Sonic lipstick
The sonic lipstick was a device similar to the sonic screwdriver owned by the Doctor, and regularly employed by Sarah Jane Smith. It resembled a genuine 21st-century lipstick closely enough not to seem suspicious.
History
Almost certainly created for Sarah Jane by the Tenth Doctor, one account indicates that he had left the sonic lipstick for Sarah inside a sliding panel on the side of K9 Mark IV. (WEB: bbc.co.uk) [statement unclear]
Following the destruction of one of the devices by Sontaran Commander Kaagh, Sarah Jane later produced another. (TV: Enemy of the Bane) The Doctor may have created two for her, or she may have built a duplicate of the one she had with help from Mr. Smith and/or K9. Although primarily used by Sarah Jane, it was also seen to have been used by the Doctor, Luke, and Rani. (TV: The Empty Planet)
Features
The sonic lipstick looked like a normal lipstick on the outside. The lid came off and it twisted to reveal the emitter. When in use, the sonic lipstick generated a pinkish-red light, and produced several sounds. Like the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, it also remained ineffective against deadlock seals. The Slitheen described it as a sonic disruptor, (TV: Revenge of the Slitheen) and Sarah Jane once threatened to destroy a talisman with sonic disruption. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon) It ran on some sort of energy which could run out. (TV: Death of the Doctor) It was implied several times that the sonic lipstick could be harmful to humans and other living things. (TV: Warriors of Kudlak, The Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith, The Curse of Clyde Langer) However, it was never used as an offensive weapon.
Variants
Mark I
Although there were known to be two distinct sonic lipsticks carried by Sarah Jane, the two units coexisted for an unknown length of time. As a result of this coexistence, it is unknown which particular unit was used in any given occurence prior to the destruction of the one. (TV: Enemy of the Bane)
Uses
- Unlocking, locking, opening and closing doors. (TV Invasion of the Bane et al.)
- Sending an electrical charge, and cut cables. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon)
- Interfering with Mr. Grantham's comms device and to UNIT soldiers causing a very high-pitched noise. (TV: Warriors of Kudlak, Enemy of the Bane)
- Opening the Pharos institute's doors. (TV: The Lost Boy)
- Disabling the Pharos institute's security lasers. (TV: The Lost Boy)
- Malfuntioning a motorbike enough for it to spark and slightly disorientate the rider. (TV: The Lost Boy)
- Disabling a cloaking field on a Sontaran ship. (TV: The Last Sontaran)
- Destroying two sphere-shaped drones. (TV: The Last Sontaran)
- De-activating Kaagh's control device. (TV: The Last Sontaran)
- Seizing the joints of robot clowns. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
- Unsuccessfully unlocking a telekinetically locked door. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
- Cutting a piece of meteorite. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
- Shattering a glass mirror. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
- Using it against an alien life form, but it is unknown what the sonic lipstick actually does to the alien life form. (TV: The Mark of the Berserker)
- Disabling/enabling a car engine. (TV: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith)
- Sarah-Jane once claimed she could destroy the Gorgon's portal key with sonic disruptions from the lipstick, but this was never shown, so she could have been bluffing. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon)
- She also claimed to be able to block the frequency the Trickster was using to manifest himself, sending him back. (TV: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith)
Mark II
The Mark I was destroyed by commander Kaagh standing on it. (TV: Enemy of the Bane) Shortly thereafter, Sarah Jane Smith revealed another
sonic lipstick in her bag, using it to destroy the Tunguska Scroll and indicating that a girl can have more than one lipstick. It's unknown if the Doctor built more than one or if Sarah (perhaps with the help of K9 or Mr Smith) made a duplicate.
Uses
- Destroying the Tunguska Scroll. (TV: Enemy of the Bane)
- Teleporting a Slitheen back to its home. (TV: From Raxacoricofallapatorius With Love)
- Destroying a communication system. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
- Smashing glass. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
- Releasing the Nanoforms into the genetic system. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
- Locking on the Nanoforms to Clyde and Rani. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
- Breaking into a theme park. (TV: The Mad Woman in the Attic)
- Opening, unlocking and locking various doors. (TV: The Eternity Trap, et al)
- Trying to disable the machine the Slitheen built. (TV: The Gift)
- Deactivating the Blathereen's teleporter. (TV: The Gift)
- Disabling Minty's alien detector. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Opening a padlock. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Trying to deactivate the Men in Black, but failed. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Breaking down Mister Dread's car. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Activating a deactivated Mister Dread. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Mantainance on the Doctor's teleport device. (TV: Death of the Doctor)
- Opening a ventilation shaft. (TV: Death of the Doctor)
- Unlocking a bike lock. (TV: The Empty Planet)
- Spinning a light shade. (TV: The Empty Planet)
- Unlocking Sarah Jane's chains. (TV: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith)
- Activating Ruby White's teleport device. (TV: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith)
- Reactivating a radio (TV: Sky)
- Threatening Clyde Langer with an unknown, but harmful function. (TV: The Curse of Clyde Langer)
Behind the scenes
- Character Options released a sonic lipstick replica featuring lights and sounds. The toy was slightly different from the original, in that the ridges in the actual prop are less deep and the coat was shiny metal rather than bland brown plastic (TV: Revenge of the Slitheen, The Last Sontaran)
- The origin of the sonic lipstick, while given on the SJA website, is not mentioned on screen. The closest reference occurs in Invasion of the Bane when Sarah Jane invokes the Doctor's name when using the device.
- The sonic lipstick made its one and only appearance in Doctor Who in TV: Journey's End.
