First Doctor

A mischievous anti-authoritarian at his core, the First Doctor matured from someone prone to criticising those he felt were primitive compared to his intellect to a more welcoming presence as he began to acquire an entourage of companions to accompany him throughout the wonders of the fourth dimension, learning to be a caregiver and mentor with compassion, warmth and wit that made up for his egocentric nature, as well a sense of justice in a universe afflicted by evils. He was reluctant to discuss his past and even kept his real name a secret, causing some to call him Dr. Who. 
== Biography ==
Beginning after he fled his home world in a stolen TARDIS with his granddaughter Susan Foreman, (TV: , ) the Doctor's travels through time and space were mostly random due to faulty components in a TARDIS that he barely knew how to fly. (TV: ) 
After a period of hiding at 76 Totter's Lane on Earth in 1963, the Doctor was forced to abruptly depart when Susan's teachers from Coal Hill School, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, followed her back to Totter's Lane to investigate their unusual pupil, kidnapping them to stop them alerting others to his presence or sharing the secrets of the TARDIS. (TV: ) However, despite the hostile start, he came to form a strong friendship with Ian and Barbara, teaching them about the wonders of the universe while learning how to better himself from their example. (TV: , , , ) It was during one of their early adventures that the Doctor first came into conflict with the Daleks, (TV: ) a species that would quickly become one of his greatest enemies. (TV: , , )
Eventually, the Doctor bade Susan farewell to allow her to live a happier life with a man with whom she had fallen in love with, (TV: ) and then invited an orphaned girl named Vicki to join him, Ian and Barbara in the TARDIS after they found her on the planet Dido, (TV: ) seeing her a surrogate to fill Susan's spot in his travels. (TV: ) During a confrontation with the Daleks, the Doctor used one of the Dalek time machines to return Ian and Barbara to their proper time, (TV: ) only to quickly find their place in the TARDIS taken by stowaway Steven Taylor, with whom the Doctor had a relatively uneasy relationship. (TV: )
Vicki eventually left the Doctor's company after falling in love with a man she met in Ancient Troy, with her place in the TARDIS being occupied by handmaid Katarina, (TV: ) though her travels proved brief due to her being killed early in the Time Destructor Incident that saw the Doctor stopping the Daleks' master plan to use a Time Destructor to conqueror Earth's solar system, though his victory came at the cost of Sara Kingdom, another of his brief companions. Steven was bitter towards the Doctor for the deaths of Katarina and Sara, (TV: ) and even briefly walked out the TARDIS after another falling out, but returned when Dodo Chaplet forced her way in the TARDIS. (TV: ) Ultimately, Steven decided to stay to help a civilisation they had encountered, (TV: ) while Dodo was later injured in an adventure and decided to remain home in her own time, with the Doctor finding himself inadvertently joined by Ben Jackson and Polly Wright when the TARDIS dematerlised with them still inside. (TV: )
The First Doctor met his end after his battle with the Mondasian Cybermen in 1986 Antarctica caused him to lose the strength needed to maintain his body, due to the planet Mondas draining a large portion of his life force. (TV: ) Initially, he refused to go through with the change until an encounter with a future incarnation also refusing to regenerate caused the Doctor to witness the type of person he would soon become. As a result, his fear of the change was turned to reassurance for his future, causing him to accept his regeneration into his next body. (TV: )
== Psychological profile ==
=== Personality ===
In his older years, the First Doctor was a guarded figure who was slow to trust newcomers who learnt of him, (TV: , ) but once his trust had been earned, he would show himself to be a mischievous anti-authoritarian, (TV: , ) who would not follow instructions without giving his own input, (TV: ) nor would he stand by and allow someone to bark orders without contributing themselves. (TV: ) He was protective of the young women he took on as companions, as they reminded him of his granddaughter. (TV: )
The First Doctor was a pragmatic individual, opting to focus on an objective that would benefit the majority, even if it meant being counterintuitive to his own safety and freedom, (TV: , , , ) and was not afraid to leave someone to their fate if it was too late to save them, (TV: ) or if they were fated to die. (TV: ) He preferred to remain in the background and "observe, note, collate, and then conclude" before he acted. (TV: )
Disdainful towards "fools", (TV: ) and rather "tetchy" due to his youth, (TV: ) the Doctor thought highly of his "superior brain", (TV: ) and was prone to criticise those whom he felt were beneath his intellect, (TV: , , ) even believing himself superior to those he saw as intellectually inferior. (COMIC: ) He initially refused to kneel to Kublai Khan due to both his pride and a pain in his back, but was talked into do so by Susan, though he remained defiant towards the Great Khan's demands, which earned him the respect of the Khan. (TV: ) He did, however, respectfully bow to the Empress. (TV: ) He could put his own interests ahead of others', but would abandon his plans if he realised they were putting him in danger. (TV: )
Originally a very difficult and stubborn misanthrope, (TV: , ) who would leave others to their own business in spite of the dangers they were in, (TV: , ) the First Doctor matured from an apparent selfishness and became more inviting, (TV: , , , , ) less willing to involve others in his dangerous exploits, (TV: ) and more friendly and approaching to new people. (TV: ) His happier, kinder characteristics fostered when he began to acquire an entourage of companions to accompany him throughout the wonders of the fourth dimension and learned to be a caregiver with a sense of justice in a universe afflicted by evils. (COMIC: ) However, his ego persisted, with him telling white lies to inflate his own self-importance, (PROSE: ) and his false modesty at being heralded by the Thals when he visited their city. (AUDIO: )
