Olla

created by Simon Furman and John Ridgway

 

the new Sharon from blackcastle adventures

character bios

 

Name: Olla
First Appearance: Doctor Who Magazine # 130, November 1987
Know Relatives: unknown
Species: Dreilyn, known as a "heat vampire"
Planet of origin: unknown
Companion to: The 7th Doctor

 

To help him get over the departure of Peri, the 7th Doctor takes Frobisher to the artificially created pleasure plant of A-Lux.  Once they arrive, they are surprised to find that A-Lux is buried under snow.  Realizing something must be wrong with the weather controls, the Doctor decides to investigate.

Starting the investigation in an apparently abandoned recreation center, the Doctor is attacked by Olla, a Dreilyn “heat vampire”, a species that survives by drawing tiny amounts of heat off of others.  Apparently driven mad by the cold, she tires to drain the Doctor completely.  Frobisher knocks her unconscious to save the Doctor, then the Doctor and Frobisher are discover by a group of Ice Warriors.  Led by Arryx, who was inspired by Azaxyr's attempt to secure Peledon's trisilicate mines, he has changed the temperature of A-Lux so it can become the New Mars.

The Doctor creates a diversion long enough for Frobisher to escape with Olla.  They band together with the remaining population of A-Lux to destroy the Ice Warrior’s Machine, which has made the planet cold.  Using her ability to draw heat, Olla absorbs the heat off of a pipe, which Frobisher crawls through to reach the Doctor and help destroy the machine, which the Doctor already has done.  As the band of rebels is attacked by Ice Warriors, Olla violently fends one of them off, discharging her stored up heat and killing him.

As Frobisher decides to end his travels with the Doctor and remain on A-Lux, Olla sees her opportunity.  She asks a surprised Doctor if he will take her back to her people.  The Doctor agrees and they depart A-Lux together.

Olla's second and final story begins with her waiting on the Doctor.  Although uncomfortable with her level of servitude, he reluctantly enjoys himself to a meal she has prepared.  Then, a Vachysian Gunship, sent by the Federation, attacks the TARDIS.  Commanded by Skaroux, a Warlord of the Galactic Federation, he is determined to capture Olla, who eluded him on A-Lux, but who has now traced to the Doctor's TARDIS.  Skaroux demands that Olla be turned over to him, but the Doctor vows to keep her safe.  Olla claims that her race have no planet to call their own, roaming space like gypsies, begging for what they need to survive.  She then explains to the Doctor that she was sold into slavery by her father to Skaroux.  Armed federation guards, along with Skaroux are beamed aboard the TARDIS to apprehend her and he reveals the truth.  In reality, Olla was his willing consort.  A criminal who had gained the trust of Skaroux by and fled with his money.  She was a criminal on the run.  Once she is confronted with this truth, she turns on the Doctor and Skaroux.  The Doctor quickly destabilizes the interior of the TARDIS, throwing Olla off her feet and knocking her unconscious.  Skaroux takes Olla away, and the Doctor requests that she be given a fair trial.

An interesting idea for a companion, sadly Olla stays in the strip for only five issues.  Though she does turn against the Doctor in her second adventure, her debut story depicts Olla in a somewhat better light.  She actually helps Frobisher and the citizens of A-Lux defeat the Ice Warriors, and does seem genuinely concerned for her new friend's safety.  Her darker side does appear though when she murders an Ice Warrior while saving someone's life.  Perhaps she wanted to reform but wasn't given the chance when she was captured at the end of her second story.  Olla, we hardly knew ye...