There’s no point denying it – I LOVE Doctor Who. I am a Whovian. While I’m enjoying Peter Capaldi’s portrayal of the Doctor, my Doctor will always be David Tennant, closely tied with Matt Smith. My favourite villains in the series are the Cybermen and the Weeping Angels still frighten me. I have the massive Vault book chronicling the 50+ years of the show. You get the idea. One of the show’s strong points has always been the Doctor’s companions; they’ve always been his morality leash, reminding him to keep his compassion and, for lack of a better term, his humanity.
Anyway, for this particular blog entry, I’m going to try an experiment in creative writing. In other words, I’m delving into the realms of fan fiction, more specifically the potential of crossovers. The fact the TARDIS can travel through all of time and space opens up multiple possibilities, and besides, the Doctor has been to the Land of Fiction before. Basically, I’m going to create a list of new companions for the Doctor from various other franchises and works, trying my best to explain why the Doctor has chosen them to travel with him and crank out a reasonable story from it. Hope you’re ready… Geronimo!
Luna Lovegood
Alright, let’s get the quintessentially British Doctor Who/Harry Potter crossover out of the way first. You’d think the obvious characters for this crossover would be Harry, Ron and Hermione. You’d be right, but they have enough adventures of their own without the Doctor showing up. Instead, I reckon a good character from the HP world to travel with the Doctor would be Luna Lovegood. I’ll be upfront and admit that it’s partly because she’s my favourite character from the series and adds some much needed levity to the increasingly dark nature of the later books with her quirky personality. She’s spacey, eccentric and upbeat, but occasionally she can be quite profound.
In summary, all these qualities would make her an excellent companion for the Doctor. He’s already eccentric, and having Luna around to be equally eccentric would allow for some hilarious banter between them. Perhaps he chooses Luna because he sees something of himself in her. Plus she’s proven in the books to be a loyal ally to Harry, something that would carry on with her friendship with the Doctor. And yes, there’s the fact that she’s also a talented witch with potential. With the Doctor’s knowledge of science and her knowledge of magic, they could be a formidable team. That could be the story…
The Doctor is investigating the hidden magical world and needs someone to help him understand it, so he chooses Luna who has recently graduated from Hogwarts. However, there are still Death Eaters out in the world who want to carry on Voldemort’s work, maybe to take his place as the most feared wizard. Plus, all this magic on earth is attracting alien races who want to harness it for their own nefarious ends. Speaking of magical girls…
Madoka
Anyone who’s ever watched Puella Magi Madoka Magica knows how dark it gets, de-constructing the prominent “Magical Girl” genre. However, the show’s main protagonist, the titular Madoka, tries her best to remain upbeat and optimistic throughout her experiences in the show. She’s polite, selfless, empathic and cheery, if a little naïve. She may not know much about the greater world, but she’s willing to learn while remaining a a decent person despite the horrible events that surround her. All of these qualities would make her a good companion for the Doctor. Now, what would be the story? I can’t really explain it without going into spoiler territory. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Initially drawn in by all the fluctuations in negative energy created by the Witches, the Doctor goes to investigate the phenomena. When he arrives he meets up with Madoka, and more to his interest, Kyubey, whom the Doctor recognises as an alien. The Doctor, like Kyubey, recognises Madoka’s potential as a Magical Girl, but in true Doctor fashion, he takes a shining to her. He takes Madoka on his adventures, hoping to help her learn about the universe, but also to keep her away from Kyubey. However, the Doctor of all people knows she cannot run away from fate forever. Also, the TARDIS seems obsessed with focusing on Homura’s timey-wimey shenanigans creating multiple timelines centred around her and Madoka, so the Doctor decides it’s time to face Walpurgisnacht. The events play out like the official show; Madoka transcends and saves the universe from the Witches, and the Doctor once again finds himself alone, with only him and Homura knowing of Madoka’s sacrifice.
R2 D2 & C3P0
Boy, that last one was a downer, wasn’t it? Time for some levity by suggesting his next companions are two of sci-fi and cinema’s most beloved robotic characters. Everyone remembers and loves K9, so it seems a shame that the Doctor hasn’t had a robotic companion since then. Allow me to “fix” that. R2 D2 and C3P0 already have memorable chemistry together; having them travel with the Doctor would enhance that friendship. Yeah, like everyone else in the Star Wars universe, the Doctor would initially see them both as mere tools, perhaps wary of them due to his history with both the Daleks and Cybermen, but over time would learn to treat them as true companions. OK, since the TARDIS has a translation circuit, C3P0 would be even more useless (aside from the hilarity of seeing him panic when encountered by a Sontaran), but R2 D2 could be fitted with sonic technology and could even connect to the TARDIS.
