Cyberman
- For the Cybermen of the revived series, see Cyberman (Pete's World). See also Cyberman (disambiguation).
The Cybermen were a race of artificially modified near-Humans which originated on the planet Mondas, Earth's twin planet.
Characteristics
Physical characteristics
The Cybermen were cybernetically augmented humanoids. Though the Cybermen varied greatly in design through time, the various versions of the Cybermen had several things in common. Nearly all were silver in colour, though, for stealth purposes, a black variety also existed in the London sewers (DW: Attack of the Cybermen). They also exhibited exposed circuitry and tubing which may contain hydraulic fluids for motion, covering a rubber or mylar-like outer skin. Cybermen frequently attempted to increase their numbers by cyber-conversion.
- It seems that the evolution of the Cybermen has not proceeded in a linear fashion or in the same way in the same places.
The Cybermen which the Doctor met on Snowcap Base in 1986 had undergone a less radical conversion and still retained biological hands. (DW: The Tenth Planet)
Cybermen encountered on the Moon's surface were entirely covered up in their metallic suits. (DW: The Moonbase)
- It is presumed that inside the more advanced Cybermen, there still exist organic components and they are not completely cybernetic, but this has not been confirmed.
The Snowcap Cybermen had a quavering voice which put certain inflection on certain syllables in a seemingly random, sing-song manner. (DW: The Tenth Planet) Later Cybermen spoke in more of a monotone, emphasizing their lack of emotion. (DW: The Moonbase onwards)
Vulnerabilities
Cybermen had a number of major weaknesses, of which the most notable was the element gold. Gold, having a non-corrosive nature, choked their respiratory systems, a property exploited by the glittergun, a weapon used during the Cyber-Wars. (DW: Revenge of the Cybermen, Earthshock, Silver Nemesis) On occasion, the mere touch of gold seemed toxic to them, with gold coins or gold-tipped arrows able to destroy them. (DW: Silver Nemesis) Gold also blocked their sensors and caused the cybermats to malfunction. (DWN: Revenge of the Cybermen)
Other weaknesses of the Cybermen included the combination of solvents known as Cocktail Polly (DW: The Moonbase) and excessive levels of radiation (DW: The Tenth Planet). The parallel universe Cybermen's main weakness was the ankle joint, if shot the foot would be disabled.
Cybermen affected by the cerebreton mentor, an emotion enhancing device, went "mad". (DW: The Invasion)
Technology
Technology
The Cybermen forces in 2526 employed the use of the Cyberlance, a powerful hand-held cutting weapon. They also made use of the Cyberscope, an observation device that allowed Cyber commanders to both view the battlefield remotely and access a computer database (containing, at least, information on their race's encounters with the Doctor). (DW: Earthshock)
Weapons (Short Range)
Cybermen have possessed a variety of short range weapons, some in-built.
During their attack on Earth in 1986 they had large hand-held energy weapons. (DW: The Tenth Planet)
On the Moon in 2070, Cybermen possessed the power to generate arcs of electricity from their hands which had the power to stun and disable. (DW: The Moonbase)
In the 21st century, the Cybermen who attacked Space Station W3 had death rays built into their chest units. (DW: The Wheel in Space)
The Cybermen encountered by UNIT in the late 20th century had displayed these same built-in weapons as well as also carrying large rifles for medium distance combat. (DW: The Invasion)
The Cybermen who attacked the Nerva Beacon had their weapons built into their helmets, activated with a touch of a hand. (DW: Revenge of the Cybermen)
Other appearances have shown them armed almost exclusively with hand-held cyber-guns. (DW: The Invasion onwards)
Weapons (Other)
In 2070, the Cybermen possessed a cannon which could operate in vacuum. (DW: The Moonbase)
Cybermen in 2526 (DW: Earthshock) and the Cybermen removed by Time Scoop to the Death Zone (DW: The Five Doctors) had cyber-bombs.
