Project FANGARIUS: The Coming of the Eighth Fanger

The Summer of ’89 had brought about one interesting commonality between Doctor Who and FANGARIUS:  both series had wound up within temporal limbo.  Though one might say FANGARIUS was ‘unofficially’ cancelled in 1987, whereas two years later, Doctor Who had acquired the similar fate.

Consequently while the good Doctor had to contend with questionable BBC Programmers, Fanger’s fate originated on the fact, after about a decade of his intradimensional travels, I had simply gotten burned out with his adventures.

In the meantime, I embarked on other projects, like Enigma County Texas—inspired both by the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Steve Jackson’s Role-Playing Series Toon.  During my college years, Fanger started appearing less and less in my strips, thus producing two other series for my college publications.

Snaps – Basically an updated version of Pogo in Baytown, Texas, but with a turtle as the main star (yes, you can blame the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for this).  Fred Snorton – an anthropomorphic, canine version of a famous sanitation worker, made his debut here.  Memu Emu, a high-society emu, also made an appearance as well.

UHCL Critters/Anything Goes! – Random nonsense about college life, which brought about Ted S. Loban, Einstein Wassameier (a hedgehog), and Chuckwing the Bloodfruit Bat.  Although the Fifth Fanger (posing as a college professor) did make some appearances in this series, the real stars of  UHCLC/AG! were Ted and Chuckwing.

Meanwhile Fanger himself had been lent out in far-out spin-offs by my college buddies.  Two of which were considered part of the Underground Comix series:

Not FANGARIUS – Think Torchwood & Barbarella gone horribly wrong.  NF dealt with an alternate version of Fanger – Fun Garias (aka Gari), a Paranormal Wolf-Being traveling dimensions, unwittingly ending up in some extremely sexual situations along the way.

Definitely NOT FANGARIUS – A perverse, adult version of the FANGARIUS series, not unlike Orgazmo (the comic, not the film).  Except here, the lead was Francis (aka Ran), a Paranormal EroTime Lord from the planet Gallisex.  According to this author, Ran’s constant nemesis weren’t Dalek-based, but erotic alien lifeforms called the Penai.

(Ed. Note: Wondering why no pics of these two series? Well, since Underground Comix were rather new to me, I never realized how uninhibited these series were.  Otherwise I’d have better discretion on whom I lend out the character to, even if they did have the decency for altering their images. Anyway, once when my relations helping me clean out my archives, they had regrettably come across these two strips, which they both had promptly ended up in File 13 post haste.)

Nevertheless, despite some other off-beat tales of the Paranormal Time Lord (with Fanger visiting both the DC and Marvel Universe), Fanger had still remained in creative limbo.

Back in 1995, while I was dealing with some personal events (my Dad had experienced a stroke), I had been consoled by some of my friends back during my high school and college days.  We had heard about the BBC and FOX Television reviving Doctor Who as a television film, and hopefully resurrect (or regenerate, as the case may be) the series.  Because we were excited, we began talking about the DW RPG-Club and FANGARIUS.  Secretly we always wanted to do a better special episode for the Seventh Fanger, since we felt the series itself had abruptly ended.

Almost immediately, my friends had suggested I formulate a new FANGARIUS tale as well.

Since FANGARIUS’ 20^th Anniversary (1997) was approaching, I wanted devising a particularly special episode commemorating the Paranormal Time Lord’s creation.  However, the problem was, I never liked conjuring forth ‘reunion’ stories because they always seemed to be something one finds in the Scooby-Doo Movies.

But as with all things in life, I never had imagined both a forgotten promise, a series and an anime film would become the vital components for an epic I denoted as Project FANGARIUS.

Project FANGARIUS – The Plot

Several months after the Kain Incident, the Masaki Household has not fully recovered from the dimension-bending experience.  Tenchi Masaki has been having recurring nightmares about visiting what appears to be a planet, but yet, not a planet.  Helmed by what appears to be a Juraian, the figure turns out to possess dark hands with claw-like fingertips and a wolf’s tail.  Tenchi chillingly discovers the planet to be actually a TARDIS—denoted as La Genèse (Genesis)—and the pseudo-Juraian has plans for launching it.

Regrettably if La Genèse is launched, its power will threaten not just Tenchi’s Universe, but the Multiverse as well.  Even worse, Tenchi awakens when the being gets word that the final component has been procured, and the one who has it is none other than Fangarius himself.

Meanwhile, all isn’t well with Ayeka and Ryoko, since both have their own reasons to be pensive.  Enigmatically Ayeka has been summoned back to Jurai, and learns the Elders aren’t pleased about Kain.  Inexplicably, Fanger and The Doctor’s name are mentioned as well as Rassilon and Omega.  This makes the Juraian Princess ponder on how Gallifrey and the Time Lords are relevant to all of this, while Ryoko has other problems.

Seems during her pirate days, she was supposed to originally end up being the Sixth Fanger’s Companion, but at the time, she and Ryo-Ohki were attempting to escape from Salerion.  Consequently, Salerion used a dimensional extrapolator to ensnare her within a pocket universe (in the form of a mummy), thus she never could warn the Paranormal Time Lord.

Kiyone could be having better days as well.  Due to Kain’s escape, the Galactic Police end up suspending her and Mihoshi for allowing him to do so (apparently, Mihoshi forgot to inform her partner that she was responsible for the subspace prison containing Kain).  However, Kiyone suspects something when her lineage to Fanger has been brought into question.  And some research reveals the truth behind Kain, prompting her to head for Washu’s lab.

