History Characters / DoctorWhoCyberman

!The Cybermen
!!Original Cybermen
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mondascybermen-mini_9678.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Roy Skelton[[note]]Did not appear in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen "The Tomb of the Cybermen"]][[/note]] and Peter Hawkins (1966–68); Peter Halliday (1968); Christopher Robbie and Melville Jones (1975); David Banks (1982–88); Mark Hardy (1982–83, 1988); William Kenton (1983); Michael Kilgarriff and John Ainley (1985); Brian Orrell (1985–88); Creator/NicholasBriggs (2006–present); David de Keyser (2012)

-->''"You belong to us. You shall be like us."''

DW's secondary main villains, first appearing in the First Doctor's final episode, "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet The Tenth Planet]]".

A species of cybernetic beings; originally a fully organic humanoid species, they started replacing more and more of their biology with robotics to extend their life, to the point that they have next to nothing living inside them, including emotions, instead only maintaining a drive to "upgrade" the entire universe to be like them. They are an example of "parallel evolution"; they have origins on many planets, essentially an inevitability, arising wherever there are people with the technology — Mondas, Telos, Planet 14, and so on. In fact, the Mondas/Telos Cybermen came from the tenth planet of the Earth's solar system ("Earth's long-lost twin planet"). [[note]]Both the airdate, and the year the story was set in, were before IAU redefinition of what a planet is, so Pluto was still a planet then.[[/note]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:In General]]
!!Tropes associated with the television continuity:
* AccentUponTheWrongSyllable:
** They spoke like this in their first appearance, giving their voices a rather unSETTling sINg-song quality.
-->"[[AC:[[SilenceYouFool SIIIIlenCE!]] [=AnyONNNNNNNNNNNNE=] who MOOOOOOOVES willbekilled inSTANTlyyyyyy!]]"
** The Troughton-era Cybermen have their own version, where they tend to stretch out words.
-->"[[AC:YOU BEEEEEELONG TO UZZZZZZ.]]"
* ActionFigureSpeech: Because their mouths don't move, they frequently move their hands when speaking amongst each other so the audience knows which one is talking.
* AdaptiveAbility: Ramped up in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver Nightmare in Silver]]", wherein they survive an electrified moat without a single loss, and eventually become immune to Cyberguns.
* AlwaysSecondBest: No matter how great a threat the Cybermen might be, if you put them in the same room/story as the Daleks, they'll inevitably be shoved aside as being weaker and less ruthless. The Daleks even mocked them about this in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E13Doomsday "Doomsday"]]. This extends to real life as well, since the Cybermen are the second most well known ''Who'' monster.
* AmbiguousSituation: It's not clear whether or not the Cybermen from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens "The Pandorica Opens"]], [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E12ClosingTime "Closing Time"]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]] are Mondasian or Cybus Cybermen.
* {{Animesque}}: Their 2013 incarnation takes some design cues from HumongousMecha anime, most notably their ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}''-like vented breastplates and ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''-inspired spinal detailing along their backs. From a non-anime perspective, they also look as if they were the latest products of [[Film/IronMan Stark Industries]].
* ArchEnemy: Only second to the Daleks in being the most recurring and iconic antagonists to the Doctor.
* ArtEvolution: The Cybermen tend to change their look with each appearance. The only thing that ever remains unchanged is the handlebars on the sides of the head.
* AssimilationPlot: Their whole shtick.
* TheAssimilator: Coupled with the UnwillingRoboticisation trope, and equally definitive.
* BodyHorror: Part and parcel of who they are. Played up by the original design, which had medical cloth surrounding their heads and ordinary human hands.
* CatchPhrase: "You belong to us" / "You will become like us", or variations upon those phrases. "WE MUZZT SURVIVE!" also tends to pop up fairly often.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]], they get a new one: "Upgrade in progress."
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: The Cybermen will ''never'' hold up to their end of an alliance, instead being firm believers of YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: A dark version in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet "The Tenth Planet"]]. Appalled that the Cybermen have no compassion or care for their victims, Polly poses the question: "Have you no heart?!" The Cyberman believes that she refers to the body part.
-->"[[AC:[=NooOOOoo, that is OOONE of the WEAKnesses that we HAAAVE remoVED.=]]]"
* ConspicuousGloves: The Mondasian Cybermen in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime World Enough and Time]]" have gloves that resemble the skin of a Caucasian man, as opposed to being actual human hands, making it very useful for hiding the race of the actors. Or indeed, that of the characters, i.e. Bill Potts.
* CostumeEvolution: They are one of the most frequently redesigned of ''Doctor Who'' aliens, with major new design changes being introduced in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E6TheMoonbase "The Moonbase"]] (the original BodyHorror design replaced by the sleeker and more robotic look of later ones), [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E3TheInvasion "The Invasion"]] (the introduction of the "square-headed" or "earmuff" look), [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock "Earthshock"]] (in which the skin-tight look of the previous designs' external covering is replaced by a baggier look), and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E5RiseOfTheCybermen "Rise of the Cybermen"]] (a radical redesign in which their bodies externally appear to be covered with jointed armour rather than metallic cloth).
** According to some of the crew members who played the Cybermen in their debut story, they disliked the experience of wearing the costumes, hence the redesigns.
* CreativeSterility: Mentioned in the [[AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho Big Finish audio production]] "Human Resources", where the Doctor informs the local Cybermen he only saved them by accident, before he realised who they were. When asked why he will extend help to all other species but not the Cybermen he answers "Because other species create. You don't."
* CreepyMonotone: All Cybermen talk in a mechanical, computer-like voice, though they shift in and out of this in their [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock "Earthshock"]] appearance.
* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: Almost certainly the TropeCodifier. The Mondasians were simply trying to keep themselves alive via cybernetics, at the cost of their emotions, and it worked. Then their new, emotionless, cybernetic selves decided everyone else had to be like them, and set about trying to take over the universe. Going by [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls "The Doctor Falls"]], something similar happens wherever they're created, regardless of whatever the initial motive was — they see themselves as an improvement over their original species, and decide everyone else must be "upgraded".