Neurotrope X has acted as a means to incapacitate Humans before making an overt move. (DW: The Moonbase). On some occasions they have used a cybermat to spread the virus. (DW: Revenge of the Cybermen)
Culture
Cybermen made "survival" their central objective. Since they could not reproduce naturally, they needed to reproduce by other means, via cyber-conversion. At times they have tended to focus on converting the population of Earth, at other times with simply destroying it. (DW: The Tomb of the Cybermen)
Cybermen tended toward covert activity, scheming from hiding and using Human or other agents (DW: Revenge of the Cybermen, Earthshock, Attack of the Cybermen), cybermats or androids (DW: Earthshock) to act as their proxies until they appear.
Individuality and emotion
Throughout their history, Cybermen have, for the most part, lacked individuality or names.
Some Cybermen had individual names such as Krang (DW: The Tenth Planet) or Kroton. (DWM: Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman)
- In the script and cast listings for The Tenth Planet the individual Cybermen had names. They were Krail, Talon, Shav, Krang, Jarl and Gern. (REF: Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia)
Cybermen in positions of authority have included the ground level Cyber-Leader, sometimes aided by a Cyber-Lieutenant. Immobile computer-like Cyber-Planners have sometimes made decisions (DW: The Wheel in Space, The Invasion). The Cyber-Controllers, with an enlarged cranium, had, possibly, the position of highest possible authority. (DW: The Tomb of the Cybermen, Attack of the Cybermen)
- Only one Cyber-Controller ever appeared at one time.
History
Origin of the Cybermen
Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of Near-Humans originating on Earth's former twin planet, Mondas, which was knocked out of solar orbit and drifted into deep space. The natives began to implant more and more cybernetic parts into their bodies. (DW: The Tenth Planet, BFA: Spare Parts)
Another account says that Mondas originated on the planet Marinus and that the Cybermen originated as a species called Voord that, through the use of Worldshaper devices manipulated time to speed up their evolution. In the "sped up" future they implanted themselves with more and more cybernetic parts. Also Marinus changed and became Mondas.(DWM: The World Shapers)
- Possibly, Cybermen did evolve on the not very Earth-like Marinus, ventured into space and persuaded the Mondasians to also convert themselves into Cybermen. This theory, however, remains speculative and only an attempt to resolve the conflicting accounts.
The 20th Century and Early 21th Century
Mondas acquired a drive propulsion system in place of the planet's core to move the entire world. As the original Cybermen were limited in numbers and were continually being depleted, the Cybermen decided to invade Earth. (DW: The Tenth Planet)
The Doctor and Ace fought Cybermen in 1940 London (PDA: Illegal Alien) The same team would fight them in 1950s Nevada. (DWM: The Good Soldier)
By 1970 or before, Cybermen had established a base on the dark side of the Moon. The Cyber-Planner had contacted the industrialist Tobias Vaughn, the head of the International Electromatics corporation. The Cybermen had him install mind control circuits in electrical appliances manufactured by his company, paving the way for a ground invasion. They had also grafted cybernetic arms onto several of his workers. Vaughn had a Cyber-Planner installed in his office and communicated with it.
The plot was uncovered by the newly formed United Nations Intelligence Taskforce and by the Doctor who assisted in beating off the invasion both on the ground and from the Cyberman base on the Moon. (DW: The Invasion).
- These Cybermen had evolved considerably from Mondasian form and from the Cybermen which would invade Earth in 1986. The exact date of this invasion remains unknown, though estimates range of its date range from 1969 to 1979
From the mid 1970s to 1985, Cybermen lurked in the sewers below London, awaiting another invasion, which would come in 1986. One Cyberman's head was taken and was stored in Henry van Statten's artefact collection. (DW: Dalek)
- According to its label, it was recovered from the London sewers in 1975, though its design seems subtly anachronistic for its era and more typical of the designs seen in the post-Cyber Wars era.
