Doctor Who: Who-ology (Dr Who)

by Scott, Cavan

  C is for Crucible – The spherical flagship of the new Dalek Imperial armada. Powered by a Z-Neutrino core, capable of even destroying a TARDIS, the Crucible also contained the Vault, where the Supreme Dalek kept Davros on a tight leash (The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End).

  D is for Distress Call – Most Daleks were fitted with an automatic distress call that would be activated as soon as its top was removed, even if the Dalek was already deactivated (Planet of the Daleks).

  E is for Eyepiece – The most vulnerable point of the Dalek. Take this out and not only would it be blinded but it would often fly into a complete panic (for example in Revelation of the Daleks). Unfortunately, as Wilfred Mott discovered, by the time of the Dalek invasion of 2009, the Daleks had perfected ways of automatically clearing visual obstructions (The Stolen Earth).

  F is for Force Fields – During the Last Great Time War, Daleks developed personal force fields that could melt bullets in mid-air (Dalek).

  G is for Gunstick – Feared throughout the universe, the Daleks’ personal weapon was a focused energy beam. The gun had various settings. While it obviously killed, the weapon could also paralyse its victim’s legs. Hit once and your legs would eventually recover. Hit twice and the effect would be permanent (The Daleks). At the other end of the scale, three Daleks using maximum extermination settings could easily blow up a terraced house (The Stolen Earth).

  H is for Hatred – The Doctor once described the Dalek mutants as a ‘living, bubbling lump of hate’ (Death to the Daleks). He later discovered that Daleks considered pure hatred to be a thing of beauty (Asylum of the Daleks).

  I is for Incendiary Bombs – During the revolt of 2167, Dalek Supreme Command gave authorisation for the destruction of London with firebombs (The Dalek Invasion of Earth).

  J is for the letter J – The letter J is forbidden in the Dalek language. To precede a word with the letter is considered a great insult! (At least, according to Terry Nation’s 1964 Dalek Book.)

  K is for Kaleds – The race that Davros mutated into the Daleks (Genesis of the Daleks). Strangely, when the Doctor first encountered the Daleks, he was told that their original race was known as Dals (The Daleks).

  L is for Last Great Time war – The conflict sparked by the Time Lords’ attempt to prevent the creation of the Daleks on Skaro. It was brought to an end by the Doctor, at the cost of both races. But for the Daleks, this was not the end…

  M is for Mark III Travel Machines – The name that Davros used to describe his prototype Daleks (Genesis of the Daleks).

  N is for Neutron Bomb – A nuclear weapon that was used in the neutronic war on Skaro that led to the creation of the Daleks. A single neutron bomb could wipe out an area of 500 square miles, destroying all organic matter, but leaving building and machinery intact (The Daleks).

  O is for Octus – Issue 213 of Marvel UK’s Transformers comic introduced a new Decepticon leader known as Octus. Although he was never seen to transform in the comic strip, he had very familiar bumps on his legs. Artist Lee Sullivan has since revealed that Octus transformed into a Mark III Travel Machine. Sullivan himself drew many a Dalek in Doctor Who Magazine comic strips such as Nemesis of the Daleks and Children of the Revolution.

  P is for Polycarbide (bonded) – Dalek casings are made from bonded polycarbide (Remembrance of the Daleks) and Dalekanium alloy (Daleks in Manhattan). The term Dalekanium originated in the 1964 Dalek Book and was eventually adopted into the series.

  Q is for Questions – Daleks do not question. Ever (Evil of the Daleks).

  R is for the Reality Bomb – Davros’s ultimate – and craziest – victory. The Reality Bomb broke down the electric field that holds atoms together, and Davros planned to dissolve every form of matter in the entire universe. Sheltering within the Cruciform, the Daleks would survive the cataclysm, becoming the only surviving life form (Journey’s End).

  S is for Static Electricity – Daleks were originally powered by static electricity, distributed through the metallic floors of their city on Skaro (The Daleks). When they began to conquer the galaxy, their juice was supplied via a disc mounted on the back of their casing (The Dalek Invasion of Earth). Later paradigms of Daleks were powered by the Kaled mutant’s own psychokinetic power (Death to the Daleks).

