Cybermat: Difference between revisions

 

 

{{Infobox_Species|aka=Silver rat|affiliation=[[Operation Exodus]]

[[Cyber-Empire]]

 

[[Cyber Legion]]s|origin=[[Colony ship (World Enough and Time)|Mondasian colony ship]]: [[Floor 1056]]

[[Mondas]]|first=The Tomb of the Cybermen (TV story)|appearances='''''[[Cybermats - list of appearances|see list]]'''''|image=Cybermat Tomb.jpg}}

 

'''Cybermats''' were small [[cyborg]]s used as advance guards, [[plague]] carriers and energy thieves by the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Tomb of the Cybermen (TV story)|The Tomb of the Cybermen]]'' et al)

 

 

The various types of Cybermat all had a metallic body, usually segmented. Some types had eyes, some mouths, and some had cilia. At least one type had visible organic teeth. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')

Prior to [[Mondas]]'s total [[cyber-conversion]] by [[Cyber-Commander]] [[Zheng]], the last surviving [[Mondasian|Mondasians]] kept Cybermats as [[Pet|pets]], and were simply referred to as "Mats". Some Mondasians could become "Mat Catchers". During this time, Cybermats came in numerous different versions, such as Deluxe Mark Sixes; Deluxe Mark Twelves, a [[black]] variant of Cybermat, were exclusively used by the [[Central Committee of Mondas|Central Committee]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Spare Parts (audio story)|Spare Parts]]'')

 

Before the [[CyberTelosian|CyberTelosians]] froze themselves on [[Telos]], some Cybermats had crystalline eyes and antennae through which they received commands. These Cybermats resembled oversized metallic {{w|silverfish}}. They had segmented bodies with cilia-like tactile sensor probes along the bases of their heads. Some, though not all, Cybermats of this kind could fit in the palm of a [[humanoid]] hand. Cybermats like this were almost unnoticeable. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Tomb of the Cybermen (TV story)|The Tomb of the Cybermen]]'')

 

In the [[21st century]], when the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] of the Late [[CyberFaction]] attempted to infiltrate [[Space Station W3]], they had photoreceptors for eyes rather than crystal-based eyes, spines down their backs and lacked the antennae. Otherwise, they looked similar to the kind seen on Telos. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wheel in Space (TV story)|The Wheel in Space]]'')

When some [[CyberNomad]]s infiltrated [[Nerva Beacon]] in a plot to destroy [[Voga]], the Cybermats had segmented, eyeless, flat worm-like bodies without cilia. They had needles which injected [[poison]] into humans, but they could also inject [[gold]] dust into Cybermen. ([[TV]]: ''[[Revenge of the Cybermen (TV story)|Revenge of the Cybermen]]'') The Cybermats of the [[Colony ship (World Enough and Time)|Mondasian colony ship]] were also capable of poisoning Mondasians. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Alit in Underland (short story)|Alit in Underland]]'')

One Cybermat variant - used by space-faring Cybermen resembling those of [[Cybus Industries]] - was a sleeker and more high-tech version of the Telosian Cybermats. Unlike the Telosian version, these Cybermats were purposed with biting humans and infecting them with a [[virus]], much like the Cybermats at the Nerva Beacon. However, instead of being deadly, the virus mutated flesh into metal and the victims became [[Cyberslave]]s. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Blood of the Cybermen (video game)|Blood of the Cybermen]]'')

The Cybermen of the [[Cyber Legion|Cyber Legions]] used a type of Cybermat that drain [[electricity]]. This Cybermat had [[black]], teardrop-eyes, like most Cybermen, and an opening mouth with organic [[Tooth|teeth]]. One such Cybermat was used by the Cybermen of a crashed [[Cyber-ship (Closing Time)|Cyber-ship]] to harvest electricity from the cabling underneath Sandersons and Granger on [[Earth]] in the early 21st century. ([[TV]]: ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')  

Later, during the [[Cyber-Wars]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[A Girl Called Doubt (short story)|A Girl Called Doubt]]'') the Cyber Legions used smaller drones called [[Cybermite]]s, which the [[Eleventh Doctor]] described as "not even a Cybermat anymore". ([[TV]]: ''[[Nightmare in Silver (TV story)|Nightmare in Silver]]'') These highly-evolved Cybermats were often seeded into [[Planet|planets]] conquered by the Cyber Legions, and reproduced naturally by harvesting [[Mineral|minerals]] from the planets to construct more Cybermites; this process would be repeated by the newly-constructed Cybermites, and after several [[Month|months]], or even [[Year|years]], the Cybermites would number in the billions, with the power to successfully fully convert people into Cybermen. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[A Girl Called Doubt (short story)|A Girl Called Doubt]]'') Cybermites could also perform more traditional Cybermat functions, such as harvesting electricity or being highly covert spies. ([[TV]]: ''[[Nightmare in Silver (TV story)|Nightmare in Silver]]'')

