Doctor Who: 10 Historical Figures That Need To Be Explored

Grigori Rasputin was a Russian mystic who built considerable influence in the court of Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia, manipulating Nicholas and forming a close bond with his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra. He was believed by many at the time to have holy powers, and Nicholas and Alexandra believed he was responsible for keeping their hemophiliac son, Alexei, alive.

He is also said to have been a master of hypnosis, building a large following of admirers despite his disheveled appearance. After the outbreak of World War I, Rasputin became the puppet master for Russian affairs - rebuilding the court with those loyal to him and extorting citizens for money.

When calls for a revolution began to gain traction, Rasputin was top of the hit list, and he was assassinated in December of 1916. He was offered cakes laced with cyanide, as well as three bottles of wine, but he refused to die despite consuming five times the amount of poison to kill a man (in fact, he barely reacted). After being shot twice, he appeared to rise from the dead, but was finally put down by a further shot to the head. His body still appeared to be twitching, so he was beaten savagely, tied up in a bag and thrown into an icy river.

When his body eventually washed up, it appeared he had made an attempt to escape the bag he was tied up in, suggesting he had initially survived a gunshot to the head. The Tsar and Tsarina would soon follow him in death, prompting the rise of the Bolsheviks, and of communism, in Eastern Europe (though that's a different story in and of itself, and one equally worthy of the Who spotlight).

Classic series fans may be familiar with The Meddling Monk, a rogue Timelord who frequently opposed the Doctor. This is the most obvious opportunity in the history of obvious opportunities. A manipulative monk, with some degree of psychic ability, who is also remarkably difficult to kill. We're still not entirely convinced Rasputin wasn't a Timelord...