Over the years, the Cybermen have featured as the primary villains of 16 Doctor Who stories (with a bunch of smaller and cameo roles besides). In celebration of their half-centenary, here’s our ranking of every single one from worst to best…
‘Army of Ghosts’ and ‘Doomsday’
Yes, the Cult of Skaro are the real masterminds here and they easily best the Cybermen but you have to give this one points for finally giving us the ultimate Doctor Who monster battle. Plus, on the non-Cyber side of things, you have Rose and the Doctor’s tragic parting.
‘Rise of the Cybermen’ and ‘The Age of Steel’
The decision to reboot the Cybermen as the creations of a parallel world is often criticised by fans. Yet it has to be said that it was a neat way to cut through decades of continuity and return to what makes the Cybermen so effective – they are what we’ll become if we’re not careful.
‘The Tenth Planet’
But we have to place the original origin of the Cybermen higher. The cumbersome, more human figures of the First Doctor’s swansong are very different from their later, more famous form but they remain supremely creepy in this slightly dated yet still tense adventure.
‘The Invasion’
The first of the truly great Cybermen stories on this list, eight-part epic ‘The Invasion’ stands as one of Doctor Who’s definitive alien invasion stories. The Cybermen are a truly threatening force, they have a memorable human ally in Tobias Vaughn and it even produced one of Who’s most iconic images.
‘Earthshock’
This Fifth Doctor adventure lives long in the minds of Who fans as it featured not one, but two massive (earth)shocks – the surprising return of the Cybermen after a whopping seven years and, of course, Adric’s tragic demise (still the last proper death of a companion). A proper blockbuster Doctor Who story.
‘The Tomb of the Cybermen’
It’s a tough one but today we are naming ‘The Tomb of the Cybermen’ as the best ever Cybermen story. With its eerie atmosphere, memorable imagery and surprising moments of pathos, this Second Doctor classic is practically Doctor Who distilled. If you don’t believe us, it’s a favourite of Matt Smith’s.
What’s your favourite Cybermen story? Let us know below…
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