Leela wakes up to the face of the 4th Doctor grinning down at her. It turns out that his rigged up machinery took years off their lives and Leela is a teenager again. Her children have been reduced to infants and toddlers, their bodies regenerated, their minds pure.
HA! Brilliant work there by 4. That’s ONE way of beating the Dalek programming. Also, If you don’t mind me saying, you seemed to have drawn Tom Baker a bit differently here Rich. I’m not sure I can describe it but to say, your Tom Baker likeness has improved greatly.
Great job all around though, Rich! VERY happy to see 4’s plan worked out so well even with all the unexpected elements that may have drastically altered it. ^_^
I however look suburb. Marvelous!
It’s been going on so long my art style evolves with the story.
Fantastic – Just brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!
Hrm, I’m not sure what to make of this. It’s emotional, yet, comical at the same time; that’s pretty rare in this format. Stupendous job Rich.
The Rani’s expression in the last panel is priceless!
Perfect twist, btw. Definitely something the Doctor would think up.
I can’t say it often enough: I lLOVE you Rich
(no need to get jealous though Hillary 
)
Yay! Leela is okay! (Stops biting nails)
laughing out loud!, that’s just brilliant, trust four to come up with a plan like that *big smiles*
Hmm. Now Leela is a teenage single mother with an absentee father with five babies.
I love the look on the Rani’s face in the last frame!
It’s a fantastic evolution here. I think your style is improving the more you draw this though.
Not to change the subject an I know this strip is more popular, but when do you think you’ll be able to finish House of Paulus?
Not only love the look on the Rani’s face, but also the fact that all the babies seem to be wrapped in the 4th Doctor’s scarf. Good thing his clothes didn’t lose a few hundred years too!
I wonder what sevateem nappies are like? Nice page, anyway
Actually, Leela looks pretty dumbfounded in the last panel too.
Since Leela and the Doctor have all their memories intact do Leela’s children now have the minds and memories of middle aged people in the bodies of babes? How embarassing toilet training (not to mention breastfeeding) will be…
Or perhaps their children’s brains haven’t formed enough to store all those memories and they have lost them all.
I suspect this is a clever way to handwave why 9 & 10 are a mere 900, but wouldn’t this have to have happened to 7 or 8 for all of continuity to have make sense?
“Actually, Leela looks pretty dumbfounded in the last panel too.”
If, after I had raised my children to adulthood, someone reverted them to babies and told me I had to do it all over again I’d be a little stunned too : )
Heheh, well, she won’t be expected to raise all the little tykes by herself, of course. I will explain that later on. As for the 9th & 10th Doctors lying about their ages, I didn’t mean for this to explain that off at all. They’re still lying. The Doctor here is STILL whatever age he was, he’s just been physically “restored” to a younger condition.
Like getting your car tuned up. It’s still the same AGE…
“I suspect this is a clever way to handwave why 9 & 10 are a mere 900, but wouldn’t this have to have happened to 7 or 8 for all of continuity to have make sense?”
I can in no way quote chapter and verse but I don’t think that every Doctor has stated his age on screen. Anyway if asked their age they would have to say “Well physically this particular body is 42, if you add up all the ages of my bodies I’m around 400, but I was first born 1,200 years ago in my first body, however there was a time when I regenerated 300 years…” which is a bit of a drag so they probably pick whichever number comes to mind first : )
One last thing…”A lot younger than when I first met you. You Look good. Better stay away from 8, 9 and 10…far away” : )
An EXCELLENT use of a 5 meter long scarf. ^^
somebody called this one about 20 seconds after reading #4’s last appearance, good call! Great page too !
Just brilliant – love use of 4’s scarf – thank goodness it’s a long one.
Teenage Leela with umpteen kids – oh blimey with knobs on.
And yes – 4 looks even more gorgeous younger (looks a lot like a younger Tom Baker – ref his autobiography photos)
Imagine having to raise your children all over again! Those toddlers and babies look sweet though.
Ah, that’s fixed my avatar.
No it didn’t. That did.
Actually I tried not to make him look any younger at all. He looks different mostly because I can’t draw the same face twice and he’s in his “Deadly Assassin” outfit, meaning, sans coat, vest & scarf. Which does something to his appearance. The joke being, of course, a few hundred years either way makes no difference.
that is utterly awesome!
Poor Leela.
Hehe the rani really doesn’t want to be there.
I had the feeling you’d do something like that, even though I hoped you wouldn’t. Well, I guess Leela can be funny as a warrior teenager too.
