The Indestructible Man (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
The Indestructible Man is a BBC Books
original novel written by Simon Messingham
and based on the long-running British
science fiction television
series Doctor Who
. It features the Second Doctor
, Jamie
and Zoe
.
The novel depicts a world modelled on television programmes created by Gerry Anderson
, in particular Stingray
, Thunderbirds
, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
(e.g. the indestructible man of the novel's title, the flying base of operations and the alien threat) and UFO
(carried over to the cover in which Zoe's purple wig echoes that of the female Moonbase personnel in UFO). However, The Indestructible Man depicts a dystopia
n future in contrast to the more utopian style of Anderson's earlier work.
Thunderbirds
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
UFO
NB: The Myloki are described as never having a physical form. This is the same in UFO, where the unnamed aliens are only ever seen physically when possessing the body of a human. The Mysterions, which were seen on-screen as a series of flashing lights, were also capable of taking over bodies as well as producing replicas (Captain Scarlet; Captain Black). They would usually announce their intentions to SPECTRUM in the same creepy voices that Neville describes early on in his book at the start of every episode.
BBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
original novel written by Simon Messingham
Simon Messingham
Simon Messingham is a British science fiction writer who has written six Doctor Who novels and another story released as an BBC Audio Drama. He also wrote and performed in the cable television programmes The Dave Saint Show and Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement.-Past Doctor Adventures:*Zeta...
and based on the long-running British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series 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...
. It features 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....
, Jamie
Jamie McCrimmon
James Robert "Jamie" McCrimmon is a fictional character played by Frazer Hines in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A piper of the Clan McLaren who lived in 18th century Scotland, he was a companion of the Second Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1966...
and Zoe
Zoe Heriot
Zoe Heriot , or simply Zoe, is a fictional character played by Wendy Padbury in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
.
The novel depicts a world modelled on television programmes created by Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
, in particular Stingray
Stingray (TV series)
Stingray is a children's marionette television show, created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment from 1964–65. Its 39 half-hour episodes were originally screened on ITV in the UK and in syndication in the USA. The scriptwriters included Gerry and...
, Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
(e.g. the indestructible man of the novel's title, the flying base of operations and the alien threat) and UFO
UFO (TV series)
UFO is a 1970-1971 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth, created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 Productions for Grade's ITC Entertainment company.UFO first aired in the UK and Canada...
(carried over to the cover in which Zoe's purple wig echoes that of the female Moonbase personnel in UFO). However, The Indestructible Man depicts a dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n future in contrast to the more utopian style of Anderson's earlier work.
Plot
Years after The Indestructible Man defeated the alien Myloki, Earth has become a dystopian state. The Doctor is seemingly killed, Jamie is forced into the army, whilst Zoe becomes a corporate slave. Meanwhile, the Myloki show signs of returning to start and finish the war once and for all...Specific References in the Novel
StingrayStingray (TV series)
Stingray is a children's marionette television show, created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment from 1964–65. Its 39 half-hour episodes were originally screened on ITV in the UK and in syndication in the USA. The scriptwriters included Gerry and...
- Submarine Manta - Submarine StingrayStingrayThe stingrays are a group of rays, which are cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes, and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae , Plesiobatidae , Urolophidae , Urotrygonidae , Dasyatidae , Potamotrygonidae The...
- Captain Hector - Troy Tempest
- Lieutenant Falukner - Lieutenant George "Phones" Sheridan
Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
- Global Response - International Rescue
- Lightning Five - Thunderbird Five
- Sharon Island - Tracy IslandTracy IslandTracy Island is the home of the Tracy family in the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson 1960s television series Thunderbirds. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, the island's true function as the secret base of the International Rescue organisation is heavily camouflaged.Thunderbird 1 launches from a hangar...
- Sharon Consortium - Tracy Corporation (mentioned in spin-off media)
- Abercrombie - Parker {John Sharon mentions he named the tribesman after a "butler"}
- Alton Sharon - John TracyJohn Tracy (Thunderbirds)John Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6...
- Buck Sharon - Jeff TracyJeff TracyJeff Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The voice for the character in these shows was supplied by Peter Dyneley. The character also appeared in the live...