Washu has been feverishly working in her dimension lab, because she knows the truth behind Kain.  The ‘Kain’ they fought was not the real one, but in reality a shadow constructed out of Strange Matter.  When Kiyone enters, Washu reveals the truth as The Inquisitor shows up.  Seems the real Kain was once a Jurai scientist helping out Gallifrey discover intradimensional travel.  In essence, he had been Omega’s assistant when the first Time Lord had plunged themselves into a black hole.  However, where Omega had perished within an Antimatter universe, Kain’s physical form had been converted into Strange Matter.  Originally, Kain blamed Jurai and Gallifrey for the mishap and had originally exacted revenge on both, until Achika, with the help of the Clanstribes, had imprisoned him.  But in truth, the Locanshites (first mentioned here) realized others might be looking for Kain.  Thus, they ‘split’ him into two parts, keeping the intelligent, corporeal one locked away on Dragard, while the shadow form had remained within a subspace prison at the Galaxy Police HQ.

Secretly Washu knows more than she’s letting on, but The Inquisitor has sensed Tenchi’s dreams.  From his own personal experiences, The Inquisitor realizes these visions are anything but fantasy…

Meanwhile, across the vast Multiverse, Quinn Mallory and company are discovering a disaster of their own epic proportions.  Recently the last few Earths they’ve visited have started vanishing out-of-existence.  The only clue they have to this malady is an alien force claiming only Fangarius can stop the impending doom.

Speaking of which, La Genèse looms at the Edge of the Universe, Salerion smiles approvingly at his latest innovation.  Decked in his Juraian attire, he admits integrating both Jurai and Gallifreyan Tech for engineering this planet-sized TARDIS, while transdimensionally it literally harbors its own Universe.  However, for now the vast TimeSpace vehicle remains inert until the last component is installed.

The familiar materialization sound resonates throughout the vessel as the TARDIS 2 appears, reverted back into the multicolored police box from its jade Oriental pagoda exterior.  Escorted by Salerion’s own Jurai-grown guards, the Seventh Fanger emerges appearing with a strange crystalline device with a mercuric hourglass set within its center.

Identified as the Chronocosmizcon, it can ultimately provide unlimited energy to any time-space device, even TARDISes.  Fanger’s innovation was actually a mechanization devised by Salerion, whom Fanger identifies as Fangexlcoatl’s brother.  Although the Paranormal Time Lord warns La Genèse will destroy the Multiverse, Salerion admits that’s precisely what he wants to do.  Rather than simply launch a massive invasion, the fiendish former Fangarian plans on cleansing every dimension, making way for a Paranormal realm of his design. 

Before Fanger can protest, Salerion installs the device and activates La Genèse.  At the same moment Quinn and his group enter the portal.  The result causes the entire fabric of the Multiverse to rip apart.  Sensing the Sliders’ agony, as well as infinite lives screaming, Fanger desperately initiates a last-ditch effort.  Fortunately, Washu has been monitoring the situation and intervenes by blowing out the craft’s Helmic Regulator.  

Utilizing his sonic screwdriver, Fanger disconnects the Chronocosmizcon and makes a desperate escape in the TARDIS 2.  The getaway is ultimately short-lived as Salerion launches Hyper-torpedoes directly towards the police box.  Buffeted beyond repair, the TARDIS 2’s Hostile Action Displacement System (HADS) activates, propelling the multicolored police box crash-lands in Houston, Texas, December 30, 2000.

Washu also quickly intervenes, saving the Sliders through a Dimensional Wave Generator Field.  Although she manages to bring them to Earth-Prime (Fanger and Quinn’s Earth), unfortunately she scatters the team throughout Fanger’s Timeline.  With one member landing inside the severely damaged TARDIS 2 and critically-injured Paranormal Time Lord.

Back at La Genèse, Salerion doesn’t consider Fanger’s motive as a setback.  Since he can’t simply wait for his relation to create another Chronocosmizcon, Salerion decides on implementing the craft’s Timescoop to extract ALL of Fanger’s Past Incarnates from their Time streams.  However Washu’s one step ahead, as she sends Tenchi and the others through Fanger’s Timeline.  

As for the Seventh Fanger, his final days come as the Slider member and a strange person called Colin get him admitted to Hermann Hospital.  Dr. Grace Holloway, a cardiologist on loan from San Francisco, learns about Hermann’s new patient with ‘two hearts,’ and immediate treats Fanger, mistaking him for The Doctor.  Fanger ends up flatlining in the middle of the night, but before he can be rushed to the Morgue, he promptly enters into his Seventh Regeneration.  Resembling Quinn Mallory, Fanger gets taken over by the ChronoSpirit, TimeStorm, who kidnaps the Slider member and Colin and shanghais the TARDIS 2.  Piloting it to the End of Time, TimeStorm informs them this is the only safe haven from Salerion while the Eighth Fanger recovers and the TARDIS 2 regenerates itself.

The rest of the plot entails a tour de force of Fanger’s Past Incarnations as well as Past versions of The Doctor and Companions, including Sarah Jane Smith and Jamie McCrimmon.  Salerion also acquires the unwarranted attention of some villains as well ranging from the Daleks, F-Clones, Sontarans and displaced Cybermen.  Although they manage to foil Salerion’s Timescoop scheme, the Fourth Fanger (currently exiled with the Third Doctor) realizes until they confront his demented cousin, they’ll never be safe.

This action ends up getting all but Fanger’s Eighth Incarnate captured by Salerion.  Fortunately due to Salerion’s short-sightedness, his mind probes fail to function since the Fourth Fanger he’s acquired was during the Third Doctor’s Exile.  Meaning the Time Lords have not only blocked F4’s knowledge of TARDIS engineering, but also his own personal design to the Chronocosmizcon.  Taking advantage of the anomaly, the Fourth Fanger immediately sends a message to his Eighth self, who takes his Companions back to La Genèse, for the final showdown.

