Doctor Who and the Star Beast (comic story)

 — or The Star Beast — was a Fourth Doctor comic strip published in Doctor Who Weekly. The story introduced new companion Sharon Davies, as well as popular DWM villain Beep the Meep.

Summary
Pursued by Wrarth Warriors, Beep the Meep crashes his craft in Blackcastle, where he is found and hidden by school children Sharon and Fudge. The Doctor follows the flames of the neutron drive star cruiser and investigates, unaware that he is leading the Wrarth Warriors directly to the Meep. The Warriors attack K9, making him useless. After he has sent the Meep with Sharon for safety, the Doctor learns from the Wrarth officers, Sergeant Zogroth and Constable Zreeg, that Beep is being hunted by the Wrarth (biological constructs of the five strongest races in the galaxy) for unspeakable crimes.

The Meep were once a happy advanced race. Radiation from the Black Sun, however turned them into conquering, savage beasts. Beep was shot down following his escape from the Battle of Yarras.

Taking the Wrarth Warriors with him, the Doctor finds Sharon and the locals turned into zombie drones by the radiation of the Black Star drive. Beep has made them work to repair the ship for a star jump from Earth. The Doctor, along with Blackcastle and the workers, are caught in the star jump.

The Doctor returns the workers (the radiation effect has started to wear off) to Earth in the TARDIS. The Wrarth ship captures and boards the Meep's ship and Sharon is returned to the Doctor and K9, who is erratic and purring like a cat but back together. The Doctor agrees to take Sharon with him in the TARDIS so he can return her to Earth.

Characters

 * Fourth Doctor
 * K9 Mark II
 * Sharon Davies
 * Beep
 * Zreeg
 * Fudge Higgins
 * Zogroth
 * Mrs Higgins
 * Newsreader

Original print details

 * Publication with page count and closing captions


 * 1) DWM 19 (5 pages) Next Week: The Human Bomb!
 * 2) DWM 20 (4 pages) Next Week: The Hunt!
 * 3) DWM 21 (4 pages) Next Week: Doctor Death!
 * 4) DWM 22 (4 pages) Next Week: Revenge of Wrarth!
 * 5) DWM 23 (4 pages) Next Week: Hour of the Beast!
 * 6) DWM 24 (4 pages) Next Week: Countdown to Apocalypse!
 * 7) DWM 25 (4 pages) Next Week: Stardeath!
 * 8) DWM 26 (4 pages) Next Week: Join the Doctor, Sharon and K-9 in... Devil-Spawn!

Reprints

 * 1) DW84 1-2 (Doctor Who (1984) colourised reprint)
 * 2) DWCC 25-26 (Doctor Who Classic Comics colourised reprint)
 * 3) The Iron Legion
 * 4) DWC 4-5 (IDW colourised reprint)
 * 5) Doctor Who Classics Volume 1 (IDW colourised reprint)
 * 6) Doctor Who Classics Omnibus Volume 1 (IDW colourised reprint)

Continuity

 * Beep reappears in COMIC: Star Beast II and AUDIO: The Ratings War.
 * Beep is released after fifteen years in prison in the year 1995, (COMIC: Star Beast II) dating this story to 1980.
 * The Doctor uses harsh words to goad Sharon to proceed onward when she believes she can't. (TV: The Ark in Space)