* TheDreaded: In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]]. They inspire so much fear that the standard procedure for seeing one is to destroy the entire planet.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: The Cybermen in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet "The Tenth Planet"]] had a much more mixed human-robot appearance with heavy BodyHorror implications, while the later designs all look entirely or almost entirely (the 1980s design's chin window) robotic from the outside. Even when these Cybermen reappeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime "World Enough and Time"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls "The Doctor Falls"]], they looked different, with smaller headlights, tighter-fitting masks, and skin-coloured gloves as opposed to human hands.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first Cybermen in the series, in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet "The Tenth Planet"]], have individuality and, while incapable of true empathy, are at least not as openly malevolent and conquest driven as they would later become.
* EliteMooks: Cyber-Leaders, Cyber-Controllers.
* EvilEvolves:
** At least in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]], the main problem with fighting Cybermen is the ability to adapt to enemy weapons on the fly. Using a super laser gun thing Clara and some soldiers completely obliterated one Cyberman, blew up the head on the next and slightly singed a third. It's considered that the only way to really stop a Cyberman invasion is to nuke the entire planet. And even that may not be enough if TheStinger in [[TheEndOrIsIt that episode is any indication.]]
--->"[[AC:Upgrade in Progress.]]"
** Thanks to {{time dilation}}, the Cybermen of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime "World Enough and Time"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls "The Doctor Falls"]] go through accelerated evolution, starting as [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet "Tenth Planet"]]-like Cybermen and developing into the numerous versions seen over the series' history.
* EvilIsHammy:
** 1980s Cybermen, particularly their Cyber-Leaders. "EXCELLLEEENT!!!"
** Mr. Clever, who frankly considers [[ChewingTheScenery the scenery an appetizer]].
* {{Flanderization}}:
** When initially introduced, the Cybermen were completely alien but in many ways better than humans, even winning the arguments thrown at them, and offered cyber-conversion as a choice, although they couldn't care less about mankind. Later on, the Cybermen's main motto seems to completely become "convert everyone into Cybermen", although this could be excused by EarlyInstallmentWeirdness and that their survival motive seems to be intertwined with cyber-converting.
** In later Classic series stories, the Cybermen seem to be in a weaker state, which could explain their desire for more Cyber-conversion.
** The second flanderization Cybermen got was the level they displayed their emotions and their weakness to gold, because it clogs their chest-units. In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E5RevengeOfTheCybermen "Revenge of the Cybermen"]], the weakness was introduced and the writers and actors put much less effort in making the Cybermen seem emotionless like they originally did. When they came back in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock "Earthshock"]], their lack of emotions was little more than lip-service and they had a tendency to delve into LargeHam territory, to the point it was suggested that the Cybermen remove all emotions except for rage. And in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E3SilverNemesis "Silver Nemesis"]], the gold weakness was exaggerated to the point where merely being hit by a gold coin could completely destroy them.
* GodzillaThreshold: After the Cyber-Wars, the mere presence of one Cyberman is grounds to blow up a whole planet. During the Cyber-Wars, the only way to stop them was to destroy their entire galaxy.
* GreatOffScreenWar: The Cyber-Wars, which ended with an entire ''galaxy'' being blown up. [[ImplacableMan They survived.]]
* HiveMind: The Moffat-era Cybermen, in their various incarnations.
* HumanResources: It makes fighting them difficult. After all, if they need new troops, they can take ''you''.
* {{Hyperaffixation}}: They are notorious and sometimes mocked by fans for using "Cyber-" as a prefix for absolutely everything they make or use, such as using Cyberguns and Cyberbombs to fight Cyberwars, and travelling in Cyberfleets, however it can be said that this helps emphasize their CreativeSterility.
* IconicItem: The "handlebars" on their heads remain a constant part of their design, even as everything else changes. While in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet "The Tenth Planet"]] they seem to be providing power to their head lamps, the other designs seem to have no practical use for them. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime "World Enough and Time"]] explains them as being the Mondasian Cybermen's emotional inhibitor.
* JetPack: The version created by Missy in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E11DarkWater "Dark Water"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven "Death in Heaven"]], and the Mondasian ones in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime "World Enough and Time"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls "The Doctor Falls"]], have rocket boots.
* JokerImmunity: They've been wiped out several times, but there always turns out to be another batch of them stashed away somewhere on another planet that nobody had ever mentioned before. Or in another universe — and ''those'' Cybermen have the immunity, too; at one point, every last one of them was sucked into a featureless void for eternity, and they still managed to come back. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls "The Doctor Falls"]] gives some justification to this by establishing them as a repeating pattern — even if they're wiped out, someone, somewhere, will end up recreating them.
* {{Leitmotif}}: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of6ThsLtHqs Space Adventure]]" in the black and white era. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5BfyzJm_zY "The Cybermen"]] in the revival.
* LiteralSurveillanceBug: The Cybermats.
* LongBusTrip: The original Mondasian version from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet "The Tenth Planet"]] didn't reappear until 2017's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime "World Enough and Time"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls "The Doctor Falls"]].
* LossOfIdentity: People who are transformed into Cybermen are stripped of all personality and individuality, becoming soulless killers. Once a human is transformed, they're considered dead and all that can be done is to destroy the Cyberman. The process isn't perfect, though, as there have been a rare few exceptions across the series and expanded universe who held onto their individuality through one means or another.
