The Exterminator (comic story)

The Exterminator was a Second Doctor TV Comic story that was a part of the first series of stories for which Polystyle Publications, Ltd. had obtained the rights to use the Daleks. It was one of several Second Doctor stories to start on the cover and be given full colour, painted panels.

Summary
The Doctor learns that the Daleks have built a giant Exterminator to destroy Earth.

Plot
The TARDIS lands on an unknown planet near some rock formations. The Doctor, John and Gillian exit the time machine and notice a giant futuristic train passing by. They wonder where he is going and walk towards the nearest station.

At the station, they are shocked to see a huge army of Daleks leaving the train. The Doctor decides to spy on them to find out what the Daleks are up to at the base. The travellers overhear a conversation between the Daleks, which makes it clear that they are waiting for a ship with the greatest Dalek tacticians and strategists from all corners of the universe - for the Project Exterminator, a gigantic weapon capable of destroying planets with a single shot. The first target of the Exterminator is going to be planet Earth.

The Doctor tells his grandchildren to go to the TARDIS to safety, while he continues to spy on the Daleks. He learns that another train is due to arrive soon, carrying a group of Daleks specially trained in handling the Exterminator. The Doctor hatches a plan to destroy the train before it reaches the station. To do this, he returns to the TARDIS, and he and John break the rails, along which the train will soon rush.

The Daleks don't notice the sabotage, and the train derails at high speed, flying directly over the Doctor and his grandchildren and crashing against the rocks. The Doctor, John and Gillian inspect the ruined remains of the train and find the instructions for operating the Exterminator, which the Doctor takes for himself. John and Gillian stay with the TARDIS and the Doctor goes to the Exterminator. It takes him an hour to study the complicated instructions.

A group of Daleks find the Doctor's TARDIS and they finally realise that their greatest enemy is behind the destruction of the train. They almost notice John and Gillian, but instead are ordered to return to the Exterminator, which the Doctor has taken control of.

The Doctor operates the Exterminator, destroying the Dalek base on the planet, he also fires at landing spaceships that have amassed important Dalek strategists. He decides that his work is done - he has done a lot of damage to the Dalek Empire and believes that only a small number of them survived, which he will meet in the future. The Doctor says that the inhabitants of Earth will never know that they were on the brink of destruction at the hands of the Daleks.

Characters

 * Second Doctor
 * John Who
 * Gillian Who
 * Daleks

Continuity
to be added