  T is for Temporal Shift – Personal time machines built into the casings of the Cult of Skaro. Only used in emergencies, the temporal shift could transport the individual Daleks to another place and time but usually depleted their power cells.

  U is for Universe – The Daleks will not rest until they have conquered or destroyed all of creation. The Time Lords foresaw a time when the Daleks will have destroyed all other life forms and become the dominant creatures in the universe.

  V is for VEPS – According to Terry Nation’s Dalek annuals of the 1960s, a vep is a Dalek measure of artificial light. The higher the vep, the quicker plants grow. In a similar way a rel was a measure of hydroelectricity. In later accounts, rels became a measure of time (Doomsday, Evolution of the Daleks, Journey’s End).

  W is for Water – Daleks are more than capable of taking a dip. At the end of the first episode of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, a Dalek rose from the murky waters of the Thames. It’s not just the wet stuff either. The Chase showed that Daleks can hide under sand dunes, but groan like billy-o when rising to the surface. Well, that sand must get everywhere.

  X is for X-ray – In the earliest days of Doctor Who, a Dalek’s death ray turned the entire picture negative. During the 1970s, advances in special effects meant the negative effect was limited to the victim itself, but from Remembrance of the Daleks, being shot by a Dalek meant that you lit up like a glowing X-ray, your skeleton on show for all to see.

  Y is for Yarvelling – The creator of the Daleks – if you believe Genesis of Evil, a comic strip that ran in TV Century 21, that is. The blue-skinned scientist developed the mutant machine Daleks to survive the events of the neutron war on Skaro. His role in Dalek history was wiped away when Genesis of the Daleks revealed that Davros in fact was the mastermind behind the Daleks’ creation. However, in 2006, Big Finish Productions’ I, Davros mini-series revealed that Davros’s half-sister was named Yarvell.

  Z is for Zeg – A Dalek inventor who accidentally created Metalert, a reinforced form of Dalekanium and went on to challenge the Emperor Dalek (TV Century 21 comic, Duel of the Daleks).

  ARMED AND DANGEROUS

  ‘What you going to do? Sucker me to death?’

  Simmons, Dalek

  Don’t be fooled – that’s no ordinary sink plunger. The Dalek’s manipulator arm is a versatile and dangerous tool. Sometimes, however, it needs replacing for something a little handier.

  Plunger – The first element of a Dalek we ever saw. Useful for waving in terrified teacher’s faces, operating Dalek controls and pliable enough to crack the combination of electronic door locks (Dalek). Can also be used to suffocate or crush a person’s skull (Dalek), scan brainwaves (Doomsday) or assess intelligence (Daleks in Manhattan). At times telescopic, the plunger unit can be removed from a deactivated Dalek and used to manipulate Dalek machinery (Remembrance of the Daleks).

  Perceptor – A seismic detector used to track and locate time machines such as the TARDIS. Can also detect other life forms (The Chase).

  Electrode Unit – An attachment similar to a radar dish that can override electronic locks without physical contact (The Chase).

  Pyroflame Thrower – Used to burn through dense vegetation (The Daleks’ Master Plan).

  Scoop – Used to transfer Dalek mutants into new casings (The Power of the Daleks).

  Cutting tool – To cut through metal doors (Planet of the Daleks). Earlier Daleks used a long, thin tool mounted with two spheres and a protective screen (The Daleks), whereas after the Time War, the Emperor’s Assault Daleks were fitted with vicious-looking clawed cutting tools (The Parting of the Ways).

  Percussive weapon – On worlds where the use of energy weapons is not possible, such as Exxilon, the
Daleks replace their usual gunsticks with percussive projectile-firing weapons (Death to the Daleks). Other weapon attachments include the larger, extra gun sticks sported by selected Emperor Guard Daleks, replacing the sucker arm (The Parting of the Ways).

  Syringe – Used by the Cult of Skaro to administer chemicals such as chromatin solution (Daleks in Manhattan).

  Vault attachment – Guard Daleks on board the Crucible have special eight-pronged attachments for operating complex equipment found in Davros’s Vault (The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End).

