A Rose by Any Other Name (comic story)

was an ongoing Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor backup comic story from 2014 to 2016. It featured the adventures of the Tenth Doctor and a cat he adopted and named after Rose Tyler. The stories were set during the period in the Tenth Doctor's era where he was against bringing in new companions on TARDIS — the series illustrates a period of his life where he chose not to travel at all. Throughout the comic, Rose-the-cat attempts to get him out of his heart-break-state over the loss of Rose-the-human, to continue exploring the universe instead.
Running over the course of 21 total issues, A Rose by Any Other Name stands as longest-running officially licensed serialised story in franchise history if measured via the length of time the story lasted. In sheer number of parts, however, it is beaten by Doctor Who and the Daleks, a series of 2 stories released over the course of 50 unique sweet cigarette cards (25 each).
== Summary ==
The Tenth Doctor adopts a cat named Rose.
== Plot ==
=== Year One ===
==== Issue 4 ====
The Doctor has built a shrine to his lost companion Rose Tyler, and has been spending time watching romance and emotional films while binge-eating ice cream. After great emotional straits, the Doctor suddenly exclaims that he now has a cat — which he decides to call "Rose," much to the annoyance of the cat.
==== Issue 5 ====
The Doctor imagines what he expected owning a cat would be like; the pair sitting at the table, watching Chums, and being friends. In reality, the Doctor has been scratched up by Rose-the-Cat after five days of not being able to find her. He is exceedingly angry, and begins to lecture the cat, but his anger fades after watching the cat for some seconds.
==== Issue 6 ====
Watching the Doctor sulk in bed and cry over Rose-the-Human, Rose-the-Cat begins piloting the TARDIS to random spots in time. She visit Paris, France in the year 1879, where she finds a mouse; New New York in the year 5000000023, where she catches a fish; 2014 on the planet Messaline, where she drags a Hath head back to the TARDIS; as well as others. After waking from a nap, the Doctor is horrified to find his room filled with animal carcasses, Rose believing that this will please him. Instead, he begins to cry over the loss of the animals. Rose, annoyed, states "you try and help..."
==== Issue 7 ====
Distraught over his lost love, the Doctor goes to get clean clothes to put on. In his closet, he finds that Rose-the-Cat has pulled all of his navy suits down and has sat on them, leaving them covered in cat hair. There are also hair balls in his high tops. The Doctor orders her out of his room so that he can be with his thoughts and clothes. Later, he looks for his brown coat as he is preparing to go to Deva Loka to relax. He finds that Rose is carving her claws in them, completely ruining the piece. He screams that the suit was given to him by Janis Joplin, and leaves the cat floating outside the ship in a space-suit as punishment. He considers that he is not as merciful as he once was.
==== Issue 8 ====
The Doctor and Rose-the-Cat are finally getting along, after much struggle. Rose asks the Doctor how he had never owned a pet before, which makes the Doctor say that he needs to introduce someone to Rose. Later, Rose and K9 are in the midst of a fight — Rose having stolen the Sonic screwdriver and K9 in maximum defence mode. The Doctor, infuriated, puts them both outside again (Rose once more in a space-suit), which makes Rose question if this is his only answer to problems. The Doctor angrily decides to get a Goldfish.
==== Issue 9 ====
Rose-the-Cat and the Doctor are walking alone in an unknown location. Rose-the-Cat is trying to help the Doctor get over Rose-the-Human, and suggests he go for a rebound companion. The Doctor agrees shortly into the conversation, but later storms into the TARDIS angrily saying that he was stood up. Inside the ship, Rose is being stroked by a member of the Sisters of Plentitude. He angrily says that Rose was meant to be setting up a date for him, which Rose suddenly recalls being the point of her introducing the Doctor to someone. The sister awkwardly asks if she should leave.