Despite freeing his Past selves, they discovered they’re trapped as Salerion uses his craft to literally assault the TARDIS 2, using its Chronocosmizcon as its power source.  Washu teleports Grace Holloway into the TARDIS 2, where she attempts to stop the process, but instead teleports the Eighth Fanger inside the craft.  Dying, T2 informs the Paranormal Time Lord there’s only one solution to stop Salerion once and for all.  Reluctantly Fanger knows as he and Grace head towards an ancient room past the Cloisters.  Revealing the Heart of the TARDIS 2, Fanger takes his sonic screwdriver and thrusts it into its power source.  Shattering the transdimensional craft, Fanger severs the connection causing La Genèse to start collapsing within itself.  Before they can perish along Salerion within a pocket dimension, Washu uses Fanger’s BioData Extract to key in on all of his Incarnates and they teleport safely back to her lab with their Companions.

Washu promptly sends everyone to their proper dimensions in Time.  Unfortunately Mihoshi accidentally hurls the Sliders back upon a randomized course through the Multiverse.  Whereas Fanger, in his new form, laments over the loss of his craft, now stranded on modern-day Earth.

However.. two months later into the new millennium (2001).. Fanger receives a curious message from the White Guardian… something about the Paranormal Time Lord having to save the Multiverse from his TARDIS…

Thus ends Project FANGARIUS – and the beginning of new adventures for the Eighth Fanger.

Project FANGARIUS – The Anomalous Revisions

Although the plot was originally straightforward there were many revisions later, according to future episodes of the Eighth and (currently) Ninth Fanger.  Here’s what some of them were:

·         Originally the Sliders crew were going to be from Season One (Quinn, Wade, Arturo, Rembrandt), since I composed a FANGARIUS/Sliders short story where the Fourth Fanger encounters the group due to the TARDIS 2’s faulty dimensional stabilizer and Quinn’s malfunctioning Timer.  In fact, Arturo turned out to be Fanger’s uncle (on his mother’s side) who was being punished for abusing his powers.  However, considering when the actual story would be penned, it was decided Season Four (Quinn, Colin, Maggie and Rembrandt) would be the ones used in this story, for relevance to the timeframe.

·         The aliens who warn the Sliders about Salerion were supposed to be the Zercurvians from the Acclaim Comics’ adaptation.  But later it seemed more practical in using the Kromaggs instead, which the Eighth Fanger would later discover a horrifying connection between them and the Cybermen.

·         Charlie O’Connell (Jerry’s brother) was seen as Colin Mallory later in Season Four Sliders, but the Colin Mallory here was originally an alternate persona generated by T2.  In the original plot, Colin secretly leads Grace and Fanger towards the transdimensional source for the Paranormal Time Lord to shatter the TARDIS 2.  But later when Colin Mallory was cast, the Eighth Fanger suspected something amiss when Colin pensively accepts Fanger as a Gallifreyan doppelganger of his brother.

·         Project FANGARIUS started out as simply a Regeneration story, but since this was supposed to commemorate Fanger’s Twentieth Anniversary, it quickly evolved into a Eight Fangers tale with some of The Doctor’s past selves and Companions thrown in for good measure.

·         Later Fanger admits Kain's incarceration setup was also known by both the ParaCouncil and Shadow Proclamation. The reason they did this was so no one would know about Kain's true plight and attempt to conduct inhumane experiments upon him. 

Of course, nothing was more intricate than how exactly the Eighth Fanger had come into existence...

Project FANGARIUS: Life Beyond the DW-RPG Club

Although it sounds like something from Extreme Makeover, Project FANGARIUS was really about how Fanger survived the cancelation of his own series, and ended up continuing through his Eighth and Ninth Incarnation.  Despite the fact the DW-RPG Club had been officially disbanded, FANGARIUS had only undergone under hiatus status.

Funny thing, when you work on a series, sometimes the characters end up in obscurity, and at other times they continue on through unusual means.  In this case, the year was now 1988, and I was attending Lee College.  Somehow, while obtaining a Liberal Arts degree, I had ended up on the college newspaper, The Lantern.  Where I had not only composed articles, but illustrated editorial cartoons, some with Fanger as well as other characters.

Consequently, what had really gotten Fanger back on the scene were the odd parallels between his series and Doctor Who, and the fact I had gone to a Sci-Fi/Fantasy and ended up getting FANGARIUS a theme song.

Losing Fanger's Mind:  FANGARIUS' Theme Song

During the late-Eighties, Galveston held a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Con, and some of my former members thought it'd be great if we attended it.  I recalled they had a fanfic section where one could 'pitch' your version of famous shows and films.  My friends had unwittingly submitted FANGARIUS for this little stunt, but due to their unexpected haste, had overlooked one minor detail:  FANGARIUS had sorely lacked a theme song.

The real truth was I had always considered a theme song, but I wanted something a bit different than the typical sci-fi fare.  Some members had considered a Twilight Zonesque theme, however, I had suspected it didn't really fit with Fanger.  Whereas others had wanted something along the lines of Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica, but I had felt they were a bit too pretenous, and they really didn't describe Fanger's overall persona.

Since the DW-RPG Club had always gone straight for the adventure anyway, we had never given the theme song concept any more thought.  Besides, who actually plays a theme song for an RPG, let alone a convention?  Amazingly, Stephen Sondheim, Liza Minnelli and the Pet Shop Boys had gotten me out of a seriously, sticky wicket.