* MachineMonotone: All Cybermen talk in a mechanical, computer-like voice, though they shift in and out of this in their [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock "Earthshock"]] appearance.
* MachineWorship: How the Mondasian Cybermen got started, before deciding that everyone else should be like them too.
* MalevolentMugshot: Their logo design in the 60s, and more recently in [[Recap/DoctorWhoTAGE02BloodOfTheCybermen "Blood of the Cybermen"]].
* MultipleChoicePast: While rising on Mondas is the most common origin for them, other media has also claimed they originated on Telos, Marinus (sometimes as a past Mondas), Planet 14, and a Mondasian colony ship. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls "The Doctor Falls"]] gets around this by claiming the Cybermen rose naturally on ''all'' of them — they're the inevitable result of a combination of sufficient technology and insufficient caution.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: The Cyberman in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens "The Pandorica Opens"]] shows several abilities that never appear before or after; the ability for the head to move and operate on its own, grow tentacles, shoot tranquilising darts, split open the face plate, and survive without any living organic components.
* TheNoseless: Although the Cybermen have been through numerous radical redesigns since their first appearance, this has always been a constant.
* ObliviouslyEvil: They genuinely think that UnwillingRoboticization is a favour for humanity.
* ScaryDogmaticAliens: Where the Daleks are an analogy for Nazi Germany, the Cybermen on the other hand are an analogy for Soviet Russia. They are hell-bent on surviving forever through the enforcement of unity by converting all other humanoid creatures into Cybermen like themselves, their only long-term goal being to keep carrying out this directive.
* SilentAntagonist: The [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]] Cybermen don't say much.
* StompyMooks: The 2013 versions have this, just like the Cybus Cybermen. Even the original variants were given this trait.
* StrawVulcan: DependingOnTheWriter. The emotionless qualities of the Cybermen are dropped if convenient.
* SuperSpeed: The ones that first appeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]] can move much faster than anything seen before, effectively graduating into LightningBruiser. Creator/MattSmith even commented that was the most scary thing about them in that story.
* TalkingLightbulb: The new series versions have blue lights in their mouth that flash as they speak, borrowed from their Cybus counterparts.
* TooDumbToLive: They locked the Doctor up in ''an explosives storage closet''... without searching him for items that could be used as a detonator. Guess how he got the door open?
* TookALevelInBadass: In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]], where they have since become equipped with an AdaptiveAbility, rendering them quickly immune to things that have previously destroyed or slowed them down. And to make it ''worse'', they now have SuperSpeed that reaches BulletTime levels, and it requires special guns to even damage them.
** And they [[UpToEleven quickly become immune]] ''to even those guns too''.
** ''Worse'' for the Doctor, they aren't limited to assimilating Humans anymore, putting ''Time Lords'' on the menu.
** In their next appearance in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E11DarkWater "Dark Water"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven "Death in Heaven"]], they have upgraded again, this time capable of flight, having advanced nanotechnology that can even ''resurrect and convert the dead'', and maybe or not finally capable of time-travel. Though this is due to being [[HijackedByGanon under Missy's control]]. The nanotech is so advanced that Missy's ultimate plan involves infesting the atmosphere of Earth with it until every living human and every human corpse becomes a Cyberman.
* UnwillingRoboticisation: In at least a couple episodes, forced conversion to Cybermen was announced as the fate for those captives who were "worthy" of the "honour", particularly the Doctor. Most notably in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen The Tomb of the Cybermen]]", where this fate was intended for all of the expedition team, as a "reward" for having re-awakened them.
* VocalEvolution: In their very first appearance, the Cybermen were depicted with an odd, high-pitched sing-song voice due to using AccentUponTheWrongSyllable. Subsequent appearances began tinkering with this formula, mostly through the use of synthesizing to convey a more "mechanical" tone. Stand-outs include the use of an electro-larynx-like buzzing, emotionless monotone in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen The Tomb of the Cybermen]]", and the smoothly electronic vocals associated with the Cybus-Cybermen of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E5RiseOfTheCybermen "Rise of the Cybermen"]].
** When the very first breed of Mondasian Cybermen reappeared in 2017, they retained the odd sing-song voices, but with the modern day vocal processing added (which had previously been used by Big Finish's depictions of them).
* VoiceOfTheLegion: Notable with Troughton-era Cybermen, just barely audible under the sound of the Cyber-voice is a second one, a hissing rasp of the original being before they became a Cyberman.
* WasOnceAMan: Wherever they begin, it follows a similar pattern: people use cybernetics to replace organic body parts, then someone decides to go all the way and make the entire body cybernetic, discarding humanity and emotion, and the Cybermen are created anew.
* WeaksauceWeakness: The infamous gold allergy evolved into this over time. It started as "gold dust jams up their works" and eventually became "you can kill them instantly with gold coins fired from a slingshot". This was quietly ignored in the RTD years (a tie-in site mentions that R&D eliminated the Cybus breed's allergy before they even started).
** However, in ''ComicBook/StarTrekTheNextGenerationDoctorWhoAssimilation2'', they were able to mostly defeat the Cybermen using gold dust, at Eleven's suggestion.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E12NightmareInSilver "Nightmare in Silver"]] it's mentioned as having been useful against older tech, but not even worth trying against new. Despite this, some models such as the Cyberplanner still contain the flaw deep within the source code for their operating systems, which the Doctor exploits, forcing it to spend time developing a patch.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: The original purpose of the Mondasian Cybermen was as a way to survive biosphere extinction, when a catastrophe threw Mondas out of orbit. To that end, they sacrificed their humanity to ensure their preservation, genuinely believing it to be the right thing to do. The Cybermen see themselves as a superior species (and they sorta ''are''), so cannot comprehend why people ''don't'' want to become like them. Furthermore, it's a very "us or them" kind of situation, and while the Cybermen intend to save as many humans as they possibly can, they acknowledge those they can't will die.
** The alternate universe counterparts were likewise created as a way to make humanity live ''forever''. Afterwards, they saw the decision to not upgrade as irrational and decided to remove choice from the equation entirely.
[[/folder]]

