"Supreme Dalek", or "Dalek Supreme", was the name given to many Daleks, usually within the Black Dalek ranks, to serve the role of commander.
Hierarchy
Under the leadership of a Dalek Emperor, "permanent" Supreme Daleks made up the Dalek Supreme Council, (AUDIO: We Are The Daleks) although this title or the equivalent "Supreme Controller" could also refer to the leader of a specific operation or territory. (TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth) In the absence of an Emperor, a singular Dalek Supreme could serve as the leader of the entire Dalek Empire; (AUDIO: The Davros Mission, The Demons) "the" Dalek Supreme could also be the designation of a singular Dalek serving as second-in-command to the Emperor. (AUDIO: Invasion of the Daleks, et al.)
Indeed, debate had emerged at the time of the publication of The Dalek Survival Guide as to whether every member of the Dalek Council held the title of Supreme, or an equivalent title like "Supreme Controller", or if only a singular Dalek held the position as the Emperor's second-in-command. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide) Some accounts did depict multiple Daleks as being able to hold the "Supreme" title at one time. (AUDIO: We Are The Daleks, PROSE: Dalek, et. al) Unconditional obedience to "the" Supreme Dalek and belief that it would lead the Daleks to victory was one of the six "articles of faith" comprising the Dalek creed (PROSE: The Dalekreed)
Supreme Daleks were subordinate to the Dalek Time Controller (PROSE: The Dalek Generation, AUDIO: Vengeance) and its successor, the Dalek Time Strategist, who served as second-in-command to the Emperor in the Last Great Time War. (AUDIO: Restoration of the Daleks, Temmosus) While the Celestial Intervention Agency believed Supreme Daleks were more intelligent than typical Dalek drones, (PROSE: The Dalek Problem) any Dalek mutant could become a Supreme after its creation, though it was a billion to one chance, with most mutants instead being designated Dalek drones. (PROSE: Dalek)
History
Dalek City
- Main article: Dalek Supreme (Return to Skaro)
The first known Dalek Supreme resided deep below the Dalek City in the city's incubation level, held in a large nutrient tank. (AUDIO: Return to Skaro) After the Thal-Dalek battle had disabled the Daleks' main power source, (TV: The Daleks) the incubation level was sealed off, suspending the Supreme for decades before it was found by Tryana. Convincing her that it desired peace, the Supreme had her restore power to the Dalek City. When the First Doctor returned to Skaro, the Supreme abandoned the ruse and transferred itself to a black casing so it could lead its resurrected army against the Thals only for the Doctor and his companions to destroy the Dalek force. (AUDIO: Return to Skaro)
22nd century Dalek invasions of Earth
- Main article: Supreme Controller (The Dalek Invasion of Earth)
- Main article: Dalek Supreme (Vengeance)
The Dalek Supreme was on his way to supervise the production of thousands of Dalek War Machines on an Earth-like planet in 2135, which was infiltrated by the Second Doctor. The Doctor went to moved to sabotage the production, but was spotted leaving his Homemade Dalek casing and was forced to flee. The Daleks searched for him and, unable to tell which one was the impostor, began destroying each other. The Dalek Supreme contacted them from his Dalek flying saucer and ordered them to stop, but the Doctor then impersonated the Dalek Supreme and ordered the Daleks to destroy themselves. The Doctor escaped in the TARDIS just before the Dalek Supreme arrived, having struck a devastating blow against the Daleks. (COMIC: The Doctor Strikes Back)
A Black Dalek known as a Supreme Controller directed the Bedfordshire operation. It had a terrifying pet called the Slyther, which it let roam free around the mines at night, killing those it found. The Supreme Controller's voice was considerably higher than the other Daleks'. A black-and-silver-coloured Dalek referred to as the Saucer Commander was also used during this invasion. (TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth)
During an attempt to reinvade the Earth in 2223, another Dalek Supreme in a black casing was dispatched to oversee the effort by the Parliament of the Daleks. However, the Supreme found itself a pawn of the Dalek Litigator, which had travelled to the time period to confront the Bruce Master. After fighting off the invasion, the Master tortured and killed the Supreme. (AUDIO: Vengeance)
