Dr. Who (The Early Years) - Part 68 "The Ultimate Foe"

The Valeyard had just claimed the Doctor now needs to be tried for genocide. Outraged, the Doctor again claims the matrix has been tampered with. In order to prove it's impossible, the Inquisitor brings in the keeper of the Matrix. He claims changes to the Matrix are impossible because he personally holds the key, which never leaves his side. The Doctor points out it has from time to time when maintenance is needed. Stubbornly, the keeper of the key refuses to admit such an event is possible, and those in possession of the key when not in his hands are "qualified personnel".

When the Valeyard claims the Doctor is just stalling for time, the Inquisitor asks the Doctor if he has any witnesses available that can back up his version of events. The Doctor asks how he'd have witnesses with him, any companions who could back him up are scattered across the universe and all through time. But mysteriously, two capsules arrive carrying Glitz and Melanie. It's revealed the Master has sent them along to 'help' the Doctor. He has penetrated the Matrix (just as the Doctor claimed was possible) and has been following the trial with great interest, though he is not responsible for the alterations.

The Master makes another startling statement when he calls the Valeyard the Doctor. It turns out, the Valeyard in an amalgam of all the Doctors darkest sides, coming between his 11th and 12th regenerations. He's working with the High Council to hide their corruption. They have promised the Valeyard the Doctors remaining regenerations. The Master finally admits he's only helping the Doctor for two reasons. The first is to discredit the Valeyard. The Master hopes the revelations will shock Gallifrey to it's very core. Also, he's helping the Doctor because he wants to kill the Doctor personally. While explaining all this, the Valeyard escapes into the Matrix. The Doctor takes Glitz and follows the Valeyard.

While inside the Matrix, the Valeyard tries to kill the Doctor but the Master gives the Doctor refuge. He continues to relate why he's helping. He admits that the Valeyard, without the good qualities of the Doctor that holds him back, is the ultimate foe. Additionally, he wants to steal the Gallifreyan secrets and bribes Glitz into helping him. Glitz is able to persuade the secrets from Mr. Poppelwick, via use of a gun.

Meanwhile, the Doctor escapes from the Valeyard and finds Mel in the Matrix, she coaxes him out to the trial room where the Inquisitor sentences the Doctor to death. The Doctor agrees to the verdict and heads back to the Matrix. But this is all a ruse, another fabrication of the Valeyards. In the real trial room, the Inquisitor tells Mel they are helpless and cannot interfere. Mel disagrees and steals the Matrix key and runs in to warn the Doctor. But the Doctor knows it was a ruse and was pretending to give up his life to get close to the Valeyard. Once they meet him, they find out he's wired the monitor in the trial room to explode, hoping to kill the Inquisitor and the Timelords in the trial room. Mel runs off to warn the courtroom.

Struggling to save the courtroom, the Doctor narrowly averts the disaster, though a surge still destroys the courtroom monitor and takes out the Valeyard. Meanwhile, the Master tries to install the Gallifreyan data into his Tardis, but it's not authentic and it traps both him and Glitz. Back in the courtroom, the Inquisitor offers her thanks to the Doctor and once again suggests him for the Presidency, to which the Doctor politely declines. He's also delighted to find out, one of the fabrications of the Matrix was the death of Peri. It turns out she's living as a Queen with King Yrcanos. The courtroom clears and the last persons to leave is the keeper of the Matrix key, but it turns out to be the Valeyard in disguise.

WHO: The Doctor (6th)

DEPARTURE LOCATION: Last seen in the Timelord Courtroom.

REASON FOR DEPARTURE: Little is known (in the televised) series as to why the Doctor regenerates. It's possible an explosion in the Tardis as a result of a strong tractor beam can be the culprit.

Dr. Who (The Early Years) - Part 67 "Terror of the Vervoids"

The Doctor has just learned that Peri died in the previous episode, but the show must go on. Or in the Doctor's case, his trial must go on. Given the same opportunity as the Valeyard, the Doctor draws upon the Matrix as his evidence. His defence (at least to the Valeyard) is he improves in the future. To illustrate this, he highlights an adventure that take place in the future, with a future companion; Melanie.

The adventure begins when the Tardis suddenly receives a distress call. Quickly the Doctor answers it and the Tardis materializes inside the Hyperion III. Initially, Rudge, the security chief apprehends the Doctor and Mel - not knowing how they got inside the ship. The Doctor is taken to Commodore Travers, who already knows the Doctor from a previous unseen adventure. Knowing the Doctors reputation for running into trouble, Travers is none to pleased to meet him.

