SUMMARY
- The Pantheon is a group of powerful, immortal beings that have been mentioned throughout the history of Doctor Who. Some of these beings possess the ability to possess humans, while others have the power to control dreams, manipulate time, and create chaos. Here are some of the potential candidates for the Pantheon that could be retconned into the show:
- The Gods of the Rutans: The Rutans are known for their ability to possess humans, which is a trait shared by many of the Pantheon gods. Additionally, the Queen Ruta could be a Pantheon god who has the ability to replicate herself, which would explain the Rutans’ lack of individuality without contradicting their status as gods.
- The Dream Lord: The Dream Lord is an apparition that can control dreams and likes to create nightmares. Although it was initially said to be a manifestation of the Doctor’s dark side, it could be retconned to be telepathic, which is a power possessed by many Pantheon gods.
Considering recent narrative events, several Doctor Who villains could retroactively be members of the Pantheon of Discord despite not being introduced that way. The Pantheon played an important role in many Doctor Who season 14 episodes. The Doctor and Ruby battled Maestro, who revealed themselves as a Pantheon god, in their second adventure. Each subsequent episode of the series moved steadily toward the reveal that Sutekh, the god of death, was behind the season-long mystery involving Susan Twist, who appeared in bit parts in each story but didn’t reveal her true identity until the season finale.
Doctor Who explained the Pantheon were extremely powerful, god-like creatures who often caused mischief throughout the universe. Sutekh revealed the identity of several other gods when he returned, including some who the Doctor had tangled with previously, such as the Mara. Since the Mara has been retconned into being a Pantheon god, it’s logical to assume that the Doctor has also battled other members of the Pantheon without realizing it at the time.
The Devil-Like Creature Had Similarities To Sutekh
The Beast is the closest thing that Doctor Who has had to the Devil. It was a horned, red being that controlled people telepathically while imprisoned in a Hell-like environment. By the time the Doctor came face-to-face with it, the Beast had been weakened considerably and was entirely animalistic; however, defeating it meant risking Rose’s life to keep it imprisoned. The Doctor was victorious at the end of this adventure, but acknowledged that the Beast was the basis for various devil myths, suggesting that it was akin to an evil god.
Gabriel Woolf, who voiced the Beast, also was the voice for Sutekh in both classic and modern Doctor Who.
The Beast is not only one of Doctor Who’s best villains but one with many similarities to Sutekh. Most significantly, both monsters were imprisoned to stop them from wreaking havoc in the universe and attempted to force their way to freedom. The Doctor had to use his wits to prevent the massive chaos and destruction that would come with these creatures succeeding in escaping their bonds and had to risk his companions’ deaths to do so. Thus, it is not a big stretch to assume the Beast is one of the gods of the Pantheon.
9 The Rutans
Their Ability to Shapeshift and Possess Enemies Are Pantheon Qualities
The Rutans are the mortal enemies of the Sontarans who have been at war with them forever. They first appeared in the classic Doctor Who episode “The Horror of Fang Rock,” where they were shown to be able to shapeshift and to possess humans to get them to do their bidding. Their powers include the ability to control the weather, especially creating fog to hide their presence and confuse the targets of their attack.
The Rutans have little individual will and are part of a hive controlled by the Queen Ruta on their home planet. However, this does not necessarily negate the possibility that they are Pantheon gods. Their telepathic and shapeshifting abilities make them extremely powerful, and Pantheon gods all seem to be able to possess humans, which is something the Rutans are skilled at. Additionally, the Queen Ruta could be a Pantheon god who has the ability to replicate herself, which would explain the Rutans’ lack of individuality without contradicting their status as gods.
8 The Dream Lord
His Ability to Control Dreams Suggests His Power
The Dream Lord is an apparition that can control dreams and likes to create nightmares in which they face deadly danger. Although the Dream Lord claimed to be able to kill people in dreams, the Doctor revealed at the end of “Amy’s Choice” that the creature had no such power and cannot affect the real world at all. However, his penchant for playing games, such as demanding the Doctor and Amy guess which reality is real and which is a dream, is similar to the way the Celestial Toymaker likes to mess with people.
The Dream Lord was originally said to be a manifestation of the Doctor’s dark side that was triggered by psychic pollen in the TARDIS’ time rotor. However, this could be easily retconned by suggesting the Doctor was mistaken or that Sutekh’s presence in the TARDIS caused him to believe that. Additionally, the Dream Lord’s abilities could be retconned to be telepathic rather than the effects of psychic pollen since Pantheon gods possess this type of ability.
7 The Great Intelligence
Its Nature Is Impossible to Define But Gives It Power
The Great Intelligence is one of Doctor Who‘s oldest villains, having first appeared in the Patrick Troughton serial “The Abominable Snowmen.” It has no material form, though it is capable of possessing robots and humans alike. It was able to control the Yeti to attack humans, though in “Web of Fear” it also possessed the corpse of Sergeant Arnold of UNIT to help it in battle. Although the Doctor was able to restrict its power on these occasions, he was unable to destroy it altogether, suggesting the Great Intelligence is immortal.
Non-canon sources such as original novel and audio adventures suggest the Great Intelligence is a god, which would bolster the theory that it is part of the Pantheon if confirmed by canon.
The Great Intelligence fits the definition of a Pantheon god almost perfectly. It does not have a corporeal form of its own, but can possess humans and other living creatures when necessary and is even able to control mythological beings such as the Yeti. It also is immortal and always rises again after being defeated by the Doctor. Thus, it is a prime candidate for retcon, as the writers would not have to make many changes to canon to accommodate the idea.