In his youth, the young Doctor was something of a pessimist, until a conversation with the Hermit opened his eyes to the beauties in the mundane, (TV: ) leading him to believe that it was impossible to "diminish wonder, beauty and discovery," even when people tried to take the mystery out of things. (PROSE: ) He never felt at home on Gallifrey. (AUDIO: ) Upon leaving Gallifrey, the Doctor did not see "good" as "a practical survival strategy", as "it require[d] loyalty, self-sacrifice, [and] love", (TV: ) but told Susan that "individuals hungry for power" were to be fought, and that "the right thing to do was often forbidden". (COMIC: )
During his early travels, the Doctor rarely smiled, (PROSE: ) although, when he first witnessed the French Revolution, his emotions were swept up in the revolutionary fervour and optimism as the French population around him rose up against their rulers. (PROSE: ) However, he remained satisfied with merely observing the universe due to having the non-interference policy ingrained into his psyche. (PROSE: ) While he felt he had a duty to prevent outside intervention from corrupting a society, (COMIC: ) he was willing to allow civilisations to be destroyed without aiding them, until Susan convinced him to save Earth from the Cold, which did gave him "a feeling of satisfaction". (PROSE: ) Despite this, the Doctor was mostly self-serving, even locking fleeing people out of Coal Hill School to better protect himself from the Space wolves. (PROSE: ) However, he still respected humanity as "intelligent, sentient beings" that were deserving of basic respects. (COMIC: )
When the Doctor first met Ian and Barbara, he abducted them, and even set the TARDIS console to shock Ian when he tried to open the doors, justifying his actions by claiming he was keeping himself and Susan safe. He regarded humans as primitives, (TV: ) and contemplated killing the mortally wounded Za so that he would not slow him down. When Ian caught him apparently ready to bludgeon the man with a rock, the Doctor explained he merely wanted Za to draw him a map, (TV: ) but this was, in fact, a lie to cover up his murder attempt. (PROSE: ) When first visiting Skaro, the Doctor was willing to risk everyone's safety so he could satisfy his own curiosity, resulting in them nearly dying from radiation poisoning in the prison cells of the Dalek city. (TV: ) He also threatened to throw Ian and Barbara into space after accusing them of sabotage. When proven wrong, the Doctor humbly apologised. (TV: ) 
He was willingly to put his morals aside to have others fight his battles for him, (TV: ) but was horrified when he learnt the full extent of the Daleks plans to exterminate the Thals, branding it "sheer murder". (TV: ) He was also quick to bargain with the Tribe of Gum for Ian's safety, (TV: ) and offered to help build a ship for the Daleks to leave Skaro in return for Susan's safety. (TV: ) The Twelfth Doctor later opined that his experience on Skaro helped shape his identity for the better. (TV: )
As the Doctor travelled more, he began to thaw and help people, albeit reluctantly at times, (TV: ) and more willingly on other occasions. (TV: ) Eventually, he would not hesitate to dare to stop any "menace to common humanity" that he encountered in his travels, sometimes out of a "moral obligation" to minimise damages he felt responsible for. (TV: , , , , , ) However, he did not see himself as a saviour, instead as someone merely "doing what [had] to be done". (TV: ) Indeed, when the Doctor heard his twelfth incarnation declare the Earth to be protected, he failed to realise that his future self was referring to himself, due to being in the "early days". (TV: )
While he initially refused to help a fallen enemy, (TV: ) and would not hesitate to abandon someone to save himself, (TV: ) the Doctor came to see it as "monstrous" and "inhuman" to leave a person to die by refusing them aid. (TV: , , ) He even negotiated the release of the First Monk from the Daleks, despite peace not being brokered between the two. (TV: )
He would sometimes fall back into old habits of focusing solely on his own interests, but was quicker to put his companions' safety first than he was before. (TV: ) He would also forget his niceties when under pressure. (TV: , , ) While he claimed to never give advice, (TV: ) the Doctor would share his wisdoms to those that needed it, (TV: ) seeing that it was his responsibility as an elder to use his accumulated knowledge to help other people. (TV: ) He came to hold such a welcoming presence that others would instantly feel they could trust him. (TV: , )
While he could get easily flustered when he lost control of a situation, (TV: , ) the First Doctor did not allow himself to be easily intimidated, (TV: , , , , , , ) even being willing to take a fight directly to his adversary's lair, (COMIC: ) as he did not like to show when he was afraid. (TV: ) He employed self-control to keep his emotions in check and prevent his brain from becoming vulnerable to fear, (TV: ) though would react with indignity if he thought his capabilities were being belittled. (TV: , , )
When he disagreed with something, the Doctor would deny the facts his companions gave to him in favour of believing his opinions. (TV: , , , , ) He would get particularly annoyed with those who doubted the TARDIS could actually travel through space and time. (TV: , ) However, when he realised he had been in the wrong, the Doctor would acknowledge his blame in events and apologise. (TV: , )