Cybermen in the future, having captured a time vessel, knew that the Doctor would destroy Mondas, so planned, instead, to divert Halley's Comet towards Earth. (DW: Attack of the Cybermen)
In December 1986, the Doctor met an advance force of Cybermen that landed near Snowcap Base in Antarctica. This advance force was to prepare for the return of Mondas to the Sol system and the draining of Earth's energy for the use of the Cybermen. Mondas absorbed too much energy and was destroyed, as were the Cybermen on Earth who depended on Mondas for power. (DW: The Tenth Planet)
In November 1988 a fleet of Cyber warships was assembled to turn Earth into New Mondas now that their homeworld had been destroyed. A scouting party was sent to Earth in search of a statue made of validium called Nemesis, a Time Lord weapon. (DW: Silver Nemesis)
In 2006, Cybermen once more invaded the South Pole of Earth. (NA: Iceberg)
Later Cyber Empire era
The chronology of several of these events in relationship to each other remains unclear. In 2070, by which time Earth's weather was being controlled by the Gravitron installation on the Moon, Cybermen planned to use the Gravitron to disrupt the planet's weather patterns and destroy all life on the planet. (DW: The Moonbase)
In the middle to late 21st century, the Space Station W3 was the site of a takeover by Cybermen on Earth. (DW: The Wheel in Space)
The Doctor encountered Cybermen in 2191 (MA: Killing Ground)
In 2526 several planets would unite in war against the Cybermen in an event called the Cyber-Wars. A force of Cybermen tried to devastate Earth using a Cyberbomb and convert the survivors. Failing this, they hoped to crash the freighter into Earth and cause an ecological disaster. Although the attempt failed, the freighter was catapulted back in time to become the "meteor" that wiped out the dinosaurs. (DW: Earthshock) One of the last acts of the Cybermen during this war was to blow up the planet Voga in order to stop the production of glitterguns. (DWN: Revenge of the Cybermen) Following the Cyber-Wars the Cybermen had been reduced to scattered remnants groups around the galaxy. Several centuries later, one group returned to the Sol system in order to destroy Voga, the "planet of gold". (DW: Revenge of the Cybermen)
The Cybermen had all but passed into legend when an archaeological expedition to the planet Telos uncovered their Tombs. In the Tombs, they they waited, in cryogenic suspension, (DW: The Tomb of the Cybermen)
- Though this does not help us in dating this event precisely, the last Cybermen appearance known to Humans had happened five centuries before this date.
On Telos, the Cybermen plotted to change history and, as already noted, divert Halley's Comet to Earth in order to destroy it and to save Mondas. (DW: Attack of the Cybermen)
- As noted previously, these actions would have repercussions in the year 1985.
Final evolution
By the 101st Century, the Cybermen had nearly died out. Several centuries before that, they choose a new name for their species and became pacifists. (PDA: Synthespians™)
Later Cybermen would develop time travel, heading back in time to 21st Century Earth to convert it. They used rain that caused extreme emotions (sadness, fear, anger) in an attempt to convert the peoples of the world. (DWM: The Flood)
Transcending into pure energy, the Cybermen would ultimately redeem the whole of sentient life and become the most peace loving species in the whole of creation.. (DWM: The World Shapers)
Rassilon Era
- During the Dark Times on Gallifrey, the Cybermen were excluded from the Death Zone games, possibly out of fear that they would pose a threat to the Time Lords should they escape. (DW: The Five Doctors)
- The Doctor projected an image of a Cybermen to the Time Lord tribunal as an example of the enemies he had fought to protect the innocent. (DW: The War Games)
- Borusa transported a Cyberman squadron to the Death Zone to threaten and harry the Doctor's various incarnations. (DW: The Five Doctors)
Minor appearances and references
- A Cyberman was among the life-forms exhibited in Vorg's Miniscope (DW: Carnival of Monsters).
Mysteries and discrepancies
- Several different accounts exist of the origins of the Cybermen which contradict each other in minor or in some cases, major, ways.
- The degree to which Cybermen do or do not retain emotions also differs.
- On Telos, the Doctor seemed to have knowledge, if not foreknowledge of the Cyber-tombs. (DW: The Tomb of the Cybermen) This might suggest that before he met Jamie, the Doctor had encountered the Cybercontroller before.
See Also
Behind the Scenes
- As of 2008, the original Cybermen have yet to appear in the revived TV series. The new series has acknowledged them on screen once in the form of the head of a Cyberman, which is examined with fondness by the Ninth Doctor in Dalek. Jack Harkness also mentions the Cybermen of his universe in Cyberwoman, which does not, however, feature them. The Daleks also acknowledge that the alternate-Earth Cybermen they encounter in Doomsday are not the ones they are familiar with.
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