In this, the first adventure of his third 'incarnation', Doctor who, Liz Shaw and the Brigadier grapple wth the nightmareish invasion of the Autons.

Living, giant-sized, plastic-modelled 'humans' with no hair and sightless eyes, they are waxwork replicas and tailors' dummies whose murderous behaviour is directed by the Nestene Consciousness - a malignant, squid-like monster of cosmic proportions and indescribably hideous appearance.