!Related topics
!!Leadership
[[folder:Cyber-Leader]]
!!Cyber-Leader
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/banks_leader.JPG]]
->'''Played by:''' Christopher Robbie (1975); David Banks (1982–1988); Paul Kasey (2006); Ruari Mears (2010); Jon Davey (2011)
->'''Voiced by:''' Nicholas Briggs (2006-present)

-->''"EXCELLENT!"''

Introduced in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E5RevengeOfTheCybermen Revenge of the Cybermen]]", a Cyber-Leader would appear in every subsequent Cybermen story of the original series. Although each Cyber-Leader was a different unit, they were all played by the same actor during the John Nathan-Turner era[[note]]in the case of the series revival, the same '''voice''' actor[[/note]] and were functionally the same character.
----
* BigBad: Of "Revenge Of The Cybermen" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock Earthshock]]".
* BigBadEnsemble: Virtually all post-Earthshock appearances, original or revival series, aside from "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E1AttackOfTheCybermen Attack of the Cybermen]]" where it's TheDragon.
* CatchPhrase: "EXCELLENT!"
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: The Cyber-Leader has black handlebars on its head. The Revival series specifies this as part of a villainous upgrade.
* CreepyMonotone: In "Attack of the Cybermen", it's a lot less scenery-chewing, which makes it sound very intimidating. Once Nicholas Briggs started supplying the voice, a more straight MachineMonotone became standard.
* TheDragon: To the Cyber-Controller in "Attack of the Cybermen."
** DragonInChief: It's implied that this is it's normal role, but the Controller so rarely appears onscreen that this story is the only time we see it actually depicted.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Speaks in a lower register than its troops, with David Banks seemingly channeling [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]] at a few points.
* InformedAttribute: Cybermen are supposed to be emotionless, but the David Banks incarnation is [[LargeHam very emotive]].
* LargeHam: David Banks was clearly enjoying himself. Every syllable is relished. The Doctor even lampshades this:
-->"Compared to some, this one's positively flippant."
* LegacyCharacter: See the entry for YouAreInCommandNow.
* OutOfFocus: From 2013 to 2017, when Cybermen are led by Mr. Clever [[spoiler: and later, the Master.]]
* SmugSnake: Particularly in "Earthshock", where the Leader is convinced nothing can stop the Cybermen's plans, and "[[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors The Five Doctors]]", where its arrogant enough to think it can control the Master, of all people.
* WeMeetAgain:
-->"So, we meet again, Doctor!"
* YouAreInCommandNow: When a Cyber-Leader is destroyed, one of its mooks is upgraded into the next Leader.
* YouAreNumberSix: Cybus Cyber-Leaders have numbered designations.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cyber-Controller]]
!!Cyber-Controller
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cyberman_attack.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Michael Kilgarriff

-->''"Emotion is a weakness!"''

