| Haemovore | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | Homo haemovorax | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Humanoid | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | Future Earth | ||
| Habitat | Amphibious | ||
| Diet | Hematophagous | ||
| Locomotion | Bipedal | ||
| Lifespan | Over a thousand years (possibly) | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Doctor Who | ||
Haemovores are a sapient species of amphibious humanoids, descended from humans, who inhabit the Earth in the distant future in one possible timeline. Like vampires, they feed on the blood of living victims, which are transformed into Haemovores as well.
They are also detained by objects that represent strong faith (religious or otherwise) on the part of the holder. The reason for this is not in the objects themselves, but rather the faith that creates what the Doctor has described as a "psychic barrier" that the Haemovores cannot penetrate.
Biology[]
Haemovores are amphibious, capable of operating in the sea or on land. They have blue unevenly-textured skin and long claw-like fingernails. Their mouths are surrounded by several suckers, resembling those of a cephalopod. They move and attack in groups, draining victims of blood to transform them into new Haemovores and increase their numbers.
When a human is transformed into a Haemovore, the long fingernails and craving for blood will manifest immediately, while the other changes will only happen gradually. Haemovores appear to be highly resistant to gunfire injuries, although several shots will incapacitate and presumably kill them. They're also strong enough to weld metal with their hands.
When exposed to an object that represents the faith (not necessarily religious faith) of the person holding it, the Haemovores will be detained by a psychic barrier and hold their heads in agony, allowing the intended victim to escape.
Haemovores inhabit a distant future, in which the Earth is contaminated by half a million years of industrial pollution, creating toxic seas of chemical slime. A Haemovore transported in time to the 9th century by Fenric claimed that he was the last living creature on Earth in his native era, and had seen his world "dying with chemicals".
Haemovore hordes are controlled by a single leader, who has the power to psychically destroy the other Haemovores from distance if it so desires. Haemovores might be biologically immortal, as at least one has lived for over a thousand years; although it's possible that his longevity might have been influenced by Fenric.
History[]
The Haemovore's future resulted from a time loop caused by Fenric, who had been imprisoned inside a flask by the Doctor on Earth circa 243 AD, after the Doctor defeated Fenric at a game of chess.
About six centuries later, Fenric managed to transport the last of the Haemovores back in time to 9th century Transylvania. Fenric made the Haemovore his servant and ordered him to recover the flask: a task that took a thousand years to complete, as the flask was bought by a merchant in Constantinople and later stolen by Vikings, who buried it in the British coast.
In 1943, Fenric was finally freed from his confinement and planned to release deadly chemicals that were being developed in a British naval base, to poison the oceans of the world, which would trigger the chain of events leading to the Earth becoming polluted and mankind evolving into the Haemovores in the distant future.
After the Doctor exposed this plan to the Haemovore, he managed to break the temporal loop and alter history, as the Haemovore used the chemical gas to destroy both himself and the human body of Captain Sorin, which Fenric was inhabiting.
Appearances[]
- Doctor Who, season 26, "The Curse of Fenric" (1989)