Theory:Timeline - Daleks

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This page lists appearances of the Daleks in the order in which they experienced them. This timeline is based upon observations of the Doctor Who universe and the events that occur during each of these stories. This timeline is loosely based on the observations of The Discontinuity Guide and its two Dalek Timeline theory (see below).

Limiting factors

Dalek timeline theory in The Discontinuity Guide

In one timeline, Davros created the Daleks, who actually, not just apparently, exterminated him. In this timeline, the Daleks develop full time travel and, except for a brief civil war during the events of The Evil of the Daleks conquer as a united force.

In the second timeline, created by the Fourth Doctor's intervention in Genesis of the Daleks, Davros appears to die, but, in truth survives in a dormant state. The Daleks revive him in Destiny of the Daleks. Later, his survival provokes the Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War, which weakens the Daleks, who never develop full time travel during it and never become a serious threat to the Time Lords. The Seventh Doctor destroys Skaro and perhaps all of the Daleks at the end of Remembrance of the Daleks.

Therefore, while Davros existed in both timelines, Dalek stories set prior to Genesis of the Daleks, and those set after, take place in different continuities.

In the real world, Davros had never appeared on-screen because up until Genesis of the Daleks, Terry Nation had not invented the character. Various accounts had given different accounts of the creation of the Daleks, which conflicted to a greater or lesser degree from one another. The character of Davros achieved such popularity that various production teams brought him back in later stories.

The BBC supported the Discontinuity Guide's theory by including it on the Classic Series section of its website. (See "External links")

Reconciling the two timelines

The 2011 reference guide The Dalek Handbook claims that a new timeline is established after the Doctor's intervention in Genesis of the Daleks. However, it is not made clear how much of the timeline is altered. Other material suggests that not all events in Dalek history were changed - the 22nd century Dalek invasion, first encountered by the First Doctor in TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, is later encountered by the Sixth Doctor in AUDIO: Masters of Earth, implying this event was largely unchanged between the timelines, if any change was made at all. Stories featuring later Doctors do not necessarily belong only to the second timeline.

TV: Frontier in Space (set before the Doctor's intervention) shows the origin of the Second Dalek War, a conflict which plays a large part in PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks (set after the Doctor's intervention). The Third Doctor is also show an Imperial Dalek casing in PROSE: The Scales of Injustice, indicating both timelines could be combined or that "crossing" from one to the other was possible.

Other factors to consider

The Daleks have diverged at times, and so multiple timelines may be compatible. Around the 21st century, there are Daleks around the edges of the Mutter's Spiral and on Skaro, just starting to think about putting their own empire together. (PROSE: Alien Bodies) Various Dalek groups also separate to different corners of the universe to prevent the spread of the Movellan virus. (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks)

The only dates for some stories are based on comments that different characters make, so their accuracy may be debatable as well.

Series basics

The Last Great Time War splits Dalek history into before Doctor Who's 2005 revival and after, with no Daleks from before the Time War able to interact or cross paths with those after, at least in theory.

How the Time War era and beyond can be reconciled with the Dalek timeline theory, which pre-dates the Time War's introduction, is unclear, as the Time War features both a living, sane Davros, as well as a cohesive Dalek fleet led by a Dalek Emperor that possessed enough control over time travel to fight the Time Lords.

Timeline

Skaro

Davros as a child meets, and is saved by the 12th Doctor from death by hand mines.
In the default time period (see how rational I can be) of Random Ghosts and The Lights of Skaro, the Daleks haven't yet met the Doctor.
500 years after the Thousand-Year War, and generations before Planet of the Daleks. A Dalek with this design is featured in The Space Museum.

Space and Time Travel

The Daleks gain space travel; the other TV21 comics happen around this time.
The Daleks elect to search for Earth.
The Daleks are attacking Earth colonies.
The invasion has begun; the Daleks also attack Mars.
Set during the invasion of Earth, though not for the future Daleks.
The Daleks' Master Plan, GodEngine, Lucifer Rising and The Mutant Phase date the Dalek invasion to c.2157. The TV story itself is set 10 years later.
Daleks and humans are at war with one another.
Daleks and humans are at war with one another.
Set during the Second Dalek War.
Set during the Second Dalek War.
Set during the Second Dalek War.
Towards the end of the war.
These Daleks have travelled back in time to destroy humanity before the Dalek Wars. They refer to the "Dalek Empire" and have high-functioning Robomen.
Not long after the Second Dalek War in real time. The Daleks aren't native to this time, and their involvement changes history.
Set in the 45th century, but these Daleks have been in cryogenic suspension for 17 centuries.
The Daleks have invaded Earth before and have "discovered the secret of time travel," allowing them to travel back in time to 21st century Earth to do so again.
Sara is alive.
Sara is alive.
Sara dies. The Daleks have time machines.
After The Daleks' Master Plan.
The Daleks are familiar with the Monk, so after The Daleks' Master Plan.
The novelisation places this story over 1,000 years after Masterplan.
The Daleks infected with the human factor hide on the planet Kyrol.
The Daleks recognise the Second Doctor and their capsule is bigger on inside, hinting that time travel is involved. The humans have forgotten the Daleks.
Humans have forgotten the Daleks.
Set an unspecified amount of time after Evil.

