Luther Kane

Luther Kane was the subject of one of the Fourth Doctor's "time tales".

Kane freely admitted that he had been "selfish and greedy" since childhood. After cheating his way through college, he cheated his way to becoming one of Europe's richest businessmen, having no qualms about bankrupting honest men like John in the process. Eventually, Kane came to wish for the one thing he didn't have: immortality. Hearing of American scientist Jonathan Weems's "ray machine", which could allegedly grant a human being the lifespan of a redwood tree, he travelled to America to meet with Professor Weems in person. Blowing past Weems's attempts to dissuade him, he offered to buy the machine, and ultimately stole it at gunpoint.

Returning home, he installed it in his cellar (while neglectfully setting down the antidote ray machine nearby), locked the cellar so he could not be disturbed during the 24 hours that the process would supposedly take, and lay down on a slab, ready to take in the rays. As the machine began to work its magic, he realised that he was losing the ability to move, and belatedly understood the meaning of Weems's interrupted warnings: the machine transferred onto its user all the qualities of a redwood tree — meaning he would live for thousands of years, but with his metabolism slowed to such an extent that he was functionally paralysed. When telling the story, the Doctor pointed out that "a lot [could] happen in a thousand years" and it was probable that Kane would eventually be freed from his torment by someone breaking down the door of the cellar and thinking to use the antidote machine on him — although it might take a long time yet. (COMIC: Dr. Who's Time Tales)