Nemesis From Nowhere - Part Two

 

First Doctor - Original release

Daleks (from original Dalek 3 pack)

Mark Seven (Custom Captain Jack)

Kraath (Customs)

The figure of Mark 7 began life as a Series 1 Captain Jack in his RAF uniform. I've added his  bandolier, utility belt and cuff detail in Green Stuff.

His gun is a custom creation using sprue from a model kit and the bendy part of a drinking straw.

Mark's rocket ship is a rubber model ship painted silver, although the paint has mostly flaked off. It has been coloured in photoshop for its blue/yellow and rusted liveries.

The Doctor's cape is made from a circle of black material, draped over his shoulders - no sewing required. This was of course before the Unearthly Child caped Doctor and TARDIS were released.

We didn't even have classic TARDISes at this point, note that I'm using the 2005 RTD version.

I've always been a huge First Doctor era fan and loved the very 60s sci fi turn it took in Season 3 after Verity Lambert left. Plus I always felt there was more mileage in the companion of Sara Kingdom (yes, I do consider her a proper companion)

A DWM article about Terry Nation's planned US Dalek series alerted me to the robotic character Mark 7, part of the Space Security Service. Note, this was long before he appeared in Big Finish audios.

The prospect of a Doctor that has only just developed a 'human' morality from his companions passing that onto a robotic companion was tantalising and that's what I hope to achieve with the Doctor/Mark pairing.

The original 'nemesis' was to have been the Mechanoids but I'd created the Kraath for the previous story and wanted to cement them as a Hartnell monster.

Actually, the very first version of the story featured just the Daleks:

With the war going badly, the Daleks are in retreat but steadfastly hold a seemingly insignificant small planet. As the Doctor and Mark discover though, the Daleks intend to send this planet through time and space and use it as a staging area for an attack on Earth.

With this plan thwarted, Mark accidentally sets the TARDIS in motion as they realise the Daleks are about to launch an even more deadly strike.

My first intention was that the Doctor would be constantly trying to get Mark back home to the year 4005 but that element got dropped in subsequent episodes.

The set for the Dalek ship is based on that from The Dalek Masterplan. The Dalek base scenes were shot back to back with the interior scenes of The Secret of Vega 22, the mini Mark 7 intro story.

The year is 4005, five years after the Dalek Masterplan. In my head cannon, following the exposure of Mavic Chen, the Daleks and humanity begin an all-out war, as alluded to in the many Terry Nation annuals.

In terms of the first Doctor's own timeline, at the time this was posted, I think I'd settled on some time during The War Machines. There is no point in the first Doctor's tenure that he travels alone and certain not between stories.

Certainly, we must be after Masterplan as the Doctor recalls Bret Vyon and Sara Kingdom. I suggest that at some point during The War Machines, with Dodo on Earth, the Doctor is taken out of time (for either The Three Doctors or The Five Doctors) and is now on his way back.

The story was original put online in December 2009 and January 2010.

It was reposted during Series 2 as a classic companion to the new series. Part One was published on 26 April 2025 with part two following on 5 May 2025.

Nemesis From Nowhere - Part One

 

The Phoenix Rises - Part Two

 

Fifth Doctor (Time Crash)

First Doctor (Original release with Dalek Saucer Commander)

Professor April Moon - Jenny Lewis (Primeval)

Greg Jackson - Ryan (Primeval)

Weevils (Torchwood)

Kraath - Customs

The only customs for this story are the Kraath, a new race of monsters. They don't look quite as monstrous and I hoped to give them a revamped look for their second appearance.

The base figures were Wrestlers from Poundland who appeared in BACKWARDS.

The Jenny Lewis figure makes her first appearance as April Moon, a character that could have returned.

When looking for a group to be her subordinates and not wishing to use the VOC robots or Ood, I settled for Weevils, postulating that by the 25th Century Weevils could be advanced enough to operate machinery.

Not going to lie, I hate gratuitous Doctor team-ups. They are the epitome of fan-fiction and something I prefer to reserve for special occasions. 
Having said that, back in 2009 when CO released the frankly marvellous First Doctor figure for the first time, I was reminded of an article in Doctor Who magazine (issue 76, May 1983) which revealed that some lost footage from an abandoned Hartnell story, Beyond The Sun had been unearthed and would be put together with newly shot material from the (then) current Doctor, Peter Davison to form a new adventure: The Phoenix Rises.

Of course this turned out to be an April Fool's joke but now with these figures it can be a reality. Sadly, I didn't have the article to hand when I came to write this story so there are probably loads of plot points I could have nicked - er- borrowed. But there are nods to the article in my story with character called April and the story taking place on the 1st of April 2498.

The eponymous "Phoenix" is my new monster race, the Kraath. Having Hartnell means we can introduce a new monster early in the Doctor's life and have them return to battle all the Doctors. If that does happen, they'll certainly be getting a makeover.

The story was shot in two sessions. All the scenes aboard the station were done in one block with the remaining TARDIS sequences for part 2 done back to back with two more upcoming adventures (I forget which but probably Nemesis From Nowhere and Enemy of the Cybermen. 

For the first time I used a new camera with superior macro facility allowing for my crisper images and no more shaky blurred images.

For the editing, a new look is attempted to make the story look more like a comic. For recent stories, the frames were presented individually in regular shaped panels. It made editing simple but the pages looked static and lifeless.

For the 5th Doctor, this story takes place in the AFT niche created after Decoy To Denebola which is set after The Awakening.

For the first Doctor, it's a little more tricky. He never travelled alone but without figures of any of his companions (at the time), I was forced to create a point where he did, possible after he's been taken out of time for The Three Doctors or The Five Doctors.

As later stories in this series will suggest, it has to be some time during season three as he's aware of the events of The Dalek Masterplan.  It could be set at some point during The War Machines but for now, we'll have to keep it vague.

The Doctor's 'telepathic conference' was used in The Three Doctors.

Episode One was posted on 23 September 2009 with part two following on 23 October 2009.

It was reposted as an homage, a companion piece to Series 2 on the BBC/Disney with part one starting on Saturday 12th April 2025 and part two the following week, 19 April 2025.

Ahead of next week's episode, you may want to check out this little cutaway introducing the Doctor's latest companion: The Secret of Vega X2

 

The Phoenix Rises - Part One