Captain Jack Harkness

Captain Jack Harkness (portrayed by John Barrowman) is a fictional character who has appeared in both Doctor Who and his own spin-off show, Torchwood. A 51st century Time Agent and con artist, he became a companion to the Doctor in 2005, but was later abandoned by the Doctor. Since then, he set up his own alien-battling institution on 21st century Earth, known as Torchwood. His popularity and continued screen presence have meant he has featured in many Doctor Who Online series, most featuring the Torchwood team also.

Personality[]

Cheeky and flirtatious, Jack hides his dark past by playfully chatting up anything in sight. However, beyond his flirtatious nature, Jack is fiercely loyal to those he cares about. His immortality means he has witnessed his fair share of devastating losses and these have made him more determined to protect the Earth, and the people he loves, from alien threats. Quick-thinking and handy with a gun, Jack is the ultimate action hero.

Television Appearances[]

Jack first appeared in the 2005 story 'The Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances', alongside the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), where his attempt to con the time-travelling duo led to gas mask zombies stalking the streets of London. After regaining the Doctor's trust, he was invited to travel with the pair and did so until the end of the series, departing in the series finale after accidentally becoming immortal as a result of Rose consuming the time vortex. Jack was next seen in the Doctor Who spin-off, Torchwood, having now established himself in 21st century Cardiff. Together with his team, he battlec various alien threats to Earth from their central hub in the city. In the series finale, Jack left the Torchwood team to rejoin the Doctor.

In the main show, Jack returned in the 2007 episode, 'Utopia', alongside the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) and Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). In the episode, the Doctor confirmed that he ran away from Jack due to his immortality. The end of the episode saw them return to 21st Century Earth to battle the Doctor's arch-nemesis, the Master. After being held captive for a year, Jack decided to return to his Torchwood team. He returned to Torchwood in the 2008 episode 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' and remained with them for the duration of the second series.

In 2008, Jack returned to Doctor Who for the series finale, 'The Stolen Earth'/'Journey's End'. The episode marked the first crossover of Torchwood into Doctor Who, as the rest of the Torchwood team, Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) also made appearances. Jack returned to Cardiff at the end of the story, returning for a third series of Torchwood in 2009. This series saw the destruction of the Torchwood hub and also the death of Jack's on-off lover, Ianto Jones. Following this, Jack left Earth to grieve and Torchwood was disbanded. Jack subsequently made a cameo appearance in the 10th Doctor's final story, 'The End of Time' in 2010.

Jack's last on-screen appearance was in the fourth series of Torchwood, dubbed 'Miracle Day'. It saw Jack lose his immortality, whilst the rest of the world gained the power never to die. The majority of the series was set in America and introduced a new Torchwood team, alongside Jack and Gwen. Although Jack's last appearance in Doctor Who was 'The End of Time', he was mentioned by the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) in 2011's 'The Wedding of River Song', implying that Jack still met with the Doctor from time to time.

Fan Fiction Appearances[]

Torchwood: The Fence[]

Jack was the leading character in the 2011 Doctor Who Online mini-series, Torchwood: The Fence. He appeared in all five episodes of the series. The series saw him battle against Prime Minister Henry Cratchett (Bill Nighy) after discovering Great Britain has been imprisoned inside a gigantic container. At the end of the series, he left to go to Spain with companion Domitila (Penelope Cruz).

Doctor Who: The Further Adventures[]

Jack appears twice in Series One of The Further Adventures, first in the episode The Reign of Chaos in which he, The Doctor and the Jones family are taken to The Trick's realm. He also crops up in the finale with Gwen Cooper and aids The Doctor with the Zygon threat.