February 17, 2020
Emotionless, ruthlessly logical and encased in bodies made of steel, the Cybermen have fought with the Doctor since their first incarnation. Seemingly defeated again and again, this cybernetic scourge clings to life every time, continuing their quest to upgrade all life in the universe into Cybermen.
You will become like us, once you know all about the key moments in the history of the Cybermen!
1. Reinvention of the Cybermen
Trapped in a parallel universe, the Doctor, Rose and Mickey witnessed the birth of another universe’s Cybermen. While the Doctor was able to halt their development, he wasn’t able to wipe them out completely. They would march their way over to the Doctor’s universe and plague his existence once again…
2. All hail the Cyber-King!
When they came up against two versions of the Doctor (or the Doctor and someone imprinted with the Doctor’s memories), the Cybermen upgraded their arsenal! The agile, never-seen before Cybershades dragged the Doctors across the rooftops of Victorian London leading to a climactic battle with a Cyber-King, a colossal Cyberman-shaped ship that towered over London. The only thing standing in its way? The Doctor in a hot-air ballon!
3. Sleeping Evil
Why would a species that can’t die need a tomb? Because it wasn’t a tomb at all. It was a trap!
Joining an archaeology expedition that wanted to excavate the ‘tomb’, the Doctor found himself at the heart of a scheme to revive the Cybermen!
4. The Cyber home-world
When an Antarctic monitoring station notes that their space mission is going off-course, little did they know the monumental and monstrous discoveries they were about to make. Not only did they discover that Earth had a twin planet, Mondas, but that it was home to the Cybermen too.
This adventure was the first-ever appearance of the Cybermen, but is also important for one other reason. The Tenth Planet changed the Doctor (and Doctor Who) forever, as it was the first time the Doctor regenerated!
5. “I waited for you…”
The original design for the Cybermen stomped back into the Doctor’s life when he encountered them on a Mondasian colony ship. It was riddled with different versions of the Cybermen, including their original build, the model that the Tenth Doctor fought in the parallel universe and their latest, highly adaptive version.
It was not only an epic battle, but for the Doctor, it was also deeply personal. Bill Potts, the Doctor’s friend, had been converted into a Cyberman. The person responsible? One of the Doctor oldest enemies, hiding in the shadows…
6. Killing a Companion
The previous moment wasn’t the first time that the Cybermen had killed one of the Doctor’s companions. That terrible honour goes to Earthshock, which saw Adric trying to foil a cyber-plot to destroy the Earth.
The return of the Cybermen was a shock to first-time viewers as they weren’t announced in advance. Their unexpected appearance and the death of Adric has resulted in Earthshock becoming a stone-cold classic.
7. 25 Years of Adventure
What better way to celebrate the show’s silver anniversary than bringing back the silver cybernetic titans of terror? Their final appearance before the show’s 2005 revival, Silver Nemesis pitted the Cybermen against the Doctor for control of the sentient statue Nemesis. They weren’t the only ones after the statue, and both them and the Doctor had to fend off a 17th Century time-travelling Lady and a squad of Nazis!
8. The Lone Cyberman
Which brings us to The Lone Cybermen, and a warning from the Doctor's friend, Captain Jack. "Beware the lone Cyberman. Don't give it what it wants. At all costs."
When the Doctor finally meets the lone Cyberman, she has to make the ultimate choice...
If you want more moments with the Mondasian (or wherever they are from!) menaces, then why not revisit some Cyber moments on the Doctor Who YouTube channel?
Watch The Haunting of Villa Diodati again on catch up services.
