Doctor Who & Spin-Offs A-Z Game

[Guest]

I ~ Ice Warrior - The Ice Warriors is the name given to an extraterrestrial race of reptile-like beings. The race originated on Mars, and first appeared in the 1967 serial 'The Ice Warriors' where they encountered the Second Doctor and his companions Jamie and Victoria. The name Ice Warrior is not the name of their species, but was applied to them by an Earth scientific team in the Martians' first on-screen appearance.

[Alan]

J ~ Jek, Sharaz - Sharaz Jek appeared in the 1984 story The Caves of Androzani. He was a genius robotocist and partner of businessman Trau Morgus. Together they planned to harvest the rare Spectrox drug on the planet Androzani Minor using androids built by Jek. Morgus, however, "cheaped out" on Jek, supplying him with substandard equipment and Jek was caught in a mud burst on Minor. He was only able to survive by locking himself in a Spectrox baking oven, leaving him hideously disfigured. Jek thereafter bore a pathological hatred for Morgus, believing (quite possibly correctly) that Morgus had provided the faulty equipment deliberately.

When the Doctor and Peri Brown landed on Androzani Minor, they soon became entangled in a three way struggle between Jek's androids, gunrunners and Androzani Major troops. Jek found Peri beautiful and coveted her strongly. When the Doctor and Peri were to be executed by the Major troops, Jek replaced them with realistic androids, and later cared for Peri while the Doctor tried to get an antidote for the disease that the two of them had accidentally contracted.

When Morgus and the leader of the gunrunners, Stotz, arrived at Jek's base, Jek attacked Morgus and killed him, but was himself shot by Stotz. He died in the arms of his Salateen replica robot.

Sharaz Jek was played by the late Christopher Gable.

[Guest]

K ~ 'Krotons, The' - Four part serial which was first broadcast from December 28, 1968 to January 18, 1969 featuring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor.

Synopsis -

Spoiler:

On an unnamed planet, a race called the Gonds are subject to the mysterious Krotons, unseen beings to whom they provide their brightest intelligences as “companions”. Thara, son of the Gond leader Selris, is the only one of his race to object to this practice. The Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive in time to witness the death of one of the chosen companions and intervene to save Vana, the other selected for this fate, using her survival as a means to convince Selris and the Gonds of the malign influence of the Krotons on their society. The Doctor calls it "self-perpetuating slavery” by which the brightest in Gond society have been removed. Similarly, there are large gaps in their knowledge, especially relating to chemistry. This situation has been in existence for many years since the Krotons arrived in their spaceship, polluting the lands beyond the Gond city and killing much of the Gond population.

Thara uses the disquiet of the situation to lead a rebellion and attack the Teaching Machines of the Krotons in the Hall of Learning. This prompts a crystalline probe to appear and defend the Machines, and warned the Gonds to cease their rebellion. Zoe now tries the Teaching Machines and is selected to be a “companion” of the Krotons. The Doctor elects the same fate and both are summoned into the Dynotrope where they are subjected to a mental attack. . Zoe deduces that the Krotons have found a way to transfer mental power into pure energy, while the Doctor busies himself with taking chemical samples of the Kroton environment. Circumstances now trigger the creation of two Krotons from chemical vats with the Dynatrope (the Kroton spaceship). The newly created Krotons capture Jamie but are really seeking the Doctor and Zoe, the “High Brains”, who have now left the Dynatrope. It takes Jamie quite some time before he is able to make an effective escape.

Eelek and Axus, two councillors previously loyal to the Krotons, who begin to rally for all-out war with the Krotons, have now seized the initiative in Gond society. The more level headed Selris is deposed, but warns that an all-out attack will not benefit his people. Instead he has decided to attack the machine from underneath by destabilising its very foundation in the underhall. Eelek has Selris arrested and also reasserts control by negotiating with the Krotons that they will leave the planet if provided with the two “High Brains” who can help them power and pilot their ship. Zoe and the Doctor are forced into the Dynatrope and Selris dies providing them with a phial of acid which the Doctor adds to the Kroton vats. Outside, Jamie and the scientist Beta launch an attack on the structure of the ship using sulphuric acid. This two pronged assault destroys the tellurium-based Krotons and their craft. The Dynatrope dissolves away and the Gonds are free at last - choosing Thara rather than the cowardly and ambitious Eelek to lead them.

[Alan]

L ~ Light - Light appeared in the 1989 story Ghost Light. It was an extremely powerful, almost God-like alien being. Long ago, he took a survey of all organic life in the universe, but almost as soon as he finished 'it all started changing.' Light went into hibernation in his stone spaceship, hidden in the basement of Gabriel Chase in Perivale Village, London, while members of his cargo took over the house in 1881 and attempted to integrate into Victorian high society. After being awoken in 1883, following the arrival of the investigating 7th Doctor and his companion Ace, Light took the form of an "angel" and began to campaign against evolution and change, deciding to destroy all life so that his catalogue would never be out of date again. Before he could carry out his plan though, the Doctor told Light that it was futile to oppose evolution and that even he was changing. Unable to cope with this fact, Light 'dissipated' in the main hallway of the house.

Paradoxically, the emotionally volatile Ace, then 13 years old, burnt down Gabriel Chase in 1983 after sensing an evil presence; this was confirmed by the Doctor to the older Ace to be an "echo" of Light following his dispersal 100 years earlier.

