In this, the first adventure of his third 'incarnation', DOCTOR WHO, Liz Shaw and the Brigadier grapple with the nightmarish invasion of the AUTONS - living, giant-sized, plastic-modelled 'humans' with no hair and sightless eyes; 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.