OK, how would the Doctor fit into Star Wars continuity? Perhaps he lands on Tatooine the same time R2 D2 and C3P0 do, his TARDIS picked up by the Jawas with him inside. He learns of R2’s mission to find Obi Wan and meets up with Luke. However, as the Doctor tags along on Luke’s adventure, his TARDIS is salvaged by Stormtroopers, who take it to the Death Star. Now, the Doctor is invested in helping Luke and the rebellion, because the TARDIS in the hands of Palpatine would spell disaster for the universe.
Anyway, while Luke and his friends escape the Death Star, the Doctor reclaims his TARDIS, but to his shock has discovered that the Empire has gleamed enough information from its data banks to alter the course of history and learn about the Doctor’s foes. The Doctor decides to spend some time in the Star Wars galaxy to help the rebellion and learn more about the Force, taking R2 D2 and C3P0 along with him for the ride. He even meets up with Yoda before Luke does, and the two of the decide that the Doctor cannot use time travel to interfere with Luke’s destiny. However, with their knowledge of the Doctor, the Empire forms a shaky allegiance with the Cybermen, in the process creating Cyber-Troopers. Before the events of Return of the Jedi, the Doctor, C3P0 and R2 D2 infiltrate the Cyber-Trooper base; during their visit they learn of the Empire’s plans to rebuild the Death Star using Cyberman technology… I could go on, but I think you get the general idea.
Liara T’soni
Time to move into the realm of video games, and what better place to start than the Mass Effect series? Like the Whoniverse, the Mass Effect universe is dense and full of potential for interesting side-stories and digressions such as this, and the Doctor could easily find a place in it. Why have Liara as the Doctor’s companion? Well, for starters, she’s an alien rather than human, and I think the Doctor should branch out from humanity for a bit. She’s also got a deep and interesting back-story, going into Prothean archaeology instead of following in her mother’s footsteps. She’s intelligent, inquisitive and eager to explore, so she’d be right at home on the TARDIS. Plus there’s the fact that she’s over a century old, meaning she and the Doctor share the bond of living a long life, and they both possess the ability for ‘melding’, meaning that Liara at some point would see inside the Doctor’s mind.
As for the plot? It takes place just after Mass Effect but before the events of Mass Effect 2 (and the Shadow Broker DLC). While the galaxy and Citidel are still recovering from the Reaper siege, Liara increases her studies of Prothean artefacts in a bid to prepare for further attacks from the Reapers. The Doctor, visiting the Mass Effect galaxy, is also intrigued by the presence of the Reapers and discovers Liara by chance. Together they team up to solve the mystery of the Protheans as well in investigate the return of the Reapers, as well as the Doctor exposing new worlds to Liara on the way.
Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)
OK, time for one more. Out of the vast selection of characters in the DC universe, there are multiple options for potential companions for the Doctor. I’m assuming that many people would love to see Harley Quinn in the TARDIS, but let’s be honest, that REALLY wouldn’t work. Sorry guys.
That’s why I settled on Kara Zor-El, more commonly known as Supergirl. I’m settling on the original character because, y’know, I’m not particularly interested in trying to decipher decades of DC continuity (though if you are interested, or at least amused by it, Moviebob made three summary videos trying to explain it all). Anyway, why Supergirl? Well, for a start it fits in with the Doctor’s companion usually being a young, pretty lady. But on a more interesting dynamic, the Doctor and Kara Zor-El share many traits. They’re both aliens who are humanoid in appearance, they both have super powers, they’re both survivors of a cataclysmic event that wiped out most of their kind (sort-of), they disguise themselves with an iconic alias and, perhaps most importantly, they want to use their powers to help people. They both have similar altruistic goals but accomplish them in different ways. The Doctor and Supergirl would understand each other and help each other overcome their loneliness, they could learn to compromise on how they go about saving the world and from a meta-perspective, there’s the combination of British and American heroics. Plus “The Doctor and the Girl of Tomorrow” has a nice ring to it. Not to mention the potential drama when the rest of the Justice League learn about the Doctor…
As for the stories? Damn. That’s not just a can of worms, it’s a cargo ship full of ’em. Combining the 50+ years of Whoniverse continuity with the 75+ years of DC continuity has near limitless potential. Lex Luthor getting a hold of Dalek technology? Weeping Angels in Gotham? A platoon of Sontarans wielding Red Lantern rings? Brainiac becoming the leader of the Cybermen? Let your imagination run wild!
So yeah, those are my first suggestions for Doctor Who Crossover Companions. Trust me, I have plenty more where that came from, and I’m sure you have some of your own.
Allons-ey!
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