Dalek variants

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A Mark 3 Dalek.

Since their first appearance in 1963, there have been several variant models of the Daleks, a fictional alien race in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.

Daleks are not robots. As first seen in The Daleks, the outward manifestation is a technically advanced, powerful travel machine in which a hideous and malevolent mutant, the Dalek creature, resides. Although the general appearance of the Daleks has remained the same, the colours and some details of the model have evolved over time. The following entries make mention of both television and non-television portrayals of the Daleks.

Dalek Component Naming Conventions

Over the years fans of the Doctor Who programme have adopted naming conventions to identify the various components of the Dalek travel machine. These are listed below as an aid to tracking the various detail changes which have been made to the basic design to create variants. From the base up, the major components are:

• Fender — The projecting base of the Dalek.
• Skirt — The section with angled faces, to which the Hemispheres are attached.
• Hemispheres — Also known as ‘hemis’ or ‘Dalek bumps’, there are usually fifty six of these fixed in four rows to the Skirt.
• Shoulders — The section between the top of the Skirt and the Neck Bin.
• Collars — Two horizontal bands (only one on a New Series Dalek) fitted around the Shoulders.
• Slats — Vertical oblong panels fitted to the upper Collar.
• Shoulder Mesh — Metal diamond-section mesh fitted between the Slats and the Upper Collar.
• Gun Boxes — Projecting boxes housing the ball joints for the Arm and Gun Stick.
• Arm — A telescopic arm, usually having two or three sections.
• Plunger — Fixed to the end of the Arm, this is a Dalek’s primary and most famous manipulating appendage.
• Gun Stick — Usually a variable discharge energy weapon.
• Neck Bin — The section between the Shoulders and the Dome.
• Neck Bin Mesh — Metal diamond-section mesh fitted between the Neck bin and the Neck Rings.
• Neck Rings — Three horizontal rings fitted around the Neck Bin.
• Neck Struts — Thin, vertical struts on the outside of the Neck Bin, between the top of the Shoulders and the Dome.
• Dome — The rotatable top component of the travel machine.
• Dome Lights — Lights (usually two) fixed on either side of the Dome.
• Eye Stalk — A tube projecting from the Dome, which can pivot up and down.
• Eye Disk — A series disks of varying diameter through which the Eye Stalk is threaded.
• Eyeball — A spherical component fitted to the end of the Eye Stalk, in which the Dalek’s visual detection equipment is fitted.
• Dome Cowl — Making its first appearance with the New Series Dalek, this is a structure projecting from the front of the Dome and surrounds the Eye Stalk pivot.

General Design

Further information: Dalek § Physical characteristics

Overview - Externally Daleks resemble over-sized salt or pepper shakers, approximately 5 feet (1.5 metres) tall. They are equipped with a single mechanical rod-mounted eye which protrudes from a rotating dome, a gun stick containing a directed energy weapon (or "death ray"), and a telescopic arm. Usually the arm is fitted with a device for manipulation which, to the bemusement of the uninitiated, resembles a sink plunger. This device is shown in various episodes to be capable of holding people and objects utilising a powerful vacuum. Daleks have also appeared with other appendages, including a tray, a mechanical claw, a flamethrower, blowtorches and a syringe. The gun is capable of producing a variable output which, over the years, has been demonstrated to be capable of paralysing, stunning or killing virtually any life form, and at higher settings destroying buildings and spacecraft.

Casing - Dalek casings are constructed from a material called "dalekanium", first referred to in the serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth, with the Doctor stating that the outer shell is made from a bonded polycarbide material in Remembrance of the Daleks and the episodes ‘’The Parting of the Ways’’ and ‘’Doomsday’’. This casing offers complete protection against most projectile and energy weapons, although it’s vulnerable to ‘bastic-headed bullets’ (‘’Revelation of the Daleks’’), the precise nature of which has never been revealed. In the revived series from 2005 onward, Daleks are equipped with an invisible force shield which can resist projectile and energy weapons with ease, the eye being the single weak point. Only overwhelming firepower or their own weapons can breach a Dalek’s defences. If this occurs, however, they tend to explode in spectacular fashion.

