Regeneration: Difference between revisions

In other cases, there was no apparent energy discharge at all, just a fade away to the next incarnation. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Planet of the Spiders (TV story)}}, [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ancestor Cell (novel)|The Ancestor Cell]]'', ''[[The Touch of the Nurazh (short story)|The Touch of the Nurazh]]'') In the case of the Doctor's fourth regeneration, the Doctor appeared to merge with and become [[the Watcher (Logopolis)|the Watcher]], after which he transformed from the Watcher into his [[Fifth Doctor|fifth incarnation]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Logopolis (TV story)}}) On the occasion that the Doctor had just been granted a brand new regeneration cycle, he initially emitted a large eruption of energy in an almost liquid form. Sometime later, when his actual shift to a new body occurred, there was only a very short, almost negligible discharge of energy. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Time of the Doctor (TV story)}}) When mortally wounded by the Toymaker, the Fourteenth Doctor's body momentarily glowed with the regeneration energy before dissipating. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Giggle (TV story)}})

Indeed, the Doctor came to realise that his regenerations were growing more explosive; ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') when he began his thirteenth regeneration, it was the most destructive of all — emitting a shock-wave resembling a thermonuclear blast. The town of [[Christmas (town)|Christmas]] was levelled, [[Dalek fighter pod]]s were blown out of the sky, and the [[Nacrana Va Hateen|Dalek flagship]] ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Time of the Doctor (TV story)}}) and [[Dalek Fleet|Dalek fleet]] were destroyed. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') Because the Doctor didn't have time to warn the citizens of Christmas of the danger from regenerating, his companion [[Clara Oswald]] ushered the people into the bell tower to take shelter. The Daleks that remained on the street were blown to pieces. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Time of the Doctor (TV story)}}) The Twelfth Doctor was able to tell that his fourteenth regeneration would be explosive, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') and it eventually caused enough damage to the TARDIS for it to malfunction. The [[control room]] exploded, sending the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] plummeting from its doors. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Twice Upon a Time (TV story)}})

On rare instances, regeneration{{disputed}} could change a Time Lord's clothing, as happened when the [[First Doctor]] became the [[Second Doctor]], ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Tenth Planet (TV story)}}, {{cs|The Power of the Daleks (TV story)}}) and when the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] became the [[Fourteenth Doctor]], the latter acknowledging his resemblance to [[Tenth Doctor|a previous incarnation]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Power of the Doctor (TV story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|A Letter from the Doctor (DWAN 2024 short story)|page=6}}) Most other cases would have the regenerated Time Lord in the attire of their predecessor. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Spearhead from Space (TV story)}}, {{cs|Robot (TV story)}} etc.) The [[Fourteenth Doctor]]'s "bi-generation" split his outfit evenly on himself and the [[Fifteenth Doctor]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Giggle (TV story)}})

While most regenerations caused Time Lord's to take on an entirely new appearance, it seemed that in very rare circumstances they could regenerate into previous appearances. The Thirteenth Doctor's regeneration caused the Fourteenth Doctor to look identical to a previous incarnation, even down to the teeth, something that shocked the newly regenerated Doctor. In addition, this regeneration changed the Doctor's clothing. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Power of the Doctor (TV story)}}) Donna Noble suggested that this was due to the regeneration being influenced by the Doctor's subconscious desire to settle down with a family - specifically, the [[Noble family]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Giggle (TV story)}}) [[The Curator]] had previously noted to the Eleventh Doctor that they may find themselves revisiting a few old faces in years to come with the Curator himself having the appearance of an elderly [[Fourth Doctor]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Day of the Doctor (TV story)}})

Generally, most newly regenerated Time Lords appeared physically younger than their preceeding incarnations, ([[TV]]: {{cs|Doctor Who (TV story)}}, {{cs|Utopia (TV story)}}, {{cs|Death of the Doctor (TV story)}}) so much so that the [[First Doctor]] assumed it to be the natural result of regeneration. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Twice Upon a Time (TV story)}}) Indeed, the [[Tenth Doctor]] once told [[Rose Tyler]] that regeneration was an alternative to ageing. ([[TV]]: {{cs|School Reunion (TV story)}}) However, this was not always the case; the "dashing young" [[Eleventh Doctor]] was dismayed to find that he would become the "old" [[Twelfth Doctor]], with his [[companion]] [[Clara Oswald]] remarking that the new Doctor did not look "renewed". ([[TV]]: {{cs|Deep Breath (TV story)}}) Following her second regeneration, [[River Song]], formerly [[Mels Zucker]], observed herself to have a "mature" appearance. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)}})

