Luke Smith
An artificial human, the Archetype was the creation of the Bane. He had the physical form of a teenager upon his creation, despite his actual age being much younger. On the day of his "birth" he met Maria Jackson, from whom he also began to learn how to speak. He helped defeat the invasion plan of his creators. He was named "Luke Smith" after being adopted by Sarah Jane Smith.
Luke was initially very naive, not even knowing how to lie. However, he more than made up for this with an excellent memory that helped his mother during their adventures. As one of her companions, Luke helped his mother save Ealing and the world on numerous occasions before heading to university early.
At university, Luke quickly learned more pop culture and adapted fast. He even learned that his mother had adopted another alien-made child, who became his little sister Sky Smith.
Biography
Creation
The Bane's invasion of Earth depended on getting as many people as possible under their control. Their strategy was to use a Bane secretion as an ingredient in the drink Bubble Shock!, but approximately 2% of the human population was immune to the effect.
In order to get the last remaining 2% to accept Bubble Shock!'s "special ingredient", they created the Archetype from thousands of samples of various entrants to the Bubble Shock! tour, including Maria Jackson and Kelsey Hooper. However, when Kelsey inadvertently set off an alarm by using her mobile phone, the ensuing events caused the Archetype to awaken and escape. He joined Maria and Sarah Jane, instantly befriending them. Maria was the first person he ever met and spoke to, causing him to develop a strong attachment to her, similar to that of a baby and its mother. Later, he effortlessly memorised the signal to "call" the Bane with the Star Poet's phone, which destroyed the Bane Mother along with the Bubble Shock! factory. (TV: Invasion of the Bane)
Adoption
When the Archetype met Maria's mother Chrissie Jackson, Sarah Jane Smith told her that he was her adopted son. After Sarah Jane considered several names, including "Alistair" (after the Brigadier) and "Harry" (after Harry Sullivan), she ultimately settled on "Luke", saying that it was the name she would have called her son, if she had one. Sarah Jane had Mr Smith create adoption papers for Luke and took him in as her son. (TV: Invasion of the Bane)
Adventures with Clyde and Maria
Over the next few months Luke slowly learned about the world around him, and successfully aided Sarah Jane, Maria and Clyde Langer in combating alien threats on several occasions. He demonstrated exceptional intelligence and an eidetic memory along with almost complete naiveté about human nature which, while being a great asset to the team, was also a problem, as when he inadvertently aided the Slitheen in their plan to harvest the energy of the Sun. (TV: Revenge of the Slitheen)
He was given an ancient talisman by Bea Nelson-Stanley and told to keep it a secret, but was exposed by Mr Smith. Knowing the importance of secrets, he expressed guilt at not keeping his, but was ultimately pleased with the outcome as the talisman was actually a key to a portal that allowed evil Gorgons to enter the world; his exposure also led to their defeat. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon)
When he was captured by the Uvodni General Uvlavad Kudlak along with Clyde, and several other teenagers from around England, he successfully escaped from imprisonment on the alien ship and ultimately exposed a plot by the Mistress, thereby freeing the captives. He earned his first kiss from one of the captives, Jen, which bewildered and confused him. (TV: Warriors of Kudlak)
Luke was worried about Maria when she got injected with gold and was controlled by the Keratin. He helped to defeat the Keratin and Maria got free of the Keratin's control. (AUDIO: The Glittering Storm)
The alien Ravage possessed Luke's mind. He believed that Luke's young and impressionable mind would make it easier for him to completely take over and destroy Luke's personality and take over his body. Luke fought a mental battle against Ravage and defeated him. (AUDIO: The Thirteenth Stone)
Mysterious TV reports were later seen by the team implying that Luke was actually Ashley, the child of Jay and Heidi Stafford, who has been missing for three months. While Mr. Smith initially confirmed that he was a genetic match with the missing boy and he was returned to his supposed parents, Mr. Smith was actually working with the parents, who were Slitheen, to capture Luke. They tried to use the MITRE headset from the Pharos Institute to amplify his latent telekinetic powers to make the Moon crash into the Earth. (TV: The Lost Boy)
- See powers and abilities.
