lines which run close to the Hollywoodland sign. The Doctor is very talkative, to the annoyance of Miller, and enquires as to their mission. Love thinks they shouldn't say anything but Miller does so as the Doctor will die anyway. He explains they were actors on Terron V, where theatre was banned. They had to work as interactive guides at the science museum. Inside they found the Transference machine and, with some outside help, they got it working to make Love a better actor. However, they stun the Doctor before revealing the name of who helped them.

When the Doctor awakes he is tied to the train tracks with the midday train approaching. The Doctor says Maplin will get the police but Miller reveals that Maplin is tied to a table at the office. As he and Love leave, Miller reveals he caused the problems at Maplin's studio. As the Doctor lies on the tracks he is opened mouthed as the train hurtles towards him.

Part 2
As the train looks set to destroy the Doctor Emily cuts the ropes tying him to the tracks and, with Matthew, get him off the tracks just in time. With the Doctor freed they head back to the offices. Using his sonic screwdriver the Doctor he disrupts the security system and they search the reception room. Inside the Doctor finds some suggestibility paper, which makes someone obey you if you shake hands with them whilst holding it.

At the same time Maplin is attached to the transference machine in the audition room. Outside they try to think of a way to distract Miller. Emily wants to shoot him but the Doctor says she does not want the stain of Death on her soul. Walking into the audition room alone, where the Doctor offers his hopes and fears in exchange for the machine been switched off. The Doctor wants to shake on it but Miller refuses.

Maplin is removed and the Doctor is attached, where he hears voices from his past. It is then that Emily enters and shoots at Maplin, setting fire to the building. The Doctor gets up and finds Love in tears, reeling from all he has taken from the Doctor. In order to survive Love agrees to forget and green waves come from the top of his head. The Doctor instructs everyone to leave but Emily refuses, wanting Vengeance. However, the Doctor uses the suggestion paper to make her go before the building explodes.

Outside they see Miller running away and the Doctor and Maplin give chase. When they pass by a scenery house Miller cuts the ropes but the Doctor and Maplin stand in the empty space for a window and continue there chase. Watching is a wheelchair bound director filming who is being wheeled around by Buster Keaton. They decide to follow this, as it looks to be something worth filming.

The chase continues on bicycle, but Miller comes back after the other two with an axe, however Maplin knocks on the top of a door as they go past, resulting in it opening into Miller's face. Maplin and the Doctor chase Miller on foot past a workman laying concrete, whilst Maplin on the way kicks the workman's face into the wet surface. Miller then jumps into a car and the Doctor gives chase in a motorbike with sidecar. On the road in front of Miller two workmen are crossing with a ladder. Miller passes between them but the Doctor's motorbike snaps the ladder in half, and Maplin grabs one half. Maplin uses this to grab on to the back of Miller's car whilst the Doctor pulls level with him. Maplin uses his axe to knock Maplin off the ladder and onto the road. Miller looks back pleased but this makes him drive his car into a dip in the road, throwing him out and in front of Keaton and his director, who drops his camera in suprise.

Miller runs to the top of the clock tower with the Doctor in pursuit. The Doctor attempts to convince Miller to come in quietly, with Love already having given back his stolen energy, however he does not believe the Doctor and instead chooses to hang from the clock face. The Doctor climbs on to it too but that causes it to come out from its holding, leaving them hanging from the bottom of the now horizontal clockface. Miller attempts to knock the Doctor off with his axe, but Emily shoots it from his hand. Archie and Matthew wind up the clock again and Miller is led away by the police.

At that time the Bank Manager arrives to talk about the damage to Maplin's studio. However, the Doctor uses the suggestion paper and convinces him to scrub all of Archie's existing debts and give him a large new loan.

As the Doctor heads back to the TARDIS, Matthew and Emily ask if they can join him, but he tells them he travels alone now, as his companions lives usually don't end well. However, as he is about to enter the ship, a temporal vortex opens up. Out of it emerge the Judoon and a Shadow Architect. She announces that the Doctor has interfered with a static point in time and ignored the rules of his own people repeatedly. Therefore, he is put under arrest and, if he is found guilty, he will be sentenced to death.

Characters

 * The Doctor
 * Archie Maplin
 * Matthew Finnegan
 * Emily Winter

Continuity

 * In Journey's End when Donna Noble is about to get her memories whiped by the Doctor. She suggests going to meet Charlie Chaplin. As noted above, rights issues prevented the use of Chaplin for this story, however the Doctor does make an oblique reference to "the fellow in the bowler hat", indicating that Maplin is intended to be a different individual existing in the same universe as Chaplin (which preserves continuity should Chaplin ever appear on the TV series).
 * In an interview, Tony Lee confirmed that the ongoing series featuring the Tenth Doctor occurs right before the final specials.
 * The characters of Matthew and Emily return at the end of the following story arc, Fugitive, at which point they become companions of the Doctor.

Timeline

 * Silver Scream occurs at some point after the events of DW: Planet of the Dead, as the story that immediately follows it, Fugitive contains a reference to the "four knocks" prophecy, while the story that immediately occurs after that, Tesseract contains references to Malcolm Taylor and Lady Christina de Souza.

Reprints

 * Silver Scream is included in Doctor Who Volume 1: Fugitive, a graphic novel-style omnibus published by IDW in March 2010.