In 1981, I had immediately acquired my first crash course into social cliques. The rule for this in Alief was this: unless you somehow belonged to such a class, you weren't allowed liking the same things as the class. For instance, Doctor Who (now aired occasionally on the Sunday Channel 2 Movies) was now considered an exclusive-only item to the Aliefians. Meaning they felt only they had the privilege accessing it, and no commoner was permitted in viewing it. Worse than that, most of them were also the worst snoops, invading one's privacy for the sheer torture of it.
Jon Mitchelson had once gone through my private notebook and found a copy of the BBC-Oriented tale. Consequently, Jon had wasted no time trashing my work, stating Doctor Who was completely off-limits. (Hey, it was typical. I even had a guy scream my name was S***head, because we had the same nickname.) Adding insult to injury, Jon had claimed Fanger was too stupid to be anything but a Toon Companion.
Angered and embittered by the malicious act, I had expediently begun making serious overhauls upon the character itself. In all honesty, I had never planned on Fanger being a mere Companion to The Doctor. Conducting some extensive research upon the show itself, I had learned despite the BBC's meticulous world of the Time Lord, they had grossly overlooked one minor detail: Gallifrey's Ancient Past. Even on occasion, one of the Doctors would make a brief comment about the planet's obscure history. However, nothing was ever really pursued on the subject. With this infomation at fore, I had elected Fanger would not be just a simple basis upon The Doctor's life, but rather an intricate component, or extension, within The Doctor Whoniverse and possibly beyond.
The Doctor Who/Fanger Plot Episodes
Jon Mitchelson had once gone through my private notebook and found a copy of the BBC-Oriented tale. Consequently, Jon had wasted no time trashing my work, stating Doctor Who was completely off-limits. (Hey, it was typical. I even had a guy scream my name was S***head, because we had the same nickname.) Adding insult to injury, Jon had claimed Fanger was too stupid to be anything but a Toon Companion.
Angered and embittered by the malicious act, I had expediently begun making serious overhauls upon the character itself. In all honesty, I had never planned on Fanger being a mere Companion to The Doctor. Conducting some extensive research upon the show itself, I had learned despite the BBC's meticulous world of the Time Lord, they had grossly overlooked one minor detail: Gallifrey's Ancient Past. Even on occasion, one of the Doctors would make a brief comment about the planet's obscure history. However, nothing was ever really pursued on the subject. With this infomation at fore, I had elected Fanger would not be just a simple basis upon The Doctor's life, but rather an intricate component, or extension, within The Doctor Whoniverse and possibly beyond.
The Doctor Who/Fanger Plot Episodes
Allowing my emotions to subside momentarily, the first talk I had acknowledged the natural reality I couldn't simply utilize the same Fanger for all Four Doctors (during this time, Tom Baker was still going strong in the US, while Peter Davison would be taking over the role in England). So first I had needed to re-evaluate Fanger's character. Although his remarks were cruel, Jon had established a substanial point. Upon re-reading the BBC-Dalek episode, I had realized I hadn't actually integrated the character with Doctor Who, but instead, had stuck Fanger in like a Colorforms character. In other words, Fanger had literally no real substance to him, making it difficult for hardcore fans to enjoy him. Taking this into account, I had needed to learn exactly how and why The Doctor had left his homeworld, and somehow applying that towards Fanger.
Fanger's Background Concept
About the Third Doctor's (Jon Pertwee) Season, we finally learned one of the reasons why he had left Gallifrey in the first place. Acco
rding to the Time Lord, The Master had engineered a bloody coup on their world as a means for overthrowing the High Council. Consequently, all the infamous renegade had accomplished was creating a deadly bloodbath and near destruction of the Capitol.Taking this into account, I conjured forth the ancient race I referred to as the Paranormal Wolf-Beings, who once existed long before Gallifreyan Man. As with their counterparts, the Wolf-Beings also had felt the physical and psychological scars of The Master's bloody coup (which the Wolf-Beings would later refer to the incident as The Onslaught).
In the original concept, Fanger was only a child when he had witnessed this disaster and was mysteriously rescued. Unintentionally, The Doctor and Susan had fled in the same, exact TARDIS in which Fanger was placed in for safekeeping. Another item was The Doctor knew Fanger's family, and was the character's Godfather. Realizing he couldn't simply leave Fanger behind, The Doctor had reluctantly taken the frightened being with him and Susan.
In the process, I had also done something with Fanger, which was never, ever permitted with Toon characters, serious and otherwise: Fanger unwittingly had become an addict to a medicinal drug. The reason behind this was demonstrating Fanger also had a normal vice despite his intergalactic, supernatural background. Even though Barbara had helped Fanger overcome his dangerous addiction, the trauma of The Onslaught would remain burned in his mind, as he privately vowed to help other cultures from entering such horrors.
