Isobel Watkins
Isobel Turner (née Watkins) was a photographer and the niece of Professor Joseph Watkins. She assisted the Second Doctor and his companions Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot against the Cybermen. Afterwards, she became the wife of Jimmy Turner.
Biography
Isobel was invited to take a photo-shoot of International Electromatics' director Tobias Vaughn. She appreciated the chance to extend her photographic experience and make some money, but saw that the entire job was just an excuse to try to get her to entice her uncle Watkins to work for IE. (PROSE: Prelude Iceberg)
After being evicted from her photographic studio, Isobel was staying at the London home of Professor Edward Travers — who was away in America with his daughter Anne, and had let out the house to Watkins — when she met the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe. She assisted in the defeat of Vaughn and the Cybermen. In doing so, she met Jimmy Turner of UNIT, (TV: The Invasion) whom she later married. Her photography work taken during that time was covered by the Official Secrets Act and thus became accessible only to UNIT personnel. She and her husband ultimately moved to Sri Lanka, (PROSE: The Scales of Injustice) when Jimmy was promoted to major. (PROSE: The Devil Goblins from Neptune)
However, according to another contradicting account, when Isobel went public with her story, C19 began harassing her, telling her to keep quiet. Her claims that Earth had been invaded by aliens were not believed and her photographs of the Cybermen were dismissed as fakes. She became a standing joke on Fleet Street, and Turner left her as his career in the Army was threatened. Months later, Isobel was interviewed by the reporter James Stevens, who was investigating UNIT,and it was from her that he first learned of the existence of the Doctor. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy) Ruby Duvall also interviewed Isobel about the subject. (PROSE: Iceberg)
Personality
Isobel was a feminist, and got very angry when she was told photographing the Cybermen was "no job for a woman like [her]" by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. She got on very well with Zoe Heriot, who modelled for her. (TV: The Invasion)
Authorities suspected that Isobel had fascist sympathies after pictures, taken by Watkins, emerged of Zoe Heriot performing a Nazi salute. It was also speculated that her subsequent relationship with Captain Turner was an attempt to infiltrate UNIT and the wider British Armed Forces. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy)
Behind the scenes
- Isobel Watkins' subsequent life as shown in Who Killed Kennedy can be viewed as a slight retcon, as The Invasion ended with her getting a lucrative job because of her photos of the Cybermen invasion.
