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Time Agency

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference

The Time Agency was a time-active organisation which operated from the 49th, 51st, and 52nd centuries. The Agency employed human Time Agents, (PROSE: Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"], TV: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang [+]Loading...["Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (TV story)"], AUDIO: The Time Machine [+]Loading...["The Time Machine (audio story)"], et al.) often equipped with vortex manipulators. (TV: The Empty Child [+]Loading...["The Empty Child (TV story)"], COMIC: A New Beginning [+]Loading...["A New Beginning (comic story)"])

One account stated that "[a Time Agent's] purpose [was] to change without interfering, to leave an effect with no evidence of cause. To be untraceable, undetectable, invisible. To all intents and purposes, the Agents do not exist." (PROSE: Sometime Never... [+]Loading...["Sometime Never... (novel)"])

Jack Harkness notably had a career in the Time Agency prior to meeting the Ninth Doctor. (TV: The Empty Child [+]Loading...["The Empty Child (TV story)"]) The Doctor was also well acquainted with the Time Agency, (COMIC: A New Beginning [+]Loading...["A New Beginning (comic story)"]) having numerous interactions with the Agency in their Eighth (PROSE: Eater of Wasps [+]Loading...["Eater of Wasps (novel)"], et al.) and Thirteenth incarnations. (COMIC: A New Beginning [+]Loading...["A New Beginning (comic story)"], PROSE: Time Lapse [+]Loading...["Time Lapse (short story)"], et al.)

Late in his travels with Bill Potts, (AUDIO: Never the End Is [+]Loading...["Never the End Is (audio story)"]) the Twelfth Doctor became a Time Agent in training. On his first mission, he stole the Keystone, which provided exclusive access to one of the Agency's deepest secrets, the Paradox Armoury. (AUDIO: Sunstrike [+]Loading...["Sunstrike (audio story)"]) After defeating Emperor Belias, who had infiltrated and transformed the Agency into the Imperial Time Agency, the Doctor resigned, and escaped from another corrupt new leader at Time Command with Keira Sanstrom. (AUDIO: You Only Die Twice [+]Loading...["You Only Die Twice (audio story)"])

History[[edit] | [edit source]]

Origins and Magnus Greel[[edit] | [edit source]]

This section's awfully stubby.

Missing info from The Stuff of Nightmares [+]Loading...["The Stuff of Nightmares (JL audio story)"].

The Time Agency originated in a version of reality lacking Time Lord supervision due to the outcome of a time war. (PROSE: Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"], COMIC: Weapons of Past Destruction [+]Loading...["Weapons of Past Destruction (comic story)"]) By one account, the Agency — alongside phenomena such as Isolation Station Forty, the Blithe Pinking Shears, and Sabbath Dei — was part of a history-wide natural emergence of time travel in the reality that followed the War in Heaven. (PROSE: Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"]) Another account indicated the Agency existed to fill the power vacuum left by Gallifrey's absence after the Last Great Time War, asserting itself as protector of the Web of Time after the position was fought over by other factions such as the Sontarans, Cybermen, and Unon. (COMIC: Weapons of Past Destruction [+]Loading...["Weapons of Past Destruction (comic story)"])

The Time Agency was established at some point after the 42nd century, as the Agency set up time treaties with eras before its existence as far back as the 42nd century. (AUDIO: The Time Machine [+]Loading...["The Time Machine (audio story)"])

 
The Fourth Doctor with Magnus Greel's time cabinet, (TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang [+]Loading...["The Talons of Weng-Chiang (TV story)"]) a precusor to Time Agency technology. (PROSE: Emotional Chemistry [+]Loading...["Emotional Chemistry (novel)"])

The Onihr were aware of the 51st century's Chronodev. (PROSE: Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"]) By World War IV in 5000, Findecker researched zygma energy for Magnus Greel and developed a time cabinet which Greel used to flee to 19th century China (TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang [+]Loading...["The Talons of Weng-Chiang (TV story)"]) when an Icelandic Alliance division led by Razum Kinzhal overran his base. Kinzhal appropriated Greel's zygma experiments and spent the next year developing time-travelling Transit Belts to be used by "temporal paratroopers". In 5000, Kinzhal mentioned he had plans to develop his paratroopers into "a unit for policing the past and preserving our future", reverting damage to the timelines and potentially tracking down Greel. (PROSE: Emotional Chemistry [+]Loading...["Emotional Chemistry (novel)"])

However, other sources suggest the Time Agency operated as early as the 49th century. (PROSE: Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"], The Man Who Dreamed of Stars [+]Loading...["The Man Who Dreamed of Stars (short story)"]) Escaping the 49th century, Free Colony Movement agent Silas expected Time Agents to follow him through his trip back in time to the 20th century. (PROSE: The Man Who Dreamed of Stars [+]Loading...["The Man Who Dreamed of Stars (short story)"]) A bio-psionic weapon was put into storage in Kinzhal's personal weapons facility after being recovered from Greel's base (PROSE: Emotional Chemistry [+]Loading...["Emotional Chemistry (novel)"]) and was later stolen from the Time Agency by rogue time thieves (PROSE: Eater of Wasps [+]Loading...["Eater of Wasps (novel)"]) in the 49th century. (PROSE: Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"])