==== Issue 10 ====
Rose-the-Cat has thought of a plan which would help the Doctor get over Rose-the-Human: a shopping spree to spend off his emotions. The Doctor eventually sees it as a good plan, and takes them to a mall-planet outside of Nebula 6879H which has been having a closing sale for some time. They buy boxes and boxes of clothes which they have tried on (including a Wally costume and a pink tutu) which they take back to the ship. Rose asks the Doctor if he has filled the hole in his heart left by Rose-the-Human, to which the Doctor says that he has, but quickly admits that that is not so. After a moment of thought, he realises that he must begin to see the universe in a new light and enjoy the small things. Rose, meanwhile, is not listening to him, already exploring the many boxes they have brought home.
==== Issue 11 ====
The Doctor has been inside the TARDIS for 26 hours, watching marathon reruns of Chums episodes. Rose is extremely bored with the show's reassuringly predictable plot, and just wants to go outside with the Doctor. 31 hours later, the pair are still watching, but Rose has grown more positive with the program, and says that the likes the episodes airing that day, but preferred the ones which had aired the day before. The Doctor agrees, saying that that season had had some of the best episodes. However, he suddenly begins to question what the pair are doing. He is the Doctor, a powerful being who travels through time and space battling injustice. He can just go back in time to watch the older episodes. Rose notes that there is already a channel that plays the day's previous material, 104. The Doctor begins to cry that he is useless, and is no longer good for anything. Rose tries to comfort him, and says that they could go back in time to when he was good for something. The Doctor does not find the suggestion helpful.
==== Issue 12 ====
The Doctor, Rose-the-Cat, and K9 are shopping for materials for a Sunday roast, as Rose believes that filling the Doctor's stomach will remove all room for heart-break over Rose-the-Human. Rose-the-Cat notes that as a Time Lord, he should be able to get over her easily as "time heals all wounds." The Doctor is shocked that Rose-the-Cat has paid enough attention to him to remember his race, and begins explaining why Rose is mistaken using items from their shopping cart as metaphors. A tea-towel represents all of time, an onion represents the Doctor, and a turnip represents the Doctor's heart-brokenness. Rose begins to question what is happening. Minutes later, their shopping crate is crushed and their food is scattered all over the isle. Rose-the-Cat notes that the Doctor's explanation made no sense, to which the Doctor says "Exactly! Neither does love!" Rose angrily questions why the Doctor is as annoying as he is and why Rose has to hang out with him, as K9 notes that the Doctor's heart-brokenness is on the floor.
==== Issue 13 ====
Rose-the-Cat attempts to help the Doctor find new companions by referring him to Sergeant Benton's lonely hearts club, after finding a flier which promised "companionship." The Doctor gets a banana and a banana daiquiri to help him through the night. At the lonely hearts club he meets a Cyberman, a Weeping Angel, and a Hath. After several more daiquiris, the Doctor gets angry and gives up because he cannot find anyone he likes. At this point he sees a young red-haired girl, sitting alone and reading A Brief History of Time. Despite Rose's pleas that something seems off, the Doctor invites her back to the TARDIS. As he turns to go on ahead of her, the woman turns into a Zygon, turns to an unknown friend, and throws a thumb up. Rose-the-Cat tells her waitress "Keep 'em comin', love" as she is poured a cup of milk.
==== Issue 14 ====
The Doctor has spent some time eating buckets of Dhäkan-Dazs, and has grown somewhat obese. Rose-the-Cat voices disgust at this, saying that if Rose-the-Human broke his heart this much that she hopes he at least said the L-word to her. The Doctor thinks that the cat means Lilith, and says that Rose broke both of his hearts, not just one. Rose-the-Cat says that the Doctor needs to get out of his funk and possibly rebrand. The Doctor is unclear momentarily what she means, before he realises that she means regenerating. She says that as long as the Doctor remembered her and wasn't fat, it would be fine. As punishment, the Doctor once again places her in her space-suit-of-shame, leaving her floating outside the ship once more. Outside, the cat notes that the Doctor could become ginger, which makes him consider the issue.
==== Issue 15 ====
Whilst reading a book on quantum mechanics, the Doctor is pleased to hear Rose purring nearby. He is shocked, however, to discover that Rose is not purring, but instead is attempting to remove a section of the TARDIS' wall with a chainsaw in the hopes of making a cat flap. The Doctor warns that such an action would cause great damage to the fabric of time and space, but this warning is too late, as Rose breaks a part of the wall away.
