Does Missy Still Have Her Own TARDIS?

As of my last update in August 2023, Missy, the female incarnation of the Master from Doctor Who, has never officially been seen with a TARDIS. However, the show's complex and inconsistent nature leaves plenty of room for speculation. Here, we will explore the likelihood of Missy having her own TARDIS, based on the show's plot and the characteristics of her character.

The Master and the TARDIS

The Master, a significant adversary to both the First and the current Doctor, had access to a TARDIS during his previous incarnations. When he used the Chameleon Arch in Season 8, for instance, he had a TARDIS at his disposal. However, there is a gap in the timeline where the Master returns to Earth as Professor Yana and no longer has a ship available. It's a logical question to wonder whether the Master later managed to retrieve his original TARDIS after returning to his true form.

Professor Yana and the TARDIS

In the 2007 episode Utopia, as Professor Yana, the Master must have had a TARDIS to use the Chameleon Arch. But in the 2008 episode Survival, he is seen to have misplaced it. Throughout the show's history, the TARDIS has been a crucial tool for time travel, and its absence could have implications for the Master's activities. This suggests that the Master might have tried to find or reclaim his TARDIS after returning to Professor Yana form.

Missy’s Lack of a TARDIS

As Missy, the current incarnation of the Master, we see her primarily using a Vortex Manipulator. This device, which allows for fast and instant travel, could be a substitute for a TARDIS. However, the show's narrative has yet to demonstrate any conclusive evidence of Missy having her own TARDIS. The newly stolen TARDIS that is reportedly being used by Clara (now known as O Magnus) remains a mystery in terms of the ship's current possession.

The Theoretical Possibility of Missy Having a TARDIS

Considering the complexities of the Master’s character and his actions, it is plausible that Missy might have her own TARDIS. Here are a few reasons to support this theory:

Carrying the Hard Drive

In the episodes Dark Water/Death in Heaven, Missy reveals that she had been following the Doctor and uploading the minds of those he couldn't save to a Gallifreyan hard drive. Without a TARDIS, she would have had to carry this device with her through time, which could be inconvenient. This makes it more likely that Missy has a TARDIS stashed away somewhere that she could use for her mission.

Multiple Ways to Obtain a TARDIS

The Master, being the incarnation he is, had numerous means of acquiring a TARDIS. Following the events of The End of Time, the Master was trapped on Gallifrey with the other Time Lords during the last day of the Time War. If he managed to leave Gallifrey, the most likely option was via a TARDIS. There are several possible scenarios, but leaving Gallifrey in a TARDIS explains how he could have obtained Vortex Manipulators later in the show. A TARDIS provides a reasonable explanation for how he could access these devices.

Exploiting the Time War and the TARDIS

During the Time War, the Time Lords had a strict policy against lending or sharing TARDISes. Even if the Master left Gallifrey with a Vortex Manipulator, acquiring one would be extremely difficult. Traveling in a non-TARDIS vehicle would further risk detection from the Time Lords. Consequently, it is much more plausible that Missy left Gallifrey with a TARDIS and later acquired Vortex Manipulators, which she could use to travel without the TARDIS being exposed.

Ultimately, the lack of concrete evidence doesn't definitively prove whether Missy has her own TARDIS or not. However, considering the various possibilities and the show's narrative, the idea that she has a TARDIS remains a compelling theory.

Conclusion: While we cannot be certain, the show's history and character behavior make it a strong possibility that Missy does have her own TARDIS stashed away somewhere. This would align with her being the Master and her ability to adapt and survive in various situations.