The Road To... (comic story)

 was the serialised backup story of Doctor Who: The Road to the Thirteenth Doctor published in 2018 as a prequel to Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor.

The story, told through three separate narratives, depicts the Doctor's encounter with the same mysterious portal with a hand reaching out of it in their Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth incarnations, preluding the Thirteenth Doctor's encounter with it (and finally investigating it properly) in A New Beginning.

Part one
On the SS Madame de Pompadour in the 51st century, the Tenth Doctor has returned from a party in 18th century France where he is irritated to find that his human companions Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith have yet again wandered off, confiding his frustrations with Arthur the horse. His attention, however, is soon drawn to a rip in time, distinct from the time windows on the ship. From the rip, a humanoid hand is seen to emerge from a figure who asks for the Doctor to "grab on" as they "can't hold..." before quickly shattering as the rip closes. Bewildered by what has just occurred, the Doctor determines it to be "not good" but notes that it is something which needs to wait as he hears from a distance that his companions are at the mercy of the Clockwork Droids, promptly rushing off to rescue them.

Part two
to be added

Part three
to be added

Characters

 * Tenth Doctor
 * Arthur
 * Rose Tyler
 * Mickey Smith
 * Eleventh Doctor
 * Amy Pond
 * Rory Williams
 * Twelfth Doctor
 * Nardole

Continuity

 * The Tenth Doctor is on board the SS Madame de Pompadour. (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace)
 * The Twelfth Doctor later refers to it as "another ship where time was out of sorts..." alluding to the fact he's currently on a ship in a similar situation. (TV: World Enough and Time)
 * The Tenth Doctor appears to converse with Arthur the horse. Indeed, his next incarnation would claim to "speak horse." (TV: A Town Called Mercy)
 * The Eleventh Doctor previously displayed his football skills. (TV: The Lodger)
 * The Ponds' living room is littered with cubes. (TV: The Power of Three)
 * Missy calls the Twelfth Doctor "Doctor Who". (TV: World Enough and Time)