The Tardis is inexplicably drawn toward the planet Volaris. The Doctor and Ian leave the Tardis to try and find out what is holding the Tardis on Volaris.
The Zarbi, a race of giant ant-like aliens at first compel Barbara to leave the Tardis using hypnosis. Barbara meets three members of the Menoptra, a race of bee-like aliens, who break the hypnosis. While the Menoptra debate what they are to do with Barbara, she escapes only to be captured by the Zarbi, who force her to reveal the location of the Menoptra. The Zarbi kill one of the Menoptrans, take one prisoner while the third is able to escape.
The Zarbi also take the Tardis to their headquarters, along with Vicki who has remained inside the Tardis. The Doctor and Ian discover the theft of the Tardis, and track the Zarbi to their headquarters. The Doctor is able to contact the Animus, the force which controls the Zarbi and hold the Tardis on Volaris. The Animus desires information on a planned invasion of Volaris by the Menoptra. If The Doctor provides this information, it will allow the Tardis and her passengers to leave. The Doctor, not trusting the Animus, uses stalling tactics to buy for time. Meanwhile, The Doctor also arranges for Ian to escape so that he can search for Barbara.
Meanwhile, Barbara and the one surviving Menoptran, Hrorstar, have been taken to the Crater of Needles. They, along with other slaves are used as forced labor. Ian, having escaped, runs into another Menoptran, Vrestin, who tells Ian that the Menoptra are native to the planet Volaris. Vrestin also tell Ian that at one time the Menoptra and the Zarbi lived at peace with one another, but when the force known as the Animus appeared on the scene, it enslaved the Zarbi and forced the Menoptra to flee to one of the many moons surrounding Volaris.
Despite The Doctor's stalling tactics, the Animus eventually learns the location of the Menoptran invasion, which is the Crater of Needles. The invasion is beaten back, which much loss on the Menoptran side. The Doctor, having since escaped the Zarbi headquarters, devises a strategy to attack and destroy the Animus. Barbara and the Menoptra will lead an attack on the Zarbi headquarters as a diversion, while The Doctor and Vicki will sneak in by another way to use the isop-tope device made by the Menoptra to destroy the Animus.
Ian, meanwhile, has discovered that some of the Menoptra had retreated underground after the arrival of the Animus, are now call themselves the Optera. They have evolved to the point where they no longer have wings and view the Menoptra as gods. Ian, along with Vrestin, are able to convince the Optera to help and lead Ian and Vrestin to the Zarbi headquarters, where they attack the Animus from underneath.
The Doctor and Vicki fail in the part of the mission and are captured by the Animus. Barbara, Ian and the Menoptra arrive in time for Barbara to activate the Menoptran device, and the Animus is destroyed. With the Animus destroyed, the Zarbi are now free of its control. The Menoptra, along with the Optera, will attempt to rebuild their planet.
The biggest problem that I had with the Web Planet is that no explanation is given as to what exactly is the Animus. Was the Animus native to Volaris, or was it an alien presence which somehow got trapped on the planet? The other big problem with the story is it really takes far too long to get where it is going, this is one of those six episode stories that might have worked much better had it been shortened to perhaps four episodes.
I will say that I did enjoy The Web Planet more than either of the previous two stories. However, that isn't saying too much since I didn't think overly much of either The Rescue or The Romans. The Web Planet is simply below average Doctor Who and none of these three stories should be considered highlights of this particular series/season.