6 Light
An Evil Eternal Who Possessed Extraordinary Power
Light was one of the Eternals, an immortal race of beings who traveled the universe in search of amusement. He was a shapeshifter whose appearance depended on the environment he found himself in; on Earth, he usually manifested as a golden angel, although his personality was anything but angelic. Light’s purpose was to categorize all organic life; he did so without regard to its safety or survival, such as killing people to take them apart and see how they worked. He also hated change and would do anything to stop life from evolving.
Light’s powers place him firmly in the Pantheon. He can kill people telepathically and is immortal. He can turn people to primordial soup or to stone, both of which he did during “Ghost Light.” Eventually, the Doctor got rid of Light by convincing him that he himself had evolved; Light self-destructed because he hated change. However, given his immortal nature, he likely isn’t completely gone, especially now that the Pantheon is growing in power.
5 Rassilon
The First Time Lord Pursued Immortality And May Not Ever Have Died
Rassilon is considered the first Time Lord, so if he were to be retconned into being a Pantheon god, it would suggest the Time Lord race was related to the Pantheon. However, this idea makes sense considering Rassilon’s status as a gray character and the lengths he went to in pursuit of immortality. In “The Five Doctors,” it is revealed that Rassilon made genetic changes to Gallifreyan DNA to allow TIme Lords to regenerate, and it was left ambiguous whether he had ever died.
Rassilon only fits with Doctor Who’s Timeless Child theory if he and Tecteun, the scientist who discovered the Timeless Child, are one and the same. Regardless of this previous retcon, it is both logical and possible to rewrite Rassilon as being a member of the Pantheon. Rassilon was already shown to have survived the Time War despite other Time Lords dying and to be capable of activity such as planting twin heartbeats in the Master’s consciousness; thus, it is not a big stretch to explain he did these things as a Pantheon god.
4 The Guardians
They Balance The Universe And Can’t Exist Without Each Other
The White Guardian and Black Guardian are said to be the guardians of the universe, but it has never been explained exactly what they are. They first appeared in the classic Doctor Who serial “The Key to Time,” in which the Doctor and Romana had to collect the pieces of the Key to Time, which had been separated to stop the Black Guardian from gaining power. Later, a trilogy of episodes involved the Black Guardian saving Turlough’s life in exchange for him trying to kill the Doctor.
The Black Guardian’s behavior toward Turlough is similar to that of the Pantheon gods. He is able to promise Turlough continued life in exchange for his promise to kill the Doctor, after which he is able to communicate with him from another dimension via a crystal device in Turlough’s possession. He can also use the device to enter Turlough’s world, such as when he physically attacks him because he is not carrying out his mission.
The White Guardian disappeared last time the Black Guardian did, saying one could not exist without the other. However, it’s likely that both Guardians still exist in some form and were merely banished from the Doctor’s presence at the end of “Enlightenment.” Thus, the two could be super-gods who are more powerful than the rest of the Pantheon. The White Guardian’s inclusion is interesting because other Pantheon gods have all been evil. However, there is no canon rule that they must be, and the White Guardian could be working with other non-evil gods to protect the universe.
3 The Gods of Ragnarok
These Ancient Beings Could Easily Be Pantheon Gods
The Doctor first encountered the gods of Ragnarok during “The Greatest Show In the Galaxy.” During this adventure, the three gods were attempting to use humans for their own entertainment, kidnapping people and demanding they perform more and more outlandish tricks. There were three of them: the Father, Mother, and Little Girl, and they were also known as the Old Ones.
The Seventh Doctor once stated that he had fought these three gods all through time, which also sounds like a description of the Pantheon.
The gods of Ragnarok are already known to be deities, so it is not difficult to imagine that they are members of the Pantheon. The Seventh Doctor once stated that he had fought these three gods all through time, which also sounds like a description of the Pantheon. It’s also possible that Rassilon named them, as non-canon sources say so, and if this became an official part of the canon it would strengthen the theory that Rassilon is also one of the Pantheon gods.
2 The Nestene Consciousness
The Alien Consciousness Behind The Autons Could Be One of the Pantheon Gods
The Nestene Consciousness is the life force that animates the Autons. The Doctor has described it as ruthless and aggressive; like most of the other potential Pantheon gods, it is made purely of energy and has no body of its own. Unlike other non-corporeal Doctor Who monsters, the Nestene Consciousness does not possess people. Instead, it makes plastic come to life and is molecularly similar to the material. The Doctor suggests that it could be considered the brain or nervous system of the Autons, but this could easily be retconned to make it one of the gods of the Pantheon.
Like other gods, the Nestene Consciousness is made of energy, although when first introduced it had a physical form. It has the power to create a body for itself, and like the Rutans, each individual Nestene is part of a hive mind that works as one unit. Its immortality and power make it a candidate for inclusion in the Pantheon, though it likely would be a lower-level god than some others, as it does not have the ability to possess living organisms.
1 Weeping Angels
Their Ability to Mess With Timelines Makes Them Strong Candidates for the Pantheon
The Weeping Angels were introduced in one of the best Doctor-lite episodes of Doctor Who. These monsters disguise themselves as creepy-looking statues and can’t move as long as someone is looking directly at them. As soon as the victim blinks or turns away, the Weeping Angels can attack them and usually send them back in time so that they have to live the rest of their lives in the past, separated from the people who love them.
The Weeping Angels could easily be part of the Pantheon. Doctor Who hasn’t explained their origins or where they derive their powers from, but they are clearly immortal and have the ability to eject people from their timeline and lock them in the past. These powers align nicely with the way other gods interfere with humans’ lives, so it would be fairly easy to believe that they were part of the Pantheon if they were retconned to be gods.
