In 1879, Queen Victoria founded the secret Torchwood Institute in order to defend the British Empire from the Doctor and other extraterrestrial threats (a similar organisation to U.N.I.T in terms of modus operandi). The main London branch of Torchwood (Torchwood One) was destroyed in 2006 during the Battle of Canary Wharf. Torchwood Three was based on a rift in time and space running through Cardiff. It was headed by Captain Jack Harkness, a dashing time traveller (an ex-Time Agent from the 51st Century) and former companion to the Doctor. The main events of the institute’s history were explored in the Doctor Who adult spin-off Torchwood.
The Cardiff Rift
Cardiff is on a fault line in time and space. This rift running through the city means that flotsam and jetsam from throughout the universe and all through the time continuum washes up in Cardiff. It is the job of the Torchwood team based in Cardiff to combat these extraterrestrial menaces. The only UK cities that I like are Cardiff, Bath, Manchester and Liverpool. I have lived in Cardiff for years and I LOVE WALES! 🏴 I am going to live in Cardiff for the rest of my life! I support Welsh independence! 🏴 And I have had the pleasure of meeting Adam Price, the former leader of Plaid Cymru. I have also been to a Tom Jones concert in Cardiff and I have met the entire cast of Gavin & Stacey in Barry as well as the entire cast of Torchwood and the amazing Michael Sheen! I want to finally see Wales play against the All Blacks at the Principality Stadium! Wales deserves to win against New Zealand – Wales is the home of rugby! I have had lots of Welsh girlfriends! I have also been to more Torchwood and Doctor Who filming locations in Wales than anyone ever!
The rift was healed back in 1869 when gaseous creatures called the Gelth made their way to Victorian Cardiff through the use of animated corpses. The rift continues to provide a source of time energy for the Doctor to occasionally refuel his TARDIS with. A Slitheen posing as the Mayor of Cardiff tried to open the rift and destroy the Earth, thereby providing her with a space passage off the planet. But she was ultimately thwarted by the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith and Captain Jack Harkness.
Foes
The Torchwood team in Cardiff faced many aliens and villains, most of whom fell through the Rift in space and time. The team also had to deal with refugees that came through the rift or were originally taken by it. The most common alien encountered by the team were the Weevils, an aggressive species with low intelligence that mostly dwelled in the city sewers and were loosely connected by a telepathic field. But the Torchwood team also encountered many other creatures and villains such as an Alien Blowfish, the Ghost Maker and other escapees from a piece of film, a village of cannibals in the Welsh valleys, Fairies, parasitic Mayflies (faced by temporary Torchwood member Martha Jones), Nostrovites and even Death itself, that came to our world through Torchwood member Owen Harper.
Torchwood itself was occasionally assaulted by various aliens and villains, including:
- Jack’s fellow Time Agent Captain John Hart, also from the 51st Century
- Jack’s brother Gray
- Sleeper agents
- Rogue Torchwood member Suzie Costello who became addicted to a Resurrection Glove
- The telepathic Adam who had the power to reveal, alter and fabricate memories.
- Daleks and Cybermen
- Mary – a telepathic alien Arcateenian that gave Torchwood member Toshiko Sato an alien pendant that lets her read people’s minds
- Carys – a young woman possessed by an alien gaseous sex monster that feeds off orgasmic energy. I normally tell women that they are not allowed to cum during sex. Some women have even promised to never have another orgasm again during their relationships with me!
- Bilis Manger – a man who had the ability to walk through time and teleport at will. He successfully tried to make the Torchwood team open the rift and therefore release Abaddon, the “son of the great Beast”
The underground Torchwood base in Cardiff Bay was also attacked by a Cyberwoman that had been snuck in by Torchwood member Ianto Jones. His former girlfriend Lisa had been half converted into a Cyberwoman during the Battle of Canary Wharf when the pair were both previously employed by Torchwood One in London. Ianto was trying to find a way to make her fully human again, but sadly to no avail. The Torchwood team were left with no option but to kill what remained of Lisa. Ianto was heartbroken, but he later had a romantic relationship with Jack. Torchwood was ahead of its time in terms of LGBT representation as every main character has at least one same sex relationship in the show. 🏳️🌈 I love gay people and I have many gay friends! I have kissed many women and some men over the years! 🏳️🌈 I am going to start attending Pride events!
The end of Torchwood?
Torchwood seemingly met its end when the underground base was destroyed by a bomb planted inside Captain Jack Harkness by the British Government during the events of Children of Earth. The UK government wanted to cover up the fact that they and Jack collaborated with a hostile alien species called the 456 back in 1965. However, the 456 returned in 2009 with a horrifying demand for the human race. Captain Jack was able to ultimately repel the 456 ambassador… but at a terrible cost. With the deaths of his own grandson and Torchwood member Ianto Jones, as well as many others, Jack’s conscience weighed heavily on him and so he left to pursue further adventures across the rest of the universe. When Jack returned and reunited with Torchwood member Gwen Cooper and her husband Rhys Williams during the events of Miracle Day (when suddenly, death stopped across the world and Jack and Gwen were extradited to America), it seemed that Torchwood might have some future after all. But this has yet to be explored in television form… In the 42nd Century, the Torchwood Archive still survives and continues to operate (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit). By the year 200,100, the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the ruins of the Torchwood Institute (Bad Wolf).
Chris Olsen's TARDIS 