“Oh, I know why you’re here! To destroy the Doctor! You’ve never had any other! It obsesses you, to the exclusion of all else! You’re unbalanced! No wonder the Doctor always outwits you….!” Rani to the Master
The Female (Master) Of The Species Is More Deadly…
The Rani, which means ‘Queen’ in Hindu. Followed in the Time Lord tradition – of naming oneself, after an ‘authority’ figure. Like the Doctor and the Master.
Like the Doctor and the Master, the Rani had also absconded from the Time Lord race and had gone on the run, around space-and-time – in a Tardis machine.
The Rani was completely ruthless and singular of purpose. Unafraid to cross a moral line, in the pursuit of scientific achievement – or to further personal gain.
Despite sharing many machevellian traits with fellow antagonist; The Master. The Rani made a more dangerous opponent to the Doctor. As the Rani did not embody a mutual respect for – or sentimentality for the shared history with the Doctor (as the Master did).
The Rani had none of this and frequently castigated the Master; in regard to what was perceived as weakness.
The Rani’s principle interest – apart from gaining unfettered power and control, was scientific achievement. Principally – biology and gene-splicing on unwitting biological lifeforms.
Indeed, it was gene-splicing, that led to the Rani being castigated by the Time Lords; for having created giant lab-mice specimens – on Gallifrey. Which having broken free, had attacked the Lord President Of Gallifrey – and ate his pet cat!
The Rani then went on the run from the Time Lords, like the Doctor and the Master. And like the Master, in a fully functioning Tardis, which could change shape.
The Rani was also, about the same age as both the Doctor and the Master. Although unconfirmed, the Rani had, perhaps, even shared the same Gallifreyan school class as both fellow Time Lords.
The Rani was also a clever mechanical and systems engineer. Creating cunning traps, including: mines – which when stepped on, deleted the unfortunate victim, from time: itself.
Likewise, her deadly signature time-bubbles; captured and then bounced the unfortunate victim, all over the environment; before exploding and vapourising them.
Dangerous enough – as a solo antagonist. The Rani was to create a double-threat, by frequently teaming up with the Master in Mark Of The Rani – 1985. When travelling, to a 19th Century Earth mining-village and enslaving the population of the village; for genetic experiments.
Using captured villagers, the Rani harvested brain-fluid to synthesize drugs; which were to control the populace of another planet – Miasimia Goria; a planet where the Rani ruled, through drug pacification.
Along with the Master, the Rani used the villagers, as puppets – to trap the Sixth Doctor; intending to use the Doctor for further genetic experimentations.
The Doctor however, had a trick up the sleeve – though; by reprogramming the velocity control on the Rani’s Tardis. Sending it hurtling into the future, with the Master and the Rani aboard.
That was only part of their shared problems, though. As some T-Rex Embryo jars, (within the Rani’s Tardis) smashed – and began to grow; whilst the Rani and Master, were pinned to the wall of the accelerating time-machine.
This time, surpressing the indigenous aliens of planet Lakertya; with her bat-like Tet-Trap army.
The Rani was stealing Earth’s greatest Scientists, including; Albert Einstein, Louie Pasteur, Hypatia – and the Doctor. To combine their intellect – to create a powerful time-manipulator; out of a huge pulsating cyborg brain.
The Rani attacked the Tardis, forcing the Sixth Doctor to regenerate into the Seventh. The Rani then
injected the Doctor, with an amnesia drug. Before mimicing the persona of companion Mel. To trick the Doctor, into helping.
The Seventh Doctor was eventually able to overcome the Rani and destroy the time-manipulator; with the help of the Lakertyans. However, the Rani escaped in her Tardis but found it overran with Tet-Trap’s; who had taken control.
The Rani did not feature again in ODWho – but was intended to feature more, as a recurring character, prior to the show’s cancellation; in 1989.
