Last of the Colophon

Fourth Doctor Adventures #3.5

Released: 14 May 2014

Listened: 3/6/22

This Johnny Morris story is also a bit slight, or at least the threat doesn’t get to be quite as big as it should. The planet Colophos is a dead world, destroyed by a virus centuries ago and lost to history. However, an Earth Empire survey ship turns up to assess the planet at exactly the same time the Doctor and Leela show up for a (questionable) holiday. That leads to their uncovering Morax, the titular last of the Colophon, who’s been imprisoned all this time. The first half of the story has a kind of Indiana Jones feel, with the trap-laden tomb and such. The second half is The Invisible Man, by the writer’s own admission. Doctor Who is famous for using invisible monsters as a budget-saving tool, but they rarely have a sentient invisible psychopath, which works reasonably well on audio. Gareth Thomas (Blake of Blake’s Seven) plays Morax with lots of gravely menace, which is good. However, the short length makes it feel like either half of the story could have been longer.