The lower shell is covered with many hemispherical protrusions, or "Dalek bumps". In the BBC-Licensed Dalek Book (1964), and again in The Doctor Who Technical Manual (1983), these items are described as being part of a sensory array. In the Comic Relief episode The Curse of Fatal Death (1999), a work of parody, the Master gains "Dalek Bumps" which he states are "Etheric Beam Locators". In "Dalek" (2005) they are shown in use as a component in a self-destruct mechanism. Detaching from the skirt they orbit around the Dalek, apparently creating a spherical containment field which extinguishes all matter within before rapidly dissipating.

Eye - The Dalek's eye is its most vulnerable spot. (In the 2008 episode "Silence in the Library", the Doctor, in speaking of how to deal with various alien menaces, said, "Daleks: aim for the eye stalk." ) Blinding one often leads to a panicked firing of its weapon whilst screaming "My vision is impaired! I cannot see!" Later Dalek variants have systems to protect their vision. In the 2008 episode "The Stolen Earth", Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins) attempts to disable a Dalek by blinding it using a paintball gun. The Dalek simply evaporates the paint from its eye, announcing "My vision is NOT impaired!", referencing the classic line.

Underside - What may be found on the underside of a Dalek casing has been open to question for some considerable time. The Dalek Book (1964) included a cutaway drawing entitled 'Anatomy of a Dalek', which showed it to have a base through which a large central sphere, surrounded by smaller satellite ‘balancing globes’, protruded. This layout was generally adopted and used in subsequent Dalek plans and comic strip representations produced over the years. This was at variance with the few glimpses seen in the Doctor Who television episodes and films which, sadly, made little attempt to show (or hide) anything other than the actual base of the Dalek prop. As this usually took the form of a plywood board to which castors had been attached and a hole cut out for the operator’s feet, the mystique of the Daleks was somewhat diminished by these brief appearances. This situation was finally remedied in Dalek (2005) and subsequent appearances of the New Series Dalek. This variant is shown to have an underside consisting of a large, recessed central hemisphere surrounded by eight satellite hemispheres. The central hemisphere and four of the satellite hemis glow, at least when the Dalek is in flight mode. This arrangement may only apply to the New Series model, however.

The Dalek Caan mutant from Journey's End.

Dalek Mutant - The creatures inside the "travel machines" are depicted as soft and repulsive in appearance, but still vicious even without their mechanical armour. Rarely glimpsed until the series revival, they are usually shown as amorphous green blobs with strong tentacles capable of strangulation or, occasionally, clawed hands. A squat Kaled-like skeleton with larger organs began to appear on a transmat pad in Remembrance of the Daleks. Tentacles seem to have been favoured over skeletal structures in their evolutionary process, developed as the result of radioactive fallout from a catastrophic war (Dalek (1963)) and accelerating pre-existing genetic mutations within the Kaled species (Genesis of the Daleks (1975)). From 2005 onward the Dalek creature has been seen more frequently, in its latest incarnation resembling a pale octopus-like being with a single viable eye.

Voice - Daleks are almost as famous for their distinctive, harsh staccato electronic voices as for their appearance. Describing their vocalisations as impassive and ‘monotone’ would be incorrect, as by inflection they are capable of expressing such emotions (all of them negative) as rage, disdain and, very occasionally, fear. ()

Manoeuvrability - For many years Daleks suffered from an inability to climb stairs, having to rely on smooth ground on which to travel. This was rectified in Remembrance of the Daleks in which a Dalek was shown to ascend a staircase using a hover device on the bottom of its casing. In the revived series Daleks have an effectively unrestricted flight capability.

Dalek Variant Naming Conventions

During the course of the Doctor Who television programme the BBC, it’s producers and scriptwriters have rarely alluded to changes in Dalek design or ascribed names or designations to the various models seen. For the most part a Dalek is simply a Dalek. Notable exceptions usually refer to rank, such as ‘Emperor’ and ‘Supreme Dalek’.

The Dalek variant naming conventions used in this article are, in the main, attributed to the various models as a matter of convenience. They can be found in general use by the Doctor Who/Dalek fan base, and are often quoted in posts and documentation on such sites as The Project Dalek Forum [1] and The Dalek Builders' Guild [2]. Other methods of classifying the major Dalek variants, such as by year(s) of first appearance or serial, are particularly problematic when referring to the so called Mark 3 variant, the design of which remained relatively unchanged during a period stretching from 1965 to 1988.