Powerful stuff, one might say, and it was. But surprisingly, creating Fanger's background was just the easy tip of the iceburg, the real fun came into literally splitting the character into three personas.
The Three Fangers
Remembering how Fanger--like most famous Toons do--had regenerated into three slightly altered forms in his Past lives, it was only fitting these multi-Fangers would be integrated into The Doctor's life as well. The only obstacle I had come into contact with was which Fanger would go with whom, and how explaining why the character's physiognomy (physical appearance) was only altered slightly, whereas The Doctor's form kept changing dramatically.
Since Fanger originated from an ancient race, I had immediately formulated a theory about how his culture could utilize variated techniques upon specialized talents such as Regeneration. In one of the Second Doctor episode plots, the phenomenon of Mental Regeneration came into play, as The Doctor indicated Wolf-Beings possess the unique ability of maintaining their original shape while their minds undergo a transitional change. Establishing the hows and whys down, I had then simply divided the Fangers into three distinct personalities:
The First Fanger - Eliminating the original obnoxiousness from Phoomy Man!, F1 possesses the innocence and curiosity of a child, while always attempting to help others in the process. Rarely using magic, F1's powers were still growing, and he usually prefers using his wits over physical acts as a means of reticifying dangerous situations.
The Second Fanger - Taken from the series, It's Fanger!, F2 has been consi
dered as one of the most-wild Fangers of the lot (of course, before The Seventh Fanger had come onto the scene). Due to an electroplasmatic imbalance, this Fanger possesses Toonesque abilities, and has contacted the annoying habit of puns and wordplay into becoming reality. However, F2 uses this to his advantage by confusing and bewildering his enemies, allowing The Doctor to come up with something. Possessing a Scottish accent (and at the time, sounding like Robin Williams, thanks to Mork & Mindy), F2 always tries looking on the brighter side of life, rarely thinking about The Onslaught.
The Third Fanger - Sounding like Mickey Dolenz (of Monkees' fame), F3 was the split difference of F1 and F2. The Third Fanger tends on relying more on his wits and superspeed rather than using his Paranormal skills in solving problems. Wisecracking, Fanger doesn't like it when he's bullied by anyone, good or evil, and tends to let those know his feelings at times. Now mechanically inclined, F3 can also invent the most remarkable items out of even the most commonplace items.
The Second Fanger - Taken from the series, It's Fanger!, F2 has been consi
dered as one of the most-wild Fangers of the lot (of course, before The Seventh Fanger had come onto the scene). Due to an electroplasmatic imbalance, this Fanger possesses Toonesque abilities, and has contacted the annoying habit of puns and wordplay into becoming reality. However, F2 uses this to his advantage by confusing and bewildering his enemies, allowing The Doctor to come up with something. Possessing a Scottish accent (and at the time, sounding like Robin Williams, thanks to Mork & Mindy), F2 always tries looking on the brighter side of life, rarely thinking about The Onslaught.The Third Fanger - Sounding like Mickey Dolenz (of Monkees' fame), F3 was the split difference of F1 and F2. The Third Fanger tends on relying more on his wits and superspeed rather than using his Paranormal skills in solving problems. Wisecracking, Fanger doesn't like it when he's bullied by anyone, good or evil, and tends to let those know his feelings at times. Now mechanically inclined, F3 can also invent the most remarkable items out of even the most commonplace items.
After surgically separating the three Fangers, I decided which Fanger would go with the correctly-matched Doctor, determining when it was time for a Regeneration to occur. The actual setup went like this:
The First Fanger - First and Second Doctors; The Second Fanger - Second and Third Doctors; and The Third Fanger - Third, Fourth (and eventually) and Fifth Doctors.
With this proper setup, Fanger could safely interact with the appropriate Doctor and his Companions, preventing the Colorforms Syndrome from cropping up.
The Foundation Plot/Episodes
Finally after much time and effort in getting Fanger properly re-tooled for Doctor Who, the next item was creating some Dr. Who and Fanger episodes which would serve as a basic foundation for Fanger's enigmatic history with the Time Lord. Consequently, the only thing which remains of these episodes are the plot synopsis below.
Due to my constant battles with the Aliefians, and (like the incident with the earlier Fanger series) bad plumbing in 1983, I had lost most of the actual, story content. Fortunately, experience taught me in sagely making plot sheets for these episodes, whereas they miraculously survived the fateful perils of which their ancestors had perished. The plot/episodes are here as follows:
1981 - Patrick Troughton (Second Doctor)The End of Time (aka Chronopolis)
More fantasy than Science Fiction, the Time Lords send The Doctor, Fanger and their Companions (Ben, Jamie and Polly) to Chronopolis--the Mystic City of Time--for assisting Father Time in saving the city from an evil wizard, Anachron. Anachron ends up placing Fanger under his spell, but The Doctor and his Companions rescue Fanger. They defeat the wizard in a Chronoduel--where famous Historical armies battle each other in fierce combat. However, armed with some Toon knowledge from a famous rabbit, Fanger and The Doctor easily defeat Anachron and rescue Chronopolis.