[[Skin colour]] could also change between regenerations. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)}}, {{cs|Hell Bent (TV story)}}, [[PROSE]]: ''[[Engines of War (novel)|Engines of War]]'', [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Next Life (audio story)|The Next Life]]'', ''[[The Lady in the Lake (audio story)|The Lady in the Lake]]'') Though fluctuations in [[gender]], size and skin colour appeared to be fairly common, the Twelfth Doctor stated that he was "one of those stuck-in-a-rut Time Lords who always [had] the same model of body." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')

The [[Ninth Doctor]] mentioned being "not quite calibrated" after regeneration, and likened himself to a soft shell crab waiting to harden, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Beast of Babylon (short story)|The Beast of Babylon]]'') and the newly regenerated [[Tenth Doctor]] spent hours unconscious after an initial burst of wild enthusiasm. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Christmas Invasion (TV story)}}) Immediately post-regeneration, the [[Eleventh Doctor]] craved various foods, which he hated upon tasting them. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Eleventh Hour (TV story)}}) At the start of a new [[regeneration cycle]], the [[Twelfth Doctor]] experienced severe memory loss, forgetting how to pilot the TARDIS, ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Time of the Doctor (TV story)}}) and spent the next few hours in a delirious state. He was unable to remember names and distinguish people from each other, to the point that he confused [[Clara Oswald]] with both [[Handles]] and [[Strax]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Deep Breath (TV story)}}) The [[Thirteenth Doctor]] began her life with some amnesia, unable to remember her own name. However, most of her memories and all of her intellect remained intact. Like the Tenth Doctor, she passed out and slept for a long period of time to recover, expelling [[regeneration energy]] while she was asleep. Though she was also awoken early due to circumstances, she did not suffer serious health complications like the Tenth Doctor did. She later regained access to her memories after an [[adrenalin]] rush from confronting [[Tzim-Sha]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)}}) Curiously, the [[Fourteenth Doctor]] did not experience any of the usual post-regeneration side-effects, ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Liberation of the Daleks (comic story)}}) although the Doctor did question his appearance. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|A Letter from the Doctor (DWAN 2024 short story)|page=6}}). The [[Fifteenth Doctor]] was also shown to not suffer from any post-regeneration side-effects, though he had instead come into being from a 'bi-generation'.

Time Lords usually had a limited cycle: twelve regenerations, consisting of thirteen [[incarnation]]s, after which they would suffer permanent death, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Deadly Assassin (TV story)|The Deadly Assassin]]'', ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]], [[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'') except insofar as their minds, uploaded to [[the Matrix]], lived on as [[Matrix Lord]]s. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Legacy of Gallifrey (short story)|The Legacy of Gallifrey]]'') On occasions, [[the Doctor]] gave other numbers as the length of the basic Time Lord regeneration cycle. The Fourth Doctor told [[Romana II|Romana]] that Time Lords had [[90 (number)|ninety]] lives, and that he had already gone through "about [[130 (number)|130]]" of them; ([[TV]]: ''[[The Creature from the Pit (TV story)|The Creature from the Pit]]'') the [[Fifth Doctor]], while in a state of confusion, later claimed the same thing. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Cold Fusion (audio story)|Cold Fusion]]'') The [[Eleventh Doctor]] told [[Clyde Langer]] that he could regenerate [[507 (number)|507]] times. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Death of the Doctor (TV story)}})

