User:Blue Rook
On Daleks, hamsters, and villains in general
Always call a spade "a spade": Daleks are simply squid-snot housed inside 1960's murder caskets that were created with a real world budget of £250. And yet I find Daleks amusing, and can't take my eyes off them. I'm not so much a fan of Doctor Who as I am a fan of the Daleks. But why would I have this level of fascination in a race of awful space monsters from a television show I have mediocre interest in? So I've given it some thought, and it is probably on account of two very different things: their physical appearance, and, their nature as the ultimate antagonist of the show.
- When it comes to physical appearance, they are very stubby, expressionless, and their arms appear rather inflexible. Now my favorite pets during childhood were hamsters; although they resemble Daleks not-at-all, when you pick them up, they do share an overall stubbiness, a blank stare, and goofy little front paws that stick out... all of which I found endlessly amusing back then.2
- Next there is the Daleks' nature as perhaps the ultimate antagonist of the show. When it comes to fiction, I naturally prefer to learn about the villains on account of the fact that my brain automatically plays devil's advocate. To save time, I try to limit myself to the most influential villains of any fictional universe (the other example being the top-most masterminds in 24). I do not believe that any other antagonists (the Master, the Cybermen, or anyone else) has done more to influence the Doctor and his universe than the Daleks.
Below are some galleries of Dalek images which I have here on the project. Eventually I will add some of my own screen captures if I feel an article is lacking.
Daleks and the Ninth Doctor
"Metaltron" overcomes modern human technology with ease
"Metaltron", unintentionally rejuvenated by Rose Tyler
"Metaltron" has not killed Rose...
"Metaltron" chooses suicide over his newfound emotions
"Metaltron" becomes an hero
The Dalek Emperor, survivor of the Time War
Another view of the Emperor with his bodyguards
The unique manipulator arm of an Assault Dalek
The unique, black-domed, double-gunstick Emperor's Personal Guard
Close-up of the Emperor
Daleks and the Tenth Doctor
The Cult's Void Ship
The Cult of Skaro and the Genesis Ark
Rajesh Singh, rather brutally killed by the Cult
An amusing encounter between a Cult Dalek and a pair of Cybermen
The Tenth Doctor, utterly fearless in the face of the most dangerous Daleks yet
Dalek Sec oversees the opening of the Genesis Ark
Daleks are hurled back into The Void
Dalek Caan uses an emergency temporal shift
New Dalek Empire individuals swarm the Valiant
The Crucible: headquarters of the New Dalek Empire
Daleks aboard the Crucible
The Supreme One of the New Dalek Empire
Close-up of the Supreme One
Dalek Caan, aboard the Crucible
Close-up of Caan
Reality bomb view 2
Z-Neutrino energy core of the Crucible
Rose, imprisoned in the Vault aboard the Crucible
The Doctor's "children of time" are powerless
Daleks and the Eleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor confronts an "Ironside"
The Doctor bluffs the last 3 Daleks in existence
The New Dalek Paradigm emerges
The Doctor and the New Dalek Paradigm
An incarnation of Clara Oswald is trapped inside a Dalek casing
Daleks and the Twelfth Doctor
Rusty's real eye
The shrunken Twelfth Doctor meets Rusty
Every Dalek-lover should read
- The Economist's obit Ray Cusick, designer of the Daleks
