Today marks the 55th anniversary of the first appearance of one of the scariest and most important villains in Doctor Who history. Over the past six decades, the Doctor has faced numerous enemies while traveling through time and space, but a few stand out. Villains like the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, and Autons have become the Doctor’s most well-known foes, and one of them is celebrating a birthday today.
Today marks the 55th anniversary of the Master’s first appearance in Doctor Who. He was introduced in the 1971 episode “Terror of the Autons,” where the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), Jo Grant (Katy Manning), and UNIT worked to prevent the Master (Roger Delgado) from bringing the Nestenes – known as Autons – to Earth. Over the past 55 years, the Master, a rogue Time Lord constantly striving for control of the universe, has become one of the Doctor’s most iconic and enduring enemies.
The Master Has Become One of the Doctor’s Longest-Running Enemies
Roger Delgado was the first actor to play the Master in the 1971 story “Terror of the Autons,” and he perfectly captured the character’s wickedness. He appeared in 37 episodes before his untimely death in a car accident in 1973, an event that deeply affected Jon Pertwee and is often said to be why he left Doctor Who the next year. Since then, ten other actors have taken on the role of the villainous Time Lord. Delgado was initially followed by Peter Pratt and Geoffrey Beevers, both of whom played the Master as a frail, dying figure with no ability to regenerate.
Although Peter Delgado famously played the Master, Anthony Ainley truly defined the character for many fans. He first appeared as Consul Tremas in 1981’s “The Keeper of Traken,” the father of companion Nyssa. The Master eventually took over Tremas’ body, leading Ainley to play the villain for the next eight years. His final appearance was in 1989’s “Survival,” the last episode of the original Doctor Who series before it was canceled. The Master is well-known for his relentless pursuit of immortality, a trait that continues in the show’s modern revival.
The Master reappeared in 2007 with the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), initially disguised as Professor Yana (Derek Jacobi) before transforming into the body most fans recognize – played by John Simm. This version of the Master became Prime Minister, survived impossible situations, briefly turned the entire population of Earth into copies of himself, nearly revived the Time Lords, and even played a role in the creation of the Cybermen. Following John Simm’s performance, Michelle Gomez took on the role of the first female incarnation of the Master, known as the Mistress. Later, Sacha Dhawan portrayed the villain alongside the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), and his version destroyed the Time Lords once more, solidifying the Master’s status as one of the most formidable enemies in Doctor Who.
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2026-01-02 16:15