document_title: WWE

question_text: when did the wwf change to the wwe

question_tokens: when did the wwf change to the wwe

text: WWE

text: Company history

text: Prior to Titan Sports

text: WWE's origins can be traced back as far as 1952 when Roderick James "Jess" McMahon and Toots Mondt created the Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. (CWC), which joined the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 1953. McMahon, who was a successful boxing promoter, began working with Tex Rickard in 1926. With the help of Rickard, he began promoting boxing and wrestling at the third Madison Square Garden. It was not the first time McMahon had promoted wrestling cards, as he had already done so during the 1910s.

text: In November 1954, McMahon died and Ray Fabiani, one of Mondt's associates, brought in McMahon's son Vincent James.[17] The younger McMahon and Mondt were very successful and soon controlled approximately 70% of the NWA's booking, largely due to their dominance in the heavily populated Northeastern United States. In 1963, McMahon and Mondt had a dispute with the NWA over "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers being booked to hold the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[18] Both men left the company in protest and formed the WWWF in the process, awarding Rogers the newly created WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in April of that year. He lost the championship to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17, 1963, after suffering a heart attack a week before the match.

text: Capitol operated the WWWF in a conservative manner compared to other pro wrestling territories:[19] it ran its major arenas monthly rather than weekly or bi-weekly, usually featuring a babyface (heroic character) champion wrestling various heels (villainous character) in programs that consisted of one to three matches.[20] After gaining a television program deal and hiring Lou Albano as a manager for Sammartino's heel opponents, the WWWF was doing sellout business by 1970.

text: Mondt left Capitol in the late 1960s and although the WWWF had withdrawn from the NWA, Vince McMahon, Sr. quietly re-joined in 1971. Capitol renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979.[21]

text: Titan Sports, Inc.

text: Golden Age

text: Vincent J. McMahon's son, Vincent K. McMahon, and his wife Linda, established Titan Sports, Inc., in 1979 in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.[22][23] The company was incorporated on February 21, 1980, in the Cape Cod Coliseum offices. The younger McMahon bought Capitol from his father in 1982, effectively seizing control of the company. Seeking to make the WWF the premier wrestling promotion in the country, and eventually, the world, he began an expansion process that fundamentally changed the wrestling business.[24]

text: At the annual meeting of the NWA in 1983, the McMahons and former Capitol employee Jim Barnett all withdrew from the organization.[18] McMahon also worked to get WWF programming on syndicated television all across the United States. This angered other promoters and disrupted the well-established boundaries of the different wrestling promotions, eventually ending the territory system, which was in use since the founding of the NWA in the 1940s. In addition, the company used income generated by advertising, television deals, and tape sales to secure talent from rival promoters.

text: In an interview with Sports Illustrated, McMahon noted:

text: In the old days, there were wrestling fiefdoms all over the country, each with its own little lord in charge. Each little lord respected the rights of his neighboring little lord. No takeovers or raids were allowed. There were maybe 30 of these tiny kingdoms in the U.S. and if I hadn't bought out my dad, there would still be 30 of them, fragmented and struggling. I, of course, had no allegiance to those little lords.[24]

text: McMahon gained significant traction when he hired American Wrestling Association (AWA) talent Hulk Hogan, who had achieved popularity outside of wrestling, notably for his appearance in the film Rocky III.[25] McMahon signed Roddy Piper as Hogan's rival, and then shortly afterward Jesse Ventura as an announcer. Other wrestlers joined the roster, such as Jimmy Snuka, Don Muraco, The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Junkyard Dog, Paul Orndorff, Greg Valentine, and Ricky Steamboat. Many of the wrestlers who would later join the WWF were former AWA or NWA talent.

text: The WWF would tour nationally in a venture that would require a huge capital investment, one that placed the WWF on the verge of financial collapse. The future of McMahon's experiment came down to the success or failure of McMahon's groundbreaking concept, WrestleMania. WrestleMania was a major success, and was (and still is) marketed as the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. The concept of a wrestling supercard was nothing new in North America; the NWA had begun running Starrcade a few years prior. In McMahon's eyes, however, what separated WrestleMania from other supercards was that it was intended to be accessible to those who did not watch wrestling. He invited celebrities such as Mr. T, Muhammad Ali, and Cyndi Lauper to participate in the event, as well as securing a deal with MTV to provide coverage. The event and hype surrounding it led to the term Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection, due to the cross-promotion of popular culture and professional wrestling.

text: The WWF business expanded significantly on the shoulders of McMahon and his babyface hero Hulk Hogan for the next several years. The introduction of Saturday Night's Main Event on NBC in 1985 marked the first time that professional wrestling had been broadcast on network television since the 1950s, when the now-defunct DuMont Television Network broadcast matches of Vince McMahon Sr.'s Capitol Wrestling Corporation. The 1980s "Wrestling Boom" peaked with the WrestleMania III pay-per-view at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, which set an attendance record of 93,173, a record that stood for 29 years until WrestleMania 32.[26] A rematch of the WrestleMania III main event between WWF champion Hulk Hogan and André the Giant took place on The Main Event in 1988 and was seen by 33 million people, the most-watched wrestling match in North American television history.[27]

text: In 1985, Titan moved its offices to Stamford, Connecticut, before the present building was built nearby in 1991. Subsequently, a new Titan Sports, Inc. (originally WWF, Inc.) was established in Delaware in 1987 and was consolidated with the Massachusetts entity in February 1988.[28]

text: New Generation (1993–1997)

text: The WWF was hit with allegations of steroid abuse and distribution in 1992. This was followed by allegations of sexual harassment by WWF employees the following year.[29][unreliable source?] McMahon was eventually exonerated, but the allegations brought bad public relations for the WWF, and an overall bad reputation. The steroid trial cost the company an estimated $5 million at a time of record low revenues. This helped drive many WWF wrestlers over to rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW), including 1980s babyface hero Hulk Hogan. During this period, the WWF promoted wrestlers of a younger age comprising "The New Generation", featuring Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Razor Ramon, Bret Hart, and The Undertaker, in an effort to promote new talent into the spotlight.

text: In January 1993, the WWF debuted its flagship cable program Monday Night Raw. WCW countered in September 1995 with its own Monday night program, Monday Nitro, which aired in the same time slot as Raw.[30] The two programs would trade wins in the ensuing ratings competition (known as the "Monday Night Wars") until mid-1996. At that point, Nitro began a nearly two-year ratings domination that was largely fueled by the introduction of the New World Order (nWo), a stable led by former WWF performers Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall (the former Razor Ramon), and Kevin Nash (the former Diesel).[31]

text: The Attitude Era (1997–2002)

text: As the Monday Night Wars continued between Raw Is War and WCW's Nitro, the WWF would transform itself from a family-friendly product into a more adult oriented product, known as the Attitude Era. The era was spearheaded by WWF VP Shane McMahon (son of owner Vince McMahon) and head writer Vince Russo.

text: 1997 ended with McMahon facing real-life controversy following Bret Hart's controversial departure from the company, dubbed as the Montreal Screwjob.[32] This proved to be one of several founding factors in the launch of the Attitude Era as well as the creation of McMahon's on-screen character, "Mr. McMahon".

text: Prior to the Montreal Screwjob, which took place at the 1997 Survivor Series, former WCW talent were being hired by the WWF, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mankind, and Vader. Austin was slowly brought in as the new face of the company despite being promoted as an antihero, starting with his "Austin 3:16" speech shortly after defeating Jake Roberts in the tournament finals at the King of the Ring pay-per-view in 1996.[33]

text: World Wrestling Federation, Inc./World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc.

text: On May 6, 1998, Titan Sports, Inc. was renamed World Wrestling Federation, Inc. It was renamed World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. a year later.