A unique Cyberman who directs the Cybermen's central base of operations on Telos. Larger and more autonomous than the standard Cyberman, the Controller is primarily preoccupied with formulating plans to preserve its species in the aftermath of Mondas' destruction, and rarely sees action in the field.
----
* AdiposeRex: It's a bit larger than an ordinary Cyberman by default, but it's rather heavyset in its 1980s appearance.
* BigBad: Of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Tomb of the Cybermen]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E1AttackOfTheCybermen Attack of the Cybermen]]".
* BrainInAJar: Implied, but not as explicit as the Cybus/Lumic incarnation.
* ColonyDrop: How it plans to destroy Earth in "Attack of the Cybermen."
* EvilSoundsDeep: But generally colder and more mechanical than the Cyber-Leader.
* KingMook: Is higher on the food chain than the Cyber-Leader.
* LegacyCharacter: In theory, yes, but the Controller featured in "Tomb" and "Attack" is strongly implied to be the same individual.
* MyBrainIsBig: Requiring a special domed cranial casing.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Doesn't usually leave the Cyber-Tombs, so is rarely encountered by the Doctor.
* PlayingPossum: Can take more punishment than the average Cyberman, so pulls this quite a few times.

[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cyber-Planner]]
!!Cyber-Planner
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cyber_planner.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Roy Skelton, Peter Halliday

-->''"[[ResistanceIsFutile You cannot stop us. No one can.]]"''

Cyber-Planners are [[MasterComputer learning computers]] used by the Cybermen to [[TheChessmaster create and direct battle plans and strategies]].
----
* AllThereInTheManual: The first Cyber-Planner was created when the (still human) Intelligencia of Mondas abandoned their individual personalities and funnelled their collective intelligence into a mechanical shell.
* ArmchairMilitary: Given how it is a computer that cannot move on its own (outside of GrandTheftMe), it doesn't really have much of a choice.
* TheAssimilator: Can take over the mind of organic lifeforms and use their knowledge to expedite its plans.
* BigBad: Of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E7TheWheelInSpace The Wheel In Space]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E3TheInvasion The Invasion]]".
* BrainInAJar: Implied to have some organic components.
* ComplexityAddiction: The plan it formulates in "The Wheel In Space" has shades of this: Capture the Silver Carrier and have the Servo-Robot pilot it towards the Wheel. When nearby, it releases tiny pods across space that go into the Wheel and hatch Cybermats. The Cybermats then consume the Wheel's stocks of bernalium. Meanwhile, the Cybermen ionise a star to (somehow) divert an asteroid storm towards the Wheel. The crew of the Wheel will notice this, but be unable to use their defensive laser without bernalium. They will then discover that the Silver Carrier has plenty of bernalium on board, so will go over to get it. Concealed in the bernalium are large egg-like pods which, when on the Wheel, will hatch Cybermen. These Cybermen will then deactivate the Wheel's oxygen supply, killing the crew. The Cybermen will then be able to use the Wheel as a beacon for their fleet. All of which raises the question: if they want a beacon, why not just build one?
* CostumeEvolution: Inverted. The Planner featured in "The Invasion" looks ''less'' advanced than the one seen in "The Wheel In Space" (which takes place a century later). Justified, as for the first half of the narrative, it had to look like a machine that Tobias Vaughn could have conceivably built himself.
* EvilDoppelganger: See the entry for Mr. Clever.
* NoKillLikeOverkill: In "The Invasion", after its fleet is destroyed, the Cyber-Planner intends to [[NukeEm destroy all life on Earth with a super bomb]].
* NonActionBigBad: Being completely immobile with no defensive capabilities, it obviously can't fight.
* WeHaveReserves: Thinks nothing of sacrificing its own troops in "The Invasion".
-->'''Cyber-Planner:''' You are of no further use to us. The Cyber-invasion must succeed. The bomb will be delivered.
-->'''Vaughn:''' But if you do, you'll destroy everything here. Even your own Cybermen!
-->'''Cyber-Planner:''' The sacrifice will be small.
* WouldHurtAChild: Sees the minds of children as prime targets for assimilation because of their imaginative potential.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: If you're not a Cyberman you will eventually find yourself on the receiving end of this. Even if you are... see the entry for WeHaveReserves.


!!"Mr. Clever"
[[quoteright:297:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cleverboy_6992.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/MattSmith (2013)

-->''"Good news, boys and girls. '''THEY'RE HERE!'''"''

Mr. Clever is a Cyber-Planner that was operating out of the brain of the Eleventh Doctor. As a result, there was a much more flamboyant, emotive, and outlandish personality than one would ordinarily associate with Cybermen.
----
* TheChessmaster: Holds his own in a game against the Doctor. Or so it seems. The real match, at least for the Doctor, was taking place off the board.
* {{Expy}}: Of [[JekyllAndHyde Mr. Hyde]], which fits the motif considering when you put the two together it's "The Doctor and Mr. Clever".
* GrandTheftMe: The Doctor is partially converted into a Cyber-Planner. Mr. Clever would like very much to make it a full conversion.
* HydePlaysJekyll: Tries to impersonate the Doctor in an attempt to fool Clara, but she sees through his act when he tells her he thinks she's pretty, something the real Doctor would never be upfront about.
* HypocriticalHumor: Chastises the Doctor on the uselessness of emotions, in a rather emotional display. Also a far more emotive Cyber-entity than we usually see.
* {{Jerkass}}: Mr. Clever is extremely unpleasant. He cruelly mocks Clara by telling her she's going to die pointlessly and very far from home and he [[WouldHurtAChild tries to have Angie and Artie killed]] simply to spite the Doctor. It's very satisfying when the Doctor defeats him.
* LargeHam: Even beyond Matt Smith's usual hamminess while playing the Doctor.
* SpotTheImposter: An unusual case, as both the Doctor and Mr. Clever are operating out of the same head at the same time.
* ThatLiarLies: The Doctor says that if the Cyber-Planner loses the game of chess, he'll break his promises and kill them all anyway.
[[/folder]]

