Red Dalek (Dr. Who and the Daleks)
A Red Dalek was second-in-command of the Daleks on Skaro, leading the Skaro City Daleks and subordinate to the Black Dalek. (TV: Dr. Who and the Daleks)
The Dalek Survival Guide indicated that this Red Dalek came from a version of history "B" relative to the First Doctor's version of history "A". They were aware of the "B" reality from "film evidence" and identified this Red Dalek as a Dalek Lieutenant to the black Dalek Leader. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide) By another account, the Red Dalek was a character in the film Dr. Who and the Daleks. (PROSE: Peaceful Thals Ambushed!)
According to another account, a dark Red Dalek ruled alone, (COMIC: Dr. Who and the Daleks) and in yet another account where it was the First Doctor who visited the Dalek City with his companions, the City's leader was a Glass Dalek. (PROSE: Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks)
Characteristics[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Red Dalek had a casing mostly coloured red, consisting of the dome section, middle section and lower section. Like the Black Dalek, it sported gold accessories; the neck rings which supported its black neck grille, middle section bands atop and below the arm sockets, and the tall fender at the bottom of the lower section. Like the Blue Daleks, the eyestalk that connected the eye lens, which appeared as a shining white disc at the face of a black ball, to the dome's pivot and the six discs that supported it, were coloured silver and light blue respectively. The left and right arms of the middle section were a gunstick and claw manipulator arm respectively. The sense globes in the Red Dalek's lower section were coloured black. As with all the Daleks on Skaro, two red, cone-shaped luminosity dischargers stood atop the dome and flashed when the Dalek spoke. (TV: Dr. Who and the Daleks)
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Along with the rest of the Daleks living in the Dalek City, the Red Dalek was descended from the "forefathers" who fought a neutronic war with the Thals centuries prior. Resulting in many deaths and mutations, the war confined the Daleks to their city, protected by metal casings.
The Red Dalek led a group of Daleks whom apprehended human time travellers Dr. Who, Susan and Ian Chesterton within the control room of their city. Confiscating Dr. Who's fluid link, the Daleks sent the three into a cell with Barbara, who had been captured earlier. From the control room, the Daleks kept watch on the cell, observing that the travellers were suffering from radiation sickness but had not yet perished. Explaining the Daleks' origin to the travellers, the Black Dalek ordered one of them to leave the city to acquire the Thals' anti-radiation drug, with Susan volunteering. Observing her departure with the Black Dalek, the Red Dalek was informed that the drug was only to be used by the Daleks, while the travellers were to be left to perish.
Once Susan returned to the city, the Daleks found that she had been given a second supply of drugs by a Thal, which they allowed be shared among the travellers. With the drug formula in their possession, the Daleks were now able to reproduce it. Though the Red Dalek believed they should discard their casings before leaving the city to destroy the Thals, the Black Dalek decided it would be easier to lure the Thals into their city. The Red Dalek, delivering food and water to the prisoners, had Susan taken to write a letter transcibed with the Daleks promise of food to help the Thals before signing her name, at which point the Daleks revealed their true intentions. After Susan was returned to the cell, the travellers managed to deactivate the lens watching them. From this, the Daleks determined that they were intelligent. While the Red Dalek believed that they were too dangerous to be left alive, the Black Dalek decided to keep them in the case they could be useful again, deeming it unnecessary to replace the lens.
When the Thals entered the city, the Red Dalek led an attack on them, exterminating their leader Temmosus. However, as the travellers had managed to escape their cell, they were able to warn the Thals who fled the city with them. Providing the drug to a work section, the Dalek leaders observed from their deaths that the drugs would not work on them. Unable to leave their protective casings, the Daleks proceeded to prepare a neutron bomb, which would increase radiation throughout Skaro to a point where even the drug of the Thals would not be able to protect them, thus wiping them out. Seeking to retrieve his fluid link, Dr. Who and his companions convinced the Thals to penetrate the city. Observing their efforts, the Daleks intercepted and captured the Doctor and Susan. Learning that the Daleks intended to denonate their neutronic bomb, Dr. Who offered his ship, TARDIS, in an attempt to dissuade them, though the Dalek leader decided that he was not needed to operate the ship, which they intended to use to conquer other planets. However, the Thals, having penetrated the city, entered the control room and engaged the Daleks, including the Red Dalek, in battle. The Red Dalek was apparently killed alongside its brethren when several Dalek troops were tricked into destroying the city's main controls, causing all the Daleks' casings to immediately lose power. Immediately after the battle's decisive final blow, Barbara investigated the Red Dalek's inert casing. (TV: Dr. Who and the Daleks)
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
Prop[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Red Dalek was depicted using a specially constructed prop.[1]
Other matters[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Starting with the short story Daleks Seek New Conquests, the image of this Red Dalek was used in the pages of TV Century 21 to illustrate the Dalek City's Red Dalek Leader of mainstream continuity — first through actual repurposed screenshots from the film, and later with its design being incorporated into the Daleks comics with some alterations.
- Multiple Red Daleks are seen side by side with Blue Daleks in the poster for the film.
- In the comic adaptation of the film, Dr. Who and the Daleks, the Blue Daleks are led by a single dark Red Dalek.
- A Red Dalek of a slightly different design features in the sequel film Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D..
