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The Doctor's transformation into his third persona came about as a result of his being captured and put on trial by his own people for interfering in the affairs of others. The Time Lords sentenced him to be exiled to Earth in the twentieth century and for his appearance to change. Thus the character who stumbled from his TARDIS when it materialised on Earth in the twentieth century was very different from that previously known by viewers.
With this third persona, the mischievous charisma of his second incarnation came right to the forefront and the Doctor became an outgoing man of action. He loved to get involved, whether it was chasing wrong-doers by auto-gyro, hovercraft, water-sled or futuristic car, or using his TARDIS to force the Master into a temporal stalemate. He would dash into action with his cloak billowing in the wind and engage his enemies in swordplay and his own special brand of Venusian martial arts rather than verbal sparring.
This incarnation of the Doctor loved gadgets and his sonic screwdriver and souped up yellow roadster called 'Bessie' were never far from his side. The Doctor still retained his emotional and moral values. He hated to see any form of life suffer, and was on the side of the oppressed, even when they were suspicious and hostile towards the hand of friendship that he offered.
While based on Earth, the Doctor joined forces with the British branch of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) led by Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, and helped them see off a great many threats including the Axons, the Daemon Azal and an infestation of plague-carrying giant maggots. It was also in this incarnation that the Doctor encountered his arch-enemy the Master for the first time - although they may have had an association earlier in their lives - and the two Time Lords developed a love-hate relationship through their respect for each other, even though they were totally opposed to the other's chosen way of life. 1998 David J Howe
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