The 10 scariest monsters from Doctor Who’s classic and modern era
By Becky Kukla
8. The Cybermen
As seen in various episodes in classic and new Who.
The Cybermen are a recurring feature of Doctor Who, perhaps second only to the Darleks. With a metal exterior and a taste for killing, these cyborgs have changed appearance over the years that Doctor Who has been on TV, updating and shifting design to keep up with each new generation watching the show.
Their first appearance in “The Tenth Planet” (1966) explained their backstory: they are a race designed by humanity, existing on a planet almost identical to Earth called Mondas. There have been several alternative origin stories in the various comic books and novels, which only adds to the intrigue and mystery of this creepy race of steel-killers.
Personally, I find the 2005 redesigned Cybermen the most terrifying. Following on from a huge leap in technologies like Bluetooth and WiFi, “Rise of the Cybermen” depicts the population of London becoming brainwashed by their in-ear EarPod technology. This was at a time where hands-free headsets were becoming very popular, and the idea of this affecting ones brain to turn them into a cyborg felt like an alarming idea.
Not only are the Cybermen killing machines, most depictions of them show how they are able to quickly create more Cybermen — essentially an endless army with no emotions or feelings.