Weevil
The Weevils are a race of savage alien humanoids that can be found in Cardiff due to the Cardiff Rift.
Origins
The Torchwood Institute do not know the native time period and/or homeworld of the Weevils.
An uninformed layperson, Mark Lynch believed, however that the Weevils may be descended from Humans, at a point in the future when "all that is left is rage" (TW: Combat). However, early Torchwood Research believes they aren't derived from any native Earth species. (torchwood.org.uk)
Physiology and characteristics
Weevils are roughly humanoid in shape and size, but are a bit taller and have flattened faces with many sharp, fang-like teeth. Though faster and stronger then Humans, they aren't extraordinarily powerful and can be injured with electricity or brute force. Weevils are a highly adaptable species, being able to develop a resistance to the Anti-Weevil spray commonly used by the Torchwood 3 staff. (TW: Combat)
Weevils have mild telepathic abilities and can feel strong emotions from other Weevils far away. This allows them to develop a basic social order, mourning the pain and loss of other Weevils. (TW: Combat) When the Cardiff rift fractured, Weevils in captivity in the Hub's basement howled, seemingly with fear, leading Jack Harkness to speculate that the Weevils had time sensitivity. They could also detect the illusions created by Bilis Manger. (TW: End of Days)
Interactions with humans
The Weevils have been arriving on Earth for over a thousand years, and Torchwood 2 believes they have been seen in the such places as the sewers of 4th century Byzantium and 1930s New York. The Torchwood Institute had known about them since the 1950s. (torchwood.org.uk)
They have been more commonly seen in 21st century Cardiff, where they live in the sewers. They generally eat the most common resource in the sewers, though they occasionally venture out to feed on Humans. They have a distinctive hunting style, always going straight for the kill by biting and ripping at the throat and body. (TW: Everything Changes, Countrycide)
One of the jobs of the Torchwood 3 is to capture these Weevils and put them in storage cells in the lower level of the Hub. (TW: Everything Changes onwards). Several cages are kept for storing these rogue Weevils and anti-Weevil spray and handcuffs are stored for this purpose. (TW: Everything Changes) The Weevils were also captured by Mark Lynch for his Weevil Fight Club, where Humans battled against Weevils to deal with their pent up rage. (TW: Combat)
- Though seemingly unintelligent, all Weevils have been shown wearing what look like black synthetic fabric pajamas. Whether they steal them or make them themselves is unknown. At least one, however, wore an outfit with the words "Torchwood" on it, suggesting that Torchwood 3 clothes them after they capture them.
When the Cardiff rift fractured, more Weevils than ever appeared on the streets, making Torchwood 3's task of rounding them up even more difficult. (TW: End of Days)
- When the fractures sealed up and the other temporal refugees returned home, we do not know if the new Weevils vanished as well.
Behind the Scenes
In Everything Changes, the first episode of Torchwood, Gwen's first sighting of the Weevil acts as a point of no return, at which point her life changes forever with no possibility of her resuming her old existence.
