Shock Horror is a Doctor Who Adventures comic strip published in 2016.
Summary
Part one
The Twelfth Doctor is reading 1001 Facts About the Universe at the 2016 UK Book Festival. He begins correcting the book with a pen when Eliza Jones confronts him and tells him to stop defacing it. She then tells the Doctor that she came to the festival to see her favourite author, Charles Abbott. She shows the Doctor Fearsome Frights, his latest book, which is about "a boy who is magically transported to a horrible place where he is surrounded by monsters".
After waiting in line, Eliza asks Abbott to sign one of her books and says that she wants to ask him about the main character of Fearsome Frights. Abbott signs the book, but tells her that he doesn't have time for questions. Out of nowhere, Eliza Jones' mother runs towards Abbot and slaps his face. He curses in an alien language, then calls for security. As she is being dragged away by security, Eliza's mother tells Abbott that her son used to read his books, he came to one of his signings and disappeared. The Doctor mentions that the character in Fearsome Frights has the same name as Eliza's brother, and then he realises something.
The duo then go to Abbott's reading of Fearsome Frights. He begins reading about a boy named Sammy Jones, who is being surrounded by zombies. A blue box materialises between Sammy and the zombies. Abbott exclaims, "What?! I didn't write that!", and the two seats which previously held the Doctor and Eliza are empty.
Part two
The Doctor and Eliza, now in the TARDIS, begin scanning a Fearsome Frights book. Eliza is wowed by the TARDIS' interior dimensions and says that it's "just like [we] landed inside a story". The Doctor assures her that his time machine is real, and adds that so is Antagonista, the setting of Fearsome Frights. He concludes that Charles Abbott is most likely a native of this planet, citing his use of the curse "Anta-Lich" and he fact that his pen was made of Incredulitas 4. He explains that Incredulitas 4 can transport matter from one location to another, leading Eliza to realise that this is how he kidnapped Sammy. The Doctor exclaims, "Your mother was right! Abbott must have transported Sammy to this terrible place, then simply jotted down what nasty things happened to him in order to write his new series of books."
The Doctor's stasis jail.
The TARDIS materialises on Antagonista and Eliza begins to rush outside to save her brother. The Doctor stops her because of the Zombies outside, he explains that he'll need a moment to gather "a few bits and pieces". A while later, the duo exit the TARDIS to find Sammy defending himself from a horde of Zombies with a sword. The Doctor walks towards the monsters and pulls a machine out of his pocket. It's a raw piece of steak attached to a propeller! Aware of the Doctor's interference, Abbott flashes onto Antagonista with his pen. Abbott attempts to get the Zombies to stay, but they run away towards the steak. Sammy lunges at Abbott with his sword, but Abbott zaps it with his pen, leaving Sammy without a weapon. The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to make the pen transport Abbott somewhere else. Eliza asks where Abbott has gone, so the Doctor decides to show the two children. They go to a stasis jail invented by the Doctor "centuries ago". As he watches Abbott struggle in jail the Doctor comes up with a suitable name for it: the writer's block.
Characters
References
- The Doctor calls the steak a "Plot Device" that comes from the restaurant at the end of the universe.
Notes
to be added
Original print details
- Publication with page count and closing captions
- DWA15 13 (2 parts, 9 pages) The End
- No reprints to date.
Continuity
- The Doctor notes that Abbott is using a shimmer. (TV: The End of Time)
