Mars (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
Mars, the fourth planet in our solar system
, has been featured in the Doctor Who fictional universe
on a number of occasions. In the various Doctor Who
serials which feature the Ice Warrior
s, mention is made that Mars
is their homeworld.
(1977), the Fourth Doctor
suggests that nine million years prior to the 20th century, the malevolent entity known as the Fendahl passed by Mars on its way to Earth, fleeing the efforts of the Time Lord
s to trap it forever in a time loop
.
Mars at that point was described as "dead", but from other accounts it is clear that it also housed the civilisation of the Ice Warriors, a proud, warlike but noble race who were capable of spaceflight. When the planet became more and more inhospitable, the Ice Warriors sent an expedition to Earth
, but the ship crashed and was frozen in a glacier, unable to report back (The Ice Warriors
, 1967).
Around 5000 BC, a powerful race of beings known as the Osirans reached Mars and set up pyramid
-like bases there. They also travelled to Earth and influenced Ancient Egypt
, seeming to the Egyptians like gods
. One of their number, the evil Sutekh, was imprisoned in a tomb on Earth, kept in a state of paralysis by an energy beam transmitted from the main pyramid on Mars itself. Sutekh would remain a prisoner until 1911 (Pyramids of Mars
, 1975).
During the late 20th century, Mars was a target of space exploration. The British space programme sent a series of manned missions to Mars. Mars Probes 6 and 7 made contact with a group of radioactive aliens orbiting the planet on a peaceful survey mission (The Ambassadors of Death
, 1970). On 31 October 2006, the Guinevere One probe was launched by the British Rocket Group
for an intended landing on Christmas Day, but was intercepted by the alien Sycorax before it could do so ("The Christmas Invasion
", 2005).
The first human colonists arrived on Mars in 2058 and established Bowie Base One, a massive Bio-dome where frozen Martian water deposits were used to grow vegetation. On 21 November 2059, the colony was destroyed when mission commander Captain Adelaide Brooke initiated Emergency Code Five. There were no survivors. The Tenth Doctor
's arrival on the day of the disaster revealed that a viral life form had caused an epidemic at the base after infecting the water supply. He surmised that the Ice Warriors may have attempted to contain the contagion by keeping it frozen underground. Breaking the Laws of Time
, the Doctor rescued Adelaide and two of her colleagues from death and returned them to Earth. ("The Waters of Mars
", 2009)
The Ice Warriors had not given up their ambitions to colonise Earth, however. In the mid-21st century a strike team was sent to take control of the planet's teleportation
network, T-Mat, and use it to transport seed pods to Earth that were designed to terraform
its environment to one suitable for Martian life. This plan was foiled by the Second Doctor
and his companions (The Seeds of Death
, 1969).
Some time after that, the Ice Warriors' frozen ship was discovered by scientists during another ice age
on Earth, and the thawed crew's attempt to seize the base was also stopped by the Second Doctor (The Ice Warriors, which the Radio Times
listing placed in the year 3000).
Centuries later, Mars and the Ice Warriors were part of a Galactic Federation that included Earth, Alpha Centauri
and Arcturus. Mars was also the only planet to contain trisilicate, a valuable ore in The Curse of Peladon
(1972). However, fifty years after the events of that story, in The Monster of Peladon
(1974), trisilicate was also being mined on the planet Peladon. The Virgin New Adventures
novel Legacy by Gary Russell
places these events around the 39th and 40th centuries.
By the 41st century, mankind had established a colonising presence on Mars, as the Space Security Agent Bret Vyon claimed to have been born in its Colony 16 (The Daleks' Master Plan
, 1965). In the far future, under the influence and control of the Usurians, a colony of humans temporarily moved to Mars, then on to Pluto
after the depleting of Earth's natural resources (The Sun Makers
, 1977).
During the events of "The Long Game
" (2005), which takes place in the 2001st century, Mars is now stated to be home to a University
of questionable reputation, although no further reference to the planet is made.
media. The canonicity of these stories is open to interpretation.
In many Doctor Who stories Mars has been terraformed for human habitation, though The Dying Days
by Lance Parkin
states this process is unnecessary as Mars can indeed support human life. The Dying Days, set in 1997, tells of a takeover of the United Kingdom by the Argyre Clan of Ice Warriors, whose nests on Mars are in turn destroyed by humans. The invasion was beaten back with the help of the Eighth Doctor
, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
and Bernice Summerfield
.
The Fifth Doctor
travelled to Mars in the Big Finish Productions
audio drama Red Dawn
.
The Seventh Doctor
visited Mars in the Virgin New Adventures
novel GodEngine
by Craig Hinton
, set in the 22nd century just prior to the events of The Dalek Invasion of Earth
.
