STORY 14: GEMINI PLAN
COUNTDOWN ISSUES 1-5
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD
DATE: 20/02/71 - 20/03/71
We have been told in previous TV Comic stories that the Doctor has been trying to fix his TARDIS whilst working for the Brigadier.
In the first Countdown story, the Dr is finally successful and the Tardis takes flight.
It lands in the Northern territory of Australia and the Dr is captured in an underground scientific complex.
Rudolph Steiner plans to bring Venus closer to Earth and must be stopped.
It is lovely to see a Dr Who strip in colour again, whilst the Tv Comic 1971 annual story "Castaway" had been the first appearance of Jon Pertwees' Dr in a colour comic strip, the weekly series had not been in colour since October 1968.
It's also nice to see the Tardis once more,which hadn't been seen since Patrick Troughtons' final strip,"The Night Walkers" in November 1969.
TV Comic had already started to move away from their more whimsical Doctor Who strip stories with the advent of the third doctor and started to write stories that were more connected to the television show.
Somehow it felt as if it had all been planned and that something was going to happen.....
Countdown WAS that something.
THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY15: TIMEBENDERS
COUNTDOWN ISSUES 6-13
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD
DATE: 27/03/71- 15/05/71
The Doctor is transported in time and space to 1942,France, due to an invention of Professor Vedruns' design, a French scientist captured by Nazis.
This story is in my personal top 20 of greatest Dr Who strips ever.
Harry Lindfields' art; Dennis Hoopers' writing and the most serious story that has appeared at this stage in DR Who comic strips combine to make a classic.
Also,I would note that the previous Countdown story wasn't really any different to previous TV Comic stories, frankly it presents Australian aborigines in a cave communicating by using sign language, the DR landing on an alien planet that turns out to be Australia, the concept of moving Venus closer to Earth.....It's pure TV Comic!!!!
This isn't. This is brutal and brilliant and better than the Tv show and shows the power of the medium of comics.
COUNTDOWN ISSUES 6-13
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD
DATE: 27/03/71- 15/05/71
The Doctor is transported in time and space to 1942,France, due to an invention of Professor Vedruns' design, a French scientist captured by Nazis.
This story is in my personal top 20 of greatest Dr Who strips ever.
Harry Lindfields' art; Dennis Hoopers' writing and the most serious story that has appeared at this stage in DR Who comic strips combine to make a classic.
Also,I would note that the previous Countdown story wasn't really any different to previous TV Comic stories, frankly it presents Australian aborigines in a cave communicating by using sign language, the DR landing on an alien planet that turns out to be Australia, the concept of moving Venus closer to Earth.....It's pure TV Comic!!!!
This isn't. This is brutal and brilliant and better than the Tv show and shows the power of the medium of comics.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 16: THE VOGAN SLAVES
COUNTDOWN ISSUES 15-22
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD
DATE: 29/05/71 - 17/07/71
In the earlier story, "The Gemini Plan", the Doctor gets the Tardis working but it develops a fault. At the start of this story it is revealed that the Doctor has "rediscovered the circuit" and is free to roam in time and space again.
The Tardis lands on an apparently deserted space ship and the Doctor finds it is controlled by robots with humanoids kept in suspended animation.
The Doctor revives a girl, Trandi, who explains that the Vogans have rescued her race from their dying planet and are transporting them to a new home.
This is the first time that the Doctor visits an alien world since the September 1969 strip "Robot King" in The Dr Who Annual.
COUNTDOWN ISSUES 15-22
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD
DATE: 29/05/71 - 17/07/71
In the earlier story, "The Gemini Plan", the Doctor gets the Tardis working but it develops a fault. At the start of this story it is revealed that the Doctor has "rediscovered the circuit" and is free to roam in time and space again.
The Tardis lands on an apparently deserted space ship and the Doctor finds it is controlled by robots with humanoids kept in suspended animation.
The Doctor revives a girl, Trandi, who explains that the Vogans have rescued her race from their dying planet and are transporting them to a new home.
This is the first time that the Doctor visits an alien world since the September 1969 strip "Robot King" in The Dr Who Annual.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 17: THE CELLULOID MIDAS
COUNTDOWN ISSUES 23 -32
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD
DATE: 24/07/1971 - 25/09/1971
The Doctor is brought in to solve a mystery by Sir Oswald from the Ministry of Defence.
