Omega explains to the 2.5th Doctor exactly why the universe would dissolve into chaos if he wasn’t around to save it.
The 2.5th Doctor isn’t as sure as Omega is that his 2nd incarnation is under much threat from the Celestial Toymaker.
In fact, the 2nd Doctor is playing for his freedom against the Toymaker’s plot to hijack Omega’s plan to reorder the chaos they will plunge the universe into by removing the Doctor from it.
Bleah… these summaries no longer make any more sense than the comic does.
In the second panel, isn’t Calufrax a victim of the pirate planet Zanak, not the pirate planet itself? (As well as being the second segment of the Key to Time…)
I just watched that storyline last night, so sue me.
very nice surmising there! toymakers nicely hooked too
nice!
I hate to nit-pick but there is only 2 E’s in returned.
Brilliant description of all of the Invasions etc. There are few there compared to the entire series. Ha ha.
Oops! He’s got you there…
‘Bandraginus V… you will be avenged…’
Brilliant stuff as always, Rich. My day now revolves around this strip in an altogether unhealthy fashion. Cheers.
Sorry 4 the double post.
There could be a whole comic on everything that would happen without the doc. That would be so cool!
AAARRGH! You’re RIGHT! I CAN’T BELIEVE I DID THAT!!!
And to think that I changed it to Calufrax after I’d accidently called it Ravalox!
And the double print panel and the misspellings… ugh.
Gold stars all around.
I, too, hate to nit-pick but unfortunately, being a sci-fi fan, if I stop doing it my entire metabolism shuts down and I die. Cheers once again.
To err is human, Rich. Look on the bright side, at least you didn’t accidentally call it Clom. Now THAT would have been embarassing.
Wow…. the Doctor has been busy. I think 2 has the Celestial Toymaker hooked.
Rich – brilliant as always (sighs – back to work – highlight on my working day achieved!)
Don’t fear Rich, it all still makes sense and I’m following it! Although exactly who is who’s pawn at the moment I am unsure. To get all these characters in and make it semi coherent would be an achievement, to weave them into a plot good enough to get so many regular readers hooked is truly astonishing. I tip my virtual hat to you once more.
The comedy lover in me would have loved to see Omega continue ranting about obscurities. “And those giant maggots! They would have consumed half of South Wales! And the Master would have nicked off with that concorde! And Mestor.. well, I’m not sure what he would have done but it would have been BAD!”
Good ol’ two, so cool, calm, collected…
Another great tribute to the Doctor and all his adventuring. Are adventures from all the Doctor’s incarnations referenced? Hmm, looks like we certainly have specific references for Doctors 2 – 7, but I guess “countless invasions” of earth acts a catch-all for everyone.
Given the perspective of beings like Omega and the Celestial Toymaker, is there any in-story reason why only the first ten Doctors are involved in this story? I’m not suggesting adding more or anything, I’m just wondering if there is any reason that any future incarnations of the Doctor weren’t drawn to the story like all the others were (aside from the fact that in the real world they don’t exist yet). I guess the best answer would be that Doctor 10 is in the “relative present” with Omega at the time of the story?
Hmmm… nice of Two to mention out loud that the Toymaker plans to betray Omega. I hope the big guy overheard it during his rant. Well played, Two.
And Two reminds the audience what the stakes are in the card game … in the hearing of Omega, who it hadn’t previously occurred to that Celly would cross him. Celly’s too involved in the game to think about the meta-game, I guess … *rubs hands in anticipation*
I LOVE crazy eights!
Nice page barring those things already mentioned. One quick question though- hasn’t Glitz been left alone in the TARDIS? After asking 2.5 how much one would cost? That doesn’t sound like a good move to me.
Please let him get a spade…
Ooh, nice shades of “Turn Left” here. And that was just with the Doctor taken out of the picture for a handful of recent events. Removing the Doctor from the timeline entirely… yeah, no more universe. No more any of the universes.
Let’s see, Omega continues his rant unwisely saying more than he should, The 2.5th Doctor is not completely impressed with that or the Celestial Toymaker. The Celestial Toymakerattempts to change the game in his favor and the 2nd Doctor looks worried.
How’s that for a summary?
When one of the Doctor’s enimies starts getting smug I expect that smugness to disolve very soon after. Things are about to get FUN.
One thing that always struck me as a good argument against the Doctor… Didn’t he give the Daleks the idea for time travel in the first place? The first time he met them, they were like ‘what? You come from a different time? Anything you can do we can do better!’ and then they went back in time, and made all of their previous incarnations better. And not run on static. And get hovering rockets.
So if the Doctor was gone, we wouldn’t have Daleks to worry about. And the Time Lords would still be in existence.
Unless I’m mistaken, and ‘The Mutants’ wasn’t really far in the Dalek’s future? I can’t seem to find any references to that, but I seem to remember that they mention that the Doctor taught them time travel the next time they see him.
ok, maybe the Doctor is pivotal to the fate of the universe and blah blah blah…
Oh dear, 2…you’d better win this game!