Return of Davros

"Thousands of years" after the Daleks were created, Davros is awakened and later put in suspended animation. Neverland mentions the year 4949 in relation to the Dalek-Movellan War although this is never supported or contradicted in any other story.
90 years after the events of Destiny, Davros is taken out of suspended animation to cure the Movellan virus.
Between Resurrection and Revelation. TransAllied, Inc was formed back in the 38th century.
Occur during flight from Necros.
Davros crashes on Lethe but is recovered.
Davros is leading a force of Imperial Daleks
The Daleks don't recognise the Seventh Doctor. They are Imperial on the cover.
Leads into Remembrance.
An Imperial Dalek is in 1963, just before Remembrance
The Daleks are rebuilding and Skaro apparently wasn't destroyed. A version of Davros dies.
Some considerable time after Skaro's Destruction. According to the Doctor, there are more Daleks in the universe than there were on Skaro and Davros escapes at the end of the story in a Dalek Time Machine.

Empire and Emperor

The Daleks and Time Lords now have a treaty.
The Daleks execute the Master, and allow his remains to be sent to Gallifrey.
Davros is mentally unstable and literally becomes the Dalek Emperor, with his original personality erased.
Dalek databanks have information about the events of Terror Firma
The Daleks have dimensionally transcendental timeships.
The Daleks are ruled by a Dalek Emperor.
The Time Lords and Daleks are on good enough terms that Romana rescues the Emperor from a time loop.
The Daleks involved in this invasion of Mutter's Spiral are time active, and not native to the 42nd century.
Attack takes place during this story
Takes place during the Daleks' initial invasion.
Takes place during Alby's search for Suz.
The Dalek Empire is all but destroyed, though Daleks from other points in their timeline exist between the 42nd and 63rd centuries.

Dalek Supreme

The Daleks are rebuilding. [elaborate?]
Starting here, the Daleks are ruled by a Dalek Supreme.
The Daleks are ruled by a Dalek Supreme.

Conflict with the Time Lords

The Daleks are using the same methods as in the 42nd century invasion of Mutter's Spiral, but, according to Eye of Darkness, they're ruled by a Dalek Supreme rather than a Dalek Emperor. As the Doctor says, "they've done it before and they'll do it again." Things are especially confused by the presence of the Time Controller, whose actions are by definition now interventions in Dalek history.
The Gallifreyan city of Arcadia falls to the Daleks.
Set shortly after Arcadia has fallen. The War Doctor survives the Last Great Time War, and with the help of his other twelve incarnations, destroys the fleet of Daleks concentrating fire on Gallifrey on the final day of the Time War.

After the Time War

At some point, three separate groups of Daleks survive the Time War independently. Two of the three are effective dead-ends of the timeline.
Two separate lone Daleks survive the Time War by becoming stuck on earth.
The Dalek Emperor survives the Time War and ends up in the Sol system circa the year 199,900.
The Cult of Skaro and many prisoners within the Genesis Ark, who escaped into the Void. At the end of Doomsday, the Cult emergency temporal shift, leading into further stories. Tardisode 13 is set during the Battle of Canary Wharf.
The Cult has recently escaped Canary Wharf. At the end of Evolution of the Daleks, Dalek Caan again temporal shifts into the Time War.
A version of Davros who isn't Emperor appears.
Caan is an insane oracle after rescuing Davros from the Time War. The Dalek appearing in Adelaide's flashback is from when the 26 planets appeared in the Earth's sky.
Continues The Beast Below's cliffhanger. Surviving Daleks, seemingly made from Davros' cells from The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, awake the New Dalek Paradigm.
The Daleks' memories of the Doctor are wiped by Oswin Oswald.
The Daleks regain their memories of the Doctor through Tasha Lem.
The Dalek Time Controller is in its home time period.
The Controller is sent back through Dalek history, to Lucie Miller. The Chase appears to be recent.

Unplaced

aHistory Timeline

This pre-Time War timeline is from the third edition of aHistory. Most of the dates given here are speculative.

External links

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