The actors and crew filming a television series have been turned into plastic statues.
This story sees the continuation of the TV comic link with the show, it is plainly influenced by Terror of the Autons and The Daemons.
An excellent story with exceptional art and the longest running story since the very first strip story, "The Klepton Parasites" from 1964.
The Doctors' cottage first features in this strip.
COUNTDOWN ISSUES 23 -32
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD
DATE: 24/07/1971 - 25/09/1971
The Doctor is brought in to solve a mystery by Sir Oswald from the Ministry of Defence.
The actors and crew filming a television series have been turned into plastic statues.
This story sees the continuation of the TV comic link with the show, it is plainly influenced by Terror of the Autons and The Daemons.
An excellent story with exceptional art and the longest running story since the very first strip story, "The Klepton Parasites" from 1964.
The Doctors' cottage first features in this strip.
Last edited by jim244 on 06 Feb 2025, 01:01, edited 1 time in total.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 18: THE PLANT MASTER
COUNTDOWN ANNUAL 1972
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:JIM BAIKIE
DATE: SEPTEMBER 1971
The story starts with the Doctor having issues with the Tardis circuits and he makes a sudden landing which almost causes a motorcyclist, Dave Lester (not related to Red Dwarf) to crash into his ship.
Dave gets the Dr involved in a mystery involving the Carradine Estate.
This strip is reminiscent of the 1976 TV story "The Seeds of Doom" despite being written half a decade before.
I believe that this was the very first Jon Pertwee strip I read, getting the annual from one of my schools' jumble sales, the ebay of the seventies.
Absolutely love this strip.
COUNTDOWN ANNUAL 1972
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:JIM BAIKIE
DATE: SEPTEMBER 1971
The story starts with the Doctor having issues with the Tardis circuits and he makes a sudden landing which almost causes a motorcyclist, Dave Lester (not related to Red Dwarf) to crash into his ship.
Dave gets the Dr involved in a mystery involving the Carradine Estate.
This strip is reminiscent of the 1976 TV story "The Seeds of Doom" despite being written half a decade before.
I believe that this was the very first Jon Pertwee strip I read, getting the annual from one of my schools' jumble sales, the ebay of the seventies.
Absolutely love this strip.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 19: BACKTIME
COUNTDOWN 33-39
WRITER:DICK O' NEILL
ART:FRANK LANGFORD
DATE: 02/10/71 - 13/11/71
At the end of the story "The Celluloid Midas" , the Doctor had promised himself a trip back in time and here he does just that, landing the Tardis in 1863, London, England. Together with young "street urchin" Charlie Fisher, the two embark on a series of adventures ranging from Bridewell Prison to the American Civil War, meeting President Abraham Lincoln along the way.
This is only the third comic strip so far in which the Doctor has travelled back in time in the Tardis to Earths' history since the strip began in 1964.
The previous trips were the First Doctor in "Challenge of the Piper" (1965) to 1212 and the Second Doctor in "Egyptian Escapade" to 1880.(1967).
COUNTDOWN 33-39
WRITER:DICK O' NEILL
ART:FRANK LANGFORD
DATE: 02/10/71 - 13/11/71
At the end of the story "The Celluloid Midas" , the Doctor had promised himself a trip back in time and here he does just that, landing the Tardis in 1863, London, England. Together with young "street urchin" Charlie Fisher, the two embark on a series of adventures ranging from Bridewell Prison to the American Civil War, meeting President Abraham Lincoln along the way.
This is only the third comic strip so far in which the Doctor has travelled back in time in the Tardis to Earths' history since the strip began in 1964.
The previous trips were the First Doctor in "Challenge of the Piper" (1965) to 1212 and the Second Doctor in "Egyptian Escapade" to 1880.(1967).
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 20: THE ETERNAL PRESENT
COUNTDOWN 40-45
COUNTDOWN FOR TV ACTION! 46
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD+ GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 20/11/71 - 01/01/72
The Doctor is arrested by the Time Police and taken with his Tardis from 1971 to 3550 AD.
He meets a fellow time traveller, Theo Tolliver, an inventor of a time machine from 1897.
They are both imprisoned in a stasis box.
COUNTDOWN 40-45
COUNTDOWN FOR TV ACTION! 46
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:HARRY LINDFIELD+ GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 20/11/71 - 01/01/72
The Doctor is arrested by the Time Police and taken with his Tardis from 1971 to 3550 AD.
