The Trickster's Brigade

The Trickster's Brigade were a group of beings led by the Trickster.

History

Like their leader, the Brigade sought to change the course of history by altering details in individuals' lives. According to the Tenth Doctor, most of these changes were "tiny" ones the universe could "compensate" for. However, if the Brigade's victim had a particularly great influence on the universe, the change would create an entire parallel world around that person. (DW: Turn Left)

In the late 1920s, the Brigade smuggled a brain parasite to Earth, intending to infest President Franklin D. Roosevelt; he would be driven mad and America would be unable to stop Nazi Germany in the future. This plan was foiled by Captain Jack Harkness and Angelo Colasanto. (TW: Immortal Sins)

The Brigade caused the formation of a parallel universe around Donna Noble. (DW: Turn Left). This parallel universe was closed off and Donna returned to her rightful place.

The Trickster alters timelines; by swapping Sarah-Jane Smith for her school-friend Andrea Yates during a cliff-side accident in 1964, The Trickster caused Sarah-Jane to die instead of Andrea. The timeline was restored when Andrea Yates ended the agreement that she made with The Trickster during the accident.

Time Beetles were the only beings definitively identified by the Doctor as "one of the Trickster's Brigade", but this language implied the existence of others.

It is logical to infer that Krislok, the Graske employed by the Trickster (Captain Jack's Monster Files: Trickster's Brigade), and the Fortune Teller working with Time Beetles may also have been members of the Brigade. After a second run in with the Trickster by Sarah Jane, it appeared the helpers of the Trickster were often slaves the Trickster has tricked into saving their own lives. (SJA: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? / The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith / The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith). By this standard, Andrea Yates and Peter Dalton were members, since each consented to be used by the Trickster.

The Trickster's Brigade is possibly another name for the Pantheon of Discord, whichthe Doctor said the Trickster belonged to, or the name of the group that the Trickster formed after he and the Pantheon parted ways. (SJA: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith)

One of the Brigade's attempts to radically change the universe created a world where Donna Noble never met the Tenth Doctor and he died. The Doctor's companions stopped some of them, but all died doing so until only the alternate Donna Noble and Rose Tyler from the correct universe remained. Rose convinced the alternate Donna Noble to travel back in time with an improvised time machine and reverse the Brigade's effects by sacrificing herself to force her past self to change her mind. (DW: Turn Left) The new universe was erased, the Time Beetle died after history reverted and the Fortune Teller ran away in fear. If the original time line had not been restored, all realities would have been destroyed by Davros's reality bomb as only the correct Donna Noble and the Doctor were capable of stopping it. (DW: The Stolen Earth / Journey's End)

Individuals connected with the group

Known members

Allies

Krislok (freed)
Fortune Teller
Andrea Yates (revoked deal)
Peter Dalton (revoked deal)
Salvatore Maranzano^[1] (defected)

Behind the scenes

The Trickster's Brigade are the only enemies to be faced in Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Footnotes

↑ Salvatore was unware of the identity of his superior.

[1] Salvatore was unware of the identity of his superior.

[1]