or How Many Secret Services Does Britain Have, Anyway?
It used to be so easy, didn’t it? There was MI-5, MI-6 and UNIT. Then all manner of splinter groups and hitherto unknown organizations started cropping up in various media, so now we’re left with an insane number of people fighting over the same patch of land. It’s gotten to the point that you can’t tell the players without a scorecard. Lucky for you, we have one right here.
Torchwood was founded in 1870 by Queen Victoria. Their slogan, “If it’s alien it’s ours,” sums up their attitude very neatly. Its brief was to investigate alien technology for use in the defense of the realm. It grew rapidly with four teams being set up across Great Britain and several others in colonies around the world. Until the early 21st century the organization was rife with xenophobia, though this was slowly ended by Captain Jack Harkness, himself a human of non-terrestrial origin.
If anything, their rival organization, the Forge (or Department C4 as it is officially known), was even more nationalistic and xenophobic. Given their similar mission statement it seems likely that the Forge is a splinter group of Torchwood. Precisely when the Forge was founded is a matter of some contention. It was certainly operational in 1911, although an unsubstantiated report has them active a decade earlier. Their first major undertaking was the creation of a group of vampire soldiers for use in World War I. This was stopped the intervention of the Seventh Doctor, although cleaning up rogue vampires remained an operational focus for the Forge in subsequent years.
Department C19 was founded sometime during the 1950s, although their immediate purpose was uncertain. They evolved into a repository with a facility called the Vault, similar to America’s Area 51. The Vault was where they kept things deemed to dangerous for possible use, although this did not stop scientists in C19’s employ from trying.
The Intrusion Counter-Measures Group was set up in 1961 as an anti-terrorist group, operating alongside the regular armed forces. The 1963 Shoreditch Incident was their only operation of note, where they successfully contained a Dalek incursion with the help of the Seventh Doctor. Their commanding officer, Ian “Chunky” Gilmore was swiftly promoted to Air Vice Marshall, the ICMG was disbanded and most of their functions taken over by C19.
Quite what C19 were during the London Event involving the Great Intelligence is unknown, but a quick thinking Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart soon turned the tide in the Doctor’s favor. With further information and assistance given to him by Gilmore, he was instrumental in the founding of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. The public were aware of the existence of UNIT to a degree, even if they weren’t certain what they did exactly. Most cover stories made them sound like INTERPOL [1] , dealing with security and counter-terrorism.
C19 evolved yet again, this time to be UNIT’s liaison with the British Government. They set up a medical facility known as the Glasshouse to deal with UNIT soldiers who had been injured or traumatized by what they had witnessed [2] . The existence of the Vault was kept from UNIT, even as they absconded with technology obtained from UNIT operations. Events came to a head when they tried to capture technology during a second assault by the Silurians. This led to UNIT’s discovery of the Vault and its reformation as a more benevolent organization. The rogue elements of the Vault would join SeneNet, a private company with an eye for abusing and retrofitting alien tech. Meanwhile, as attention was focused on the Vault, the Master was able to infiltrate Glasshouse for a time and brainwash the patients towards his own twisted purposes.
With UNIT in nominal control of alien sorties, both the Forge and Torchwood retreated further into the shadows. Both viewed UNIT with contempt. It was at this point a schism between Torchwood and the government developed. Torchwood commanders, never the most stable of individuals, broke off direct ties with the government in a fit of jealousy. After Lethbridge-Stewart retired from active duty in 1976, UNIT was at a loss. The following years would find them fighting off attempts at closure more often than aliens. It was during the 1980s that the Weird Happenings Organization was created to be Britain’s homegrown answer to UNIT, led by the brother and sister pair of Alistair and Alysande Stuart [3] . Despite developing the technology that led to the S.S. Valiant, WHO never got off the ground. Torchwood renewed contacts with the government, but remained a largely independent organization.
In 1993, Department C19 was shuttered permanently and most personnel were folded into other organizations. It is likely that the Vault’s artifacts were split between Torchwood and UNIT’s Black Archive. WHO was combined with elements of Black Air and RCX to form MI-13 and shifted their focus to metahuman affairs. While UNIT was still active, with Brigadier Bambera taking care of the Carbury Incident, these were still very much the wilderness years. The regular secret services stepped up to fill the breach. MI-5 and Deputy Director Harry Sullivan fought off a pair of invasions from the Voracians in 1998-99. Under Leighton Woodrow, MI:6 ran a few quite illegal operations on British soil, although they successfully managed to clean up the messes they made with the assistance of the Eighth Doctor.
