The fourth issue of Four Doctors was initially delayed from it's original date, eventually being released 23 September 2015.
This was notably after the airing of The Magician's Apprentice, and as the issue before it had shown the creation of the creation of a new timeline starting at Dark Water, this meant that the TV story was technically an overwritten story for five days of release.
The story also featured a fairly unique concept -- the issue starts with the Gabby from the end of the previous issue being sent back in time, where she warns the three companions in issue about the events that will occur if they create the new timeline. The following pages follow the same events that the first three issues transversed, but with the new knowledge procured from the alternate timeline.
Summary
Can the Doctors and their surviving companions put time back on the right track?!
Plot
In the cafe in Paris, 1923, Gabby Gonzalez finishes telling her past self, Alice Obiefune, and Clara Oswald about the events she experienced and why they must try harder to avoid going to Marinus. It turns out that when Gabby opened the comics in the Voord City, she discovered a miniature Weeping Angel, that quickly grew to normal size and displaced her in time. Gabby believes it was chosen deliberately, so that she would be sent back to this moment in time, when the three companions met each other in the cafe. The three companions agree to prevent their Doctors from going to Marinus, and the future Gabby ceases to exist.
Before they can do anything, the three Doctors show up. The three companions explain everything to the three Doctors. Clara apologises for everything that was going to happen, as well as her future betrayal. She points out if they avoid going to Marinus, then they've already won. The Twelfth Doctor disagrees, asking her to show him the photo. He then points out the most important detail of the photo: it still exists. As such, as pointed out by the other two Doctors, the Twelfth Doctor is still doomed to become the Voord Leader. The Twelfth Doctor decides that they need to head to Marinus.
Upon arriving, the three Doctors take the pose for the picture. The Voord start shooting at them and the group heads to the Continuity Bomb. However, this time, they choose the Eleventh Doctor's alternate timeline. Once there, the Twelfth Doctor summons the TARDIS to them, and they head back to Marinus, but in it's past, before the Voord salvaged the weapon from the Dalek saucer. Using the weapon, the group transports themselves to the Voord City.
Upon their arrival, the Twelfth Doctor masquerades as his future self. He orders the Voord to take the Tenth Doctor to the Environmental Unit and the Eleventh Doctor to the Dimensional Control Unit. The Voord with the group points out that the Twelfth Doctor has lost his connection to the group mind, so he transfers his suit to the Twelfth Doctor. While the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors arrive where they need to be, the Twelfth Doctor is connected to the group mind, which he gains control of. He is then confronted by the alternate Twelfth Doctor. The alternate Doctor points out that the Twelfth Doctor's actions are pointless, as he can't avoid his destiny. The two Doctors begin to fight, with the alternate Doctor proving to be the stronger one. So, the Twelfth Doctor brings the other two Doctors and the three companions into the group mind. The Tenth Doctor tells the alternate Doctor that while linked to the group mind, they still are able to control their bodies in the real world. The Eleventh Doctor reveals that the Tenth Doctor has switched off the city's forcefield, while he has linked the Dalek weapon to the city's dimensional controls. The alternate Doctor now has a choice, to let the acid destroy the Voord, or regress them back along their timeline. The alternate Doctor is sad, as this would mean he never existed, not with his current freedom and love. Clara talks to him, apologising again for her future betrayal. She tells him that his past self would get another chance. She believes that the Twelfth Doctor's nature won't lead him to becoming the alternate Doctor, and said alternate Doctor knows this. The alternate Doctor asks Clara to never forget him, before regressing the Voord back along their timeline.
The group finds themselves back on Marinus, and the Voord have been regressed to how they were before the Time War. The Tenth Doctor expresses regret at what they had to do. The Eleventh Doctor reveals that he will head out to find the Weeping Angel so he can plant it in the comics. Clara pulls out the photo to discover that the image is gone. The group heads back to Paris, to enjoy some leisure time together, before going their separate ways. Upon arriving at the cafe, they notice that the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler are inside, enjoying themselves. The three Doctors come to the realisation that the Voord didn't bring the Ninth Doctor into all this because they couldn't find an alternate timeline where he was anything other than fantastic.
The group heads back to their TARDISes, where the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors explain that while they will forget these events, Gabby and Alice won't. The Twelfth Doctor expresses concern over allowing the two to remember these events, but the two past Doctors disagree with him. The Tenth Doctor is still concerned about how the Twelfth Doctor will come to exist, but both he and the Eleventh Doctor agree that the Twelfth Doctor is still the Doctor. The two past Doctors and companions depart in their TARDISes, leaving the Twelfth Doctor and Clara. Clara asks the Doctor if he is going to erase her memory, but the Doctor states that he would never do that to her. He points out that because she had immersed herself in his timestream, she is likely to forget these events naturally, like a Time Lord does.
The two enter the TARDIS, where Clara notes that she's beginning to forget the events they just went through. She asks the Doctor if he would like to still be one of the other two Doctors. The Twelfth Doctor points out that he is different from them. They lived like they were on limited time, like they were human in the best possible way. He proclaims that he and Clara can't live in the past. They must go forward to the future. He flips a switch, sending the TARDIS towards their next adventure.
Characters
- Twelfth Doctor
- Eleventh Doctor
- Tenth Doctor
- Alternate Twelfth Doctor
- Clara Oswald
- Alice Obiefune
- Gabby Gonzalez
- Voord
- Weeping Angel
- Ninth Doctor
- Rose Tyler
References
to be added
Notes
to be added
Continuity
to be added
