Marvel Premiere #58: "K-9's Finest Hour!"

 Marvel Premiere #58
 "K-9's Finest Hour!"
 February, 1981

 Script: Steve Moore
 Art: Paul Neary

 The Fourth Doctor is aware that some of us have been wondering what has happened to his little friend, K-9... so here, just for us is "K-9's Finest Hour!" It all started when the Tardis was traveling through the Crab Nebula... as the Type-40 got near the planet Yamado... the Doctor senses someone trying to give them a big shake-up! K-9's sensors identify it as a gravitronic tractor beam! The next moment found K-9 fading from the Doctor's sight... K-9 reappears moments later, on the surface of Yamado... Rolgof had wanted the Doctor -- not his robot dog! His own robots were incapable of properly calibrating the tractor-beam. Rolgof orders one of the robots to get K-9 out of the reception cylinder -- and for Firandel to take over the controls -- once the cylinder is clear, they will try again for the Doctor -- The Tardis has already moved out of range of the tractor beam! Rolgof knows that the Sontarans won't pay if they -- Firandel reminds Rolgof they have K-9, and the Time Lord is sure to follow -- so they can be ready for him! They must both be careful and beware of the dog!

 When Rolgof insists to K-9 that they hadn't meant to harm him, and that they were only trying to make contact with the Doctor -- for his aid -- the robot dog senses Rolgof is not telling the truth! As Firandel tries to calm Rolgof down, the robots are ordered to capture K-9!! One of the robots suffers a brain disfunction when struck by the robot dog's defensive beam... Rolgof decides to take matters into his own hands!

 K-9 is suffering visual disorientation and his circuits have been rendered inoperative... by having been placed in a sack! Rolgof instructs the robot to hold K-9's head away from it so he cannot shoot at it... then pick him up and carry him off! Rolgof further instructs the robot to exit the building and continue to walk in a straight line... and not to return!! The robot follows Rolgof's orders to the letter and walks straight into a ditch... K-9's visual circuits are restored... When the robot tries to pick him up to take him away... it receives a laser blast to shear its robot head from its robot body!! K-9 estimates he has only four minutes before his master's arrival on Yamado!

 His sensors indicate an open space behind the wall leading to a ventilation shaft... His laser is able to burn through in fifty-eight point two seconds! Within the building, Rolgof reminds his robots that the Time Lord will be here soon, in search of his missing robot dog... and before the Doctor can even move, they will blast him into something no longer discernable!! KER-ASHHH! K-9 employs a full-power stun-blast to foil this impromptu ambush and just in time... The Doctor learns from K-9 that the transportation cylinder contained no air when the robot dog arrived. If the Time Lord had arrived instead of K-9... he would have suffocated! It's about time for them to go! K-9 knows that Rolgof will not be pleased to admit he was beaten by a robot! The Doctor agrees and pets his robot dog on its head!

 This story first appeared in Doctor Who #52.

 Andy Yanchus was the colorist of this story when it appeared in M.P.

 Tractor beams were big in galaxies far, far away.

 K-9 first appeared in the Doctor Who serial, "The Invisible Enemy."

 Linx of the Sontarans first appeared in the Third Doctor serial, "The Time Warrior."

 The Fourth Doctor was an unwilling participant in "The Sontaran Experiment" and fought Styre.

 Rolgof's robots are red, blue, and yellow in color.

 I first came across Paul Neary's art when he was on Captain America.

 Jim Salicrup was the editor of Marvel Premiere when the Fourth Doctor appeared in four issues of the series.

 Writer Steve Moore passed away on 16 March, 2014 and this review is dedicated to his memory.

 Steve Chung
 "K-9's Finest Review!"