text: On April 29, 1999, the WWF made its return to terrestrial television, airing a special program known as SmackDown! on the fledgling UPN network. The Thursday night show became a weekly series on August 26, 1999—competing directly with WCW's Thursday night program Thunder on TBS. In 2000, the WWF, in collaboration with television network NBC, announced the creation of the XFL, a new professional football league that debuted in 2001.[34] The league had high ratings for the first few weeks, but initial interest waned and its ratings plunged to dismally low levels (one of its games was the lowest-rated prime-time show in the history of American television). NBC walked out on the venture after only one season, but McMahon intended to continue alone. However, after being unable to reach a deal with UPN, McMahon shut down the XFL.[35]

text: On October 19, 1999, World Wrestling Federation, Inc. launched an initial public offering as a publicly traded company, trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the issuance of stock then valued at $172.5 million.[36] The company has traded on the NYSE since its launch under ticker symbol WWE.[37]

text: Acquisition of WCW and ECW

text: By the fall of 1999, the Attitude Era had turned the tide of the Monday Night Wars into WWF's favor. After Time Warner merged with AOL, Ted Turner's control over WCW was considerably reduced, and the newly merged company announced a complete lack of interest in professional wrestling as a whole, and decided to sell WCW in its entirety. Although Eric Bischoff, whom Time Warner fired as WCW president in October 1999, was nearing a deal to purchase the company, in March 2001 McMahon acquired the rights to WCW's trademarks, tape library, contracts, and other properties from AOL Time Warner for a number reported to be around $7 million.[38] Shortly after WrestleMania X-Seven, the WWF launched the Invasion storyline, integrating the incoming talent roster from WCW and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). With this purchase, WWF now became by far the largest wrestling promotion in the world. The assets of ECW, which had folded after filing for bankruptcy protection in April 2001, were purchased by WWE in mid-2003.[39]

text: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc./WWE

text: On May 5, 2002, the World Wrestling Federation announced it was changing both its company name and the name of its wrestling promotion to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Although mainly caused by an unfavorable ruling in its dispute with the World Wildlife Fund regarding the "WWF" initialism, the company noted it provided an opportunity to emphasize its focus on entertainment.[40]

text: On April 7, 2011, WWE, via the WWE Corporate website, announced that the company was ceasing use of the full name World Wrestling Entertainment and would henceforth refer to itself solely as WWE, making the latter an orphan initialism. This was said to reflect WWE's global entertainment expansion away from the ring with the ultimate goal of acquiring entertainment companies and putting a focus on television, live events, and film production. WWE noted that their new company model was put into effect with the relaunch of Tough Enough, being a non–scripted program (contrary to the scripted nature of professional wrestling) and with the launch of the WWE Network (at the time scheduled to launch in 2012; later pushed back to 2014). However, the legal name of the company remains as World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.[16]

text: Brand extension

text: Original

text: In March 2002, WWE decided to create two separate rosters, with each group of wrestlers appearing on one of their main programs, Raw and SmackDown!, due to the overabundance of talent left over from the Invasion storyline. This was dubbed as the "brand extension".

text: Beginning in 2002 a draft lottery was held nearly every year to set the rosters, with the first draft to determine the inaugural split rosters, and subsequent drafts designed to refresh the rosters of each show. On May 26, 2006, WWE announced the relaunch of ECW as a third WWE brand. The new ECW program aired until February 16, 2010.[41] All ECW wrestlers at that point became free agents that could sign either Raw or SmackDown.

text: Reunification

text: Beginning with the August 29, 2011 episode of Raw, it was announced that Raw would feature talent from both Raw and SmackDown, and would be known as Raw Supershow (the "Supershow" suffix would be dropped on July 23, 2012).[42] Championships previously exclusive to one show or the other were available for wrestlers from any show to compete for; the "Supershow" format would mark the end of the brand extension, as all programming and live events from when the original announcement was made until July 2016 featured the full WWE roster.[43]

text: In 2013, the company built the sports medicine and training facility WWE Performance Center in east Orange County, Florida in partnership with Full Sail University from Winter Park, Florida. The training facility is targeted at career and athletic development for the company's wrestlers.[44] Full Sail is also home base to WWE's developmental brand NXT,[45] which over the years has grown and expanded into a global brand in its own right.[46]

text: Second brand split

text: On May 25, 2016, WWE announced a relaunch of the brand extension, billed as the "New Era". Following that announcement, Raw and SmackDown now each feature their own unique rosters, announcers, ring sets/ropes, and championships. A draft took place to determine which wrestlers would appear on what show. SmackDown also moved from Thursdays to Tuesday nights, which began on July 19 (the night of the aforementioned draft), and airs live instead of the previous pre-recorded format.[47]

text: On November 29, 2016, WWE introduced a new program specifically for their cruiserweight division (wrestlers 205 lbs. and under) called WWE 205 Live.[48] The program focuses exclusively on those wrestlers who qualify for the division.[49][50] The cruiserweights – who first became a fixture in WWE with the Cruiserweight Classic tournament – were originally exclusive to the Raw brand at the onset of the 2016 brand extension, before landing their own show (though they still also appear on Raw, as well as working on the NXT brand).[51]

text: On December 15, 2016, it was announced that WWE was establishing a new WWE United Kingdom Championship, with the winner being decided by a 16-man tournament to air on WWE Network featuring wrestlers from the UK and Ireland during January 2017. WWE executive Paul "Triple H" Levesque said the eventual plan with the new title and tournament is to establish a UK-based brand with its own weekly TV show.[52][53] The UK wrestlers and the UK Championship is being featured on the NXT brand in the interim.[54]

text: WWE currently has over 140 wrestlers (both male and female) under various forms of contract, and stages over 500 events a year around the world.[12]

text: Terminology

text: WWE uses a variety of special terms in promoting their product, such as describing the wrestling industry as sports entertainment. The fan base is referred to as "the WWE Universe". A wrestler is designated a "WWE Superstar", while retired wrestlers are described as "WWE Legends" (or "Hall of Famers" if they have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame).[55]

text: WWE Network and distribution deals

text: On February 24, 2014, WWE launched a 24/7 streaming network. The network includes past and present WWE shows, pay-per-views, and shows from the WWE Library.[56] The network reached 1,000,000 subscribers on January 27, 2015 in less than one year of its launch, with WWE claiming that it was thus "the fastest-growing digital subscription service ever".[57]

text: In May 2014, WWE and NBCUniversal agreed to a new contract that would see both Raw and SmackDown continue on NBC owned networks the USA Network and Syfy.[58] In January 2016, SmackDown would change networks to the USA Network. The contract with NBCUniversal expires in 2019.[59] On November 17, 2016, WWE and Sky Deutschland signed a multi-year agreement to distribute WWE's premier pay-per-view events and broadcast Raw and SmackDown Live on SKY Sports starting in April 2017.[60] On April 10, 2017, WWE and DAZN, announced that Raw and SmackDown would be available live in Japan with Japanese commentary for the first time ever.[61] On April 27, 2017, WWE and TV5, announced a new agreement to broadcast one-hour editions of SmackDown.[62] On May 12, 2017, WWE and Saran Media, announced a new multi-year agreement to televise Raw and SmackDown.[63] On July 10, 2017, WWE and AB 1, extended their partnership into its 18th year with a new, multi-year agreement to broadcast WWE programming.[64] On July 20, 2017, WWE and SuperSport, announced a new, multi-year agreement to broadcast WWE programming live for the first time in more than 50 countries.[65] On August 1, 2017, WWE and FOXTEL, extend their partnership into its 18th year with a new agreement to broadcast WWE programming.[66] On August 8, 2017, WWE and Canal 1, a new agreement to broadcast One-hour editions of Raw and SmackDown.[67] On August 16, 2017, WWE and Nine Network announced a broadcast agreement to air weekly one-hour versions of Raw and SmackDown.[68] On August 24, 2017, WWE and Flow announced a multi-year agreement to televise WWE's flagship programmes Raw and SmackDown.[69] On September 7, 2017, WWE and TVA Sports announced a multi-year agreement to air a weekly, one-hour only edition of Raw, in French in Canada.[69] On October 24, 2017, WWE and Sport TV announced a multi-year agreement to air Raw and SmackDown.[70] On December 15, 2017, WWE and IB SPORTS, they will extend their partnership with a new agreement to broadcast WWE programming live for the first time in South Korea.[71] On December 18, 2017, WWE and SPS HD, announced an agreement to broadcast Raw and SmackDown on SPS Sports for the first time in Mongolia.[72]

text: On December 13, 2017, WWE and Facebook announced a new Internet in-ring series called WWE Mixed Match Challenge that will stream live in the U.S. exclusively on Facebook Watch. Premiering on January 16, 2018, the 12-episode series will feature wrestlers from both the Raw and SmackDown rosters competing in a single-elimination mixed tag-team tournament to win $100,000 to support the charity of their choice. Each episode will be 20 minutes long and will air at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.[73]

text: WWE stock and corporate governance

text: On October 19, 1999, WWF, which had been owned previously by parent company Titan Sports, launched an initial public offering as a publicly traded company, trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the issuance of stock then valued at $172.5 million.[36] The company has traded on the NYSE since its launch under ticker symbol WWE.[37]

text: The company has actively marketed itself as a publicly traded company through presentations at investor conferences and other investor relations initiatives.[74] In June 2003, the company began paying a dividend on its shares of $0.04 per share.[75] In June 2011, the company cut its dividend from $0.36 to $0.12.[76] In 2014, concerns about the company's viability caused wide fluctuations in its share price.[77]

text: As of 2018, the company's Board of Directors has nine members: Vince McMahon, the company's Chairman of the Board and CEO; Stuart U. Goldfarb, President of Fullbridge, Inc.; Patricia A. Gottesman, former President and CEO of Crimson Hexagon; Frank A. Riddick, III, CEO of Shale-Inland Group, Inc.; Jeffrey R. Speed, former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Six Flags; Laureen Ong, former President of Travel Channel; Robyn W. Peterson, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Product, Mashable; Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer of WWE; and Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE's Executive Vice President of talent, live events, and creative.[78]

text: Contracts

text: WWE signs most of their talent to exclusive contracts, meaning talent can appear or perform only on WWE programming and events. They are not permitted to appear or perform for another promotion, unless special arrangements are made beforehand. WWE keeps all wrestlers' salary, employment length, benefits, and all other contract details strictly private.[79]

