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| [[Image:Cyberman2006long.jpg|200px|right]]
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| The '''Cybermen''' are a race of [[cyborg]]s who are amongst the most persistent enemies of [[the Doctor]]. The Doctor's first known encounter with them occured shortly before the end of his [[First Doctor|first incarnation]]. (However, the First Doctor's detailed knowledge of the existence and history of the Cybermen's home planet of [[Mondas]], and [[Susan Foreman|Susan]]'s apparent familiarity with Cybermen in the [[Death Zone]], hint at a possible earlier encounter.) The Cybermen themselves are known to have first encountered the Doctor in his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]] on [[Planet 14]], sometime prior to their first attempt to invade [[Earth]] in the [[1970s]]. They have since made numerous reappearances in their bid for world or [[Mutter's Spiral|galactic]] conquest.
| | '''Cyberman''' or '''Cybermen''' may refer to: |
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| ==Physical characteristics== | | == In-universe == |
| [[Image:649px-Newcyberman.jpg|200px|left]] | | * [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] - a type of [[cybernetic]]ally augmented [[humanoid]]s. |
| The Cybermen are [[humanoid]], but have been [[cybernetic]]ally augmented to the point where they have few to no organic parts. In their first appearance in the series, the only portions of their bodies that still seemed human were their hands, but by their next appearance, their bodies were entirely covered up in their metallic suits. It is presumed that underneath their suits there still exist organic components and they are not true [[robot]]s, but this has not been confirmed.
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| Early Cybermen had a somewhat sing-song voice constructed by putTING the INflecTION in the wrong PLAces (sic). Later Cybermen spoke in more of a monotone, emphasizing their lack of emotion.
| | == Behind the scenes == |
| | * [[Cyberman (audio series)|''Cyberman'' (audio series)]], a [[Big Finish Productions]] audio miniseries |
| | * [[Cybermen (CON episode)|''Cybermen'' (CON episode)]], an episode in series 2 of ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'' |
| | * [[The Cybermen (comic story)|''The Cybermen'' (comic story)]], a comic series published in ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' |
| | * ''[[The Cybermen (2009 box set)]]'', a 2009 box set |
| | * ''[[The Cybermen (2013 box set)]]'', a 2013 box set |
| | * [[Cyberwoman (TV story)|''Cyberwoman'' (TV story)]], an episode of [[Series 1 (Torchwood)|Series 1]] of ''[[Torchwood]]''. |
| | * ''[[Doctor Who: Cybermen]]'', a book authored by [[David Banks]] and published in [[1988]] |
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| Cybermen have a number of major weaknesses, of which the most notable is the element [[gold]]. Due to its non-corrodable nature, gold essentially chokes their respiratory systems. For example, the glittergun, a weapon used during the Cyber-Wars in the future, fired gold dust at its targets. However, in later serials, gold appeared to affect them rather like [[silver]] affects [[werewolf|werewolves]], with gold coins or gold-tipped [[bullets]] fired at them having the same effect. Other weaknesses include solvents and excessive levels of [[radiation]].
| | [[Category:Disambiguation pages]] |
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| Over the years Cybermen have been shown with various forms of [[weaponry]]. During their attack on Earth in [[1986]] they had large handheld energy weapons. Centuries later [[Telos]]ian Cybermen used a hand-held '''Cyber-weapon''' which was a form of X-ray [[laser]]. In the [[21st century]], the Cybermen who attacked [[Space Station W3]] had death rays built into their chest units. The Cybermen encountered by [[UNIT]] in the [[1970s]] displayed these same built-in weapons as well as also carrying large rifles for medium distance combat. The Cybermen who attacked the [[Nerva beacon]] in the [[third millenium]] had their weapons built into their helmets. Subsequent appearances have shown them armed almost exclusively with '''cyberguns'''. The Cybermen also have access to weapons of mass destruction known as '''cyberbombs''', which were banned by the galactic [[Armageddon Convention]].
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| The Cybermen also use small cybernetic creatures called '''cybermats''' as weapons of attack and as carriers of plagues. Cybermats resemble oversized metallic silverfish and have segmented bodies with hair-like tactile sensor probes along the base of their heads. Two models of cybermat are known to exist, the first with crystalline eyes and antennae through which they receive commands. The second have photoreceptors for eyes instead of crystals.
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| As they are few in number, the Cybermen tend towards covert activity, scheming from hiding and using human pawns or [[robot]]s to act in their place until they need to appear. Cybermen are typically credited as '''Cyber Leader''', '''Cyber Lieutenant''', and '''Cyber Scout'''. However, one Cyberman exists with a title, the '''Cyber Controller'''. The Cyber Controller has appeared in multiple forms, both humanoid and as an immobile computer. The Controller seen (and destroyed) in various serials may or may not be the same consciousness in different bodies, as it appears to recognize and remember the Doctor from previous encounters. Early in their history, some Cybermen had individual names such as "Karg," a vestigial custom from their humanoid origins (see ''History'' below). Cybermen frequently attempt to increase their number by converting their victims into Cybermen (a process known as cyber-conversion).