Bernice Summerfield adventured on Mars during the 26th century in the novel Beige Planet Mars
by Lance Parkin and Mark Clapham
.
The Fourth Doctor
and Leela
visited a similarly terraformed Mars in the short story Crimson Dawn by Tim Robbins, published in the Virgin Books anthology
Decalog 2: Lost Property.
The Ninth Doctor
visited the planet, which had been turned into a holiday resort
, in the Doctor Who Magazine
comic strip story The Cruel Sea (DWM #359-362), written by Rob Shearman
.
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, has been featured in the Doctor Who fictional universe
Whoniverse
Whoniverse, a portmanteau of the words "Who" and "universe", is a word used to describe the fictional setting of the television series Doctor Who, K-9 and Company, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and K-9, as well as other related stories...
on a number of occasions. In the various Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
serials which feature the Ice Warrior
Ice Warrior
The Ice Warriors are a fictional extraterrestrial race of reptilian-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The race originated on Mars, and first appeared in the 1967 serial The Ice Warriors where they encountered the Second Doctor and his...
s, mention is made that Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
is their homeworld.
History within the show
In Image of the FendahlImage of the Fendahl
Image of the Fendahl is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 29 October to 19 November 1977.-Plot:...
(1977), the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
suggests that nine million years prior to the 20th century, the malevolent entity known as the Fendahl passed by Mars on its way to Earth, fleeing the efforts of the Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
s to trap it forever in a time loop
Time loop
A time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device in science fiction in which time runs normally for a set period but then skips back like a broken record. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset...
.
Mars at that point was described as "dead", but from other accounts it is clear that it also housed the civilisation of the Ice Warriors, a proud, warlike but noble race who were capable of spaceflight. When the planet became more and more inhospitable, the Ice Warriors sent an expedition to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, but the ship crashed and was frozen in a glacier, unable to report back (The Ice Warriors
The Ice Warriors
The Ice Warriors is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from November 11 to December 16, 1967...
, 1967).
Around 5000 BC, a powerful race of beings known as the Osirans reached Mars and set up pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
-like bases there. They also travelled to Earth and influenced Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, seeming to the Egyptians like gods
Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...
. One of their number, the evil Sutekh, was imprisoned in a tomb on Earth, kept in a state of paralysis by an energy beam transmitted from the main pyramid on Mars itself. Sutekh would remain a prisoner until 1911 (Pyramids of Mars
Pyramids of Mars
Pyramids of Mars is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 25 October to 15 November 1975.-Synopsis:...
, 1975).
During the late 20th century, Mars was a target of space exploration. The British space programme sent a series of manned missions to Mars. Mars Probes 6 and 7 made contact with a group of radioactive aliens orbiting the planet on a peaceful survey mission (The Ambassadors of Death
The Ambassadors of Death
The Ambassadors of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from March 21 to May 2, 1970.-Plot:...
, 1970). On 31 October 2006, the Guinevere One probe was launched by the British Rocket Group
Bernard Quatermass
Professor Bernard Quatermass is a fictional scientist, originally created by the writer Nigel Kneale for BBC Television. An intelligent and highly moral British scientist, Quatermass is a pioneer of the British space programme, heading up the British Experimental Rocket Group...
for an intended landing on Christmas Day, but was intercepted by the alien Sycorax before it could do so ("The Christmas Invasion
The Christmas Invasion
"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is Christmas, but there is little cause for celebration as planet Earth is invaded by aliens known as the Sycorax...
", 2005).
The first human colonists arrived on Mars in 2058 and established Bowie Base One, a massive Bio-dome where frozen Martian water deposits were used to grow vegetation. On 21 November 2059, the colony was destroyed when mission commander Captain Adelaide Brooke initiated Emergency Code Five. There were no survivors. The Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
's arrival on the day of the disaster revealed that a viral life form had caused an epidemic at the base after infecting the water supply. He surmised that the Ice Warriors may have attempted to contain the contagion by keeping it frozen underground. Breaking the Laws of Time
History of the Time Lords
The Time Lords are fictional characters, a race of humanoids originating on the planet Gallifrey, seen in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, the Doctor rescued Adelaide and two of her colleagues from death and returned them to Earth. ("The Waters of Mars
The Waters of Mars
"The Waters of Mars" is the second 2009 special of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast on BBC One on 15 November 2009. It aired on BBC America on 19 December 2009 and was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on 11 January 2010 and in the US on 2 February 2010...
", 2009)
The Ice Warriors had not given up their ambitions to colonise Earth, however. In the mid-21st century a strike team was sent to take control of the planet's teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
network, T-Mat, and use it to transport seed pods to Earth that were designed to terraform
Terraforming
Terraforming of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth, in order to make it habitable by terrestrial organisms.The term is sometimes used more generally as a...
its environment to one suitable for Martian life. This plan was foiled by the Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
and his companions (The Seeds of Death
The Seeds of Death
The Seeds of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from 25 January to 1 March 1969...
