I'm currently reading "The Return of the Daleks", the first volume of graphic novels collecting the backup comic strips from Doctor Who Weekly (now known as Doctor Who Magazine). Like many British comics, Doctor Who Weekly began as an anthology, featuring several different stories each week. One story would focus on telling brand new stories of the Fourth Doctor, and these stories have recently been collected in "The Fourth Doctor Anthology".
But the comic also included other stories set in the Doctor Who universe. These stories focused on many of the show's most iconic monsters, such as the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Sontarans. They also showed what happened when the Doctor wasn't around to save the day. This was a great idea, and it's a shame that these backup strips were gradually phased out of the comic.
One such story was "The Stolen TARDIS". Written by Steve Moore and with artwork by Steve Dillon, "The Stolen TARDIS" tells the story of Plutar, a Gallifreyan who's failed at the Time Lord Academy due to believing that Time Lords should help other races.
Assigned work as a TARDIS mechanic, Plutar suddenly finds himself on an adventure when an alien arrives on Gallifrey and steals the very TARDIS that he's working on. What follows is a brief adventure across time (but surprisingly not space - the TARDIS is broken, after all), as Plutar tries to stop the alien Sillarc from killing him and gaining control of the TARDIS. The story ends with Plutar helping to capture Sillarc on Gallifrey, with the vague promise that he might make it into the Academy after all.
This was a short but intriguing read. Only 12 pages long, "The Stolen TARDIS" is a fun little story, offering a nice glimpse of both Gallifrey and its class-based society.
Plutar
Most intriguing of all is the character of Plutar. This is partly because of his classic underdog story - a young man who's bright enough to enter the Time Lord Academy, but due to his personal beliefs, finds himself stuck in the role of a mechanic. It's only through his bravery and ingenuity that he's able to prove himself and show that he's capable of more.
But there's also how the story ends. The final panel is of the Fourth Doctor, who's been watching Plutar's story on one of Gallifrey's historical tapes. And his closing speech raises more than a few questions.
"What's that? Did Plutar become a Time Lord? Hmm– actually, the rest of his life-story's on another tape, and – er – I can't quite seem to find it at the moment… You know how it is… Ah well… Perhaps another story for another day…"The Fourth Doctor
The Doctor not being able to find the rest of Plutar's story sounds very convenient. It almost sounds like he knows more of Plutar's story than he's actually saying. Suddenly, the reader is given a lot more questions to ask. Did the Doctor know Plutar? Does he know how his story ended? Perhaps the boldest question of all: was Plutar in fact someone that we're all very, very familiar with?
Unanswered questions
I'll fully admit that the idea that Plutar might be the Doctor is barely hinted at. And since this is a comic story from the '70s, it's hardly the most canonical story.
But what appeals to me is that it's only suggested that Plutar could be a young version of the Doctor. Plutar could've become a mentor figure, such as the hermit who the Third Doctor often talked about (and was reunited with in his final story). Plutar could even be an old friend of the Doctor's - perhaps his oldest friend who one day became his greatest enemy.
As I mentioned, at 12 pages in total, it's a very short story, and not too much information is given. But that's exactly why the story is so appealing. It's not because "The Stolen TARDIS" is about a young version of the Doctor, but that it might be.
While I'm a big fan of exploring the Doctor's history both on TV and in expanded media, it's also important to remember the very title of our favorite show. When it began, the character of the Doctor was full of mystery and there was so little that we knew about him. And while a lot of questions have been answered about his past, many more remain.
So a story that might be about the Doctor's early days is the perfect way to do it. No clear answers given, only more questions. It's a nice way of reminding us that, after all these years, we still don't know everything about our favorite Time Lord.