A freak accident in a quarry leaves the unconcious Sarah clutching an enormous stone hand.

The Hand is the only surviving remnant of Eldrad, an alien super-being expelled from his planet, Kastria - and it has the power to control the human mind. Using Sarah as its instrument, the Hand goes in search of the atomic energy it needs to regenerate Eldrad's body.

Eldrad is determined to return to Kastria and punish his enemies. The Doctor and Sarah are caught up in the terrifying conclusion of a drama of betrayal and revenge that began millions of years ago.
 

"Eldrad must live!"

Eldrad was once hailed as the saviour of the world of Kastria. He erected force barriers around the planet, preventing its imminent destruction. However, when the Kastrians refused to submit to his dictatorship, he removed his force-fields condemning the entire civilization to a slow and agonising death. For this, the mightiest of crimes, the people of Kastria sentenced Eldrad to obliteration.

Millions of years later, the Doctor's TARDIS materialises in an English quarry. A freak accident traps the Doctor's young friend, Sarah Jane Smith, under tons of rock. When she is rescued, she is frantically clinging to a large stone hand. Taken to a local hospital, it soon becomes clear that Sarah has been possessed.

After she goes missing - still clutching the hand - the Doctor follows a trail of death and destruction to a nearby atomic power station.

What strange power does the handhave over Sarah? Why has she fought her way to the very core of the nuclear reactor. How can she possibly survive the normally lethal radiation? To answer these questions, the Doctor must travel across the galaxy to a long-dead world - after which, life will never be quite the same again...

Originally transmitted 2 October 1976 - 23 October 1976

Running time: 98 mins approx.

Produced by Phillip Hinchcliffe
Directed by Lennie Mayne
Cover Illustration by Colin Howard