- Professor Dwight "Boffin" Graham - Professor "Brains" 'Hackenbacker'Brains (Thunderbirds)Brains is a fictional character in the 1960s British Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds, its sequel films Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6 , and the 2004 live-action remake film Thunderbirds. Brains was born 14 November 2040 and was orphaned when a hurricane struck his family's...
. (The surname 'Hackenbacker' was never officially confirmed to be Brains's last name. See: "Alias Mister Hackenbacker"). - Graham - Gordon TracyGordon TracyGordon Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds....
- Homer Sharon - Virgil TracyVirgil TracyVirgil Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds....
- John Sharon - Alan TracyAlan TracyAlan Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The character also appeared in the 2004 live action movie Thunderbirds....
- Skip Sharon - Scott TracyScott TracyScott Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds....
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
- CHERUB attack craft - Angel Attack Craft
- P.R.I.S.M. - SPECTRUM
- SKYHOME - Cloudbase
- Captain Grant Matthews - Captain ScarletCaptain Scarlet (character)Captain Scarlet is the fictional main character in Gerry Anderson's British Supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet....
(Paul Metcalfe) (named after actor Francis Matthews) - Captain Adam Nelson - Captain BlueCaptain Blue (Captain Scarlet)Captain Blue is a character in the 1967 Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is a senior officer of the Spectrum organisation and a close friend of Captain Scarlet....
(Adam Svenson) - Captain Taylor - Captain BlackCaptain Black (Captain Scarlet)Captain Black is the fictional nemesis of Captain Scarlet and recurring Mysteron agent in the 1960s British supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet...
- Lieutenant Neville Verdana - Lieutenant GreenLieutenant GreenLieutenant Green is the assistant of Colonel White in the Supermarionation television series series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is of Trinidadian origin, and as well as being the only non-white male on Cloudbase, he is the only officer to hold the rank of lieutenant...
- Colonel LeBlanc - Colonel WhiteColonel WhiteColonel White is a character in the 1960s Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is the commander-in-Chief of Spectrum, the security organisation dedicated to defending Earth against the Mysterons from Mars...
UFO
UFO (TV series)
UFO is a 1970-1971 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth, created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 Productions for Grade's ITC Entertainment company.UFO first aired in the UK and Canada...
- BFTV Studio - Harlington-Straker Film Studio
- BLOCKER - Interceptor
- KINGFISHER - SkyDiverSkyDiverSkydiver was a fictional futuristic submarine featured in Gerry Anderson’s TV series UFO, operated by the secretive SHADO organisation as part of Earth's defences against alien aggressors.Like many Anderson vehicles, Skydiver was designed by Derek Meddings...
(King/Sky One, Fisher/Diver) - Lunar Base - Moonbase
- MOVER - Mobiles
- S.E.W.A.R.D. - S.I.D.
- S.I.L.O.E.T. - S.H.A.D.O.
- Alex Storm - Alec Freeman {Name is typical of early Anderson era - "Mike Mercury", "Doctor Venus", etc.}
- Lieutenant Anouska - An unnamed SHADO operative portrayed by actress Anouska Hempel in 4 episodes
- Captain Drake - Captain Peter Carlin or Captain Lew Waterman {both UFO; Carlin was replaced by Waterman about a quarter of the way through the season after Peter Gordeno, who played Carlin, left}
- Lieutenant Gabrielle - Lieutenant Ellis {Named after actress Gabrielle Drake}
- Commander Hal Bishop - Commander Ed Straker {Named after actor Ed Bishop}
- Helen Bishop - Mary Straker {Although she didn't die, her and Ed's son John Rutland (named after his new stepfather) died after Straker failed to deliver the drugs that would have saved his life}
- Doctor Koslovski - Doctor Jackson {It was never determined as to whether Jackson was German or Russian}
- The Myloki - methods from The Mysterons {Captain Scarlet}; ideology from the unnamed aliens that attacked Earth in the 1980s
- Doctor Ventham - Colonel Virginia Lake {UFO; named after actress Wanda VenthamWanda VenthamWanda Ventham is an English actress, mainly on television. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama....
