Nestene Consciousness

Nestene Consciousness

Talk

Nestene Consciousness
Main aliases:	Boris Johnson
Species:	Great Old One, Earlier race of Time Lords
Affiliated with:	The Pandorica Alliance
Place of origin:	Polymos
Mother:	Shub-Niggurath
First appearance:	Spearhead from Space [+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).
Appearances:	see list
Main voice actor:	Nicholas Briggs
Other voice actors:	Sam Stafford
Memorable moment

The Nestene Consciousness (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Spearhead from Space (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1974).) was a disembodied life force that functioned as both a hive mind race and a singular entity existing as energy with the ability to possess plastic. While their name was often shortened to just the "Nestenes", (TV: Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).) they were also known as the "Mother Consciousness" (AUDIO: Brave New Town ^[+]Jonathan Clements, Eighth Doctor Adventures (Big Finish Productions, 2008).) and the "Crown Consciousness". (PROSE: Revenge of the Nestene ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who: Lockdown! (2020).)

The Third Doctor described the Nestenes as "ruthlessly aggressive [and] intelligent", (TV: Terror of the Autons ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).) while the Eleventh Doctor thought of them as "vindictive". (PROSE: Strangers in the Outland ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

History

Origins

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According to some accounts, the Nestenes were originally an ordinary telepathic species, whose natural appearance was cephalopod-like, before "transcending their bodies to become pure energy", merging into a singular hive mind. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Spearhead from Space (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1974).)

According to other accounts, however, the Nestene Consciousness was born the progeny of Shub-Niggurath, one of the Great Old Ones, members of the earlier race of Time Lords who had ruled their own universe until it was destroyed (PROSE: Millennial Rites ^[+]Craig Hinton, Virgin Missing Adventures (Virgin Books, 1995).) by three of their own number called the Gods of Ragnarok. (PROSE: Divided Loyalties ^[+]Gary Russell, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1999).) To escape their end, the Great Old Ones "shuttled themselves sideways, into a parallel universe" before "jump[ing] back" into the new universe moments after it was created in the the Big Bang, though they all gained godlike powers due to still playing by the physical laws of their original universe. (PROSE: All-Consuming Fire ^[+]Andy Lane, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1994)., Millennial Rites ^[+]Craig Hinton, Virgin Missing Adventures (Virgin Books, 1995).) Shub-Niggurath was already pregnant when she entered the new universe and directed herself to the planet of Polymos, where her child infused into the entire planet and became the Nestene Consciousness. (PROSE: Synthespians™ ^[+]Craig Hinton, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2004).)

War with the Time Lords

Basing itself in the constellation of Sephin in the Illia Galaxy, the Nestenes constructed an empire for themselves, enslaving most of the worlds in Illia to create protein planets and Auton factory worlds. However, the Nestenes soon found themselves in conflict with the Time Lords, with Rassilon eventually using the Galaxy Eater to destroy the Illia Galaxy and all life within, though he knew that some of the Nestenes would survive, albeit unable to again be at the power they were in the Illia Galaxy. (PROSE: Pandoric's Box ^[+]Richard Dinnick, Myths & Legends (BBC Books, 2017).)

Early invasions

Led by the Nestene High Command, (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Terror of the Autons (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1975).) the Consciousness began an invasion campaign upon the universe in the name of colonisation, with some of the planets it took over including Cramodar and Plovak 6. (PROSE: Synthespians™ ^[+]Craig Hinton, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2004).)

When the Nestenes first arrived on Earth, mankind had yet to evolve and so they made "deposits", burying a billion Nestene creatures along the planet's ley lines. Although some were destroyed over time, these sites would become holy, being worshipped, feared, or revered by man. (HOMEVID: Auton 2: Sentinel ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, Auton Trilogy (BBV Productions, 1998)., Auton 3: Awakening ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

The Nestenes returned to Earth during Greek times, but realised there was nothing to take control of and left, promising to come back in a few thousand years. They left behind a pan-polymeric protoplasm, which Scaroth had sculpted into a mask for himself. (PROSE: City of Death ^[+]James Goss, adapted from City of Death (David Agnew (writer)), BBC Books novelisations (BBC Books, 2015).)

