Cybermen Stories

Below is a (hopefully) complete list of appearances of the Cybermen in licensed media fiction – if you spot any omissions please leave a comment.

see also

TV Stories

First Doctor

The Tenth Planet

Second Doctor

The Moonbase
The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Wheel in Space
The Invasion
The Five Doctors (technically a 5th Doctor story)

Third Doctor

The Five Doctors (technically a 5th Doctor story)

Fourth Doctor

Revenge of the Cybermen

Fifth Doctor

Earthshock
The Five Doctors

Sixth Doctor

Attack of the Cybermen

Seventh Doctor

Silver Nemesis

Tenth Doctor

“Rise of the Cybermen” / “The Age of Steel”
“Army of Ghosts” / “Doomsday”
“The Next Doctor”

Eleventh Doctor

“The Pandorica Opens” / “The Big Bang”

Minor appearances

The War Games
The Mind of Evil
Carnival of Monsters
Logopolis
Mawdryn Undead
“Dalek”
“Human Nature”

Torchwood

“Cyberwoman”

Comic Strips

Second Doctor

The Coming of the Cybermen – TV Comic #824-#827
Flower Power – TV Comic #832-#835
Cyber-Mole – TV Comic #842-#845
The Cyber Empire – TV Comic #850-#853
Eskimo Joe – TV Comic #903-#906
Masquerade – TV Comic Holiday Special 1968
The Time Museum – TV Comic Annual 1969
The Champion – TV Comic Holiday Special 1969
Test-Flight – TV Comic Annual 1970

Junk-Yard Demon Doctor Who Monthly #58-#59
Exodus/Revelation/Genesis Doctor Who Magazine #108-#110
The World Shapers Doctor Who Magazine #127-#129 (written by Grant Morrison, which revealed that the Voord evolved into the Cybermen and that Mondas was previously the planet Marinus)
The Good Soldier Doctor Who Magazine #175-#178
The Cybermen a one-page strip in Doctor Who Magazine from issues #215-#238, written by Alan Barnes and drawn by Adrian Salmon.
The Flood Doctor Who Magazine #346-#353
Dreadnought Radio Times (1996) in their (8th Doctor) Doctor Who comic strip.

Kroton the Cyberman

Kroton (a Cyberman who might best be described as “emotionally challenged”) appeared in

Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman (with other Cybermen) Doctor Who Weekly #5-#7
Ship of Fools Doctor Who Weekly #23-#24
Unnatural Born Killers Doctor Who Magazine #277
The Company of Thieves (with the 8th Doctor) Doctor Who Magazine #284-#286
The Glorious Dead (with the 8th Doctor) Doctor Who Magazine #287-#296

Novelizations of TV Stories

Original Novels

Iceberg by David Banks (Virgin New Adventures)

Iceberg is an original novel written by David Banks. It was number 18 (of 61) in the Virgin New Adventures range and featured the Cybermen, being a sequel to the serials The Invasion and The Tenth Planet. The events of the novel run concurrently with those of Birthright. Banks as an actor portrayed the Cyber Leader in several Doctor Who serials. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Banks, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #204.