[[Mechanising Worm|Mechanising Worms]], which were used by the Cybermen of the [[Cyber-Mainframe]], ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Telepresence (audio story)|Telepresence]]'', ''[[Code Silver (audio story)|Code Silver]]'') were highly reminiscent of Cybermats, in particular the Cybermats used on [[Nerva Beacon]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Revenge of the Cybermen (TV story)|Revenge of the Cybermen]]'') Unlike Cybermats, however, they could be broadcast across dimensional gaps, and could perform partial conversions as part of the creation of a [[dimension bridge]] between [[Universe|universes]], ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Telepresence (audio story)|Telepresence]]'') or for full conversions, the latter of which could occur if a dead Cyberman was salvaged; each Cyberman contained a swarm of Mechanising Worms, which would attempt to upgrade the Cyberman's attackers to create replacement Cybermen. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Code Silver (audio story)|Code Silver]]'')

[[File:Inside a Cybermat RotC.jpg|thumb|The internals of a Cybermat used by the [[CyberNomad|CyberNomads]] on [[Nerva Beacon]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Revenge of the Cybermen (TV story)|Revenge of the Cybermen]]'')]]

The Cybermats of the [[Colony ship (World Enough and Time)|Mondasian colony ship]] contained a failsafe system - that they inherited from the [[Patient (World Enough and Time)|patients]], and was shared with the evolved [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] - that, if turned on, would force them to stay on [[Floor 1056]] of the colony ship; their programming could be hacked to [[Deadlock seal|deadlock]] this system on, trapping them at the bottom of the ship. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Alit in Underland (short story)|Alit in Underland]]) ''However, the Cybermen were eventually able to work around this and deactivated the system, allowing the Cybermats to function properly again. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')

The [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] of [[Operation Exodus]], who evolved from the [[Mondasian|Mondasians]] of [[Floor 1056]] onboard a [[colony ship (World Enough and Time)|Mondasian colony ship]], developed Cybermats. A group of [[CyberNeomorph]]s, under orders from a [[Cyber-Planner (Alit in Underland)|Cyber-Planner]], travelled to [[Floor 0508]] and attempted to use a swarm of Cybermats to [[poison]] the Mondasians of [[Floor 0507]] so that they would be easier to capture for [[Cyber-conversion|conversion]]. However, {{Gomez}} was able to use the colony ship's systems to hack into the Cybermats' programming, allowing her to reactivate and [[deadlock seal|deadlock]] an old failsafe system that {{Simm}} built into the [[Patient (World Enough and Time)|patients]] developed in the [[Hospital (World Enough and Time)|hospital]] on [[Floor 1056]], causing the Cybermats to return to the bottom of the ship and remain trapped there. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Alit in Underland (short story)|Alit in Underland]]'') Eventually, however, this system was deactivated again by the Cybermen. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'') After [[Nardole]] and most of the Mondasian evacuees of Floor 0507 [[Evacuation|evacuated]] to [[Floor 0502]] following the [[Battle of Floor 0507]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Falls (TV story)|The Doctor Falls]]'') large groups of Cybermats continually travelled to their location, arriving at the [[solar farm]] every [[spring]] for several [[Century|centuries]], even after Nardole's [[death]], though by that time the Mondasians had “sorted” their conflict with the Cybermen. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twice Upon a Time (novelisation)|Twice Upon a Time]]'')

=== Mondas ===

Cybermats were also developed on [[Mondas]] before the last surviving underground Mondasian city been converted. They were kept as [[pet]]s. The [[Fifth Doctor]] reprogrammed a swarm of Cybermats to feed off their [[electricity]] supply of the [[Central Committee of Mondas]], killing them. His efforts were, ultimately, in vain as eventually all of the [[Mondasian]]s underwent forced [[cyber-conversion]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Spare Parts (audio story)|Spare Parts]]'')

 

[[File:Flower Power Cybermat.jpg|thumb|[[Second Doctor|The Doctor]] finds some dead Cybermats. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Flower Power (comic story)|Flower Power]]'')|left]]