Human
Humans were a race of humanoids native to Earth. They were also referred to as Tellurians (referring to Tellus, another name for Earth) by some races such as the Androgums and Lurmans and as Terrans by others. According to Mesanth, the word "human" could refer to any human-like creature, so a more specific term, like Earthon, should have been used to refer to the inhabitants of Earth. (NSA: Shining Darkness) Neither of these terms, however, were widely used. The pejorative term Earthling was sometimes used.
Characteristics
Powers and Abilities
Humans were special in the universe, as they had an innate skill with time travel, rivalling that of even the Time Lords. (PDA: The Quantum Archangel)
Innate psychic abilities were rare but not unknown. Many humans had telepathic powers, though in almost all cases this was suppressed or weakened. (NA: The Left-Handed Hummingbird) Individual humans displayed such psychic powers as psychometry, telepathy, or time-sensitivity. (DW: Planet of the Spiders, Image of the Fendahl, The Unquiet Dead) Despite this, humans had little in the way of telepathic emissions and were difficult to track telepathically. (NA: Blood Heat) In 2011, due to Miracle Day, every human became immortal, unable to die, but not invincible, (TW: The New World) but with two exceptions, became mortal again a few months later. (TW: The Blood Line)
Unusual Traits of humanity
- Jack Harkness mentioned off-handedly that humans are the only species which goes camping. (TW: Countrycide)
- The Tenth Doctor claimed humans were the only species in the Mutter's Spiral which invented edible ball bearings. (DW: Fear Her)
- The I-Spyder Book of Earth Creatures stated that the humans were the only species native to Earth that voluntarily wear clothing. (NSA: The Last Dodo)
Perceptions by Other Species
Other species had a variety of traits which they ascribed to humans.
The Doctor praised the species for their indomitable spirit (DW: The Ark in Space, DW: Utopia) and for their daring explorer spirit. (DW: The Impossible Planet). On the other hand, he also believed they were capable of amazing cruelty (DW: The Christmas Invasion), as well as an innate talent for self-deception (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks). Whether by accident or intent, all but a very few of the Doctor's many companions have been human and, specifically, humans from Earth. (DW: An Unearthly Child, The Rescue, The Chase, The Myth Makers, The Daleks' Master Plan, The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, et al.)
The War Lords considered humans the most aggressive and war-like species in all of Mutter's Spiral and hoped to conquer the galaxy with them. (DW: The War Games)
The Veltrochni thought humans were a stubborn species, but very vicious. They also knew them for their trait of banding together against common enemies. (MA: The Dark Path)
Dalek Sec of the Cult of Skaro described humans as "the ultimate survivors", citing the fact that versions of New York City would continue to exist throughout history, as opposed to the Dalek race which was wiped out. (DW: Daleks in Manhattan)
The Silurians thought of humans as primitive apes. (DW: Doctor Who and the Silurians et al.)
The Doctor's Thoughts
The Doctor often stated that he thought humans were "brilliant" (particularly during his fourth and tenth incarnations) and praised them for their strong spirit during the hardest of times. He noted how despite the fact that humans were (compared to most species) "thick", they still came up with ideas and inventions that some species would never even think of. He hated to see humans get hurt or killed due to being defenseless (from alien attacks) and often found himself risking his own life to save theirs. He found human culture and history extremely fascinating and demonstrated a vast knowledge of human culture and history equal to (or vastly exceeding) that of an actual human. He found them to be an extremely "simple yet fantastic" species, praising them for their good hearts and strong nature which, according to the Doctor, was what makes humans so great. [source needed] He was aware that humans could be driven by pride, xenophobia, aggression and greed, and sometimes had the capacity to commit terrible crimes. He often lost patience with them and protected other races (such as the Ood) from human cruelty. (DW: Planet of the Ood) When severely pushed, he even called humans "stupid apes" (DW: Rose, Father's Day) or "monsters" (DW: The Christmas Invasion), and claimed that they "grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry" (DW: 42). When asked how he viewed humans by Wilfred Mott who believed he must see humans as ants, the Tenth Doctor replied that he saw humans as "giants." (DW: The End of Time)
History of human Evolution
- For a detailed, human-focused history, see timeline. For the social developments and beginnings of humans, see Earth.
Humans evolved due to the influence of a variety of species, such as the Silurians, who caused the development of racial fear, (BFA: Bloodtide), the Silence, (DW: The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon), the Fendahl, who caused the development of much of humanity's cruelty and capacity for evil, (DW: Image of the Fendahl), and the Dæmons (DW: The Dæmons).
At some point after the 20th century, some of humanity's latent psychic powers were awakened using special drugs. (NA: The Left-Handed Hummingbird)
Humanity had official first contact with aliens after the Sycorax leader was contacted by Harriet Jones on Christmas 2006. (DW: The Christmas Invasion) Another account states that first contact was the Arcturan Treaty of 2085. (NA: The Dying Days)
In the year 2009, the entire human race that was present on Earth at the time were temporarily transformed into genetic and physical duplicates of The Master and dubbed the Master Race. This was later undone by the Time Lord Rassilon. (DW: The End of Time). In 2011, on Miracle Day, the process of dying ended for a time for every human simultaneously thanks to the Blessing emitting a morphic field. This was reversed later that year once Jack Harkness and Rex Matheson used Jack's mortal blood to calm the field. (TW: The New World, Rendition, The Blood Line)
In the late 21st century, humans begin to develop interstellar travel. (DW: The Waters of Mars)
By the 26th century, human genetic engineering eliminated wisdom teeth. (BNA: Dry Pilgrimage)
By the 42nd century, intergalactic travel was common for humans. (DW: Planet of the Ood)
By the 51st century, humans engineered themselves advanced pheromones which made them naturally nice-smelling and attractive to others. (TW: Fragments) Humans had also developed time travel. (DW: The Talons of Weng-Chiang)
By the year 5,000,000,000, interbreeding and evolution had resulted in there being only one "pure" human left, Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17, although this individual no longer had a recognizable human form due to the life-extending surgeries she had undergone. Although believed killed soon after the destruction of the Earth, (DW: The End of the World) she survived, only to die several decades later after a failed attempt at transferring her consciousness to Rose Tyler. (DW: New Earth)
Despite O'Brien being described as the last human (DW: The End of the World), the human race in some form continued. At some point in their history, the humans spent millions of years as a gas, and also spent time as downloads before eventually re-evolving into humanoid form.
Ultimately, humans would continue to exist until the year 100,000,000,000,000, becoming one of the universe's last surviving races; by this point they had re-evolved to be virtually indistinguishable from the humans the Doctor encountered during the 21st century and earlier. (DW: Utopia) This fulfilled a legend that humans would be one of three species left at the end of the universe, one of the other two being the Sycorax. (IDW: Agent Provocateur)
The last known humans, transported to the world called Utopia and under the influence of the Master, underwent one final evolution into a machine-clad race called the Toclafane. The Master attempted to conquer the Earth of the early 21st century with the Toclafane, but after the Doctor and his colleagues were able to reverse time, the Toclafane invasion was erased from history, and it was expected that the Toclafane, no longer able to travel through time and space, would eventually die out along with their cousins, thus resulting in the final extinction of humanity. (DW: The Sound of Drums, Last of the Time Lords)
