Spidron (Tomorrow People)
Encyclopedia
The Spidron is a fictional character
from the British
television
series The Tomorrow People
. The Spidron appeared in the episode serial "The Vanishing Earth". The Spidron was played by British actor John Woodnutt
.
alien
who came to Earth
circa 1969 to mine
a rare mineral
directly from its core
, a project which would have destroyed the planet
. The Spidron is a non-telepathic creature who resembles a large plant
. The Spidron is referred to as "he" and has a male sounding voice, giving some indication that his species has some form of gender
.
The Spidron wears a white robe and a hood over his body, oddly bearing a strong visual resemblance to a Ku Klux Klan
outfit.
The Spidron is incapable of teleportation
and has to rely on conventional spacecraft
to travel between planets. He has the unique ability to transmute into liquid, when needed, by use of molecular restructuring. The Spidron also has the ability to brainwash and mind control
human beings.
The Spidron is a wanted criminal by the Galactic Police and has hidden out on earth for four years, along with his lovely humanoid assistant Joy. Sometime between 1973 and 1974, the Spidron is tracked down by a Galactic Policeman named Steen and forced to flee Earth. His assistant is captured and the Spidron lost all of his mineral cargo which he had been mining on Earth for four years. The mineral is later returned to the Earth's core, thus saving the planet from destruction.
The Spidron has two bases on Earth, one deep beneath the surface where the Spidron conducts mining operations and casts himself in holographic form into a glass chamber. His main base is in a storm sewer
on a water reservoir outside London
. His assistant Joy operates from an amusement park
in Clacton-on-Sea
.
Although the Spidron's home planet is never mentioned, the Spidron remarks that his sewer base "reminded him of home", suggesting that the Spidron comes from a dank, dark, and wet world.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series The Tomorrow People
The Tomorrow People
The Tomorrow People is a British children's science fiction television series, devised by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran between 1973 and 1979. The series was re-imagined in 1992, Roger Price acting as executive producer...
. The Spidron appeared in the episode serial "The Vanishing Earth". The Spidron was played by British actor John Woodnutt
John Woodnutt
John Woodnutt was a British actor.He was born in London, and at the age of 18 made his acting debut at the Oxford Playhouse....
.
Character summary
The Spidron is an evilVillain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
alien
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
who came to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
circa 1969 to mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
a rare mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
directly from its core
Planetary core
The planetary core consists of the innermost layer of a planet.The core may be composed of solid and liquid layers, while the cores of Mars and Venus are thought to be completely solid as they lack an internally generated magnetic field. In our solar system, core size can range from about 20% to...
, a project which would have destroyed the planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
. The Spidron is a non-telepathic creature who resembles a large plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
. The Spidron is referred to as "he" and has a male sounding voice, giving some indication that his species has some form of gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
.
The Spidron wears a white robe and a hood over his body, oddly bearing a strong visual resemblance to a Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
outfit.
The Spidron is incapable of teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
and has to rely on conventional spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
to travel between planets. He has the unique ability to transmute into liquid, when needed, by use of molecular restructuring. The Spidron also has the ability to brainwash and mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
human beings.
The Spidron is a wanted criminal by the Galactic Police and has hidden out on earth for four years, along with his lovely humanoid assistant Joy. Sometime between 1973 and 1974, the Spidron is tracked down by a Galactic Policeman named Steen and forced to flee Earth. His assistant is captured and the Spidron lost all of his mineral cargo which he had been mining on Earth for four years. The mineral is later returned to the Earth's core, thus saving the planet from destruction.
The Spidron has two bases on Earth, one deep beneath the surface where the Spidron conducts mining operations and casts himself in holographic form into a glass chamber. His main base is in a storm sewer
Storm drain
A storm drain, storm sewer , stormwater drain or drainage well system or simply a drain or drain system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. Storm drains vary in design from small residential dry wells to large municipal systems...
on a water reservoir outside London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His assistant Joy operates from an amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
in Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday...
.
Although the Spidron's home planet is never mentioned, the Spidron remarks that his sewer base "reminded him of home", suggesting that the Spidron comes from a dank, dark, and wet world.
Spidron quotes
- "You will approach...the SPIIIIIDRON!"
- "Your incompetent police know nothing about me!"