Cyber-invasion (The Wheel in Space)
In the 21st century, the late CyberFaction attempted to invade the planet Earth using Space Station W3, also known as the Wheel. (TV: The Wheel in Space, AUDIO: The Early Cybermen)
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
Origin[[edit] | [edit source]]
In the late 20th century, the early CyberFaction waged an invasion of Earth which was defeated by the Second Doctor. (TV: The Invasion, AUDIO: The Early Cybermen) As noted by the Cyber-Planner which led the attack on Space Station W3, the Doctor was "known and recorded" as an enemy of the Cybermen. (TV: The Wheel in Space)
It was a matter of some dispute whether the attack on the Wheel preceded or followed the Cyberman attack on the Moonbase in 2070 (TV: The Moonbase) By one account, the attack on the Wheel occurred four years later, in 2074. (PROSE: The Cyber Files) According to Hegelia's CyberHive chronology, the attack on the Wheel occurred some four decades before the 2070 attack, (AUDIO: The Early Cybermen) with another account concurring that it took place in 2030. (PROSE: The Universal Databank [+]Loading...["The Universal Databank (reference book)"])
Invasion[[edit] | [edit source]]
Intending to use it as a beacon for their invasion fleet, the Cybermen attacked Space Station W3. The Second Doctor freed the crew from the Cybermen's hypnotic control and destroyed their fleet. (TV: The Wheel in Space, AUDIO: The Dying Light)
Aftermath[[edit] | [edit source]]
Following the Cybermen's defeat, crew member Zoe Heriot entered the TARDIS and joined the Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon as a travelling companion. (TV: The Wheel in Space)
After some time travelling with the Doctor and Jamie, Zoe Heriot was returned by the Time Lords to Space Station W3 at a moment in time before she went away in the TARDIS (thus erasing her memories of all bar her first adventure with them), where she was met by Tanya Lernov and for a moment had the feeling of having forgotten something important, which she quickly dismissed. (TV: The War Games)
The Cybermen later launched a second attack on the Wheel, but were sent into the Land of Fiction by Zoe Heriot. (AUDIO: Legend of the Cybermen)
ArcHivist Hegelia, who believed that the Wheel had been attacked by the "late CyberFaction" some four decades before 2070, the year in which a new form of Cyberman made a failed attempt to seize the Moonbase and destroy the Earth. This later still version of the CyberFaction ultimately colonised Telos and became recognised as the Telosian Cyber-subspecies. (AUDIO: The Early Cybermen)
During their attempt to destroy Earth in 2526, the Neomorph Cyber-Leader consulted the records of the Doctor. Among other incidents, he presented the Cybermen on the Wheel confronting the Second Doctor, who he noted was also responsible for confining the Cybermen to their ice bombs on Telos. (TV: Earthshock)
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
Dating[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Discontinuity Guide gives no precise date for this Cyber-invasion, placing it to anywhere following the 2070 Moonbase attack to the early 22nd century.[1]
Doctor Who: Cybermen dates this invasion to circa 2028. After another failed attack in 2070, the late CyberFaction left the solar system and eventually colonised Telos, becoming the CyberTelosians.
Other matters[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Whilst Earthshock refers to the events of The Tomb of the Cybermen, footage from The Wheel in Space was used since the then missing Tomb had yet to be recovered and returned to the BBC Archives at the time.