Hiding in the 19th century, Magnus Greel lived in fear of Time Agents, initially suspecting the Fourth Doctor of being one until Li H'sen Chang mentioned the Doctor had asked questions. "A Time Agent wouldn't have asked questions!" exclaimed Greel. "A Time Agent would know." (TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang [+]Loading...["The Talons of Weng-Chiang (TV story)"]) By one account, Greel had only heard about the Time Agents from the Fifth Doctor. To avoid revealing his identity before Greel encountered him in the late 19th century, the Doctor claimed he was a Time Agent. (AUDIO: The Butcher of Brisbane [+]Loading...["The Butcher of Brisbane (audio story)"])

The Agency used time capsules before the invention of the Vortex Manipulator. (AUDIO: The Time Machine [+]Loading...["The Time Machine (audio story)"]) By the time they searched for Greel, the Agency used vortex manipulators. (AUDIO: The Stuff of Nightmares [+]Loading...["The Stuff of Nightmares (JL audio story)"])

Eighth Doctor and the Agency[[edit] | [edit source]]

This section's awfully stubby.

Missing info from Eater of Wasps [+]Loading...["Eater of Wasps (novel)"], Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"], Sometime Never... [+]Loading...["Sometime Never... (novel)"].

Having been involved in the Agency's 51st century origins in the post-War universe, (PROSE: Emotional Chemistry [+]Loading...["Emotional Chemistry (novel)"]) the Eighth Doctor had several other encounters with Time Agents during his travels with Fitz Kreiner, Anji Kapoor, and, later, Trix MacMillan. (PROSE: Eater of Wasps [+]Loading...["Eater of Wasps (novel)"], Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"], Sometime Never... [+]Loading...["Sometime Never... (novel)"])

Kala and Jode were Time Agents sent from the 49th century to recover a bio-psionic weapon sent back in time to 1933. (PROSE: Eater of Wasps [+]Loading...["Eater of Wasps (novel)"], Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"])

Sabbath recruited several Time Agents into his crew, including Roja and Jaxa. (PROSE: Trading Futures [+]Loading...["Trading Futures (novel)"])

The Council of Eight manipulated the Time Agency to manipulate history and remove "Rogue Elements." (PROSE: Sometime Never... [+]Loading...["Sometime Never... (novel)"])

Jack Harkness in the Agency[[edit] | [edit source]]

This section's awfully stubby.

Missing info from Secret Agent Man [+]Loading...["Secret Agent Man (comic story)"], Station Zero [+]Loading...["Station Zero (comic story)"], Month 25 [+]Loading...["Month 25 (audio story)"], The Death of Captain Jack [+]Loading...["The Death of Captain Jack (audio story)"], Slaver's Song [+]Loading...["Slaver's Song (comic story)"]

After the Last Great Time War, (TV: The Parting of the Ways [+]Loading...["The Parting of the Ways (TV story)"]) Jack Harkness was a Time Agent of the 51st century. (TV: The Empty Child [+]Loading...["The Empty Child (TV story)"])

Harkness was from the Boeshane Peninsula. This was a matter of great pride to the other citizens of the Peninsula, as he was the first of them to join the agency. They began calling him the "Face of Boe". (TV: Last of the Time Lords [+]Loading...["Last of the Time Lords (TV story)"]) As an Agent, he worked with John Hart, also known as "Captain John". (TV: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang [+]Loading...["Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (TV story)"])

The Time Agency and Hokrala Corp were both involved in the sinking of Atlantis. The event was considered a failure for the Time Agency. (PROSE: The Undertaker's Gift [+]Loading...["The Undertaker's Gift (novel)"])

In 5067, Harkness and Hart were sent to Mogar. (COMIC: Station Zero [+]Loading...["Station Zero (comic story)"])

The Agency dealt with time loops by containing them in bubble universes. (AUDIO: Month 25 [+]Loading...["Month 25 (audio story)"])

After the Agency wiped two years of his memory, Jack left the Agency and struck out on his own as a con man and freebooter. (TV: The Doctor Dances [+]Loading...["The Doctor Dances (TV story)"]) He later became a companion of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors and leader of Torchwood Three. His vortex manipulator proved instrumental in his adventures. (TV: The Doctor Dances [+]Loading...["The Doctor Dances (TV story)"], Everything Changes [+]Loading...["Everything Changes (TV story)"], Utopia [+]Loading...["Utopia (TV story)"], et al.)

Infiltrated by the Discordia[[edit] | [edit source]]

This section's awfully stubby.

You Only Die Twice

to be added

Thirteenth Doctor and the Agency[[edit] | [edit source]]

This section's awfully stubby.

Missing info from A New Beginning [+]Loading...["A New Beginning (comic story)"], Hidden Human History [+]Loading...["Hidden Human History (comic story)"], Old Friends [+]Loading...["Old Friends (comic story)"], Time Lapse [+]Loading...["Time Lapse (short story)"].