Iceberg

Prelude

by David Banks

Tobias Vaughn raised an eyebrow and smiled his unctuous smile. The photographer framed the shot.
“Groovy,” she said, brethy still with nerves in the great man’s presence. The shutter clicked. With a push of her thumb she wound the film on and clicked again. “Look out of the window,” she commanded, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.
A knowing grin, almost a leer, lifted the fleshy corners of his mouth. Suavely, he turned to the panoramic view his luxurious high-rise office gave onto: London, sprawling away into the haze of distance.
Isobel threw off her shoes and jumped up onto his deep-cushioned leather chair. her feet sank into its opulent softness. He didn’t seem to mind, and now she had a better angle on the view Tobias Vaughn was taking in. She steadied herself and peered through her SLR.
It was a clear blue day outside. Spring had come early this year. The morning sun was painting the detail of the city in yellow and white. Even the muddy Thames threw off a lazy sparkle. And looking down on it all was a man who plainly regarded himself as master of all he surveyed.
“Now, Miss Watkins,” he purred. “You will put in a good word about me to your uncle. I have a list as long as your arm of top-class scientists who are wanting to work for me. But I’m interested in him – and his remarkable cerebratron mentor.”
Isobel made a non-committal sound. His abslolute self-confidence disturbed her. She was glad she didn’t work for him – though she knew her uncle was tempted. He was charming though, was Tobias Vaughn. Too charming. Nice as pie. But there was something else in him, something Machiavellian which repelled her. And though she had no hard evidence, her gut feeling was that he was deeply deranged: clinically megalomanical.
“Hang on a mo.”
Leaping from the chair, she spiralled down in front of him and wedged herself along the spacious sill. Very David Hemmings. Very Blow Up. She was conscious that her mini-dress was revealing rather more than it ought. Who gives a damn, she thought defiantly; these were the days of liberation. She was certain, anyway, that Tobias Vaughn was oblivious to her female charms. The vibes were otherwise: power-fiend, yes; but no way sex-fiend.
The great man turned his face to her, mildly distracted by her contortions. His voice was smooth as syrup and just as sickly.
“My, my,” he oozed. “Every inch the true professional.”
The smugness was overpowering. Male chauvinist pig! Still, he was helping her extend her photographic experience. It was just a sweetener, of course, a come-on to entice her uncle to work for him, but it was nevertheless quite a coup to be snapping away at the managing director of International Electrics – or whatever it called itself. Perhaps she could sell the prints to the papers and make a bomb.
She was sure she had a talent for it – photography – given the chance. Her days as a model were numbered, she knew. Though she was barely twenty she had to think ahead. She didn’t want to be on the streets at thirty. That’s why she had sunk her funds into buying the latest equipment: camera, developing kit, the works.
There was something on the great man’s mind: he was looking through her, not at her, the eyebrow left high and dry admist the swell of thoughts that clamoured for attention.
“To me,” she prompted.
He focused on the upturned lens, the unctuous smile returning. She eased the button down. It was the shot she’d waited for. It caught the overweening spirit of the man precisely.
“Far out!” She swung her legs to the floor, slipping her shoes back on and smoothing down her dress. “That’s fab, Mr Vaughn. Thanks for your time.”
My pleasure entirely.” He extended a pudgy hand. “Might I examine your camera.”
She passed it over: her latest, most expensive toy.
“Mm, primitive mechanism,” she thought he murmured, as he scrutinised her pride and joy.
“Best that money can buy, Mr Vaughn,” she put in, in case he had any doubt.
“I’m sure. At the moment, at least. Though I’m bound to tell you my scientists are working on an electronic camera. Years ahead of its time. I predict that International Electromatics will sweep its rivals from the field.”
He held out the camera and she took it back, deflated, but damned if she was going to show it.
“Well, thanks again,” she managed.
“Not at all. I’ll get Parker to show you out.” He pressed a button on his desk. “You’ll send me the prints?” The honey-toned question was a barely-veiled demand. “My PR chappies are planning a poster campaign. Uniformity. Duplication. IE. The secret of success. Rather clever, don’t you think? My face above the slogan. These shots of yours may be just the ticket.”
There was a knock on the office door, which opened to reveal an anxious-looking man in black, hand-gun holstered across his chest.
“Ah, Packer. Escort Miss Watkins through computer clearance. Then return to me. We have, erm – a few details to discuss.”
“Yes, Mr Vaughn,” said Parker stiffly. “This way miss.”
“Do remember me to your uncle,” said Tobias Vaughn, exuding charm like slime, as Isobel moved towards the door. “He’d be happy working for us, I’m certain of it.”
She managed a tight-lipped smile and a nod, before she left the room, shadowed by Parker.
The door closed, Tobias vaughn eased himself into the softness of his chair. Not that he appreciated softness any longer. It was an irrelevance to him since his conversion, or rather, semi-conversion.
It was the subject of conversion that preoccupied him. Should he go all the way? Give up his mind to these extraterrestrials, as he had given up his body and made it hard and everlasting as his own? The answer, of course, was no. No, he should not give up his independence, his humanity, his individual, and very particular, strength of will. Strength of body was one thing: he exulted in his new-found physical prowess; it added to his sense of power. But lose his mind to them? Never! The problem was how to evade their designs on him. It was part of his agreement, signing away his soul.
He began to chuckle at the metaphysical melodrama of it all. He was no Faustus. He still had the ultimate sanction. Without his co-operation they would be nowhere. They could not even land their invasion craft on Earth. They depended on the radio beam that only he could provide.
Uniformity. Duplication. that had been the secret of IE’s success. And it was all based on the technology of these cyber creatures from another world. They were so advanced, and yet so gullible. It had been child’s play to manipulate them all these years. They would do what he wanted them to do.
And what was that?
Well, they could make him Controller of the world. Yes, that would be amusing.
In any case, it was a start.

