Romana II

**Romanadvoratrelundar** (**Romana** for short) was a Time Lord and companion of the Fourth Doctor, having begun travelling with him in her first incarnation.

Leaving the TARDIS with K9 Mark II to make her mark in Gallifrey's political sector, she became President with the goal of liberalising the planet, culminating in the Gallifreyan Civil War. Following the war, she was re-elected but later resigned and acted as Coordinator of the CIA during the Last Great Time War until its dissolution.

## Biography

### Regeneration

In her first incarnation, Romana was tortured by the Shadow. (TV: *The Armageddon Factor*) She would later forget why, she regenerated, believing that she might have regenerated for the fun of it. (PROSE: *City of Death*)

Due to her exceptional performance at the Time Lord Academy, Romana had great control over her regeneration, and was able to try out several bodies before settling on a form identical to that of Astra of Atrios, having thought that the body had "looked very good" on Astra. (TV: *Destiny of the Daleks*)

### Travels in the TARDIS

#### Evading the Black Guardian

Still using the randomiser to evade the Black Guardian, Romana's first adventure was on Skaro where she was captured and interrogated by the Daleks and made to work as a slave before using her respiratory bypass system to feign death and escape. She met Davros and assisted the Doctor in defeating the Daleks, the Movellans and freeing the slaves. (TV: *Destiny of the Daleks*)

Arrving in Paris in 1979, Romana and the Doctor enjoyed the city before uncovering Scaroth's plan to use the *Mona Lisa* and a number of copies to fund his time travel experiments. She provided Scaroth with time travel technology but, after realising her mistake, helped the Doctor stop him. (TV: *City of Death*)

On Chloris, Romana was captured by a party of bandits. She became involved in Lady Adrasta's plans to kill the Tythonian ambassador Erato when she made the mistake of showing what K9 could do. (TV: *The Creature from the Pit*)

When two spaceships, the *Empress* and the *Hecate*, collided, Romana helped separate them. She also helped to uncover a drug-smuggling plot involving the lethal drug vraxoin via Tryst's Continuous Event Transmuter and the Mandrels it contained. (TV: *Nightmare of Eden*)

Romana prevented the Nimon from continuing their cycle of taking over planets by posing as gods. She travelled to Crinoth and met Sezom, the sole survivor of the people there who had formerly welcomed the Nimon in the hope they would give them higher technology, only to realise too late the Nimon were parasitic nomads who consumed them and their world. (TV: *The Horns of Nimon*)

The Doctor and Romana went to Cambridge in 1979, intending to meet Professor Chronotis. Whilst punting up the River Cam, (WC: *Shada*) the Doctor's first four incarnations, along with their companions, were taken by a time scoop to the Death Zone on Gallifrey. The Doctor and Romana were caught in a time eddy and failed to arrive in the Death Zone. They were released several hours later once Borusa was sealed in the Tomb of Rassilon. (TV: *The Five Doctors*)

The Doctor, having gone "nowhere" for several hours, went back to the TARDIS, demanding everyone to put their bathing suits on as they were going to Brighton. The Doctor and Romana, though retaining memories of the punting trip, had forgotten they intended to visit Chronotis. The Doctor said that they had intended to be back "before lights out", but "went on somewhere else", according to Romana, after only being away from the TARDIS for two hours and twenty-one minutes. (WC: *Shada*)

Arriving at Sentry Castle to fix their broken randomiser, Romana was transported to Vexell's chambers, where she was repeatedly tortured by Anding and the Captain of the castle guards until she announced her true intentions. After deciding to come clean in order to save K9 and, though she was not told, the Doctor as well, Vexell treated her as an honoured guest. She got on the wrong side of Vexell's wife, Shersova, who believed she was trying to become Vexell's wife, and ended up nearly being killed by her in a fit of maddened jealousy. When she finally met the Doctor, as well as Francisca and Niersicht, they were able to restore Niersicht to his rightful position, whilst throwing Vexell in the dungeon and killing Shersova, with the latter being accidental on Romana's part. (TV: *The Castle of Doom*)

On Tigella, Romana freed herself from the Bell Plants' harassment before she was captured by Gaztaks. She bluffed the Gaztaks by claiming she was leading them to the TARDIS before taking them around in circles. She lost them by leading them into the Bell Plants. (TV: *Meglos*)

