The Night Walkers (comic story)

The Night Walkers was a story published in TV Comic featuring the Second Doctor. Published in three parts from 8-22 November 1969, it is the last TV Comic story to feature the Second Doctor, and the very last of his adventures in total, loosely serving as a direct prelude to Spearhead from Space, the debut story of Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor.
It is also the only story to feature and properly show the Second Doctor's regeneration, and thus his last chronological appearance, given that his last regular TV appearance didn't show him regenerating. As such, it is also uniquely the only time the Doctor has regenerated in a comic story as opposed to an on-screen episode.
== Plot ==
The Second Doctor has become a celebrity in the early days of his Time Lord-imposed exile on Earth, and appears as a panellist on the TV panel show Explain My Mystery. One of the callers, Farmer Glenlock-Hogan, a farmer, has a mystery, a strange case of scarecrows who walk at night, which stumps the Doctor. Intrigued, he goes to visit the farm for a weekend and explore the land at night so he can see the walking scarecrows for himself. When the Doctor does, the scarecrows call to him and reveal they are servants of the Time Lords, sent to begin the second phase of the Doctor's sentence: his change of appearance. The scarecrows capture the Doctor with an energy weapon and, as he is carried off, he calls out to the frightened farmer with his final words: "Fear no more, Hogan... After this dreadful night has passed your scarecrows will not walk again!"
With the captured Doctor in tow, the scarecrows head for the TARDIS, which stands in the field. Once inside, they force his regeneration and set the TARDIS controls to dematerialise. The scarecrows leave the TARDIS to travel somewhere else on Earth, before becoming inanimate straw dummies once more. Glenlock-Hogan flees, saying "No human being will believe the account of what Oi've witnessed!"
== Characters ==
* Second Doctor
* Scarecrows
* Perry Conway
* Glenlock-Hogan
* Swiggings
== Worldbuilding ==
To be added
== Notes ==
* Published six weeks before Spearhead from Space began, The Night Walkers is the only published comic strip to depict the actual moment of regeneration for a televised Doctor.
* On sensing the presence of the Doctor and Glenlock-Hogan, the scarecrows call out "Step forward Dr. Who!" — causing the Doctor to exclaim "By the powers! How on earth would they know my name?"
* Begun in the comic story Action in Exile, the era had given readers tales of a companion-less Second Doctor — who has somehow escaped having his appearance changed — enjoying his exile on Earth. Rather than living in UNIT obscurity, as the Third Doctor's televised exile showed, the Second Doctor's comic exile was one of fame and luxury in the Carlton Grange Hotel.
* The last words spoken by the Second Doctor in his comic book tenure are; "Fear no more, Hogan... After this dreadful night has passed your scarecrows will not walk again!"
=== Original print details ===
(Publication with page count and closing captions)
* TVC 934 (2 pages) Next week Dr. Who witnesses the eerie 'night walk' of the scarecrows!
* TVC 935 (2 pages) Next week... face to face with the scarecrows!
* TVC 936 (2 pages) Make sure of your TV Comic and place an order now!
== Continuity ==
* The scarecrows were sent by the Time Lords as they sentenced the Doctor to exile. (TV: The War Games)
* The Second Doctor eventually finished his regeneration into the Third Doctor on board his TARDIS. (TV: Spearhead from Space)
Category:Stories set in London
Category:Stories set in 1969
Category:Second Doctor TVC comic stories
Category:1969 comic stories
Category:Regeneration comic stories
Category:Time Lord comic stories
Category:Three part comics