The Thirteenth Doctor had several encounters with the Time Agency as she travelled with Yasmin Khan, Ryan Sinclair, and Graham O'Brien. (COMIC: A New Beginning [+]Loading...["A New Beginning (comic story)"], PROSE: Time Lapse [+]Loading...["Time Lapse (short story)"], et al.) By this point in the Agency's existence, the Agency was aware of at least one other Time Lord: the Corsair. (COMIC: Old Friend [+]Loading...["Old Friend (comic story)"])

The Doctor had enough influence to convince the Agency to hire Dr Irene Schulz and Dr Leon Perkins after the pair displayed initiative and aptitude in the course of a shared adventure. (COMIC: A New Beginning [+]Loading...["A New Beginning (comic story)"])

Agency in Decline[[edit] | [edit source]]

This section's awfully stubby.

Missing info from Time Fraud [+]Loading...["Time Fraud (comic story)"].

Under the leadership of Time Marshal Helen Barnes, the Agency built the Hourglass based on a Time Lord weapon, the "galaxy eater". The Hourglass could predict the certainty of events and remove individuals and locations from time by placing them in a time lock. After it predicted a 96% chance of time travel experiments in Galaxy L-10 leading to time travel proliferating across that galaxy and endangering the universe, Barnes ordered the entire galaxy placed in a time lock. This attracted the attention of the Tenth Doctor, who came to confront Barnes and discovered the Hourglass. Despite having him imprisoned, Barnes feared the odds of him reversing her achievement (which were 99% according to the Hourglass) and ordered for him to be put in a time lock. He appealed to the Hourglass' conscience, knowing it would have one from the weapon it was based on, and it took him inside its core where he modified it to give it more independence and reversed the erasure of L10. Barnes attempted to interrupt the reversal by having the Hourglass destroyed, but her agent Alison was persuaded not to by the Doctor. He left with Alison to influence the time travel experiments to save the universe, warning Barnes that one day the Time Agency may just disappear as time always won. (AUDIO: The Shattered Hourglass [+]Loading...["The Shattered Hourglass (audio story)"])

Adam Mitchell sent a distress signal through time using Cyberman technology. Neal Shaw was sent to investigate the signal, but was frozen in time by Mitchell. The Eleventh Doctor freed Shaw, and Shaw returned to duty after giving the Doctor a way to track his vortex manipulator through time. (COMIC: Mystery Date [+]Loading...["Mystery Date (comic story)"], The Choice [+]Loading...["The Choice (comic story)"])

A Time Agent was overpowered by Harrison Crane while transporting Crane to the Lunar Penal Colony. Crane escaped to 1894 with a damaged vortex manipulator and was stopped from destroying London by the Paternoster Gang. (PROSE: The Case of the Dissolving Man [+]Loading...["The Case of the Dissolving Man (short story)"])

Karina Stirling was kicked out of the Time Agency for counterfeiting proton blasters and sent to the prison planet Contrelli. (COMIC: Station Zero [+]Loading...["Station Zero (comic story)"])

The Family of Blood got their hands on a Time Agent's vortex manipulator and used it to track the Doctor through time. (TV: Human Nature [+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"], The Family of Blood [+]Loading...["The Family of Blood (TV story)"])

In 5145, River Song acquired a vortex manipulator from the black market that was "fresh off the wrist of a handsome Time Agent". The wrist-strap was presented still on the wrist, until Dorium Maldovar had it removed. The vortex manipulator ended up proving vital to saving the universe, and was used by both River and the Eleventh Doctor. (TV: The Pandorica Opens [+]Loading...["The Pandorica Opens (TV story)"], The Big Bang [+]Loading...["The Big Bang (TV story)"]) Despite being imprisoned in Stormcage Containment Facility, River somehow hung onto the manipulator and used it during her further travels. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War [+]Loading...["A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)"], The Angels Take Manhattan [+]Loading...["The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)"])

At the time Hart caught up with Jack again, Hart stated that the Agency had only seven Agents left and had subsequently been disbanded. (TV: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang [+]Loading...["Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (TV story)"])

The Agency was eventually reconstituted as the Intergalactic Defense League. (COMIC: Station Zero [+]Loading...["Station Zero (comic story)"])

Equipment[[edit] | [edit source]]

Jack stated that the Time Agency had a large war fleet. (PROSE: The Stealers of Dreams [+]Loading...["The Stealers of Dreams (novel)"])

The Monk stated that Time Agents wore uniforms. (AUDIO: The Blame Game [+]Loading...["The Blame Game (audio story)"])

Time Agency regulation strictly forbade the passing of any technology to non-agents. (COMIC: A Little Help from My Friends [+]Loading...["A Little Help from My Friends (comic story)"])

Junior Time Agent Rita Cooper was equipped with a reversal gun capable of sending time travellers back to where they came from, but according to Missy, it doesn't work on "complicated" ones like her. (AUDIO: Treason and Plot [+]Loading...["Treason and Plot (audio story)"])

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Time Agents make an appearance in the Decide Your Destiny book, The Time Crocodile, where they are shown to have the authority to arrest people. Because the book has no definite storyline — readers determine the story's outcome — it is hard to say with absolute certainty that the event occurred.
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