This story debuted with either the Second or Third Doctor, then was reprinted with the Fourth Doctor. It may have had different companions in the reprint, as well. From an in-universe point of view, it's unclear which Doctor lived through these events.
The Labyrinth was a Third Doctor TV Action comic strip story that was later remixed as a Fourth Doctor comic strip story in the 1977 Doctor Who Winter Special. The original was subsequently reprinted (in colour) in DWCC 25.
In its original version, The Labyrinth was the "Big Story" of TVA 120, meaning it got pride of place on the issue's cover and was the longest story in that issue.
Summary[]
The Doctor travels to a distant planet to find a replacement part for his TARDIS. There, he encounters a giant gorilla-like creature, which places him in an underground labyrinth. The Doctor has to pass a number of dangerous physical tests, before he discovers the Time Lords have tricked him into transporting a group of children and their android guardian to a new world.
Characters[]
- Third Doctor
- Montax
- Vela
- Android
Worldbuilding[]
- The Doctor's TARDIS requires marlenium to function.
Notes[]
- Having reached its 100th issue, Polystyle relaunched TV Action around the concept of each issue featuring a complete, seven-page “Big Story” (published in black-and-white, but inspiring a full colour illustration on the front cover) based on one of the action/adventure shows regularly featured in the publication. Consequently, TV Action’s roster of strips – UFO, The Protectors, Hawaii Five-O, The Persuaders!, Mission: Impossible, Alias Smith and Jones, and Doctor Who – each received the “Big Story” treatment in rotation. This was the third of five Dr. Who "Big Story" adventures to appear in TV Action, heralded with a bold cover painting by the strip’s illustrator Gerry Haylock.
- It is never explained how the children of the planet came to be left in the care of their android guardian.
- David Leach provided colour for the DWCC 25 reprint.
- The concept of the Doctor solving a series of puzzles in a forbidden alien city is also featured in TV: Death to the Daleks, which aired just a few months before this story's original publication.
Original print details[]
(Publication with page count and closing captions)
- TVA 120 (7 pages) Don't Miss Next Week's Complete Five-O story!
Continuity[]
to be added
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