History
The Paternoster Gang is a name informally applied to the three quite peculiar individuals who reside in a townhouse in London's Paternoster Row: Madame Vastra, her maid Jenny, and the butler Strax. These three are surely amongst the most notable residents of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's proud capital, but they are on the face of it an ill-assorted trio indeed!
Madame Vastra, mistress of the house, occupies her hours (and, indeed, seemingly makes her living) as a "consulting detective," after the fashion of the now famous Sherlock Holmes of popular fiction. Unlike the saturnine Mr Holmes, however, this lady at first glance appears afflicted with a most unfortunate disfigurement of the skin, which she usually hides beneath a veil. On closer inspection, however (and very few have been permitted to make such an inspection) this seeming disfigurement is in fact no more nor less than the Madame's natural state, her green hue and hard scales attributable to the rather startling fact that she is, in fact, a lizard woman, allegedly one of a race of such creatures who roamed, and ruled, our Earth in its distant prehistoric past! Vastra's people apparently entered a state of voluntary hibernation in order to avoid a natural catastrophe which ultimately never occurred, and she remained preserved below ground until her sleep was disturbed by excavations relating to London's mighty underground railway system. Or so she claims.
The maid, one Jenny Flint, appears at first to be quite unremarkable when compared to her mistress, and a person of no apparent consequence. This impression, however, is decidedly false, Jenny's pretence of being a mere servant in reality naught but a carefully constructed facade hiding her real relationship with Madame Vastra from the scandalised eyes of their neighbours — for Madame Vastra and Jenny have been known to claim, in private, that they are married! Leaving aside the dubious legality of any such union between two women (and one of them a lizard, at that) even in these enlightened Victorian times, this claim seems at times to conflict with the way in which their relationship is seemingly conducted even in private, with Jenny habitually wearing a maid's uniform and adopting a decidedly submissive role to her mistress. Still, perhaps it's better not to dwell on this aspect of their relationship too much in the interests of decency... and, indeed, of self-preservation, since at other times Miss Jenny has been known to bedeck herself in black leather and demonstrate a distressingly masculine propensity for violence when displeased!
The third and final member of the group, the butler Strax, is perhaps the oddest of all. Even attired in his uniform, he seems ill-suited to the role of a "gentleman's gentleman," being uncommonly short and broad, with features rather akin to those of a troll of legend: deep-set eyes, heavy brows, no discernible neck and, most alarmingly of all, just three fingers on each hand! Strax claims (quite openly, it must be said) to be a visitor to this world from another beyond the reach of our most advanced telescopic devices, one of a warrior race known as the Sontarans, who reproduce in their millions through an unnatural process known as "cloning" in order to better prosecute an endless war with their neighbours, the Rutan Host. Strax's race seemingly consider all other lifeforms to be their inferiors, but this strangely noble individual has entered a life of service in gratitude to Madame Vastra for saving his life, having previously incurred a similar debt of honour to the wandering time traveller known only as The Doctor.
And it is undoubtedly through the machinations of the Doctor that these three came together, and began a partnership which has made them famous. But it is by their own efforts that they have built a reputation as defenders of the weak and put-upon which has made them justly celebrated in the City and beyond, the toast of Paternoster Row!
Powers and abilities
Powers
Madame Vastra has a venom sting that can knock a humanoid unconscious, but it needs twenty-four hours to recharge after a single use. Such are the curious quirks of the anatomy of the fairer sex.
Abilities
Armed combat (Madame Vastra and Strax); unarmed combat (Jenny Flint); scientific analysis (as the plot demands); nursing (Strax); housemaiding; butlering.
Strength level
Superhuman.
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Hansom cabs.
Weapons
Numerous.
Notes
The Paternoster Gang first appeared in the serialised televisual entertainment Doctor Who in the episode entitled A Good Man Goes to War in 2011. They were first introduced to the medium of comics, however, in the story The Crystal Throne in Doctor Who Magazine issue numbers #475 and #476, dated August and September 2014, respectively. It is an indication of the trio's popularity that this story did not feature the character of The Doctor at all, but instead bridged the gap between the last regular comic strip appearance of the Eleventh Doctor and the first appearance of the Twelfth.
Trivia
- A running joke associated with the group concerns Strax's inability to distinguish between the genders of human beings, which results in his habitually referring to Jenny as "boy." Sontarans consider having two sexes to be a wasteful extravagance.
- Another such running joke is Strax's continual desire to wage war, which generally results in his answer to any potential problem being to suggest a full frontal assault armed with laser cannon, fragmentation grenades, and other items of weaponry not generally likely to be found in the chambers of a lady of breeding (even if that breed is of the lizard persuasion).
- 'Pater Noster' is Latin for 'Our Father', which is the name of a Christian prayer.
- The front door of the house habitually occupied by the Paternoster Gang resembles the front door of the TARDIS.
Links
- Appearances of Paternoster Gang
- Character Gallery: Paternoster Gang
- Images that feature Paternoster Gang
- Fan-Art Gallery: Paternoster Gang
- Paternoster Gang quotations
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