The ‘Doctor Who’ Comic-Con Pop-Up Offers a Fun Peek at UNIT’s ‘Black Archive’

Across the street from the San Diego Convention Center, there’s a secret trove of artifacts from some of the biggest clashes across time and space. Well, it’s not so secret: there’s a TARDIS photo op right in front to help you find it. Doctor Who‘s future isn’t yet known—even the identity of the next Doctor isn’t certain—but the show’s SDCC pop-up ties into the show’s past as well as its upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea.

The “Black Archive”—inspired by the 2013 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor”—takes you inside UNIT’s classified stash of alien findings and other oddities, including old-school homages and several items recognizable from Ncuti Gatwa’s recent stint as the Doctor.

When you enter, you’re granted top-secret clearance by hosts in character as UNIT agents. You’re allowed to closely examine the displays, which are marked with handwritten tags in a room filled with a mysterious fog. We spotted this scaly egg dated “2025,” likely a nod to The War Between the Land and Sea—a literal Easter egg, perhaps?

Here’s a gallery featuring more images; recent archive entries appear to be Belinda Chandra’s notorious star certificate, a reel of film from Mr. Ring-a-Ding himself, Time Hotel files, and a display of yellow mugs from the Fifteenth Doctor’s reality-bending final episodes.

Remember: the Twelfth Doctor hates pears!

If you stop by the Black Archive in the evenings (July 24-26, 6-8 p.m.), you can undertake a “mission,” rounding up clues hidden among the exhibits to assist the Doctor. The missions will change each night, and if you get stuck, those helpful UNIT agents can point you in the right direction.

Otherwise, the space—located at the Harbor Club in the Gaslamp District, 100 E. Harbor Dr., San Diego—is open as an exhibit; if you’re at SDCC, you can visit July 24-26 from 10am-8pm, or July 27 from 10am-5pm. Because it’s Comic-Con, there’s also a merch area; if you’re not in San Diego this week, you can check out the offerings online at the BBC Shop. There’s also an online component to the exhibit: “UNIT HQ,” which you can access here.

And if you really want to go all out, the Comic-Con Museum in nearby Balboa Park is also hosting an exhibit titled “Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction,” featuring even more props from the show as well as costumes. Learn more about that here.

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