Threshold (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
The Threshold are a fictional organisation who appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine
comic strip based on the long-running British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
. The canonicity of the comic strips, like other Doctor Who spin-off media, is open to interpretation.
The Threshold were created by the "partnership" of Abraham White, a travelling salesman, and the Pariah, a living weapon of great power created on Gallifrey
many years ago, but was soon cast out by Rassilon
as it had developed a mind of its own and rebelled. During a final battle with Rassilon, its containment sphere crashed to Earth, where it was discovered by Abraham. Offering him power and immortality, the Pariah persuaded Abraham to merge with her core being. After helping Henry Ford
begin the mass production line of his cars, an inspired Abraham mass-produced a series of spheres, giving birth to the Threshold.
The Threshold began their careers as profiteers, using their transport window capabilities to carry out important missions from their clients, during the DMW comic strip "Ground Zero" (Issues 238-242) they eventually come under contract to the Lobri, a race of spider-like parasitic entities trapped on a plane of reality that also holds together the link between human minds. They supply the Lobri with the resources required to instigate a breakout, a large gathering of humans at the Notting Hill Carnival
, and supply them with three of the Doctor's previous companions, Peri
, Ace
, and Sarah Jane Smith
, to gain enough power to escape the dimension, having taken them from previous adventures in the Doctor's life.
The Doctor, along with his granddaughter Susan, were also abducted and used by Threshold agents, but successfully managed to trick the main Threshold operative for the Notting Hill mission, Isaac, and travelled to the realm. There, they saved all of the companions, except for Ace, who dies saving the Doctor. They destroyed two of the Lobri, and killed the surviving member when it arrived on Earth. Using the TARDIS
, the Threshold remained untouched, and with their secrets still known only to them, merely continued on with business as usual. Their only real weakness is their inability to time travel
, providing the Doctor with an inevitable upper hand when dealing with them in later adventures.
During the Eighth Doctor
comic strip adventure "Fire and Brimstone" (Issues 251-255), the Threshold are hired by the Time Lord
s to eliminate the Daleks as they attempt to open the doorway to an alternate reality as part of a war effort to destroy a group of alternate Daleks that had crossed over into their reality, and then to eventually conquer all of the multiverse. This goal was not above attempting to sacrifice the Doctor, their major interest in fulfilling this contract was the reward: A black box (which would allow them the gift of universal translation, necessary to implement a message to the galaxies on a proposal of their own).
The Doctor successfully managed to end the Dalek threat without sacrificing himself, and the Threshold attained their box. Tiring of the Threshold's manipulations, the Doctor fought back in the comic strip "Wormwood" (Issues 266-271). Enabling the aid of a disguised Shayde
to fake his own regeneration, he allowed the Threshold to believe him vulnerable enough to take the TARDIS crew to their main base on the moon, a western like town on the surface (to appease Abraham's roots) and a major complex underneath. The Doctor's friends learned of the Threshold's secret history and the extent of their agenda; to make universal travel impossible and profit from the continuous use of their interdimensional windows.
With the plot revealed, the Doctor came out of hiding, the Pariah then revealed that it had tricked even its own creations, it (or a "she" by her own admission) wiped out the Threshold legions by shifting their Eye of Disharmony device, using it to disrupt their universe, a split second in time, killing them instantly. Abraham at this point turned against the Pariah and separated himself from her, causing her to lose most of her powers, before finally being brought down by Shayde, who is revealed to be her successor. The Doctor destroys the Eye's control centre, and the device explodes, decimating the alien moon and killing both White and The Pariah, ending the Threshold's organisation once and for all.
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
comic strip 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 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...
. The canonicity of the comic strips, like other Doctor Who spin-off media, is open to interpretation.
The Threshold were created by the "partnership" of Abraham White, a travelling salesman, and the Pariah, a living weapon of great power created on Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
many years ago, but was soon cast out by Rassilon
Rassilon
Rassilon is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In the backstory of the programme, he was the founder of Time Lord society on the planet Gallifrey...
as it had developed a mind of its own and rebelled. During a final battle with Rassilon, its containment sphere crashed to Earth, where it was discovered by Abraham. Offering him power and immortality, the Pariah persuaded Abraham to merge with her core being. After helping Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
begin the mass production line of his cars, an inspired Abraham mass-produced a series of spheres, giving birth to the Threshold.
The Threshold began their careers as profiteers, using their transport window capabilities to carry out important missions from their clients, during the DMW comic strip "Ground Zero" (Issues 238-242) they eventually come under contract to the Lobri, a race of spider-like parasitic entities trapped on a plane of reality that also holds together the link between human minds. They supply the Lobri with the resources required to instigate a breakout, a large gathering of humans at the Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which since 1964 has taken place on the streets of Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea , London, UK each August, over two days...
, and supply them with three of the Doctor's previous companions, Peri
Peri Brown
Peri Brown, full name Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
, Ace
Ace (Doctor Who)
Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, and Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-offs K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures....
, to gain enough power to escape the dimension, having taken them from previous adventures in the Doctor's life.
The Doctor, along with his granddaughter Susan, were also abducted and used by Threshold agents, but successfully managed to trick the main Threshold operative for the Notting Hill mission, Isaac, and travelled to the realm. There, they saved all of the companions, except for Ace, who dies saving the Doctor. They destroyed two of the Lobri, and killed the surviving member when it arrived on Earth. Using the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, the Threshold remained untouched, and with their secrets still known only to them, merely continued on with business as usual. Their only real weakness is their inability to time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
, providing the Doctor with an inevitable upper hand when dealing with them in later adventures.
During 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...
comic strip adventure "Fire and Brimstone" (Issues 251-255), the Threshold are hired by 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 eliminate the Daleks as they attempt to open the doorway to an alternate reality as part of a war effort to destroy a group of alternate Daleks that had crossed over into their reality, and then to eventually conquer all of the multiverse. This goal was not above attempting to sacrifice the Doctor, their major interest in fulfilling this contract was the reward: A black box (which would allow them the gift of universal translation, necessary to implement a message to the galaxies on a proposal of their own).
The Doctor successfully managed to end the Dalek threat without sacrificing himself, and the Threshold attained their box. Tiring of the Threshold's manipulations, the Doctor fought back in the comic strip "Wormwood" (Issues 266-271). Enabling the aid of a disguised Shayde
Shayde
Shayde is a fictional character who appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
to fake his own regeneration, he allowed the Threshold to believe him vulnerable enough to take the TARDIS crew to their main base on the moon, a western like town on the surface (to appease Abraham's roots) and a major complex underneath. The Doctor's friends learned of the Threshold's secret history and the extent of their agenda; to make universal travel impossible and profit from the continuous use of their interdimensional windows.
With the plot revealed, the Doctor came out of hiding, the Pariah then revealed that it had tricked even its own creations, it (or a "she" by her own admission) wiped out the Threshold legions by shifting their Eye of Disharmony device, using it to disrupt their universe, a split second in time, killing them instantly. Abraham at this point turned against the Pariah and separated himself from her, causing her to lose most of her powers, before finally being brought down by Shayde, who is revealed to be her successor. The Doctor destroys the Eye's control centre, and the device explodes, decimating the alien moon and killing both White and The Pariah, ending the Threshold's organisation once and for all.