!!Allies
[[folder:Tobias Vaughn]]
!!Tobias Vaughn
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tobiasvaughn.png]]
->'''Played by:''' Kevin Stoney (1968)

The founder of International Electromatics, who met the Cybermen and formed an alliance with them, and then masterminded an invasion to take over the Earth. However, [[TheStarscream he plans to backstab them]] as he knows their intentions too well.
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* EvilGenius
* {{Expy}}: He's similar to Mavic Chen from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E4TheDaleksMasterPlan "The Daleks' Master Plan"]], another character Kevin Stoney played. They work with the [[BigBad Big Bads]], then betray them for their own purposes.
* TheQuisling: He plans to ally with the Cybermen, but betrays them once they succeed their mission.
* SadisticChoice: Somewhat zigzagged. His initial intent once the Cybermen take over was to use the Cerebration Mentor to destroy his allies, but then decides to take the TARDIS from the Doctor hearing from him, but that fails after he and his companions escaped. Then decides to go to the original play, but that fails after Watkins escaped as well. So the only choice left was to bargain with the Cybermen, which even then didn't worked out.
* VillainousBreakdown: When the Cyber-Planner finally loses patience with him and decides to just nuke the planet.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He runs a business, and no one aside from from workers know his intentions.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: His animation model for the recreation of episodes 1 and 4 lacks Kevin Stoney's distinctive half-closed right eye.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Hospital Staff]]
!!The Hospital Staff

A group of workers stationed at the Mondasian Colony Ship's Conversion Hospital.
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* LackOfEmpathy: With the exception of Mr. Razor, all workers at the hospital seem to be apathetic towards the cries of pain emmited by the patients, justified in that it's the only way for the inhabitants of Floor 1056 to survive their harsh conditions.
* UnwillingRoboticisation: They are the workers in charge of mantaining the Cyberman Conversion process aboard the Mondasian Colony Ship.
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!!!The Surgeon
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2017_08_27_at_171752.png]]
->'''Played by:''' Paul Brightwell (2017)

The lead surgeon in charge of Cyberman Conversions.
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* FalseReassurance: What he gives to Bill before her conversion.
-->'''Bill:''' But look at them! They're screaming every second they're alive!\\
'''Surgeon:''' But we've got something for that now! ''[holds up Cybermen handlebars]'' This won't stop you feeling pain, but it will stop you caring about it. It fits over your head.
* LackOfEmpathy: PlayedStraight with his attitude towards the extreme pain suffered by conversion patients, then later subverted with the introduction of the pain inhibitors.
* NoNameGiven: He is not officially given a name.
* RedHerring: Seems to be the main villain of the episode, but the Master is superior to him.
* SkewedPriorities: Rather than come up with a way to fix the cyber-conversion so that it doesn't inflict unimaginable pain, he just comes up with a brain-manipulating implant that stops the Cybermen from caring that they're in pain.

!!!The Nurse
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2017_08_27_at_171804.png]]
->'''Played By:''' Alison Lintott (2017)

The Surgeon's assistant, who is tasked with overlooking the patients after the lights go out.
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* BattleaxeNurse: She is an asshole to her patients and doesn't care when one is in pain.
* LackOfEmpathy: Particularly emphasised with the Nurse, as her reaction to a patient's repeated screams of pain is to mute his volume dial.
* NoNameGiven: She is not officially given a name.

!!!Mr. Razor
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2017_08_27_at_171916.png]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/JohnSimm (2017)

The eccentric and disheveled Hospital janitor.
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* FalseFriend: He is one to Bill, playing her like a fiddle the whole time.
* TheIgor: He has overtones of this before his true identity is revealed.
* LatexPerfection: He hides his true appearance via a rubber mask.
* MrExposition: He explains the {{Backstory}} of the Mondasians and why they're doing what they're doing now. Interestingly, despite TheReveal that Mr. Razor is actually the Master, there is no reason to think (at this point) that he ''lies'' to Bill about anything aside from who he is.
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Right before Mr. Razor reveals himself to be John Simm's Master, shades of Simm's normal, unaffected voice start to seep through.
* TheReveal: His true identity is that of [[Characters/DoctorWhoMasters the Master]] in disguise.
* SpotOfTea: Enjoys this with Bill regularly. As far as he's concerned, it's the ''real'' horror of the hospital. And this is the "good" tea.
* TokenGoodTeammate: Is the only person in the hospital who cares remotely for Bill's safety. Sadly, it's just an act.
* WalkingSpoiler: Not only was he manipulating Bill, he was the Harold Saxon Master in disguise the whole time.
* WhamLine:
-->'''Mr. Razor:''' Do you still like disguises? Of course, they are rather necessary ''[accent changes]'' when you happen to be someone's former Prime Minister!
[[/folder]]

!Cybus Cybermen
[[quoteright:110:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/CyCyber_2751.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/NicholasBriggs (2006–2017),[[note]]assumed; the Cybermen in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens "The Pandorica Opens"]] (2010) have a C on their chest, but have technology closer to that of the Mondasian Cybermen[[/note]] Tracy-Ann Oberman (2006)

-->''"YOU WILL BE DEL-E-TED."''

