Quark

Quarks were the robot slaves of the Dominators' galactic empire, but were also known to have conquered worlds on their own.

Appearance
Quarks were cuboid in shape with a sphere on top two spikes come from opposite sides of this sphere and one comes out on top. They had rectangular compartments on their chests where their cuboid gun folded inside. The spore spikes were red along with the rim attaching them all. The rest of the sphere is black and the body is grey. The robots feet were large pieces of metal in the shape of a block; poles attach these to the body. Quarks communicate with bleeps and shrill squeaks.

Abilities
Quarks were able to use their guns to kill directly, stun, electrocute, communicate and to power up objects. They could collect data from a survey just by turning 360 degrees. They emitted warning signals when tripped or covered.

The Dominators had symbols representing each Quark on a wall, the symbol for the corresponding Quark flashes when that Quark was destroyed. (DW: The Dominators)

On several occasions, the Quarks used giant wasps to cover for their limited agility.

History
Quarks were originally the robot servants of the Near-Human Dominators. The Doctor and his companions first encountered them on Dulkis. Among other tasks, they operated drills for the Dominators. (DW: The Dominators, DWM: Fires Down Below)

Other accounts show the Quarks working alone, without reference to the Dominators. Jack Harkness refers to "rebel Quarks" in a report on the Vespiform, implying these are Quarks who rebelled against and broke away from their Dominator masters. (Captain Jack's Monster Files: Vespiform'')

The Quarks attempted to invade Earth several time, once in 1971 when they caused the Quarks caused the Martha series of robots, which were invented by the Doctor to do housework, to turn against humanity as a prelude to their invasion. (TVC: Martha the Mechanical Housemaid) and in the later part of the 20th century, led by Dominators they invaded Earth secretly and came up against UNIT (DWM: Fires Down Below). In 2044, the Quarks arrived on the planet Hekton to kill the Doctor, but were defeated by the Human colonists (TVC: The Duellists) and in 2053, a Quark pursued the Doctor when he participated in an automobile race on Earth. (TVC: Death Race)



Other information

 * During his trial, the Doctor recalled the Quarks as one of the adversaries he had broken the Time Lord code of non-intervention to fight (DW: The War Games)


 * The Doctor and Melanie Bush fought the Quarks and their Giant Wasps again. (MA: Millennial Rites)


 * One account claims that the Quarks may have gone to war with the Vespiforms. (Captain Jack's Monster Files)

Behind the Scenes

 * The Quarks where originally created by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln who felt cheated out of royalties from merchandising featuring them. The Quarks appeared many times TV Comic as a solo villain, without the Dominators.
 * A Quark, with a Dalek, a Yeti, an Ice Warrior, a Dalek and a Cyberman appeared briefly in studio (rather than in previously seen footage) in the last episode of The War Games. One also appeared in publicity photos for that story.
 * A blueprint for a Quark appeared in The Doctor Who Technical Manual.