The Mark I Dalek

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Mark 1 Dalek from The Daleks.

The Daleks first appeared in the 1963 Doctor Who serial The Daleks. There are no visual cues to distinguish one Dalek from another, or suggestions in the story of any particular hierarchy.

The Mark 1 Dalek differs from later variants in having a small fender, no chest slats, nine eye disks (the greatest number of any version), a distinctly ‘toffee apple’ shaped eyeball and a gun design featuring three octagonal cross-members, or ‘mantles’. These Daleks sport a silver paint scheme with light blue/grey shoulders, blue hemis and eye disks, collars in natural aluminium and black fenders. Being powered by static electricity, their mobility is limited to the metal walkways in the Dalek City on their home planet, Skaro.

The Mark II Dalek

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Supreme Controller and subordinate from The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

In the 1964 serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the travel machine sits on top of an enlarged 'all terrain' fender, and an energy collector dish-aerial is mounted on its back. These Daleks aren’t confined to metal walkways, but still rely on externally transmitted power. There are only five eye disks and some Daleks have silver eyeballs instead of the standard black colouring. An amphibious capability is demonstrated in the first episode of this serial, when a Dalek emerges from beneath the waters of the River Thames.

For the first time a Dalek command structure is introduced, with rank being indicated by differing paint schemes. The Earth Taskforce Commander, or ‘Saucer Commander’ features a black dome and alternating silver and black skirt panels. The Supreme Controller or ‘Black Dalek’ is also seen, with a black dome, shoulders and skirt.

The Mark III Dalek

Due to familiarity with a basic design which remained relatively unchanged for twenty three years, many long-term Doctor Who viewers may consider that the Mark 3 Dalek embodies the “classic” variant.

First seen in The Chase (1965), the major design changes are a reversion to the original fender style, removal of the energy collector dish and gun mantles, and the addition of steel mesh around the upper collar, to which are mounted twenty three vertical, oblong slats forming a solar panel array. [3] The absence of the dishes on their backs and addition of the 'solar' slats indicates that they now had independent motive power systems (later Daleks from the Time War are able to power themselves using the residual energy from material and life-forms which have travelled through time, including themselves).

For the following four serials in which they appeared, (Mission to the Unknown (1965), The Daleks' Masterplan (1965), Power of the Daleks (1966) and Evil of the Daleks (1967)) the Dalek design remained virtually unchanged. In The Evil of the Daleks a Black Dalek is seen again, this time with grey shoulders. Two more elements of the Dalek hierarchy are also introduced; the Emperor Dalek and Daleks with black domes which primarily appear to act as the Emperor's personal guard. (This motif was to appear again in "The Parting of the Ways" (2005), with black-domed Daleks fulfilling a similar function).

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The Emperor Dalek from The Evil of the Daleks.

In this serial the Emperor is presented as a towering, immobile, conical structure plugged into a corner of the control room in the Dalek City on Skaro. It's apparently destroyed as a civil war breaks out amongst the Daleks, although a light is seen still blinking on its casing at the end of the serial, indicating some kind of activity.

The Daleks returned to Britain's TV screens in the 1972 serial Day of the Daleks. 'Drone' Daleks were now finished in grey, with black hemis and fender. With the exception of Death to the Daleks (1974), and albeit with variations in the shade of grey and occasional adornment with black slats, this would stay as the standard Dalek colour scheme for the remaining eight serials in which they appeared during the next sixteen years. Their last appearance in the 'classic' Doctor Who series was Remembrance of the Daleks (1988), with the programme being put on hiatus by the BBC (apparently permanently, as the years progressed) after November 1989.

During the 1972-1988 period several small changes to the standard Dalek design were made, five distinct new variants were introduced and their hierarchy was once again expanded.

In Day of the Daleks (1972) a Dalek Leader is seen painted overall in gold, with black hemis and fender. This serial also saw the first appearance of an oval disk between the gun boxes, a black 'pupil' for the eye and a higher fender on all models. A gold Dalek Leader returned again in Frontier in Space (1973).

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The Dalek Supreme from Planet of the Daleks.

