Are there Alternate Universe Doctors?

[RoJoHen]

We know that there are alternate universes in Doctor Who, but do those universes have their own Doctor? Or do Time Lords somehow exist outside the framework of the universe?

For example, could Matt Smith travel to an alternate universe where David Tennant was still a live?

 

[Psion]

My first inclination would be to say, "Yes!", but one of the Tennant episodes implied that the Time Lords managed all that multiverse crap and now that they're gone it was no longer possible to cross between universes.

So who knows? At the very least, Rose has her duplicate Doctor, and supposedly he was given a piece of TARDIS coral with which he could grow a new time capsule.

 

[captcalhoun]

it's possible. theory says that the Dictator who ran the evil universe in "Inferno" back in Pertwee's day was the alternate Doctor.

there's also a series of alternate Doctor stories called "Unbound" in the audio adventures, which include one who was a femal Third Doctor, a Third Doctor who was sent to the late 1990s and missed all of UNITs shenanigans in the 70s/80s among others.

there's also a few alternate universe in novels, three (iirc) sprang from The Silurians first story.

 

[JoeZhang]

Well the Doctor certainly thinks so as he mentions that Merlin (in em.. that story... that one. with... thingy) might be an alternative universe version of him.

 

[StCoop]

Well the Doctor certainly thinks so as he mentions that Merlin (in em.. that story... that one. with... thingy) might be an alternative universe version of him.

No, a future version, not an alternate version.

In the RTD days the Time Lords were unique across all Universes. Given that Moffat seems to want to dump as much of his stuff as possible, who knows what the case is now.

 

[JoeZhang]

He presents both options.

 

[RoJoHen]

My first inclination would be to say, "Yes!", but one of the Tennant episodes implied that the Time Lords managed all that multiverse crap and now that they're gone it was no longer possible to cross between universes.

So who knows? At the very least, Rose has her duplicate Doctor, and supposedly he was given a piece of TARDIS coral with which he could grow a new time capsule.

See, the problem with all the multiverse crap is that at some point in history, roughly 4.2 bagillion years ago, the Time Lords weren't time lords. They hadn't evolved that far yet.

The only way that would work is if they evolved in Time Lords in a single universe and then "took over" the multiverse.

 

[Whofan]

Certainly, stuff like the Unbound, Curse of Fatal Death, Cushing Dalek movies, Shalka etc. could be explained by putting them in alternate continuity.


Also the Eighth Doctor's audio/novel/comic adventures got so complex and contradictory that continuity-minded fans have put them into three different universes/timelines. They also take it further by saying each different Mcgann regenerated into a different Ninth Doctor-The Shalka Doctor, The Curse of Fatal Death Doctor and of course, Eccleston.


There's also been some notion in the books that connected all the similar mind controlling entities (Fenric, The Nestenes, Animus etc.) in WHO into one group, explaining they were the time lords from another universe who were altered upon entering our own.

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

...one of the Tennant episodes implied that the Time Lords managed all that multiverse crap and now that they're gone it was no longer possible to cross between universes...

See, the problem with all the multiverse crap is that at some point in history, roughly 4.2 bagillion years ago, the Time Lords weren't time lords. They hadn't evolved that far yet.

The only way that would work is if they evolved in Time Lords in a single universe and then "took over" the multiverse.

One could take Ten's comments to that effect as meaning that it wasn't possible to cross from this universe into others, not necessarily meaning it wasn't ever possible for travel between other universes, just not this one. So they managed dimension/reality/universe travel, but only from this universe and not for the entire multiverse.

It's kinda like an airport being destroyed...it means you can't fly out of THAT airport, but it doesn't mean air travel is no longer possible at all.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

there's also a series of alternate Doctor stories called "Unbound" in the audio adventures, which include one who was a femal Third Doctor, a Third Doctor who was sent to the late 1990s and missed all of UNITs shenanigans in the 70s/80s among others.

Additionally, in the audio series Gallifrey...

Spoiler: Gallifrey IV

Romana, Leela and company visit multiple universes, each with a different Gallifrey and different versions of themselves.

 

[Andrew_Kearley]

Also the Eighth Doctor's audio/novel/comic adventures got so complex and contradictory that continuity-minded fans have put them into three different universes/timelines.

Pah! Bunch of lightweights!

 

[23skidoo]

One could take Ten's comments to that effect as meaning that it wasn't possible to cross from this universe into others, not necessarily meaning it wasn't ever possible for travel between other universes, just not this one.

Also, just because one can't travel between universes doesn't mean they don't exist. Pete's World, with Rose, the Meta-Crisis Doctor, and probably Doctor Jr. by now, still exists even though, technically, it should be impossible for our Doctor to go back there.

Likewise, there's also the E-Space "pocket universe" where Adric came from. It's still around. (This all assuming the Whoniverse didn't undergo some sort of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" scenario we haven't heard about yet.)

In real life, some scientists and mathematicians claim they've proven alternate universes exist via mathematics. And let's assume they're correct, at the present time it is physically impossible for us to get to one from here. It may never become physically possible. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. Right now, somewhere, Karen Gillan just brought me my morning coffee as another $2 million dollar royalty cheque just got deposited in my bank account for that best-selling novel I wrote.

Alex

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Wow, in that alternate universe, you must be me!

 

[Tom]

Somewhere there is a universe where the 6th doctor is still out there.. LOL

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ What an awful place.

 

[Tom]

^ What an awful place.

Yup, he is in the 'Cringe Universe' lol

 

[captcalhoun]

there's a universe out there where Bones loves every episode of nuWho and RTD.

it's a universe where everyone salutes their bosses, the women wear crop tops and assassination is the norm for promotion.

 

[Psion]

Now, now ... no fair provoking someone who can't be here to rise to the occasion.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

it's possible. theory says that the Dictator who ran the evil universe in "Inferno" back in Pertwee's day was the alternate Doctor.

That's in one of the Timewyrm novels, isn't it?

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

One could take Ten's comments to that effect as meaning that it wasn't possible to cross from this universe into others, not necessarily meaning it wasn't ever possible for travel between other universes, just not this one.

Also, just because one can't travel between universes doesn't mean they don't exist. Pete's World, with Rose, the Meta-Crisis Doctor, and probably Doctor Jr. by now, still exists even though, technically, it should be impossible for our Doctor to go back there.

Exactly! I was thinking about that the other day, actually. I was wondering if Pete's World had a Doctor of it's own. I read a rather well-done fanfic about Eleven crossing over into Pete's World and meeting up with the Meta-Crisis Doctor and that started me thinking about what The Doctor 'native' to Pete's World was like. Maybe he's still in his Ninth incarnation...that way there could be a meeting between Nine, Ten, and Eleven. Even though Eleven isn't supposed to be able to get there...oh well, Timey Wimey and all that.