He meets a fellow time traveller, Theo Tolliver, an inventor of a time machine from 1897.
They are both imprisoned in a stasis box.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 21: SUB ZERO
COUNTDOWN FOR TV ACTION! 47-54
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 8/1/72 - 26/2/72
The Daleks have a hidden base in the Antarctic where they have waited for centuries for technology on Earth to be sufficiently advanced (ie nuclear missile launching submarines) with which to use to invade the planet.
They possess an army of soldiers under their control from many different time periods.
This is the first time that the Daleks have featured in the comic strip since the Patrick Troughton story "Attack of the Daleks", featured in the TV Comic Annual 1968 (published 1967).Similarly they made their re-appearance on television at the same time that this story was published after a 5 year gap since 1967s' "The Evil of the Daleks".
Haylocks' use of colours (blues and whites for the Antarctic setting and reds when the story reaches Australia) are simply stunning.
COUNTDOWN FOR TV ACTION! 47-54
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 8/1/72 - 26/2/72
The Daleks have a hidden base in the Antarctic where they have waited for centuries for technology on Earth to be sufficiently advanced (ie nuclear missile launching submarines) with which to use to invade the planet.
They possess an army of soldiers under their control from many different time periods.
This is the first time that the Daleks have featured in the comic strip since the Patrick Troughton story "Attack of the Daleks", featured in the TV Comic Annual 1968 (published 1967).Similarly they made their re-appearance on television at the same time that this story was published after a 5 year gap since 1967s' "The Evil of the Daleks".
Haylocks' use of colours (blues and whites for the Antarctic setting and reds when the story reaches Australia) are simply stunning.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 22: PLANET OF THE DALEKS
COUNTDOWN FOR TV ACTION! 55-56
TV ACTION IN COUNTDOWN 57-58
TV ACTION + COUNTDOWN 59-62
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 4/3/72 - 22/4/72
The Doctor (along with Finney, a thief that tried to steal the Tardis) are captured by the Daleks using their "Time Vector" device. The Doctor is apparently brainwashed and becomes the "Leader of the Daleks".
Some truly brilliant cliff hangers, with one in particular showing the Tardis about to enter the heart of the Sun.
The Doctors' country cottage (first seen in "The Celluloid Midas") features again here.
COUNTDOWN FOR TV ACTION! 55-56
TV ACTION IN COUNTDOWN 57-58
TV ACTION + COUNTDOWN 59-62
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 4/3/72 - 22/4/72
The Doctor (along with Finney, a thief that tried to steal the Tardis) are captured by the Daleks using their "Time Vector" device. The Doctor is apparently brainwashed and becomes the "Leader of the Daleks".
Some truly brilliant cliff hangers, with one in particular showing the Tardis about to enter the heart of the Sun.
The Doctors' country cottage (first seen in "The Celluloid Midas") features again here.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 23: A STITCH IN TIME
TV ACTION + COUNTDOWN 63-70
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 29/4/72 - 17/6/72
The Doctor lands on Earth in the year 5000.There has been a "great global war" and the survivors are two races "The Norms" and "The Mutes".
The Doctor is asked to travel back in time to prevent the war.
Whilst there are obvious comparisons to be made with the first Dalek television story in the set up, this is a highly original story and one of my favourite Countdown strips.
TV ACTION + COUNTDOWN 63-70
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 29/4/72 - 17/6/72
The Doctor lands on Earth in the year 5000.There has been a "great global war" and the survivors are two races "The Norms" and "The Mutes".
The Doctor is asked to travel back in time to prevent the war.
Whilst there are obvious comparisons to be made with the first Dalek television story in the set up, this is a highly original story and one of my favourite Countdown strips.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 24: The Enemy From Nowhere
TV ACTION+COUNTDOWN 71-78
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 24/6/72 - 12/8/72
Jenkins, a technician working at a space tracking station, notices a large object near Mars and shares his findings with the Doctor. It is a hostile alien craft of the Zerons who plan to turn the Earth into reverse matter.
At the end of this story, an unknown force takes over the Tardis ...
An excellent example of Countdown at its very best.