Alternate timeline of the 22nd century
The Daleks on Earth were led by a Gold Dalek in an alternate timeline in which World War III had occurred in the late 20th century, enabling the Daleks to take over. (TV: Day of the Daleks)
Second Dalek War
During the 26th century, Supreme Daleks were gold with black trim. The Master liaised with one after he'd been hired to start another human-Draconian war. (TV: Frontier in Space) The Time Lords believed this Dalek to be a subordinate "outpost commander" who deputised for the Dalek Supreme. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual)
Another, a member of the Dalek's Supreme Council, arrived to take command of operations on the planet Spiridon. He exterminated the Dalek Section Leader for its incompetence and ended up stranded after Thals stole his ship, but called for another one. The second Supreme had an eye-stalk that lit up when he was speaking. (TV: Planet of the Daleks)
During the Second Dalek War, a red-and-gold Supreme Dalek led Grey Daleks in an attack on the Cathedral of Contemplation. (AUDIO: Out of Time) Later, at a point when the war was waged by new bronze Daleks, the Dalek Inquisitor General known as Dalek X was subordinate to the Supreme Dalek. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks)
Circa 4000
A Black Dalek serving as the Dalek Supreme dispatched a Dalek execution squad to pursue the Doctor through space and time in response to defeating their invasion of Earth, (TV: The Chase) and later led the Great Alliance on the planet Kembel in their plan to destroy Earth. (TV: The Daleks' Master Plan) As it was second-in-command of the Dalek race, the Dalek Supreme was considered irreplaceable by the Dalek Prime. (PROSE: The Mutation of Time) Some historians claimed that this Dalek Supreme was the last surviving member of the Supreme Council, which had been whittled down over the course of the Dalek Wars. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)
However, over a thousand years later, when the Dalek Prime had become the Dalek Emperor, there were several Black Daleks, (PROSE: The Evil of the Daleks) in addition to black-domed Daleks serving as lieutenants and guards. (TV: The Evil of the Daleks)
Dalek-Movellan War
Although there were multiple Supreme Daleks that served the Dalek Emperor during the Dalek-Movellan War, (AUDIO: The Triumph of Davros) one Dalek Supreme acted as the Supreme Commander of the Daleks. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks)
A Dalek Supreme was in command of the Kembel faction during the war, leading efforts to regain lost knowledge of time travel. It led the response to a Movellan rocket landing on Kembel after pursuing a crashed ship containing the Tenth Doctor and Davros. Whilst captured by the Movellans, Davros feigned proposing an alliance between the warring powers against Earth instead and used the pathweb to call on all Supremes to follow the truce and join him. The Kembel Supreme had the transmission suppressed and worked with the Doctor against the Movellans, only to discover Davros' true plan when he used the pretence of the alliance to infect the First Movellan with a virus. During an ensuing Earth Protection Corps attack on Kembel, the Supreme was destroyed by Anya Kingdom when it tried to prevent the Doctor stealing the faction's time machine. (AUDIO: The Triumph of Davros)
Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War
A schism developed between the Daleks led by the Dalek Supreme and those still loyal to their creator Davros. Following the Dalek-Movellan War, the Supreme Dalek was a fully black Dalek, with white bumps and a more hollow voice. It oversaw the rescue of Davros. (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks) When the Daleks captured Davros for trial following his creation of a new impure race of Daleks, he tried to convince them he was their master, to which they responded they obeyed only the Supreme Dalek. Davros stated he could make them all Supreme Daleks but they would not release him. (TV: Revelation of the Daleks)