Craving the adventures to be found in the universe, (TV: ) the Doctor did not like the idea of staying still, believing he would be "bored to tears doing nothing", (TV: ) even deriding sleep as being "[for] tortoises". (COMIC: ) The French Revolution was among his favourite places in time and space. (TV: ) He enjoyed learning of the new places he found himself and their properties, with his notebook being of high importance to him due to what he had documented inside of it. (TV: ) When he was given the chance to obtain what he desired most, the Doctor asked for "a well-equipped laboratory with every conceivable instrument", (TV: ) and he would also seek out other scientists to discuss their theories when the chance presented itself. (TV: )
He could get excited by frightening experiences, such as being insistent on exploring an abandoned city, (TV: ) erupting into uncontrollable giggles when told Marco Polo would take his TARDIS as a gift for Kublai Khan, (TV: ) chuckling at the thought of an ambush as he and Ian pursued a person in a dark tunnel, (TV: ) laughing as he fought off the assassin Ascaris, (TV: ) and finding amusement after he realised he accidentally had a hand in burning down Rome. (TV: )
He admired those who built and rebuilt civilisations, (TV: ) and got especially giddy when he realised he was watching a solar system being created. (TV: ) While he disagreed with the Aztecs using human sacrifices, he did admire them for their architectural achievements, (TV: ) and also held a passion for fifth dynasty Aquilian architecture. (PROSE: ) However, he took contradictory satisfaction in destroying something that helped in "evil". (TV: )
He disliked whistling, (TV: ) unnecessary climbing, (TV: ) riding camels, (COMIC: ) hippies and pop music. (PROSE: ) He also "loathed" recorders, (AUDIO: ) and looked down on the sonic screwdriver and the sonic sunglasses. (TV: )
The First Doctor liked pomegranates, grapes, (TV: ) hot chocolate, (TV: ) coconut milk, (COMIC: ) and chocolate ice cream. (PROSE: )
While he claimed to "never touch" alcohol, and would decline it when offered, (TV: , ) the Doctor enjoyed mead, (TV: ) wine, (TV: ) and kept brandy in his TARDIS. (TV: ) He also drank Madeira with Samuel Pike, (TV: ) shared a few glasses of Médoc with John Lucarotti, (PROSE: ) and told Steven that he wanted chilled white wine while in France. (PROSE: )
Believing that "nothing [was] impossible", (PROSE: ) the Doctor was adamant that there was "always a way" out of a conundrum, (TV: , ) and would implore those in doubt to have hope, (TV: ) though he thought hope was forever linked with fear. (TV: ) When Dyoni feared the Thals' history would die with them, the Doctor encouraged her to have hope, (TV: ) and also encouraged Carol Richmond to have courage that John would recover from the Sensorites' attack. (TV: ) He was insisted that he should not give up a task until he had at least tried it first. (TV: )
While he could be pessimistic, (TV: ) the Doctor believed that there was a reason for everything in the universe, (TV: ) having left Gallifrey to find what "[kept] the balance between good and evil in [the] appalling universe", and why "good prevail[ed]" despite not being "a practical survival strategy" in the face of "evil". (TV: ) He believed that evil "[didn't] follow principle", and that "the greatest evil [was] inaction", with rules "just [being] distractions". He thought that the best way to combat evils was with kindness and understanding. (POEM: ) He thought that the smallest and most seemingly unimportant of details could lead to the "greatest discoveries". (TV: )
While he could disagree with the culture of the civilisations he visited, the Doctor did not see it as his place to judge and interfere with their business. (TV: ) Seeing that "fear [made] companions of [everyone]", (TV: ) the Doctor thought that forging alliances between factions was reward enough for his travels and efforts. (COMIC: ) He thought that bias based on appearance instead of intelligence was unwelcome, (TV: ) and defied the suggestion that progress was based on exploitation, branding it as "protracted murder". (TV: )
He decreed that one should never "be a slave to time", or waste their time. (PROSE: )
He believed it was important to honour agreements made in an exchange. (COMIC: )
He found slavery of humans to be "inhuman and wicked". (COMIC: )
He theorised that fate was on the side of justice. (COMIC: )
Seeing everyone as "adrift on a sea of random[ness]" caused from decisions taken by millions of strangers, the Doctor sought to "steer through the storm" in the "tempest of chaos" as he "resolve[d] to make good progress when the wind [was] behind [him]". (PROSE: )
Due to his adventures, the Doctor was unable to "feel very much fear". (PROSE: )
While the First Doctor learned to disapprove of violence, (TV: ) he was not averse to beating his opponents with his bare hands in self-defence, (TV: ) and could be dismissive towards casual violence. (PROSE: ) While he also disliked guns, (TV: ) he noted that weapons were "handy little things" when used for protection, (TV: ) and even constructed a ray gun explicitly to help destroy Daleks. (COMIC: ) He disapproved of revenge. (TV: )
After seeing the callousness of the Daleks, (TV: ) the Doctor came to stand against "senseless, evil killing", (TV: , , ) vowing to only take a life if his own was sufficiently threatened, (TV: ) and was greatly disturbed when he saw needless bloodshed. (TV: , ) He thought that to sacrifice a life in the name of progress to be "nauseating" and "inhumane". (TV: )
While he was willing to drop bombs on the Master Race's city, he knew to be careful not to hit the innocent prisoners. (COMIC: )
Because they could be caught off-guard by the unexpected, (COMIC: ) the First Doctor looked down on machines, as, while they could make laws, he did not believe they could preserve justice, seeing only living beings capable of doing so, which was his reasoning for why "man was [not] made to be controlled by machines". (TV: ) While he was defensive towards his TARDIS's capabilities, (TV: ) he viewed travel dials as "perfectly acceptable method[s] of travel", as they were "very compact and very neat". (TV: )
When it came to changing history, the Doctor knew he "[couldn't] stem the tide", instead focusing on not "being carried away with the flood", (TV: ) preferring to "watch and wait" in the trust that time would sort itself out in the end. (AUDIO: ) He stood against "time meddler[s]", (TV: ) believing that not a single line in history should be altered, (TV: ) even if it meant sending someone to their death in a historical event, such as when he sent Anne Chaplet back to Paris before the St Bartholomew's Day massacre, though admitted there was a possibility she would survive. (TV: ) However, he would interfere if he believed the effect to time would be minuscule, (COMIC: ) such as when he tried to convince King Richard to carry out a peace plan that was fated to fail. (TV: ) After watching the Twelfth Doctor alter time slightly to save the lives of two men, the First Doctor took his future self's meddling to be a good indicator of the man he would eventually become. (TV: )
Comparing himself to an immigrant, (PROSE: ) the Doctor claimed he was "a scientist of no time or place", (COMIC: ) being "a citizen of the universe, and a gentleman to boot". (TV: ) He once claimed to Vicki that he was "a wanderer and a survivor" in "the fourth dimension of space and time", as well as "a refugee from an ancient civilisation, cut off from [his] own people by aeons of time and universes far beyond human understanding". (PROSE: ) He once described himself as having "the directional instinct of a homing pigeon". (TV: )
Reflecting on his successors, the First Doctor labelled his third and second incarnations as "a dandy and a clown", and joked when meeting them for the first time to battle Omega that they had yet to do anything. However, he did get along with them to a point, though got noticeably frustrated when the Second Doctor was slow to catch on. (TV: ) He also got on well with his fifth incarnation, admitting he did "quite well" after the Game of Rassilon and was reassured that his future was in "safe hands". (TV: ) While combating Adam Mitchell's Autons, the First Doctor associated himself with his second and seventh incarnations, combining with them to think of a solution to the situation. (COMIC: ) However, he disliked his seventh incarnation, believing him to be "too manipulative". (PROSE: ) Upon meeting his tenth incarnation, the First Doctor took a disliking to him and his behaviour. (AUDIO: )
The First Doctor was confused by the mannerisms of his twelfth incarnation, such as his use of the sonic sunglasses, (TV: ) and did not like him at first, leading to him making comments that he knew would wind him up, (PROSE: ) but eventually confided in him his fears of regenerating, and came to respect him after seeing him save two men from death. (TV: )
Several of his future incarnations had a noticeably profound respect for the First Doctor, so much so that they dared not question his judgement, or argue in his presence, (TV: , ) with the exception of the Eleventh Doctor, who looked upon his first incarnation with shame, branding him a "selfish idiot" and a coward, (COMIC: ) with the Twelfth Doctor recognising that his past incarnations would let the First Doctor get away with whatever he wanted, but stated that he would not do the same, (PROSE: ) though meeting his first incarnation still made him excited. (TV: )
The Eighth Doctor remembered the First Doctor as a "fierce old man". (PROSE: ) The Twelfth Doctor considered his first incarnation to have been "eccentric, a bit mad, [and] rude to people," (TV: ) and was rather shocked at some of his mannerisms, particularly his lack of political correctness (TV: ) that was deliberately exaggerated by the First Doctor to make his future incarnation feel uncomfortable due to his initial dislike of him. (PROSE: )
The First Doctor's strongest relationship was with his granddaughter, Susan Foreman, with him always putting her wellbeing first, (TV: , ) even if he could come across as condescending towards her, refusing to tolerate her ideas and treating her like a child, (TV: , , , ) though he appreciated her faith in him highly. (TV: ) His last act of paternity towards Susan was to leave her in the 22nd century with David Campbell, a freedom fighter she had fallen in love with, to start her own life. (TV: )
While visiting 15th century Tenochtitlan, the Doctor became attracted to an elderly Aztec woman named Cameca, admiring her for being "intelligent and gentle". (TV: ) While he was shocked to be accidently engaged to her due to misunderstanding an Aztec custom, (TV: ) when the time came for him to leave, he could not bring himself to depart without the brooch she had gifted to him. (TV: )
The Doctor was protective of youngsters, being morally outraged when he found the Pied Piper keeping children away from their parents, (COMIC: ) and helping Santa Claus build model TARDISes so as not to disappoint the children who has asked for one for Christmas. (COMIC: )
The First Doctor had a low opinion of , dismissing him as a "charlatan" and taking great pleasure in outsmarting him. (AUDIO: )
While Susan once described her grandfather as being a "great man", (AUDIO: ) the Doctor considered himself to be very dangerous when roused. Geoffrey Chaucer, meanwhile, described the Doctor as being "a man of rare wit and temper, a philosopher." (AUDIO: ) Ian Chesterton once described the First Doctor as being "basically good, but bad-tempered, [and] mischievous" and also voiced that he "sometimes [didn't] trust him". (PROSE: ) Dodo Chaplet implied that she thought the First Doctor to be "condescending, arrogant, smug and irritating". (PROSE: ) Steven Taylor recalled the Doctor as being "a wily, old character". (TV: )
Princess Joanna told the Doctor that "there [was] something new in [him], [and] yet something older than the sky itself." (TV: ) When recalling her encounter with the First Doctor to , Ace described him as "sweet". (PROSE: ) When the Eighth Doctor had a tarot card reading, the First Doctor was identified as "the Hierophant". (PROSE: )