text: WWE classifies its professional wrestlers as independent contractors and not as employees. A study by the University of Louisville Law Review found that after applying the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 20-factor test, 16 factors "clearly indicate that wrestlers are employees". However, as a result of WWE terming them as independent contractors, "the wrestlers are denied countless benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled".[80]

text: Wellness Program

text: The World Wrestling Federation had a drug-testing policy in place as early as 1987, initially run by an in-house administrator. In 1991, wrestlers were subjected to independent testing for anabolic steroids for the first time.[81] The independent testing was ceased in 1996, being deemed too expensive as the company was going through financial duress at the time as a result of their competitors, World Championship Wrestling, being so overwhelmingly more popular and hurting the federation's business.[82]

text: The Talent Wellness Program is a comprehensive drug, alcohol, and cardiac screening program initiated in February 2006, shortly after the sudden death of one of their highest profile talents, 38-year-old Eddie Guerrero.[83] The policy tests for recreational drug use and abuse of prescription medication, including anabolic steroids.[83] Under the guidelines of the policy, talent is also tested annually for pre-existing or developing cardiac issues. The drug testing is handled by Aegis Sciences Corporation; the cardiac evaluations are handled by New York Cardiology Associates P.C.[83] The Wellness Policy requires that all talent "under contract to WWE who regularly perform in-ring services as a professional sports entertainer" undergo testing; however, part-time competitors are exempt from testing.[84]

text: After the double-murder and suicide committed by one of its performers, Chris Benoit, with a possible link to steroid abuse encouraged by WWE, the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform requested that WWE turn over any material regarding its talent wellness policy.[85]

text: In August 2007, WWE and its employees defended the program in the wake of several busts of illegal pharmacy that linked WWE performers to steroid purchases even after the policy was put into place. Ten professional wrestlers were suspended for violating the Wellness Policy after reports emerged they were all customers of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, Florida. According to a statement attributed to WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt, an eleventh wrestler was later added to the suspension list.[86][87][88]

text: Because of the Wellness Policy, physicians were able to diagnose one of its performers with a heart ailment that would otherwise likely have gone unnoticed until it was too late. In August 2007, then-reigning United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter (real name: Hassan Assad) was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome,[89] which can be potentially fatal if gone undiagnosed. The ailment was discovered while Assad was going through a routine Wellness Policy checkup.

text: On September 13, 2010, WWE updated their list of banned substances to include muscle relaxers.[90]

text: Legal disputes and controversies

text: 1990s drugs scandal

text: During the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. George Zahorian was thought to have routinely distributed steroids and other drugs to WWF wrestlers, supposedly with the approval of WWF owner Vince McMahon.[91] In 1993, McMahon was indicted in federal court after the steroid controversy engulfed the promotion, forcing him to temporarily cede control of the WWF to his wife Linda.[92] The case went to trial in 1994, where McMahon himself was accused of distributing steroids to his wrestlers.[93] One notable prosecution witness was Nailz (real name: Kevin Wacholz), a former WWF performer who had been fired after a violent confrontation with McMahon. Nailz testified that McMahon had ordered him to use steroids, but his credibility was called into question during his testimony as he repeatedly stated that he "hated" McMahon.[94][95] The prosecution's intended star witness was Hulk Hogan, but this backfired when Hogan testified that McMahon never told him to take nor tried to sell him steroids. The jury would later acquit McMahon of the charges and he resumed his role in the day-to day operations of the WWF.

text: Titan Sports sues World Championship Wrestling

text: In 1996, Titan Sports, the parent company of the World Wrestling Federation, sued World Championship Wrestling (WCW) over WCW implying that Scott Hall and Kevin Nash (Razor Ramon and Diesel) were invading WCW on the WWF's behalf. This led to a series of lawsuits filed by both companies as the Monday Night War heated up. The lawsuit went on for years, ending with a settlement in 2000.  One of the terms gave then WWF the right to bid on WCW's assets if the company was liquidated. Time Warner, the then parent company of WCW, cancelled WCW's television shows in March 2001 and sold the company assets to WWE.[96]

text: Owen Hart's death

text: On May 23, 1999, Owen Hart fell to his death in Kansas City, Missouri during the Over the Edge pay-per-view event in a stunt that went wrong. WWF broke kayfabe by having television commentator Jim Ross repeatedly tell those watching live on pay-per-view that what had just transpired was not a wrestling angle or storyline and that Hart was hurt badly, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.[97] While several attempts to revive him were made, he died from his injuries. The cause of death was later revealed to be internal bleeding from blunt force trauma. The WWF management controversially chose to continue the event.[98] Later, Jim Ross announced the death of Hart to the home viewers during the pay-per-view, but not to the crowd in the arena.[99] While the show did go on, it has never been released commercially by WWF Home Video. In 2014, fifteen years after his death, the WWE Network aired the event for the first time. A small photo tribute is shown before the start informing fans that Hart died during the original broadcast. All footage of Hart was edited out of the event. The statement reads: "In Memory of Owen Hart May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999 who accidentally passed away during this broadcast."[citation needed] Four weeks after the event, the Hart family sued the WWF over how dangerous and poorly planned the stunt was, and that the harness system was defective.[100] After over a year and a half into the case, a settlement was reached on November 2, 2000, which saw the WWF give the Hart family US$18 million.[101][102][103]

text: WWF name dispute

text: In 1994, Titan Sports had entered into an agreement with the World Wide Fund for Nature (also trademarked WWF), an environmental organization, regarding Titan's use of the "WWF" acronym, which both organizations had been using since at least March 1979. Under the agreement, Titan had agreed to cease using the written acronym "WWF" in connection with its wrestling promotion, and to minimize (though not eliminate) spoken uses of "WWF" on its broadcasts, particularly in scripted comments. In exchange, the environmental group (and its national affiliates) agreed to drop any pending litigation against Titan, and furthermore agreed not to challenge Titan's use of the full "World Wrestling Federation" name or the promotion's then-current logo.[104]

text: In 2000, the World Wide Fund for Nature sued World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc. in the United Kingdom, alleging various violations of the 1994 agreement.[105] The Court of Appeal agreed that the promotion company had violated the 1994 agreement, particularly in regards to merchandising. The last televised event to market the WWF logo was the UK-based pay-per-view Insurrextion 2002. On May 5, 2002, the company launched its "Get The F Out" marketing campaign and changed all references on its website from "WWF" to "WWE", while switching the URL from WWF.com to WWE.com.[40] The next day, a press release announced the official name change from World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. to World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., or WWE, and the change was publicized later that day during a telecast of Raw, which was broadcast from the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

text: Following the name change, the use of the WWF "scratch" logo became prohibited on all WWE properties. Additionally, past references to the WWF trademark and initials in 'specified circumstances' became censored.[106] Despite the litigation, WWE was still permitted use of the original WWF logo, which was used from 1979 through 1994 and had been explicitly exempted under the 1994 agreement, as well as the similar "New WWF Generation" logo, which was used from 1994 through 1998. Furthermore, the company could still make use of the full "World Wrestling Federation" and "World Wrestling Federation Entertainment" names without consequence. In 2003, WWE won a limited decision to continue marketing certain classic video games from THQ and Jakks Pacific that contained the WWF "scratch" logo.[107] However, the packaging on those games had all WWF references replaced with WWE.

text: Starting with the 1,000th episode of Raw in July 2012, the WWF "scratch" logo is no longer censored in archival footage due to WWE reaching a new settlement with the World Wide Fund for Nature.[108] In addition, the WWF initials are no longer censored when spoken or when written in plain text in archival footage. Since then, full-length matches and other segments featuring the WWF initials and "scratch" logo have been added to the WWE website and the WWE Classics on Demand service. This also includes WWE Home Video releases since October 2012, starting with the re-release of Brock Lesnar: Here Comes The Pain.[109] Although the WWF initials and logo are no longer censored in archival footage, WWE cannot use the WWF initials or logo in any new, original footage, packaging, or advertising.[110]

text: Harry Slash and the Slashstones lawsuit

text: Harry "Slash" Grivas and Roderick Kohn filed a lawsuit against WWE in June 2003 due to the music being used for its programming and DVDs without consent or payment. It also asserted violation of the rights to original music used by ECW that WWE had been using during the Invasion storyline of 2001. The case was resolved on both sides with a settlement that saw WWE purchase the catalogue outright in January 2005.[111]

text: Ultimate Warrior name ownership and accusations of whitewashing Warrior's past

text: In 1993, Jim Hellwig legally changed his name to the mononym Warrior.[112][113] This one-word name appears on all legal documents pertaining to Warrior, and his children carry the Warrior name as their legal surname.[114]

text: Warrior and the WWF engaged in a series of lawsuits and legal actions in 1996 and 1998,[115] where both parties sought a declaration that they owned the characters, Warrior and Ultimate Warrior, under both contract and copyright law. The court ruled that Warrior was legally entitled to use the gimmick, costuming, face paint designs, and mannerisms of the "Warrior" character.[116]

text: On September 27, 2005, WWE released a DVD documentary focusing on Warrior's retrospective wrestling career, titled The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. The DVD featured clips of his more notable feuds and matches along with commentary from WWE stars past and present (most of which are unflattering). The DVD has provoked some controversy due to Warrior's own allegations of libel by WWE against him. Originally, Warrior was asked to help with the production of the DVD, but as he refused to work with WWE, there had been some resulting animosity between Warrior and WWE over the Warrior claiming bias on the part of WWE.[117] In January 2006, Warrior filed another lawsuit against WWE in an Arizona court over the depiction of his wrestling career in The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD.[118] On September 18, 2009, Warrior's lawsuit in Arizona was dismissed.

text: During Warrior's falling out with WWE, Warrior made comments that WWE has decided to not acknowledge. In 2005, Warrior went on a rant calling now former WWE announcer Todd Grisham a "queer".[119] Warrior referred to Droz, a former WWF wrestler who fractured two discs in his neck and is quadriplegic, as a "cripple". He made comments about the victims of Hurricane Katrina referring to them as "poor, mostly black New Orleanians without cars."[120] He condemned Martin Luther King Jr. Day, made disparaging remarks towards gays and lesbians, criticized Heath Ledger's parenting style after Ledger's death, and expressed rejoicing when Bobby Heenan was diagnosed with cancer.[120]

text: Warrior returned to WWE to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. During his induction, he mentioned that WWE should create an award to honor those behind the scenes called the Jimmy Miranda Award, named after a long time WWE employee who died. Warrior died several days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE decided to create the Warrior Award, an award for people "who embodied the spirit of the Ultimate Warrior." The award was later given to Connor Michalek (a child who died from cancer), Joan Lunden (a journalist who was diagnosed with cancer), and Eric LeGrand (a former college football player who became a quadriplegic after an in-game injury). In October 2017, WWE used the tagline "Unleash Your Warrior" when promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since Warrior's death, WWE has been accused of whitewashing and ignoring Warrior's bigoted and controversial past comments.[120] Pro Wrestling Torch described Warrior in real-life having made public "vile, bigoted, hateful, judgmental comments", citing as an example that regarding Bobby Heenan's cancer diagnosis, Warrior said, "Karma is just a beautiful thing to behold."[121] Vice wrote that "completely whitewashing his past and elevating his likeness to a bland symbol of corporate altruism is shockingly tone-deaf, especially for a company that's at least outwardly trying to appear progressive, inclusive and diverse."[120]

text: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling sues WWE & Wittenstein

text: On May 23, 2012, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, now Impact Wrestling) sued former employee Brian Wittenstein and WWE. The suit alleged that Wittenstein violated a non-disclosure agreement and shared confidential information with the WWE which represented a comparative advantage in negotiating with wrestling talent under contract with TNA. He was subsequently hired by WWE after which, TNA asserted that Wittenstein violated the agreement by downloading confidential TNA trade secrets and providing that information to WWE. Although WWE fired Wittenstein and alerted TNA officials as to the disclosure of the information, TNA claimed that WWE had access to the information for three weeks prior to disclosure and in this time, the WWE used secret contract information and attempted to poach their talent in violation of Tennessee's Uniform Trade Secrets Act.[122] The lawsuit was formally withdrawn without prejudice, by the plaintiff, TNA, on January 15, 2013 under a "Notice of Voluntary Nonsuit" which offers no ruling on the merits of the suit and allows TNA to potentially refile at a later date.[123]

text: Bullying and hazing allegations

text: Longtime WWE employee and former WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield has been accused numerous times of bullying and hazing his coworkers, with some claiming that WWE turned a blind eye towards Layfield's behavior. In 2017, Sports Illustrated stated that Layfield "has been accused for years of being a locker room bully",[124] while Deadspin wrote that "backstage tales of Layfield's hazing and bullying have long been legend among hardcore wrestling fans."[125] Dayton Daily News described that "YouTube has dozens of interviews where former [WWE] performers discuss harassment, bullying and taking legitimate blows from Layfield while wrestling him in supposedly choreographed matches."[126] Le Journal de Montréal listed Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, René Duprée, Daivari, and Ivory, among others, as wrestlers who in interviews described Layfield as a bully.[127] In 2010, The Miz referenced Layfield in an onscreen promo about hazing he faced in the locker room early in his career. Layfield admitted to hazing Miz and said that he did not regret doing so.[128][129] It was later revealed that JBL's name was substituted in The Miz's promo for Chris Benoit, whose name has been barred from being mentioned in new content after Benoit's actions that lead to his death, and that of his wife and son.[citation needed]

text: In April 2017, WWE commentator Mauro Ranallo took an absence from WWE, which Dave Meltzer reported had been triggered by hostilities with Layfield.[130][125][131][127] The allegations coincided with the release of former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts' autobiography, in which he alleged that Layfield encouraged Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury to steal his passport.[125][132] Angered WWE fans subsequently called on WWE to fire Layfield.[133] On April 22, Newsweek reported that Ranallo and WWE "mutually agreed to part ways", and Ranallo released a statement in which he said his departure had "nothing to do with JBL".[130] Layfield released a statement of his own, stating: "Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago. WWE addressed my behavior and I responded accordingly, yet my past is being brought up because of recent unfounded rumors. I apologize if anything I said playing ‘the bad guy’ on a TV show was misconstrued."[130] Ranallo has since decided to renew his WWE contract, and is now a commentator for NXT.

text: Expansion beyond wrestling

text: In addition to licensing wrestling and performers' likenesses to companies such as Acclaim, THQ, 2K Sports, and Mattel to produce video games and action figures, WWE has branched out into other areas of interest in order to market their product.

text: Subsidiaries

text: Active

text:
WCW Inc.: created in 2001 – owns the rights to the video library and intellectual property for World Championship Wrestling.
WWE Archives: Warehouses where WWE holds classic wrestling gears, props, and equipment.
WWE Books: publishes biographies of and on WWE personalities, behind-the-scenes guides to WWE, illustrated books, calendars, young adult books, and other general nonfiction books.
WWE Home Video: specializes in distributing compilation VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc copies of WWE pay-per-view events, compilations of WWE wrestlers' performances, and biographies of WWE performers.
WWE Jet Services, Inc.: formed in 2013 to manage the financing and operations of the company's fleet of private jets.
WWE Legacy Department: a collection of professional wrestling videos and copyrights for other promotions.
WWE Music Group: specializes in compilation albums of WWE wrestlers' entrance themes. The group also releases titles that have been performed by WWE wrestlers.
WWE Magazine: the magazine is released for special issues. It was originally released monthly until 2014.
WWE Network: a subscription-based video streaming service launched in 2014 using the infrastructure of Major League Baseball Advanced Media.
WWE Performance Center: serves as the training and performance center for future employees.
WWEShop.com: a website established as the place to buy officially licensed WWE related apparel, gear, and other merchandise.
WWE Studios: created in 2002 to create and develop feature film properties. In November 2017, WWE announced WWE Studios will now include scripted, non-scripted, family and animated television and digital content. Formerly known as WWE Films.

text: Defunct

text:
World Bodybuilding Federation: a subsidiary of Titan Sports launched in 1990 which promoted professional bodybuilding through a television show, magazine, and annual pay-per-view events. It was closed in 1992.
Radio WWF: a syndicated radio station that began in 1993. The main hosts were Jim Ross and Johnny Polo until Ross' firing. The station featured shows that would speak about on different topics in the then WWF and beyond the scenes incidents. Radio WWF would feature commentary from a Pay-Per-Views. Radio WWF would not last that long after 1993.
Wrestle Vessel: a WWF theme cruise. Wrestlers were on the cruise to entertain the guests with many activities. The cruise ran from 1996 to 1999.
XFL: folded in 2001, was a partially owned subsidiary of WWF launched in 2000 which comprised eight league-owned professional football teams. The league included television broadcasts on NBC (the other co-owners of the league), UPN, and TNN.
The World Entertainment: a subsidiary of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment that operated a restaurant, night club, and memorabilia shop in New York City. It opened as "WWF New York" in 1999, was renamed as "The World", and closed in 2003. Hard Rock Cafe took over the location in 2005.
WWE Classics on Demand: a subscription video on demand television service provided by WWE. It had footage from WWE's archive footage, including World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and more. It offered around 40 hours of rotating programming per month, arranged into four programming buckets, often centered on a specific theme. It premiered in 2004 and lasted until 2014 when WWE Network was launched.
WWE Kids: a website and comic set aimed at the children's end of the wrestling market, comics were produced bi-monthly. It was launched on April 15, 2008 and discontinued in 2014, the same year WWE Magazine discontinued as a monthly publication.
WWE Niagara Falls: a retail and entertainment establishment that was located in Niagara Falls, Ontario and owned by WWE. It was open from August 2002 through March 2011.
WWE Universe (WWE Fan Nation): a social media website managed and operated by WWE. The original name was WWE Fan Nation. It lasted from November 2008 to January 2011.