  Pincers – In the two Amicus Dr. Who films of the 1960s, some Daleks are fitted with pincers instead of plungers (Dr. Who and the Daleks, Daleks – Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.).

  DALEK SERVANTS

  Daleks may be the supreme beings in the universe but sometimes they need a little help. They’ve created many a slave in their time, with varying levels of success…

  Robomen (The Dalek Invasion of Earth)

  Humans conditioned into mindless drones by use of cybernetic implants. Weaknesses: Not the brightest plungers in the pack, plus a tendency to go insane, smash their heads against walls or drown themselves when the conditioning wears off.

  Slyther (The Dalek Invasion of Earth)

  A huge, carnivorous creature, native to Skaro, brimming with tentacles and claws. Transported to Earth to guard mines in the South of England during the 22nd-century occupation. A favourite of the Dalek Supreme. Weaknesses: If it catches you, it will eat you. Unfortunately for the Daleks (but fortunately for its prey) it moves very, very slowly.

  Dalek Duplicates (The Chase, Resurrection of the Daleks, Victory of the Daleks)

  Perfect copies of humans, created by biological or mechanical means, designed to infiltrate and kill.

  Weaknesses: Dalek conditioning is a bit hit and miss. Annoying human memories and conscience have a habit of bubbling to the surface.

  Varga plants (Mission to the Unknown, The Daleks’ Master Plan)

  Prick yourself on a Varga plant and you’ll transform into a homicidal half-animal, half-vegetable plant. Originally only found on Skaro, the Daleks transplanted them to act as sentries on some of their occupied worlds.

  Weaknesses: Almost as slow as a Slyther. Easy to dodge.

  Ogrons (Day of the Daleks, Frontier in Space)

  Hulking ape-like bipeds of limited intelligence. Violent, but thick-witted, Ogrons make excellent heavies.

  Weaknesses: Almost as thick as Robomen. Phobia of the flesh-eating, blobby monsters that roam their home planet.

  Pig slaves (Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks)

  Genetically spliced human-porcine hybrids, created by the Cult of Skaro from New Yorkers of low intelligence (and, presumably, pigs). Can slit a human’s throat with their bare teeth.

  Weaknesses: Only have a life expectancy of a few weeks.

  Dalek ‘puppets’ (Asylum of the Daleks)

  Robomen 2.0. Humans wiped of their memories and converted into Dalek infiltrators by exposure to genetic altering nanoclouds. Have mini-Dalek eyepieces hidden in their foreheads and Dalek guns in their palms. Weaknesses: Same as for any human, except they can’t be killed as they are already dead.

  THE ONLY DALEKS WITH NAMES

  ‘You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn’t it? That’s your name? You’ve got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you’re thinking right now.’

  The Doctor, Evolution of the Daleks

  Alpha – A Dalek given the Human Factor on the instructions of the Dalek Emperor. Named by the Doctor

  Beta – Another Dalek altered by the Human Factor

  Dalek Caan – Member of the Cult of Skaro and, at one point, the last Dalek in the universe. Driven mad by flying unprotected through the Time War. Able to predict the future. Aka the Abomination

  Dalek Jast – A member of the Cult of Skaro

  Dalek Sec – The leader of the Cult of Skaro. Became the first of a new breed of human-Dalek hybrids

  Arthur Stengos – An agronomist friend of the Doctor converted into a Dalek by Davros on Necros

  Dalek Thay – A member of the Cult of Skaro

  Omega – The Doctor’s third Human Factor-changed Dalek

  Oswin Oswald – A starliner Junior Entertainment Manager converted into a Dalek. Liked soufflés. There was something about this one…

  DALEK OPERATORS

  ‘Do you think there’s someone inside them?’ asks Barbara in The Daleks. Yes, indeed there is Miss Wright, but who has crammed themselves into a Dalek the most times?

