Wormwood (Invasion of the Bane)


 * This article is about the character. For the comic strip story, see Wormwood.

"Mrs. Wormwood" was the lead Bane, second only to the Bane Mother, in the invasion of Earth. After her failure and the death of the Bane Mother, the Bane Kindred made her a pariah. Like her archenemy, Sarah Jane Smith, she was an intelligent and compelling adversary and viewed Luke Smith as "her" son too.

Invading Earth
As Sarah Jane Smith noted, it is said in the Book of Revelation that at the end of the world a star called Wormwood will fall to Earth and poison the water. Posing as a human using an image translator, she oversaw the distribution of Bubble Shock!, supposedly just a soft drink, which served as a front for the Bane takeover of Earth (specifically Great Britain, the country from which she ran operations). She was also in charge of the creation of an artificial human called "the Archetype", later known as Luke Smith. She managed to escape the destruction of the Bubble Shock! factory in London. (SJA: Invasion of the Bane)

Exile and partnership with Kaagh
She was blamed for the failure of the invasion and was cast out of the Bane Kindred, who attempted to eat her alive as punishment. She fled and made an alliance with the disgraced Sontaran Commander Kaagh. The pair set out to find one of two halves of Horath's identity. Mrs Wormwood kidnapped Gita Chandra at her work to draw Sarah Jane's attention and ask for her help in retrieving the other half. Sarah Jane had Mr Smith imprison her with a containment vortex. At the same time that Bane agents arrived, she escaped and re-united with Kaagh. She attempted to get Luke Smith on her side, considering herself to be his real mother, but although Luke showed her sympathy he ultimately refused. Mrs Wormwood and Kaagh opened Horath's Portal but Sarah Jane stopped her from becoming Empress of the Galaxy. Kaagh then pulled Wormwood into the Portal and they both fell inside it. Sarah Jane sealed the Portal and then destroyed the device that opened it. (SJA: Enemy of the Bane)

Personality
During the Bane's attempted conquest of Earth, Wormwood operated with a cold, clinical and cruel mindset, having no qualms about about killing even her subordinates to ensure success.

Following the conquest plan's failure, and her subsequent banishment from the collective, Wormwood grew lonely, and on her return to Earth, she sought out Luke, considering him to be her "son". Her discovery of the power of Horath made her convinced that she was destined to attain it, and that Luke was part of that destiny.

However, after Luke spurned her in favor of Sarah Jane Smith, Wormwood reverted back to her cruel ways, being perfectly willing to kill them both until Kaagh intervened.

Tools and equipment
As an exile, she had a Phonic disruptor in the form of a ring and nail polish. (SJA: Enemy of the Bane)