Wulfae, the way I saw it, the first appearance of the Daleks was more of a retirement home, they raise great powerful empires and make war not love, then when they’re so old they can’t even remember their proper ancestors and their machinery is so old that it needs static to work they’re sent to the old Dalek city where theye make paranoid yet timid attacks on Thals and are too feeble to leave the retirement home. That’s my interpretation anyway.
Good night, and good luck.
nightfly — That was my thought, too. Though I think Rich’s perspective implies that Omega is out of earshot of Doctor 2 and CT, even assuming he could hear anything over his own ranting.
My favorite line: Doctor 2 — “That’s all I need.”
The Doctor has always been about freedom, for himself and others, and it also speaks pretty well to his self-confidence.
With all this high-level plotting, I must admit that, as some other commenters have suggested, the Black Guardian ought to be sticking his nose in somewhere…
The strip is always funny, but the best line today is in the summary: “Bleah… these summaries no longer make any more sense than the comic does.”
LOL! Come on, Rich. You’re being your own, worst critic again!
I agree with ericiwisconsin, Rich. You are certainly your own worst critic. I’ve read my share of fanfics and the like, and this most definitely is the best and most intelligible (and intelligent) I’ve seen. What impresses me most highly is your ability to create a character like Doctor 2.5, who embodies aspects of both Troughton and Pertwee’s Doctors most cleverly. And despite the occasional lapses in memory, such as the Calufrax gaff in today’s page, you have incorporated a truly astonishing amount of backstory, trivia, in-jokes, and references into “The Ten Doctors.” Indeed, Rich, I salute you.
When I first opened this, I was like “fuckkkkk, how much speech is there?” but it certainly was an interesting read! Brilliant page!
Keep up the high standard of comics. They always brighten my day
And the plot thickens …or is that unravels I see Two’s clever ploy and salute -I’ve won my share of crazy eights and UNO that way as well
cfhuber- they are in a white nothingness of the Toymaker’s creation… I dont think anyone is out of hearing of anyone else unless some extremely low whispering is involved:D
I love Omega’s rant! He’s hysterical – in more ways than one!
Tho I, like wulfae, always believed the universe(s) would be a lot more orderly and not fun without the Doctor …he’s a force of chaos in the universe, out to stop those from imposing exteme order that would wipe us out! and yes I can continue this in it’s proper place-
<a href=”http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=11&sid=b6997a8599c2552c7cd30bb0d96c7fe7″To The Forum
*whirling batman logo*
But … lovely page Rich, just wunnerful fun!
I loved how Omega showed just how much the Doctor has done and 2 getting the Toymaker talking so he missed his turn!
Of a truth, I say unto thee, if Omega hath a wooden leg, he wouldst truly be shit on a stick.
As always, Rich, you rock.
quite a wordy page but I liked it… hehe poor Omega.. his plans always fail!
Just to add, I had a dream that 160 was the final page and the comic ended. Thanks Rich for allowing my dream to be utter boll*cks <3
XBen, the ‘present’ Doctor in this is the Eighth Doctor. Gallifrey is in his timezone, the daleks are still in two factions and the Time War has not happened yet.
The previous Doctors have moved forward. However the ninth and tenth have moved back.
carol – actually I believe 2 is playing the card that causes you to miss a turn.
(I dont know what card, we always played it the simpler way without trick cards beyond the
Besides – the Toymaker cares too much about the game to talk much- its the Doctor that is prattleing on about the Toymaker’s plans, that smiling, sweet, tricksy man that the Doctor is
I’m glad that others already pointed out the Calufrax/Zanak thing, thus saving me the trouble of nitpicking on an enjoyable page. (Although, to be fair, we are never told what the Calufraxians did for a living. Maybe they were a race of vampires or something.)
I love the SUMMARIES!!!
Fantastic job capturing the Second Doctor’s voice – many authors say he’s the hardest to depict because there’s so much less source material on him than the others (in terms of Patrick Troughton’s actual performance).
this recap makes me think of the whole of Doctor Who differently. Maybe the high council is correct and it’s not proper for time lords to interfere.
Maybe the Doctor’s numerous adventures are simply one long narrative of a rogue time lord trying to clean up the ever expanding chain of consequences caused by his initial interference in the time/space continuum.
whoa! I know kung fu!
I love your summaries! I love everything about this story! YOU ARE AMAZING!
Ahem.
[nitpick]
existEnce
[/nitpick]
But….wow! Just… wow. This just keeps getting better and better. And I sent a link to the comic to a couple of fellow Doctor Who fans, and now they’re reading madly to catch up.
I love how doctor #2 just revealed to omega that toymaker is planning to double cross him. i think #2 just won his real game there…
I’ve been following this for over a year now… I have to say Rich, you are *on fire* man, I’m lovin’ this amazing burst of creativity over the past few weeks!!
Like who really care’s if you make some typo
s i’ve been thzt for a long time those who have to pick at it are those with too much time on there hand’s and we know what that can kead to hmmm!?
as for the doctor well he usually does prevail that is why he is the doctor right.