}
NB: The Myloki are described as never having a physical form. This is the same in UFO, where the unnamed aliens are only ever seen physically when possessing the body of a human. The Mysterions, which were seen on-screen as a series of flashing lights, were also capable of taking over bodies as well as producing replicas (Captain Scarlet; Captain Black). They would usually announce their intentions to SPECTRUM in the same creepy voices that Neville describes early on in his book at the start of every episode.
Other Notes/References
- Major Maxwell was possibly named after either actress Lois Maxwell, most famous as Miss Moneypenny but also the voice actress for Atlanta Shore from Stingray and appeared in two episodes of UFO as Straker's temporary secretary, Maxwell Shore who played SHADO medic Doctor Schroeder, or Skydiver's Lieutenant Gordon Maxwell.
- Several quotes are taken from Captain Scarlet, namely "But first they must destroy." (Bishop) and "One man fate has made indestructible." (Neville & various). Both of these are taken from the title sequence of Captain Scarlet, which was read by Ed Bishop, who played both Captain Blue on Captain Scarlet and Ed Straker on UFO.
- There are startling contrasts between Messingham's universe and Anderson's. For example, whilst Alec Freeman often acted as a "strongman" to help with Straker's intentions, he was never physically violent to anyone unless attacked first. (See: Court Martial). Alex Storm, on the other hand, is portrayed as having a violent temper. Also, Lieutenant Gabrielle is written as spiteful and vain, whereas Lieutenant Ellis was cold and efficient, but not deliberately cruel. Bishop drinks alcohol - whiskey, a drink Straker is always fixing for Alec Freeman - whereas Straker is teetotal.
- Zoe is referenced as to wearing the SKYHOME uniform, which is a short silver skirt, lycra top and purple wig. This is the uniform of the Moonbase personnel in UFO. Similarly, much of SKYHOME's architecture is written as identical to a crossover of Moonbase and Cloudbase. Also, the hats the natives wear in chapter XXI are modeled after Thunderbird Two, and the crashed craft the Doctor and Storm find is Lightning Two, Thunderbird Two's counterpart. John Sharon's brothers are described in their portraits as wearing "a purple uniform with a diagonal blue sash".
- Hal Bishop's car is identical in descriptions to Ed Straker's car. Colonel Paul Foster also drove a car of the same model, although his was in lilac.
- The events of Captain Taylor being captured/duplicated by the Myloki and the circumstances leading to PRISM discovering that Captain Grant Matthews was a clone are directly taken from the first episode of Captain Scarlet. Also, Koslovski claims that the first encounter with Captain Taylor was in a French graveyard - at the beginning of every Captain Scarlet episode Captain Black was introduced standing in said graveyard.
- "Spoken like a true television detective," remarks the Doctor to Alex Storm. George Sewell, the actor who played Alec Freeman, left UFO to become a cynical television detective.
- The phrase "MIC" - Message is Clear, also the title of Neville's book - is a play-off of the multiple phrases coined by various Gerry Anderson productions. Stingray had "PWOR" (Proceeding With Orders Received), Thunderbirds had the infamous "FAB" (no actual definition of this has been given, although some spin-off media have settled on "For All Brothers", considering that the main operatives of International Rescue were siblings; the Andersons have said many times that FAB is not an acronym but an abbreviated form of "fabulous" that was in common use at the time the series was made), and Captain Scarlet "SIG" and "SIR" (Spectrum Is Green/Red). These signature phrases died off with the subsequent live-action shows of UFO and Space: 1999.
- Whilst the date is correct for Captain Scarlet - the book placing the "war" between the Mysterons and humans in 2068 - it is incorrect for UFO, which took place in the 1980s.
- Captain Grant Matthews - (Captain Scarlet (Paul Metcalfe))- is a reference to voice artists Frances Matthews, who was Scarlet, and Cy Grant, who was Lt. Green.
- During the Myloki attack, it is stated that Lunar Base has been replaced by a crater, "as if that part of the moon has drifted off into space" -- presumably a reference to Space: 1999Space: 1999Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
.