  VOICES OF THE DALEKS

  FAMILIAR VOICES

  Dalek voice artists also turn up where you least expect them:

  Peter Hawkins was the voice of Zippy in the first year of the children’s TV series, Rainbow and provided all the voices for Captain Pugwash. He also created Bill and Ben’s idiosyncratic language, was the voice of the Martian robots in the 1970s ‘For mash get Smash adverts’ and even recorded a voice track for Gromit of Wallace and Gromit fame before it was decided that the plasticine mutt would remain mute. He also joined fellow Dalek voice artist David Graham in supplying vocals for the big-screen adaptations Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks – Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

  David Graham was the voice of Brains and Gordon Tracy in Thunderbirds. As well as providing the grating voice of the Daleks in the two Peter Cushing films, he also turned up in Doctor Who as Charlie in The Gunfighters and Professor Fyodor Nikolai Kerensky in City of Death. He has most recently been heard as the voices of Grandpa Pig in Peppa Pig and the Wise Old Elf in Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom.

  Roy Skelton took over as the voice of Rainbow’s Zippy in 1973, a role he would play for over 900 episodes, as well as various cameo appearances in other programmes including the BBC’s Ashes to Ashes. He played other roles in Doctor Who, including the invisible Spiridon Wester in Planet of the Daleks, and more visible roles in Colony in Space and The Green Death. His last Doctor Who Dalek appearance was in the 1999 Comic Relief spoof, The Curse of Fatal Death.

  Brian Miller was the husband of Elisabeth Sladen and appeared with her in The Sarah Jane Adventures story The Mad Woman in the Attic. He also appeared on screen in Doctor Who as Dugdale in Snakedance.

  DALEK VARIANTS

  DALEK SUPREME

  The Dalek Supreme was often a ‘normal’ Dalek painted predominantly black to indicate its rank and status. But there have been other designs which differ more from the standard Daleks:

  Version One (Planet of the Daleks)

  Taller than standard configuration Daleks

  Gold and black livery with larger base section

  Larger dome lights

  Eyestalk lights up

  Version 2 (The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End)

  Deeper voice (much like the Emperor)

  Red and gold livery

  Gold restraining bars on upper grilling

  SPECIAL WEAPONS DALEKS (Remembrance of the Daleks)

  Designed for heavy combat

  White and gold livery

  Heavily armoured torso section, no eyestalk

  One large centrally mounted energy cannon

  EMPEROR DALEK

  Version 1 (The Evil of the Daleks)

  Immobile and fed by nutrient pipes

  Much taller than standard Daleks

  One elongated conical base section with a single row of black hemispheres

  Bulbous head section split into sections

  Booming voice

  Version 2 (Remembrance of the Daleks)

  Standard white and gold Imperial Dalek base section

  Large domed upper body, no eyestalk

  It’s actually Davros!

  Version 3 (The Parting of the Ways)

  Immobile

  Mutant floating in a transparent tank

  Two mechanical arms attached to the tank’s base

  Giant bronze Dalek dome head with eyestalk and lights

  Large, heavy bronze plating with gold hemispheres flanking t
o three sides

  DALEK PRIME MINISTER

  Dalek Prime Minister (Asylum of the Daleks)

  No Dalek casing or weapons

  Mutant creature encased in a single glass case

  NEW DALEK PARADIGM

  Larger

  Chunkier central core

  Biological eye

  Thicker skirting

  COLOUR-CODED DALEKS

  Victory of the Daleks introduced a new ‘officer class’ of Daleks, each colour coded to their specific role.

  White = The Dalek Supreme, the new commander of the Daleks.

  Orange = The Dalek Scientist, pushing the boundaries of Dalek knowledge.

  Blue = The Dalek Strategist, always thinking, always planning, always preparing for any eventuality.

  Red = The Dalek Drone, the foot soldier of the new Dalek Empire.

  Yellow = The Dalek Eternal, enigmatic and mysterious, possibly responsible for finding ways to ensure that the Daleks never again hover on the brink of oblivion.

  THE GLASS DALEK

  In 1964, the very first Dalek story was novelised as Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks, by David Whitaker. The novel differed from the original televised story in several ways, including one element that has become Doctor Who legend.

  In the closing pages of the book, the Doctor and his friends launch their final attack on the Daleks, and discover the metal monsters have a leader – a mutant encased in a transparent glass Dalek casing. Whitaker describes the creature: