Vortis (Doctor Who)
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Vortis is a fictional planet in the (equally fictional) Isop galaxy, created by Bill Strutton[1] and originally featuring in six 1965 BBC episodes of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, collectively titled The Web Planet. It also appeared in an original Doctor Who novel, Twilight of the Gods, one of the Virgin Missing Adventures range.[2]
The popularity of The Web Planet meant that two of the species inhabiting Vortis, the ant-like Zarbi and the butterfly Menoptra, appeared twice in the 1966 Doctor Who Annual. One story, Lair of Zarbi Supremo, was released as an audio feature on the 2006 DVD release of the original adventure, narrated by one of its stars, William Russell.[3]
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[edit] History of Vortis
The planet appears to be cold, dark and lifeless, but nevertheless supports a breathable atmosphere, water and presumably food. Before the sinister Animus took control of the planet, Vortis was covered in a flower forest, which the Menoptra hoped would return.[4]
Many years later after the Animus was apparently vanquished, Vortis drifted into the neighboring Rhumos system and was fought over by the Rhumons, who considered it a disputed territory. The Animus had also survived, until the intervention of a time traveller once more brought peace to the troubled world.
[edit] Species of Vortis
[edit] The Menoptra
| Doctor Who race | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Menoptra | |
| Type | Bipedal insects |
Resembling giant, humanoid butterflies and able to achieve space flight with their wings alone, the Menoptra were the original masters of Vortis until the Animus inveigled itself within the minds of the Zarbi. The Menoptra fled to Pictos, one of the moons of Vortis, eventually planning an invasion. Those that were captured were either killed or forced to work, once their wings had been removed by the Zarbi. That their attempt to retake their home world was a success was largely down to the efforts of the aforementioned party of time travellers.
[edit] The Optera
| Doctor Who race | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Optera | |
| Type | Multipedal insects |
In an apparent example of emerging speciation, some of the Menoptra fled underground, adapting to a subterrenean environment and calling themselves the Optera. This species have lost the ability to fly, and resemble upright caterpillars, indicating that they had evolved through neoteny. They also have larger eyes than their Menoptra brethren. However, they have numerous arms and appear to 'hop' in a stylised way. With the Animus defeated, they appeared to believe that future generations of Optera would redevelop flight.
[edit] The Venom Grubs
Unlike the other bipedal species of Vortis, Venom Grubs crawl along the ground. They were used as mobile weapons by the Zarbi, able to shoot venom from their snouts that proved fatal to all it touched. The Grubs were rendered harmless once the Zarbi were freed from the Animus's influence.
[edit] The Zarbi
| Doctor Who race | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Zarbi | |
| Type | Insectoid |
The Zarbi resemble giant ants, and according to the Menoptra have been used as cattle in the planet's history. These insectoids lack intelligence, and so were easily enslaved by the malevolant Animus and used against the Menoptra. When the Animus's evil influence was lifted through the intervention of a mysterious time traveller and his human companions, the Zarbi returned to their docile state.
According to the novelisation of The Web Planet,[5] the Zarbi reproduce through the 'Zarbi Supremo', who acts like a queen bee. The Supremo also appeared in the 1966 Doctor Who Annual.
[edit] Trivia
- The Web Planet was the only attempt in the history of Doctor Who to present a completely alien world, where the only human characters are played by the series leads.
- As well as the ambitious goal of depicting Vortis on a limited budget, the BBC production team and writer Bill Strutton took seriously the idea of representing an alien mind. For example, on encountering a wall, one Menoptra intones: "A silent wall. We must make mouths in it with our weapons, then it will speak more light."
- The Menoptra's movements were choreographed by the movement artist Roslyn de Winter, who also played one of them.
- The first episode of The Web Planet was watched by 13.5 million viewers, the highest number for any Doctor Who episode in the 1960s.
- Believed lost in the BBC's early 1970s purge of its archive material, negative film prints of all six episodes of The Web Planet were recovered from BBC Enterprises in the late 1970s.
- In 2005 the novelisation of The Web Planet was also issued by BBC Audio as part of the Doctor Who: Travels in Time and Space audio book collectors' tin, read by the late Bill Strutton.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Bill Strutton (1918-2003) was also a prolific writer of various series, including The Avengers.
- ^ Bulis, C. (1996). Virgin Books.
- ^ The DVD was released in 2005 and included a documentary on the making of The Web Planet.
- ^ According to the Menoptra, Prapillus: "The Menoptra have no wisdom for war. Before the Animus came, the flower forest covered the planet in a cocoon of peace." The Web Planet.
- ^ Strutton, B. (1965). Doctor Who and the Zarbi.
[edit] External links
- The Web Planet at bbc.co.uk
- The Web Planet at Doctor Who: A Brief History Of Time (Travel)
- The Web Planet at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- The Web Planet at Outpost Gallifrey
- Twilight of the Gods at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- The Cloister Library - Twilight of the Gods
[edit] Reviews
- The Web Planet reviews at Outpost Gallifrey
- The Web Planet reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide
- Twilight of the Gods reviews at Outpost Gallifrey
- Twilight of the Gods reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide
- 1966 Doctor Who Annual reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide
[edit] Target novelisation
- Doctor Who and the Zarbi reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide
- On Target — Doctor Who and the Zarbi