#### Returning to Gallifrey

Romana and the Doctor began searching for a CVE to return to Gallifrey. They came across a planet and landed upon it. Romana was taken by a group of vampires as a sacrifice to the King Vampire. The Doctor rescued her and they resumed searching. (TV: *State of Decay*)

Upon landing at Erinella, Romana helped Hadale on his quest to rescue Princess Orina after clearing the Doctor of any potential conspiracy with her captor, Anepco. She continued travelling with Hadale even after the Doctor turned back, and helped him in defeating some of Anepco's henchmen, and even in disarming Anepco himself. After Anepco's defeat and death, she bade Orina and Hadale farewell, departing in the TARDIS. (TV: *Dragons of Fear*)

On Halley's Comet, Romana and the Doctor were interrogated by High Priest Levish about the outside world, and had to help the Doctor and K9 talk the people of Halley's Comet out of their complacency. During this time, Captain Torek attacked, with Romana helping Overseer Slathri to maximise the defenses. Slathri would die in her arms, but her plans, especially her traps, proved successful at neutralising some of Torek's men. (TV: *Into the Comet*)

Once the TARDIS finally arrived on Gallifrey, it was caused to malfunction through the actions of Supreme Treasurer Halvak, causing multiple timelines of the Doctor and Romana to converge. She found herself unable to discern which Doctor was hers for quite a while, but, once it became apparent, she would confront and help in the arrest of Halvak alongside the Doctor, K9, Spandrell and Andred. Following this incident, she willingly took up his position as Supreme Treasurer, with the Doctor wishing her well. (TV: *Sealed Orders*)

## Personality

Romana was confident, intelligent (TV: *Destiny of the Daleks*, *The Castle of Doom*, etc.) and witty, (TV: *City of Death*, *Shada*) more than capable of separating from the Doctor and resolving situations on her own. (TV: *Nightmare of Eden*, *The Horns of Nimon*, *Sealed Orders*, etc.) She felt that she had learnt from the Doctor, (TV: *Meglos*) although some of her previous incarnation's iciness remained early on. (TV: *The Creature from the Pit*) Whilst she could be fearful, she remained quick to react. (TV: *Destiny of the Daleks*, *Meglos, The Horns of Nimon*)

Whilst she claimed that she never lied, this was not always true. (TV: *Destiny of the Daleks*) She also had something of a maternal side. (TV: *The Horns of Nimon*) She never carried guns but she was not above using them when absolutely necessary. (TV: *The Horns of Nimon*)

Due to her new lifestyle of exploration and adventure, Romana dreaded the thought of spending the rest of her life on Gallifrey. (TV: *Into the Comet*) The Doctor described her as "wonderful", which she supposed she was, (TV: *State of Decay*) and as "the noblest Romana of them all", (TV: *Sealed Orders*)

#### Skills

Romana proved a scientific genius. Her intellect rivalled and sometimes surpassed the Doctor's, as proven by her superior sonic screwdriver. (TV: *The Horns of Nimon*)

Romana had great strength, as shown when she took on Sharrel unarmed. (TV: *Destiny of the Daleks*)

## Physical Appearance

After regenerating, Romana described herself as having an imposing forehead, nice hair, a neat little chin and slightly overlong arms, although the Fourth Doctor assured her that their length was fine. (PROSE: *Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks*) Duggan thought that she looked twenty-five. (PROSE: *City of Death*)

Romana once donned a pink version of the Doctor's coat, with a white version of his scarf. (TV: *Destiny of the Daleks*) She also wore a variety of dresses, building on her previous incarnation's sense of style. (TV: *The Androids of Tara*, *The Creature from the Pit*) On Tigella, she wore a frilled dress. (TV: *Meglos*) When defeating the Nimon, she wore a crimson frockcoat, a gold brocade waistcoat, an ivory stock tie, beige trousers, and brown boots. (TV: *The Horns of Nimon*)

## Appearances

#### Season 17

* *Destiny of the Daleks*
* *City of Death*
* *The Creature from the Pit*
* *Nightmare of Eden*
* *The Horns of Nimon*
* *Shada*

#### Season 18

* *The Castle of Doom*
* *Meglos*
* *State of Decay*
* *Dragons of Fear*
* *Into the Comet*
* *Sealed Orders*