Planet of the Daleks (1973) featured a unique Dalek Supreme. This Dalek was based on a prop from the second Doctor Who film. The neck bin mesh, struts and neck rings were removed, the latter items being replaced by new rings having a flat, recessed edge detailed with small rivets, rather then the usual bevel. Lilac dome lights shaped like upturned jam jars were fitted, together with an eyeball resembling a flashlight which lights up when it speaks. This Dalek was painted overall in gloss black with yellow-gold hemis, slats, neck rings and dome.

Death to the Daleks (1974) saw the travel machines in a striking overall silver livery, with black shoulders, hemis and fender. During the course of the serial, due to a plot element, the standard blasters are replaced by black-painted projectile weapons featuring a drilled barrel and six small fins at the business end.

A single Dalek makes a cameo appearance in The Five Doctors (1983). The neck bin is raised so that a strip of it is visible between the lower neck ring and the top of the shoulders. Daleks with this configuration were to appear regularly during the eighties.

Resurrection of the Daleks (1984) features a Dalek Supreme painted in gloss black with white hemis. A Dalek Supreme makes another appearance in the 1988 series Remembrance of the Daleks, this time sporting silver neck rings, neck struts and hemis, with natural aluminium collars, mesh and slats.

Two new variants appeared in Revelation of Daleks (1985); 'Necros Daleks' and a 'Glass Dalek'. These variants are discussed separately.

The Daleks' final 'classic series' outing was in Remembrance of the Daleks (1988). This featured another two new variants; 'Imperial Daleks' and a single Imperial sub-variant, the 'Special Weapons Dalek'. These variants are discussed separately.

Remembrance of the Daleks showed a Dalek with a hovering capability for the first time (implied in earlier serials such as The Chase (1965) and Revelation of the Daleks. The new series has featured flying or hovering Daleks in almost all their appearances to date.

Gifting Daleks with the ability to fly arguably increased their aura of menace, whilst certainly increasing their dramatic potential and expanding the possibilities for various plot lines. This fact was recognised as early as the ‘’Dalek Book’’ (1964)and the Dalek strip in the TV21 comic. In these publications they fly using circular platforms called transolar discs. These discs are also mentioned in the Big Finish Dalek Empire audio dramas, whilst the final two episodes of Dalek Empire III featured Daleks able to fly unaided several months before the broadcast of the TV episode "Dalek".

The Necros Dalek

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Necros Daleks from Revelation of the Daleks.

Standard Necros Dalek

Necros Daleks (sometimes incorrectly identified as 'Imperial Daleks' - see below) appear in the serial Revelation of the Daleks and feature several detail changes which distinguish them from the standard Mark III version. The skirt angle is steeper at both the front and the back and they have shorter slats which are fewer in number. The shoulder section is broader at the top which, when combined with the skirt, gives this variant a stockier look. The arm is shorter and the oval between the gun boxes more elongated. Finally, the neck bin strip beneath the lower neck ring is quite distinct in this variant. Necros Daleks are painted predominantly light cream, with gold hemis, slats and neck bin.

In the story Necros Daleks are loyal to Davros, who has created the creatures within by mutating DNA taken from humans on the planet Necros, where the dead or dying are being stored in suspended animation. They oppose 'Original Daleks' from the Dalek homeworld of Skaro, who are loyal to the Supreme Dalek.

Glass Dalek

Making a single appearance in Revelation of the Daleks, a Glass Dalek is introduced as an embryonic version of a Necros Dalek, in which a grotesquely mutating human head can be seen. It has four neck rings rather than three. No reason for this is given in the story.

The Imperial Dalek

Standard Imperial Dalek

In Remembrance Of The Daleks, Davros has gained control of Skaro, masquerading as the Emperor. He creates an army of Imperial Daleks by grafting bionic appendages onto the bodies of Kaled mutants.

The Imperial Dalek design features many differences when compared with previous versions. It has a stepped fender, almost vertical rear skirt panel, smaller hemis and integrally moulded collars and slats. There are circular bosses around the ball joint holes, a hexagonal panel between the gun boxes, a re-modelled eye, flush dome lights and a notched, funnel-like appendage instead of a plunger. The paint scheme is similar to that of the Necros Daleks, being light cream with gold detailing.

Special Weapons Dalek

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A Special Weapons Dalek followed by several Imperial Daleks. From Remembrance of the Daleks.

