Za
From WhoniverseWiki
| Za | |
|---|---|
| Character | |
| Created by | Anthony Coburn (Writer) |
| Played by | Derek Newark |
| Gender | Male |
| Species | Human |
| First Appearance | An Unearthly Child |
| Native Place | Presumably Earth |
| Native Time | Possibly 100,000 BC[1] |
| Occupation | Leader of the Tribe of Gum |
| Member of | The Tribe of Gum |
| Known Friends | Hur |
| Known Enemies | Kal |
| Known Relatives | Hur (mate); Presumably other members of the Tribe of Gum |
| Base of Operations | The Tribe of Gum's caves |
Za is the leader and firemaker of the Tribe of Gum.
Description
Za is obsessed with staying as the leader of the tribe, possibly because Hur will be given to the leader by her father Horg. He is as strong as the beasts[2], and is less inclined to believe in supernatural reasons for events than the rest of the tribe.[3]
History
Za's father made fire, and everyone bowed down to him[4], however, his father was killed for making fire[5] His father taught him to sharpen stones and trap the bear and the tiger, but not to make fire.
Za became leader of the tribe following his father's death, and allowed Kal to join his tribe.[6] Kal became his rival for leadership, and his rival for the woman Hur. When the cold[7] was approaching, Za's inability to make fire was causing him to lose ground to Kal. When Kal brought the unconscious First Doctor to the caves, claiming that he had seen him make fire, this led to a confrontation between the two, which was interrupted by the arrival of Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton, and Barbara Wright. Za imprisoned the time travellers in the Cave of Skulls.[8]
During the night, Old Mother stole Za's knife and freed the prisoners. Za and Hur discovered this, Za knocked Old Mother out, and he and Hur pursued them through the forest. When they caught up with them, Za was attacked by an animal and badly hurt. Barbara insisted on helping him, and he was put on a stretcher and carried back towards the TARDIS. On reaching the desert where the TARDIS was, the travellers encountered the rest of the tribe, who had been rallied by Kal.[9]
Kal claimed that Za had killed Old Mother, but the Doctor proved to the tribe that it had actually been Kal who did this. They led the tribe to drive out Kal, and Za resumed his place as leader. He imprisoned the TARDIS crew, and persuaded them to make fire for him. As they did so, Kal sneaked into the cave where they were imprisoned and fought Za. Za won, killing Kal. When the time travellers managed to escape through a ruse, he led the tribe in pursuit, but was too late to reach the TARDIS before it dematerialised.[10]
References
- ↑ The story is never given a date, but it is widely assumed that it is set in 100,000 BC - that being the final working title
- ↑ Or so Hur tells him in The Forest of Fear
- ↑ In The Firemaker he thinks that the TARDIS crew are a tribe from the other side of the mountain, when the rest of the tribe thinks they have come from Orb
- ↑ According to Old Mother in The Cave of Skulls - the third episode of An Unearthly Child
- ↑ Also according to Old Mother in The Cave of Skulls
- ↑ It is not explicitly stated whether Kal arrived before or after Za became leader
- ↑ This is almost certainly a reference to winter, rather than - as is often claimed - to an ice age
- ↑ This was what happens in the episode The Cave of Skulls
- ↑ This is what happens in the episode The Forest of Fear
- ↑ This is what happens in the episode The Firemaker
