Gavrok

Gavrok
Species:	Humanoid
Appearance:	Delta and the Bannermen
Main actor:	Don Henderson

Gavrok was the leader of the criminal organisation known as the Bannermen. He led them in their quest to exterminate the Chimerons.

Biography

Searching for Delta

The Bannermen attacked the Chimeron home planet, Chumeria, intending to wipe the Chimerons out. However, two Chimerons escaped in a Bannerman craft. Gavrok lay in wait for them and shot Chima. Before dying, Chima shot at Gavrok, knocking him from the craft. The other Chimeron, Delta, fled in the craft.

Gavrok and the Bannermen followed her to a toll port in 4687, (PROSE: TARDIS Cam) where they interrogated the tollmaster as to her location. When he proved unable to provide the information, Gavrok killed him.

A mercenary informed Gavrok of Delta's whereabouts: Shangri-La camp, Earth in 1959. Gavrok used a high-impulse beam to kill the mercenary so he did not have to pay him.

On Earth

Gavrok at the toll port. (TV: Delta and the Bannermen)

However, he had killed him too early. Gavrok did not know precisely where Delta was. He ordered a scan for high technology. They found her and landed, taking Jerome Weismuller and Hawk prisoner. Gavrok ordered two Bannermen to guard the prisoners whilst he and the rest moved on to the camp.

They arrived in time to destroy the Nostalgia Tours bus. Gavrok confronted Melanie Bush, the only survivor, and asked if Delta was aboard. She lied, saying she was. Moments later Delta passed by on a motorcycle. Gavrok decided to use Mel and the camp leader Burton as bait.

The Seventh Doctor approached the Bannermen under a white flag, but Gavrok shot it. The Doctor told Gavrok to let Mel and Burton go; he was already in enough trouble. Gavrok signalled the Bannermen guarding Weismuller and Hawk to place a tracker on the bike and booby-trapped the Doctor's TARDIS with a sonic cone, which would atomise anything that came too close.

Gavrok enters the perimeter of the sonic cone. (TV: Delta and the Bannermen)

Gavrok followed the signal to a dead end. One of the guards told him where Delta's hideout was. Gavrok walked into a trap. The Bannermen and he were covered in honey and Goronwy's bee's attacked them. He reorganised and set out for the camp, where the sound of the Chimeron princess was amplified through a stereo, sending Gavrok and the Bannermen into disarray. Gavrok stumbled within the perimeter of the sonic cone and was atomised instantly. (TV: Delta and the Bannermen)

Personality

Gavrok kills Chima. (TV: Delta and the Bannermen)

Gavrok wanted to wipe out every Chimeron. He waited aboard a Bannerman craft while his men killed the last Chimerons, predicting that someone would board. He killed Chima whilst his back was turned and taunted Delta when he tried to kill her.

Gavrok told the tollmaster that he was free to go and then killed him when he turned away, showing he had little regard for honesty. He also had little respect for convention, firing at the Doctor whilst he was under the flag of truce.

Gavrok was cunning. He booby-trapped the TARDIS in expectation of the Doctor's return. He reacted violently to the incompetence of his troops and often berated them. (TV: Delta and the Bannermen)

Behind the scenes

• The script for Delta originally described him as follows: "An awesome sight with red eyes and a black militaristic uniform. Gavrok has a Zap gun slung across his chest and a sling in one hand from which hang the long black pennants of his empire. In the other hand is a curved ram's horn." (INFO: Delta and the Bannermen)
• Nicholas Ball, Kenneth Colley, Michael Elphick, Michael Gothard, Bernard Hill, Jeremy Kemp, Ronald Lacey, T. P. McKenna, Clifford Rose, Peter Vaughan, Simon Ward and David Warner were considered for the role before Don Henderson was cast.