As with most such "rules", there were occasional exceptions to the twelve regeneration limit: although [[Rassilon]] had originally found the twelve-regeneration cap to be absolute, forcing him to retreat into the Matrix as a disembodied mind to survive his final death, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Legacy of Gallifrey (short story)|The Legacy of Gallifrey]]'') the [[High Council]], at later points in history, was capable of offering Time Lords a new lease of life in the form of a new regeneration cycle. The Council offered {{Ainley}} a new regeneration cycle if he rescued the various incarnations of the Doctor from the [[Death Zone]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Five Doctors (TV story)}}) Although he did not receive this award on that occasion, later in his life, he was resurrected by the Time Lords ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Eyes of the Master (audio story)|Eyes of the Master]]'', [[TV]]: {{cs|Utopia (TV story)}}) as part of a deal they made with a future version of himself, ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Day of the Master (audio story)|Day of the Master]]'') and was able to regenerate on at least three more occasions. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Fast Asleep (comic story)|Fast Asleep]]'', [[TV]]: {{cs|Utopia (TV story)}}, ''[[Dark Water (TV story)|Dark Water]]'') It was indicated that the Master possessed at least one more regeneration after this as he told his future self "don't bother trying to regenerate" after mortally wounding her with his [[laser screwdriver]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Doctor Falls (TV story)}}) Missy went on to cheat death by using an [[Elysian field|Elysian Field]] to reconstruct her body at an atomic level, granting her a new regeneration cycle. ([[AUDIO]]: [[The Lumiat (audio story)|The Lumiat]])

The Time Lords also granted the [[Eleventh Doctor]] a new cycle of regenerations before he could die for the final time, having used up all twelve of his regenerations in his first cycle; ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Time of the Doctor (TV story)}}) the [[Twelfth Doctor]], ([[TV]]: ''[[Kill the Moon (TV story)|Kill the Moon]]'') [[the Master]] ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Doctor Falls (TV story)}}) and even [[Rassilon]] himself were uncertain as to how many regenerations the Doctor now possessed. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Hell Bent (TV story)}})

Despite not being able to regenerate any further, a Time Lord in their final incarnation retained a small amount of regeneration energy; just enough to mend broken bones once. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)|The Angels Take Manhattan]]'') Time Lords could will themselves to die by attempting to regenerate when they had no more regenerations left to use, as [[Azmael]] who was hosting the evil consciousness of [[Mestor]], chose to do so to prevent it from escaping. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Twin Dilemma (TV story)|The Twin Dilemma]]'') The Eleventh Doctor likewise threatened to use regeneration to hold off [[Cyber-Planner|Mr Clever]] from taking over his mind, fully aware that he had expended his first regeneration cycle's allotted lives. ([[TV]]: ''[[Nightmare in Silver (TV story)|Nightmare in Silver]]'') A Time Lord on their last regeneration could will themselves to effect a pseudo-regeneration which would cause their body to vanish into thin air. ([[TV]]: ''[[Shada (TV story)|Shada]]'')

In one instance, the Tenth Doctor used up his first cycle's eleventh regeneration while still keeping the same face by channelling it into [[The Tenth Doctor's hand|a hand]] ([[TV]]: {{cs|Journey's End (TV story)}}, {{cs|The Time of the Doctor (TV story)}}) which had been sliced off by [[Fadros Pallujikaa|the leader of the]] [[Sycorax]], ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Christmas Invasion (TV story)}}) allowing himself to heal his body, yet avoid physical changes. This [[regeneration energy|energy]] remained active and was accidentally interacted with by a [[human]], [[Donna Noble]], triggering a two-way [[Human-Time Lord Meta-Crisis|human-Time Lord meta-crisis]] which caused the hand to regenerate the missing body of its owner, creating a [[Meta-Crisis Tenth Doctor|human-Time Lord copy of the Doctor]] and causing Donna to gain the mind of a Time Lord. However, the presence of two minds inhabiting Donna at once nearly destroyed her and the Doctor was forced to block all memories of him from her consciousness to stop her Time Lord half from remaining active. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Journey's End (TV story)}}) Donna would later go on to have a child, [[Rose Noble]], who inherited part of the Metacrisis from her mother. When the Fourteenth Doctor was forced to reactivate Donna's memories to stop [[Beep the Meep]] from killing millions, Donna initially appeared to die, but then woke up as it was revealed that the Metacrisis now being split evenly in two people decreased the strain on her mind enough for her to survive. Rose, her Time Lord half likewise activated, then chose alongside Donna to simply let go of the regeneration energy, reverting them both to fully human. ([[TV]]: [[The Star Beast (TV story)|The Star Beast]])