Now I should indicate they didn't directly help me out.  In 1988, the Pet Shop Boys produced a song called, "Left To My Own Devices."  Mysteriously, I had always thought the song fit with the film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Where I would envision Roger and all his friends saving Toontown from Judge Doom.  

Nevertheless, about the time PSB was co-producing songs, they did one with Ms. Minnelli in 1989,called "Results."   And in this collection, there was an updated version of a Sondheim song called, "Losing My Mind."  I loved how PSB gave the classic a Whovian style with the tune itself.  And whenever I heard the overture, I always mentally augment my own lyrics:  Fangarius, where have you gone? Fangarius, where have you been?

Before I had realised it, I had ended up selecting a theme song for FANGARIUS.  Strangely enough, if you listen to the original lyrics, the title and song sort of fit my character since I felt many Companions probably do lose their mind when dealing with the Paranormal Time Lord.

Throughout several years, there have been several mixes of the song, which have also kept with being FANGARIUS' Theme Song.  Some which enigmatically describe each Incarnate's personality.

FANGARIUS: Lost Regeneration Plots & Missing Adventures

If you've been reading this blog so far, you'll note how FANGARIUS parallels with Doctor Who in more ways than one.  Besides the turbulent Sixth Fanger/Doctor year of 1986, about the time I had entered into college, Doctor Who was about to enter the verge of cancellation, even with Sylvester McCoy portraying the Seventh Doctor.

Though the television series was about to go off-the-air, Virgin Publishing and the BBC had come up with a unique way of continuing The Doctor's adventures:  The New Adventures.  Basically, they kept on adding new stories as well as New Companions like Bernice.  But it was Virgin's plan on creating The Missing Adventures which gave FANGARIUS a new leash on life.

Basically The Missing Adventures dealt with Past Doctor tales which took place within The Doctor's Timeline.  Meaning writers could compose stories dealing with any Incarnate of The Doctor.  And the same thing had occurred with Fanger as well.  Yet, the first of the new tales actually dealt with some plots finally revealing what caused the Fourth Fanger into transforming into his Fifth Incarnate.

Fanger's Lost Regeneration Plots

Before I commence with this section, I do need to clarify on some points. When transposing the information from my memoirs to this blog, I had realized I had erroneously made a bit of an inaccuracy.

In reality, during the DW-RPG Club, the Regeneration thing had been unexpectedly dropped on me.  The truth was, I had simply regenerated Fanger without rhyme or reason, with this being Fanger's unknown Regeneration since the Eighth Doctor regenerating into his Ninth.

Back then, Fanger and Nyssa had only hinted on what caused the Paranormal Time Lord's Fourth Regeneration. And considering the fast pace of the DW-RPG Club's series, we had never given it another thought.  That is, until a former member attending the same college had suggested I pen some actual stories leading up to and revealing the cause for Fanger's Fourth Regeneration.

This time using my college life as a basis, Fanger's Fourth Incarnate and Nyssa find themselves secretly enrolled at Lee College, where they continued their adventures on Earth.  More specifically, Baytown, Texas, and also ended up getting married, and of course, Fanger ends up losing his Fourth Incarnation.

However, the dilemma was how did he enter into his next form?  Once again, the truth proves into being stranger than fiction.  During February 1989, Baytown had undergone the worst freeze it had ever known.  Experiencing this phenomenon, I was inspired in composing the plot, DeepFreeze.

DeepFreeze begins where Fanger and Nyssa start noticing how the planet is going through an unusual Northern trend.  Especially when places like Malibu and Orlando are experiencing snow storms.  However, when South America and Australia start undergoing subthermal weather, the Paranormal Time Lord decides to investigate.

Meanwhile, Nyssa notices Lee College has obtained a new satellite transreceiver dish from an unknown benefactor.  Normally it's supposed to help track satellites and weather patterns, but she suspects something afoul when she discovers the places it has been tracking has been hit by the unusually-cold weather.

Fanger later discovers a new type of F-Clone, the Ice-Clones, are responsible for this sudden cold snap.  Yet, the mastermind is not Davroan, as the Paranormal Time Lord suspects, but an unexpected adversary.

Glaceséche, the Last Frigidonian, decides on transforming Earth into the New Frigidonios, and making himself Emperor and Fanger his Prince.  (Due to a miscomprehension, Glaceséche has decided Fanger is now his adopted son.)  As usual, Fanger doesn't share his adopted father's plans, and desperately attempts a way for reversing the Global Ice Age.

Nyssa, and the Lantern Staff, provide the solution: Lee College's dish is actually helping the Ice-Clones transmit a signal to the satellites for controlling the weather.  The only way they can stop it is if they can produce a powerful biofeedback force to override the signal.  Regrettably, not even Fanger's TARDIS can provide the necessary force, so Fanger constructs a Parakinetic Interface and plans on using his powers as the source.

What ensues is a tour de force between Fanger and the Ice-Clones, with Fanger overextending his PK Limitations in the process.  Though Glaceséche escapes before the Paranormal Time Lord unleashes an intense biofeedback signal of PK Force.


The entropic effect from the signal instantaneously destroys the Ice-Clones, but regrettably, the overextension ends up ravaging Fanger's body. Completely weakened, he manages to go back to the Journalism Office, where he collapses and begins entering his Fourth Regeneration.


Fanger's Missing/New Adventures

As I once mentioned, during FANGARIUS' High School Run, the Sixth and Seventh Fangers sort of got shafted when it came to episodes.  Besides working on some odd episodes with the Fourth and Fifth Fanger, I also had let some of my members (now in college) come up with some missing or new adventures dealing with the Sixth and Seventh Fanger.