Great page, Rich, and I LOVE the Rani’s expression. Now we know the REAL reason why she and the Doctor are enemies: he had her take care of children! I also like the curious little child looking at k9
Has anyone noticed the Rani’s expression in the last panel? She looks so “not” pleased with being a babysitter.
almost to the 200th page! Go Rich! I can’t wait to see what happens next!
I WAS RIGHT!! *Does the Superior Dance* (Which is hard to do here in the hospital, which is where I currently am.)
Great page, Rich. I knew Leela & 4 were going to get younger as the Doctor worked to de-age the Daleks. Now 4 can make a move on Romana; maybe even marry her (at least, off-screen). Well done!
Well this page certainly shows how much you’ve improved. When I first started reading, the 4th Doctor always seemed a little off, your weakest of all the Doctors to be honest. But lately he’s looked much better, especially in the close-ups on this page.
And I too love the Ranis “I’d rather be anywhere but here” expression.
Awwww….cute (the KIDS, not the Doctor. Although he isn’t looking too bad, either.)
Amazing plot twist here, Rich. And…puffy shirt?
~CoZ
2 lovely points: 1) the look on the Rani’s face, and 2) the babies wrapped up in the scarf! Excellent!
Wow….I’m speechless. Wow. If I didn’t love 4 before, I *certainly* love him NOW….making me wish I was in Romana’s shoes….sigh….
SQUEE!!! Awesome, Rich!!
After the all the death and the sadness of Leela’s family becoming Daleks, etc., this page was a pleasantly pleasant turn of events.
Aww, sweet page. Not the perfect outcome for the ex-Daleks- after all, they’ve just forgotten everything about their lives, the people they used to be are essentially dead. But a new chance at life is better than being stuck as a Dalek.
The Rani isn’t particularly maternal, is she?
I have a funny feeling that little girl will start nagging her Mummy for a pet dog as soon as she can talk. She has that childish look of ‘ooh, what’s that and can I keep it?’.
Hee hee! I knew you wouldn’t kill Leela (and that you couldn’t kill 4!) but what a brilliant way to get rid of Daleks! It probably only worked because they were Dalekized, and not Daleks from birth…
Now about Andred…we have to free him! Leela can’t raise all those kids on her own (or even with the help of the adult children she has left). They need a father!
rich your a legend!!
you look good. i however, look superb! you must have been itching to wright pages of dialogue between the doctor and leela right?!? it would have written itself ha ha. good ole 4th blowing his own trumpet not hearing a word leela says! i also love the little one looking quizzically at k9
elrossiter x x x
awwwwwwwe-
Brilliant rescue, “Of course” 4 would say – but that’s certainly one way to undalekize the kids! Since with 13 kids you can get a heck of an age span, its nice to see they’re not all infants
I expect they’ve all got most of the memories in there, when they get old enough to express them, but the trauma of dalekization, while I’m sure it’s been undone, is hopefully is forgotten just like birth memories.
4 does look a bit refreshed, if not precisely younger, love how he’s so pleased with himself!
OOH! Does this make them ‘Time Tots’?
Only coherent response I have to this page: awww, yay.
I was going to say that I didn’t think Four looked any different : P
Interesting use of the scarf but…. considering that these are BABIES I do hope the TARDIS has a VERY good washing machine for that scarf later.
That’s a great twist. So this technology lets people “regenerate” without being a Time Lord, interesting. Seems sort of similar to what happened in the episode “Boom Town” when the Slitheen was shown the “Heart of the TARDIS”.
Aaah, the babies in the scarf look so cute! I love the Rani’s expression in the last panel
Equal helpings of “awwww” and “yay” abound on this page. Leela’s dumbfoundedness at being renewed, the Doctor’s self-satisfaction (justified for this occasion), and Leela’s restored children are just priceless.
Special kudos to the Rani’s look of utter mortification as she minds the tots. She knows the Master will never let her live this down once he hears about it.
Scenario:
Rani: Magnus.
Master: Nanny Rani.
SOCKPOWTHWOK….etc.
P.S. Now let’s get Nyssa back, shall we?
I haven’t commented for a few pages (no time…) but I had to on the sheer awesomeness of this page. Pretty sort of marvelous indeed!
“Like getting your car tuned up…”
CLASSIC.
Wonderful page! The look on the Rani’s face really makes it. And I hope that scarf is machine-washable.
That’s brilliant, a marvelous turn out for them.
Number 4 is mad as ever, charming, funny, and hmm…will that now explain the 900 years comment, or is it still double mid-life crisis?
Awwwwwwwwwwwww!
