10 Nu-Who Storylines That Doctor Who Spin-Off Media Did First

The upcoming Easter special Legend of the Sea Devils is shaping up to be an exciting tale of Chinese pirates, high-seas adventure, and sword-wielding amphibians from the dawn of time. Despite only appearing in the series twice, a decade apart, the monsters are iconic creations that have appeared in comic strips, Big Finish audios, and novels.

Devil of the Deep was written 2 years prior to the Sea Devils' return in Warriors of the Deep. It was the story of Diego, a castaway who was rescued from a shipwreck by a passing ship. He recounts the story of how his previous vessel was attacked by pirates, who raided the ship and left no survivors. Washed up on a desert island, Diego was cared for by a kindly Sea Devil, a scientist, and vegetarian who nursed him back to health.

When the pirates returned, Diego took advantage of one of the Sea Devil's scientific devices to summon a terrifying sea creature that destroyed their ship. Written by John Peel, it's one of those fun one-shot comic strip that fleshes out the lives of the Doctor's enemies when he's not around. The terrifying sea monster precedes the laughably bad Myrka, and it's not hard to see certain elements of this tale adapted into the upcoming special.