Luke was later introduced to Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, Harriet Jones, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones via subwave network when the Daleks transported Earth into the Medusa Cascade. He aided their efforts to contact the Tenth Doctor with the idea of using Mr Smith to link telephone exchanges and boost the signal. He then "met" the Doctor via the subwave communications network. (TV: The Stolen Earth) After the Daleks had been defeated and their planet-moving Magnetron was destroyed, the Doctor contacted Luke, Mr Smith and K9 Mark IV to use the Cardiff Rift as a tow rope for the TARDIS so it could return Earth to its original location in space. (TV: Journey's End)
Luke saw off the Sontaran Kaagh (the last survivor of the Sontaran invasion of Earth) who wanted to destroy the Earth by dropping satellites. Maria's father had a job offer to move to Washington DC and she decided to let him take it. Six weeks later, she moved out. (TV: The Last Sontaran) For Luke it was really hard to see Maria leaving Ealing. Maria was special to Luke and understood him in a way that not many people would understand. She was also the first person he ever spoke to. He missed her badly. Sarah Jane and Clyde did their best to comfort him. (PROSE: Day of the Clown) Maria and Luke still kept in touch using e-mail (TV: The Day of the Clown) and via alien technology. (TV: The Mark of the Berserker) They also phoned each other at least once a week. (PROSE: The Nightmare Man)
Adventures with Rani and Clyde
Rani Chandra, a teenage aspiring journalist, moved into Maria's old address (36 Bannerman Road) and joined Sarah Jane, Luke and Clyde in defeating the Pied Piper. Sarah Jane ordered Luke to look after Rani so she wouldn't find out about what they did. Luke failed and Rani joined the team permanently. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
Luke's lack of a birthday proved invaluable in defeating Martin Trueman, who used the powers of the Ancient Lights to control people by their star signs. Sarah Jane suggested that they make the anniversary Luke's default birthday. (TV: Secrets of the Stars) Together, the team defeated several more aliens. They defeated the Berserker (TV: The Mark of the Berserker) and the Trickster when he attempted to manifest corporeally in Foxgrove in 1951. (TV: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith)
Luke Smith loved shopping and bought things from the supermarket for his neighbour Mr Ploughman. Mr Ploughman was later possessed by the alien Janksia. Luke was doing his work experience at Natural History Museum when he found the black diamond of Earnfield. The diamond was an artefact of Janksia's ship and influenced the finder, Luke, to protect it from other people. Luke locked himself up in a cupboard with the diamond. He refused to come out. The museum's employee Dr Wendeline Minot called Sarah Jane who soon released that the diamond was alien. Luke brought the diamond to Janksia who fell into a garbage compactor which crushed him to death. Luke was released of the diamond's control. Because the diamond was alien, Sarah Jane Smith told Mr Smith to make a replica of it and gave the duplicate to the museum. She also gave another alien artefact to the museum. In exchange, the staff would not tell anyone that Luke had taken the black diamond. (AUDIO: The Time Capsule)
When the Victorian house of the Burden family swapped places with the O'Brain's house from 2009 Luke helped to place the house into correct time again. (AUDIO: The Ghost House)
Later, Luke began having dreams of Mrs Wormwood, who returned claiming herself to be Luke's "real mother". Luke extended some sympathy towards her, but it later transpired that she returned to Earth alongside the Sontaran Kaagh in an attempt to summon Horath, the immortal tyrant of the Dark Empire. With help from Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, and due to infighting between Kaagh and Mrs Wormwood, they were able to stop this potential apocalypse. (TV: Enemy of the Bane)
Luke helped defeat Androvax and stop him from destroying Earth with Nanoforms. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
On a classtrip to Snowdonia a shadowy figure imitated Luke's, Rani's and Sarah Jane's appearance. It looked exactly like Luke and was one of the Shadow People. When Luke and the others left he waved goodbye to the shadowy figure, who had taken the appearance of his mother. (AUDIO: The Shadow People)
Luke helped to find out the mystery about the lost memories of people who lived in Wolfenden. The people's memories did not come back, but thanks to Rani, Sarah Jane, Luke and Clyde the people of Wolfenden knew that the alien Mrs Hendrick had stolen their memories. (AUDIO: The White Wolf)
He handed his mother away at her wedding with Peter Dalton but it was a trap by the Trickster. He was teleported, along with Clyde, Rani and the Tenth Doctor, who crashed the wedding, to Limbo in a time trap. Thanks to the TARDIS' artron energy and Clyde manipulating it, as well as Peter withdrawing the Trickster's agreement, they were able to escape, defeating the Trickster. Luke got a look inside the TARDIS when the Doctor came to Bannerman Road. (TV: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith)
Luke defeated Mona Lisa. (TV: Mona Lisa's Revenge)