While found him admirable for his intelligence, he also admitted that the First Doctor was a "bore", (GAME: ) with Adam Mitchell identifying the First Doctor as the "educator" in comparison to his other incarnations. (COMIC: )
As he felt his first regeneration nearing, the Doctor hoped that his successor would be a better man than he was. However, he was fearful of the regeneration, knowing that it would change him beyond recognition. (PROSE: ) Though he continued to be afraid of the change, (PROSE: ) the Doctor put on a brave face to comfort Polly Wright while dying as a prisoner of the Cybermen. After Ben rescued them, the Doctor hurryingly made his way back to the TARDIS, (TV: ) and became determined to fight the regeneration, branding "the whole thing" as "ridiculous". (TV: ) His fear of regenerating grew during an encounter with his twelfth incarnation, where he learned he would become known as "the Doctor of War" to the Testimony, and saw recordings of the conflicts his future selves would participate in. However, after witnessing the Twelfth Doctor alter time to spare two lives on a battlefield, the First Doctor understood what he would truly become, and decided to return to the South Pole to regenerate, (TV: ) using the last of his strength to unlock the door for Ben and Polly. (TV: )
=== Habits and quirks ===
The First Doctor would frequently end his sentences with a questioning hum, something which was picked up by those that acquired elements of his personality, such as Jano (TV: ) and the newly-regenerated Fifth Doctor. (TV: ) He also made a habit of putting his fingers to his lips when thinking, an impulse that was also subconsciously adopted by Jano when he absorbed a piece of the Doctor's consciences. (TV: )
The First Doctor polluted his speech with unpredictable stuttering (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) and the occasional mangled or incorrect phrase or word, (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) though ironically would take it upon himself to see that others' used proper diction. (TV: )
He also made a habit of repeatedly uttering "dear", (TV: , , , , , , , , , , ) "yes", (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) "no", (TV: , , , , , , , , , , ) "wait", (TV: , ) and, "of course". (TV: , , )
When something made him laugh, the Doctor would release a series of small, high-pitched chuckles. (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )
He was frequently sarcastic towards those around him, seemingly to elevate himself above lesser intellects, (TV: ) and was not above teasing those who annoyed him, (TV: , , ) such as by deliberately ignoring them when he wanted them to leave him alone. (TV: , ) When he wished to not engage someone in conversation, he would bluntly tell them to "go away". (TV: , , , , )
He would address young women as "child" and "young lady", and younger men as either "my boy" or "young man", or, in Ian Chesterton's case, he would address someone by their surname, although he would get Ian's surname wrong. (TV: ) He also enjoyed making puns. (TV: , ) When he found something of interest, he would describe it as "fascinating". (TV: , , , , , ) and would mutter, "eh-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-", when interrupting someone. (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , )
The Doctor would utter variants of, "Good gracious me", when he was either surprised, (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) annoyed, (TV: , , , , , , , , , ) out of breath, (TV: ) or amused. (TV: , , )
He would say, "come along", when instructing people to follow him. (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )
The Doctor often made speeches, (TV: , , , , , ) and had a knack for and proverbs. (TV: , , , , , , , )
The Doctor tended to hold onto his lapels while confronting someone, (TV: , , , , , , , , , ) speaking, (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) preparing himself, (TV: , , , , , ) expressing happiness, (TV: , , , , , , , ) thinking, (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , ) and when feeling defensive. (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , )
He would sometimes strum the tips of his fingers together, (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) or would interlock his fingers when explaining something, (TV: , , , , , , , , , , ) in contemplation, (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) when negotiating, (TV: , , , , , , , ) or simply when having nothing else to do with his hands. (TV: , , , , , , , , , , )
He would point his index finger upwards when making a point, (TV: , , , , , , , , , ) and was known to also cusp his hands together in front of his chest, (TV: , , , , , ) and scratch his fingers with his thumbs when making a fist. (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )
Whenever he coughed, he would waft his handkerchief around. (TV: , , , , )
He was also known to cross his arms together, (TV: , , ) stand with his hands behind his back, (TV: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ) and would sometimes stand with his hands in his pockets, flicking his coat back as he did so. (TV: , , , , , , , , , )
As he was on the run from the Time Lords, (AUDIO: ) the Doctor never stated the nature of his own origins, other than to hint that Susan and himself were exiled from another place and time, (TV: ) and to state that he and the Monk originated on the same world. (TV: )
The First Doctor was very particular about how others addressed him; he never liked how Drax called him "Theta Sigma", (PROSE: ) refused to answer to the name "Dr. Foreman", (TV: ) disliked being referred to as "Doc", (TV: , , ) and also didn't like being called "Pop". (TV: )
When met with a concept he rejected, he would describe the ideas as "rubbish".