The Doctor is set to work immediately as one death has already taken place. Mel decides she wants to investigate the hydroponics bay, but the Doctor dismisses her and the lead she's following up on. Immediately, the Doctor (back in the court-room) halts the matrix. He claims the Matrix has been tampered with as he wouldn't have dismissed Mel and her evidence. Again, the Valeyard claims the Matrix cannot be altered. Reluctantly, the Doctor decides to continue airing the episode. He hopes it'll give him a clue to who's trying to frame him and how.

It isn't long before the episode is once again interrupted when the Valeyard questions the Doctor on seeming to have additional information than what the court room has. He accuses the Doctor of omitting evidence. The Doctor, however, is able to support his evidence by reshowing a crucial part with the Mogarians and the Commodore. Two of the Mogarians turn on their translators before talking, but one does not. However, the Mogarians are peace loving people so it's unlikely they are the culprits behind the now several murders.

Despite being peace loving, the Mogarians voice their views of the humans who they think are taking advantage of some mining rights. As their innocence seems unsteady, another group appear with some shady motives. Lasky and her associates have a cabin which remains locked at all times with a guard standing duty. Horrible moans and crashing can be heard within at times. In the fitness centre, one of the group talks about the disturbing aspect of their research and has his doubts about their research.

Inclined to investigate this tight lipped group, Mel convinces the Doctor of the urgency. After breaking into the isolation room, the Doctor and Mel are shocked to find a human/plant hybrid. This is the questionable research the group have been working on. Currently they are en route to Earth where professor Lasky hopes to cure the woman. The Doctor and Mel are ushered out of the isolation room so the hybrid can be sedated. But there is still the problem of the mysterious deaths.

As if problems aren't bad enough, it's soon revealed that Security Chief Rudge is hijacking the freighter along with the Mogarians. The Mogarians wish to 'liberate' the minerals mined from their planet and are paying Rudge for his help. As he's reaching retirement, he's hoping for a more secure future. But Mel is able to sneak away and warn the others. The hijacking is thwarted.

Despite all the motives floating around, the real culprits behind all the murders are the Vervoids. A species created by Professor Lasky and her companions. Mel is shocked when she discovers their human compost heap, but the Doctor reminds her it's all relative. It's no more unusual for the plant-like Vervoids to compost humans as it would be for humans to do so with discarded plants. Essentially, the Vervoids are acting completely out of instinct in order to preserve their race.

Realizing how dangerous the Vervoids can be, The Doctor orchestrates their demise by using a rare metal that accelerates their growth. The Vervoids wither and die in seconds, not so much as a leaf survives. The Doctor concludes his testimony, satisfied with the results. But the Valeyard gleefully acknowledges the original charge the Doctor is facing is moot. He now faces a much greater charge, GENOCIDE!

WHO: Melanie Bush

PLANET OF ORIGIN: Earth, circa 1986

REASON FOR JOINING: There is no televised encounter of Mel and the Doctor's first meeting.

Dr. Who (The Early Years) - Part 66 "Mindwarp"

As further evidence against the Doctor, the Valeyard reveals another example of the Doctors meddling. This time, the Doctor and Peri are visiting Thoros Beta, the home world of Sil; a creature they previously met. (Vengeance on Varos) Last time, Sil turned Peri into a half-bird creature. The Doctor is on the planet investigating how a warrior race acquired advanced technology. But it isn't long before they are captured and identified by Sil.

As the Doctor is being interrogated, he's rescued when another prisoner, (King Yrcanos; played by Brian Blessed) escapes and wrecks havoc in the science lab. He frees the Doctor and all three escape. They then run into Dorf, Yrcanos' companion, who has been experimented on by the mad scientist Crozier. He's now more of a dog/wolf-like creature.


With his swiss-cheesed brain, the Doctor is having problem remembering events the way the matrix is showing the rest of the court room. So he's surprised to watch himself betray both King Yrcanos and Peri. King Yrcanos swears vengeance on the treacherous Doctor, who has now sided with Sil and Crozier. Crozier's aim is to remove the mind of the dying leader Kiv, to that of another body. The Doctor announces to the court, though he can't remember, it was likely a ploy to discover more information.

King Yrcanos soon gets his chance to avenge himself on the Doctor but is thwarted by Peri, who refuses to see the Doctor die. She's uncertain of why the Doctor turned on them, but knows he's a good guy. Yrcanos is confused, but soon forgives Peri when he discovers an underground movement to rebel against Kiv and Sil. Yrcanos believes it will be a glorious fight, but they are soon captured.

