Summary
Over its expansive run,Doctor Whohas introduced a plethora of creatures to its universe. From the Daleks, to the Cybermen, to even the Weeping Angels, theDoctor Whofranchise has crafted chilling monsters that are sure to stick with viewers long after. The series has always beengreat at making villainous creaturesthat viewers can sympathize with, despite their actions. One such creature is none other than the Boneless.
The Boneless are still relatively new toDoctor Wholore. Yet, despite having had few appearances, the beings have left a memorable presence in the franchise. They’ve only appeared once in the show, but have popped up again in the comics and novels. Read on to take a closer look at the Boneless, and break down what they are and where they came from.
Who Are the Boneless in Doctor Who?
The Boneless are a species of alien that hail from a two-dimensional universe.They first appeared during Season 8, Episode 9, “Flatline,” in whichthe Twelfth Doctorgave them their name. The creatures have the ability to transform their victims — life forms and three-dimensional objects — into static, two-dimensional images. They could also transform objects back from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.
The Boneless were able to move across flat surfaces (such as walls, floors, ceilings, etc.) and attack their subjects through physical contact. Upon doing so, the subject would then flatten against the surface. This would typically kill living subjects, as they were turned into flattened corpses like paintings. Unfortunately for the Doctor, as if the existence of the Boneless wasn’t terrifying enough, they also were capable of draining theenergy from the TARDIS, ultimately shrinking it so that the Doctor couldn’t exit the machine.
At the end of “Flatline,“the Doctor’s companionClara Oswald manages to trick the Boneless into repowering the TARDIS, returning it to its regular size and freeing the Doctor. After attempting to reason with the Boneless, the creatures proved to be aggressive and less than willing to work with the Doctor. With that,the Doctor sent them back to their dimension, promising that he would continue to protect the plane from the creatures.
The Boneless In Other Media
Thus far, since the Doctor sent the Boneless back to their dimension, they have yet to reappear in the series. That, of course, does not mean they can’t return again at some point. However, while their storyline in the series might have been short, that doesn’t mean they haven’t returned in otherDoctor Whostories. Along with appearing in “Flatline,” the Boneless have also appeared in other media storytelling in theDoctor Whoworld. They were included in the comic books,The Fourth WallandThe Faceless Two,as well as the novelThe Monster Vault.
The Fourth Wallis the ninth story in theDoctor Who: The Twelfth Doctorcomic book series, in which the Boneless make their long-awaited return. Given their two-dimensional appearance, the comic begins with the Twelfth Doctor warning the reader not to turn the page, as the Boneless could very well be hiding between the pages. The Doctor and Clara land in London and find themselves drawn to a local comic book shop, due to the strange energy emitted from the store. While at the store, the Doctor takes note of a comic book series titled “Time Surgeon,” which takes inspiration from his real-life travels with Clara. However, while reading the comic, the Doctor is absorbed into the story, leaving Clara to try and protect the others within the store from being absorbed, too. This forces the Doctor to try and stop the Boneless from within the two-dimensional world of the comic book, while Clara tries to stop the Boneless from absorbing others by knocking over the rack of comics holding “Time Surgeon.” Thankfully, the Doctor and Clara manage to find a way to send the Boneless back to their dimension. They then leave the store, in search of the one behind the mysterious comic book series.
What Was It the Boneless Sought?
In the novelThe Monster Vault, audiences gain a bit more knowledge regarding one ofDoctor Who’s most fascinating creatures. The Boneless spent time trying to perfect learning how to live as three-dimensional beings, having dissected three-dimensional lifeforms for research. As it stood, though, they could never quite perfect the transformation. This would ultimately lead to the creatures being a mixture of three-dimensional and two-dimensional, having the appearance of no bones in their bodies — hence the name.
The Boneless wanted to try and understand the human race, and how their bodies operated. They wanted to try and replicate 3D, and didn’t care what it took to do so. This made them a deadly race, one that would stop at nothing until they got what they wanted. While they did temporarily return to their dimension, thanks to the Doctor, they did make a return in the comics,The Fourth WallandThe Faceless Two, to continue where they left off. However, they still remain undefeated, and currently have the ability to return to theDoctor Whoseries at any given moment.
The Boneless might not be as frightening as the Weeping Angels,or as memorable as the Cybermen, but they managed to establish themselves as one of the most intriguing characters in a single episode. They can turn a three-dimensional life form into a lifeless mural with a single touch, allowing for them to cause chaos quickly and with little evidence left behind.
