The Special Weapons Dalek was a heavily-armoured Dalek with enhanced defensive capacities and even greater offensive capacities.
History
The Special Weapons Daleks were created not before the Battle of Pejorica. In 1854, through a time corridor, an inoperative Special Weapons Dalek landed back in time in the house of Michael Faraday. (AUDIO: The Four Doctors)
While Ace was in Spacefleet fighting in the Second Dalek War, she witnessed a Special Weapons Dalek vaporise a Red Crescent ship full of children. She drilled through its motive units so it couldn't move in an attempt to steal its energy banks. While she did this, it begged her to kill it. Ace listened to its cry until its power ran out. (PROSE: Lucifer Rising)
After detecting the Sixth Doctor on Skaro, the Daleks later known as the Renegades sent the Special Weapons Dalek to exterminate him. Later, the then-Dalek Emperor sent the Special Weapons Dalek to Spiridon to deal with Davros's Daleks there. (COMIC: Emperor of the Daleks!)
The Imperial Daleks employed the Special Weapons Dalek against the Renegades during the Shoreditch Incident. After it had done its work, it returned to the Imperial Dalek mothership via the Imperial Dalek Shuttle. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks) Following their encounter with Davros, the Renegade Daleks also began using a Special Weapons Dalek variant in their campaigns. (PROSE: War of the Daleks)
During the Dalek invasion of Earth in 2254, Special Weapons Daleks were deployed on to the streets of Tokyo. (GAME: Dalek Attack)
At some point when a Dalek Emperor was back in control, a Special Weapons Dalek named Scout Seven was utilised by the Supreme on Kar-Charrat. (AUDIO: The Genocide Machine)
Special Weapons Daleks were deployed to Lopra Minor to act as ground troops. (AUDIO: Project Infinity)
By the 53rd century, the Daleks had entire platoons of Special Weapon Daleks. (COMIC: Fire and Brimstone)
At least one Special Weapons Dalek was among the insane Daleks contained in the Dalek Asylum planet. It appeared to be one of the inactive and/or catatonic of the Dalek inmates. The planet was obliterated by the Parliament of the Daleks, destroying the Special Weapons Dalek along with all the other Daleks in the Asylum. (TV: Asylum of the Daleks)
At least one Special Weapons Dalek was among the Daleks who operated on the rebuilt Skaro where the dying Davros lived as he called the Twelfth Doctor to him. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice) These Daleks were destroyed by the rejuvenated Daleks from the sewers. (TV: The Witch's Familiar)
Features and appearance
Unlike a conventional Dalek, the Special Weapons Dalek had no manipulator arm or eye-stalk. Instead, it had an enormous energy cannon mounted on the front of the armoured casing in place of the usual small gunstick and several gold squares around the dome in place of the usual eye-stalk.
The Special Weapons Dalek's firepower was so great that one shot completely vaporised two conventional Renegade Daleks, leaving only a pair of burn marks, and the armour was sufficient to deflect conventional Dalek energy weapons without suffering any apparent harm.
Initially, the Special Weapons Dalek had a conventional grey livery, marred by dark green stains. (COMIC: Emperor of the Daleks!) Later, like other Imperial Daleks, its livery was white with gold bumps, but with sections of metallic grey armour covering most of the upper portion with much battle scoring.
It was capable of speech, and the gold squares around its dome were shown to light up whenever it spoke, much like the sets of luminosity dischargers seen on the domes of conventional Daleks. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice, The Witch's Familiar)
Psychology
It has been stated that the enormous power source required for its weapon resulted in high levels of radiation being released and altering the structure of the Dalek's brain, resulting in insanity. It was only used in extreme situations and was unofficially known among the Daleks as the Abomination. (PROSE: Remembrance of the Daleks)
Behind the scenes
One of a kind?
Whether or not the Special Weapons Dalek in Remembrance of the Daleks is unique, or one of many is without definitive proof. The novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks implies the existence of only one Special Weapons Dalek, giving it a personal history and the name "Abomination". In something of a contradiction, Emperor of the Daleks! and Remembrance show a Special Weapons Dalek fighting for the Renegade and Imperial factions respectively. Finally, Fire and Brimstone shows an entire army of Special Weapons Dalek, either disproving the myth or showing the eventual mass production of the type. In the Dalek Survival Guide it is stated that they were mass-produced, and that two other, more intelligent models existed, the Air-borne Dalek and camouflaged Torpedo Dalek. However, this is a non-narrative, so it is not a legitimate source of information on this wiki.
From a production perspective, only one prop was used in the series before 2015. A second, however, was used in The Witch's Familiar, customised to feature a glowing top.
Non-valid sources
The video game Lego Dimensions features a Special Weapons Dalek during the final boss of the Doctor Who level included with the game. The Dalek attacks the three main cast members while a shrink ray enlarges it.
Other matters
There were originally meant to be two variants of Special Weapons Dalek. However, the second design was scrapped.
According to Sylvester McCoy on the audio commentary for Remembrance of the Daleks, cast and crew used to refer to the Special Weapons Dalek as the "Rambo Dalek" on set. During the same commentary, Sophie Aldred refers to it as a "Punk Dalek". In the non-fiction book A History of the Universe in 100 Objects it is stated that writer Ben Aaronovitch nicknamed the Special Weapons Dalek 'Christina' after an ex-girlfriend.
Special Weapons Daleks would have been featured in the aborted 30th anniversary film The Dark Dimension. A popular design passed among fans shows a grey Dalek with more weapons added, but this was not a design ever considered for the film. Despite this, a new design for the Special Weapons Dalek was envisioned, but has never been released due to copyright disputes.
Prior to The Witch's Familiar, the Special Weapons Dalek never spoke onscreen. Voice actor Nicholas Briggs decided to give it a "big beefy voice".[1]
Special Weapons Dalek is one of Dalek enemies used in the Doctor Who: Legacy mobile game.