Cyber-subspecies
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In the CyberHive, ArcHivist Hegelia identified several subspecies of Cybermen descended from the Mondasians, which she termed "Cyber-subspecies". (AUDIO: Origins of the Cybermen, The Early Cybermen, The Cyber Nomads, The Ultimate Cybermen)
The CyberHive's history
CyberMondasian
The original Cybermen of the planet Mondas, the converted form of the native Mondasians, were named CyberMondasians by Hegelia. One faction of these Cybermen, the CyberFaction, fully embraced cyber-conversion and ultimately left Mondas for Planet 14, while Mondasians who were more restrained with their modifcations remained on Mondas. (AUDIO: Origins of the Cybermen)
CyberFactions
Early CyberFaction
The Cybermen of the CyberFaction, of a form identified by Hegelia as "early CyberFaction", were responsible for the first recorded invasion attempt of the planet Earth in the late 20th century. These Cybermen were led by a Cyber-Planner. (AUDIO: The Early Cybermen, TV: The Invasion)
Later, in 1986, the CyberMondasians waged an invasion of Earth which ended in the destruction of Mondas, seemingly wiping out the subspecies. (AUDIO: The Early Cybermen, TV: The Tenth Planet) Meanwhile, CyberFaction survived and broke into several groups and subspecies over the following centuries. (AUDIO: The Early Cybermen)
CyberTelosians
One subspecies came to Telos and colonised the planet, usurping the native Cryons. (TV: Attack of the Cybermen) Identified as CyberTelosians by Hegelia, (AUDIO: The Cyber Nomads) these Cybermen were responsible for the attack on the Earth Moonbase in 2070. (TV: The Moonbase, PROSE: Doctor Who and the Cybermen) Residing in the Cyber-tombs of Telos, the CyberTelosians were led by the Cyber-Controller. (TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen)
According to other accounts, however, the Cybermen of Telos were native to the planet (TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen, PROSE: Doctor Who and the Tomb of the Cybermen) and unrelated to the Mondasians, being an example of parallel evolution. (TV: The Doctor Falls)
Late CyberFaction
One group of the CyberFaction remained in Earth's solar system, (AUDIO: The Early Cybermen) In 2079, the Space Station W3 was attacked by a model of Cybermen which Hegelia identified as "late CyberFaction", still active in the solar system. Like the earlier CyberFaction, these Cybermen were co-ordinated by a Cyber-Planner. (AUDIO: The Early Cybermen, TV: The Wheel in Space)
CyberNomads
Further space-faring Cybermen, identified by Hegelia as CyberNomads, roamed and proliferated across Mutter's Spiral for centuries before a confrontation with the Vogans, resulting in a war which mostly wiped out these Cybermen. ((AUDIO: The Cyber Nomads, TV: Revenge of the Cybermen) Meanwhile, the CyberTelosians lay within the Cyber-tombs on Telos up to as late as the late 25th century. (AUDIO: The Cyber Nomads, (TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen)
Neomorph
26th century
The 26th century saw the emergence and proliferation of a new, advanced subspecies of Cyberman, identified by Hegelia as CyberNeomorphs. (AUDIO: The Ultimate Cybermen, PROSE: Killing Ground) Based on Telos, (TV: Attack of the Cybermen) it was the ArcHivists' belief that the Neomorphs came about as a result of a group of surviving CyberNomads coming across Telos, proceeding to awaken and combine their Cyber-technology with the CyberTelosians to form one, new Cyber-race. (AUDIO: The Ultimate Cybermen)
Ultimately, however, the CyberNeomorphs fell into decline. (AUDIO: The Ultimate Cybermen) After failing to destroy Earth in 2526, (TV: Earthshock) the Cybermen were engaged in a Cyber-War which endangered the Cyber-race. Seizing an alien time vessel, the CyberNeomorphs of Telos sent some of their number to Earth's solar system in 1985. There, they intended to change the course of history by using Halley's Comet to destroy the Earth, thus preventing the destruction of Mondas in 1986. This plan, however, was thwarted by the Sixth Doctor, leading in the destruction of both the time vessel and Cyber-Control on Telos. (TV: Attack of the Cybermen, AUDIO: The Ultimate Cybermen)
Isomorphs
As a result, the remaining Neomorphs were stranded in Earth's solar system in 1985. Modifying themselves, these surviving Neomorphs were dubbed CyberIsomorphs by Hegelia. Based on Earth's moon, Hegelia suggested that the Isomorphs made contact and exchanged data with the earlier CyberFaction, who were also present in the solar system. The Faction remnant were influenced to retreat into the mineral rich asteroid belt, regroup and build a stronger base from which to act. As a result, the Isomorphs had influenced the development of the Cybermen into what eventually became the Neomorphs. (AUDIO: The Ultimate Cybermen) The Isomorphs themselves attempted to convert Earth into New Mondas in 1988 only to be defeated by the Seventh Doctor, who used the Nemesis to destroy their fleet. Though Hegelia took this as the end of the Isomorphs in the 20th century, she noted that it could not be said for certain that the Cybermen of the future, despite their misfortune, had not managed to survive in the 26th century. (TV: Silver Nemesis, AUDIO: The Ultimate Cybermen)
Other subspecies
In a parallel universe version of Earth which the Tenth Doctor dubbed Pete's World, Cybermen, dubbed Human.2, were the creation of Cybus Industries, founded by the terminally ill John Lumic. These Cybermen were identified by the appearnce of the Cybus Industries "C" logo on their chest plates. Many humans were forcibly "upgraded" into Cybermen in the 2000s. (TV: Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel) These Cybermen crossed over en masse and invaded the Earth of N-Space, only to be mostly sent into the Void by the Tenth Doctor. (TV: Army of Ghosts/Doomsday) A group of these trapped Cybermen were released and attempted to conquer Earth in 1851, but were destroyed by the Doctor. (TV: The Next Doctor) However, more Cybus-derived models took to space, and their Cyber-ships appeared in the Alliance. (TV: The Pandorica Opens)
In N-Space, there existed groups of Cybermen which were all but identical in appearance to Cybus' Cybermen with the exception of their chest plates. One group was distinguished by the outline of a Cyber faceplate where the logo of a Cybus Cyberman would be. Led by a Cyber-Lord, these Cybermen manned a Cyber-ship ship which was caught in a temporal storm which sent them crashing to Earth's Arctic thousands of years before 2010, where they were found and destroyed by the Eleventh Doctor. (GAME: Blood of the Cybermen)
Most other groups of these Cybus-style Cybermen were distinguished by generic chest plating which lacked the "C" logo. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War, Closing Time, Nightmare in Silver et al.) These Cybermen were organised into Cyber Legions. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War, GAME: The Eternity Clock) Like the Arctic Cybermen, these Cybermen made several appearances in Earth's early history, preceeding the first recorded invasion, from crashed Cyber-ships. (TV: Closing Time, PROSE: Plague of the Cybermen)
Behind the scenes
- In a website launched by the BBC for the promotion of Series 2, International Electromatics, it was indicated that Cybus Industries derived their Cyberman technology from the deactivated bodies of alien Cybermen found at the North Pole.
