History of Sutekh from Doctor Who’s “The Legend of Ruby Sunday”

If you’ve seen the most recent episode of Doctor Who, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” you might have some questions about who Sutekh is. If you haven’t seen it yet, click away because I’m about to discuss some massive spoilers from that episode.

At the end of the episode, the Doctor realizes that the strange sound he’s been hearing coming from the TARDIS is a being that had wrapped and cloaked itself around the TARDIS. The being was revealed to be Sutekh, a God-like being introduced in the classic Doctor Who era. Additionally, he has also appeared in Doctor Who comics and audio series.

The History of Sutekh

Sutekh first appeared in the 13th season of Doctor Who in the episode “Pyramids of Mars.” In this story, Professor Scarman accidentally unleashes Sutekh, an Osirian, after discovering a hidden tomb in Egypt. Sutekh had been imprisoned by his brother Horus for wanting to destroy the universe.

Due to their long lifespan and moral code, the Osirians chose to trap Sutekh rather than kill him. They used a signal from a pyramid on Mars, the Eye of Horus, to keep him paralyzed. However, Sutekh could still control minds and reanimate corpses. Which he then used to manipulate Professor Scarman into building a missile to destroy the signal.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane intervened, but Sutekh’s backup plan involved taking control of the Doctor and forcing him to take the TARDIS to Mars so Professor Scarman could destroy the Eye of Horus. The Doctor, realizing the time delay in radio signals, used the TARDIS to move the threshold of the tunnel that Sutekh was using to the far future. This meant that Sutekh would never actually be able to get out of the tunnel. Meaning he would essentially age to death, despite his incredibly long lifespan.

Sutekh in Doctor Who Comics and Audio Dramas

Sutekh’s story continued in comics and audio dramas. In a 10th Doctor comic, he escaped his fate by stepping into the void, as seen in “Doomsday.” From there, he planted a seed in his son Anubis’s mind. Later taking over his body to enact a plan to escape the void. He partnered with other god-like beings but was foiled by Dorothy Bell, who trapped him in her embrace and returned them both to the void.

Sutekh also faced the Doctor in Big Finish audio dramas like “The Pyramids of Sutekh,” “The Eye of Horus,” “The Tears of Isis,” and “Kill the Doctor in the Age of Sutekh.” Before the recent episode of Doctor Who, Sutekh was considered trapped in some way, regardless of the medium. The explanation for his return and entanglement with the Tardis remains to be seen in the next episode.

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