The Special Weapons Dalek (also sometimes referred to as the 'SWD' or 'Gunner Dalek') is a heavily-armoured Imperial Dalek seen in Remembrance of the Daleks. The Special Weapons Dalek has no manipulator arm or eye-stalk. Instead, it has an enormous energy cannon mounted on the front of the casing. This is topped-off by a foreshortened neck section and truncated dome. The dome itself is devoid of an eye stalk and lights, and sits atop a circular row of small, square 'view ports'. Special Weapons Daleks do not appear able to speak, but do have massive firepower, said in the BBC Dalek Survival Guide to be up to fifty times more powerful than a blast from a regular Dalek blaster.

In Remembrance the Special Weapons Dalek's firepower is so great that that in one scene a single shot completely vaporises two conventional Renegade Daleks, leaving only a pair of scorch marks, and the armour is sufficient to deflect conventional Dalek energy weapons without suffering any apparent damage. Like the other Imperial Daleks, its livery is white with gold hemis, but with sections of metallic grey armour covering most of the upper portion. The casing is battle-scarred and far dirtier than most other Daleks, which usually appear in pristine condition. Although Remembrance has been the only screen appearance of the Special Weapons Dalek, it's mentioned in the novel War of the Daleks, and the Big Finish audio production The Genocide Machine.

Davros posing as the Emperor Dalek, from Remembrance of the Daleks.

In Ben Aaronovitch's novelisation of Remembrance it's stated that the enormous power source required for the SWD's weapon results in high levels of radiation being released and altering the structure of the Dalek's brain, resulting in insanity. Consequently other Daleks shun it, ironically, as being a mutant. It is intimated that it is unique inasmuch as it has been given a name, being "Abomination". The Special Weapons Dalek is only used in extreme situations; indeed, the novelisation states that the Emperor is the only Dalek that can maintain complete control over it. The BBC Dalek Survival Guide notes that they are almost always directly controlled by Dalek commanders and rarely allowed autonomy, except in desperate situations, as they are as likely to fire on fellow Daleks as the enemy. It thus appears that they are homicidal maniacs, even by Dalek standards. It also states that there are both Marine and Airborne Special Weapons Dalek variants, and mentions that SWDs would apparently have featured in the aborted 30th anniversary film The Dark Dimension.

Emperor Dalek

In Remembrance of the Daleks the Emperor of the Imperial Dalek faction is actually not a Dalek but the Kaled Davros. Greatly deteriorated physically and reduced to a head and partial torso, he is carried in a customised life support machine/Dalek casing similar in design to the TV 21 comic version of the Emperor. The travel machine has no appendages, and vision is apparently provided by a silver hexagonal panel on the front of the dome.

The 'New Series' Dalek

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The new Dalek from the Doctor Who series revival

After a break of 15 years from regular series production (there was a made-for-TV movie special in 1996), Doctor Who returned to British television in March 2005. The sixth episode of the 'new series' first season, "Dalek", saw the return of a lone Dalek that has somehow survived a Time War resulting in the mutual annihilation of both the Daleks and the Time Lords. Whilst the New Series Dalek (sometimes referred to as an NSD) retains the same overall shape and dimensional proportions of its forebears, every component has been re-designed to give the travel machine a heavier and more solid look.

New Series - Standard Dalek

Design changes seen in a standard New Series Dalek include:

• A larger fender with a bevelled side wall.
• The base of each hemi is surrounded by a small rim.
• The lower collar is moulded into the shoulder section.
• The upper collar and mesh is absent, being replaced instead by a raised shoulder section beneath the neck bin.
• There is a profiled chest panel between the gun boxes.
• The gun box front faces incorporate a raised relief panel topped by a circular boss, and the side faces have an indent.
• The slats are much thicker and have an indented central channel running down their length.
• A wide slat is situated centrally above the gun boxes.
• The neck bin struts have a flat profile, are thicker and feature angled blocks joining them to the neck rings.
• The neck rings have a flat edge to the bevel.
• The neck bin mesh has a denser, more complex design.
• The dome features panel lines and indents.
• The dome lights are substantially larger and enclosed in metal cages.
• The eye stalk pivot is surrounded by a cowl.
• The gun, plunger and eye components incorporate additional detailing.
• Various rivets and hex bolts adorn the fender, slats, neck strut blocks and cowl.
• An horizontal oblong depression at the front base of the cowl contains an identifying ideogram, unique to each Dalek.
• The Standard New Series Dalek has an overall metallic bronze finish, accompanied by subtle weathering, and the eye lens glows blue.