Out of the ashes of this shuffle emerged the Internal Count-Intelligence Service. Here at last was an agency with the perfect blend of military precision and jingoistic furor. They were so highly regarded that in 2004 the government were convinced to disband the UK branch of UNIT and replace them with ICIS. This attempt was stymied by Lethbridge-Stewart who, upon witnessing the brutality of ICIS personnel, announced UNIT’s true remit to the press. This did not deter ICIS, who had plans of taking over the country. After a failed military coup, they framed UNIT for murdering civilians. Thanks again to Lethbridge-Stewart, ICIS were shut down permanently and all members of the conspiracy were killed or jailed.
Around this time the primary Forge base along with most of its operatives were destroyed following an attack by the Huldrans and the complacency of the Seventh Doctor. Deputy Director Nimrod escaped to the beta facility and an offhanded remark found in the Torchwood Archives indicates that they might still be active.
Following the ICIS affair, the British Government began to take UNIT more seriously. After Harriet Jones was elected Prime Minister one of her first acts was to dramatically increase the UK’s contribution to UNIT funding. They were once again at the forefront of the scene and just in time. The years 2006-2010 saw more alien attacks on British soil than had been seen in thirty years. And each time they emerged triumphant, if battered. Torchwood were not nearly so lucky. The Battle of Canary Wharf wiped out Torchwood One and a series of calamities culminating in the 456 Crisis all but destroyed Torchwood Three. In 2010, Harkness dissolved the organization.
Ironically, while successfully fending off closure in the UK countless times, it was the United Nations that finally did UNIT in. With the eventual rise of the Zone Authority, UNIT was subsumed into an altogether less more and altruistic organization, the United Nations Intelligence Security Yard Corps. However UNIT’s key ideals managed to survive the centuries and after the Dalek Invasion of 2254, these elements founded both Unitatus and the Knights of Jeneve. Torchwood also somehow survived into the future. In the 4100s the Torchwood Archive sponsored an expedition to Krop Tor and in 200,100 they are at least of historical interest as the Great Cobalt Pyramid was built on the ruins of the Torchwood estate.
The ultimate fate of the other organizations is unknown.
Table One-Government Sponsored Extraterrestrial Investigation Organizations in Britain
Organization Years Active
Torchwood 1870-2010, ?-?
Secret Intelligence Service (MI-6) 1909-2254(?)
Security Service (MI-5) 1909-2254(?)
Department C4 (The Forge) 1911-2004
Department C19 1950(?)-1993
Intrusion Counter-Measures Group (ICMG) 1961-1964
United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) 1968-2020(?)
Weird Happenings Organization (WHO) 1988-1996
Internal Count-Intelligence Service (ICIS) 2001-2004
United Nations Intelligence Security Yard Corps (UNISYC) 1994-2254(?)
Table Two-Commanders of UNIT, UK Branch [4] Years ActiveBrigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart 1968-1976
Later UNIT’s special envoy and ‘scientific advisor’.
Colonel Charles Crichton 1976-1989
Became Deputy Director of the Forge, and then was assassinated by Nimrod.
Brigadier Winifred Bambera 1989-2001
Left UNIT to join her husband on his quests.
Colonel Ross Brimicomme-Wood 2001-2004
Arrested after it was revealed he was a double agent for ICIS.
Colonel Emily Chaudry 2004-2006
Unknown
Colonel Alan Mace 2006-2010
Unknown, may have transferred to Vancouver.
[1] Indeed, as there is little mention of INTERPOL in Doctor Who, could UNIT have taken over their functions? We do see them provide security for several conferences.
[2] It is tempting to think that some Torchwood officers used it as well, but there is no direct evidence of this.
[3] The strange homophonic connection to the Brigadier has not been explained, but it must be more than a simple coincidence.
[4] This does not include temporary commanders such as Colonel Faraday or Colonel Dalton.
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