The Cybermen are one of the longest-running villains in the history of Doctor Who. That being said, they have often played second fiddle to villains like The Master or The Daleks. Compared to those monsters, Cybermen stories have had far less to offer.
But, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t great ones. Over the course of both the revival and the classic series, writers have attempted to give new takes and ideas on this classic foe. Looking over both eras of the show, first with the revival and then with the classic, here are ten of the best Cybermen stories so far.
Closing Time
Closing Time is the second episode to feature James Corden’s Craig, a simple human friend of The Doctor’s. The episode is nowhere near the best that the series has to offer, and is full of some pretty cheesy moments. That being said, there is still a lot to love here, and the Cybermen fit right in.
Craig’s struggles to be the best parent he can be has to be relatable to a lot of viewers, especially those who are sharing the show with their kids. Few scenarios could be more frightening to a new parent than being unable to connect with your child. What better villains to embody that fear than the soulless and emotionless Cybermen?
Nightmare in Silver
Neil Gaiman is one of the most lauded fiction writers of the century. His novels and comics have entertained many, and his first story written for Doctor Who, The Doctor’s Wife, is one of the most celebrated. So, one could say his second attempt was highly anticipated.
The episode does a decent job of reinventing the Cybermen for the first time in the revival. These new and improved cyberwarriors were faster and far deadlier than the previous iterations. But, the limitations of a single episode hurt the deeper ideas, especially that between the dual performances from Matt Smith.
Dark Water/Death in Heaven
This episode certainly embraced many of the horrific elements of Doctor Who. Introducing Michelle Gomez as Missy, this episode showed this new version of the villain gather up corpses throughout time, and convert them into her personal cyber army.
The episode doesn’t do a great job at using the Cybermen as a villain force on their own, presenting them more like automatons for a greater evil. But the more macabre elements of the cyber conversion is fun to watch and makes the conversion that much more unnerving.
Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel
This is the story that altered the Cybermen mythos forever. For a long time, the Cybermen were from the planet Mondas, an alien race with little connection to Earth. This story saw a parallel universe scenario where they were developed on Earth.
The Cybermen stand as the main adversaries, but the story is a bit more concerned with the parallel universe elements for the characters than fleshing out the villains. But, the design work is solid and allowed them to stand apart from their classic counterparts. Plus the groundwork lain would lead to an even better story.
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
This story saw The Cybermen standoff against both The Doctor, Torchwood, and The Daleks. Entering from portals between the universes, The Cybermen begin an invasion of this second Earth. The first episode contains sequences that harken to slasher films, making the Cybermen more horrific than ever.
The second half of the episode also saw the Cybermen go up against The Daleks for the first time. Their first meeting is both tense and humourous, with two of the Doctor’s greatest foes sparring with words first and lasers later.
The Haunting Of Villa Diodati
Though recent, this episode did a great job at utilizing the Cybermen in a brand new way. Most of the episode goes by in a traditional haunted house fashion, with what is seemingly a ghost story. But, this historical romp is turned on its head, becoming a brand new type of Cybermen story.
The Lone Cyberman design harkens to Frankenstein’s monster, appropriately so seeing as the story centers around Mary Shelley. Using a Cyberman in a gothic horror story shouldn’t work as well as it does here, but it rebrands them in a way fans have never seen before.
World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls
The Doctor’s history with the Cybermen has been one of tragedy. Many of his companions have fallen to their horrors, but few were able to rebel against their programming. The use of the Cyberman in Peter Capaldi’s penultimate finale was a wonderful idea, both serving the story and the star’s wishes.
This episode saw the return of the Mondasian design of the original Cybermen, which is far more unnerving and creepy than most modern iterations, with their ghostly faces and latex bodies. Though once again minions for The Master, their representation embraces their tragicness.
The Tenth Planet
Looking now to the best of the classic series, you will see episodes that are far better than almost any from the modern era. The Tenth Planet was a William Hartnell story, and the first to feature the Cybermen. Here fans met the first iteration of the Mondasian Cybermen, in all their creepy glory.
A huge portion of the story is completely lost to time, thanks to the lack of preservation from the BBC. But what does survive, promises a great Cyber story, as well as the first regeneration. What started here would result in a great legacy moving forward.
Earthshock
Fans of Doctor Who today are fairly used to tragic deaths and departures for companions. But, for many classic fans, Earthshock was a the first episode of its kind. The death of companion Adric traumatized an entire generation of fans, and moved the show in a darker, more mature direction.
Outside of this moment, the episode was one of the best Cybermen stories in years. Not since the sixties had they felt like an imposing foe, with the Cyberleader and The Doctor’s back and forth being captivating. It remains a turning point for the series and a gem of the classic series.
Tomb of the Cybermen
Perhaps the heyday of the Cybermen fell during Patrick Troughoton’s run as The Doctor. During the sixties, with huge popularity of science fiction stories, the horror of the cybermen had never been more appropriate. Mindless technological drones fit right in alongside alien invasions and zombie films.
The Tomb of the Cybermen, another partially lost story, introduced many elements of Cyber Mythology such as Cybermats and the Cybercontroller. The horror elements really work here, with much of the credit going to the well placed reveals. Those Cybermen rising from their tombs continue to frighten to this day.
