Who or What Are The 456?

Question

I have only recently completed Torchwood (excluding Miracle Day) and have a few queries about Children of Earth.

First and foremost, who/what is the 456? I understand that they are effectively drug addicts/dealers and I know the children are the drug, but what are they? There must be some connection to another alien in the Doctor Who universe, or at least some way of telling what species this thing is. (I do also understand that the mystery of what this creature is adds to the suspense of the story).

Secondly, (these are just side questions) do we know what happened after the 456 left Earth? Was there any procedures or laws carried out?

Finally, do we know if the 456 only took children from Earth or other planets as well?

Answer 1

We (currently) know nothing additional about The 456, aside from what was revealed in the Children of Earth. We've not seen them again in any of the Doctor Who shows, spinoffs, novels, etc.

They do get a brief mention in one of the audio stories, in which we learn that they were indeed capable of abducting 10% of Earth's children, but nothing more can be gleaned.

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So, to answer your questions (in order):

• No, we don't know who they are.
• They're aliens.
• After they left Earth, various laws were enacted that allowed the extradition of Torchwood Three to America and declare them all officially dead.
• We don't know if they took children from other planets.