WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious #1 by James Goss, Jody Houser, Roberta Ingranata, Enrica Eren Angiolini, Shari Chankhamma and Richard Starkings of Comicraft, on sale now.
Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious #1 kicks off the massive, multi-platform Doctor Who crossover event that is set to take place in comics, novels, audiobooks and more. The event unites the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Doctors for an adventure across space and time that stretches all the way back to the Dark Times, the mysterious era that predates the known universe.
In the first issue of the comic series, the Doctor wakes up in his TARDIS with no memory of where he was before, what he was doing or how he got here. All he knows is that the Daleks are chasing after him, and he is quick to run away from them. Only, when he finally stops to talk to them, he realizes they aren't interested in exterminating him. Instead, they want to take him to their homeworld on Skaro because the Dalek Emperor has a proposition for him.
And during this meeting, the Doctor realizes just how similar he is to the Daleks.
The Doctor and the Daleks have been enemies ever since the villainous aliens first appeared in Doctor Who's very first season in 1963. They are part of a list of classic Doctor Who villains who have returned time and time again. Since their introduction, the Daleks and the Doctor have fought one another numerous times in nearly every one of the Doctor's regenerations. Most recently, Jodie Whittaker's 13th Doctor and her companions faced off with a Dalek in the 2019 New Year's Day special, "Resolution."
Now, as Time Lord Victorious begins, the Tenth Doctor finds himself in a paradox, and he's taken to the Dalek Empire's homeworld on Skaro. When he faces the Emperor, the Doctor is shocked to learn that there is a threat out there that frightens even the Daleks -- and it's not the Doctor. The truth is, they need his help if they have any hope of surviving this other menace.
Upon this revelation, the Doctor appears to be slightly offended. "I'm the enemy of the Daleks," the Doctor says. "Do you really expect me to defeat myself."
"It is true," the Dalek Emperor answers. "The Doctor was once our greatest enemy--"
"Once? Once?!" the Doctor interrupts. "I thought I was Ka Faraq Gatri! Destroyer of Worlds! The Oncoming Storm!" he continues, enumerating a list of names he has earned over time in numerous battles.
And this is when the Dalek Emperor is able to get under the Doctor's skin. He tells him he takes pride in these names, just like the Daleks.
The Daleks are known and feared throughout the universe as exterminators. They are a warrior race, and their only goal is to wipe out all life in the universe in order to rule supreme. They have a reputation, and they take pride in their conquests.
And apparently, much of the same holds true for the Doctor. He is just a single, brilliant Time Lord, and he too has a reputation that stretches throughout the cosmos. His is generally different, given that he inspires hope for people in need of help. But he too is perceived as a dangerous warrior by his enemies, which is how he has earned those names. And part of him actually enjoys being the sworn enemy of the Daleks, the sole bane to their existence.
However, when the Dalek Emperor points out this similarity between the two of them, the Doctor is humbled, and he tells the Emperor that he's wrong. But the look on his face reveals that this comparison has gotten to him.
Thankfully, it may have also strengthened his resolve to differentiate himself from the Daleks. When shown how even he himself can get caught up in the legend of his titles, the Doctor takes a step back and sees the Daleks for what they really are, in this moment: a people in need of his help. And like the Doctor always does, he answers the call.