“I suspect this is a clever way to handwave why 9 & 10 are a mere 900, but wouldn’t this have to have happened to 7 or 8 for all of continuity to have make sense?”
“I can in no way quote chapter and verse but I don’t think that every Doctor has stated his age on screen. Anyway if asked their age they would have to say “Well physically this particular body is 42, if you add up all the ages of my bodies I’m around 400, but I was first born 1,200 years ago in my first body, however there was a time when I regenerated 300 years…” which is a bit of a drag so they probably pick whichever number comes to mind first : )”
4th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th at least have all dropped their ages, each being a successive number until 9 throws off the count.
Awwww…
The last panel has so much to talk about. Stunned Leela, embarassed Rani, scarf-wrapped babies… K9 keeping the little girl entertained, bless him. This is Leela’s rusty K9, so he would have probbably been left to guard them few times the first time they where time tots. I can’t think of anyone I would rather have had to play with when I was a toddler!
It would be funny if the fourth Doctor had at some point pulled a John Lithgow and said, “Oh my GOD! I’m GORGEOUS!”
Oh goodness, the Rani’s face. ROFL!
And the babies are all wrapped up in the scarf! Bless them:)
Looks like a harmless way to save the Time Lords that have been Dalekised. Woo!
lolawwwwwwwwww :3
*hint*10*hint*
Brilliant
If someone complains about 4’s lost years they can say he get’s them back in ‘The Leisure Hive’.
<3
I must say, the Rani’s “Oh Rassilon, why me?” expression is excellent.
I have to agree 4 looks diferent, I think he looks a bit younger
HOORAY!
OH..*giggle* The Rani’s expression is priceless. Thanks for the morning laugh.
And the scarf, brilliant!
I actually thought she’d regenerated at first. Is that what you wanted us to think, Rich? Coz it was awesome!
does this mean the doctor really is 900 now?
I knew it! I knew it would turn them young does this mean I get a gold star Rich?
Rich can’t fool me. He just wanted an excuse to draw young, hot Leela instead of elderly, wizened Leela. So he wrote the story such that he could do it.
*Love* the Rani in the last frame.
How ironic – the very next adventure 4 goes off on after this is “The Leisure Hive,” where he gets aged 500 years (for a while).
So, Rich, you’ve partially handwaved the lying-about-my-age thing. Are you also going to give us an explanation for why 4’s outfit changes between Seasons 17 and 18?
I think your answer is on this page, Other Jim. Gallifreyan/Human baby hybrid-poopie is notoriously hard to get out of fabric.
If the doctor lost 100 years, shouldn’t leela have too, so shouldn’t she be…unborn?
The Rani… Holding a baby… In Four’s scarf……..
Amazing.
Remorse1994: He just said “a few hundred years” in get his point across in the situation. Neither them, nore Leela’s children, lost a few hundred years, I’m sure. The Doctor COULD, but I’d guess he only lost around 100 years.
Remorese1994: Leela had been on Gallifrey for 452 years, her life extended by the Time Lords (page 68).
Poor Leela- she’s already RAISED them once! And BWahahahaaa!!! Rani looks seriously put out… Not “Mom” sort of material, is she?
Brilliant Rich, absolutely magnificent.
Marvellous, as always!
Oooh, look – the big 2-0-0 is looming on the horizon. Is it going to be a “Special”?
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Noqw all they have to do is save the father of those children so they can have a big family reunion!
I meant now.
Hello,
We’ve taken the OG Toyroom Naughty Bus to this place. We come in peace, we only want to study what live is like outside our tight toyroom walls. And maybe take a souvenier or two along.
Lovely panel. Especially the last image is priceless :p
FAN-TAS-TIC! And thats all I gotta say.
Heh, all the comments warning about the consequences of babies in his scarf reminded me of something.
The Doctor has a NEW scarf in “The Leisure Hive”.
I also love the “…a touch of spiteful indifference…” I’m betting Four’s meaning the Rani there.
Nice resolution Rich!
However Leela looks a bit like Sarah who looks a bit like Nyssa…
“The Rani’s expression in the last panel is priceless!”
i bet she’s thinking “I am so NOT availiable to babysit.
Thank you, Rich.
This is wonderful. I love the Rani’s expression in the last panel.
Too bad they no longer have Classic Doctor Who on Iowa Public Television as of last Saturday. I’m really going to miss that. 36 years on IPTV and no explanation.
Leela is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. *eyes pop out* and 4 is pretty dang good-looking too! 8P
good work!
This is the page I’ve been waiting for all my life!!
