Needs info from White Witch of Devil's End: episodes 3-6.
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Miss Olive Hawthorne was a white witch and the guardian of Devil's End.
Devil's End was situated upon a large power source caused by Azal's crashed spaceship (TV: The Dæmons [+]Guy Leopold, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).) which made it a prime target for dark forces and extraterrestrial invaders. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting [+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018).) Olive protected the village from said forces and often took on apprentices and students such as Grace Reynolds and Jiro Kazama (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting [+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018)., Pluto's Gate [+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2022).) and the Reverend Canon Smallwood to assist her. These helpers came to be colloquially known as Hawthorne's Brigade.
When Olive died she handed over her role as guardian to her sister Poppy Hawthorne who had reappeared from her disappearance many decades before like she had never been away. (HOMEVID: Hawthorne Blood [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)
Biography[]
Early life[]
Olive was born the elder of twin girls. She spent most of her times outdoors and would be bored if she was stuck inside. She had trouble sleeping and had secret fears and phobias that she could not share even with her sister, Poppy. She dreamt of monsters invading the village. (HOMEVID: The Inheritance) Shortly before she died, her grandmother had given her an ankh necklace. (PROSE: The Inheritance)
One night, Olive was awoken by a sound coming from the stables. She went downstairs and outside to investigate where she was confronted with a witch. She told Olive that her name was Lobelia, her great-aunt, and that the Hawthorne family's sole purpose was to protect Devil's End from the evil that it attracted and that becoming a white witch was Olive's birthright. Additionally, Lobelia handed Olive a grimoire that would help her and a bridel to aid in her sleep. Finally, she was told that she would have to choose between good and evil and that the right path would involve many sacrifices.
The next morning, she was awoken by her mother who asked her the whereabouts of Poppy. A large search of the village occurred for months but nothing was found. Olive was devastated. She remembered Lobelia's words regarding sacrifice and felt guilt that somehow she had caused her sister's disappearance.
Two years later, during World War II, Olive met a Gypsy Witch who was selling luck charms. She offered Olive anything she wanted if she followed her master, including a reunion with Poppy. Olive heeded Lobelia's warnings and backed away, but not before the Witch's eyes turned black. From this point she realised her apprenticeship was over and she was truly the guardian of Devil's End. (HOMEVID: The Inheritance)
The guardian of Devil's End[]
Olive started having visions of a hazy silhouette; she knew he would be important and when she consulted the runes she learnt it was a warning. One night, Olive walked past The Cloven Hoof when she heard the sound of a violin from inside. When confronted with the violinist, Victor, Olive was in awe. He read her mind in regard to her desire for red wine. She returned to the bar the following morning to find out from Ned where he was staying. Once she found out, Olive visited him and the two had a deep conversation where the two sometimes seemingly read each other's minds.
That night, Olive dreamed of him, of his two sides: the calm elegant man she knew and a raging wild man in the mirror. She also dreamed of a baby crying which she interpreted to mean her child by Victor. The two got to know each other very well and they would often talk for hours every day. After a time, Olive suggested that he come and see her runes and crystal ball but he firmly told her to never invite him into her home. She was disappointed at his apparent rejection but assured her it was nothing of the kind and that she would understand in time.
