A mysterious individual encountered by the Torchwood team in Cardiff. They met him in two different time zones. In the city of the present day, he ran an antique shop which specialised in timepieces, but also acted as caretaker of a derelict dance hall nearby.
Torchwood investigated strange noises reported coming from the premises - the ghostly sound of voices and 1940's style music. Captain Jack and Tosh found themselves transported back to 1941, when the hall was being frequented mainly by servicemen during the Cardiff Blitz. Bilis Manger was present here as well, managing the hall.
It transpired that he was acting as agent for a powerful demonic creature called Abaddon - manipulating Torchwood into opening the time-space rift which ran through the city. He played with the minds of individual team members, turning them against each other, and also sabotaged a message which Tosh had left in 1941 for her colleagues in the future.
With the rift open, Abaddon was able to materialise fully in the city. Its very shadow was fatal to anyone it touched and it absorbed the life force of its victims. As an immortal being, Jack sacrificed himself to drain it of its power, and Manger disappeared. His true nature was never explained.
Played by: Murray Melvin. Appearances: TW 1.12 & 1.13: Captain Jack Harkness (2006) and End of Days (2007).
- Melvin, who passed away in April 2023, first came to fame in the 1961 drama A Taste of Honey, in which he played an openly gay character. He had featured in the original stage play in 1959.
- He was a favoured actor for a number of directors, including Ken Russell and Stanley Kubrick. Mainstream movies included Alfie, with Michael Caine, and the film of the musical of Phantom of the Opera.
- Melvin returned to the role of Bilis Manger in a series of Torchwood audios.
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