The Doctor and Varga

The TARDIS arrives on Earth in the far distant future and at a time of a new ice age. The Doctor and his two companions, Jamie McCrimmon and Victoria Waterfield, find that they have materialised near a large dome. They make their way inside and discover that the dome is protecting an old Georgian mansion known as Brittanicus Ice Base.

After making their way to the control area they discover scientists, commanded by Leader Clent, using an ioniser device to reflect and increase the sun's rays to combat the advance of a nearby glacier. But so far the Britannicus Ice Base is failing to stop the ice flows and Clent is under pressure to correct this. After preventing the Ioniser from exploding, coupled with The Doctor’s scientific analysis of the current ice age, Clent is persuaded that The Doctor’s presence would be useful – especially as head scientist, Penley, has become disillusioned with Clent’s methods and has left the Ice Base.

Meanwhile outside three members of the base discover a strange armoured man within the glacier. They dig the frozen humanoid creature out of the ice and return to the Ice Base. Back inside they place the humanoid creature, termed an ‘Ice Warrior’ by one of the scientists, in a storeroom to thaw. After The Doctor examines the frozen creature he leaves Jamie and Victoria to watch over it so he can join the scientists in an emergency meeting. However, the ice melts much faster than expected and the creature that was inside begins to show signs of life.

The Doctor, Victoria and Jamie

In the meeting The Doctor causes panic when he announces that his examination of the Ice Warrior has confirmed that it is not of this planet and so must have arrived in a spaceship. And as it must have become entombed during the last ice age it must still be in the glacier. It is also highly likely that this spaceship could be powered by atomic systems and so using the ioniser on that part of the glacier could cause a massive explosion that would destroy the Ice Base. The crew are just evaluating this news when Jamie bursts in and reports that the Ice Warrior has come to life and taken Victoria.

The Ice Warrior, known as Varga, has taken Victoria onto the glacier so as to find his fellow Ice Warriors and their spaceship. On locating the spaceship Varga sets about freeing his comrades, who are buried in the ice nearby. He also reveals to Victoria that their home planet is dead and that they arrived centuries ago, to conquer the Earth, but were overcome by the advancing ice. With his Ice Warriors brought back to life, thanks to some power packs liberated from the base, they set about excavating the spaceship from the ice.

Leader Clent

The scientists meanwhile realise that The Doctor is correct and that they can’t risk using the ioniser near the spaceship. With the Ioniser out of action disaster from the advancing glacier is now imminent. Jamie is keen to find Victoria and so he volunteers to go outside with one of the scientists called Arden – who has been tasked with finding the alien spacecraft. They soon discover the Ice Warriors’ ice cave but their presence is detected and they are gunned down by the Ice Warriors, who leave them for dead. Luckily Jamie is still alive and is dragged to safety by Penley who has been observing the Ice Warriors and so witnessed the attack. However, a communication device, dropped by Arden, is left behind in the ice.

Meanwhile Victoria, who is unaware of what has been happening outside, escapes from the Ice Warriors’ spaceship. On reaching the entrance of the ice cave she finds the communicator device making it possible for her to talk to The Doctor and Clent. She is unable to answer any of Clent’s questions about the Spaceship’s propulsion systems, but is able to warn them about the Ice Warriors plan to invade Earth. What Victoria does not know is that the Ice Warriors allowed her to escape and that they intended her to contact the Ice Base. They are now aware of the predicament the humans in the Ice Base are in and why they have stopped using the Ioniser. The Ice Warriors also realise that the Ioniser is very powerful and could be used as a weapon against them. Victoria is captured again, but the sudden end to her communication, and not knowing what has happened to Jamie, prompts The Doctor to set out to rescue Victoria himself.

On his way up the glacier The Doctor spots Penley and so learns that Jamie is safe. He also realises that Penley holds the secret of making the Ioniser work more efficiently. The Doctor pleads with Penley to return to the Ice Base, with a recovering Jamie, and help Clent fix the Ionisor. Penley finally agrees, allowing The Doctor to continue with his mission to rescue Victoria. On reaching the spaceship The Doctor offers himself as an envoy which Varga agrees to. The Doctor is able to persuade Varga to release Victoria in exchange for his help to repair the engines - allowing the Ice Warriors to escape from the glacier. However, he discovers that there is nothing wrong with the engines - The Ice Warriors just ran out of fuel. The Doctor though is able to confirm that the propulsion system would explode if the Ioniser is used near the spacecraft. Still convinced that the Ioniser will be used against them, and because their spaceship is in danger of being buried under the glacier again, the Ice Warriors start to prepare a sonic cannon so as to attack the base first.

The Doctor and Miss Garrett

With the glacier still advancing and with the Ice Warriors seemingly determined to destroy the Ice Base The Doctor attempts to attack the Ice Warriors with a phial of ammonium sulphide, which he brought with him from the base thinking it will prove toxic to the aliens. However, during the struggle the sonic cannon is set off by accident but luckily its power is deflected by the Ice Base’s dome. Fearing the Ice Warriors will attack again and cause greater damage Clent contacts the Ice Warriors and persuades them to come to the Ice Base so as to discuss a truce. The Ice Warriors agree – but when the Ice Warriors arrive one of the scientists tries to attack them prompting the Ice Warriors to use their greater strength to gain access to the Ioniser which they start to dismantle so as to extract its mercury isotopes which could be used to power the Ice Warriors’ spaceship.

Back in the Ice Warriors’ spaceship The Doctor, with the help of Victoria, manages to gain access to the sonic cannon. After a few adjustments The Doctor fires it at the Ice Base’s dome. But due to The Doctor’s tampering no long lasting damage is done. The attack though is convincing enough for Varga and his Ice Warriors to retreat from the Ice Base. Before the Ice Warriors return The Doctor fuses the sonic cannon rendering it useless. The Doctor and Victoria then carefully make their way back to the Ice Base making sure they are not spotted by the Ice Warriors returning to their ship. When they reach the Ice Base The Doctor, with the help of Penley, fixes the Ioniser. They then use the Ioniser on the Ice Warriors’ spaceship, as it rises from the glacier, causing it to explode. The Ice Base’s instruments though show that the explosion was not as large as had been feared. The scientist then realise that the use of the modified Ioniser has also checked the ice flow.

With the Ice Warriors defeated, and with green shoots starting to emerge through the melting snow, The Doctor and his two companions slip quietly back to the TARDIS.