Sunday, 28 September 2014

Profiles Blowfish by DJ Forrest


Species: Piscine Humanoids
Episode: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Fragments, Doctor Who: Big Bang, Doctor Who: Nightmare in Silver.
Audios & Novels:  The Undertaker’s Gift, The Baby Farmers, Department X, Comic Book:
Friend or Foe: Foe
Other notes: High susceptible to electric shocks
Played by: Paul Kasey

Once referred to as Homoformatus piscis by Emily Holroyd, the blowfish is distinctive by its fish like face.  With bright red skin, large crest on its head and tendrils and feelers around its face, gill slits next to its jaw with sensitive gills inside.  They are quite slim and are about 6’ in height.  They were able to live out of water very easily but need to rehydrate where possible.  Dangerous if crossed, the blowfish could sting with yellow sputum. 

Blowfish are normally associated with pitbull toads, nasty creatures that they used to fight with, in similar ways that humans use pitbull dogs.

Archived Torchwood history of Blowfish

In 102, the Blowfish were among the races that joined the Alliance against The Doctor.  They helped to imprison the Eleventh Doctor in the Pandorica, in order to save the universe.  But when this plan failed, the Blowfish along with all other creatures in the Alliance, were reduced to dust, along with the rest of creation beyond the moon and planet Earth.  But the Doctor in his wisdom to reset the Universe restored all the creatures.

In 1899, Captain Jack Harkness was sent to collect a troublesome young Blowfish and bring him to the cells of Torchwood Three.  Because there was no way of returning him through the Rift, he was quite blatantly shot dead by Alice Guppy.  Jack Harkness was reported to have disagreed with this outcome.

Around this time, Tiberius Finch and Gertrude Blight who ran a home for children, had, with funding from Sir Henry Montague begun breeding and experimenting upon alien creatures including Blowfish.  After Charles Gaskell blew up the headquarters, Captain Jack Harkness was reported to have introduced Sir Montague to two unaffected blowfish that had learned of the experiments, they subsequently killed Sir Montague.

In 2008, Khgg, a Blowfish with a passion for fast cars and high levels of algae, managed to wind up in the Torchwood autopsy room after it had been shot in the head by Captain Jack Harkness.  After stealing a sports car, the Blowfish, already high on algae had avoided capture until Dr Owen Harper had disabled the car.  The Blowfish in a bid to evade capture had held three people hostage in a quiet street, but to no avail.  Later, while it lay on the autopsy table, Captain John Hart retrieved the tracking device in its pocket, which would eventually lead him to the location of the diamond.  But we all know how that ended don’t we?

Also in this year Gwen Cooper reported a time when she too had encountered a Blowfish after it had managed to get its head stuck in a toilet as it tried to rehydrate itself.

In 2009, Captain Jack Harkness tried to capture two Blowfish, who were known criminals, unfortunately one of them was accidentally killed.  But Kerko, the brother of the dead Blowfish, swore to avenge his brother and refused to co-operate with Torchwood upon his capture.  When the Undertaker’s Gift was activated and began to destroy the Hub, young Kerko escaped the cells, and at every opportunity tried to kill Jack Harkness but was subsequently electrocuted by a large blob that was residing in one of the cells.

Torchwood have come across Blowfish on many occasions according to the Archive notes.  Even in the firing range there are amongst the weevil pictures, Blowfish pictures, as targets. 

Unlike the weevils, Blowfish can converse with humans.  They appear to like Earth and are drawn to the pleasures this planet holds.

Through history, the Blowfish has been recognised from members of the jury at The Doctor’s trial at the Shadow Proclamation, to its head being part of the Hedgewick’s World of Wonders in the alien collection.

But despite their despicable habits, they are not a Code Red. 

  
Resources:

©BBC Torchwood 2006
©BBC Doctor Who 1963

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