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 normal course of history by altering details in individuals' lives. According to the Tenth Doctor, most of these changes were "tiny" and ones that 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 so that he would be driven mad and America would be unable to stop Nazi Germany in the future, but this plan was foiled by Captain Jack Harkness and Angelo Colasanto. (TW: Immortal Sins)
The Brigade caused the formation of parallel universes around two of the Doctor's companions, Sarah Jane Smith and Donna Noble. (SJA: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?, DW: Turn Left) Each of these parallel universes was closed off when the two women were returned to their rightful place in time.
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 appears that the helpers of the Trickster may often be slaves that 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 may also be said to be de facto members, since each consented to be used by the Trickster.
The Trickster's Brigade is possibly another name for the Pantheon of Discord, that the Doctor described the Trickster as belonging to, or alternatively 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 worked, creating a world where many catastrophes happened to Earth after the Tenth Doctor died as Donna Noble never met him. The Doctor's companions managed to stop some of it, but all died in the process until only the alternate Donna Noble and Rose Tyler from the correct universe remained. Rose convinced the alternate Donna Noble of the truth and she travelled back in time through an improvised time machine and reversed the Brigade's effects by sacrificing herself to force her past self to change her mind. (DW: Turn Left) The new universe was erased from existence and the Time Beetle died after history reverted and the evil Fortune Teller ran away in fear of what happened. If the original time line had not been restored, it is implicit that all realities would have been destroyed by Davros's reality bomb as only the correct Donna Noble and the Doctor proved capable of stopping it. (DW: The Stolen Earth / Journey's End)
Individuals connected with the group
Known members
- The Trickster (leader)
- Time Beetle
- Brain parasite
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.
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