text: Tapout

text: In March 2015, WWE announced a partnership with Authentic Brands Group to relaunch Tapout, formerly a major MMA-related clothing line, as a more general "lifestyle fitness" brand. The apparel, for men and women, was first released in spring of 2016. WWE markets the brand through various products, including beverages, supplements, and gyms.[134] WWE will hold a 50% stake in the brand, and so will advertise it regularly across all its platforms, hoping to give it one billion impressions a month, and take some of the fitness market from Under Armour. WWE wrestlers and staff have been shown wearing various Tapout gear since the venture began.[135]

text: TSI Realty Co.

text: In 1997, WWE established a real estate brokerage and investment firm called TSI Realty Company.[136]

text: Investments

text:
Tout: Tout is a social media 15-second video service. In 2012, WWE invested $5,000,000 and entered into a two-year partnership. Stephanie McMahon was named apart of the Tout Board of Directors. The agreement between the two companies ended in 2014.[137]
FloSports: FloSports is an over-the-top sport streaming service that WWE invested into during 2016. The sports that are available include: amateur wrestling, professional wrestling, track, grappling, mixed martial arts, boxing, softball, gymnastics, basketball, tennis, volleyball, cheerleading, and eSports.
Marvel Experience: Marvel Experience is an interactive live event featuring Marvel characters. WWE invested in it in 2013.
Phunware, Inc.: Phunware is responsible for multiscreen infrastructure, software and application development services for an impressive list of top-tier customers. WWE invested in it in 2014.
Drone Racing League: Drone Racing League is a league that remote-controlled lightweight aircraft races as a spectator sport. WWE invested in it in 2017.
Cloud9: is an eSports organization, which has teams compete in many different video games including a WWE sponsor, Rocket League. WWE invested in it in 2017.

text: Charities

text:
WWE has had a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation that spans three decades.[138] Multi-time WWE champion John Cena has granted more wishes than any other celebrity in history, having completed his 500th wish in August 2015.[139]
Since 2012, WWE has partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to raise awareness of breast cancer during the month of October. Their partnership includes offering special charity-related wrestler merchandise, as well as adding a pink color scheme to the sets and ring ropes; 20% of all October purchases of WWE merchandise go to the organization.[140]
Since 2012, WWE has partnered with Hire Heroes USA to donate and implement a veterans hiring initiatives through WWE's partners.[141] Multiple times a year, WWE hosts a panel for companies and veterans to come together and discuss career opportunities.[142]
In June 2014, Connor's Cure[143] – a non-profit charitable organization – was established by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, who have personally funded it through the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. It is named in honor of Pittsburgh native Connor Mason Michalek (October 17, 2005 – April 25, 2014) who had died two months earlier from medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord. Beginning in 2015, WWE began recognizing September as Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, adding a gold color scheme to the sets and ring ropes, and offering special Connor's Cure merchandise, with the proceeds going to charity.[144][145]
In 2014, WWE entered into an international partnership with the Special Olympics.[146]

text: Partnerships

text: Though an infrequent occurrence, during its history WWE has worked with other wrestling promotions in collaborative efforts.

text: During the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, WWE had working relationships with the Japanese New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), Universal Lucha Libre (FULL), and the Mexican Universal Wrestling Association (UWA). These working relationships led to the creations of the WWF World Martial Arts, Light Heavyweight and Intercontinental Tag Team championships.[147][148][149][150]

text: During the period of 1992–1996, WWE had talent exchange agreements with the United States and Japanese independent companies Smokey Mountain Wrestling (SMW),[151][152] Super World of Sports (SWS),[153] WAR,[154] and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA).[155]

text: In 1997, the company did business with Mexico's AAA promotion, bringing in a number of AAA wrestlers for the Royal Rumble event and namesake match.[156][157]

text: In 1997, WWE would also do business with Japan's Michinoku Pro Wrestling (MPW), bringing in MPW talent to compete in the company's light heavyweight division and in their 1997 Light Heavyweight Championship tournament.[158]

text: In 2015, WWE entered a partnership with Evolve – a U.S. independent promotion that WWE uses as a scouting group for potential signees for their NXT brand.[159]

text: In 2016, WWE partnered with England's Progress Wrestling with Progress hosting qualifying matches for WWE's Cruiserweight Classic.[160] In 2017, Progress talent would participate in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament[161] and at WWE's WrestleMania Axxess events.[162]

text: In 2017, WWE partnered with Scotland's Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) with some ICW talent appearing in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament and at WWE's WrestleMania Axxess events.[162] WWE has also explored a deal to bring ICW programming onto the WWE Network.[163]

text: Throughout the company's history, WWE has had past arrangements with independent companies from the United States (such as Ohio Valley Wrestling among others) and Puerto Rico (such as the International Wrestling Association) with the companies serving as developmental territories.[164] WWE NXT currently serves as the official developmental territory for WWE.[165]

text: Championships and accomplishments

text: Championships

text: Current

text: Raw

text:
Raw

Championship
Current champion(s)
Reign
Date won
Days held
Location
Notes

WWE Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar
1
April 2, 2017
422
Orlando, Florida
Defeated Goldberg at WrestleMania 33

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins
1
April 8, 2018
51
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated Finn Bálor and previous champion The Miz in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 34

WWE Raw Women's Championship
Nia Jax
1
April 8, 2018
51
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania 34

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy
1
(1, 3)
April 27, 2018
32
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Defeated Cesaro and Sheamus in a tournament final at the Greatest Royal Rumble to win the vacant titles

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Cedric Alexander
1
April 8, 2018
51
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated Mustafa Ali in a tournament final on the WrestleMania 34 pre-show to win the vacant title

text: SmackDown

text:
SmackDown

Championship
Current champion(s)
Reign
Date won
Days held
Location
Notes

WWE Championship
AJ Styles
2
November 7, 2017
203
Manchester, England
Defeated Jinder Mahal on SmackDown

WWE United States Championship
Jeff Hardy
1
April 16, 2018
43
Hartford, Connecticut
Defeated Jinder Mahal on Raw

WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
Carmella
1
April 10, 2018
49
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated Charlotte Flair on SmackDown after cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Bludgeon Brothers
(Harper and Rowan)
1
(2, 1)
April 8, 2018
51
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) and previous champions The Usos in a triple threat tag team match at WrestleMania 34

text: NXT

text:
NXT

Championship
Current champion(s)
Reign
Date won
Days held
Location
Notes

NXT Championship
Aleister Black
1
April 7, 2018
52+
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans

NXT North American Championship
Adam Cole
1
April 7, 2018
52+
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated EC3, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream in a Ladder match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans to become the inaugural champion

NXT Women's Championship
Shayna Baszler
1
April 7, 2018
52+
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans

NXT Tag Team Championship
The Undisputed Era
(Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong)
1
November 29, 2017
181+
Winter Park, Florida
Fish and O'Reilly defeated Sanity (Eric Young and Killian Dain) on NXT
Fish and O'Reilly won the match and were originally champions as a duo, but after Fish suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee, Strong became recognized as co-champion under the Freebird Rule on the April 11, 2018 tapings of NXT; WWE recognizes this as a single uninterrupted reign for Fish, O'Reilly and Strong that begun on December 20, 2017, when the episode aired on tape delay

WWE United Kingdom Championship
Pete Dunne
1
May 20, 2017
374+
Rosemont, Illinois
Defeated Tyler Bate at NXT TakeOver: Chicago

text: Defunct

text: Other accomplishments

text:
Accomplishment
Latest winner(s)
Date won
Location
Notes

Money in the Bank (Men)
Baron Corbin
June 18, 2017
St. Louis, Missouri
Defeated Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn and AJ Styles to win.

Money in the Bank (Women)
Carmella
June 27, 2017
San Diego, California
Carmella won the briefcase at Money in the Bank. However, she was forced to relinquish the briefcase after James Ellsworth retrieved it for her. SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan announced that a rematch for the vacant briefcase would take place on the June 27, 2017 episode of SmackDown Live. Carmella won the rematch by defeating Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Tamina.

Mae Young Classic
Kairi Sane
September 12, 2017
Las Vegas, Nevada
Defeated Shayna Baszler in the tournament final to win.

Royal Rumble
(Men)
Shinsuke Nakamura
January 28, 2018
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Last eliminated Roman Reigns to win.

Royal Rumble
(Women)
Asuka
January 28, 2018
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Last eliminated Nikki Bella to win.

Mixed Match Challenge
The Miz and Asuka
April 3, 2018
Nashville, Tennessee
Defeated Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair in the tournament final to win.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
The Undisputed Era
(Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly)
April 7, 2018
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defeated The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) and Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong in a Winner Take All Triple Threat tournament final (with the NXT Tag Team Championship also at stake) to win.

André the Giant Memorial Trophy
Matt Hardy
April 8, 2018
New Orleans, Louisiana
Last eliminated Baron Corbin to win.

WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
Naomi
April 8, 2018
New Orleans, Louisiana
Last eliminated Bayley to win.

WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Championship
Braun Strowman
April 27, 2018
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Braun Strowman won by last eliminating Big Cass in the 50-man Royal Rumble.


document_title: Batman: The Enemy Within

question_text: when does episode 4 of batman the enemy within come out

root

text: Batman: The Enemy Within

text: Gameplay[edit]

text: Like most Telltale games, the game features a similar episodic format found in other titles (such as The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands). The player controls Batman and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne, with the game evenly split for both characters. The game features a branching narrative, similar to past Telltale games, giving the player options in approaching a situation and having that choice affect later events in the game. If the player had played the previous game, choices made, such as saving certain characters or stopping a criminal, may also be imported, though the game can be played as a standalone title. The game includes action sequences that are resolved similar to Telltale's other games, using quick time events. The series also includes investigation sequences, allowing the player to use Batman's detective skills to investigate areas. Sections of the game also present situations to the player where they may choose to approach as Bruce Wayne or as Batman. Crowd Play, a feature implemented in the predecessor, also returns for The Enemy Within, allowing streamers to let their audience interact with their session with the game.

tag: p

text: Synopsis[edit]

text: Setting[edit]

text: The Enemy Within is set in the same Batman continuity introduced in Telltale's Batman series, which took place a number of years into Batman's career. Like the previous installment, the game is set during the mid-to-late 2010s in Gotham City, primarily the Batcave, Wayne Enterprises and Gotham City Police Headquarters. The game also follows the events of the previous game, taking place between a couple of months to a year after these events.

text: Characters[edit]

text: The player once again assumes control of Bruce Wayne/Batman (voiced by Troy Baker), a billionaire who secretly fights crime to reduce crime in Gotham. His butler and former-guardian Alfred Pennyworth (Enn Reitel), Police Commissioner James Gordon (Murphy Guyer), Wayne Enterprises Chief of Technology Lucius Fox (Dave Fennoy), and Detective Renee Montoya (Sumalee Montano) also return to assist Batman in the field. The game introduces "The Agency", a mysterious government organization with its own agenda led by Amanda Waller (Debra Wilson). Other members of the organization include Special Agents Iman Avesta (Emily O'Brien) and Vernon Blake (Christian Lanz). The series also introduces Tiffany Fox (Valarie Rae Miller), the daughter of Lucius and an employee at Wayne Enterprises and Harvey Bullock (Keith Szarabajka), a police detective who distrusts both Wayne and Batman.

text: Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Laura Bailey) and "John Doe" (Anthony Ingruber) also return, now members of a group of criminals called "the Pact". Other members of this organization include Bane (J. B. Blanc), Riddler (Robin Atkin Downes), Dr. Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze (Matthew Mercer) and Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (Laura Post). Accociates of the Pact include Rumi Mori (Keone Young), an international arms dealer and Eli Knable (Alex Hernandez), the Riddler's second-in-command. Reporter Jack Ryder (Robert Clotworthy) and Wayne Enterprises Chairwoman Regina Zellerbach (Lorri Holt) return with smaller roles within the series.

text: Plot[edit]

text: Approximately one year after the defeat of the Children of Arkham, Batman continues to patrol Gotham whilst slowly regaining his reputation as Bruce Wayne, following the unveiling of his parents as criminals. Whilst targeting arms dealer Rumi Mori, he witnesses the return of the Riddler, one of Gotham's first costumed criminals. Leaving the building whilst he and his men take Mori and patrons hostage, Wayne suits up as Batman and confronts Riddler with help from Gordon and the GCPD. Riddler escapes, leaving a puzzle box for Batman to solve, whilst the Agency and their operatives arrive to help clean up. During their clean up, Batman meets Amanda Waller, the director of the Agency, as well as special agents Iman Avesta and Vernon Blake, who take over the investigation and offer to assist him in tracking Riddler. After returning to the Batcave, Bruce solves the puzzle, though is fazed when discovering a signal emitter. When Lucius Fox, the chief of technology at Wayne Enterprises investigates, he is mysteriously killed in an explosion.

text: At Lucius' funeral, Bruce reunites with former Arkham patient "John Doe", who has been released for good behavior. John, having made a number of "friends" after his release, asks Bruce to meet and joined his group, which he refers to as "the Pact". When finding out that Bruce is searching for Riddler, John claiming to be an enemy, gives him a lead to investigate in Gotham's East End. With Gordon, Batman follows the lead to discover Riddler's lair, where he discovers clues to Riddler's plans and a death trap to solve. He also finds a radio wave guided homing missile and deduces that the signal was actually a homing guide, was responsible for Fox's death. Using evidence he finds, Batman deduces that Riddler plans to target the Agency, having hacked the agent's phones and making them send the targeting signal to call missiles to their locations. Determined to find Riddler, Bruce decides to either go after Mori, who supplied the homing missiles to Riddler, or Eli Knable, his second-in-command who was captured during the fight at the casino.

text: Using his chosen source, Batman discovers Riddler's hideout on a freight ship and that he has taken several agents hostage, including Avesta and Blake. He infiltrates the hideout, but is captured by Riddler whilst trying to save them. The criminal tries to force Batman into an unfair game, forcing him to solve riddles to save the agents in the death boxes, but at the cost of Avesta's hearing. Regardless how the player performs, Batman escapes, redirects the missiles and defeats Riddler. As he is interrogated by the vigilante, Riddler is shot with a poisoned dart and dies, revealing that he is also a member of the Pact. As the Agency and GCPD arrive, Waller takes over law enforcement in Gotham and, whilst talking to Batman, reveals her knowledge of his true identity. Waller suggests he infiltrate the Pact as his alter-ego and gives him an ultimatum: work with the Agency to help arrest the Pact or risk having his identity exposed. Several moments later, a series of explosions go off throughout the city. Responding to an attack at the police arsenal, Batman battles another member of the Pact, Bane, who easily overpowers him with help from a steroid called Venom. Surviving thanks to help from either Gordon or Waller, Batman decides to follow the latter's advice and meets with John to accept his offer.

text: The two meet at a bar, where he is introduced to John's former psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel, now the criminal Harley Quinn. Suspicious of Bruce, Harley gives him a chance to prove himself by stealing a prototype electrical skeleton key from Wayne Enterprises, with them joining him during the heist. Despite problems, including an unexpected encounter with Lucius' grieving daughter Tiffany, he is able to get the device to them and an EMP generator. After this show of compliance, Bruce is called to meet the rest of the Pact and convince Bane and Mr. Freeze to vote him into the group. Successful, he joins them on their latest heist: a mysterious package guarded by an Agency convoy. With Waller refusing to help, Bruce is forced to assist the Pact and escapes with them. Upon returning to the group's hideout, the target is revealed to have been the Riddler's body, with the Pact needing it to acquire something. Bruce also discovers that his former ally Catwoman is also a member of the Pact, having helped retrieve a device for their operations.

text: After copying Riddler's eyes, Harley reveals one of Riddler's laptops, which he had left in their possession, and Bruce, John and Catwoman head to his hideout to find the location of their mark. After solving another death trap hidden in the lair, Bruce and Catwoman discover a supercomputer linked to an organization called SANCTUS that Riddler was associated with. When they fail to complete a retinal scan, the computer self-destructs and Catwoman escapes with a decrypting drive, hoping to steal another laptop in Harley's possession. The Pact also begin to suspect a mole, due to the time it took for the job to escalate, and suspicions fall on Bruce. After retrieving the laptop through help from either Selina or John, Bruce finds that SANCTUS was one of the Agency's former divisions in charge of experimentation. The laptop contains evidence of a biological weaponry and the lab's location. Waller also relieves Gordon from duty after he tries to arrest Bruce, having suspected he was involved with criminal activities.

text: While on a recon mission at the location of the lab hidden beneath a spa, Bruce is captured by Bane and is interrogated by Harley and John, forcing him to either give himself or Catwoman up. Not willing to let their betrayal go unpunished, the Pact attempt to kill the chosen person whilst they break into the lab which will either show Bruce placed in a refrigerated box or Catwoman placed in one of Riddler's death boxes when she damages the refrigerated box during the struggle.

text: Episodes[edit]

text: The game is separated into five episodes, released in approximately bimonthly intervals.

text:
No.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original release date

1
"The Enigma"
Kent Mudle
James Windeler, Patrick Kevin Day and Shanon Ingles
August 8, 2017 (2017-08-08)

2
"The Pact"
Matthew Leach
Luke McMullen, Chris Hockabout, Shanon Ingles and Patrick Kevin Day
October 3, 2017 (2017-10-03)

3
"Fractured Mask"
Sean Manning
Ross Beeley, Shanon Ingles, Lauren R. Mee and Josh R. Trujillo
November 21, 2017 (2017-11-21)

4
"What Ails You?"
TBA
TBA
January 23, 2018 (2018-01-23)

