Doctor Who: Who Is The Infinity Doctor?

The Infinity Doctors was the 17th Doctor Who release by BBC Books, which had been producing stories featuring The Eighth Doctor, after his one-off appearance on screen. However, instead of the novel featuring The Eighth Doctor, or any of the previous seven, author Lance Parkin introduced readers to a new (or maybe old) version of The Doctor. Released in 1998 to celebrate the show's 35th anniversary, Parkin's Infinity Doctor was an unknown incarnation of the Time Lord, with there being no explicit mention of where this version fits in The Doctor's timeline.

This Doctor could be from the past or future, however, with the introduction of The Timeless Child arc in Chris Chibnall's controversial era, another explanation can be offered. Perhaps, he's a younger version of The First Doctor, before he fled Gallifrey, or maybe a Doctor from an alternate universe? Or maybe, this Doctor is from the forgotten past, existing from before The Doctor's memory wipe at the hands of the Division?

Parkin's novel is set on Gallifrey, where The Doctor is a teacher at the Time Lord Academy, holding peace talks between the Sontarans and the Rutans. These talks are at risk though as the ancient Time Lord Omega, once thought lost, plots his return to Gallifrey, with the help of a murderous accomplice. The novel's canonicity is often debated, but like much of Doctor Who history there are so many inconsistencies and contradictions, it's almost impossible to establish what's "canon" and what isn't.

The Infinity Doctor is described as having a long, oval face, "aristocratic nose, and a full mouth." Parkin goes on to say The Doctor has "a high forehead, emphasized by his close-cropped hair" and "sad blue eyes." This description doesn't match any existing Doctors, however it has been noted that the character bares a resemblance to Paul McGann, without the wig that he wore for the TV movie. This is further supported by an illustration in Doctor Who Magazine Issue 354. The novel explores The Doctor's romantic relationships with his main motivation in The Infinity Doctors being to be reunited with his dead wife, Patience.

In the book, as well as other Lance Parkin works, such as the new adventures novel Cold Fusion (1996), Patience is the mother of The Doctor's children. She has known him all his life, being first his nurse as a child, then his tutor and eventually his lover. Patience was once married to Omega, who tricks The Doctor into going through a black hole to save her. The Doctor defeats Omega, leaving his realm but also sacrificing any future with Patience. The book also features a romance between The Doctor and a former student, the Time Lady Larna. While he cares for Larna, he is willing to sacrifice her to be with Patience, which he does by accidentally killing her. Ultimately Larna's death is undone, however the two go their separate ways.

This version of The Doctor might have been new, yet he is still The Doctor and therefore must have a place on The Doctor's timeline. One popular theory is that The Infinity Doctor is a younger version of The First Doctor, before he left Gallifrey to explore the universe with his Granddaughter. The Doctor's marriage has occurred by the time we meet him on the show, as well as the birth of his grandchildren, therefore its plausible that these two incarnations are one and the same. However, one potential snag for this theory is that in The Infinity Doctors, The Doctor already knows who the Daleks, Sontarans and Rutans are, despite meeting them for the first time on the TV series.

Another potential theory is that The Infinity Doctor is an alternate universe version of the character, one that at some point in his life returned to Gallifrey and started teaching. Perhaps he's an alternate Eighth Doctor, which would account for him looking similar. The idea of alternate universe Doctors is something that has been reoccurring in Doctor Who lore, with various Doctors like The Shalka Doctor from the animation "Scream of The Shalka" (2003) and The Unbound Doctors from the Big Finish Unbound range, all being prime examples.

However, the most likely and most plausible theory is that The Infinity Doctor is a Doctor from before the First Doctor. It was revealed in Series 12, that The Doctor had lived many lives before The First Doctor and that they'd had their mind wiped by the Division to forget all these past lives. Showrunner Chris Chibnall built on the idea of "The Morbius Doctors," who were past versions of The Doctor in the 1976 story, "The Brain of Morbius." The Morbius Doctors were often regarded as non-canon by much of the fandom, yet have since been made canon, being revealed to be part of The Doctor's previous forgotten regeneration cycle, along with The Fugitive Doctor.

The Infinity Doctors was ahead of its time in introducing an unknown Doctor without explicitly confirming his place, building on The Morbius Doctors way before the Chibnall era. This allows readers to delve into their own imaginations at the infinite possibilities of Doctors, still keeping an air of mystery and intrigue. It also allows readers to decide on their own headcanon, placing The Infinity Doctor wherever they want on The Doctor's timeline.