Light's majestic appearance sharply contrasts with his doddering, confused behaviour.

Light was played by the late John Hallam.

[Guest]

M ~ Mentor - The Mentors are an amphibious race native to the planet Thoros Beta. They have two arms but no lower limbs, and speak to other species through a translation device worn around their necks. The most notable of the Mentors is Sil, whom the Sixth Doctor and Peri encountered first on the planet Varos in 'Vengeance on Varos', and then again on Thoros Beta in 'Mindwarp'. Other Mentors include Lord Kiv their leader. Typical Mentor business practice includes arms dealing and slave trading. They are somewhat like the Ferengi of Star Trek, which they pre-date, in that all they care about is profit.

[Alan]

N ~ Nyder - Nyder appeared in the 1975 story Genesis of the Daleks. He was the Security Commander of the Kaled Dome and an assistant to their chief scientist Davros. Nyder was killed by the Daleks after he attempted to carry out one of Davros' instructions against the will of the Daleks.

[Guest]

O ~ Ogri - The Ogri were a species of silicon-based creatures native to Ogros. They looked like large rocks, usually taller than a human but irregular in shape. They were large, slow and heavy, sometimes weighing as much as 3.5 tons, but they could take a lot of damage, both energy-based and physical. When they were awake, they would glow and make a loud rumbling noise. Like other silicon-based lifeforms, they broke down into grit when killed and also left silicon behind when they moved. They fed on various types of proteins which were common on Ogros. When on Earth, the Ogri had to rely on the globulin in blood, which they could absorb by touch. Ogri were not shown to communicate and did not show any signs of intelligence. Ogri had long lifespans, living for thousands of years.

Cessair of Diplos took three Ogri from Ogros, which she used for protection and to impress the humans of Earth. These Ogri waited with the Nine Travellers until they were awoken by Cessair or her followers in 'The Stones of Blood'.

[Alan]

P ~ Planet of the Ood - 2008 story starring David Tennant as "The Doctor" and Catherine Tate as "Donna Noble"

Synopsis
---------
After setting the TARDIS controls to random, the Doctor and Donna arrive on the Ood Sphere, in the 42nd century. The sentient Ood are being sold as servants to rich citizens of the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire. But what is possessing the Ood? And what is the circle? Why must it be broken?

[Guest]

Q ~ Quantum Accelerator - A TARDIS component, one of the items exchanged between the Master and the Doctor in 'Time Flight'.

[Alan]

R ~ Rose - 2005 story starring Christopher Eccleston as "The Doctor" and Billie Piper as "Rose Tyler".

Synopsis
---------
Rose Tyler's life is turned upside-down when she encounters murderous living mannequins in the basement of the department store where she works. She is saved by a mysterious man who calls himself “the Doctor”. With the reluctant help of her boyfriend, Mickey Smith, Rose delves deeper into the mystery of the Doctor, and in the process uncovers a threat to the entire world: the Nestene Consciousness has returned and once again seeks to dominate the Earth.

[Guest]

S ~ Sonic knife - A tool used by Scaroth in stealing the Mona Lisa in 'City of Death'.

[Alan]

T ~ They Keep Killing Suzie - 2006 episode of the first series of Torchwood.

Synopsis
---------
Torchwood is linked to a series of brutal murders around the city. As Jack and the team investigate further, it becomes clear somebody wants their attention. What is Pilgrim - and how is it connected to a figure from Torchwood's past? The resurrection days are far from over.

[Guest]

U ~ Umbrella - The Seventh Doctor carried, from 'Delta and the Bannermen' onwards, an umbrella with a question-mark shaped handle. He had ceased using it by the time of his last appearance in the Doctor Who television movie. The Sixth Doctor occasionally carried a different umbrella, a multicolored model with a straight handle. This was destroyed in the Seventh Doctor's first story, 'Time and the Rani'. The first time the Doctor is seen on screen with an umbrella (a simple black one), is in the Second Doctor serial 'The Krotons'.

[Alan]

V ~ Varga Plant - The Varga plants (sometimes Vaarga) appeared in the 1965 stories Mission to the Unknown and The Daleks' Master Plan.

Varga Plants grew naturally on the Daleks' homeworld, Skaro, and when the Daleks set up a base on the planet Kembel they brought some Varga plants with them to act as sentries in the jungle surrounding their base. They were suited to this as they could move around freely by dragging themselves along with their roots.

Varga plants resemble cacti; they are covered in fur and thorns. Anyone pricked by a Varga thorn will be consumed by the urge to kill, while simultaneously becoming a Varga plant themselves.

This grisly fate happened to Space Security Agents Jeff Garvey and Gordon Lowery, and their commander, Marc Cory, was forced to kill them.

[Guest]

W ~ Wolfweed - The Wolfweeds are domesticated mobile plants native to Chloris, they appeared in the Fourth Doctor serial 'The Creature from the Pit'. Wolfweeds are round, green plants covered in vines and leaves. They move by rolling, but they can also jump to reach their prey. Wolfweeds capture their prey by smothering them in packs and wrapping them in a grey, web-like substance. They have an animal-like mentality and hunt down their prey. Several Wolfweeds were tamed by Lady Adrasta for tracking purposes.