Frankenstein's Monster was a character from the 1818 novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The creature, a reanimated soul created from body parts, became iconic when portrayed on film by Boris Karloff, and many other actors thereafter, in the 20th century. The character was never given a name by Shelley, and was correctly only known as The Monster, The Creature, or Frankenstein's Monster (and variants thereof), but over time it became common for it to be referred to simply as "Frankenstein".
In 1996, an android version of Frankenstein's Monster, with Dracula and the Grey Lady, was part of an attraction at the Festival of Ghana. When Daleks in pursuit of the Doctor's TARDIS fired on it, it attacked them (DW: The Chase). Microsoft would undergo investigation for building such dangerous robots. (EDA: Interference - Book One)
In 1999, Pete watched the 1931 Frankenstein film featuring Boris Karloff as the Creature while the Doctor regenerated in his morgue. After regenerating, the Eighth Doctor was startled by the Creature on Pete's television. (DW: Doctor Who)
The character's creator, Mary Shelley, once travelled with the Eighth Doctor. (BFA: The Company of Friends)
Behind the scenes
- John Maxim played the robot version of Frankenstein's Monster in The Chase (billed simply as "Frankenstein" in the credits).
- Dave Prowse, who plays a different creature in DW: The Time Monster, played no less than three different versions of Frankenstein's monster in films of the late 60s and early 70s.
- At the time The Chase was broadcast, Microsoft did not exist. It was retconned into being the creator of the android in a later novel.