He had a tendency to use "ugly costumer" when referring to his opponents. (COMIC: , )
He would also exclimate, "Great powers", when surprised. (COMIC: , , )
=== Skills ===
The First Doctor was more of an intellectual incarnation, and would mostly leave the fighting to others, due to his older and frail appearance. (PROSE: ) He was certainly a thinker, preferring to find the best way of tricking himself out of a situation to achieve victory, (TV: , , , , ) with the Doctor believing that knowledge was the only way to defeat the "evil creatures" of the universe. (PROSE: ) Because of this, the Elders recognised him as a man of infinite wisdom. (TV: )
Trying his best to avoid making "uninformed guesses", (TV: ) the Doctor' broad range of knowledge allowed him to make various complex calculations from memory. (PROSE: ) He could be an effective detective when the situation called for it, (TV: ) and also see a person's true character behind their attempts to disguise it. (TV: , ) At the conclusion of the Game of Rassilon, it was the First Doctor who realised the meaning of the riddle in the Tower of Rassilon, with none of his future incarnations uncovering the meaning until he explained it to them. (TV: )
Whilst normally peaceful, the Doctor would, when pressed, resort to hand-to-hand combat with an effectiveness which belied his age, (TV: , , ) usually relying on his intelligence to outwit his opponents and to find simple ways to deflect attacks, (PROSE: ) and using whatever he could get his hands on as a weapon. (TV: , ) He was at least able to overpower Dako when he took him by surprise, (TV: ) and managed to take down the First Monk after he had sufficiently intimidated him. (TV: ) He proved to be a capable swordsman, (TV: ) even if he had to use his cane as a makeshift blade. (TV: , ) At other times, however, the Doctor revealed age-related vulnerabilities, such as needing to catch his breath after a long period of running, (TV: ) the rheumatism he suffered from that flared up if he was exposed to cold, (TV: ) and Ian noted that the Doctor's moments of physical activity often left him more fatigued and weary than he normally was after the effort was over. (PROSE: )
While he proved inept with a hand gun, (PROSE: ) the Doctor was a crack shot with long-range firearms, (COMIC: , ) and could also hit a target with a frisbee. (COMIC: )
Having been taught by the Master, (PROSE: ) the Doctor could perform hypnosis, using a fob watch to induce sleep in a giant lizard, (COMIC: ) and using his signet ring to break Dodo Chaplet's mind control by the artificial intelligence WOTAN, causing her to sleep for two days and forget her ordeal. (TV: ) He once claimed he could read minds. (TV: )
The First Doctor was something of an inventor, being able to tinker with machines until they were functional, (TV: ) rework technologies to suit his benefits, (TV: , ) and build new contraptions for his needs. (TV: , )
The Doctor could diagnose atropine poisoning, and was able to quickly create an antidote when he had the right equipment, (TV: ) and was also able to manufacture a cure to a mutation of the common cold. (TV: ) He could also recognise a dislocated bone on sight, and fix it just as quickly. (TV: )
Though he required spectacles for reading, the Doctor's eyesight was better than a human's. (PROSE: )
The Doctor could pilot a rocket, (COMIC: ) drive a car, (PROSE: ) and ride a horse, though he found it uncomfortable to do so. (PROSE: )
While the Doctor had virtually no control over his TARDIS, (TV: ) due in part to piloting it by himself without the needed number of pilots, (TV: ) he was able to pilot the TARDIS to Venus circa 3000000000 BC, explaining that, as it was close to the origin of the universe, plotting coordinates was more stable, though the process was still difficult, causing the TARDIS to shake badly during the journey. (PROSE: ) After a period of time where Rassilon allowed him complete control over his TARDIS, (PROSE: ) the Doctor had gained enough experience to return the TARDIS to 1986 Antarctica from 1914 Ypres. However, he wasn't confident in his ability to pilot it after initially taking off from Antarctica and was amazed by his future incarnation's ability to flawlessly pilot the TARDIS to Villengard. (TV: )
The Doctor once claimed to be able to speak all the Chinese dialects, (PROSE: ) and could also read Old High Gallifreyan. (TV: )
The Doctor was a skilled gambler, being able to win half of Asia in a game of backgammon with Kublai Khan, (TV: ) and could at least imitate the voice of the Toymaker. (TV: ) He was an effective pickpocket. (TV: )
He was also quick to learn new skills when required; when trapped on the planet Avalon, the Doctor spent a few days being coached in the planet's "magic" by Kilvenny Odoyle, and was then able to hold his own against the powerful magician, Gramling, in a magical duel, at one point engaging Gramling on his own after his enemy had been weakened by Odoyle and Anni Glassfeather. (PROSE: ) He had also been trained to be a ninja while on Quinnis. (PROSE: )
The Doctor had a knack for knowing one's character and finding who to trust, (TV: ) and had the ability to sense an alien presence, getting goose bumps upon seeing the Post Office Tower and claiming that there was "something alien" about it. (TV: )
The First Doctor could suppress strong bouts of pain though sheer willpower. (PROSE: ) He proved a stealthy person, able to draw out the First Monk from his monastery hideout and sneak in when his back was turned. (TV: )
== Appearance ==
