Doctor Who Retcons Omega 42 Years After His Last Appearance

Published 5 days ago

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 7, "Wish World."Doctor Who's Pantheon.

Although now belonging to the same group of villains as the Toymaker, Sutekh, and other Pantheon Gods is a notable change, Omega's backstory has been altered in a way that is arguably more subtle but could also open up new story opportunities. After Anita Dobson's Mrs. Flood playing the Rani all along, Omega's return is giving the show's longest-standing fans plenty to celebrate. That said, showrunner Russell T. Davies has proven he isn't afraid to make key changes here and there to established characters.

Omega Was Trapped In Doctor Who's Anti-Matter Universe

The Rani reveals where Omega is now in "Wish World"

Omega leaning against a wall and raising a hand in Doctor Who

The most recent update Doctor Who provided regarding Omega's fate was that he died shortly after he escaped being trapped in the Anti-Matter Universe, a plane of existence that has rarely been mentioned since. While the character has returned in Doctor Who novels, comics, and audio adventures, only the live-action arm of the franchise has the final say on what is part of the main canon. So, unless Omega's return in Doctor Who season 15 acknowledges these events, they can be considered part of an alternative continuity. Interestingly, the Rani's plan to bring Omega back doesn't involve the Anti-Matter universe.

Fourteen said he first ran into the Toymaker when the TARDIS fell into another realm - "A hollow beneath the Under-Universe, where science is a game and all of us are toys.

Instead, Archie Panjabi's new version of the Rani reveals Omega has been lost in the "Underverse." This may sound like a new Doctor Who location, but David Tennant's Fourth Doctor referenced it in 2023's "The Giggle." Fourteen said he first ran into the Toymaker when the TARDIS fell into another realm - "A hollow beneath the Under-Universe, where science is a game and all of us are toys." So, while Omega was once in the Anti-Matter universe, it seems as though he's since migrated to another, even more mysterious location from which he still can't free himself.

Doctor Who Did Something Similar With Season 14's Main Villain

Sutekh was also heavily retconned for his Disney-era comeback

Omega isn't the only classic-era Doctor Who villain to be rewritten for Davies' current storyline. Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor appeared to permanently defeat Sutekh, but "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" revealed the God of Death has been hidden aboard the TARDIS for centuries, waiting to strike.

However, the considerable retconning of Sutekh felt surprisingly natural. He was a great villain in 1975, but bringing him back as he was would have been laughable. Davies needed to update Sutekh to make him scary again, and he pulled it off. Plus, the showrunner's alterations to the God of Death also made his comeback feel natural, with the Pantheon bubbling away in the background as part of a deceptively important arc.

Anita Dobson looking worried as the Rani in Doctor Who

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Omega's transformation was even more extreme than Sutekh's. Beginning his life as a pivotal figure in Time Lord history, Omega was a mortal being at the beginning of his arc, like the Doctor. The villain's eventual defeat seemed to rob him of his corporeal form, but his consciousness lived on in the Anti-Matter Universe - now the Underverse. So, his return at the end of "Wish World" sets him up as an immensely powerful Doctor Who being who has likely grown in strength thanks to his centuries of being lost between the various layers of reality.

Doctor Who Season 15's Release Schedule On Disney+
Episode	Title	Release Date (2025)
1	"The Robot Revolution"	April 12
2	"Lux"	April 19
3	"The Well"	April 26
4	"Lucky Day"	May 3
5	"The Story and the Engine"	May 10
6	"The Interstellar Song Contest"	May 17
7	"Wish World"	May 24
8	"The Reality War"	May 31