J is for... Jaeger, Professor

 

Jaeger was a somewhat inept and amoral scientist who was in the employ of the Marshal of Solos. The Marshal ruled the planet Solos on behalf of the Earth Empire, which was then in decline. The Marshal used Jaeger to conduct experiments to make Solos' atmosphere breathable by humans, so that it could be fully colonised, irrespective of the harm it might do to the native peoples.

When the Doctor arrived on a mission for the Time Lords, he was forced to help the professor, but found that he could easily trick him as he did not know half of what he claimed to know. Occasionally Jaeger would stand up to the Marshal, but would always then follow his orders.

One of the Doctor's ruses was to sabotage the machine which would alter Solos' atmosphere, which the Marshal insisted Jaeger operate, and the professor was killed when it exploded.

Played by: George Pravda. Appearances: The Mutants (1972).

• Pravda had earlier played Alexander Denes in The Enemy of the World, and would return to the series in 1976 as Castellan Spandrell, in The Deadly Assassin.
• Writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin named the professor after their actor friend Frederick Jaeger, who they hoped might be cast in the role. Jaeger would go on to play a couple of other scientists in the series - Prof. Sorenson in Planet of Evil, and Prof. Marius, creator of K9, in The Invisible Enemy, having previously played Jano in The Savages.