This was the first original Doctor Who novel to feature the Cybermen, and the first New Adventure to feature a recurring foe from the television series.

Like all Doctor Who spin-off media, its relationship to the ongoing story of the television series is open to interpretation.

In 2007, David Banks recorded a talking book version of the story, for the reading for the blind collection. It contains 35 chapters, and runs to around 9 hours.

Plot Synopsis

In Antarctica in the year 2006, scientists frantically work to prevent the inversion of the Earth’s magnetic field, while the Seventh Doctor faces one of his oldest and deadliest foes, the Cybermen.

Killing Ground by Steve Lyons (Virgin Missing Adventures)

Killing Ground is a Virgin Publishing original novel written by Steve Lyons. It features the Sixth Doctor and Grant Markham with the Cybermen.

Like all Doctor Who spin-off media, its relationship to the ongoing story of the television series is open to interpretation.

Illegal Alien by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry (BBC Past Doctor Adventures)

Illegal Alien is a BBC Books original novel written by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry. It features the Seventh Doctor and Ace, as well as the Cybermen. Illegal Alien was originally under consideration as a three-part script for the 1990 season of Doctor Who. It was never produced as the programme ceased production in 1989. Like all Doctor Who spin-off media, its relationship to the ongoing story of the television series is open to interpretation.

Loving the Alien (Cybertechnology features) by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry
Made of Steel by Terrance Dicks (Quick Reads Initiative)

Made of Steel is a BBC Books original novella written by Terrance Dicks. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha. This paperback is part of the Quick Reads Initiative sponsored by the UK government, to encourage literacy. It has a similar look to BBC Books’ other new series adventures, except for its much shorter word count, being a paperback and not being numbered as part of the same series. To date it is the one of only four novels based upon the revived series that have not been published in hardcover (all these books are also part of the Quick Reads Initiative).

Plot Synopsis

Returning from the Cretaceous period, The Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones journey to the present day, where Cybermen have been teleporting into labs and stealing technology.

The Doctor takes Martha back to the Royal Hope hospital, where they have a confrontation with a pair of Cybermen in the car park. After nearly being captured, the Cybermen suddenly disappear, due to faults with their unfamiliar teleportation technology. The Army also want to get their hands on the Doctor, and ask for his help, so the Army capture him and his TARDIS from the Royal Hope Hospital, and he is separated from Martha.

At the Army Base, the Doctor realises that the Cybermen who were made on Earth, not the parallel universe (and were therefore not sucked into the void) having been using teleportion devices stolen from the Torchwood building, to help them gather enough technology to create a portal capable of reopening The Void and release the Cybermen trapped inside. But the Cybermen do not know how to open the Void, and so they need the Doctor to open it for them. That’s why they’re trying to capture him alive.

While Martha is separated from the Doctor, the Cybermen reappear, and capture her. They take her to their secret base where they discuss whether or not to kill her. Soon, the Doctor phones her on her mobile, and lets slip where he is. Just as Martha is about to tell him where she is, the Cyberleader snatches her phone and destroys it, then plans an attack on the Army Base where the Doctor is being held.

