The Stolen Tardis: A Tale of the Time Lords was a backup comic story published in Doctor Who Magazine in 1979. It was set on Gallifrey and featured Plutar as the main character.
Summary[]
On Gallifrey, because of his support for interference in other worlds to defeat evil, Plutar is failed at the Time Lord Academy and sent to reconsider his views whilst working as a TARDIS technician. While working away in one of the TARDISes, an alien, Sillarc, arrives under cover. He uses a hypnotic image of a circus to set about stealing a TARDIS — the one Plutar is repairing.
Together they travel back in time (but not in space) and Sillarc tries retrieving a spare relativity differentiator from Plutar. Both of them make it back into the TARDIS, with Sillarc narrowly breaking through the doors, but upon returning to Gallifrey, Sillarc escapes alone in the TARDIS. He is shocked when the TARDIS reappears and he finds Plutar waiting for him with armed guards (having made use of another TARDIS). Sillarc's memories are wiped and he is exiled. In recognition of his great initiative, it is suggested that Plutar reapply to the Academy.
Plot[]
to be added
Characters[]
Worldbuilding[]
to be added
Notes[]
- This backup strip is introduced and concluded with messages from the Fourth Doctor, similar to the framing narration of Tales from the TARDIS. The conclusion reveals that the Doctor has been watching the story on a video screen, but cannot find his other tape about Plutar.
What's that? Did Plutar become a Time-Lord? Hmm– actually, the rest of his life-story's on another tape, and – er – I can't quite seem to find it at the moment… You know how it is… Ah well… Perhaps another story for another day…
- Although the story does not make this explicit, Plutar can be interpreted as a young First Doctor. The Infinity Doctors alludes to this in the context of its hints about an "eternal return" which sees the life of the Doctor echoing throughout Gallifrey's history and timelines: in that book, the Doctor recalls how he once looked through Gallifrey's archives for records of an individual from an earlier age of Gallifrey, whose life had surprising parallels to his own.
Original print details[]
- Publication with page count and closing captions
- DWM 9 (4) End of Part One
- DWM 10 (4) End of Episode Two
- DWM 11 (4) Next Week : A new solo adventure, with K9!
Reprints[]
- Coloured and reprinted by Marvel in DW84 4.
- Reprinted by Panini Comics in The Return of the Daleks.
Continuity[]
to be added