Nestene Consciousness

A non-corporeal alien intelligence that animates plastic mannequins to replace and destroy organic life.

The Nestene Consciousness is a non-corporeal, formless entity capable of controlling and manipulating plastic. Originally created by scriptwriter Robert Holmes for the 1970 serial Spearhead from Space, it serves as the mastermind behind the Autons, living plastic mannequins used as its footsoldiers. This alien force first attempted to invade Earth in that debut story, utilizing the sinister potential of mannequins coming to life to replace humans. The Nestene reappeared in the 1971 serial Terror of the Autons, teaming up with the Master before being sent back into space. Decades later, it returned during the show's 2005 revival in "Rose," where a crippled Consciousness attempted another invasion using the London Eye as a base until destroyed by anti-plastic.

Quick Facts

Series: Doctor Who
First: Spearhead from Space (1970)
Creator: Robert Holmes

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.

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?

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.
In "Rose," the usage of the Nestene was partly intended so that Rose Tyler would not immediately assume the Autons were aliens.