Menacing UNIT

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A Nestene attacks the Third Doctor. (TV: Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).)

The Nestene's first attempted to invade the Earth in the 20th century, using human-looking Autons to replace key government figures, but they were thwarted by UNIT with the help of the Third Doctor. (TV: Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).) The remains from the invasion attempt, dubbed Black Thursday, were stored by UNIT. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy ^[+]David Bishop, Virgin Books (1996).)

The Nestene returns to Earth. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Terror of the Autons (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1975).)

In their next attempt, the Master obtained one of the Nestene meteors and took over a plastics company to create fake daffodils, which disguised Autons would hand out for free so that the Nestene could activate them by remote radio signals, causing them to suffocate and kill millions of people. The Master also created dolls, inflatable chairs and telephone cords to kill difficult individuals. When the Doctor figured out their plan, he convinced the Master that the Nestenes were too dangerous to be reliable allies, and they reversed the radio beam the invasion force was coming in on, sending it back into space. (TV: Terror of the Autons ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).)

During a later point in the 1970s, the Sixth Doctor helped a different paramilitary unit to defeat another Nestene invasion, though one he deemed unimportant enough to warrant him finding time to take dance lessons during a lull in the crisis. (PROSE: Teach Yourself Ballroom Dancing ^[+]Robert Shearman, Short Trips: The Muses (Short Trips, 2003).)

Activities in the 1990s

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Info from House of Plastic ^[+]Mike Tucker, Audio Originals (BBC Worldwide, 2025). needs to be added

In 1989, the Nestene Consciousness tried to take over Earth using the computer company SenéNet. The Sixth Doctor, Mel Bush and the Brigadier prevented the Consciousness from taking over the Earth. (PROSE: Business Unusual ^[+]Gary Russell, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1997).) At the same time, it established a front operation called Galaxy Plastics Inc, and was still operational and undiscovered in August 1990. (COMIC: Business as Usual ^[+]Alan Moore, DWM backup comic stories (Marvel Comics, 1980).) At some later point during the 1990s, an Auton replica known as Alisha Hammerson set up the Hammerson Plastic PLC company. (COMIC: Plastic Millenium ^[+]Gareth Roberts, DWMS comic stories (Marvel Comics, 1994).)

In the early 1990s, a Nestene energy unit crashed in the Uzbekistan area and started animating plastic statues in a model town based on Thorington used by Soviet Union spies, but it was placed in a bunker on 1 September 1991, where it remained until 24 October 2008, with the Autons left to keep up the pretense of being human. Upon contacting the Auton Sally Taylor, the Nestene tried to recontacted the rest of the Autons in Uzbekistan so they could destroy humanity, but the Eighth Doctor broke the connection so the Autons could live their own lives in peace by burying the energy unit in an avalanche. (AUDIO: Brave New Town ^[+]Jonathan Clements, Eighth Doctor Adventures (Big Finish Productions, 2008).)

Sally Arnold works on a Nestene energy unit. (HOMEVID: Auton ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, Auton Trilogy (BBV Productions, 1997).

In 1996, Doctor Sally Arnold, whilst attempting to discover an energy unit's function, reactivated it using UNIT's deep space satellite, it in turn communicated with the Nestene Consciousness and provided it power to activate several Autons from the Nestene's first invasion attempt. The energy unit was forced to adapt to the new environment, allowing the energy unit to move around the facility and locate the remnant of the Nestene body from its first Earth invasion attempt. (HOMEVID: Auton ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, Auton Trilogy (BBV Productions, 1997).) It eventually escaped the UNIT warehouse (HOMEVID: Auton 2: Sentinel ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, Auton Trilogy (BBV Productions, 1998).) and attempted to invade Earth again during the Millhampton Event of 1998. The invasion was thwarted by Agent Lockwood, Sally and their team. (HOMEVID: Auton 3: Awakening ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

The Seventh Doctor and Melanie Bush discover the Nestene in Hammerson Plastic PLC. (COMIC: Plastic Millenium ^[+]Gareth Roberts, DWMS comic stories (Marvel Comics, 1994).

