Prisoners of the Kleptons (comic story)

Summary
Two Earth astronauts lose control of their rocket ship, which is drawn down to the surface of a desert world scorched by an enormous sun. Leaving the craft, they are almost immediately aware of a machine swooping through the air towards them. Soon afterwards the TARDIS lands near the now abandoned ship, beside which is the word HELP written in the sand. John enters the deserted craft and emerges with a flare gun he has found. A creature in a flying bubble machine arrives on the scene and bears down on them. The travellers immediately identify it as a Klepton, one of the race they met and defeated during their first adventure together. John uses the flare gun to defend them, the bubble cracks and the distracted Klepton loses control of the machine, crashing it. The three remove the stunned creature and board the damaged machine, which is still usable.

Travelling over the desert, they reach a flat-topped pyramid and fly into it via a hatch that opens automatically at their approach. Unfortunately, the Kleptons are well aware of what has occurred and capture Dr Who, John and Gillian as they leave the bubble craft.

The Klepton leader tells the Doctor that their world has moved too close to the sun and become uninhabitable, and that they need a new home. They have learnt of the planet Earth and insist that Dr Who helps them to plan an invasion. When he refuses, he is placed, with John and Gillian and the two Earth astronauts, in a large open-topped crate that is suspended from the roof over a vat of boiling oil. The sides of the crate are of metal, but the bottom is made of only basket-like lattice.

The astronauts have also refused their help, but point out to the time travellers that if they all persist in opposing the Kleptons the obvious is going to happen: the crate will be dropped into the bubbling oil. John, who still retains the flare gun, aims it at the oil and fires. A thick cloud of black smoke rises from the vat, and John urges his companions to swing the crate back and forth. They grab the edge of the vat and between them manage to hold the crate there while they all climb out of it. Under cover of the smoke they board two of the bubble craft and leave by way of the automatic hatch.

The Kleptons are soon in hot pursuit, but in their haste they omit to reactivate the equipment they used to draw the Earth ship to the planet and hold it there, so the astronauts are able to lift off as the time travellers watch. Dr Who, John and Gillian have a rather narrower escape, the TARDIS vanishing just as the Kleptons reach it. Inside the ship, Dr Who expresses the hope that they will arrive at a friendlier place next time.

Characters
Dr Who, John, Gillian, the Kleptons, two Earth astronauts.

Continuity
This is a sequel to the very first strip to feature the Doctor, The Klepton Parasites.