As the Civil War entered full swing, the Dalek Supreme remained the leader of the Renegade Daleks that opposed the Imperial Daleks commanded by Davros, who had claimed the title of Dalek Emperor. This variation was also mainly black, but had silver sensor globes, shoulder slats and neck rings, orange dome-lights, and a less-tapered "skirt" section. The Supreme led the Renegade expedition seeking the Hand of Omega in the Shoreditch Incident, ending up the last survivor after the Imperial forces defeated them. The Seventh Doctor convinced it that it had no purpose, driving it into a state of confusion and distress, causing it to destroy itself. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
During the Civil War, Davros, despite his animosity towards the Dalek Supreme, gave his Imperial Daleks a Supreme Council of their own. (PROSE: The Restoration Empire) One particular Imperial Supreme Dalek served as his second-in-command. (AUDIO: The Curse of Davros) After Davros deserted his faction of Daleks, one member of the Supreme Council exterminated the other Supreme Daleks and proclaimed himself the new Dalek Emperor, succeeding Davros. (PROSE: The Restoration Empire)
53rd century
A Supreme Dalek, assisted by a Black Dalek, led the invasion of the New Earth System aboard the Dalek Hive. It planned to collapse the star into a black hole and invade the multiverse to exterminate all impure Daleks. It was significantly larger than other Daleks and possessed an actual eye with veins and a claw-manipulator. It was destroyed by the impure Daleks. (COMIC: Fire and Brimstone)
Second Great Dalek Occupation
During the Second Great Dalek Occupation, a Dalek Supreme served as second in command to the Emperor during the campaign against the Earth Alliance. It recruited Susan Mendes to be the "Angel of Mercy" (AUDIO: Invasion of the Daleks, The Human Factor, "Death to the Daleks", Project Infinity) and issued standing orders for her protection. (AUDIO: Return of the Daleks)
After the outbreak of the Enemy-Alliance Dalek War, the Supreme became the leader of the entire Dalek Empire, due to the absence of the Emperor who had transferred its mind into Susan to evade capture by the Alliance Daleks. (AUDIO: Dalek War: Chapter One) It made a deal with Earth Alliance Commander Kalendorf for a truce and to fight together against the Alliance Daleks, in return for the delivery of Susan to retrieve the Emperor. (AUDIO: Dalek War: Chapter Three) As it took Susan away, it promised Kalendorf he would see her again. (AUDIO: Dalek War: Chapter Four)
The Supreme was with the Emperor on Dalek-occupied Earth when Kalendorf visited after the defeat of the Alliance Daleks. It was killed when Kalendorf initiated the Great Catastrophe. (AUDIO: Dalek War: Chapter Four)
Susan Mendes hybrid
A single Dalek outpost in the Seriphia Galaxy survived the Great Catastrophe by diverting the destructive signal into a single drone. In doing so, the drone absorbed the entire imperial command network and the minds of the Dalek Emperor and Susan Mendes. It was declared the new Dalek Supreme. (AUDIO: The Demons) This Supreme's voice notably retained Susan's human voice, though distorted. (AUDIO: The Healers)
The Supreme oversaw the Daleks' return to Mutter's Spiral approximately two thousand years after the Catastrophe. (AUDIO: The Healers, The Demons, The Warriors) It personally led the Daleks' attack on Velyshaa to stop the Graxis Wardens and Galactic Union agents sending a warning to the Union about the Daleks. Afterwards it interrogated Galanar, one of the agents, by itself. (AUDIO: The Future)
Time War
During the lead-up to the Last Great Time War, (PROSE: Meet the Doctor) the Emperor who oversaw the the Master's trial (PROSE: The Novel of the Film) was also referred to as the Supreme. (PROSE: The TV Movie)
In the Dalek Combat Training Manual, the Time Lords identified five models of Supreme Dalek: the Black Dalek Leader who oversaw the Daleks' master plan, the gold-and-black Dalek seen on Spiridon, the Black Dalek Leader who led the rescue of Davros, the Black Dalek Leader who led the Renegade Daleks and the red-and-gold Dalek who would lead the New Dalek Empire. The Gold Dalek who oversaw Operation Divide and Conquer and the Time Paradox Incident was believed to be a subordinate "outpost commander" who deputised for the Dalek Supreme. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual)
Months into the Time War, a Dalek Supreme led the Daleks' assault on Project Revenant's pocket dimension, intending to use the facility to produce Daleks and to exploit its link to the Death Zone to reach Gallifrey. It was killed when the pocket dimension collapsed. Afterwards the Emperor ordered the Time Strategist to appoint a new Supreme. (AUDIO: Desperate Measures)