 

The Missing Adventures mainly focused on plot episodes or ideas I had thought about being a great tale concerning the Fourth and Fifth Fangers.  Whereas some of the Sixth and Seventh Fanger tales focused more on filling in the missing years between the two Incarnates, like what occurred during the Sixth Fanger's Exile in the 22nd Century, and how he managed on regaining his travels.  The Seventh Fanger focused more on his Bohemian nature while he investigated the supernatural and extraterrestrial as he continued his travels throughout Time and Space.

Some adventures went in-depth with Fanger's battle against the Conspirator, while some focused on him just coping with the typical monsters and such, including some battles with The Master himself.

The New Adventures continued where FANGARIUS had left off, where the Seventh Fanger was now dealing with the aftermath behind the Conspirator's plots.  He also encountered advanced versions of the Cybermen and Daleks, not to mention the F-Clones.  Also with the help of some members, the Seventh Fanger had some wild adventures in both the DC and Marvel Universes.  Including one where a malfunctioning genetic device (later it would be the Chameleon Arch) transformed both into a Fangarian Realm (It's a Fangarian World, Baby!) and he had to deal with two imps upon getting things back to normal.

But it was the epic tales and a forgotten promise which brought about something with FANGARIUS:  An entirely new Regeneration.

FANGARIUS: The DW-RPG Chronology

Rather than compose an endless blog entry about the DW-RPG Club's exploits (which would give me Writer's Cramp and a major headache), instead here's a brief Chronology on how FANGARIUS series ran through its 'high school' seasons:

1983

• During Doctor Who's Twentieth Anniversary, the DW-RPG Club debuts, heralding FANGARIUS' Series Premiere.  

•  Although 25 plots were conceived for the Fourth Fanger, only 14 episodes were produced. 

•  The Inquisitor (aka Bishop) makes his debut in Destination:  ZERO.  The Inquisitor would start making other enigmatic appearances throughout the series itself, and later become Fanger's Paradox Incarnate, Jidai Sakugo's adversary.

• Next to his cousin, Kiptom, Fanger's older brother and sister, Dunestar and Zaralynn ('Lynn), make their debut appearances in different episodes.  Not to mention revealing some of Fanger's secret Past.

•  The F-Clones--the Daleks' new mortal enemies--debut, becoming the most frequently recurring adversaries of the series.

• The Michael J. Fox craze with the female members brings forth a completely-reinvented Alex P. Keaton.  Mr. Fox's popularity also fleshed out many other characters within F4's era:  Brannl (Rassilon's Son), Glaceséche (Last Frigidonian), and Grandier (Gallifreyan Ancient).

 1984 (Spring)

•  After seven episodes, during an attempt saving Gallifrey, Fanger gets caught by the Time Lords.  Placed on trial by the High Council, Fanger's found guilty of violating Non-Intervention Laws.  The Fourth Fanger gets sent to Earth--during the Third Doctor's Timeline (1970s)--while the Third Fanger gets placed into a specialized SuspensRoom, completely sealed off from The Doctor, inside the TARDIS.  Thus preventing any possible Paradox Effects from occuring.

• Fanger's Exile ends (c. 1976-79) while persuing ANACHRONOS back to Gallifrey.  On his homeworld, Fanger successfully dispatches the cybernetic intruder from the symbiotic computer, The APC Net (aka Matrix).

• GENFAR, the confidential Fangarian BioSphere, is revealed as Fanger attends a special reunion with his Clanstribe and other Wolf-Clans in hopes of preventing another Great War from occurring.

• The Fourth Fanger episodes draw to a close, as the members elect Fanger should undergo a Regeneration per school year.  Consequently, since this decision came after the last F4 episode, Deathtrap (where Fanger and Nyssa--his bethroed--reunite, and later become married), the Regeneration Plots were transcribed as a means for bridging the gap between the Fourth and Fifth Fanger.

1984 (Fall)

• Next to Fanger entering a new Incarnation, the first major change hits FANGARIUS:  all episode plots are now limited to 18, rather than 25, as a basic preventive towards possible conflicts with school business.

• After much deliberation and endless attempts, the Fifth Fanger makes his debut, appearing as a lupine Michael J. Fox.  Besides being married to Nyssa, Fanger ends up having two sons: Fanstar and Ianstar.  And later one daughter:  Achika Barbara.

• The first Fangarian Trilogy emerges in the series, The Fangarian Planets.  The saga focuses on the Fifth Fanger saving the last surviving Tellurians (Earth) from The Great Fall Out.  Afterwards, Fanger discovers and establishes two new planetary colonies:  Fangaria and Earth II.  Unlike the Fourth Fanger episodes, the three-episode saga contains major gaps in Time.  By the end of the Trilogy, Fan, Ian and Achika are practically grown (reaching their 100s), and the Fifth Fanger uncovers a plot by the unknown Conspirator.  Later, Fanger and Nyssa decide on resuming his TimeSpace travels, in order to save everyone from the Time Lords' unexpected wrath.  Eventually Nyssa stays behind on Gallifrey, in hopes for keeping her husband safe from the High Council.

• James Atkinson II --one of the Fourth Fanger Companions--makes a brief return.

• While visiting a now-neglected AssaultLab base, Fanger receives an unusual Companion, Scott Compstar.  Scott is actually a genetic-cyborg, once designed for militaristic combat, until the company behind his creation was taken over by the infamous MeglaCorp. 

• Returning briefly to the late-20th Century Earth, the Fifth Fanger teams up with a UNIT Operative, Harry Hupermeister (later changed to Harry Hooperman).
  

1985 (Spring)

• Since four members were becoming Seniors (meaning their Graduation rehearsal took precedence over our club), 1985 only allowed a few episodes.