5
"Same Stitch"
TBA
TBA
February/March, 2018 (February/March, 2018)

tag: table

text: Reception[edit]

text: Batman: The Enemy Within received generally positive reviews from critics earning praise for its story, choices, action sequences, and portrayal of the Batman mythos.[2][3][4][5]


document_title: River Song (Doctor Who)

question_text: how does river song have time lord dna

question_tokens: how does river song have time lord dna

text: River Song (Doctor Who)

text: Appearances[edit]

text: Television[edit]

text: River Song first appears in the Doctor Who 2008 series two-parter "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" (written by Steven Moffat) during the Russell T Davies era of Doctor Who. Here, she encounters the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) in the 52nd century and, though he has never met her, claims to be someone he will come to trust completely. River, who is a professor of archaeology and carries a TARDIS-colour/pattern diary of her adventures, is able to convince the Doctor of his future trust in her by whispering his real name into his ear; which he explains he would only divulge under rare circumstances. In the second of the two episodes she sacrifices herself to save the people who were trapped in the Library's database, knocking out the Doctor before he can do the same. In turn, he is able to upload a copy of her consciousness into a computer, allowing her to live on in a virtual world with the archaeological team she was with in the Library. He achieves this via the use of a sonic screwdriver given to her by his future self.

text: After Moffat took over from Davies as executive producer of the show, River Song reappeared in the 2010 series. In the two-parter "The Time of Angels"/"Flesh and Stone", which takes place prior to River becoming a professor, she encounters the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), with whom she is more familiar. She leaves coordinates for the Doctor so that he may rescue her in the 52nd century, and together they investigate the crash of the spaceship Byzantium. She shows herself to be more adept at flying the TARDIS than he is and reveals to the Doctor that she is imprisoned in the "Stormcage Containment Facility" for killing "the best man I've ever known." An earlier version of River appears to assist the Doctor in the series finale "The Pandorica Opens"/"The Big Bang". After being contacted by Winston Churchill (Ian McNeice), River leads the Doctor to 102 A.D. While River is travelling in the TARDIS on her own, it explodes with her inside. The Doctor, using River's vortex manipulator, teleports her out. After the Doctor erases himself from history by flying the Pandorica into the exploding TARDIS in order to close the cracks in the universe, River helps Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) to remember the Doctor and bring him back, by giving Amy her now-blank diary. At the close of the series finale, River ambiguously suggests to the Doctor that they might be married and tells him that he will soon learn the truth about her, after which "everything changes".

text: In 2011 series opener "The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon", River, along with Amy and her husband Rory (Arthur Darvill), is contacted by a future version of the Doctor to meet up in the United States. As they enjoy a lakeside picnic, the Doctor is killed by an assailant in a space suit, and the trio give him a Viking funeral, in Lake Silencio. In 1969, the present Doctor and company subsequently encounter a little girl (Sydney Wade) who wears the space suit, which River tells the Doctor is a life support unit; the suit has been designed by the hypnotic aliens known as the Silence. Homeless, the girl is later shown regenerating in New York City, 1970. In "A Good Man Goes to War", it is revealed that River is Amy and Rory's daughter Melody (Harrison and Maddison Mortimer[4]), who was conceived in the TARDIS while it was in the Time Vortex and consequently carries Time Lord DNA; the name River Song comes from a recursive translation of Melody Pond via the language of the Gamma Forests; which have no ponds, only rivers; hence the translation of "Pond" to "River." Baby Melody is kidnapped by Madame Kovarian (Frances Barber) to become a weapon against the Doctor.[5]

text: "Let's Kill Hitler" establishes that Melody was trained by the Silence to kill the Doctor. At some point after regenerating in New York, Melody becomes Rory and Amy's childhood friend Mels (Maya Glace-Green) and grew up with them. When adult Mels (Nina Toussaint-White) is shot, and regenerates into her next incarnation (Alex Kingston), she proceeds to do what she was created for: assassinate the Doctor. Persuaded she will one day become River Song, who the Doctor cares deeply about and places in great trust, Melody chooses to resurrect the Doctor with her own regenerative energy, losing any future regenerations. The Doctor learns, however, that it is she who kills him in the future. While she is recovering in bed,the Doctor gives her the blank TARDIS-shaped/coloured diary, and in an epilogue it is revealed that Melody (now River) wants to study archaeology. At the end of "Closing Time", on the day she receives her doctorate, the Silence and Kovarian recapture her and trap her in the space suit in order to kill the Doctor as history will record. In the series finale "The Wedding of River Song", River refuses to kill the Doctor as she is supposed to, creating an alternate reality in which time has frozen and all realities are occurring at once. In order to restart time and repair reality, the two of them must touch. The Doctor marries River and convinces her to repair the timeline by letting her know that he plans to fake his own death and how. River goes to prison for his murder in order to corroborate the deception, though it is established that she regularly breaks out of prison to go on dates and adventures with him with the aid of hallucinogenic lipstick and other tricks.

text: River appears again in the fifth episode of the seventh series, titled "The Angels Take Manhattan" (2012), where she encounters the Doctor and her parents; Rory and Amy, in 1930s New York City. At this later point in her timeline, she is a professor of archaeology and a free woman, having been released from the Stormcage Prison after the Doctor erased all evidence of his existence. When her parents are sent permanently back in time by the Weeping Angels, to be forever parted from the Doctor, she arranges for Amy to leave the Doctor a message in the form of an epilogue in a book they have been reading written by her in the 1930s. Although she agrees to travel with the Doctor for the time being, she declines his offer of being a full-time companion. In "The Name of the Doctor" (2013), the deceased River's consciousness is summoned from the Library computer, where she has existed since "Forest of the Dead", into a psychic 'conference call' by the Doctor's friend Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh). There, she and Clara (Jenna Coleman) learn that the Doctor's grave, "his greatest secret", has been discovered. River maintains the psychic link with Clara after the call ends, and counsels her throughout the discovery of the Doctor's tomb, although she seems to be invisible to everyone else. When the Doctor and his companions are threatened by the Great Intelligence, she whispers the Doctor's name in order to open his tomb which is inside the TARDIS. After Clara enters the Doctor's time stream to save him from the Great Intelligence, who entered it first so he could destroy the Doctor in all his regenerations, the Doctor reveals that he could see River all along, but had been avoiding confronting her continued existence because it was too painful for him to bear. After he kisses her, River feels closure and fades away. However, before disappearing River points out that her continued presence indicates that Clara has not been destroyed by entering his time stream; and therefore, he can save her.

text: When the Doctor next encounters River, in "The Husbands of River Song" (2015), as the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi), she does not initially recognise him and he is able to learn more about what she is like when he is not around. The Doctor accompanies River (from her perspective, shortly after "The Angels Take Manhattan") on a scheme to obtain a rare diamond. He learns that in addition to him, River has had several spouses, both male and female, and is not above ruthless behaviour as she goes about her work. He also discovers that she truly loves him, but that she also genuinely believes that he does not love her back. She feels that the Doctor is above such petty emotions as love, and that he would never willingly jeopardise himself simply to help her. River ultimately discovers that the man she's been having this adventure with is actually the Doctor, with a new face she doesn't have a record of, thinking he only had 12 regenerations and that she'd already seen his last one. The pair later crash-land on the planet Darillium, where River had told the Doctor in "Forest of the Dead" that they would have their last night together. He uses time travel to ensure a perfect date, gifts her the sonic screwdriver that she had in "Silence in the Library", and comforts her by revealing that the nights on Darillium last "24 years", giving River a happy life spent with the Doctor before her impending death in the Library.

text: In 2017 series opener "The Pilot", a photograph of River is seen on the Doctor's desk in a university where he is lecturing in, beside a photograph of his granddaughter Susan Foreman. River is also referenced in the episode "Extremis", and it is revealed that she ordered her employee Nardole (Matt Lucas) to keep an eye on the Doctor for her in the event of her death.

text: Other media[edit]

text: Coinciding with the 2010 series, Alex Kingston portrays River Song narrating the "Monster Files" on the BBC website, an in-universe documentary account of Doctor Who monsters.[6] This series had previously (in 2008-09) been narrated by John Barrowman in character as Captain Jack Harkness.

text: Included with the series six DVD release, the exclusive-to-DVD bonus five-part serial Night and the Doctor (2011) references River throughout, with River appearing in the mini-episodes "First Night" and "Last Night". The serial helps explain the depth of the relationship shared by River and the Doctor – despite only appearing in 15 (14 plus one flashback, as of 2016) episodes of the television series – when Amy Pond discovers that the Doctor goes on dates with River when Amy and Rory sleep at night in the TARDIS. During the serial, the Doctor attempts to take River on a date shortly after she is imprisoned in Stormcage, but their time in the TARDIS is interrupted by two future incarnations of River, and all are in turn suspicious of the signs of "another woman" being aboard the TARDIS. The Doctor is able to be rid of the two future Rivers, but not before learning from his future self that one of them is shortly to die in the Library adventure where he first met her. (It is later revealed in "The Husbands of River Song" that the Eleventh Doctor ultimately cancelled this date, and it is the Twelfth Doctor who ends up taking River to the Singing Towers.)

text: River appears in a further direct-to-DVD mini-episode included with the series 7 box set, "Rain Gods".

