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“MISSION TO GALACTON: A BRUTAL DALEK BEATDOWN (WITH A TWIST)

Mission to Galacton shifts the focus away from the usual Doctor vs. Daleks dynamic, instead following a Dalek expedition as they attempt to invade the planet Galacton. Their mission? Classic Dalek behaviour—strip the planet of its resources and exterminate anything that resists. But this time, the opposition comes in the form of rock monsters, who prove to be far more formidable than expected.

DALEKS GETTING WRECKED—AND IT’S GREAT

One of the story’s most enjoyable aspects is watching the Daleks absolutely fail at their invasion. They’re crushed, ripped apart, and obliterated in ways that feel surprisingly brutal for a children’s story—but it’s undeniably satisfying to see them struggle. The familiar EXTERMINATE! and Dalek techno-babble are all present, but instead of their usual dominance, they spend most of the story on the back foot, overwhelmed by a foe they weren’t prepared for.

A DARKLY HUMOROUS TWIST

Just when it seems the Daleks are doomed, the story pulls a sinister twist: they manage to turn things around and ultimately win. It’s a rare moment where we see them succeed—but only because, for once, the Doctor isn’t there to stop them. It’s an unexpectedly dark note to end on, making this short tale more memorable than it initially seems.

VERDICT:

A fun, action-packed short story that lets the Daleks take centre stage, with an amusingly brutal middle act and a chillingly victorious ending.

📝6/10

This is a short story very much inspired by the 1960s Dalek comic strips where the Daleks were the main characters and very often the victors.  There were a few stories very similar to this where a Dalek saucer would arrive on a planet with plans to use it's properties in some way.  The Daleks would often face off against some native life forms - usually monstrous in some way - and there would be lots of images of Daleks getting trounced and exterminating left, right and centre.  In some of those comic strips the Daleks are defeated by the aliens, in others, the Daleks wipe out the threat and end victorious.  This story is sort of a mix of the two - and involves one Dalek sacrificing themselves for the cause - with the aliens destroyed but also, the Daleks running away.  They do get a massive fuel source for their fleet out of it all though, so that's good.

This is a perfect accompaniment to those comic strips and I would highly recommend it being read alongside them.

On the one hand, the daleks are super threatening here, ultimately it comes down to a single damaged dalek destroying an entire planet..... on the other, a whole squad of them gets destroyed by some random mindless rock monsters and that's most of the story.