It's here we learn Fanger's identity as a Gallifreyan Paranormal Wolf-Being. Although here we don't officially make the connection between the planet and The Doctor. Fanger's now referred to as a Legendskeeper, meaning he's essentially responsible for recording all the sacred Legends and History of Gallifrey and the Universe.
Space Station Invaders (aka Reptilitron Invasion)
Despite the B-Movie title, The Doctor, Fanger, Jamie and Zoe end up on the planet Zantron-7 in 5214. There a Meglacorp Installation is being invaded by the Reptilitrons--who want to destroy the installation. Except after Fanger loses a life (entering his First Regeneration), The Doctor then discovers it's Meglacorp--and not the invaders--who are the true enemy. Thus, Fanger, The Doctor and their Companions must attempt in preventing the devastation of the planet's ecosystem, while quelling a possible intergalactic war.
Interestingly enough, Meglacorp would later become one of Fanger's most dangerous thorns. In FANGARIUS, Fanger usually ran into the infamous, intergalactic corporation more than once. Fanger even stated they made the Usurians (economic invaders from The Sun-Makers from Pluto) look like angels, due to Meglacorp's nefarious, business-like tactics.
1982 - Jon Pertwee (Third Doctor)Shadows of the Night (Dark Shadows Crossover)
After The Doctor's Exile to Earth, UNIT's American branch contacts him and Fanger to go to Collinswood, Mass., after a bizarre series of vampiric murders have plagued the small town. As they investigate, Fanger encounters Barnabas Collins. Although Fanger knows about Barnabas' vampiric affliction (due to Angelique, a rogue witch), the Paranormal Wolf-Being suspects Barnabas' innocence in the murders.
Mainly because Fanger and The Doctor notice the victims haven't been drained of blood, but instead, cerebral fluid. Determining the cause, The Doctor realizes an Ancient threat, known as the Ceræbions are responsible. The Ceræbions are phantasms which can assume the shapes of others after consuming their victims' brain fluid. Fanger discovers their shape-shifting only lasts for about five days, depending upon the strength of the brain fluid.
After giving Barnabas some Synthblood, Fanger makes peace with the local vampire. Barnabas doesn't like the unearthly intruders any more than Fanger, nor The Doctor, and decides on helping them rid Collinswood of the invaders. Fanger discovers the reason the Ceræbions are here is because they plan on establishing a colony here on Earth. Collinswood was selected because these beings are attracted to the negative emotions of humans, such as hatred, suspicion and fear. Auspiciously, the investigators discover infared light is the invaders' Achilles' heel, thus Fanger and The Doctor, with Barnabas and Dr. Hoffman, develop a special strobe light.
Naturally, they use it for vanquishing the Headlordsman of the Ceræbions, but not before Fanger is brutally, mentally assaulted by the High Priest. The result forces the Wolf-Being to undergo his Second Regeneration.
Dominatrix One
In this Stephen King-esque tale, Fanger, Sarah Jane Smith and The Doctor stumble upon a small, vacant town, Williamshire--where the inhabitants are being controlled by some unknown force. The Doctor senses a renegade Time Lord at work, while Fanger suspects otherwise. Basically because most Time Lords rarely implement the Mystic Arts as a means for conquest. Sarah gets captured by a group of psionic apparitions--The Spiritrals, who have been enigmatically entering the RealDimension.
During a rescue attempt, Fanger and The Doctor locate the renegade Gallifreyan Paranormal, The Dominator, who plans on using an Ancient Dimenspell for conquering the Earth, during the Moon's eclipse. Afterwards, The Dominator plans on invading and conquering the Universe as well. Auspiciously, The Doctor, Fanger and Sarah remedy the situation by altering some of the incantation's words. The result plunges the Spiritrals and The Dominator into a closed Dimension--trapping them there for at least 2000 years.
Dominatrix One also brought some more inscruitable information about Fanger. One interesting aspect is Sarah Jane Smith being a blood relation to Fanger (Earth cousin). Not to mention, the Fourth Doctor now acknowledges Fanger as being a Demi-Time Lord.
The Satellite Connection (aka The Starscan Project)
By pure coincidence, this episode started the same way the Peter Cushing/William Hartnell Dalek Episodes had. When Logopolis had aired here on PBS, my friends had complained about the way this particular episode was produced. As I was thinking up a way for Fanger entering his first physical Regeneration, I had started re-inventing the tale. As you read the episode synopsis, you'll also notice I poke fun at the current fads and innovations of the early 80s: Satellite TV, Radio telescopes and Atari Cartridges.
