More actions
The 2060s Dalek invasion of Earth was a conflict between the World Government of humanity and the Dalek Empire. Although Dalek and human forces directly clashed on several recorded occasions, the war was largely characterised by a lack of fighting. Within the solar system, tensions gradually rose in official circles as news of the Daleks' technologicial advancements reached them. On Skaro, the Daleks were guided by a directive to invade and conquer the entire universe which, as they encountered more humanoid species, evolved into a specific desire to stamp out the quality which the Dalek Prime labelled "human spirit".
A blindspot for some time, the Daleks eventually discovered the location of Earth after a passenger spacecraft from the planet landed on Skaro. The Emperor immediately launched his fleet in preparation for the invasion. However, the culmination of multiple years of hostility was foiled in most part by the outside involvement of the Elders, telepaths of great power who had seeded Earth in the distant past. Just one ship survived the onslaught, which carried the Emperor and his closest advisors, the Black Dalek and the Red Dalek, who vowed as they fled to return for another oppurtunity to invade. Kaslan, leader of the Elders, acknowledged this inevitability, telling Commander Trent and his men that the Daleks would be resisted by "another" at some point in the future.
History
Rise of the Daleks
On 30 January 2065, TV 21 issued its first news piece about Skaro. It stated that a neutron bomb had accidentally exploded on the planet, completely destroying the Dalek capital city of Dalazar. War Lord Zolfian and scientist Yarvelling were reported to be the only survivors of the catastrophe. Further details about the story were available on the twentieth page of the publication. (PROSE: Stingray Attacked!) It transpired that radiation from the bomb caused mutations in the original race of Daleks and that they retreated into Yarvelling's invention, originally intended as a War Machine but used as a casing, to survive. (COMIC: Genesis of Evil) A photograph depicting one of the new Daleks accompanied the article. (PROSE: Stingray Attacked!)
On 13 February, the Space Agency released a report revealing that only hours after work on the new Dalek City had been completed, evidence of a spacecraft entering Skaro's atmosphere was picked up on the Electron Displacement Recorder. It also noted that the Dalek Emperor ordered "immediate evasive action". (PROSE: Fireball Surrenders!) A week later on 20 February, a Space News Agency report clarified that the Daleks had spread sand over their city as protection and camouflage. It also elaborated on the intent of the unidentified enemy, claiming that the sole purpose of their mission appeared to be the mining of sand and that slaves were ordered to collect the very sand which covered the Dalek City. A statement indicating the Daleks were expected to make a counter-attack concluded the story. (PROSE: Titan Declares War!) By 13 March, the Daleks were reported to have captured the hostile spacecraft which was identified as Krattorian. Further reports reaching the London office suggested that the slaves were progressing their plans to overthrow their "evil master" Kest. (PROSE: Superjet Shot Down)
On 20 March, the Space News Agency publicised the fact that the Daleks had discovered the missing link they needed to begin their conquest of space. For the first time, this information gave rise to concern in official circles because, as communicated in the statement, if the Daleks managed to achieve their aims then the whole universe would be in danger. (PROSE: Jungle Terror!) This revelation prompted the News Agency to develop methods in order to monitor Dalek activity on a more reliable basis; further reports were obtained in full colour via a hyper-space video-phone. (COMIC: Power Play)
On 3 April, the Space News Agency reported that the Dalek City was struck by lightning. This occurrence aroused much speculation on Earth because the Daleks were known to be experimenting with a particularly dangerous new metal. (PROSE: Stingray Hunts Aliens) On 24 April, the Agency released details on the events of the succeeding days. The Dalek Robot Brain ordered Zeg and the Emperor to fight a duel to the death. The situation arose when Zeg, a worker in the invention shop, discovered a new hardening metal. He offered to share his knowledge with the rest of his species providing he was made Emperor. (PROSE: Zodiac's Rescue Bid!) The hyper-space video-phone recorded that the Emperor won the duel when he crushed Zeg's casing with the extreme cold of liquid oxygen. (COMIC: Duel of the Daleks)
Agent Graham Page of the Universal Secret Service discovered TV 21's Dalek-focused bulletins around this time, published weekly on Wednesday mornings. (PROSE: Graham Page) Agent Howard Whitehead was also proactive in defending against the possible Dalek threat. He had an idea for how to make model Daleks, composed of such materials as plastic glass, plasticine, matchsticks and wood. Whitehead sent the plans to Senior Special Agent Twenty One who commended him for using his brain. Twenty One also informed him that HQ used his blueprints to create several models and that a mock battle was planned between them and their models of the World Government Army. (PROSE: From Howard Whitehead)
In Campden Town, New London, Mars, an amateur radio astronomer picked up a mysterious message. The message, which repeated over and over again, stated "All you have left is fear. The Daleks are coming!". On 22 May, it was reported that the communication had filled the entire planet with speculation and alarm but that the signal had not yet been picked up by any astronomers on Earth. In any event, the Space News Agency assured the general public that the Daleks did not pose any threat because Skaro was so many millions of light years away from the solar system. (PROSE: Tempest Awarded V.M.)
