Whatever happened to the Cybermen during the Time War? Cybergene reveals all… 

We know that the almighty temporal conflict between the Time Lords and the Daleks set the universe alight. Other races were caught in the crossfire of the Last Great Time War or wiped out as collateral damage.

However, such a focus on the Daleks, we’re left to wonder what happened to the Doctor’s other recurring nightmare. This latest audio box set from Big Finish promises to reveal all, as well as making the bold promise to use every Cyberman ever, from the cloth-faced men from Mondas to their most recent iterations…

Crucible

With the War Doctor acting as a lone agent, he finds himself arriving on world mired in conflict. Amid a seemingly endless war, with combatants caught in bubbles of slow time, he discovers that wounded soldiers are sent behind the lines to be fixed up and returned. They fight against an unknown enemy, with few memories of home no understanding beyond their orders.

Behind the lines, the Doctor discovers horrific and mechanised processes, apparently the brainchild of a medic named Nesta (Mitra Djalili) who believes she is saving lives in the only way she can.

Firebreak

Next, with the sinister hand of the Time Lords revealed, we see Cyber-evolution from a different perspective in ‘Firebreak’. On a different planet, Davius (Nicholas Khan) tries to ensure his medieval society survives through a series of natural disasters. He receives visits from the Doctor and Nesta at 100-year intervals throughout his struggles, charting his progress and species’ slow decline.

Sepulchre

Finally, all roads lead to a Cyber-tomb housed within an asteroid, echoing the traps and puzzles of Telos. There, the Doctor uncovers his role in the original Time Lord mission. With Nesta at his side, the pair are inexorably locked into a chain of events…

Cyber Voices

Across the set, Nicholas Briggs demonstrates all his Cyber voices, from the singsong Mondasians to the modern Cybus style. However, we were disappointed that the mighty David Banks wasn’t coaxed back to reprise his resonant 1980s Cyber Leader.

To be honest, we lost count of whether the tale actually used “every Cyberman ever” as billed, a lot of the later ones sound pretty similar. A bit like ‘Asylum of the Daleks‘ or the Capaldi Dalek two-parter did for the Daleks, it’s fun but it hardly matters. Although it has yielded this terrific promo video…

As the reluctant companion du jour, Mitra Djalili’s Nesta has a compelling arc as she seeks to understand, then undo her role in the creation of the Cybermen. Firmly not an assistant, she is smart and having none of the Doctor’s nonsense. She chafes at his attempts to demonstrate his cleverness, and their fractious back and forth is fun to listen to. For his part, Jonathon Carley continues to shine as the War Doctor, making the impossible choices throughout.

In Summary

Drawing its inspiration from Doctor Who history, Cybergene doesn’t feel as though it does much that’s new with the Cybermen. While their creation in order to survive natural disaster is disturbing, it’s something we’ve seen onscreen before. The concept of upgrading soldiers to return them to the front lines of a brutal conflict, however, is truly horrific concept and makes for the strongest of the three episodes. The story also draws in the disturbing modern series notion of reanimating the dead, and the central Cyberiad hive mind.

However, we never get to hear them unleashed on the universe as a third force in the conflict. We’re just warned of the threat and told that it’s over. So, if you’re coming to this looking for Daleks vs Cybermen vs Time Lords, with legions of Cybermen swarming across the timelines, you’ll be disappointed – that’s not what this is. A full-on Cyber incursion into the Time War remains a tale still to be told.

Instead, Jonathan Morris’ story offers something darker – a re-exploration of their horror from different angles, paying tribute to their onscreen evolution, with the metal monsters used as pawns in the conflict instead. If you love the Cybermen, this one’s definitely for you!

Doctor Who – The War Doctor Rises: Cybergene is out now from Big Finish. It’s available as a download to own, or on Collector’s Edition CD with download.