After setting off early to meet him, Olive discovered Victor feasting on a dead deer in the church graveyard with teeth like a vampire. Although initially scared, Olive realised that Victor could have caught her at any moment and he assured her that she was safe and invited her to The Cloven Hoof to explain. He told her of his creation and when Olive suggested that he turn her to share guardianship of Devil's End he adamantly refused, telling her that they would represent its greatest threat. Victor told her that there was an eclipse the next day and that Olive's charts predicting its occurrence the following month were incorrect. The next day, Olive met him outside and he took off his cloak, exposing his skin to the sunlight. He screamed in agony as he burned to death. Olive understood that he had done it to protect her. His death weighed on her heavily and she kept his ashes in a silver urn until her own death in 2017. (HOMEVID: Half Light)
Fighting Azal[]
In 1977, (HOMEVID: Dæmos Returns) Olive spent weeks warning Professor Horner not to dig at the Devil's Hump tomb on Beltane, believing "the Prince himself is nigh". She was taken by the verger Garvin after failing to be hypnotised by the Master and was left bound and gagged inside a chest in the village church. UNIT Sergeant John Benton freed her, and they hid in the cavern beneath the church. Benton was rendered unconscious by a forcefield in the cavern, and Olive carried him to The Cloven Hoof pub when the Dæmon Azal killed Garvin. She saved Benton from an attacking Morris dancer by hitting him over the head with her reticule. She and Benton helped stop the villagers from burning the Third Doctor when they tricked them into believing he was a mighty wizard. Olive took quite a liking to Sergeant Benton, going so far as to ask him to dance with her in celebration of their victory over the Master and in the festive spirit of May Day. (TV: The Dæmons)
Some time later, Olive confronted the Master when she observed his return to Devil's End following his escape from Fortress Island. Underneath the new church where began showing interest in the Stone of Sacrifice, the Master held Olive hostage with his Tissue Compression Eliminator in front of the Doctor and Jo Grant but she was able to summon a strong wind to subdue him. The Master managed to escape due to the Stone of Sacrifice actually being his disguised TARDIS, leaving Olive unharmed. (PROSE: The Eight Doctors)
A year after Azal was defeated, Olive dealt with the lingering presence of the Daemon beneath the church. (HOMEVID: Dæmos Returns)
Training the next generation[]
In the 2020s, Olive took on two students - Irish Grace Reynolds and Japanese Jiro Kazama. When Olive was interviewed aby a newsreader her two students took different stances with Grace condemning the interviewer's patronising tone and Jiro excusing her as simply being ignorant. Olive sensed Scorpio's presence in the village and astral projected herself to confront him where she found him at the Ministry of Defence facility attempting to restore Bok to life. Olive was attacked by Bok and awoke in her real body, she proceeded to instruct Grace and Jiro to put a stop to Scorpio which they managed to do by stealing his scanner and entangling Bok in a net. Scorpio warned that this wasn't over before teleporting away and Olive congratulated her students but suggested that this was only the beginning. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting [+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018).)
Later life[]
In her final year, Olive was visited by Bryony Hawthorne, a distant cousin who was orphaned at birth. Destiny had led Bryony to Devil's End, and Olive was thankful she had someone she was able to teach and pass on her Hawthorne grimoire and protectorship of Devil's End to. She taught Bryony many things, but always held a suspicion of her. This was because Bryony was part succubus, and had been killing the men of Devil's End. Olive banished Bryony, though it took most of her energy. (HOMEVID: Hawthorne Blood)
Death[]
As she prepared for death, Olive feared for Devil's End, having no successor to protect it once she had gone. Then there was a knock at the door, and Olive was greeted by her sister Poppy, having not aged a day since she went missing. Poppy promised to protect Devil's End once Olive had passed, and soon after Olive died. (HOMEVID: Hawthorne Blood)
Appearance[]
Olive was said to be tall and bony with drawn-back black hair streaked with grey. She wore a brocade dress and a long black cloak in some handwoven material. A heavy Celtic cross hung at her neck. (PROSE: The Eight Doctors [+]Terrance Dicks, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1997).)
Powers and abilities[]
Olive was prone to psychic premonitions and visions from a young age. As a child she dreamt of invading monsters. (HOMEVID: The Inheritance [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.) She was able to feel Scorpio's presence in Devil's End when he was looking for Azal. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting [+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018).)
Olive was skilled in the ability to astral project. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting [+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018). When confronting the Master, Olive was able to summon up a strong wind which targeted him. The Doctor dismissed the notion that Olive really was a witch to Jo Grant and suggested that she had latent telekenetic powers that showed themselves in a crisis sort of like a "controlled, benevolent poltergeist". (PROSE: The Eight Doctors [+]Terrance Dicks, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1997).)
Behind the scenes[]
The character was originally named Lady Olivia Featherstone. (INFO: The Dæmons)
Damaris Hayman first met Keith Barnfather in 2008 when Reeltime Pictures were filming short interviews with supporting actors from Doctor Who at an event called Flight Through Eternity in Gloucester. Barnfather was impressed by Hayman's memory of her time filming The Dæmons and her obvious love for the character of Hawthorne. Two years later Barnfather and his wife Anastasia arranged a full interview with Hayman for the Myth Makers fanzine during which Hayman made clear her desire to revisit the role of Hawthorne and do some more acting. Keith and Anastasia devised the initial conception of The White Witch of Devil's End on the car journey home and in 2012 Hayman filmed her part for the main section of the drama. The serial was released in 2017. Subsequently John Michael Helmer contacted Barnfather about creating a comic series focusing on the character of Hawthorne. (INFO: Devil's End #1) Hayman couldn't quite believe the popularity of the character and was astounded to win her first acting award at 89 for her monologues in The White Witch of Devil's End. (INFO: Hawthorne's Brigade #1)