On 31 December 1999, Hammerson planned to replace several key figures in the plastic industry with Auton replicas at a New Year's Eve party, so that the Earth could be dominated and absorbed by the Nestenes. The Seventh Doctor and Mel Bush, having gatecrashed the party, broke the Nestene link, which deactivated Hammerson. (COMIC: Plastic Millenium ^[+]Gareth Roberts, DWMS comic stories (Marvel Comics, 1994).)

Working with Devlin Futuretech

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Movements in the far future

The Nestene Consciousness made a deal with the Krillitane Empire to prevent them from attacking the Nestene, supplying them with an Auton to infiltrate the Maldovarium to aid the Krillitane spy Agrakos. (PROSE: The Heist ^[+]Dave Rudden, Twelve Angels Weeping (2018).)

A set of Nestene energy units were sent to infiltrate Omnia Forum ahead of its opening. The planet-sized store failed as a business, and the ion cloud around it stopped the units from withdrawing, leaving the Nestene only able to prey on passing tourists that could be lured there. Eventually, the Nestene lured in River Song to steal her vortex manipulator and transport the energy units, but they were destroyed when the units tried to use the manipulator to travel through the ion cloud all at once. (AUDIO: Black Friday ^[+]Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle, Two Rivers and a Firewall (The Diary of River Song, Big Finish Productions, 2022).)

In the 101st century, the Nestene Consciousness was attempting to completely leave Polymos after an invasion by the Time Lords. It chose the New Earth Republic and attempted to transport its entire body to Reef Station One with the help of Walter J. Matheson. It was stopped by the Sixth Doctor, who trapped it in the body of an advanced Auton. (PROSE: Synthespians™ ^[+]Craig Hinton, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2004).)

During the Time War

After many years of war, the Nestene abandoned their conquering ways, and made a new home for themselves on Nestenia, where they ruled the Plastic Conjunction and developed rapport with the Embodiment of Gris, which observers described as a romance. (PROSE: Revenge of the Nestene ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who: Lockdown! (2020).)

The Nestene was approached by Rassilon during the Last Great Time War, who bargained to have an Auton copy of the War Doctor constructed to inspire his troops into agreeing to a suicide mission. However, the real War Doctor intercepted the deal and won over the Nestene into allowing him to control the Auton, and a second one made in his likeness, by agreeing to fight for the Nestene in the future. (PROSE: Decoy ^[+]George Mann, The Target Storybook (2019).)

Eventually, Nestenia would fall victim to fallout from the Time War when it briefly penetrated the normal universe, with the Nestene de-aged by a wave of Early, the food stocks destroyed by cloud of Late, and the Embodiment driven insane by a blizzard of Tick-tock. (PROSE: Revenge of the Nestene ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who: Lockdown! (2020).) The Nestenes' timeline was also drastically rewritten by the fallout of the Time War, leaving them in a liquid body of plastic that had now always been their true form. (PROSE: Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Rose (Russell T Davies), Target novelisations (Target Books, 2018).)

After the Time War

Escaping to 2005 London using warp shunt technology, the Nestenes hatched a plan to overthrow and destroy the human race to use Earth as a replacement for the food planets lost in the Time War. (TV: Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) They also planned to absorb the Ninth Doctor, so they could gain knowledge on how to pilot his TARDIS and invade other planets. (PROSE: Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Rose (Russell T Davies), Target novelisations (Target Books, 2018).) Rose Tyler eventually defeated them by knocking a vial of anti-plastic solution that one of the Autons had confiscated from the Doctor into the vat of molten plastic which housed the main bulk of the Consciousness, causing it to explode, (TV: Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) though a piece of the Nestene survived in the Half-Head Pierrot, with ambitions of revenge on the Doctor by forming an alliance. (PROSE: Revenge of the Nestene ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who: Lockdown! (2020).)

