Romana I's regeneration: Difference between revisions

The Doctor attributed Romana's surprising casualness and level of control over regeneration to her success at the [[Time Lord Academy]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks (novelisation)|Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks]]'')  The [[Seventh Doctor]] described this to [[Bernice Summerfield]] as "trying out various genetic configurations before she settled on one." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Original Sin (novel)|Original Sin]]'')

Romana ultimately returned to the form of Astra of Atrios, saying that the body had "looked very good" on Astra. ([[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)|Destiny of the Daleks]]'') Some accounts referred to this form as Romana's second incarnation; ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Warfare (audio story)|Warfare]]'', et al.) indeed, by some accounts, a Time Lord's form could remain fluid for multiple hours after their regeneration, going as far as regrowing limbs. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'', ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]'') However, other accounts showed that it was possible to regenerate multiple times in a short span of time. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Curse of Fatal Death (TV story)|The Curse of Fatal Death]]'', ''[[Hell Bent (TV story)|Hell Bent]]'', ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'')

The apparent waste of regenerations would have been consistent with the recklessness of Newblood Houses regarding regeneration. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Book of the War (novel)|The Book of the War]]'') By another account, however, Romana was "still a long way" from the control over regeneration that Gallifreyans in some of the newer Houses demonstrated. In this account, the many forms were assumed by [[Iraj]], a [[shapeshifter]] whom Romana met in the [[TARDIS wardrobe]], as a prank on the Doctor. Upon seeing Iraj take the form of Astra, Romana remarked that copying someone else's appearance was "probably against a dozen laws", ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe (short story)|The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe]]'') echoing the Doctor's concerns. ([[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)|Destiny of the Daleks]]'')

However, according to another account where it was the shapeshifter [[Iraj]] who assumed the different forms, Romana I was still in the [[TARDIS wardrobe]], where Iraj then froze her in a stasis. Iraj revealed herself to be [[the Doctor's TARDIS]] itself, upset about the Doctor's installation of a [[randomiser]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe (short story)|The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe]]'') to avoid the [[Black Guardian]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor (TV story)|The Armageddon Factor]]'', et al.) and jealous of the Doctor's [[companion]]s. Iraj, choosing Astra's form because she "could tell" that the Doctor "liked this one", intended to replace Romana permanently.

However, after going on an adventure with the Doctor and [[Davros]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe (short story)|The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe]]'') where she was taken prisoner by Daleks during the [[Movellan Incident]], ([[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)|Destiny of the Daleks]]'') Iraj exasperatedly freed Romana, remarking, "I could be the most stunning woman in all the universe, and he'd still only think of me as a particularly clever piece of hand luggage". Romana reassured Iraj that the Doctor cared for the TARDIS most of all, and in return for not telling the Doctor, Iraj helped Romana complete her regeneration. Waking in a body just like Astra's, and hearing the Doctor calling for her ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe (short story)|The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe]]'') to join him in [[Paris]], ([[TV]]: ''[[City of Death (TV story)|City of Death]]'') Romana thought of what Iraj said about the Doctor liking Astra's appearance, and she chose a "schoolgirl outfit". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe (short story)|The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe]]'')