A Dalek Supreme passed on the Emperor's orders regarding the capture of Narvin to a Hunter Dalek. (AUDIO: Dissolution)
A Dalek Supreme was aboard the Emperor's saucer during his attempt to seize Gallifrey using null zone technology. When the Supreme questioned the Emperor's strategy, the Emperor accused it of blasphemy and had it destroyed. A technician was upgraded to replace it as Dalek Supreme. (AUDIO: Homecoming)
A red Dalek Supreme with three luminosity dischargers commanded a Dalek fleet which attempted to ambush the War Doctor after leaking its coordinates to the Time Lords. After the Doctor escaped the trap, the Dalek Supreme ordered its underlings to "activate the tracker beacon" and gloated that "the Predator" would soon be located and "bent to the will of the Daleks". (COMIC: Ambush)
A Supreme Dalek commanded a Dalek harvest ship en route to Tharius. It was destroyed when the ship collided with Tharius. (AUDIO: Saviour)
Missy claimed to have fought a Supreme Dalek on the hills of the Never Vault during the Time War. (TV: The Witch's Familiar) Indeed, the War Master had been disappointed the Supreme was not sent to confront him at Arcking. (AUDIO: The Good Master)
New Dalek Empire
After the return of Davros and the reestablishment of the Dalek race, a red Supreme Dalek took charge of the New Dalek Empire. Like the Time War version's, its casing had gold ridges around it, golden sense globes, and three luminosity dischargers. The Supreme Dalek spoke in a deeper voice than most Daleks. He was killed by Jack Harkness after attempting to exterminate Davros and the Doctor. (TV: The Stolen Earth / Journey's End)
The dome of an identical Supreme Dalek ended up in UNIT's Black Archive. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
New Dalek Paradigm
- Main article: Supreme Dalek (New Dalek Paradigm)
Three survivors of the New Dalek Empire, with their heavily-damaged Dalek saucer, located a Progenitor device, capable of restoring the Dalek race, which refused to activate for them due to their "impurity". The Daleks decided to lure the Eleventh Doctor to them by posing as man-made machines in World War II. Gaining the Doctor's "testimony" that they were truly Daleks, the Progenitor finally activated for them, creating a new faction of improved Daleks who considered themselves superior. These Daleks were led by a white Dalek Supreme. Under the Supreme's orders, the old Daleks were destroyed by the new ones. The Supreme Dalek then threatened to destroy the Earth using an Oblivion Continuum. While the Doctor rushed to Earth to disarm the device, the Supreme Dalek and its subordinates departed the era in a time corridor to go on and rebuild the Daleks. (TV: Victory of the Daleks)
A Supreme Dalek oversaw the placement of the Eye of Time in the ruins of Kaalann. However, its plot was foiled by the Eleventh Doctor and Amy, reversing the invasion of Earth and sending the Supreme Dalek and its army back to their own time and space. (GAME: City of the Daleks)
Another Supreme Dalek led the Daleks on their attempted take-overs of the SS Lucy Gray in their efforts to recover their lost Time Axis. The Daleks, including the Supreme Dalek, were destroyed when their ship was sent into the sun. (GAME: Evacuation Earth, Return to Earth)
A Supreme Dalek appeared at the opening of the Pandorica. (TV: The Pandorica Opens)
The Eleventh Doctor found a dying Supreme Dalek and took information about the Silence from its memory banks. (TV: The Wedding of River Song)
A damaged Supreme from the Paradigm was once discovered in the wreckage of a Renegade Dalek base on Thule. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)
When the Daleks invaded London in 2106 using a piece of the Eternity Clock, the Supreme Dalek oversaw the operation from the Dalek Command Node. The Doctor and River Song hacked into the Dalek transmat systems and sent the Supreme Dalek to the North Pole. (GAME: The Eternity Clock)
While the original Supreme Dalek had originally been the ultimate leader of the Paradigm, its repeated failures had caused it to be demoted, maintaining simply a token presence in the Parliament of the Daleks. Another Supreme was an inmate of the Dalek Asylum. (TV: Asylum of the Daleks)
A Dalek Supreme served under the Dalek Time Controller during their plan involving the Doctor and the Sunlight Worlds. (PROSE: The Dalek Generation)