And those who rant on and on about how stuff could have been are thos who are bound to fail!
Hey, Rich. Thanks for the new page (even if I went “unholy carp walloftext” when I first saw it load). Guess you’ve got an echo, if 2.5’s going “Oh, yes?” in handwriting and in font, but I can’t complain — it’s a great comic as-is. The fate of the universe rests on a little short guy playing a card game. Only in Doctor Who… (Or in Star Trek TNG, but I couldn’t call Picard short, and I blame Q for that.)
Another top-notch page, Rich! The glass is raised in your honor once again!
BTW, just to carry on the “nit-picking” theme, Callufrax has two “L’s”. So, maybe you can take a small bit of joy in knowing that everyone who pointed out your error actually misspelled it too.
Lofficier, Jean-Marc. The Doctor Who Programme Guide. Vol. 2. London: W. H. Allen & Company, 1984. 28.
Meh…”That’s all I need.”
Outstanding portrayals of everyone!!! Especially Omega, who (whom?) I liked in The Three Doctors. He was an awesome evil Time Lord, and the acting was magnificent.
~CoZ
P.S. (sorry): *Nods* Ah, antispace.
*Points at cards* I love the Seal of Rassilon on them!!!
~CoZ
Rich, don’t feel bad, even the best Doctor Who tales tend to go a bit wild. But I still thoroughly enjoy the tale. Especially how you flesh out the villains. In truth, Omega was ticked because according to Gallifreyan Legends, his Time experiments accidentally plunged him into the Anti-Matter Universe.
And in ‘The Three Doctors,’ when it was discovered he no longer possessed a corporeal form under his guise, well, that didn’t set well with him either.
Apologies for becoming the Gallifreyan Legendskeeper again, I’m going to be starting a new job since nine years and I’m kind of excited.
And the Crazy Eights gag DOESN’T GET OLD. I freaking love it. Seriously, no sarcasm there, it’s actually still so funny. XDD
[pointlesscomment]But srsly, why did he CHOSE Crazy Eights in the first place?? It’s a game of chance! For the most part… But he should have chosen a game that included strategy, and then owned Celly. Like Euchre! I love Euchre. But that’s a four player game… Bah. I can’t think of any good strategy card games that aren’t four player… [/pointlesscomment]
Sheesh. Talk about spoilers. River Song would be appalled. Loving it like always, Rich! This is really a fan’s dreamwork you’ve got going here.
My goodness… I knew The Doctor did all that but when someone puts them altogether, it really does show that he’s done a lot in his life (or should I say lives)…
I love how Two seems to have figured out that “Celly” plans to betray “Meggy” without being told. And I ditto the love for the Seal of Rassilon on the cards. I want a deck like that.
Lots of writing in the first two panels.
It’s true that if the Doctor didn’t exist the universe would’ve gone kablooey as we know it.
Great how the the Toymaker isn’t listening to Omega and is so intent on getting the Dr 2 to lose the card game.
I’m enjoying your comics as always Rich.
Cheers.
Lily Knotwise;
Perhaps a game with more strategy would give ‘Celly’ the advantage, because the logic of strategy would be predictable. I said more strategy because even a so-called game of ‘chance uses strategy. So Two knows what he’s doing.
Playing Crazy 8s is very dangerous…and I’m a Post Time-War Time Lord.
Dr 2 is undoubtably modest. All he wants is his freedom. Is that so hard to the Toymaker?
Love the detail on the cards Rich, they must be the Cards of Rassilon or Crazy Eights of Rassilon. What didnt the guy do.
That boy Two’s got a lotta guts, man, a lotta guts. Basically, he’s flipping a coin for his — and, implies Omega, All Of — existence in a serious low-skill game; of all the play and risk in the Ten Doctors thus far, who’d've thought that it might all come down to the seven of diamonds?
Said (wrote?) it before and i’ll say it again, to be sure: Nice.
@Lily Knotwise: Cribbage! That’s a bitchin’ skill card game for two players and the best in my opinion.
You’ve made a slight error in panel 3. The words “Oh yes?” are repeated twice.
That summary is confusing. O.O So the 2nd Doc is playing for his freedom and the Celestial Toymaker wants to fix up the chaos that will be left behind if the Doctor is eliminated from the timeline by hijacking Omega’s plan?
…I hope I got that right…
I think the Toymaker intends to betray Omega and trap him in the anti-matter universe, therefore leaving the chaotic universe in his control to manipulate into his liking….
…um…
Yeah, but cribbage needs a cribbage board. It’d be hard to keep even a small one of those up your sleeve.
Well…there’s Nertz or Golf. I think you can play those with just two people…quite a bit less fun, though. Nertz also requires one deck per person, and I’m not sure if the Doctor has more than one Deck of Rassilon hidden away.
Os: YES. CRIBBAGE. A WINNER IS YOU.
“That’s all I need.” That right there is the heart of the brilliance of Doctor Who.