Luke (DW)

Backstory

Luke was born in Italy at the turn of the 20th century. His mother died when he was fairly young, leaving him to be raised by his cold and distant father and, more often than not, his relatives. He was unremarkable in school and preferred the company of nature and a sketchbook, disappointing his family of lawyers and doctors. In his twenties he made a last ditch effort to redeem himself and joined the Second World War. It was not long before he needed out, and he shot himself in the leg to be discharged, but ended up crippling himself in the process. Fully disowned by his relatives, he lived in squalor and with constant pain, scraping by with odd jobs and selling his art. Luke was soon after crushed by his father taking his own life and felt responsible for not doing more to save him.

One day Luke finds things around him spontaneously combusting, and his footsteps scorching the floor of his home. He can't explain the phenomenon and keeps to himself, hoping, fruitlessly, it wouldn't get worse. Then a man named the Doctor stumbles upon him with a strange looking device- a device evidently calibrated to seek out him- or, more importantly, the thing inside him. The fire-starting culprit is a cry for help planted inside Luke by an alien masquerading as the Roman god Apollo. One trip underground and an airstrike later, the Doctor invites Luke to come with him on his time machine, fixing his leg and promising a new lease on life.

Being with the Doctor teaches Luke that he is useful, intelligent, and important- all things he had never been told before. The experience is wonderful and he even falls in love. Some demons are difficult to shake off, and at one point Luke is forced to cross paths with his father, perhaps giving him a chance to say goodbye- but saving him is what he really wants. Unfortunately, Luke has to accept that the Doctor can do almost anything, but not everything when it comes to matters of the soul.

Unexpectedly, a ghost from the Doctor's past emerges. Luke had heard stories about Aletta and saw how the Doctor was wounded by losing her, but somehow this reunion is not a happy one. The Doctor lies to her- and then it becomes apparent to Luke that Aletta views him as a threat and a replacement. After over a year of beginning to feel like he's found his place, finally become pertinent and capable, Luke is once again thrust into the position of being a nuisance. A burden. His very presence on the TARDIS breaks Aletta's heart, and it pushes him deep into his shell. He is apologetic and remorseful but doesn't want to give the Doctor up.

The biggest enemy they've faced yet suddenly surfaces, revealing an ancient and immense plot. The Doctor's been hiding an old rival, too, the Master... and Luke had thought Apollo was put to rest in that crumbling temple, but his temper is getting worse, and things heat up under his finger tips. He's losing himself. All he wants is to rescue the Doctor, but it seems in his nature to be more trouble than he's worth.

Personality

Compassionate, dreamy, humble, and patient; also submissive, self-destructive, and dishonest. Luke is a doormat and never feels comfortable voicing his unhappiness; in his mind, he has done nothing to deserve other peoples' attention. He wants to stay out of the way as much as possible. His heart is truly good and he is loving and imaginative, but he carries guilt about anything that goes wrong and is tired of loss and pain. When it comes to the Doctor, he has more of a spine to stand up to him and pull him down to earth, if only because he trusts that the Doctor loves him enough to understand.