The Hand of Fear was originally intended for the 1976 six-part slot that was taken by The Seeds of Doom. It was inspired by the 1946 film The Beast with Five Fingers. (DCOM: The Hand of Fear) There were several versions of the script. One saw the hand as an advance guard preparing the way for an alien army. Another fixed upon two "Omegans" - representing the "hawk and "dove" - working against humanity. There were plans for the Brigadier and Harry Sullivan to appear, with the former, much like in early drafts of Pyramids of Mars, bowing out from Who in a blaze of glory.