Since its revival in 2023, Doctor Who has leaned harder into the history of the classic series. While avoiding popular villains such as the Daleks and Cybermen, the show brought back more obscure enemies of The Doctor with new twists. Omega, once among the most powerful of the Time Lords, is the latest villain to receive such a retcon.
Omega was originally introduced in the “The Three Doctors” storyline, which marked the 10th anniversary of Doctor Who. A gifted stellar engineer, it was Omega who pioneered the process that generated the power needed to make time travel possible. The history around this point is conflicted, but one thing is certain: Omega became trapped in the anti-matter universe as he completed his life’s work.
The Time Lords honored Omega for his apparent sacrifice and went on to become a major galactic power. This was cold comfort to Omega, however, who had attained god-like powers but was powerless to interact with the material plane. The isolation drove him mad, driving him to seek revenge on his people. This brought him into conflict with The Doctor, who thwarted his efforts twice in the classic television series. When last seen, Omega had failed to revive himself in a material body based on the Fifth Doctor.
How Wish World retcons Omega and Doctor Who history
The Doctor Who season 2 episode ‘Wish World’ centered around the return of The Rani. A mad scientist and Time Lady unfettered by morality, she, like The Doctor, had bigenerated into two bodies. Played by Anita Dobson and Archie Panjabi, the two Ranis coordinated a plan that remade Earth into the perfect world envisioned by conspiracy theorist Conrad Clark. This was facilitated by a newborn discord god, Desiderium, the god of wishes.
The Ranis’ plan was based on the idea that belief defines reality and doubt erodes it. To that end, they harnessed the doubts of every person who didn’t believe in Conrad Clark’s perfect world, especially The Doctor. This energy would crack reality and open the way to the Underverse and “The One Who Is Lost.” The Rani then specifically identified this figure as Omega.
The mention of the Underverse and “One Who is Lost” has resonances with the 2023 Doctor Who special ‘The Giggle,’ There, the discord god known as the Toymaker, was said to make his home in the Under-Universe. The Toymaker also referred to one all-powerful being he refused to play games with. He referred to this being as “The One Who Waits.” This would also be a fitting title for and description of Omega, though that connection has yet to be confirmed. However, it would seem that a retcon now has Omega trapped in the Underverse rather than the antimatter universe.
Doctor Who Season 2 concludes at Midnight PST on May 31, 2025