Becoming Boris Johnson

As it maneuvered around the carnage caused by the Auton attack, the Nestene merged with a blonde politician in Westminster, (PROSE: Revenge of the Nestene ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who: Lockdown! (2020).) who became the Prime Minister in 2019, despite Box knowing he a "plastic duplicate". (PROSE: Out of the Box ^[+]Aristide Twain, Out of the Shadows (P.R.O.B.E., Arcbeatle Press, 2021).) Rani Chandra eventually exposed the Prime Minster as being made of plastic. (AUDIO: Here Today ^[+]Joseph Lidster, Beyond Bannerman Road (Rani Takes on the World, Big Finish Productions, 2023).)

The Pandorica plot

The Nestenes' ambition for an alliance with the Doctor's other enemies (PROSE: Revenge of the Nestene ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who: Lockdown! (2020).) was eventually realised through the Total Collapse Event Incident. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).)

The Nestenes and the Alliance came to Stonehenge in 102, where the Nestenes created a legion of Autons disguised as Roman soldiers to trick the Eleventh Doctor and imprison him in the Pandorica in order to save the universe from the cracks in time caused by the Doctor's TARDIS being exploded by the Silence. (TV: The Pandorica Opens ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 5 (BBC One, 2010).) When the plan failed due to River Song piloting the TARDIS instead, the Nestenes were erased from the universe along with the rest of creation, except for an Auton copy of Rory Williams, who rebelled against his nature and helped the Doctor "reset" the universe with the Big Bang Two. (TV: The Big Bang ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 5 (BBC One, 2010).)

Return to conquests

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The Nestene in 1969. (COMIC: A Little Help from My Friends ^[+]Jody Houser, Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor (Titan Comics, 2020).)

The Nestene Consciousness attempted to invade 1969 London, only to be confronted by the Tenth Doctor and the Thirteenth Doctor, who attracted a Weeping Angel to the Consciousness' lair, with the Angel banishing the Consciousness to Earth's past. (COMIC: A Little Help from My Friends ^[+]Jody Houser, Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor (Titan Comics, 2020).)

Part of the Nestene Consciousness from the 1980s resurfaced in 2013, taking over through Hyperville, but was foiled by the Tenth Doctor. (PROSE: Autonomy ^[+]Daniel Blythe, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).)

The Siege of Trenzalore

The Nestene Consciousness sent a hit squad of Autons to Trenzalore without weapons in their arms to sneak past the Papal Mainframe's technology barrier. It initially planned to parachute the Autons directly into the Eleventh Doctor's residence of Christmas to grab the Doctor and take him to his death, but, upon the crosswinds blowing the Autons miles off course, the Consciousness improvised a new plan to lead the Doctor into a trap at Devil's Elbows Canyon in the Outland. The Consciousness's plan ultimately failed when the Autons were sunk beneath the surface of Lake Lagda while they were aboard the Lifeboat after the Doctor set off boronite explosives on board the Lifeboat. The Doctor speculated that the Consciousness was still in Trenzalore's orbit, having used the Autons to hijack one of the spaceships, and believed that the Autons were likely the only thing the humans on Trenzalore were likely to see of the Nestene Consciousness. (PROSE: Strangers in the Outland ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Psychological profile

Personality

The Nestenes invaded planets either for colonisation, using them for sources of plastic and protein, or to destroy them. (PROSE: Synthespians™ ^[+]Craig Hinton, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2004).)

Powers and abilities

A Nestene tries to hypnotise Natasha Alexander. (HOMEVID: Auton 3: Awakening ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Physical manifestation for the Consciousness was conceptual, being more than just a brain in flesh; it could exist in various forms, various places, and even various times. (PROSE: Autonomy ^[+]Daniel Blythe, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).) Because of their molecular affinity, the Nestenes had the ability to possess plastic, animating it and making it quasi-organic, becoming "almost like flesh and blood". (TV: Terror of the Autons ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).) The Consciousness existed within everything it controlled, with the more significant of these manifestations including the energy units which transported the Consciousness, the Autons used as soldiers, and the Nestene creature that served as the central brain and nervous system for the Autons, created from the collected intelligence of the energy units. (TV: Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).)

