Animus The Animus , also known as Lloigor and Pwodarauk , was a Great Old One from the pre - universe race known as the Lloigor . It was the only Lloigor to cross into this universe , afterwards landing on the planet Vortis . It could take over any living creature that was in contact with gold and manifested itself within an organic , self - healing palace called the Carsenome . The First Doctor described the Animus as a creature of " almost unimaginable power " and " capable of great evil " . ( COMIC : " Unnatural Selection " ) Biology . The Animus resembled an octopus crossed with a spider or plant . It was able to create webbing ( similarly to the Great Intelligence , another Old One ) to ensnare beings and generated a fungus - like substance which grew into its fortress known as the Carsenome . While the Animus could apparently communicate with the Zarbi , it spoke to other individuals through a helmet " hair - dryer " like device . In the centre of the Carsenome , the Animus was able to communicate with individuals directly . The Animus spoke with a feminine voice . ( TV : " The Web Planet " ) The Animus consumed organisms through direct mental absorption , unless they were unfit and only suitable for gross organic matter supply . The tentacles of the Animus spread out and divided like roots , generating webbing and absorbing matter wherever they touched . If they possessed a strong enough will , individuals who had been absorbed could possess a tentacle and separate itself from the Animus . Additionally , fission could also occur if the Animus was ever divided , resulting in two Animuses . Before dying , the Animus could create a seed of itself as a precaution that would receive the memory of the destroyed Animus and grow into a new creature . It would speak of its predecessor as if it were a new individual altogether . ( PROSE : " Twilight of the Gods " ) The Animus that the First Doctor met beneath Victorian London was able to regrow to its former self from a single tendril . It considered itself the same Animus that was nearly destroyed by the Isop - tope . ( COMIC : " Unnatural Selection " ) Powers . The Animus was able to draw off power from the planet Vortis by having its Carsenome as the north magnetic pole . This attracted several other planets or moons towards Vortis due to the Animus ' use of isocryte . It was also able to siphon the water , drying up streams and leaving the planet barren with a thin , radified atmosphere . It could control any creature that was in contact with gold and seemed able to telepathically communicate with its Zarbi slaves . The Animus could physically generate a light that seemed to either hypnotise and / or weaken individuals . ( TV : " The Web Planet " ) It absorbed isocryte and could master its anti - gravitic properties to create force field s , gravity beams , and draw other celestial bodies to it , eventually mastering flight . It could also mentally control people directly , without gold , but this used a lot of energy . It could also create web being s that had four arms and were incredibly resilient . It also created a plant that could recreate web beings in the form of a dead organism as a copy that would be passable upon quick inspection . ( PROSE : " Twilight of the Gods " ) History . Like the other Lloigors and Great Old Ones , the Animus originated in the pre - universe . It was the only Lloigor to have enough energy to cross into N - Space and as a result of the physical laws , became a god . ( PROSE : " All - Consuming Fire " , PROSE : " The Dark Path " ) At some point , it landed on Vortis and enslaved the peaceful Zarbi , receiving its name from the Menoptera . The Animus was introduced to Vortis by Twel in an effort to interfere with Bris ' s and Ilex ' s experiment . ( PROSE : " Twilight of the Gods " ) The First Doctor , Ian , Barbara , and Vicki arrived and helped the Menoptera to attack the Animus . It seems its intention was to grow its Carsenome across the entire surface of Vortis , thereby taking over . However , upon encountering the Doctor , it became interested in reaching beyond the Isop Galaxy to " pluck from Earth its myriad techniques and take from Man his mastery of space . " Barbara was able to use the Menoptera ' s secret weapon , the Isop - tope , to rapidly decay the Animus ' cells . ( TV : " The Web Planet " ) The Isop - tope weapon shrivelled the Animus to " the slightest tendril " . This was enough for the Animus to regrow . ( COMIC : " Unnatural Selection " ) After that , the travellers left the natives of Vortis to rebuild their lives peacefully . ( TV : " The Web Planet " ) The Animus , having regrown its Carsenome , was transported to the London Underground in 1868 with an army of Zarbi by a cloaked force so it could conquer Earth . As the army came through , the First Doctor and Thomas Huxley distracted it , as Ian drove a train into the Animus ' Carsenome , killing it . ( COMIC : " Unnatural Selection " ) Sometime after , the Second Doctor , Jamie McCrimmon , and Victoria Waterfield returned to Vortis and encountered the seed of the Animus . This Animus had a voice that was neither male nor female and viewed its predecessor ' s plan as full of mistakes . It manipulated the more radical leaders of both sides of the Rhumon in their civil war and had them mine isocryte , bringing the mineral to an island where the Animus awaited . Flooding an acid pool with the ocean , the Animus absorbed the isocryte and began spreading , planning to consume half of the world in a day . In an effort to damage it , a bomb actually divided the Animus into two beings . Oryl of the Gods of Light fought the Animus before being damaged and retreating . Utilising holographic technology that would keep them from feeling the Animus but allowing them to physically attack it , the Doctor created giant versions of Jamie , the two Rhumon leaders , and Kretus the Menoptera . They attacked both Animus individuals and ripped them apart , crushing their heart / brains and killing the spawn of the Animus . ( PROSE : " Twilight of the Gods " ) The Seventh Doctor , Lysandra Aristedes and Sally Morgan encountered the Animus during their travels in the black TARDIS . ( AUDIO : " Black and White " )