The Doctor manages to figure out that the Cybermen are at the Millennium Dome. But a team of 6 Cybermen (who were being kept frozen since the battle of Canary Wharf) attacks the base. The Army manages to destroy all but the Cyberleader with special weapons they had prepared in case Cybermen should invade again. The Cyberleader tells the Doctor that they’ll kill Martha unless he helps them, then vanishes.

The Doctor and the Army plan to attack the Millennium Dome. Having retrieved his TARDIS from the base, the Doctor manages to materialize right inside the Dome but the Army cannot enter due to a force-field set up by the Cybermen. The Doctor cooperates with the remaining two Cybermen & the Cyberleader, and opens their portal by linking up their equipment to the TARDIS. But the Cybermen realize that the Doctor’s methods do not work, and the force-field does not lead to the Void. Instead, it leads to Prehistoric Earth. A Tyrannosaurus rex appears and kills two Cybermen. Martha damages the force-field generator, and the Doctor uses an electrical cord from it to fry the Cyberleader. The portal then closes. With the Army entering too late, the Doctor and Martha say good-bye, then leave in the TARDIS to go somewhere ‘peaceful’.

Publication

This is the first New Series Adventure to be written by Terrance Dicks, who has written books for all previous lines of Doctor Who fiction with the exception of the Telos Doctor Who novellas. Dicks served as script editor for the original Doctor Who series in the early 1970s and contributed many teleplays, and was prolific in novelizing serials for Target Books, serving also as editor for the line. Dicks’ involvement in Made of Steel marks the first time that a writer connected with the original 1963-89 series has been directly involved in a story related to the 2005-present series. The page count of Made of Steel — 112 pages — is actually greater than that of some of Dicks’ Target novelizations.

Continuity

This book was published before Martha Jones’ television debut (March 31, 2007 in “Smith and Jones”), making Made of Steel the character’s first appearance in officially licensed material.

This book reveals that Adeola, a character played by Freema Agyeman in the episode “Army of Ghosts” before she was cast as Martha, is Martha’s cousin. This was confirmed on-screen in “Smith and Jones”. It was shown in the book that the Doctor remembered Adeola, but did not inform Martha of this.

The events of the book must take place after “The Lazarus Experiment” (or an adventure appearing off screen) as Martha Jones says something about facing mad scientists again.

The Torchwood episode “Cyberwoman” also features a Cyberman who survived the events of “Doomsday”

One of the Cybermen says that “Promises made to inferior species have no meaning.” A similar line is said by a Cyberleader in The Five Doctors, also by Dicks.

Games

Destiny of the Doctors (1997)
Blood of the Cybermen – Doctor Who: The Adventure Games (2010)
On the BBC website, the Cybus Cybermen appear in two online flash games, Cyber Assault and Save Paris, both depicting the war between the Cybermen and Preachers on the parallel Earth.

Stage plays

Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure — Wimbledon Theatre, London (premiere 23 March 1989)
Doctor Who – The Tomb of the Cybermen — Oxford Brookes University, Oxford (premiere 16 June 1998)

Audio Stories

Second Doctor

Third Doctor

The Blue Tooth

Fifth Doctor

Spare Parts
The Gathering

Sixth Doctor

Real Time
The Reaping
The Ultimate Adventure

Legend of the Cybermen

STARRING COLIN BAKER AND FRAZER HINES WITH WENDY PADBURY
(Duration: 120′ approx)

CAST:

Colin Baker (The Doctor), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Steven Kynman (The Thief/The Young Lord), Abigail Hollick (The Lieutenant), Ian Gelder (The Commander/The Pirate), Charlie Ross (The Rebel), Nicholas Briggs (The Cybermen)

SYNOPSIS:
The Cybermen are on the march through the Hundred Realms, killing and converting as they go. Resistance is useless.

Trapped on the outermost fringes of the battle, the Doctor and Jamie are astonished to encounter an old friend: astrophysicist Zoe Heriot.

It’s the happiest of reunions. But what hope is there of a happy ending against the unstoppable Cybermen?

Seventh Doctor