, 1969).
Some time after that, the Ice Warriors' frozen ship was discovered by scientists during another ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
on Earth, and the thawed crew's attempt to seize the base was also stopped by the Second Doctor (The Ice Warriors, which the Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
listing placed in the year 3000).
Centuries later, Mars and the Ice Warriors were part of a Galactic Federation that included Earth, Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...
and Arcturus. Mars was also the only planet to contain trisilicate, a valuable ore in The Curse of Peladon
The Curse of Peladon
The Curse of Peladon is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 29 January to 19 February 1972.-Synopsis:...
(1972). However, fifty years after the events of that story, in The Monster of Peladon
The Monster of Peladon
The Monster of Peladon is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 23 March to 27 April 1974.-Synopsis:...
(1974), trisilicate was also being mined on the planet Peladon. The Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
novel Legacy by Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
places these events around the 39th and 40th centuries.
By the 41st century, mankind had established a colonising presence on Mars, as the Space Security Agent Bret Vyon claimed to have been born in its Colony 16 (The Daleks' Master Plan
The Daleks' Master Plan
The Daleks' Master Plan is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The twelve episodes were aired from 13 November 1965 to 29 January 1966...
, 1965). In the far future, under the influence and control of the Usurians, a colony of humans temporarily moved to Mars, then on to Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
after the depleting of Earth's natural resources (The Sun Makers
The Sun Makers
-Cast notes:*Michael Keating also appeared in the audio play The Twilight Kingdom as Major Koth and in Year of the Pig as Inspector Chardalot...
, 1977).
During the events of "The Long Game
The Long Game
"The Long Game" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on May 7, 2005. Along with new companion Adam, the TARDIS deposits the Doctor and Rose on Satellite 5, a space station that broadcasts across the entire human empire...
" (2005), which takes place in the 2001st century, Mars is now stated to be home to a University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
of questionable reputation, although no further reference to the planet is made.
Other appearances
Mars has also made appearances in the various Doctor Who spin-offDoctor Who spin-offs
Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
media. The canonicity of these stories is open to interpretation.
In many Doctor Who stories Mars has been terraformed for human habitation, though The Dying Days
The Dying Days
The Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was last of that range to feature the Doctor and the only one of that range to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. Thereafter the series centred around...
by Lance Parkin
Lance Parkin
Lance Parkin is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who and Emmerdale...
states this process is unnecessary as Mars can indeed support human life. The Dying Days, set in 1997, tells of a takeover of the United Kingdom by the Argyre Clan of Ice Warriors, whose nests on Mars are in turn destroyed by humans. The invasion was beaten back with the help of the Eighth Doctor
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Nicholas Courtney...
and Bernice Summerfield
Bernice Summerfield
Bernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures...
.
The Fifth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
travelled to Mars in the Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio drama Red Dawn
Red Dawn (Doctor Who audio)
Red Dawn is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:...
.
The Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
visited Mars in the Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
novel GodEngine
GodEngine
GodEngine is an original novel written by Craig Hinton and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris, Roz, the Ice Warriors and the Daleks....
by Craig Hinton
Craig Hinton
Craig Paul Alexander Hinton was a British writer best known for his work on various spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who....
, set in the 22nd century just prior to the events of The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from November 21 to December 26, 1964....
.
Bernice Summerfield adventured on Mars during the 26th century in the novel Beige Planet Mars
Beige Planet Mars
Beige Planet Mars is an original novel by Lance Parkin and Mark Clapham featuring the fictional archaeologist Bernice Summerfield. The New Adventures were a spin-off from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
by Lance Parkin and Mark Clapham
Mark Clapham
Mark Clapham is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who in his book : Who's Next....
.
The Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
and Leela
Leela (Doctor Who)
Leela is a fictional character played by Louise Jameson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Leela was a companion of the Fourth Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1977 to 1978...
visited a similarly terraformed Mars in the short story Crimson Dawn by Tim Robbins, published in the Virgin Books anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Decalog 2: Lost Property.
The Ninth Doctor
Ninth Doctor
The Ninth Doctor is the ninth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by Christopher Eccleston....
visited the planet, which had been turned into a holiday resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
, in the Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
comic strip story The Cruel Sea (DWM #359-362), written by Rob Shearman
Rob Shearman
Robert Shearman is currently best known as a writer for Doctor Who and for his ongoing association with Jarvis & Ayres Productions which has resulted in six plays for BBC Radio 4 broadcast in the station's regular weekday Afternoon Play slot, and one classic...
.