Nestene Consciousness

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Lore & Background

The Nestene Consciousness is defined by its ability to control plastic, acting as a hive mind that uses the material for both infiltration and warfare. Its debut in *Spearhead from Space* (1970) was conceived when the production team wanted an earthbound alien invasion story involving mannequins coming to life; scriptwriter Robert Holmes created the entity as a "glob of instinct in the form of plastic." In this initial encounter, the Third Doctor faced the Nestene's plastic tentacled form while his companion Liz Shaw shut down the Consciousness, rendering the Autons inert. The entity returned in *Terror of the Autons* (1971), where it allied with the Master to invade Earth using various plastic objects like daffodils and chairs as weapons. This alliance was broken when the Doctor convinced the Master that the Nestenes would betray him, leading the two enemies to team up and send the Consciousness back into space. The Autons were also planned for *The Five Doctors* (1983) and a scrapped 1986 serial titled *Yellow Fever and How to Cure It*, but both appearances were cancelled.

In Their Own Story

In "Rose" (2005), the Nestene Consciousness, crippled by the Time War, returned to Earth to exploit planetary pollutants. It established its base of operations within the London Eye, deploying Autons to attack passersby and replace key figures. The Ninth Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler, played a crucial role in stopping the invasion; she knocked a vial of "anti-plastic" into the Consciousness, killing the creature and halting the assault. Later, during the 2010 episodes *The Pandorica Opens* and *The Big Bang*, the Nestene joined an alliance of enemies to trap the Eleventh Doctor inside the Pandorica. Using plastic Auton duplicates of a Roman legion constructed from memories in Amy Pond's picture book, they successfully trapped him. When the TARDIS exploded and reality was destroyed, the Consciousness was erased from existence, though an Auton duplicate of Rory Williams survived. After the universe was restored by the Doctor, the real Rory returned to normal, and the alliance with the Nestene never occurred.

Reader's Guide

The Autons are living plastic mannequins animated by the Nestene Consciousness, serving as its primary footsoldiers. In *Spearhead from Space*, they were performed by actors wearing plastic masks, cheap nylon wigs, and covered clothes to hide the mechanism for their hand guns. These props allowed the tube of a weapon to push out of the hand with a small explosive charge to simulate firing. The scene where Autons emerge from shop windows in London is cited as one of the show's most famous moments. In *Terror of the Autons*, new masks were made, but the weapon props were reused; this serial featured plastic film firing from daffodils and other household items used as weapons. Despite being considered some of the scariest monsters in the series' history, their return in *Terror of the Autons* drew criticism for its execution. The Autons have also appeared in unofficial BBV Productions films during the 1990s and various licensed books, comics, and audio dramas, including a spin-off featuring Rory's Auton duplicate.

Did You Know?

• Scriptwriter Robert Holmes created the idea of the creature having an affinity for plastic, describing it as a "glob of instinct in the form of plastic."
• The Autons' return in *Terror of the Autons* was requested by the production team due to the popularity of *Spearhead from Space*, despite Holmes's dislike of bringing back old enemies.
• In *Spearhead from Space*, actors used two sets of clothes each to make the number of Autons appear larger than they actually were on screen.
• The Nestene was planned to appear in both *The Five Doctors* (1983) and a scrapped 1986 serial called *Yellow Fever and How to Cure It*, but both were cancelled due to pacing, cost, or script issues.
• In "Rose," the usage of the Nestene was partly intended so that Rose Tyler would not immediately assume the Autons were aliens.