The Fires Down Below (comic story)

The Fires Down Below was a comic story published in Doctor Who Magazine. It was written by John Peel.

Summary[]

On Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's orders, Major Whitaker and her UNIT team inspect caverns in Reykjavik with Dr Iskander to find the cause of sudden seismic activity. They find Dominator Haag and his Quarks on a quest to use the Earth's core as a power source for the Dominators' star fleet. Using the Dominators' own equipment, Dr Iskander and the UNIT team ensure the spacecraft, the Dominator and the Quarks are destroyed in a volcanic eruption.

Characters[]

• Major Whitaker
• Dr Iskander
• Haag
• Quarks

Worldbuilding[]

to be added

Notes[]

• The story, set in the 1980s, was most likely meant to be set during the Jon Pertwee UNIT era, as it had been highly suggested that that section of the show was set in the "not-too distant future." It was not until the television story Mawdryn Undead that suggestions began to arise that the UNIT years may have been set more closely to their original air-date. As no reference is made into the story of any aspect of the UNIT years other than the Brigadier existing, the story being set in the 1980s does not actually cause troubles with the UNIT dating controversy.

Original print details[]

Publication with page count and closing captions

1. DWM 64 (4) `

Reprints[]

• Coloured and reprinted by Marvel in DW84 22.
• Reprinted in B&W in DWM 181 as a filler when the ongoing Doctor Who comic strip (Evening's Empire) failed to meet the deadline.
• An additional comment is added to the DWM 181 reprint from the Revisionist Ed (John Freeman) referring to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart who is "often called out of retirement in emergencies."
• A closing panel was added to the final frame reading "Evening's Empire returns next issue..." – but it didn't!

Continuity[]

to be added

External links[]

• The Discontinuity Guide to: The Fires Down Below at The Whoniverse