• In the final episode, The Genesis of the F-Clones, taking a page from Terry Nation's classic story, but The F-Clones are the antagonists.  The Time Lords send the Fifth Fanger back to the point of F-Clone creation, where he finds the Fourth Fanger trapped within a SuspensCapsule.  He discovers Davroan is really Davros' brother, and the F-Clones are actually mutant Thals within specially-engineered cyber-symbiotic automatons.

• Although managing to foil the F-Clones' advanced development slightly, and saving his former self, the Fifth Fanger unwittingly gets ensnared within a neutron explosion.  The intense radioactive exposure prompts another Regeneration, but in a way no one expects.

 1985 (Fall)

• Fanger's Eighth Anniversary (1977-1985) - In celebration of this occasion, a special mini-series:  The Ultimate Trial was done containing six episodes:  the first four were simply undone plots of the Fourth and Fifth Fanger; the remaining two had the Sixth Fanger contending with The Inquisitor, Tris Gunhul and Omega.

• In The Ultimate Trial, The Inquisitor is finally revealed as an unknown Future Incarnate of Fanger.

• In conclusion to the Fifth Fanger's cliffhanger, Fanger stuns the members by entering a humanized Incarnation for the first time.  The Sixth Fanger actually received his Incarnation through a BioData Transfer from Harry.  Thus explaining why this new Fanger resembles John Ritter.

• Even though the Sixth Fanger survives his harrowing ordeal, Rassilon and The Inquisitor decide on temporarily exiling the Paranormal Time Lord once again on Earth.  Covertly, they both want Fanger to investigate the strange goings on in 2357-Earth.  After about thirty-two episodes of FANGARIUS, the TARDIS 2's exterior is transformed from a multicoloured police box, into a blue telephone kiosk.

• Stranger than fiction:  Coincidentially, about the same time the BBC places Doctor Who on hiatus, leaving the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) in the lurch, FANGARIUS receives the same fate.  The problem begins when two head members expel an unruly player from the club without my consent (my Choir duties kept me away from a majority of club meetings).  Afterwards, word inexplicably leaks out about our club, prompting a local Anti-D&D organization to come and investigate on-campus.

 1986 (Spring)

• The DW-RPG Club resumes business, but only after promising the PTA it would be disbanded and FANGARIUS would end at the 1986-87 School Year.

• For about ten episodes, the Sixth Fanger remained.  The first five focused on his 2357-Earth Exile, while the remainder had him pardoned, allowing him to resume his TimeSpace travels. 

• While visiting another planet, the Sixth Fanger gets enigmatically poisoned by The Rani, prompting him into entering his Sixth Regeneration

1987

• After another four-month hiatus in the Fall of '86, Fanger enters his Seventh Incarnation, this time resembling Martin Short.

• The final episode was another mini-series, The Gallifreyan Connection, where it primarily tied-up loose ends and revealed some outlandish identities and secrets--especially the Conspirator's.

Although the DW-RPG Club's lifespan had been severely limited, FANGARIUS would still survive through the odd-assorted short stories, drawings and strips.  In fact, though the role-playing game had cease, I had never imagined the Paranormal Wolf-Being would keep on travelling through my college years and beyond.  Not only having some special stories, but also spawning two new Incarnates, one in the form of Jerry O'Connell, and the current one who was inspired by Ashton Kutcher.

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FANGARIUS: The Preliminary Concept

As with most series, you essentially need a primary foundation.  Although the Dr. Who & Fanger plots had established Fanger's unique relationship with the Time Lord, eventually I had required something which motivated Fanger's solo adventures.

Commencing with Fanger's Fourth Incarnation, I had shaped his new form in the appearance of a young man in wolf's clothing, not discerning the fact Fanger was now 121 years old!  Nonetheless, I had decided Fanger was sent back to Gallifrey.  Back on his homeworld, Fanger continues his advanced studies at the Prydonian Academy, with his cousin, Kiptomtrevelundarian.

The concept tells of how Fanger not only becomes a Paranormal Time Lord, but also embarks upon his own personal adventures:

While awaiting Graduation Day--where the High Council decides upon whether or not promoting students to Time Lord status--The Master makes another attempt seizing control of Gallifrey.  The infamous Renegade is now assisted--with the aid of a psionic amplifier--by some displaced F-Clones.  Realizing the real potential threat, Fanger cleverly foils The Master's vile scheme by acquiring the amplifier, then ordering the F-Clones into destroying themselves (Fanger instructs them into piloting their crafts into a neutron star.).  Although The Master escapes, Fanger's heroic and resourceful acts are rewarded, as he and Kip have now been given Time Lord status.

Privately, the current political situation between the Clanstribes and Gallifreyans make Fanger reconsider his newly-gained position.  Unknown to the Council, the Paranormal Time Lord has been covertly engineering his own type of TARDIS, a Model 92 Deluxe, or TARDIS 2, as he denotes it.  Not wanting to be simply a Council figurehead, Fanger escapes Gallifrey within his craft.

To make matters worse, unknown to Fanger (at first), Kip has secretly stowed on-board the transdimensional vehicle, leaving the planet as well.  Not to mention, during a trial run, Fanger accidentally short-circuited his TARDIS' chameleon circuit, placing it in the form of a multicoloured police box. 

Establishing this as the cornerstone of Fanger's adventures, FANGARIUS had officially made its debut.  And over just the span of four School Years, the series evolved into something of its own, as well as the DW-RPG Club itself.  Leaving Fanger with three other new forms (making a total of Seven Incarnates at the items), and the Rise and Fall of the Club itself.