I just realized that this is why Nine is younger in the new series.
Bravo Rich, bravo!
I just love the “I’m gonna get you for this…” expression on the Rani’s face.
AAAAWWWWW!
I don’t think the Rani wants to be here.
*point and laugh at the Rani*
That was an unexpected revelation…I do love surprises.
Fantastic work Rich
Evil thought…
Could one of these “children” be The Doctor, but they don’t know it…?
One Fan theory that was proposed for the 8th Doctor’s “half human” line
was that Leela was his mother….
Next: The babies all do something unspeakable and odorous to 4’s scarf & wake up howling, completing the Rani’s joy at being there.
The Rani does >not< look like a happy Time Lady. Love that angry glare. I can almost hear her thinking, “Paradox or no paradox, I am going to KILL him! All ten of him!”
(You know, someone better take those babies away from her before she gets any ideas for experiments she can do on de-aged, un-Dalekized Gallifreyans … )
Sunfall_E, commiserations on your loss. I still remember when Cleveland’s PBS station announced that the Doctor was taking what they called “an extended vacation.” That was in 1992, and he hasn’t come back yet.
Teeee Heee
love this page! Good work 
Pardon me if this has been discussed already, but I’m not sure exactly how this would work… Did the Tom Baker Doctor have hundreds of years of adventures? If his age regressed hundreds of years, wouldn’t that change him back into the 1st Doctor? How could the 4th Doctor become younger than he was when he first regenerated from the 3rd Doctor? I’m not calling shenanigans here, I just don’t quite get it. Although, it does sound like the sort of plan 4 would cook up, and it’s nice to see Leela get a new lease on life.
Oh, Rich! First panel–that grin! And it’s–the Shirt! Swoon! Thunk. Splash! (Anita throws water on DJ.)
Thank you, Rich! Wonderful page. I will enlarge and probably color several panels on this page.
Anita, did you watch, re-watch Deadly Assassin?
Ahhh, nearly 200 pages! Working on a song idea. Very tired from packing for a house move this month though. Still, we have to celebrate.
Good doggie, K-9.
Must say I like Leela in the coat (panel 7); and of course, umpteenth comment about the Rani’s expression in panel 8.
Can’t wait til tomorrow!
OK…Part of me is saying…Woohooo! Leela is Fine, And young with her 5 kids A-ok..
But at the same time…….
Isn’t this Jumping the Shark?? Just a Tad??
Leela may be up to her eyeballs in nappies, but at least she’ll get an unexpected bonus. She can use all of the old Dalek casings to make awesome baby strollers! They’d hold just about everything you’d need, and you could hang toys from the plunger… hours of playtime fun for Moms on the run!
Ursula, the second Doctor claimed to be 450 years old. The fourth Doctor stated that he was 750 years old. That’s 300 years to toy with, and that was early in his regeneration (Sarah Jane was his companion). That was before a period without a companion (between Sarah Jane and Leela), an undetermined period with an ageless metal dog, and an undetermined period with a lady Time Lord (Romana). No telling HOW long he lived at the point of this story. He’s covered.
Oh Four, you crafty genius. XD
I could not help but notice this is page 198 dash 2. What happened to dash 1?
Rassilon: nothing too nefarious; just an upload error and a system burp this morning during the update.
This is great and all, but…I’m getting the feeling we missed something in transition between the last page and this one?
WHAT DID I SAY BEFORE PEOPLE!!!! I said this before, this is soooo cool I was right, it did look like Leela was younger. ( cheers and claps hands happly) I was right ohh ya, I was right ohh ya! This comic is just getting better and better every day!
Rich,
Long time reader, first time poster…
I’ve noticed that this page is 198-2, Was there a 198-1? Not be a conspiracy nut or anything, but are you hiding something from us?
I’ll log off now and wait for your answer.
Sorry, NomoMoMo;
But the answer came three posts before yours. Check up the comments list!
Awesome. I agree that 4 now looks less caricaturish than before, but this is just an awesome 4 moment.
Okay, as to the “age” issue, 2 had a 500 year diary (from “The Power of the Daleks), and 4 had a 900 year diary (which Adric was reading to help out 4 in “The Keeper of Trakken”), beyond that, if you’ve lived centuries enough to say millenia, would you really keep track of your exact age anymore? A rough estimate should do.
One last thing, Rich, Leela sans 4’s coat would make a great gift for those making a donation to your website… *hint* *hint*
Bill M.
Perv.
Hmm…Something going wrong with a computer upload. NEVER…I Still don’t buy it…
But I’m still not a conspiracy nut.
