History[]
The reptilian bipeds known variously (and inaccurately) as Silurians, Eocenes, Homo reptilia and (one particular subspecies) Sea Devils were the original dominant life-form on Earth in prehistoric times. They allegedly all entered a state of suspended animation in special hibernation chambers scattered beneath the Earth in order to escape an impending disaster; a small, rogue planet was seemingly about to crash into Earth. Instead, the small planet (which may in fact have been the egg of a huge space dragon) was drawn into earth's orbit and became the Moon, and the reptiles slept for several million years, their alarm clocks having failed to go off.
In recent decades, several of the reptile people (belonging to at least three distinct subspecies) have been awakened accidentally by humans. One of them, in the Victorian era, was Vastra, who assimilated into human society as the leader of the Paternoster Gang, and married a human woman. More recently awakened reptile people, however, have proven rather less amenable to the idea of sharing the planet (which they still regard as theirs) with humanity. The Doctor, who has prevented a number of hostile takeovers by the eternally misnamed reptile people, has also glimpsed more than one parallel Earth in which they have, in fact, taken over, with generally unpleasant results for the human race.
Powers and abilities[]
Powers
One species of Silurian possessed a third eye which gave them a number of telepathic abilities as well as allowing them to see in infrared and generate intense heat.
Abilities
One species can control the minds of mammals.
Weaknesses
Extreme cold.
Paraphernalia[]
Weapons
Sea Devils carried handguns of advanced design, which could generate intense heat even underwater. They also use cybernetically enhanced dinosaurs known as Myrka as heavy weapons.
Notes[]
The Silurians and their cousins the Sea Devils first appeared in televised Doctor Who in the early 1970s, but did not make their comics debut until 1980.
Trivia[]
The word 'Silurian' actually refers to a period of the Earth's history in which there wasn't any significant life on land — certainly not reptiles, sentient or otherwise. However, the Silurians wouldn't be the first people to have a name which is strictly, literally incorrect, and it's certainly less annoyingly wrong than Homo reptilia. After all, 'Silurian' can also refer to a member of an ancient Celtic tribe, and there might be Silurians slumbering in subterranean caverns under bits of Britain that are or were Celtic. Homo reptilia is just a whole other level of stupid.
Links[]
- Appearances of Silurians
- Character Gallery: Silurians
- Images that feature Silurians
- Fan-Art Gallery: Silurians
- Silurians quotations