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| ==Appearance==
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| Unlike [[the Doctor]]'s other foes, particularly the [[Dalek]]s, the Cybermen have changed substantially in appearance over the years, looking more and more technologically advanced, although retaining certain commonalities of design. Nearly all are silver in colour, with exposed circuitry and tubing which may contain hydraulic fluids for motion covering a rubber or mylar like outer skin. Curiously, as the Doctor's encounters with the Cybermen have not been sequential with their own timeline, Cybermen from earlier periods of their history sometimes look more sophisticated than those from later ones.
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| ==History==
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| ===Origins===
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| Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of [[humanoid]]s that began to implant more and more [[cybernetic]] parts into their bodies. This led to the race becoming coldly logical and calculating, with emotions usually only shown when naked aggression was called for. Although the Cybermen often claim that they have done away with [[human]] emotion, they have exhibited emotions ranging from anger to smug satisfaction in their confrontations with the Doctor.
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| The race originated on the planet '''[[Mondas]]''', [[Earth]]'s twin planet in prehistoric times, which was knocked out of solar orbit and drifted into deep [[space]]. The '''Mondasians''', fearful for their race's survival, sent out spacecraft to colonise other worlds, including [[Telos]], where they pushed the native [[Cryon]]s aside and used the planet to house vast tombs where they could take refuge in [[suspended animation]] when necessary.
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| On Mondas, the native inhabitants installed a drive propulsion system in place of the planet's core. As the original race was limited in numbers and were continually being depleted, the Cybermen became a race of conquerors who reproduced by taking other organic beings and forcibily changing them into Cybermen.
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| ===The Earth invasions===
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| The Cybermen's first attempt at invading [[Earth]] occurred in the [[1970s]]. The Cybermen had allied themselves with industrialist [[Tobias Vaughn]], who installed mind control circuits in electrical appliances manufactured by his [[International Electromatics]] company, paving the way for a ground invasion. This was uncovered by the newly formed [[United Nations Intelligence Taskforce]], who repelled the invasion with the help of the [[Second Doctor]].
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| Shortly before his regeneration, the [[First Doctor]] met an advance force of Cybermen that landed near an [[Antarctica | Antarctic]] space tracking station in the in the year [[1986]]. This advance force was to prepare for the return of Mondas to the [[solar system]] and the draining of Earth's energy for the Cybermen's use. In the process, however, Mondas absorbed too much energy and was destroyed, as were the Cybermen on Earth.
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| In [[1988]] a fleet of Cyber warships was assembled to turn Earth into New Mondas now that their homeworld had been destroyed. A scouting party was sent to Earth in search of the legendary [[Nemesis]] statue, a [[Time Lord]] artifact of immense power, made of the "living metal" [[validium]]. Due to the machinations of the [[Seventh Doctor]], however, the Nemesis destroyed the entire '''Cyber-fleet''' instead. (''[[Silver Nemesis]]'').
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| In [[2012]], the inert head of a Cyberman was part of the Vault, a collection of alien artefacts belonging to American billionaire [[Henry van Statten]]. According to its label, it was recovered from the [[London]] sewers in [[1975]] and presumably came from the 1970s invasion attempt, although it was of a design only seen in the late [[29th century]] (''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]').
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| By the mid-[[21st century]], mankind had reached beyond its planet and set up [[space stations]] in deep space. One of these, [[Space Station W3]], known as "The Wheel," was the site of a takeover by Cybermen who wanted to use it as a staging point for yet another invasion of Earth. The [[Second Doctor]] and his companions prevented this(''[[The Wheel in Space]]'').
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| [[Image:500px-Cybermenmoon.jpg|200px|right]]The Cybermen returned in the year [[2070]], when Earth's weather was being controlled by the [[Gravitron]] installation on the [[Moon]]. The Cybermen planned to use the Gravitron to disrupt the planet's weather patterns and destroy all life on it, eliminating a threat to their survival. This attempt was also stopped by the Second Doctor (''[[The Moonbase]]'') .
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| ===The Cyber-Wars===
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| Five centuries after the destruction of Mondas, the Cybermen had all but passed into legend when an archeological expedition to the planet Telos uncovered their resting place. However, those Cybermen were not dead but merely in hibernation, and were briefly revived before the Second Doctor returned them to their eternal sleep (''[[The Tomb of the Cybermen]]''). .
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| The Doctor's imprisonment of the Cybermen was short-lived, however. By the beginning of the [[26th century]], the Cybermen were back in force, and the galactic situation was grave enough that Earth hosted a conference in [[2526]] that would unite the forces of several planets in a war against the Cybermen. A force of Cybermen tried to disrupt this conference, first by trying to infiltrate Earth in a freighter and when that was discovered by the [[Fifth Doctor]], to crash the freighter into Earth and cause an ecological disaster. Although the attempt failed, the freighter was catapulted back in time to become the [[meteor]] that wiped out the [[dinosaur]]s (''[[Earthshock]]').
