You can’t keep a good evil villain gone for long, especially when it’s a sci-fi show wherein characters can live for thousands of years and is the hero’s archest of nemeses. Ready your parasols and put your hair up because the latest incarnation of the Doctor’s old friend/foe the Master, now known as Missy, played by Michelle Gomez, has been confirmed to appear in the two-part opener of Doctor Who‘s ninth series.

The BBC has sent out a press release today that Gomez will return in the first two episodes of the ninth series, called “The Magician’s Assistant” and “The Witch’s Familiar,” written by Steven Moffat and directed by Hettie Macdonald, who returns to the show after having only directed one episode back in 2007. That episode happened to be “Blink,” though, so her Doctor Who royalty is already set in stone… get it, cuz the Weeping Angels?

Gomez, who played Missy throughout last year but really proved delightfully, scarily bananas in the two-part finale, had this to say about playing the evil Time Lady again: “Things have been a little beige since I left Missy behind, so I’m delighted to be putting my lippie back on. I’m positively dying to see The Doctor again!”

Moffat, in his usual excitedly cryptic style, added this: “Everybody hide – Michelle Gomez as Missy was an instant hit last year, so she’s straight back to plague the Doctor and Clara in the series opener. But what brings her back into their lives is the last thing they’d expect.”

A number of guest stars were announced for the episodes as well, including the return of Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, head of UNIT, who has been in three episodes thus far.

Another name listed that really has me intrigued is Clare Higgins. Now, you might not know the name, but Higgins portrayed Ohila, the Sister of Karn that helps the Eighth Doctor regenerate into the War Doctor in the 50th Anniversary mini-sode “Night of the Doctor.” Unless Higgins is playing a new character, which let’s face it is entirely possible, I foresee a return to Karn in the premiere. And since the Sisterhood of Karn (first appearing in the Fourth Doctor story “The Brain of Morbius”) are referred to as witches a lot, the second episode’s title “The Witch’s Familiar” makes all the more sense.

Needless to say, all of this news has me really excited and my mind races just thinking about it. Series 8 might not have been everybody’s cup of tea, but I think it ended very strongly and Gomez’s portrayal of the Master/Missy was easily my favorite iteration of the character, second only to Roger Delgado’s.

Are you stoked to see Missy again? What do you make of the titles of the episodes and the return of the Sisterhood?