text: River, alongside Smith's Eleventh Doctor, is one of two main playable characters in the PlayStation 3 Doctor Who console game The Eternity Clock. Kingston provided voice acting and motion capture physical acting for the character. In regard to River's role in the narrative of the game, the game's producer Simon Harris explains that she "realises that what’s in her diary is not what she wrote and that actually the Eternity Clock is playing with her history, as well as the Earth’s history."[7]

text: Author Gary Russell had planned to use River in the Twelfth Doctor novel The Big Bang Generation, but when he was unable to get permission to use her due to Steven Moffat planning on the 2015 Christmas special "The Husbands of River Song" being the Twelfth Doctor and River's first meeting, Moffat suggested that Russell write the story to incorporate the Seventh Doctor's former companion Bernice Summerfield instead.[8]

text: On 27 June 2015, it was announced that River Song will feature in two Big Finish dramas, Doom Coalition 2 and The Diary of River Song, alongside Paul McGann.[9] As a result, River Song becomes the first major character of the 2005–present modern era of Doctor Who to be featured in a Big Finish production (prior to 2015, the company had been restricted to only using characters from the original 1963-1989 series, plus McGann's Eighth Doctor from the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie). She also appeared in Doom Coalition 3 alongside the Eighth Doctor. It was announced in early 2016 that The Diary of River Song would return for a second series in 2017, this time Kingston would be appearing alongside Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy as the Sixth and Seventh Doctors. This box set was released early on Christmas Day 2016. [10]

text: Characterisation[edit]

text: Casting[edit]

text: For the role of River Song, whom executive producer Russell T Davies described as "sort of the Doctor's wife", the production sought to cast Kate Winslet.[11] One of Winslet's first acting roles was in the BBC1 teen drama Dark Season, written by Davies. The role of River Song eventually went to Alex Kingston, known for starring in the popular US drama ER. On Kingston's casting, Davies said, "I bloody love her!"[12] Kingston had been a fan of Doctor Who as a child.[13] Kingston, when first cast, did not expect her role to be recurring. She later learned that Moffat had always intended for Song to come back for return appearances.[14] Kingston enjoys getting to play an unusual action hero female role, and praises the show for its variety of settings and opportunities "to relive one's childhood fantasies" playing with laser guns and wearing varied costumes from one appearance to the next.[13] With regard to having to speak complicated dialogue, she said, "I'd work with a medical consultant on ER, who'd explain what we were saying, so I'd say it with a purpose and a truth. On Doctor Who, I've no idea what some of my lines mean!"[15]

text: Discussing her role alongside Tennant and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) in her 2008 introductory episode, Kingston said, "We just clicked. I've done guest roles on other shows, but rarely have I felt such a warm bond."[16] About working with Kingston, Catherine Tate said, "I'm a huge ER fan. When you hold people in awe, it's almost a disappointment when they come in and they're utterly normal. But Alex isn't disappointing at all. She's such a lovely person." David Tennant was quoted as saying, "Alex is terrific. When she's telling you stories about hanging out with George Clooney, you know she's pretty cool."[15]

text: Conception and development[edit]

text: The character was originally created purely for the plot of "Silence in the Library". Moffat knew that the team of archaeologists would have to trust the Doctor, but the Doctor's psychic paper could not explain and convince the team why he had appeared in a sealed-off library. Therefore, Moffat intended for the Doctor to know one of the archaeologists, but decided that idea was "dull" and instead decided to have one of them know him.[17] When Kingston returned to the show, Moffat explained to her some details about her character's back-story, knowledge which Smith, Gillan and Darvill did not receive until later. Kingston relates that she knows her character cannot be killed off because we saw her death in her introductory episode; each subsequent appearance is set at a different point in her character's personal history.[13] Moffat had planned out that River was Amy and Rory's daughter for "a long time" and used "Pond" as Amy's last name to create a link between the two.[18] For the filming of the sixth series, Kingston was aware of River Song's relationship to Amy and Rory, while the other cast only found out upon reading of the mid-season cliffhanger script for "A Good Man Goes to War".[19]

text: Moffat was influenced by Audrey Niffenegger's science fiction romance novel The Time Traveler's Wife, which depicts a woman who romances and marries a man who unintentionally moves through time. Niffenegger's lovers experience an asynchronous and tragic love story. He comments, "I've quite purposefully used it", though he cites his 2006 episode "The Girl in the Fireplace" as the episode which most prominently explores the book's themes in addition to its conceit.[20] Kingston herself compares the character to Niffenegger's titular Time Traveler's Wife, and like Moffat enjoys "backtracking" more and more with the character as the series progresses. The tragedy for Song highlighted by "The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon" is that she is progressing to a point where the Doctor will not know or trust her any more.[14] Kingston comments,

text: [What] Steven explained to me is that every time River sort of finds the Doctor, for whatever reason, she's never 100 percent sure which Doctor it is she's going to be meeting. And what they have already experienced together or not. So even when I come back, every time I meet Matt, I never quite know where we are in our relationship or what we have revealed or what we know about each other. Because time travel isn't linear.[13]

text: Kingston describes the character as being "like a female Indiana Jones" with regard to both characters being archaeologists and having action hero qualities. She also took inspiration from Sigourney Weaver's portrayal of Ellen Ripley in the Alien film franchise commenting that she'd always been "so envious of her for having that kind of role."[21] Kingston has also praised the way the love story between River and the Doctor has been deftly handled, stating that "I'm not sure you'd get that kind of dynamic in America". For Kingston, the physical age difference between herself and Matt Smith adds to the success of the pairing, whilst she feels that viewers have responded warmly to the notion of an action hero in her 40s.[22] Matt Smith has noted that in his characterisation of the Doctor that "River Song frightens the Doctor but he finds himself strangely attracted to her" and that "what makes her a great companion is that when she turns up all hell breaks loose!".[23]

text: River's characterisation has invited parallels with that of Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), a companion of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors introduced by Steven Moffat in 2005. According to Moffat in the Doctor Who Confidential episode accompanying "Forest of the Dead", River's blaster gun is the one previously owned by Jack in the 2005 series of Doctor Who.[24] Upon River's return in series five, Lyle Masaki of AfterElton felt that viewers had the chance to see the character "do her best to channel Captain Jack" by capturing the same "'charming rogue' vibe".[25] In May 2012 Moffat stated that River, like Jack, is bisexual. Heather Hogan, a senior editor of AfterEllen felt that Moffat's ability to create "fascinating, complicated characters like... River Song" is a direct consequence of him abiding by "Captain Jack's label-eschewing motto": "You people and your quaint little categories".[26] James Cornish of WhatCulture subsequently cited River's characterisation in a rebuke against claims of misogyny and homophobia in Moffat's writing. He described her as "a more sexual, trigger happy version of the Doctor" and "the strongest female character seen on Doctor Who for a quite a while".[27]

text: Reception[edit]

text: An article published in Metro, entitled "Doctor Who fans love River Song...", noted how praise from fans on Twitter after the airing of "Day of the Moon" focused heavily on Song.[28] In 2011, Laura Pledger of Radio Times listed Kingston as the fourth best Doctor Who guest star, writing, "For my money we’ve seen rather too much of River in the last two series, but there’s no denying Kingston has created a memorable character in Melody Pond."[29] Keith Phipps for The A.V. Club compared the Doctor and River's romantic storyline to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, "if a bit more elegantly, for my money—it echoes the plight of anyone who's watched a loved one fade into the shadowlands of dementia. This is not a story that ends well for River and she knows it, whatever flirtatious high spirits being around The Doctor stirs in her."[30] Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker felt the character to be the Doctor's "soul mate" and described Alex Kingston as "badass".[31]

text: Neela Debnath of The Independent praised Nina Toussaint-White in her role as Mels, saying she was "every bit as sassy and vivacious as her later incarnation... it was a shame that she regenerated so early on because she brought a different energy to the character".[32] However, Neil McCormick in The Daily Telegraph thought that her sudden introduction as Rory and Amy's childhood friend showed that Moffat was making it up as he went along.[33] Charlie Jane Anders of io9 felt that River Song was at her "high point" in some of the early Matt Smith episodes, where she was "generally badass and mysterious". However, with "The Wedding of River Song", Anders felt she had lost her mystery and independence, and her love for the Doctor was unrealistic.[34]

text: Whilst critical of the typical characterisation of British female science fiction characters, The Guardian's Krystina Nellis singles out River Song alongside Torchwood's Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) as positive depictions of strong female characters, stating: "It'd be difficult to find two superwomen in less need of a man to save them."[35] For her role as River Song in the 2011 series of Doctor Who, Alex Kingston won the Best Actress prize at the 2012 SFX magazine Awards.[36] In a 2012 poll conducted by SFX magazine to find the 100 sexiest female characters in science fiction and fantasy, River was voted number 22.[37] She was also included in AfterEllen.com's Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters, at number 44.[38] Character Options have also released official toys based on River Song as part of their Doctor Who range.[39] Upon being notified of her own action figure, Kingston stated she did not "quite believe it" as "you don't get that on ER."[16]