The parallel Earth Cybermen (or Cybus Cybermen or Cybusmen, after the evil corporation that created them). These Cybermen come from a parallel universe. Have been around for a while, first appearing in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E5RiseOfTheCybermen "Rise of the Cybermen"]] in 2006. Get sent into the Void between dimensions, from where they neatly spill over into the regular timeline.
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[[folder:In General]]
!!Tropes associated with the television continuity:
* AmbiguousSituation: Because the "C" on their chest was removed after [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens "The Pandorica Opens"]], it makes it hard to tell if the Cybermen that carry the design are actually the same branch as the Cybus ones, or the original counterparts. Not helping the case is that after they came from their universe, they use different ways to convert others.
* AssimilationPlot: Every single time, they want to "upgrade" everyone.
* TheAssimilator: Coupled with the UnwillingRoboticisation trope.
* BigBadEnsemble: Of the 2006 series, with the Cult of Skaro for the season finale, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E12ArmyOfGhosts "Army of Ghosts"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E13Doomsday "Doomsday"]].
* BodyHorror: The Cyber-conversion process is... not pleasant. The details aren't given in full, but the general gist is most of the human parts are sliced away, and the remains welded to a metal exoskeleton.
* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: Due to their more corporate origins.
-->'''The Doctor:''' A logo on the front. Lumic's turned them into a brand.
* CatchPhrase: "You will be deleted", or simply "DELETE".
* ChestInsignia: They have a "C" on their chests. Mondasian Cybermen that have copied their template do not share this feature, instead having something more akin to an [[WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko inverted XANA symbol]].
* CreativeSterility: The Doctor describes them with this trope in their debut arc.
-->'''The Doctor:''' The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stay like this forever! A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts, lacking the one thing that makes human beings so alive: ''People!''
* CreepyMonotone: All Cybus Cybermen talk in a mechanical, computer-like voice.
* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: [[InvokedTrope Deliberately invoked]] and [[PlayingWithATrope played with]]; the Cybusmen have "emotional inhibitors" because any human who can truly grasp what has happened will GoMadFromTheRevelation and then [[YourHeadAsplode explode]].
* DeadpanSnarker: ''Bizarrely.'' The Cybermen occasionally show a little bit of sass to their enemies. It's very rare, but it happens.
-->'''Dalek Thay:''' [[AC:Daleks have no concept of ''elegance!'']]\\
'''Cyberman:''' [[AC:This is obvious.]]
* TheDreaded: Note the Doctor's reaction when he first sees them. He's utterly terrified, and doesn't even bother fighting them, he just tries to surrender.
* EnemyMine: At first, it was just a case of EvilVsEvil with the Cult of Skaro, as the Daleks had no plans of playing together. But eventually, once Sec got the Genesis Ark opened, the Cybermen had no choice but to ally with Torchwood and the Doctor to fight them off.
* EvilSoundsDeep: In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E14TheNextDoctor "The Next Doctor"]], their voices are much deeper than usual.
** The Japanese dub of their stories gave this trait.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Becoming a Cybus-Cyberman is a fate so hideous, so inherently traumatizing, that they ''depend'' on their emotional inhibition to survive; any Cybus-Cyberman who has their emotions restored becomes overwhelmed by pain and body dysphoria, invariably committing suicide.
* HumongousMecha: In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E14TheNextDoctor "The Next Doctor"]], called a Cyberking.
* ImmuneToBullets: What with being made of metal. They're ''not'' immune to rockets or particle guns, though.
* JetPack: They gained rocket boots much like their parallel counterparts from the 2013 redesigns.
* JoinOrDie: They offer two choices: Upgrade, or refuse. Refusal means you're irrelevant, and irrelevant elements are deleted. However, they might decide someone's not worth upgrading, and kill them anyway.
* KingMook: The first Cyber-Controller, a converted John Lumic, who has a slightly modified design and sits on a massive throne.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5BfyzJm_zY Bwaah-BWAAH-bwaah-bwaah-bwaah-bwaaaaaah!]] It's so memorable that the six-note theme has carried over to pretty much ''every'' appearance of the Cybermen in the revival series, including those of the Mondasian Cybermen.
* MachineMonotone: With the Cybus Cybermen, the Cybermen regain the ability to speak in a constant and unchanging machine-monotone after gradually losing that trait in the eighties, but as DeadpanSnarker shows, they bizarrely lose it too occasionally.
* MotiveDecay: The way they convert people after their initial appearance changed. They originally just have the brain, nervous system and organs removed from the human body and transfer it to the empty suit. When teleported from out of their own universe, they started converting others by simply removing body parts with the mechanical implants, similar to their parallel counterparts. This was proven corrected in ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' when Lisa Hallett was partially converted, and when the decapitated head from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens "The Pandorica Opens"]] reveals a skull.
* MythologyGag:
** The way their "mouth movements" are done behind the scenes are similar to how the original Cybermen move their mouths. The only difference is that there's a switch in the mask that lights the "teeth".
** Their original voices from their initial appearance to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E14TheNextDoctor "The Next Doctor"]] are based on the Cybermen voices from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E3TheInvasion "The Invasion"]], only a bit lower.
** In the Cybus notes, they originally had the gold weakness until it was improved much later.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: They get new powers or "upgrades" with each appearance. At first they killed by electrocuting through direct contact, then they could fire lasers.
* ObliviouslyEvil: They genuinely think that UnwillingRoboticization is a favour for humanity.
* PsychoElectro: Their original method of killing was to electrocute victims.
* RoboSpeak: They have a tendency to use more tehcnical terms when speaking.
* StompyMooks: They constantly march in formation while making as much ominous noise as possible... so the Doctor is very surprised when they manage to sneak up on him in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E14TheNextDoctor "The Next Doctor"]]. "D'you have your legs on silent?"
* TalkingLightbulb: They were the first version of the Cybermen to have flashing blue lights in their mouths when speaking.
* UniformityException: Cyber-Leaders have black handlebars, compared to the rank-and-file's grey. Likewise, the lead Cyberman in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E14TheNextDoctor "The Next Doctor"]] has a visible brain, like the Cyber-Controller, ''and'' a black face plate.
* UnwillingRoboticisation: Even more so than the Mondasian Cybermen; those of Mondas had no choice but to convert into Cybermen to survive, but the Cybus-Cybermen were forcibly converted against their will by John Lumic, who used brainwashing technology to make people literally walk into the conversion chambers.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Their idea of a utopia, at least.
* VillainTeamUp: They teamed up with both of their parallel counterpart Cybermen.
* WasOnceAMan: All Cybus-Cybermen were humans, originally. Now, they're nothing but brains and perhaps a few other organs/nerves stuffed into cybernetic shells.
* WeCanRuleTogether: They offer an alliance with the Daleks. Fortunately (for the rest of the universe), the Daleks decline.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: The original purpose of the Mondasian Cybermen was to survive at the cost of their humanity, which they genuinely believe to be the right thing. The Cybus Cybermen are basically the same, except the factors that influenced the motivation are much more selfish.
* YourHeadAsplode: They make a habit of this when their emotional inhibitors are deactivated.
[[/folder]]