Redemption for the original Paradigm Supreme came when the Prime Minister of the Daleks was driven insane upon remembering the Doctor. Declaring the Prime Minister unfit for service, the Supreme exterminated it and retook command of the New Dalek Paradigm, commanding Dalek forces throughout the Siege of Trenzalore. Though it came close to exterminating the dying Doctor, it was ultimately destroyed by the regeneration energy that the Doctor released when the Time Lords granted him a new regeneration cycle. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)
A Supreme Dalek commanded the Daleks from Dalek control on a rebuilt Skaro at the Dalek City. This Supreme ordered the extermination of Missy and Clara Oswald. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice) These Daleks were destroyed by the rejuvenated Daleks that were decaying in the sewers. (TV: The Witch's Familiar)
A Dalek Supreme commanded a Dalek mother ship which used a tractor beam to abduct a plane carrying an MP who was due to meet the American President, intending to robotise and use him to start World War III, paving the way for a Dalek invasion. However, the Twelfth Doctor was also on the plane, preparing to foil the invasion; he anticipated that he would "engage in some witty repartee" with the Dalek Supreme "for some moments". (PROSE: Abduction)
Behind the scenes
- Similar to Dalek Emperor/Emperor Dalek, the terms "Dalek Supreme" and "Supreme Dalek" are used interchangably across media. Following the initial use of "Supreme Controller" in The Dalek Invasion of Earth, "Dalek Supreme" is used in The Chase, The Daleks' Master Plan, Planet of the Daleks, Asylum of the Daleks, Abduction, and Vengeance, while "Supreme Dalek" is used in Destiny of the Daleks, Resurrection of the Daleks, Revelation of the Daleks, The Stolen Earth/Journey's End, City of the Daleks, and The Witch's Familiar. Additionally, in Victory of the Daleks, the leading Dalek identifies itself simply as "the Supreme".
- This inconsistency is referenced in Out of Time, when the Tenth Doctor asks a Supreme if it prefers "Supreme Dalek" or "Dalek Supreme".
- A Black Dalek, leading the Dalek city, was featured in the Dr. Who film Dr. Who and the Daleks. In the sequel, Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., the Black Dalek is subordinate to a Gold Dalek, predating the first televised appearance of a Gold Dalek in Day of the Daleks.
- The Dalek Supreme featured in Planet of the Daleks was actually part of Terry Nation's private collection, made of parts from two props from The Curse of the Daleks play.[1]
- A white Supreme Dalek appeared in two short length BBC sketches featuring Matt Lucas and David Walliams promoting a new comedy, Come Fly With Me. The first sketch featured the Dalek collecting a boarding pass at Heathrow Airport and telling the hostess that it is going to Skaro. The second sketch featured the Dalek leaving the airport, with shopping bags on its plunger arm and being distracted by two attractive air hostesses.
- The Dalek Tapes, a feature in the Genesis of the Daleks DVD, presented both the Gold Dalek of Day of the Daleks and the golden Dalek Supreme of Planet of the Daleks as members of the Supreme Council. This notion was later confirmed in a narrative source, Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe.
- A Supreme Dalek appeared in Extermination from the Gallifrey audio series, attacking the Axis. It had a Time War casing with a black dome and black globes.
- Depending on the player's progress, "Supreme Dalek" is a potential rank for the Metaltron to attain in the video game NOTVALID: The Last Dalek.
- Doctor Who The Official Annual 2011's feature on the New Dalek Paradigm makes the claim that there is only ever one Supreme Dalek. Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe, however, established that the original New Paradigm Supreme retained a senior role in the Dalek hierarchy up to its death in the Siege of Trenzalore (after which the New Dalek Paradigm casings were phased out by the Daleks), meaning the Supreme Dalek who dies in The Wedding of River Song must have coexisted with it.
- The trailer for AUDIO: Master! depicts the Dalek Supreme in Vengeance, showing it in the modern Supreme casing first seen in TV: The Stolen Earth, but with a black and silver coloration instead of red and gold.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Mystery Of Terry Nation's Special Daleks by the Dalek 63•88 prop research project