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The Nestene Consciousness was a disembodied life force which could inhabit plastic.
Biology
The Nestene was a being of pure psychic energy, somewhat cephalopod-like in appearance. (DWN: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons, PDA: Synthespians™) The Nestene had the ability to possess plastic, shunting some of its conciousness into the plastic and allowing it to control it. Over the course of its invasions it possessed the autons (DW: Spearhead from Space), inflatable chairs, dolls, telephone cords, plastic daffodils, (DWN: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons) and garbage bins (DW: Rose). The Nestene could transport sections of its mind through radio waves. (DWN: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons) It could also create a body out of the plastic for itself, allowing it to manipulate its surroundings. (DW: Spearhead from Space)
The body created by the Nestene out of plastic was generally similar to its real appearance, being somewhat like a giant octopus. (DW: Spearhead from Space, Terror of the Autons) After the stresses of the Last Great Time War, it manifested as a more liquid form, which had a humanoid face. (DWA: Doctor Who Annual 2006, DW: Rose)
History
Creation
At the beginning of the universe, Shub-Niggurath came into this universe from the previous universe pregnant. She was able to deliver her child on Polymos, who infused into the entire planet. This Nestene Consciousness created Swarm Leaders, which it sent out to other planets. (PDA: Synthespians™)
Invasions
The Nestene had been invading planets for billions of years, which they use for sources of plastic and protein. They first send several plastic meteors to the planet. These asteroids could telepathically control specially created plastics, but are more effective when combined together. The Nestene would then control people to create Auton forces to help with the next waves of invaders. Some of the planets which the Nestene Consciousness took over include Cramodar and Plovak 6. (PDA: Synthespians™)
The Nestene's first attempted to invade the Earth in the 20th century, using human-looking Autons to replace key government figures, was thwarted by UNIT with the help of the Doctor. (DW: Spearhead from Space)
In their next attempt, the Master obtained one of the Nestene meteors and took over a plastic company. Using the plastic company to create fake daffodils, disguised Autons would hand out these flowers for free. Eventually, once millions had been distributed, the Nestene would activate them by remote radio signals, causing them to suffocate and kill millions of people. The Master also created dolls, inflatable chairs and telephone chords to kill difficult individuals. The Doctor was able to figure out this plan and convinced the Master that the Nestenes were too dangerous to be reliable allies, and they reversed the radio beam the invasion force was coming in on, sending it back into space. (DW: Terror of the Autons)
The Doctor helped UNIT to defeat another Nestene invasion. This did not appear to tax him overly, as he found time to take dance lessons during a lull in the crisis. (ST: Teach Yourself Ballroom Dancing)
In 2005, the Nestenes infiltrated Earth once more, using warp shunt technology. The Nestenes had lost their food planets in the Last Great Time War, so their intent was to overthrow and destroy the Human race, as Earth was ideal for their consumption needs, being filled with smoke, oil and various pollutants. The Doctor eventually defeated them by spilling a vial of anti-plastic solution into the vat of molten plastic which housed the main bulk of the Consciousness, causing it to explode. (DW: Rose)
In the 101st century, the Nestene Consciousness was attempting to completely leave Polymos after an invasion of the Time Lords. It chose the New Earth Republic and attempted to transport its entire body to Reef Station One with the help of Walter J. Matheson. It was stopped by the Doctor, who trapped it in the body of an advanced Auton. (DW: Synthespians™)