During one mission with Sarah Jane and the gang in tracking down a Slitheen, he encountered a different family from the same planet - the Blathereen. The group befriended them and accepted a gift, some Rakweed. However, Luke fell ill for the first time when he inhaled some of the released spores, and his life hung in the balance while Sarah Jane tried to find a cure. He pulled through at the last moment when Mr Smith destroyed the Rakweed and its spores. (TV: The Gift)
During the second attempt of members of the Slitheen-Blathereen family to cover the Earth with Rakweed Luke was infected by the spores again. The Rakweed was later destroyed by Clyde and Luke felt good again. (GAME: Sound)
Luke and Sarah Jane were informed by Mr Smith that a space ship crashed on Earth. They went to thecrash site of the ship, saved the pilot of the ship and brought him to Sarah Jane's attic. Soon after this the Krulius appeared and teleported himself, Sarah Jane and the pilot to his space station. Sarah Jane defeated the Krulius and returned to Luke. (COMIC: Monster Hunt) After this Rani was teleported to the Krulius space ship. She escaped returned to the attic and told Luke, Sarah Jane and Clyde about her experiences. (COMIC: Return of the Krulius)
When a story about Hank Carter and the Wraith Warriors was written in a journal with Psionic Paper, these figures began to appear in the real world. Luke helped Rani Chandra and Gregory P. Wilkinson to defeat Hank Carter and the Wraith Warriors. (AUDIO: Wraith World)
Luke then helped to defeat the Umorgus. (AUDIO: Deadly Download)
Following all of humanity being turned into the Master Race, Luke told Clyde that Sarah Jane had Mr Smith create a cover story to explain why everyone had a different face, an alleged hallucination brought about by Wi-Fi encountering severe technical difficulties. As he crossed the road, he was almost run over by a car when the Tenth Doctor, who was slowly dying at the time and preparing for his regeneration, pushed him aside at the last moment. Luke recognised him and quickly ran to tell Sarah Jane. The two watched as the Doctor entered the TARDIS and waved goodbye. (TV: The End of Time)
Time at Oxford
Having completed his A levels the previous school year, Luke learned that he had been accepted by the University of Oxford. Although pleased, Luke began to feel apprehensive, as it would mean being away from his friends and his mother. He began suffering from nightmares (something he did not believe was possible) and was soon faced with the Nightmare Man, a creature from another dimension who was using Luke's powerful mind to break into his dimension. The Nightmare Man was successful, and placed Luke in a sleep he could not awake from. Determined to plunge the whole world into endless nightmares, he started with Clyde and Rani. However, Luke was able to contact his friends in the nightmare world, and together they managed to defeat him by overcoming their fears, making him powerless. The next day, Luke bade farewell to his friends and departed for University, driving an old car of Sarah Jane's she had given him, named Ethel, with K9 in tow. (TV: The Nightmare Man) He would later contact his mother and friends via webcam. The students he befriended at Oxford lived on baked beans and curry. (TV: The Vault of Secrets) He returned home at least once to do some laundry; K9 remained in Oxford, which he quite enjoyed. Luke also visited Mr Smith and updated the Alien Files on the Sontarans, Mrs Wormwood, and the Bane. Luke commented on the lack of alien activity in Oxford. (TV: SJAF 3)
Luke returned to Bannerman Road after receiving a message from Clyde, telling him of Sarah Jane leaving. With the help of K9 (who had remained at Oxford and communicated via webcam), they discovered that Ruby was a Qetesh. While Rani distracted Ruby, K9 used her mobile to reprogram her computer, Mr White. After finding Sarah Jane, Luke used Mr White to project holograms of meteors, causing enough excitement in the human population to overload the emotion-devouring Qetesh. (TV: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith)
A growing family
After returning to Oxford, Luke eventually received a new adoptive sister in Sky Smith. (TV: Sky) Luke fell victim to the curse put onto Clyde after his friend phoned him, to which he refused to answer. This suggested that, genetic enhancements aside, he was fundamentally more human than Sky. The curse was later reversed by Clyde who defeated Hetocumtek. (TV: The Curse of Clyde Langer)
Luke returned to Bannerman Road in 2011 and met his sister in person; while initially jealous of her, because she had taken his room, he became more attached to her as they worked together to investigate the current crisis, Sky realising how they could be saved by getting a message to Mr Smith using Morse code. Then, once they had been saved and the adventure was over, he asked Clyde to draw a picture of Sky, with the words 'Sky's Room' written on it and embraced her after sticking it up on the wall. (TV: The Man Who Never Was)
Later life
At some point in his life, Luke graduated from University with distinction. (TV: The Mad Woman in the Attic)
Sarah Jane and her gang continued to have adventures, defend Earth and save countless lives. Statues would be raised in their honour and they would leave behind a legacy that would last forever. (PROSE: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, TV: The Man Who Never Was)
At least five years before her death, Sarah Jane pointed out to Luke that Sanjay was "looking at [him] in that way" and "told [him] to go and talk to him." Some time later, the couple subsequently married.