This Dalek design exhibits abilities not seen before. The casing boasts a swivelling mid-section incorporating the gun boxes, which allows a 360-degree field of fire. It also has the ability to split and cantilever open down the front centre-line to reveal the mutant within. The plunger has been transformed into a versatile tool/weapon with an adaptable shape which can interface with keyboards and control mechanisms, drain power and data, and crush a man's skull. In "Doomsday", a combination of three plungers are used to extract information from a person's mind, with lethal results (although it's implied that this can be done without killing the victim). In the episode "Daleks in Manhattan", the plungers of the Cult of Skaro Daleks are also able to gauge the intelligence of human subjects, although (given their uniqueness) it is not revealed whether this ability is shared by Daleks in general.

New series Daleks come equipped with the ability to fly for extended periods both in the vacuum of space and within a planet's atmosphere. They can regenerate by means of absorbing residual radiation and DNA from a time-traveller who touches them ("Doomsday", 2006), and a force field that disintegrates bullets before they strike it. (The Daleks in "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End" do not appear to possess these shields).

New Series – Assault Dalek

Seen in "The Parting of Ways", this variant is identical to a standard New Series Dalek except that its plunger has been replaced by a spherical appendage incorporating a three-pincer claw and an extendible cutting torch. It is used by the Dalek force invading the Satellite 5 space station to breach an internal blast door not readily susceptible to their regular energy weapons.

New Series - Emperor's Personal Guard

In a nod to the 1967 serial Evil of the Daleks black-domed Daleks appear briefly in "The Parting of the Ways", hovering around the Dalek Emperor. Three distinct types are seen:

• Identical to a standard New Series Dalek but for the black dome.
• A version with the plunger replaced by a small sphere incorporating a glowing lens, held by blade-like projections.
• A version with the plunger replaced by a large sphere incorporating a glowing lens, supported by a tubular framework.

The purpose of these specialised appendages remains unknown. They are not referred to or shown in use during the episode. The packaging for the Character Options 12" radio control model of the third variant identifies it as a 'multiple spectrum sensor arm', whilst the publication 'Doctor Who - Aliens & Enemies' describes it as 'a highly powerful weapon'.

New Series - Emperor Dalek

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The Dalek Emperor, from "The Parting of Ways".

A Dalek Emperor features in the 2005 season finale, "The Parting of the Ways", having led the Dalek race during the Time War. Parting" revealed its ship had barely survived and fallen through time; it then went into seclusion and started to build a new race of Daleks utilising cells from human beings. The Emperor Dalek mutant floats in a transparent tank of liquid, topped by a giant-sized dome complete with eyestalk and flanked by panels to which large hemis are attached. Two mechanical arms are mounted to the bottom of the tank and the panels are connected to the central structure with articulated joints. Having recreated the Dalek race, this Emperor views itself as an immortal god, and has transformed its Daleks from fascists to religious fanatics who worship it.

New Series - Cult of Skaro

Main article: Cult of Skaro

The Cult of Skaro, first introduced in "Army of Ghosts", are an elite order of Daleks specifically designed to think as the enemy thinks, and are the first recurring Dalek characters in the history of the show. Unlike other Daleks, the four members of the Cult possess individual names (no Dalek since Zeg from the 1960s Dalek Chronicles comic strip has had a name); Sec, Thay, Jast and Caan. While Daleks Thay, Jast and Caan appear identical to other Daleks, Dalek Sec is distinguished by an all black casing.

The Cult differ from normal Daleks in a number of ways; they possess heightened intelligence, a sense of individuality, and the ability to initiate an "emergency temporal shift" in order to escape danger by travelling through time and space. It is not known whether other abilities demonstrated by the Cult, such as being able to drain memories through their manipulator arms ("Doomsday") or scan for intelligence levels ("Daleks in Manhattan"), are unique to them or common to all Daleks.

Daleks Sec, Jast and Thay are destroyed during "Evolution of the Daleks". Caan manages to escape and, it transpires, rescue Davros at the beginning of the Time War. Although it went mad in the process, it becomes a key character in the series finale of the 2008 series, "The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End".

