February 22, 2024
From mavity-defying gloves to an all-new sonic screwdriver, here’s everything we know about the new Doctor’s arsenal of gadgets…
When you’re an alien super-genius who travels the stars, it isn’t always enough to have the best ship in the universe – you also need the best tech! The Doctor has always loved a gadget, and their Fifteenth incarnation is no different; he has even designed some new ones to help in his adventures across time and space.
Read on to discover more about the Fifteenth Doctor’s gadgets (so far…)
The Sonic Screwdriver
The Doctor is rarely seen without a signature version of their trusty sonic screwdriver, which uses sonic waves to manipulate locks, screws and more advanced technology. In fact, the sonic is the Doctor’s weapon of choice – explicitly because it isn’t a weapon at all.
This latest model of the sonic is more like a multi-tool – powered by a purple crystal, it has attachments and peripherals that serve different functions. So far, we’ve seen the Fifteenth Doctor use his sonic to open doors (classic), meddle with traffic lights, light his way in a dark goblin corridor, and even detect the presence of a diamond ring!
An additional bit of Whoniversal trivia for you: The Gallifreyan inscription on the new sonic is a nod to Ncuti Gatwa’s heritage, as it translates into a Rwandan proverb: “The sharpness of the tongue defeats the sharpness of the warrior”. A sentiment that sums up the Doctor nicely!
Psychic Paper
While the sonic screwdriver can literally open a lot of doors, sometimes you need to blag your way past a sentient being. For such times, the Doctor always carries ‘identification’, in the form of a blank piece of paper that projects a suggestive psychic field. Whoever reads the psychic paper will usually see security clearance, an invitation, or other credentials that confirm two things: the Doctor is exactly who they say they are (probably lying), and they are allowed to be there (definitely lying). Restricted areas, private parties, London’s public transport system – the psychic paper gains entry to all!
When using the paper, the Doctor can either let the reader’s mind fill in the blanks, or use it to create an identity for themselves. The Fifteenth Doctor uses the paper to introduce himself to Ruby Sunday as a health and safety rep – specifically working in the gin and tonic division, after saving her drink from falling. Where can one apply for THAT job…?
Intelligent Gloves
While the sonic screwdriver defies technology, and the psychic paper defies authority, the Fifteenth Doctor’s intelligent gloves defy the laws of physics themselves! Tired of dangling for his life on ledges and ladders, the Doctor engineered a way to redistribute the mass and weight of an object (or person), channelled through a nifty pair of gloves. The wearer can shift their mass into the gloves to become lightweight, or borrow mass from a held object to become super-heavy.
The Doctor got to test both these functions during his first adventure with Ruby Sunday, when the pair stowed away on board a flying goblin ship to rescue baby Lulubelle. The gloves helped the Doctor and Ruby hold onto a precarious rope ladder in the sky, as well as smash through the bottom of the ship to make their escape. The Doctor also used the gloves in his final defeat of the goblins, using his extra density to pull the entire ship down onto a church spire!
Jukebox
More an appliance than a gadget, but still unique to the Fifteenth Doctor, the vintage jukebox sits inside his TARDIS control room. The jukebox first appeared when the Doctor duplicated the TARDIS as a prize for defeating the Toymaker, solving the conundrum of how two bi-generated Doctors could share a single TARDIS.
We’ve yet to see the Doctor put the jukebox to use, but when he and Ruby begin their adventures together in Season 1, we can hope to hear some tunes blasting in the TARDIS!
Doctor Who returns in May 2024.