Luke was in Geneva with UNIT when he received the news that Sarah Jane had passed away. He attended her memorial on a "bright, cold Spring day", where he discussed Sarah Jane with other guests, even receiving a hug from Kate Stewart, and helped fight the Jackals of the Backwards Clock to foil the Trickster's revenge plot. After the service, Luke, Clyde and Rani journeyed back the 13 Bannerman Road to honour Sarah Jane's request to close down her house. After closing down the attic, Luke returned to his equations. (WC: Farewell, Sarah Jane)
In 2059, Luke and Rani visited Maria Jackson in Washington DC. (TV: The Mad Woman in the Attic)
Alternate realities
Donna's World
In a parallel world, Luke investigated the Royal Hope Hospital with Sarah Jane, Maria and Clyde. As the hospital was moved to the Moon, the oxygen ran out and caused everyone in the hospital, including Luke, to die of asphyxiation. (TV: Turn Left)
Andrea Yates' World
In a world in which Andrea Yates survived and Sarah Jane died in her place on 13 July 1964, the Trickster had redirected the Bane away from Earth, causing Luke to have never been created. (TV: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?)
Personality
Even in his first hours of life, Luke knew how to speak, but he knew nothing of the world. He tended to respond to anything happening around him with a naïve response, such as, "Is that good or bad?". Kelsey Hooper had a crush on him but he seemed entirely oblivious to this development. (TV: Invasion of the Bane)
He seemed to have feelings for Maria; he was the saddest when she left and was still depressed even after Rani joined the gang. When Clyde questioned this, Luke denied such feelings. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
He quickly built a strong friendship with Clyde, who, being far more socially adept than Luke, taught him the 'proper' way to be a teenager. However, Luke's logical, analytical personality meant he was too literal; he could not tell good jokes because he was lousy at using metaphors, and he had a terrible sense of balance which made him bad at skateboarding. (TV: The Lost Boy) As he spent more time with his new family, he gradually became accustomed to morals and gained a strong sense of right and wrong. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
He did not like football. (TV: The Lost Boy)
Powers and abilities
As the composite of thousands of humans, Luke had genius-level intelligence, eidetic memory and enhanced learning ability. (TV: Invasion of the Bane) Sarah Jane told Lucy Skinner that Luke could see the flaw in Einstein's theory of relativity. (TV: The Last Sontaran) Though he could not utilise telekinesis normally, he had, in theory, the latent telekinetic powers of thousands. (TV: The Lost Boy) Anticipating her re-emergence, Luke began to experience precognitive dreams about Mrs Wormwood, though Luke otherwise never dreamed outside of interference from the Nightmare Man. (TV: Enemy of the Bane, The Nightmare Man)
There were also physical aspects to Luke's genetic perfection; Sarah Jane commented that his immune system was so powerful he had never gotten sick, prior to his attack by Rakweed spores. (TV: The Gift) His teeth never decayed, and he never needed to visit the dentist. (AUDIO: The White Wolf) Luke demonstrated excellent combat skill and reflexes in the game Combat 3000 and was selected to be a warrior for the Uvodni in the Ghost Wars. (TV: Warriors of Kudlak) Luke spoke French perfectly. (PROSE: The Last Sontaran)
Behind the scenes
- As Luke had been "born" a teenager, it remains unknown what his lifespan would be.
- According to Russell T Davies' audio commentary on the DVD of Death of the Doctor, had The Sarah Jane Adventures continued, Luke would have come out as gay on the show:
- "Tommy [Luke Smith] refers to his friend Sanjay. Now had we continued, Sanjay would have been Luke's boyfriend. Because children's BBC [CBBC] wanted to have — I've never said this in any interview anywhere — wanted us to have a gay character on children's BBC. Just a normal gay character. And so they said to us, 'Can you do that with [The] Sarah Jane [Adventures] and, I don't even think some of the writers on the show know this, because obviously we got taken off air sadly. Tommy [Knight, who played Luke Smith] wanted to come back into the show and we were going to approach him and say, 'Do you mind if he's gay and has a boyfriend?' So that was the plan, because of Steven Andrew [then Head of Drama and Acquisitions for CBBC] wanted it but it never came to pass. Isn't that sad? It's a shame." - Russell T. Davies
- This would eventually become reality in Farewell, Sarah Jane, a webcast broadcast to coincide with the global rewatch of The Stolen Earth and Journey's End.
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