First contact
Agent Peter Ayliffe, who was relatively new to the Universal Secret Service, wrote to Twenty One to tell him of the Identicode he invented for the Dalek Emperor. Ayliffe requested that Twenty One print details of the Identicode if it pleased the Emperor so other Special Agents would be able to use it. Twenty One assigned Agent 0031 to travel to Skaro and personally deliver the invention but, as Twenty One stated in his reply to Ayliffe, 0031 was never heard from again. (PROSE: From Special Agent Peter Ayliffe)
Soon after this, Twenty One recieved a letter from Agent J. Webster which claimed that their mother had "won" them a "Dalek Suit" the previous Wednesday. Although Twenty One congratulated Webster on the Dalek Suit, believing it to be simply a representation of a Dalek, Webster exhibited several behavioural changes consistent with that of the genuine article. Webster asserted to have "bec[o]me a Dalek" to the extent of self-identifying as "Special Agent Dalek" and also admitted to making former "pals" prisoners and then disintegrating them. (PROSE: From J. Webster)
The Daleks' conquest of space
The hyper-space video-phone recorded the Daleks' attempted invasion and eventual destruction of Alvega, Skaro's closest neighbor. The Dalek Prime vowed from that point onwards that which they could not conquer they would destroy. (COMIC: The Amaryll Challenge) On 26 June, Space Station KZ 24 reported that the main Dalek Fleet had left Alvega and started heading in the general direction of the solar system. According to the laser beam interceptor operator on KZ 24, the Emperor ordered part of his fleet to stay on Alvega while he led the rest to fresh conquests. Following the report, the Malagan Planet System of Galaxy Andromeda ordered the full mobilisation of its army in case of any attempted occupation. In their first act of direct hostility towards the Daleks, the Solar System pledged its full support for Malagan if needed. (PROSE: Daleks Seek New Conquests)
As the Daleks continued to conquer, more people on Earth became aware of their presence with several agents of the Universal Secret Service mentioning them in their communications to Twenty One. Derek Connell knew reports on Dalek activity were obtained via hyper-space video-phone (PROSE: From D. Connell of Essex) and R. Miles noted these among a list of news stories they kept up with. (PROSE: From R. Miles) J. Gray complimented TV 21 on their coverage of the Daleks, agreeing that a headline feature to affirm their threat to humanity was a good idea. (PROSE: J. Gray) The Daleks also took over large swathes of popular culture when a film called Dr. Who and the Daleks was produced with Peter Cushing in the title role. (PROSE: Peaceful Thals Ambushed!, From Agent 671107) Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, the London agent for International Rescue, (COMIC: The Vanishing Ray) interviewed Roberta Tovey, Jennie Linden and Roy Castle regarding their positions as co-stars. Although all three were acting, the reality of the Dalek threat was not underplayed. Penelope speculated that Roberta had experienced sleepless nights during filming and Roy openly admitted he was more scared than when he was in his horror film. Likewise, Parker, Lady Penelope's driver, was visibly terrified when she told him they were going to have lunch "with the Daleks" and it was not until she elaborated that he calmed down. (PROSE: Lady Penelope Investigates the stars of the Sensational new film Dr. Who and the Daleks!)
After the destruction of Alvega, the Daleks set their sights on Solturis, a planet rich with minerals. Solturis subsequently reported sightings of a Dalek invasion fleet; the World Government was said to be watching developments carefully. (COMIC: The Amaryll Challenge) Indeed, they were kept abreast of events through accounts from both the Solturian News Agency and Space News Agency. (COMIC: The Penta Ray Factor) One such article, released on 31 July, noted that Prince Jareth had been called in by Mirva to investigate another prophecy of Lurr which was possibly related to his continuing opposition to the Daleks. (PROSE: Peaceful Thals Ambushed!) The Solturians were ultimately victorious in defeating the Daleks and the traitor Geltis in their plan to destroy the capital city of Bulos with the Pentaray. The Dalek Emperor had left Solturis prematurely but was unable to renew hostilities when the forces left behind were crushed because the fleet was recalled to deal with a crisis on Skaro. (COMIC: The Penta Ray Factor)