While they were fragments of the Consciousness, Autons had degrees of individuality depending on the portions of intelligence given to them. Channing, a Swarm Leader, could directly control another Auton, but was unaware of another's destruction. (TV: Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).) The Nestenes could speak through their Autons (TV: Terror of the Autons ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).) which they directed via the astral plane, (PROSE: Synthespians™ ^[+]Craig Hinton, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2004).) although the Nestenes required a relay station or transmitter to control larger numbers. (TV: Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

The Nestene language. (HOMEVID: Auton ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, Auton Trilogy (BBV Productions, 1997).)

Although they had become pure energy, (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Spearhead from Space (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1974).) the Nestenes could still transition into physical forms, either through energy conversion or by constructing plastic bodies for themselves. They were able to absorb the psychic energy of willing humans, (HOMEVID: Auton 2: Sentinel ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, Auton Trilogy (BBV Productions, 1998).) and could convert complete human bodies into energy. One Nestene that was absorbed into a human mind was capable of teleportation, projecting energy barriers, and materialising Autons. (HOMEVID: Auton 3: Awakening ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

While the Consciousness was a group mind, it could transport sections of its mind through radio waves, (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Terror of the Autons (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1975).) separating parts of the Nestene Mind for invasions so as not to risk the entire Consciousness, with the Consciousness aware if an invasion failed. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Spearhead from Space (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1974).)

Appearance

The body of the Nestene. (HOMEVID: Auton 2: Sentinel ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, Auton Trilogy (BBV Productions, 1998).)

According to the Third Doctor, the Nestenes manifested themselves as a "disembodied, mutually telepathic intelligence", (TV: Terror of the Autons ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).) and, according to Channing, the way the Nestenes appeared on their home planet did not resemble the plastic manifestation that was grown on Earth. (TV: Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).) Because of their nature, a Nestenes' manifestation served as the brain or nervous system, (TV: Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).) although it could also be defined as the heart, or appendix, or duodenum, or other terms. (PROSE: Autonomy ^[+]Daniel Blythe, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).)

The Nestene Consciousness could manifest themselves either as the same solid plastic an Auton was made out of, or as a creature of "pure force and energy". (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Terror of the Autons (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1975).) The Nestenes' molecular structure had a close affinity to plastic, such as polymers of high molecular weight and some partially amorphous. (PROSE: Autonomy ^[+]Daniel Blythe, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).) The polymer chains of both thermosetting and thermoplastic resonated along their psychic wavelength. (PROSE: Synthespians™ ^[+]Craig Hinton, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2004).) Their manifesting body would be made out of plastic, allowing it to manipulate its surroundings, (TV: Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970).) though the Nestenes' original body was large enough to dwarf a radio telescope. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Terror of the Autons (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1975).)

Their appearance was once that of a many-tentacled monster which was "something between spider, crab and octopus". (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Terror of the Autons (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1975).)

The Nestene in the Post-Time War universe. (PROSE: Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Following the Last Great Time War, the Nestenes' biology was changed drastically, leaving it to manifest in a liquid form made of plastic with a humanoid face (TV: Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) after the Time War rewrote the Nestenes' nature, with the aftereffect of the liquid body having now always been the Nestenes' true form. (PROSE: Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Rose (Russell T Davies), Target novelisations (Target Books, 2018).)

Behind the scenes

• While they were referred to only as "the Nestenes" when they were first introduced in Spearhead from Space ^[+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 7 (BBC1, 1970)., they were identified as the "Nestene Consciousness" in the novelisation Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion ^[+]Terrance Dicks, adapted from Spearhead from Space (Robert Holmes), Target novelisations (Target Books, 1974).. The 2014 short story Strangers in the Outland ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW. alternates between "Nestene Consciousness" and "Nestene" in the singular.
• Absence of the Daleks, the draft for Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005). before the legal rights to the Daleks had been secured, would have established that the Nestenes were among the civilisations decimated by mysterious spheres from the future, later revealed to be humans, who had attacked the Time Lords.
• The Dalek Handbook identifies the Nestenes as one of the Higher Species due to their involvement with the Last Great Time War.