This causes great disturbances through all of time and space. In 1845, Richard III is rescued at Ambion Hill, Leicestershire by a unicorn after he begs for a horse. At The Cavern Club in 1961, The Beatles are suddenly turned into violent, howling wolves while performing "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Finally, in 2014 on the set of the final episode of Chums, the actor who is playing Russ is suddenly turned into a frog. The angry director yells at the female lead that they have to shoot the scene despite this.
Back in the TARDIS, the hole in the wall has been patched with duct tape, seeming to fix the problem. The Doctor asks Rose if she is aware of how much the hole could have damaged the universe, Rose states that the TARDIS couldn't be that important and prepares to watch the final episode of Chums. Minutes later, Rose can be heard crying from outside the ship...
=== Year Two ===
==== Issue 1 ====
Waking up, the Doctor finds Rose sleeping on his bed. He gets dressed and they go on several adventures, including riding atop purple dragons, fighting orange monsters in a forest, visiting the smallest planet in the universe and cooking food in a house with K9. He then goes back to sleep.
==== Issue 2 ====
Drinking wine alone, the Doctor is shocked by the sudden arrival of the original Rose Tyler next to him. The Doctor begins to question how she can be there, before he is shushed by her, as there is something more important for the two of them to finally do. After this, she begins to shove the ends of her hair into his mouth, as he lets out a moan of confusion.
The Doctor suddenly awakes in his room. The encounter was little more than a dream, with a strange twist evidently brought about by Rose-the-Cat deciding to sleep directly on his face. In a fit of anger, the Doctor tells Rose that she can no longer sleep in his room.
==== Issue 3 ====
Rose notices that the Doctor has been seeming happier than usual. He explains he's been travelling and meeting people. Rose is glad the Doctor finally went outside of the TARDIS, but the Doctor corrects her, saying that he's been playing an online RPG, Time Scrolls.
The Doctor shows Rose his in-game character, "Rosalina", which is based off Rose Tyler. At first, Rose-the-Cat is annoyed, but she sighs and tells him to "do a quest or something".
==== Issue 4 ====
to be added
==== Issue 6 ====
to be added
==== Issue 7 ====
to be added
==== Issue 8 ====
to be added
==== Issue 9 ====
Rose excitedly tells the Doctor that they should start a band to help the Doctor relieve emotions that he has over the loss of Rose-the-Human. The Doctor eventually agrees, and he performs lead guitar vocals while K9 is on bass and Rose is on drums. Much to Rose's annoyance, the band's music is mainly aimless and whiny love ballads. Rose and the Doctor argue over this, and K9 is suggested by both as a mediator. K9 crudely suggests that Rose consider a solo career. Fuming over this comment, Rose enters the TARDIS and goes back in time to stop herself from making such a terrible suggestion.
==== Issue 10 ====
Rose has decided to leave the TARDIS crew, as the Doctor has finally decided to find a new companion and move on with his life. The Doctor also notes that he and K9 are preparing to go on tour with The Wibbly Wobblies, the name he has given their band despite Rose's protests. Rose has joined an "agency" which will send her exploring the universe in search of another heartbroken soul to comfort. Rose takes off in a pink cat-like shuttle, which travels through space for an "immeasurable time and distance" before crash landing on a beach. Emerging from the capsule, she is greeted by a baffled Rose Tyler.
== Characters ==
=== Regular ===
* Tenth Doctor
* Rose
* K9
=== Year 1, Issue 6 ===
* Mouse
=== Year 1, Issue 7 ===
* Sisters of Plenitude
=== Year 1, Issue 13 ===
* Cyberman
* Weeping Angel
* Hath
* Zygon
* Waitress
=== Year 1, Issue 15 ===
* Richard III of England
* Unicorn
* The Beatles
* Russ
* Russ' love interest
* Chums director
=== Year 2, Issue 1 ===
* Orange monsters
* Purple dragons
=== Year 2, Issue 7 ===
* Fleas
=== Year 2, Issue 8 ===
* Bear
=== Year 2, Issue 10 ===
* Rose Tyler
== Worldbuilding ==
* The Doctor maintains his fondness for bananas.