TV ACTION+COUNTDOWN 71-78
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 24/6/72 - 12/8/72
Jenkins, a technician working at a space tracking station, notices a large object near Mars and shares his findings with the Doctor. It is a hostile alien craft of the Zerons who plan to turn the Earth into reverse matter.
At the end of this story, an unknown force takes over the Tardis ...
An excellent example of Countdown at its very best.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 25: THE UGRAKKS
TV ACTION+COUNTDOWN 79-88
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 19/8/72 - 21/10/72
The Doctor breaks free of the force taking over the Tardis and traces its origins to an alien planet, where he lands.
He soon becomes a prisoner of the Ugrakks, who want him to devise a system for them to leave the planet and travel to another.
They are fighting a war with the Zama, who at the end of this story win, with the help of the Doctor, who doesn't take either side in this conflict but is simply seen fighting for survival.
The Doctor meets a fellow time traveller, Professor Lammers , who is from 20th Century Earth, a character very similar to the time traveller that the Doctor met in a previous story, Tolliver, from "The Eternal Present".
The floating bubble device is similar to that of the Mekons' from "Dan Dare" (The Eagle).
The Zama are reminiscent of the Zarbi and this story itself is very sixties in style also with nods to the Flash Gordon comic strip and Buster Crabbe cliffhangers of the 1930s/40s.
TV ACTION+COUNTDOWN 79-88
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 19/8/72 - 21/10/72
The Doctor breaks free of the force taking over the Tardis and traces its origins to an alien planet, where he lands.
He soon becomes a prisoner of the Ugrakks, who want him to devise a system for them to leave the planet and travel to another.
They are fighting a war with the Zama, who at the end of this story win, with the help of the Doctor, who doesn't take either side in this conflict but is simply seen fighting for survival.
The Doctor meets a fellow time traveller, Professor Lammers , who is from 20th Century Earth, a character very similar to the time traveller that the Doctor met in a previous story, Tolliver, from "The Eternal Present".
The floating bubble device is similar to that of the Mekons' from "Dan Dare" (The Eagle).
The Zama are reminiscent of the Zarbi and this story itself is very sixties in style also with nods to the Flash Gordon comic strip and Buster Crabbe cliffhangers of the 1930s/40s.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 26: RIDE TO NOWHERE
COUNTDOWN ANNUAL FOR TV ACTION 1973
WRITER:UNKNOWN
ART:FRANK LANGFORD
DATE:SEPTEMBER 1972
The Doctor and Sir Henry Felton are kidnapped by aliens from Proxima Centauri for altruistic reasons.
COUNTDOWN ANNUAL FOR TV ACTION 1973
WRITER:UNKNOWN
ART:FRANK LANGFORD
DATE:SEPTEMBER 1972
The Doctor and Sir Henry Felton are kidnapped by aliens from Proxima Centauri for altruistic reasons.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 27: STEELFIST
TV ACTION+COUNTDOWN 89 - 93
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 28/10/72 - 25/11/72
General Steelfist attempts to become leader of the Earth.
The use of a fake space ship is fascinating and was later a major plot device used in the TV story "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" from Pertwees' final season in 1974.
TV ACTION+COUNTDOWN 89 - 93
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES: 28/10/72 - 25/11/72
General Steelfist attempts to become leader of the Earth.
The use of a fake space ship is fascinating and was later a major plot device used in the TV story "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" from Pertwees' final season in 1974.
Re: THE DR WHO COMIC STRIP:PART 3:JON PERTWEE
STORY 28: ZERON INVASION
TV ACTION+COUNTDOWN 94 - 100
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES:02/12/72 - 13/01/73
The Doctor, with the aid of companions Jed and Nick, is pitted against the Zerons, who with the aid of an intelligence neutralising ray, are attempting an invasion of Earth.
The Doctor is once again seen living at his cottage.
The Zerons in this story are unrelated to the Zerons from the earlier story "The Enemy From Nowhere".
TV ACTION+COUNTDOWN 94 - 100
WRITER:DENNIS HOOPER
ART:GERRY HAYLOCK
DATES:02/12/72 - 13/01/73
The Doctor, with the aid of companions Jed and Nick, is pitted against the Zerons, who with the aid of an intelligence neutralising ray, are attempting an invasion of Earth.
The Doctor is once again seen living at his cottage.
The Zerons in this story are unrelated to the Zerons from the earlier story "The Enemy From Nowhere".