!!Related topics
[[folder:John Lumic]]
!!John Lumic
[[quoteright:274:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/72322988_pack_who.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Roger Lloyd-Pack (2006)

-->"''This is the age of steel, and ''I'' am its creator!''"

The CEO, director and co-founder of Cybus Industries, John Lumic was the brilliant — and insane — creator of the parallel universe versions of the Cybermen (Cybus Cybermen). He was dying from a terminal illness, and made efforts to upgrade himself — and eventually all of humanity — into a higher lifeform.
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* BigNo: Once the Doctor kills all of his Cybermen stationed in London, he shrieks "NOOOOOOO!" and personally chases after the Doctor.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He owns Cybus Industries, which from the looks of it, ''pretty much owns the entire internet''. Via his Cybus earpods, which just about everyone wears, he can remotely control anyone to achieve his ends. It's safe to say that not only is he corrupt, but pretty evil to boot.
* EvilBrit: He is identified as being a British native (in fact, that Britain is his homeland is why he decided to start upgrading there).
* EvilCripple: He's wheelchair bound and has a wealth of life-support instruments hooked up.
* EvilGenius: This man ''created'' the Cybermen, albeit a parallel universe counterpart.
* EvilHasABadSenseOfHumour: "A remark about 'crashing the party' might be appropriate at this point, sir!"
* EvilIsHammy: Despite being a NoNonsenseNemesis, he has a very grandiose manner of speaking.
* {{Expy}}: What if Tobias Vaughan (a VillainWithGoodPublicity who has a fascination with technology) was Davros ([[EvilCripple crippled]] and [[EvilIsHammy hammy]] [[EvilGenius evil genius]] who's the ''de facto'' ruler of his society)?
* FauxAffablyEvil: From the get-go, he's depicted as a very unpleasant man. So any charm he ''does'' display is entirely transparent and superficial.
* FreudianExcuse: Suggested. Based on when he asks the Doctor if he's ever known grief, rage and pain (with an angry tone), it's possible Lumic himself may have experienced these things earlier in his life, and they hardened him into the man he's seen as.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: He was upgraded much sooner than he had planned on, due to Crane's unexpected attempt on his life, and was visibly panicked when a Cyberman took him away against his will. It's ultimately subverted though, as he not only got everything he wanted, but became the Cyber-Controller in the process.
* ItsAllAboutMe: John Lumic is dying of an unspecified illness, and therefore decides to find a way, any way, to save himself, no matter how many people he has to kill, or worse. Unlike the Cybermen, who think they're genuinely doing people a favour scooping their innards out, Lumic's only motivation is ever himself and his legacy.
* MortalityPhobia: All ambition aside, Lumic is nothing more than a weak old man [[JustForPun deathly scared of dying]].
* NoNonsenseNemesis: He doesn't really play around. The second he doesn't get what he wants, he sends in a horde of Cybermen. Even small-talk is beyond him.
[[/folder]]

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* AccentUponTheWrongSyllable: They spoke like this in their first appearance, giving their voices a rather unSETTling sINg-song quality.

* AdiposeRex: It's a bit larger than an ordinary Cyberman by default, but it's rather heavyset in his 1980s appearance.