Despite using up all twelve of his regenerations, the Eleventh Doctor possessed enough [[regeneration energy|regenerative energy]] to heal River Song's broken [[wrist]], although she was angered at what she considered a waste of the energy. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)|The Angels Take Manhattan]]'')

At least [[Barusa's universe|one]] of the infinite [[parallel universe]]s of "[[Multiverse|possible space]]", ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Fire and Brimstone (comic story)|Fire and Brimstone]]'') it was said that a [[Time Lord (Barusa's universe)|Time Lord]]'s new form was chosen by their "[[unconscious]]". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Chronicles of Doctor Who? (short story)|The Chronicles of Doctor Who?]]'') Indeed, after the Twelfth Doctor's regeneration, he believed that he recognised his new face from somewhere, ([[TV]]: {{cs|Deep Breath (TV story)}}) but it took some time until he recognised it ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Died (TV story)|The Girl Who Died]]'') as the face of [[Caecilius]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'') speculating that he "chose" the face to remind himself that his purpose as the Doctor was to save people, irrespective of other forces (such as [[Time Lord|those]] watching over [[history]]) "having a problem with that". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Died (TV story)|The Girl Who Died]]'')  

Forcing an individual to regenerate could be used as a form of punishment and in these cases, the new appearance could be chosen or influenced by the condemned. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The War Games (TV story)}}) Granting additional regeneration cycles ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Five Doctors (TV story)}}, {{cs|Utopia (TV story)}}, {{cs|The Time of the Doctor (TV story)}}) or removing any remaining regenerations ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]'') was also possible. Rassilon's gauntlet could be used to remove regenerations, or at least force a Time Lord to repeatedly regenerate until their remaining lives were exhausted. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Hell Bent (TV story)}})

With effort, Time Lords could resist regeneration, effectively committing suicide. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Power of the Daleks (novelisation)|The Power of the Daleks]]'') {{Simm|c}} refused to regenerate after being shot, ostensibly to avoid becoming the [[Tenth Doctor]]'s eternal prisoner. ([[TV]]: ''[[Last of the Time Lords (TV story)|Last of the Time Lords]]'') Similarly, the [[Fifth Doctor]] once threatened [[System]] with resisting regeneration to stop the device from learning the biological details of the act. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Gathering (audio story)|The Gathering]]'') This was not always an option, however, as the [[Sixth Doctor]] noted fearfully that while his companion could die only once, he might repeatedly regenerate and live out all of his lives when the TARDIS stalled in space. ([[TV]]: ''[[Vengeance on Varos (TV story)|Vengeance on Varos]]'') Both the [[First Doctor|First]] and [[Twelfth Doctor]]s at first refused to regenerate, with the First Doctor's appearance being slightly changed as a result, but eventually relented and went on to become their [[Second Doctor|successive]] [[Thirteenth Doctor|selves]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Twice Upon a Time (TV story)}})

However, events depicted in Steven Moffat's {{cs|The Time of the Doctor (TV story)}} confirm the twelve-regeneration limit for Time Lords, and of the Doctor in particular, with the events of ''Time'' exploring the impact this has on the character having finally reached his limit, the Doctor facing his final death of old age until the Time Lords send him the [[regeneration energy|energy]] for a new regeneration cycle. Several characters express a lack of knowledge over how many regenerations the Doctor currently has including the Doctor himself, ([[TV]]: ''[[Kill the Moon (TV story)|Kill the Moon]]'') [[Rassilon]] who had a hand in giving him the new regeneration cycle ([[TV]]: {{cs|Hell Bent (TV story)}}) and [[the Master]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Doctor Falls (TV story)}}) Currently, a number has never been given for the number of regenerations the Doctor possesses in this second cycle. It is also unclear if the portion of regeneration energy that was stolen from the Twelfth Doctor by Davros impacted his ability to regenerate in any way. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Witch's Familiar (TV story)}}) The number of possible future regenerations came into more dispute with the release of {{cs|The Timeless Children (TV story)}}, which revealed the Doctor to be of a species with seemingly unlimited regenerations. It has not since been made clear if they retain this ability, or if they are still bound by the usual Time Lord limitations.