The Phantom Piper (comic story)

 was a comic story published in Doctor Who Magazine in 2017 and 2018. It was the first Doctor Who comic to be published in 2018.

Part one
Following on from the Doctor's idea in the previous story to solve the mystery of the symbol on the TARDIS by finding Alan Turing, Bill prepares for landing by changing into traditional World War II clothes, proud at herself for getting prepared in advance for once. However, when exiting the TARDIS, the Doctor proudly reveals they have actually landed on Athenia, a huge human colony on the Moon. After Bill gets changed back to normal, the Doctor explains to her he never guaranteed they were going to visit the 1940s, while Bill spots the other major inhabitants of Athenia - Galateans. The Doctor describes the backstory of the creation of the Galateans and the ensuing war that followed before explaining that everything seems so peaceful on the lunar base because he erased the timeline, preventing the war from having started, with some help by Chiyoko.

Chiyoko is also seen living on Athenia alongside a man named Ranesh. While talking with him, she is alerted to the reappearance of her "mother" and sprints off towards it. Meanwhile, as the Doctor attempts to locate Turing, police officer Maggie Cortez reveals he has been missing for two years, and since then, a group of Galateans calling themselves the Children of Turing have begun worshipping him. As the Doctor and Cortez observe one of their marches, Chiyoko appears and senses the essence of her "mother" on Bill, and drags her off. Cortez squares off against her Galatean counterpart Delphi, displaying their greatly differing ideals, as riot police backup, led by Tony Moxham, storms in and quickly causes a brawl between them and the Children of Turing.

Chiyoko finally drags Bill to the location of her "mother", revealing it to be the TARDIS. She ends up greatly concerned by the symbol on its doors, and angrily tells Bill that the TARDIS is screaming.

Part two
As the humans and Galateans continue to fight, a holograph of Alan Turing appears in the middle of the action and tells all of them off for fighting in his name and forces them to stop. The Galateans are overjoyed at Turing's reappearance, but the Doctor confirms to Cortez it was just him imitating Turing.

Meanwhile, Bill explains to Chiyoko that she had nothing to do with hurting the TARDIS. When Bill asks how Chiyoko came to consider the TARDIS as her mother, she details the story of her creation and the Human-Galatean war that she created and eventually stopped before being placed in a Galatean body. Eventually, the two of them meet up with the Doctor and Cortez. Ranesh appears and is so relieved to see Chiyoko safe that he invites the whole group to his house for dinner.

Moxham, having returned home, settles down and uneasily dreams about the war that never was, picturing himself leading a group of troops to victory over the Galateans. Suddenly, a black-and-white figure appears in the dream and tells Moxham that if he wishes hard enough, his dream can come true.

On Ranesh's balcony, Ranesh explains to Bill about his past with Turing and how he used to admire his work. Eventually, Ranesh proposed to him, but Turing eventually broke it off and disappeared soon after. In Chiyoko's room, the Doctor explains to Cortez the meaning behind the Galateans acting as the Children of Turing and eventually realises that Chiyoko knew where Turing was all along, but was sworn to secrecy. Chiyoko eventually relents, but on the condition that the TARDIS is not used to travel, as Cortez offers to provide transport to find Turing.

Meanwhile, in the temple of the Children of Turing, the Galateans are recharging overnight as Delphi also has a restless sleep. She also dreams of the war, but of being injured in an explosion, as the same dream figure appears before her.

The Doctor, Bill, Chiyoko and Ranesh leave Athenia and glide to the dark side of the Moon, understanding that Turing wanted to keep as far off the radar as possible. When they arrive, they discover a recreation of King's College, Cambridge on the Moon's surface, and as they ask to be let in, the four of them are attacked by enormous stone hands rising out of the ground.

Characters

 * Twelfth Doctor
 * Bill Potts
 * Ranesh
 * Chiyoko
 * Maggie Cortez
 * Delphi
 * Philia
 * Alan Turing
 * Tony Moxham
 * Pelias
 * Tommy Flowers
 * Phantom Piper
 * Fey Truscott-Sade

Original print details

 * (Publication with page count and closing captions)


 * 1) DWM 519 (8 pages) Next: Dark Dreamers!
 * 2) DWM 520 (8 pages) Next: Breaking the Code!
 * 3) DWM 521 (8 pages) Next: The Dream Warriors!
 * 4) DWM 522 (8 pages) Next: The Shroud of Turing!
 * 5) DWM 523 (8 pages) Next: The Clockwise War!

Continuity
to be added