The Doctor Who Role-Playing Game Club (DW-RPG)

The interesting thing about RPGs, no matter what genre you prefer, is the fact they're configured exactly as a film or television series.  The rules are your basic character limitations, the GM is your director and the players are the characters.  But more importantly, RPGs have special books providing invaluable backgrounds and settings, helping the players and GM with understanding the RPGs' scenario better.

When I had purchased The Doctor Who Role-Playing Game, I really had no intention of establishing a club, nor orchestrating one together.  The original intent was for me accessing better research material from the BBC series.  This way Fanger could be safely integrated into the series without any more faux pas like the Peter Cushing Incident.  The television shows and literature--regardless of the well-conceived plots and episodes--had provided little, if any, background information about The Doctor and his Universe.  Therefore, recalling how TSR is extremely thorough with their mythical realms, I presumed FASA had done the same for Doctor Who.

Meanwhile, my family and I had recently moved to Baytown, and my father got a promotional job at Crosby Middle School.  He was now an Assistant Principal, rather than a teacher.  Consequently, because Crosby was such a small town, my father was also considered an administrator.

Bill Cosby had once indicated the problem when you're a (presumed) genius, people have this appalling habit of ignoring the fact you're still normal. Because I could read at 2 1/2 years, I was always being tested and retested, ending up in advance classes, until I had nearly burned out on educational venues.

Calculating this into the equation, because my dad had become an administrator, many had gone under the misapprehension I was exceptionally well-suited for specialized school activities.  So when I had become a Freshman at Crosby High, I had ended up being shanghaied into yet, another extracirricular scheme.  This time I was requested in creating an afterschool reading club, designed for both Middle and High School students, in hope of improving academic reading skills.

Not that I discovered the concept being distasteful, the idea just didn't appear very practical.  For most of you recall, school meant getting up at the crack of dawn, and starting classes around 7 a.m.  You'd  have classes non-stop--with the occasional homeroom period and lunch break--until about late afternoon, then you furiously had to recall exactly what assignments needed to be done at home.  In all the while, you also had ensuring you didn't miss the bus home.

Taking all this into account, the last thing anyone wants to do is stay after school, meeting within the Athletics Building, and talk about books which you're supposed to have read.

Nevertheless, I had found myself committed to at least attempt such a venture.  The tentative membership had consisted about ten people.  Due to this extremely last-minute bombshell, I had unwittingly brought my DW-RPG stuff to the Athletic Building.  Totally amazed, I had discovered every person there was an avid Whovian.

Derik, one of our members, had come across some of my FANGARIUS sketches and preliminary background sheets, everyone had become sold upon the prospect of forming an RPG Club.  Before I had immediately jumped into this, I had first explained some basic guidelines.  Naturally, the club had to be kept secret from the school district.  Despite the RPGs winning the war, there had still been some restrictive rules not permitting the playing of RPGs on campus.

Another was prophetically breaking the strict perimeters of role-playing, making our club more of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure format.  One reason was due to the time constraints, we couldn't realistic set up a proper RPG game, or environment.  The other was, I had felt this essentially avoided the dreaded Syndrome (TCLS), and allowed every member to participate equally in the series itself.

Last, but hardly least, in keeping with the original intent of the club, my only major requirement was each FANGARIUS episode contained some type of reference from famous written works and/or subtly deal with current issues. 

Basically the way an episode worked was this:  members would propose concepts and story ideas for Fanger, we'd vote on one, and I'd work on a beginning script, then we'd go from there, like a genuine episode.  Thus, FANGARIUS and The Doctor Who Role-Playing Club was established.  But as with all good things, Fanger had to have a start, and in the next brief entry I'll tell you about the Preliminary concept behind FANGARIUS, which would become the cornerstone of the Paranormal Wolf-Being's Tales through Time and Space.

The Age of Role-Playing Games

Before we dive directly into FANGARIUS and The Doctor Who RPG-Club, I thought I'd first educate you with some background info upon the Role-Playing Game itself.

Now before you start clicking away, thinking Oh, God, Fanger's become the freakin' History Channel, I'm going to give you a more subtle, condensed version, which will help serve as a reference point for later posts focusing upon the series in relation to the club itself.

The Ancient Days of Role-Playing (RPG)

In the days long before World of Warcraft, Age of Conan and even, Final Fantasy, there was simply the Role-Playing Game.  Though many have argued its exact origins, the RPG's popularity emerged from the late-Seventies/early-Eighties, right out from the ashes of 8-tracks, disco and incredibly-bad movies.

Basically many know the concept of role-playing, because when you were a kid, you probably played some type of pretend game like 'cops & robbers,' 'cowboys & indians,' (remember, folks, pre-PC days here) or even your favourite space hero. Or to put it in simpler terms, similar to acting.  Where, as with your pretend game, one assumes the role of a character within a specific setting and usually must contend with a series of situations.

In the case of RPGs, the goal usually focuses upon one's survival.  And RPG's also implement certain regulations (hit points, attributes, etc), primarily dictated by the head (or Game Master), while success/failure is determined with a mere roll of the dice.  This sort of prevents the old 'I-got-you-no-you-didn't' debate one gets into when you played as a child.  Though some might argue on how some mechanics of an RPG work at times.  Naturally, those who've played their digital counterpart (sans the dice) are well-familiar with the concept.

One of the most popular RPGs is Dungeons & Dragons series, which was arguably inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolken (specifically with The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings saga), and for awhile, became the archetype for most RPGs being produced.  Of course, an observer would probably never suspect something this simple, yet, complex, would ever develop into a major problem.  Regrettably, as with most fads, Role-Playing also possessed an unexpected dark side towards its participants.