In his youth, the Doctor had short, light brown hair, (COMIC: ) and claimed that he was considered "quite a looker". (PROSE: ) Though other accounts disagreed with her statement, (COMIC: ; TV: ) Iris Wildthyme claimed that, when the Doctor first fled Gallifrey, he looked younger than the Eighth Doctor, with his hair not yet greyed. (PROSE: ) One account implied that the First Doctor's body was prematurely aged by too many different gravities and too many "close encounters with death". (PROSE: )
By the time he met Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, the Doctor appeared to be a man in his early sixties, (PROSE: ) who had shoulder length, greyish-white hair that grew around the back of his head, and piercing blue eyes that rested under expressive eyebrows, (TV: ) though Shivani Bajwa desribed his eyes as being a mixed blue-green in colour. (PROSE: ) According to his war incarnation, the First Doctor was colour-blind. (PROSE: ) He had short hairs growing on his arms. (TV: )
A part of the Doctor disliked being "trapped in an old, decrepit body". (PROSE: )
James Stirling was told by a shopkeeper that the First Doctor was a "white-haired old gentleman", (TV: ) while Martin had been told by the head undertaker that the Doctor was "an old geezer with white hair." (TV: ) When Ace encountered the First Doctor in the Seventh Doctor's mind, she noticed that he kept his "silver hair swept back" and had a "long, hawklike nose". (PROSE: ) When Legion took on the appearance of the First Doctor, William Blake saw him as "an old man with neck length grey hair". (PROSE: ) When she found his wanted poster, Bernice Summerfield described the First Doctor as "a dignified-looking white-haired man in an Edwardian frock coat". (PROSE: ) A waiter once described the First Doctor as the "little old man with the long grey hair". (PROSE: )
Kitty though that the Doctor looked like "that disc jockey", (TV: ) while Sir Charles Summer described him as "an English gentleman in his early sixties, with imperious white hair swept back from his face and reaching almost to collar length, with haughty features and piercing eyes that burned with intelligence and wit." (PROSE: )
The Fourth Doctor, when reflecting on his change of appearance after his first regeneration, called the First Doctor a "distinguished white-haired gentleman". (AUDIO: ) The Fifth Doctor described his first incarnation as an "old man", (PROSE: ) with the Eighth Doctor calling him a "white-haired old man with a fierce beak of a nose", (PROSE: ) a "arthritic old buzzard" (PROSE: ) and a "crotchety old man". (PROSE: )
When Affinity took on the First Doctor's appearance, the Twelfth Doctor noted that his first incarnation was "an elderly gentleman," with his "white hair receded from a high forehead and spilled over the collar at the back of his neck." The manifestation was dressed "in a [typically Victorian] dark jacket and checked trousers with a thin black cravat." (PROSE: )
=== Clothing ===
==== Main attires ====
Making his fashion decisions with a computer to better blend in with modern society, (PROSE: ) the First Doctor affected a slightly eccentric Edwardian dress sense; wearing a double breasted frock coat of plain black velvet with a shawl collar, a single breasted waistcoat of beige tweed with a fob watch, a white shirt with a wingtip collar, a navy blue ribbon bow tie, grey tartan trousers, and shiny elasticated boots when he left Earth with Susan, Ian and Barbara. (TV: ) On occasion, the Doctor instead wore a mustardy brown waistcoat and a cream ascot tie with ivory stripes to accompany his usual gear, (TV: ) and would replace his black frock coat with a light blue blazer. (PROSE: )
The Doctor wore a blue signet ring on the middle finger of his right hand, (TV: , ) which had special powers, such as to unlock the TARDIS doors, (TV: ) facilitate hypnotism and protect the Doctor from an electrical shock. (TV: ) He also often wore a small silver ring on the little finger of his left hand. (TV: ) On occasions, he did not wear his rings and wore fingerless gloves instead. (TV: , )
He would occasionally wear a cape, (TV: , , , , , , ) and would don a silver grey scarf when in the cold. (TV: , ) For headgear, he would wear an Astrakhan, (TV: , , ) or a white Panama hat. (TV: , , )
He also carried a monocle on a necklace that he would use for examinations, (TV: , , , , , , , , ) and sometimes wore half-moon reading glasses. (TV: , , , , , , , , , )
He also used a smoking pipe on one occasion, (TV: ) and also employed a walking stick (TV: ) given to him by Kublai Khan. (COMIC: )
==== Other costumes ====
When adventuring into Earth's past, the First Doctor would make changes to his wardrobe so as to blend in with the local population, (TV: , , , ) and would gladly accept the vestments of extraterrestrial societies. (TV: , )
When he traveled to Marinus during the Battle for the Great Power, the Doctor wore a yellow space suit with a blue sash and silver neck collar, with a green hooded cloak as an accessory. (PROSE: )
To keep himself warm in Christmas-land, the Doctor donned a dark Inverness cape with yellow stripes on the trims. (COMIC: )
== Mysteries and discrepancies ==
* When he, Ian, Barbara and Vicki were being chased by the Daleks through time in TV: , the Doctor claimed to have built his TARDIS, contrasting later accounts that showed him having stolen the ship from a workshop, as well as a statement from TV: that described TARDISes as being "grown" rather than built. PROSE: would try to rectify the statement by explaining that the Doctor had added various components to the TARDIS console to prevent himself forming a complete mental link to the ship that would have made it easier for the Time Lords to find him.
