| “ | You with your fair skin. You want to see the face under here? DO YOU?! Your wise. Even I can't bear to see or touch myself. I who was once... Once comely. Who was always a lover of beauty, now I have to live in exile. I have to live with androids because androids do not see as we see! | „ |
| ~ Sharaz ranting to Peri about his face. |
| “ | Do you think bullets can stop me now?! You stinking offal MORGUS look at me! | „ |
| ~ Sharaz confronting Morgus and revealing his scarred face. |
Sharaz Jek is the deuteragonist of the 1984 Doctor Who serial "The Caves of Androzani". He was a scientist who excelled in robotics leading him to create various androids. After many dealings with Morgus however his face was brutally disfigured leading him down a path of madness and vengeance.
He was portrayed by the late Christopher Gable.
History
Origin
Sharaz was once a young well looking man who had a passion for beauty and science. He allied himself with Morgus the latter of whom would wind up betraying him by sabotaging one of his experiments causing a massive explosion. Although Sharaz mostly got himself to safety he didn't close his chamber in time causing his face to be brutally burned and discolored. Jek then wore a mask for the remainder of his life and exiled himself from the rest of the world swearing vengeance against Morgus. Jek lived with the androids he created in the caves on the planet Androzani Minor where he runs the Spectrox refinery.
The Caves of Androzani
Meeting The Doctor and Peri
He first appeared when The Doctor and Peri were imprisoned by Androzani Major troopers. Upon seeing the two he took a deep interest in Peri and was obsessed with gaining possession of both of them as his guests. He achieved this by sending his own troops to retrieve them from their prison cell and replace them with two android replicas. Finally he had the Doctor and Peri in his grasp and introduced himself to the two before revealing he planned on keeping them as his honored guests until their deaths and planned on giving Peri the chemical he specialized in spectrox which would prolong her life to keep her for himself. This was put into threat however once it was discovered that both The Doctor and Peri had contracted Spectrox Toxemia and that Peri and Salateen (An even older prisoner of Jek) had escaped. Enraged Jek interrogated The Doctor by ordering his androids to literally tear him limb from limb for the location of Peri, when he realized it was no use however he relented and gave The Doctor up absentmindedly to a growingly impatient Stotz who had already been angry with Jek for his refusal to give he and his men full payment.
Attack on the Base
When he heard of the oncoming attack on the base he deduced both Salateen and Peri's locations and brought Peri back to the base before expressing guilt and remorse at giving the Doctor up to Stotz. Soon after this however Morgus' forces began invading Jek's base resulting in Jek quickly grabbing Peri and rushing to get them both to safety. Soon however General Chellak found the two forcing Jek into engaging in combat with him. Although the fight was going into a stalemate after accidentally knocking Jek's mask off a horrified Chellak was distracted long enough for Jek to shove him out of the door into an oncoming mud storm killing him. Jek then turned to Peri to make sure he wasn't hurt only to be met with a loud shriek of terror from her upon seeing his face resulting in Jek backing away and breaking down under a table.
After calming down, Jek was left in despair and guilt after uncovering Peri and The Doctor had both contracted spectrox toxaemia as well the fact that he had lost most of his android army in the battle and began carrying Peri hopelessly until luckily the Doctor despite in his worsening condition appeared once again. Jek explained the situation that The Doctor was already aware of and gave him an oxygen tank so he could safely travel through the catacombs of the caves to uncover the antidote, leaving Jek and Peri alone in her worsening condition
Death
Jek's face.
Jek's mercenary Stotz decided to join Morgus to try to find Jek's collection of spectrox, both of them now desperate and with nothing to lose. Morgus and Stotz discovered his hideout fairly quickly however in a fit of pure fury Jek revealed his disfigured face taking the two men aback before lashing out and brutally attacking Morgus, in spite of being shot by Stoz twice Jek held onto life fuelled by pure anger and finally managed to force Morgus' head into a beam killing him. Jek's finest android a replica of Salateen then killed Stoz before Jek fell into his arms and died.
Jek's remains where scorched just like the rest of him after The Doctor left the burning lair with Peri.
Shortly after this The Doctor himself heroically gave his own life in order to save Peri by giving her the anti-toxin, tragically ending his fifth incarnation but at the same time fulfilling Jek's wish of keeping Peri alive meaning his death was not in vain.
Personality
Despite being a wrathful and brutal man as well as a destructive and stubborn gaoler, Jek also was a tragic individual who chose to isolate himself from the world after his disfigurement which is what made him become the way he is in the first place.
Jek was also a very intelligent man excelling in sciences and robotics with him being able to create life like androids with almost exact human like qualities, despite this however he mainly focused on making attack drones to guard his surroundings while saving his true talents for when he needed them most.
Sharaz despised Morgus for what he had done to him and even remarked that he would not give up the spectrox until Morgus' head was on a stick at his feet. This hatred continued until his last moments when in a fit of rage he brutally attacked and killed Morgus (while also dying himself of his wounds shortly after).
Despite being a very villainous brute, Jek still had some redeeming qualities since he genuinely liked The Doctor viewing him as the only man smarter than him and a man worthy of his trust and respect while also loving Peri greatly to the point of staying by her side until near death viewing her as the most beautiful thing he had ever sat his eyes on.
Appearance
Sharaz Jek was a slender man who wore an all leather outfit complete with black leather slim trousers, a black leather jacket, black leather boots and one singular leather glove. Jek had a hideously disfigured face that he himself could never bear to look at caused by Morgus attempting to kill him, as a result Jek's face was mostly discoloured as a sickly green with only his left eye and mouth regaining a flesh like colour. To hide his appearance from himself and others he always wore a black and white patterned latex mask as well as a black leather cowl. He also wore one blue false eye due to his right eye being burned off.
Quotes
| “ | Beautiful... | „ |
| ~ Jek upon viewing Peri upon the monitors for the first time. |
| “ | I shall make you comfortable, and in a few years time you shall come to enjoy my company. | „ |
| ~ Jek expressing his intentions with keeping The Doctor and Peri prisoner. |
| “ | DON'T mock me Doctor! | „ |
| ~ Jek's annoyance at The Doctor quipping. |
| “ | Jek: Do you think I'm mad? Peri: N-n-no. Jek: I AM mad... | „ |
| ~ Jek professing his own damaged psyche to Peri. |
| “ | Nothing… Can hurt you now. | „ |
| ~ Jek's redemption |
| “ | She's dying Doctor! She has spectrox toxaemia... | „ |
| ~ Jek's mournful reunion with The Doctor |
| “ | WAIT! Doctor take this, it's my last oxygen cylinder, you might need it. | „ |
| ~ Jek's final words to The Doctor after he goes in search of the anti-toxin. |
| “ | Salateen... Hold me. | „ |
| ~ Jek's last words before dying of his wounds. |
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Trivia
- Christopher Gable's main reasoning for taking on the role of Jek was so he could work with his longtime friend Graeme Harper who directed the serial. He also agreed so he could challenge himself with portraying a much darker character than his usual works provided him with.
- Before Gable's casting Tim Curry was suggested for the role but he ultimately turned it down.
- Sharaz Jek is one of the most well received villains from the show with many fans and critics praising the character's great development, excellent backstory and Christopher Gable's performance as him.
- Sharaz Jek is also one of the most dark, complex and tragic characters to have ever appeared in the show.
- He was originally scheduled to be portrayed by the late David Bowie. However, due to conflicting time constraints made by Bowie's upcoming tour at the time he could not attend filming.
- It is often theorized that Jek suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder.