The mind transplant is successful, to some degree. It works, but has to be perfected. Crozier is determined to try one more time, under pain of death (or so decreed by Kiv). When Crozier makes it know he wishes to use Peri, the Doctor is given the option of finding a better candidate. As the Doctor heads off to a slave conversion room, Crozier orders Peri brought to him anyway, unbeknownst to the Doctor.

The Doctor next goes to release the King Yrcanos and the rest, but Peri is already gone. Though he has sworn to kill the Doctor, Yrcanos agrees to let the Doctor live and accept his help. As the fighting commences, Dorf is killed in battle. Making their way to free Peri, the Doctor is suddenly drawn out of time and space by the Time Lords, which is how he appeared at the beginning of the first Trial Story. The Doctor demands to know why they pulled him out of space and time at such a crucial time.

This time the Inquisitor informs the Doctor of the reason. The High Council of the Time Lords felt things had gotten out of hand and that Croziers experiments could alter the balance of the universe. Having frozen King Yrcanos in time temporarily, the Doctor is shocked to learn the Time Lords are using him as an executioner. But the biggest shock of all is when the Doctor sees Crozier has successfully implanted Kiv's mind into that of Peri. The Time Lords then release King Yrcanos who goes on to exterminate everyone in the room, including Peri (Whom ). The Doctor refuses to believe it, but knows the Matrix can not lie.

WHO: Perpugilliam Brown

DEPARTURE LOCATION: Thoros Beta, 2379

REASON FOR DEPARTURE: Assassinated by King Yrcanos after the mind of Kiv had been superimposed onto her mind.

Dr. Who (The Early Years) - Part 65 "The Mysterious Planet"

Drawn by an unknown force, the Doctor's Tardis is brought to a station in space. Oddly, he no longer has Peri with him. Seeing the only door available to him, he walks into a courtroom. The High Council of Gallifrey is putting the Doctor on trial once again at the behest of the Valeyard, a character bent on finding the Doctor guilty of serious crimes of intervening in other planets affairs. The Doctor claims that as President of Gallifrey, he can't be put on trial. He's then informed because he refused to return to Gallifrey, he was deposed. Reluctantly, the Doctor sits down, allowing the trial to continue.

The Valeyard is utilizing the Matrix to illustrate the point of how the Doctor willingly gets over involved in the affairs of others. Using a visualizer in the courtroom, we see the Doctor and Peri materialize on a mysterious planet. The Doctor says the planet is named Ravalox and was to have been destroyed by a fireball, but it's evidently not true. To add further mystery, it's the same size and angle as the Earth. As they continue to investigate, they are being watched by a pair of rouges who want to kill the Doctor, claiming they hate 'competitors'. The man in charge is Sabalom Glitz, a mercenary.

As the matrix continues to follow Glitz and his companion, it bleeps out phrases of their speech to which the Doctor cries fowl. The Inquisitor allows the edited version for now, turning back to the visualizer. The Doctor and Peri have split up when they discover an abandoned "Marble Arch" underground station, which seems to confirm to the Doctor this is actually the planet Earth. As he continues to investigate Peri is captured by a local tribe who have also captured Sabalom Glitz and partner. Meanwhile, the Doctor is captured by the underground dwellers who think he's stealing water. After being stoned, he manages to escape and is also captured by the outside tribe. But there is an 'immortal' living below who wants the Doctor recaptured so he sends a L1 robot to recapture him. While the Doctor is captured, Peri and Glitz are able to escape.

While underground, the Doctor meets Drathro, a robot designed to help maintain order in the facility, but has gone a little mental. And when the Doctor tries to tell it, a faulty black light converter needs to be shut down before there is a cosmos shattering explosion, Drathro refuses to let him do so, realizing that means it will cease to function.

After destroying the L1 robot, Katryca, leads the rest of her tribe into the underground station to steal the secrets within. They believe the service robot was in fact the immortal. Before too long, she realizes her mistake when she storms into Drathro's lair where he kills her by electrocution. Drathro orders everyone else outside to awate being 'culled'. They obediently do as they are told. This gives the Doctor one last chance to disable the converter, but still fails to do so.

Trying once more, this time with Glitz' help, the Doctor is able to stop the catastrophe. Glitz has tricked Drathro into thinking he can support it with black light from his ship. Realistically though, Glitz was trying to steal away the secrets Drathro was carrying. When the Doctor averts most of the explosion, Drathro is destroyed, taking the secrets Glitz so desperately wanted. The crisis is averted, and back in the courtroom, the Doctor gleefully says he's won the case because he averted the destruction of the universe. But the Valeyard contents his meddling possible initiated it and has one more case to show the court.



Bonus Photo: The Valeyard

Who is the Valeyard, and why is he so determined to see the Doctors demise?