=== Year 1, Issue 4 ===
* The ice-cream that the Doctor has been eating is named Dhäkan-Dazs.
* The Doctor has Blue-rays of Love Actually, The Lion King and Annie Hall.
* The Doctor recites lines from Hamlet.
=== Year 1, Issue 5 ===
* The Doctor imagines what he expected getting a new cat would be like. This vision includes the pair watching a show called Chums, to which the Doctor notes "I'm such a Ross." He also is shown reading Your Cat Magazine.
=== Year 1, Issue 9 ===
* When Rose suggests the Doctor get a new companion, he counters that he has Rose and K9.
=== Year 2, Issue 10 ===
* The Wibbly Wobblies is the name of the Doctor's band.
== Notes ==
* The title of the strip is a reference to one of Shakespeare's plays, Romeo and Juliet; it also refers to Rose Tyler.
=== Original print details ===
to be added
== Continuity ==
* The Doctor has a shrine to Rose Tyler and names a cat after her, placing this after her departure in Doomsday. The Tenth Doctor was previously shown obsessing over the loss of Rose by growing tree limbs in the shape of her name in the TARDIS garden. (PROSE: Keeping up with the Joneses)
* The Doctor drinks banana daiquiris and gets drunk. (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace)
* The Doctor can speak cat. (TV: The Lodger)
* In an attempt to find "gifts" to cheer up the Doctor, Rose visits Paris, France in the year 1879, where she finds a Mouse; New New York in the year 5000000023, where she catches a fish; (TV: New Earth) 2014 on the planet Messaline, where she drags a Hath head back to The TARDIS; (TV: The Doctor's Daughter) as well as others. One of the "gifts" that she leaves in the Doctor's room is an Ood head.
* The Doctor says that Janis Joplin gave him the coat that Rose-the-Cat has destroyed. (TV: Gridlock, AUDIO: The Rising Night)
* When the Doctor calls K9 "bad dog," K9 replies "affirmative!" (TV: School Reunion)
* When Rose does an impression of K9, the Doctor says "No no no, don't do that. Don't." (TV: Tooth and Claw, The Shakespeare Code, The Unicorn and the Wasp, Midnight)
* The Doctor believes libraries of books make for the best weapons. (TV: Tooth and Claw)
=== Year 1, Issue 14 ===
* The Doctor has eaten piles of containers of Dhäkan-Dazs Ice cream.
* When Rose-the-Cat asks the Tenth Doctor if Rose Tyler had ever said the "L-word" to him, he mistakes her phrase to be a reference to Lilith; adding "she only broke one of my hearts and that was completely different!" (TV: The Shakespeare Code)
* The Doctor puts Rose in her space-suit-of-shame.
* When Rose says that the Doctor regenerating could turn him ginger, he briefly considers it. (TV: The Christmas Invasion, et al.)
=== Year 2, Issue 6 ===
* The Doctor visits several rooms in the TARDIS while making a list of places that are in need of a cleaning. The TARDIS wardrobe (as it was seen in TV: The Christmas Invasion) is infected by a hive of moths. The TARDIS swimming pool (as it was seen in TV: The Invasion of Time) has several plants floating in it. The Zero Room (as it appeared in TV: Castrovalva) is cluttered with floating junk. The Food replicator (as it appeared in TV: The Daleks) is covered in mould, and Rose-the-Cat does not recognise the machine. What the Doctor believes is the Cloister Room (which is near-identical to how it appeared in TV: Doctor Who but with an added bell) has so much dust in it that it's close to unrecognisable. The Doctor's final calculations state that it would take more than six years to finish cleaning the TARDIS.
* The Doctor would eventually add "Clean swimming pool" to his to-do list, just above Learn to yodel and Destroy Dogbolter. (COMIC: The Stockbridge Showdown)
== External links ==
A Rose by Any Other Name on Rachael Smith's website
Category:10D backup comic stories
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