The Synopsis:
The Master basically plans on enslaving the people of Earth by using a discarded radio telescope in Houston (but, in reality, secretly being used by The Starscan Project) and an augmented television satellite. By doing this, he simply transmits a hyperwave signal to the satellite. Mysteriously, the TARDIS Sensors detect the anomaly, prompting The Doctor and Fanger to go to Earth and investigate. By examining the varying frequences from the satellite's control appartus, Fanger and The Doctor realize The Master has failed for compensating the varying positions as the satellite orbits Earth. (Specifically, The Master forgets satellite self-correcting gyros won't be perfected until about 1984.) As an unexpected result, the controlled slaves become deadly maniacs who set off after The Master himself!
Forced to work with his enemies, The Master learns from Fanger and The Doctor, the only way he can save himself is destroying the control device on the satellite. Fanger and Nyssa devise a plan for positioning the satellite directly over the Starscan Project's radio telescope. By transmitting the correct signal, it will instantly short-circuit the device. While The Doctor positions the satellite into place--via the TARDIS--Fanger and The Master work upon the calculations for transmitting the signal.
In truth, The Master hopes on blackmailing both the Project and Earth Governments, while also ambushing Fanger with a Magnalite staser and fettering the Paranormal Wolf-Being onto the radio telescope itself. However, The Master fails realizing whom he's dealing with, thus ends up blowing out the controls and freeing Fanger. Apparently, Fanger secretly replaced the program cartridge with an Atari cartridge--Galga--which blows out the main controls. As a result, the reversal signal automatically activates, thwarting The Master's plans.
Enraged, The Master recreates the same incident with Fanger as he had with The Doctor, leaving the Wolf-Being hanging for his life. Afterwards, The Master attempts murdering Fanger with the Tissue Compression Eliminator. But in order to avoid the deadly TCE blast, Fanger releases his hold on the satellite, falling to his death. The sudden impact prompts him on entering his Third Regeneration.
The Satellite Connection also made some new revelations: Tegan Jovanka was mentioned as being Fanger's Earth Cousin as well. This was one of the first consecutive episodes which led quickly into the next plot/episode, and brought forth the first Companion from a sitcom: Alex P. Keaton. Who would later end up being a long Companion for the Fourth Fanger, not unlike Sarah Jane Smith is to The Doctor.
Doctran
Taking place after The Satellite Connection, right after Fanger's Third Re
generation, Fanger accidentally appears nude since his new body rips apart his clothes. Nonetheless, The Doctor, Alex, Tegan and Nyssa attempt transporting the disoriented Wolf-Being back to the TARDIS. Mainly to avoid the Houston Police and other authorities. Regrettably, The Doctor gets mysteriously ambushed by a cybernetic duplicate of himself, Doctran, and his Fanger, or F-Clones. Doctran wastes no time capturing the others and taking the newly-Regenerated Fanger to a secret subaqua base in Galveston Bay.Secretly, Doctran's plot is to deceive Fanger into piloting the TARDIS back to Gallifrey. Once there, Doctran and the F-Clones plan on conquering the Time Lords' Homeworld. Once obtaining the secrets of TimeSpace travel, they plan on conquering the Universe. But as The Doctor is imprisoned by his doppleganger, he learns a disturbing secret about the F-Clones: they originate from the same planet as the Daleks, Skaro. Meanwhile, Alex manages to escape when he meets his own duplicate, AleC, and finds out AleC comes from the Future.
Locating and freeing, Tegan and Nyssa, Alex then helps them locate Fanger. The Fourth Fanger slowly regains his memories, pondering on why Doctran and the F-Clones want to actually conquer Gallifrey. Doctran reveals how the F-Clones plan on ridding the Universe of the Daleks, however, after the Time Lords' interference with both Dalek and F-Clone development, he acknowledges they are a greater threat than the Daleks.
Using The Doctor as hostage, Doctran forces Fanger into piloting the TARDIS to Gallifrey. However, with Alex and Nyssa's help, Fanger reprograms the co-ordinates, sending the TARDIS through an Ionic Voidstorm. The ionic disruption paralyses the invaders, and frees The Doctor from his energon cell. Taking advantage of the situation, the Time Lord uses the TARDIS Defense Systems to teleport Doctran and the F-Clones into the distant future, upon a far away, barren planet. Although they've managed in saving Gallifrey, The Doctor and Fanger have also placed the TARDIS upon another random course. This way, the Time Lords cannot calculate the group's next destination.
Doctran was actually the first episode where I introduced a completely new adversary, The F-Clones. Although here I hinted the fact they had a strange connection with The Doctor's Timeless Nemesis, The Daleks, The F-Clones would later be revealed as their mortal enemies in FANGARIUS.
Now that the plot/episodes had been established the next thing was coming up with a new full name for Fanger as well as starting up an extended, spin-off series of his own. Little did I realize how exactly I was going to do it.
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