Martha is a companion who was always in an awkward place; being overshadowed by Rose in both the Doctors and the audiences eyes, and even referring to herself as a rebound at one point. But she ultimately has the sense to leave the Doctor and make her own way in life; qualifying as a doctor, and working for both UNIT and Torchwood before eventually hunting aliens as a freelancer. Although shes a strong minded and intelligent woman at first (using her medical training to great effect and fighting prejudice against herself whenever she can), the real transformative experience that makes her a much stronger character comes when the Master takes over the Earth. Although every step of her journey is offscreen, we clearly see the effect it has on her. Being forced to rely on her own wits and resources with nothing but Jacks Vortex Manipulator makes her a much stronger and more resilient character. But despite having experienced unimaginable horrors like watching the entire population of Japan being slaughtered, she still retains a distinct sense of empathy and ethics, even being willing to give the Daleks a chance to release the Doctor when shes planning to destroy the Earth to stop them. She may have spent a lot of time in both the Doctor and Roses shadows but she manages to step out of them brilliantly and become a force to be reckoned with in her own right.
JG Moore is a writer and filmmaker from the south of England. He also works as an editor and VFX artist, and has a BA in Media Production from the University Of Winchester.
