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The Night Walkers (comic story)

️Tue Dec 24 2024

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference

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.

Until the broadcast of The War Games in Colour ^[+]Loading...["The War Games in Colour (TV story)"] in 2024, it was 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 did not show him regenerating. As such, it was also uniquely the only time the Doctor had regenerated in a comic story as opposed to an on-screen episode.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

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[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

To be added

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

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[[edit] | [edit source]]

(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[[edit] | [edit source]]

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)

v • e

Second Doctor TVC comic stories

1966

Weekly strip

The Extortioner

1967

Weekly strip	The Extortioner • The Trodos Ambush • The Doctor Strikes Back • The Zombies • Master of Spiders • The Exterminator • The Monsters from the Past • The TARDIS Worshippers • Space War Two • Egyptian Escapade • The Coming of the Cybermen • The Faithful Rocket Pack • Flower Power • The Witches

Holiday Special	Barnabus • Jungle Adventure • TV Comic's Counter Game

Annual stories	Attack of the Daleks • Pursued by the Trods

All stories feature John and Gillian.

1968

Weekly strip	The Witches • Cyber-Mole • The Sabre-Toothed Gorillas • The Cyber Empire • The Dyrons • Dr. Who and the Space Pirates • Car of the Century • The Jokers • Invasion of the Quarks • The Killer Wasps • Ice Cap Terror • Jungle of Doom

Holiday Special	Return of the Witches • Masquerade • TV Comic's Counter Game

Annual stories	The Time Museum • The Electrodes • Test Flight

John and Gillian feature until Invasion of the Quarks, when they are replaced by Jamie.

1969

Weekly strip	Father Time • Martha the Mechanical Housemaid • The Duellists • Eskimo Joe • Peril at 60 Fathoms • Operation Wurlitzer • Action in Exile • The Mark of Terror • The Brotherhood • U.F.O. • The Night Walkers

Holiday Special	The Champion • The Entertainer • Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting

Annual stories	Death Race • Test Flight

Jamie disappears after Martha the Mechanical Housemaid, leaving the Doctor alone. The Doctor's exile begins in Action in Exile.

All weekly stories drawn by John Canning, continuing his creative run from the First Doctor in 1966 to the Third Doctor in 1971.

v • e

Regeneration stories

The Doctor

TV series	The Tenth Planet • Planet of the Spiders • Logopolis • The Caves of Androzani • Time and the Rani • Doctor Who • The Parting of the Ways • The Stolen Earth • The End of Time • The Night of the Doctor • The Day of the Doctor • The Time of the Doctor • World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls / Twice Upon a Time • The Power of the Doctor • The Giggle • The War Games in Colour

Comic Relief	The Curse of Fatal Death • Lenny Henry Regenerates into David Tennant

Comics	The Night Walkers

Prose	Interference: The Hour of the Geek • Spiral Scratch • The Cabinet of Light • Doctor Who and the Time War

Audio	Seven Keys to Doomsday • Full Fathom Five • The Brink of Death • The People Made of Smoke

Home video	Devious • Regeneration

Webcast	Another Doctor

The Master

Television	The Keeper of Traken • Utopia • The Doctor Falls

Prose	First Frontier

Comics	Doorway to Hell

Audio	Day of the Master • The Lumiat

Alternate universe	Sympathy for the Devil

Romana

Television	Destiny of the Daleks

Prose	The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe

Audio	Renaissance • Enemy Lines

Other
Time Lords

Television	Planet of the Spiders • Hell Bent

Prose	Timewyrm: Exodus • Goth Opera • Lungbarrow • Tears of the Oracle • The Shadows of Avalon • The Suns of Caresh • The Book of the War • Newtons Sleep • Engines of War • What Keeps Their Lines Alive • Flickering Flame • The Cactus and the Corpse • The First Metamorphosis

Audio	Unregenerate! • Panacea • Spring • The Adventure of the Diogenes Damsel • Intervention Earth • Enemy Lines • The Black Hole • The Doomsday Chronometer • Songs of Love • The Side of the Angels • Mel-evolent • Partisans • Deeptime Frontier • Day of the Master • The Resurrection Plant

Comics	Ophiuchus

Non-Time Lord Gallifreyans

Prose

Cold Fusion • Interference: The Hour of the Geek • The Taking of Planet 5

Shobogans

Television

The Timeless Children

Proto-
Time Lords

Television	Day of the Moon • Let's Kill Hitler

Audio	The Lady in the Lake • My Dinner with Andrew

Others

Television	The Hand of Fear • Underworld • Mawdryn Undead • Dalek • Tony Blair Regenerates • Regeneration • The Eclipse of the Korven • The Witch's Familiar • The Timeless Children

Prose	Happy Endings • The Scarlet Empress • Divided Loyalties • Tears of the Oracle

Comics	Omega

Audio	Day of the Master • Regeneration Impossible • Omega

For the purposes of this list, a "regeneration story" is one in which a regeneration is actually and initially depicted. For this reason The War Games is not included below, even though it is commonly thought of as a "regeneration story". It doesn't actually include a clear scene of regeneration, and the preponderance of stories in other media confirms that the Second Doctor did not regenerate at the end of it.
Additionally, immediate post-regeneration stories, like the 2005 Children in Need Special Born Again — and ones like Castrovalva, where the regeneration sequence was replayed — are not included.