The Dark Side of RPGs
About 1981, there were various reports of D&D participants who had literally gotten intensely involved being their characters.  The result would turn even more dangerous whenever the character ended up deceased, for it would inexplicably result in a psychological condition, sending the player completely out of Reality.

Even though I'm no Dr. Phil, nor dare I ever pretend to be, I have witnessed some people who did enter this trauma.  Thus, I had formulated my own hypothesis behind this curious ailment:  The Creation Loss Syndrome (TCLS).

Being a cartoonist and writer, it's naturally known whenever a person creates anything from an actual person, to a completely ficitional being, the person begins developing an affinity with that character.  Translation:  Killing off said character would be akin as if one killed your own child or best friend.  Therefore, in my own theories, I suspected the Game Player (GP) would foolishly put so much into their creations, they couldn't dare visualize its death, despite harsh rules and regulations.


One solution I proposed in combating TCLS, was having the GP produce alternate characters from the one creation.  Thus, if the alternate gets killed, their original character remains intact, preventing any psychological damage.  Naturally, one of my associate's thought if one got that involved with RPGs, one should quit and acquire a life.


Consequently, the TCLS Outbreak with game participants had immediately spawned an immensely hateful reputation for RPGs.  As a result, as most loathed items which are secretly liked by its followers, war within society would soon follow.


The Great RPG War

As with most addictions, RPGs had received attention from watchdog groups who wanted to do nothing more than simply eliminate the problem.  At the time, TSR officials had simply dismissed the problem, noting their D&D system was never designed for teenagers, nor kids, but rather a more collegiate group.  Similar to the adult magazine, RPGs could no longer be sold except in certain specialty shops, and only to persons over 18.  Regrettably, these restrictions didn't hamper the craze, nor halt the TCLS Epidemic one bit.  Ironically, it had taken a flawed legislative bill to make a dent in the RPG War.

Around 1982, the Senate allegedly passed a bill outlawing public participation of RPGs, but the act possessed a highly, short-lived enforcement.  Not considering the obvious fact, most RPGs were done in private, but the bill specifically denied TSR games.  More precisely, D&D, since it stated the TSR-based systems failed giving participants a clear discrepancy between fact and fiction.

However, little did Congress realize they would single-handedly revolutionize RPGs with just a few overlooked loopholes.

The TV/Movie/Literature RPG
RPG Companies had immediately noticed the bill only prohibited games constructed upon pure fantasy.  But what if a RPG was based on something where one could indicate to players the vital difference between fantasy and reality?  About October 1982, FASA and West End started releasing RPGs based on such popular television, movies and books, such as Star Trek, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones.  Remarkably these new formats helped RPGs win the war, though some people have formed Anti-D&D groups, in hopes of abolishing all RPGs.

And it was one game in particular by FASA, The Doctor Who Role-Playing Game, which would unwittingly start the debut of our club and the FANGARIUS series.

From Fanger to FANGARIUS

About the end of 1982, a realization came to me concerning the Toon anthropomorphical form of Fanger.  Despite coming up with background plots and essentially giving Fanger an in-depth background, one thing was true about what Jon had commented about the character:  no matter what I did with Fanger, he'd never be taken seriously as The Doctor, or his Companions. 


During the Peter Davison episodes, I had thought long and hard of having Fanger undergo a physical transformation.  One which the Fourth Fanger possessed a more humanesque Incarnation, while retaining his lupinesque (hence where the term Wolf-Being originated).

One might think this was an easy task.  Then again, so's, 'reversing the polarity of the neutron flow.'

One notable problem was, of course, not wanting Fanger appearing as a wolfman reject.  Mainly because he'd then be an anti-thesis to what Fanger was primarily all about.  Meaning it would've undermined the true reason behind his creation.  Another dilemma was the reason why I preferred the Toon realm from the realistic (?) superhero form.

Throughout the media, we've always stereotyped a standard for men and women.  And, regrettably, that was also proven in comics, since heroes seemed to be well-built, and shapely-figured.  When in truth, most people aren't like that, and the reason I liked characters like Bugs, Daffy, Woody and others were, they were heroes by just being themselves.  So the problem also was, I didn't really want Fanger being too muscular, nor looking too rugged.

Strangely enough, it was Chuck Jones who saved me out of this jam.  After all his style inspired how the Third Fanger had 'regenerated' from his first form, and I recall how he illustrated human figures.  Not to mention, one rule about keeping things simple when creating a character.

Armed with that knowledge, I began working on sketches, some loosely from Super Fanger until I had come up with a prototypical image for the Fourth Fanger.  Of course, the real challenge wasn't as so much transforming Fanger, as it was given him a new nom de plume.

As most people know, Doctor Who is simply the name of the programme, since the star is more commonly referred to as The Doctor.  Thus, I felt Fanger deserved a slightly better name than just 'Fanger.'

Naturally, there was one smart alec--who shall remain nameless--had suggested the peculiar title, Fanger What,  but I prefer not to get into it...

Seriously, though, I wanted a name which not only fit this new Incarnation, but also revealed an air of importance.  Stranger than fiction itself, I had happened on discovering the perfect name while conducting research for a Math project.  While studying Greek mathematicians, I had come across an obscure name, Fangkarius,who had performed the unthinkable of his time:  Fangkarius had disproved the Pythagorean Theorem. 

Nonetheless, the name had imprinted itself upon my brain, and by simply removing the k, I had ended up with Fanger's real name, Fangarius.

But despite all the trouble I had gone through with revamping, and renaming, Fanger, little did I suspect in 1983, Fangarius--The Role-Playing Series, would be spawned.  Not to mention a whole new set of episodes, characters, as well as Incarnations, would be set into motion.