(Maybe on the box set?)
I love the Doctor’s eloquence (yours too, Rich!), especially in panel 4. I really enjoyed this page, and actually laughed out loud at the last panel.
But….
All those little children (plus teenage Leela)… they’re not going to die in the time war, are they? Please, not the children!
Kinda reminds me of ‘The Leisure Hive,’ when Pangol was transformed into a child after The Doctor tampered with the Tachyon Recreation Generator. Except here he ends up de-aging Leela and her kids.
Yes, you look fantastic Doctor!
I’ll ask the question about the memories of Leela’s children who got deaged, do they remember anything? Also: Babies! In 4’s Scarf! And the Rani: Priceless!
@Countess Hadn’t thought about it! Please Rich don’t let them!!
@Straker: The 10 Doctors is gonna end soon, and I’ve been wanting to sugest (or more exactly express my desire of this to happen) that House of Paulus continue after the ending of the 10 Doctors, I mean it’s cool enough for a sucessor
I’m not sure I’d let the Rani look after my kids…she does like to experiment from time to time!
Sunfall E: the explanation is that those idots only put it up on SUNDAYS at 1 AM!!! Of course they’re not going to get good viewers! AH! Some people still go to church in the mornings! they don’t seem to realise that!
We should sign a petition!
This is the best page in a while, Panle 4 is perfect ” sheer unabashed genius unexpected timeing and a touch of SPITFUL INDIFFERENCE”. I wasn’t a fan of 4, now I am.
Oh god- 4. You are a genius- unconventional at times by a complete genius. And a great explination as to why the Doctor is supposedly 903 now, instead of 1000 something.
And damn, Leila does look good. As does 4, if I do say so myself.
But argh! Time Tots- as if having to raise them once wasn’t enough, now Leila has to do it all over again. Poor girl. But at least now she’ll know what to expect. ^^
Brilliant, as always.
Sten Darker, that’s what I said in an email on Sunday, plus a few other things besides. Please no name calling. I was venting. Sorry Rich if this causes a problem.
Aww, yay! leela and her kids are ok! ^_^ No more Dalek horrer.
though interesting sory to tell the kids…
Leela: “Well honey, you were older at one point, and then turned into a Dalek, but you got zapped all better!”
Kid: 0_o
I like the way your drawing four now. It looks better.
Ooh, didn’t see that one coming!
Prepare for a baby shower! XD
Awwwwwwww.
And another awww for Kimberly’s stroller idea. XD
Aw, okay, Four I guess I can forgive you for saying you’re the best now that you’ve got me in a good mood.
(He looks shockingly skinny out of that huge scarf and coat doesn’t he?)
Rich, you draw the most adorable babies.
But again, you’ve had practice.
I just noticed there’s a Todler by 4. Cool
First off: love this page. Pure 4.
Secondly: Wha…! First panel! Omega symbol!
Dawwwwwwwwwwwwww!
“The joke being, of course, a few hundred years either way makes no difference.”
Well that directly contradicts canon. Remember The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords? The Doctor aging a mere hundred years makes a very noticeable mark. Whether the reverse would do anything noticeable I don’t think we do know, but don’t go trying to age Time Lords a lot without showing it…
Nice Resolution Rich!
Only thing is Young Leela looks like Sarah who looks like Nyssa…
Let`s hope they don’t all meet up in the same frame!
Haha XD Leela’s going to have to invest in a baby shower AND a whole
lot of nappies!
‘Tis a shame poor old K9 didn’t get hit by the blast he could do with being de aged, blast the rust off…
@ Dragon: Well Tom Baker was rather skinny in the tfirst couple of series being a former strugling, underfeed actor and all. Then he started to stack on the beef once he had regular work, just look at him now!
lol!
Is there anything that scarf can’t do? Ha ha, nice work.
you chose now to put clothes on her??!!!
Well, I rather enjoyed this bit, although I AM looking forward to what you do with the strip following ‘tomorrow’s’. I’m glad you resolved the problem and even gave Leela a new lease on life. She was never my favourite character, but I’ve come to appreciate her more over the years. Tom may not have liked her character much, but Louise was a good actress and her character had a lot of charm.
Looks like only living things are affectd, as K9 is the same, as well as the dalek casings and everyones clothes (thank god).
Sheer Brilliance
Wrapping the babies up in the scarf is genius. Is this perhaps the reason 4 changes scarves halfway through his run?
Cuz, seriously, I wouldn’t put that scarf back on after that.
An unbelievably wonderful page!