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| The Cybermen faced complete defeat now that humanity was united against them in the Cyber-Wars. The glittergun had been developed as a weapon against them, and the native Cryons of the planet Telos had also risen up and sabotaged their hibernation tombs. Using a captured time travel machine, a group of Cybermen travelled back to Earth in [[1985]] to try and prevent the destruction of Mondas, but were stopped by the [[Sixth Doctor]] and his companion [[Peri]] (''[[Attack of the Cybermen]]').
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| By the late [[29th century]], the Cybermen had been reduced to small remnant groups wandering around the [[galaxy]]. One group tried to take revenge by making a desperate attempt to blow up the remnants of the planet [[Voga]], a planetoid of pure gold that had wandered into the [[:Category:Sol System|solar system]] and become a [[moon]] of [[Jupiter]]. They hoped that this would disrupt their enemy's supply of the metal, but were stopped by the [[Fourth Doctor]]. This was their last chronological appearance to date, with the Cybermen seemingly vanishing from history after this point (''[[Revenge of the Cybermen]]'').
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| [[Image:Miniscope.jpg|left|200px|A Cyberman in the [[Doctor Who items#M|Miniscope]] in ''[[Carnival of Monsters]]'']]A Cyberman was among the life-forms exhibited in Vorg's [[Miniscope]] (''[[Carnival of Monsters]]''). Cybermen were excluded from the Death Zone games, possibly out of fear that they could prove a threat to the Time Lords should they escape. Borusa, however, brought Cybermen to the Death Zone to threaten and harry the Doctor's various incarnations, probably to add greater incentive to seek refuge and answers in the Tower of Rassilon ("[[The Five Doctors"]]).
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| ===The Alternate-Earth Cybermen===
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| The Doctor's current [[Tenth Doctor|tenth incarnation]] encountered a different version of the Cybermen in an alternate universe during the events of ''[[Rise of the Cybermen]]'' and ''[[The Age of Steel]]''. These Cybermen were originally [[Earth]] [[human]]s, created by [[John Lumic]], owner of [[Cybus Industries]]. They were also still human on a fundamental level, apparently unlike their more familiar counterparts, and needed to have their emotions stifled by cybernetic equipment so that they would not go insane from the horror of their conversion into Cybermen.
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| ==Major appearances==
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| ===Television===
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| *''[[The Tenth Planet (TV story)|The Tenth Planet]]'' - [[8th October|October 8]] - [[29th October|October 29]], [[1966]]
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| *''[[The Moonbase (TV story)|The Moonbase]]'' - [[11th February|February 11]] - [[March 4]], [[1967]]
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| *''[[The Tomb of the Cybermen]]'' - [[2nd September|September 2]] - [[23rd September|September 23]], [[1967]]
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| *''[[The Wheel in Space (TV story)|The Wheel in Space]]'' - [[27th April|April 27]] - [[June 1]], [[1968]]
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| *''[[The Invasion]]'' - [[2nd November|November 2]] - [[21st December|December 21]], [[1968]]
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| *''[[Revenge of the Cybermen]]'' - [[19th April|April 19]] - [[10th May|10 May]], [[1975]]
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| *''[[Earthshock]]'' - [[9th March|March 9]] - [[17th March|March 17]] [[1982]]
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| *''[[The Five Doctors]]'' - [[23rd November|November 23]] [[1983]]
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| *''[[Attack of the Cybermen]]'' - [[5th January|January 5]] - [[12th January|January 12]], [[1985]]
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| *''[[Silver Nemesis (TV story)|Silver Nemesis]]'' - [[23rd November|November 23]] - [[7th December|December 7]], [[1988]]
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| *''[[Rise of the Cybermen]]''
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| *''[[The Age of Steel]]''
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| *''[[Army of Ghosts]]''
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| *''[[Doomsday]]''
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| ===Stage plays===
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| *''[[Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure]]'' - [[Wimbledon Theatre]], [[London]] (premiere [[March 23]] [[1989]])
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| ===Audio plays===
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| *''[[Sword of Orion]]''
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| *''[[Spare Parts]]''
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| *''[[Real Time]]''
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| *''[[The Harvest]]''
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| *''[[Bernice Summerfield: Silver Lining]]''
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| ===Novels===
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| *''[[Iceberg]]'' by David Banks
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| *''[[Killing Ground]]'' by Steve Lyons
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| *''[[Illegal Alien]]'' by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry
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| ==External links==
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| *[http://www.geocities.com/joekano/cybermen/index.htm Cybermen fan page]
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| {{Wikipedia|Cyberman}}
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| [[Category:Races and Species]]
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| [[Category:Human species]] | |
