The Three Families

The Three Families (also known as The Families) were a powerful organisation descended from three different families who systematically manipulated the human race over the 20th century for their own purposes. It is believed one family was centred on politics, one had entered into the economic world, and the other had gone into media. (TW: The Gathering)

History

In 1928, Little Italy, men belonging to the Ablemarch, Costerdane and Frines families purchased the immortal Jack Harkness, and were able to take samples of his blood. He later escaped their custody, thanks to man who had initially kidnapped him, Angelo Colasanto. (TW: Immortal Sins) His Grand-daughter later stated that that the families refused to work with Colasanto, due to his homosexual relationship with Harkness. Despite this, he would keep a close eye on both the families, and Harkness, throughout his life. (TW: End of the Road)

Through the 20th Century, the Families would remain hidden, acting through companies such as PhiCorp, but would manipulate events on a global scale. Their influence was so large that it eventually reached the extent where they were able to alter and erase data on a global scale. All factual reference to the families subsequently disappeared. (TW: End of the Road)

In 1998, when technology had developed to a point were numerous records could be analysed quickly, they discovered that people living within a two-mile radius of the Blessing in Shanghai lived the exact average lifespan of the rest of the world. This allowed the Families to discover and gain control of the Blessing, a secondary pole running through the center of the Earth, connecting Shanghai to Buenos Aires. (TW: The Middle Men, End of the Road, The Blood Line).

Thanks to their discovery of the Blessing, the Families set about planning to cause, and control what would come to be known as The Miracle, stopping people from dying throughout the entire planet.

They eventually caused the Miracle in 2011, by introducing the immortal blood of Harkness into the Blessing at both ends simltaneously. This was only the beginning however, as they planned to use their influence and wealth to eventually control the human race. On the same day, they also sent an email to the Central Intelligence Agency consisting of just one word, "Torchwood". They later erased all records of Torchwood Institute. (TW: The New World)

Through PhiCorp, they employed both Jilly Kitzinger and Oswald Danes in order to use Danes' own media influence.

In September of that year, they intended to seal the Blessing by collapsing the underground caves at each end, stopping anyone from interfering with it again, and negating the Miracle. This plan was interupted by members of Torchwood, and the CIA however. After a stand off between the two sides, Harkness and Rex Matheson were able to release Harkness' blood (now mortal due to the Miracle) into the Blessing again, reversing its effects.

"The Mother" of the Families was subsequently killed by Oswald Danes, who blew up himself, and the Shanghai complex while holding onto her. However, the Families didn't see this as a defeat, more as a trial run and had a Plan B. (TW: The Blood Line)

Influence

As owners of the pharmaceutical company PhiCorp, The Families were able to produce and stockpile vast quantities of painkillers. Not only would this make them exessive profits throughout the Miracle, but they were also able to do so without PhiCorp COO Stuart Owens even learning of the Families existence, as his own subsequent attempts to research who was manipulating his company were largely fruitless.

The family had moles in various high ranking organisations, including at least three within the Central Intelligence Agency.

Members and Employees

• Blue-Eyed Man
• Oswald Danes
• Brian Friedkin
• Lyn Peterfield
• Jilly Kitzinger
• Charlotte Wills
• The Young Man
• The Mother
• The Cousin
• The Families also owned PhiCorp, and by extension its employees, such as Stuart Owens, also worked for them.