* The matter of the Doctor's age and how long he lived in his first incarnation is unclear, the Second Doctor stated that he was around 450-years-old in TV: . In AUDIO: , Susan compares him to an adolescent by Time Lord standards.
== Behind the scenes ==
=== Casting ===
Actors considered for the role of "Doctor Who", as he was then known, included Geoffrey Bayldon
, Cyril Cusack, Hugh David and Leslie French. Bayldon would later play an alternate version of the First Doctor in two Unbound adventures for Big Finish Productions: NOTVALID: Auld Mortality and NOTVALID: A Storm of Angels.
William Hartnell had, up until that point, mainly played small-time thugs and other unsympathetic parts in crime films and humourless military men in comedies. Producer Verity Lambert was inspired to ask him to accept the role after seeing him in his well-known role in This Sporting Life, which convinced her that he could play a tough, yet shaded and sympathetic character.
=== Other actors in the role ===
During the First Doctor's tenure, other actors occasionally stood in for Hartnell, either for demanding scenes or due to Hartnell being ill or otherwise unavailable, such as Albert Ward, who served as a hand double for Hartnell during The Romans, (DWM 251) The Celestial Toymaker, (DWM 196) and The Smugglers. (DWM 321)
Brian Proudfoot stood in for Hartnell during location filming of the Doctor roaming the French countryside on foot in long shots for The Reign of Terror, being photographed from the back. (DWM 204) He later doubled for Hartnell again during The Space Museum. (DWM 316)
Edmund Warwick stood in for Hartnell in the third episode of The Dalek Invasion of Earth after Hartnell suffered an on-set injury. (DWM 280) Warwick later played the Doctor in some scenes of The Chase when Hartnell was playing the Robot Doctor. 
Gordon Craig doubled for Hartnell during The Smugglers, (DWM 321) and then again during The Tenth Planet, first acting as a body double during the snowstorm scenes in the first episode, and then replacing Hartnell for all of the third episode after he was taken ill. (DWM 214)
When the time came for the First Doctor to appear in the 1983 Children in Need anniversary special TV: The Five Doctors, actor Richard Hurndall was hired to play the role, standing in for William Hartnell, who had died in the mid-1970s. A clip of Hartnell as the Doctor from The Dalek Invasion of Earth preceded the opening titles, and Hartnell's name appeared amongst those of his fellow Doctors in the end credits.
During the 50th anniversary year in 2013, Hartnell appeared in TV: The Name of the Doctor by way of manipulated stock footage and audio, allowing the actor to posthumously share dialogue with a Clara Oswald splinter on Gallifrey. Later in the same episode, the First Doctor is seen walking past the real Clara within the Doctor's time stream, with body double Kevin Legg https://guide.doctorwhonews.net/person.php?code=8514 made up to emulate the appearance of Richard Hurndall. Later in 2013, Hartnell was again represented via stock footage in TV: The Day of the Doctor, but with John Guilor providing newly recorded dialogue, and Legg once again serving as a body double. (DWMSE 38)
David Bradley played Hartnell himself, playing the First Doctor, in the 2013 docu-drama An Adventure in Space and Time. In 2017, Bradley was brought to the show proper, to play the First Doctor himself at the end of TV: The Doctor Falls as a lead in to the 2017 Christmas special, TV: Twice Upon a Time. Bradley also voiced the First Doctor in the Big Finish audio series The First Doctor Adventures.
In audio, William Russell officially voiced the First Doctor for Big Finish's The Light at the End, having previously voiced him in narration form during all the Companion Chronicles audios that featured his own character Ian. Russell would then reprise the role when required in The Early Adventures, while Peter Purves portrays him in the audios that feature Steven. After his casting, Elliot Chapman also began playing the Doctor in narration form in audios that feature Ben.
=== Other matters ===
* When introduced in the script for An Unearthly Child, the First Doctor was physically described with the statement, "His clothes are bizarre."
* Author Marc Platt's description of the First Doctor's portrait in the novel Lungbarrow was inspired by a 1930s picture of William Hartnell that he found in the BBC reference library. (REF: Lungbarrow ebook) The portrait was depicted by Daryl Joyce in an illustration for DWM 305.
== External links ==
== Footnotes ==
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