New Series - Vault Dalek

Vault Daleks appear in the episodes "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End". They were charged by the Supreme Dalek to watch over Davros in the Vault of the Crucible, acting as both bodyguards and warders.

Each Vault Dalek was genetically engineered from a single cell of Davros' body. Instead of the standard plunger appendage they are fitted with a claw-type device having eight pincers, enabling them to operate machinery.

The Vault Daleks are not named during the episodes in which they appear, but are referred to as such on the official BBC website. They have also become known as 'Crucible Daleks', primarily due to the toy manufacturer Character Options naming the variant in this manner as part of its range of Doctor Who action figures.

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New Series Supreme Dalek

New Series - Supreme Dalek

A Supreme Dalek appears in the series finale of the 2008 series, "The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End", as leader of the Dalek forces above even Davros. This version is red with gold hemis, collar and neck rings, has three plinth-mounted dome lights and large golden clamps connecting its shoulders to an extended neck bin.

Its voice is deeper than the other Daleks, resembling that of the 2005 season's Dalek Emperor. Nicholas Briggs adopted the grandiose voice for the Supreme Dalek to fit his perception of the character as egotistical.

The Movie Dalek

Capitalizing on the wave of 'Dalek Mania' gripping Britain following their initial appearances in the BBC Doctor Who television series, two films featuring the Daleks were produced; Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD (1966). The story-lines for these movies are essentially identical to the first two TV serials in which the Daleks were seen, with the primary exception that the character of Doctor Who is portrayed as being an eccentric human inventor rather than an alien. For this reason, these Dalek appearances and variants may be considered of unclear canonicity.

Mk I Movie Dalek

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A standard Dalek and the Black Dalek from the film Doctor Who and the Daleks.

Appearing in the film Dr. Who and the Daleks, Movie Daleks (as they have come to be known) have substantial fenders, very similar in shape and design to those seen in the Doctor Who serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth. The primary difference is that in the TV version the original fender sits on top of the enlarged fender, whereas in the movie version the skirt sits directly on top of the enlarged fender. The skirt itself is an inch taller than the TV conterpart , the gun boxes are angled slightly differently and the neck ring edges have a steeper bevel. The eyestalk has only five disks, with most irises being illuminated. Perhaps the most striking difference is the dome lights, which are much larger than those seen on TV Daleks of the period. (They were actually fabricated from upturned plastic tumblers ). Some Daleks are fitted with a two-jawed mechanical claw instead of the iconic plunger. The gun stick has a wider bore, no mantles and projects a high pressure jet of destructive, lethal vapour rather than an energy beam.

For their first big-screen outing the Daleks were painted on bold colours. Drones are primarily silver with mid-blue domes, hemis and fenders, and gold collars. The Dalek leader is a black Dalek with alternating silver and gold hemis, alternating silver and gold neck rings, and gold collars and fender. Its second in command is a red Dalek with black hemis, gold collars and gold fender. On all versions the dome lights are coloured red.

Mk II Movie Dalek

Appearing in the film Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD, the Mark 2 Movie variant is very similar in design to those seen in the first film, with the addition of the upper collar mesh and slats with which the TV versions were by now equipped (although the movie version has twenty four slats rather the TV's twenty three [4]).

The colour scheme for the Drones used in the second film was essentially the same as that used for the television versions at the time, being silver overall with grey shoulders, natural aluminium collars and slats, blue hemis and a black fender. Arguably a precise hierarchy for the Dalek Commanders seen in the film isn't clearly established. The leader of the expeditionary force appears to be a gold Dalek with natural aluminium collars and slats, black hemis and a black fender. A black Dalek with gold hemis, natural aluminium collars and slats and a black fender is apparently in charge of the Bedfordshire mining operation, whilst a red Dalek with natural aluminium collars and slats and a black fender with red topping commands the Dalek spaceship and operations to capture human slaves and wipe-out the resistance. Drones sport blue dome lights, the black and Red Daleks have red dome lights and the gold Dalek has yellow dome lights.

Dalek Hybrids

Hybridisation between Daleks and human beings has been a recurring theme in the ‘’Doctor Who’’ television programme since the sixties.

In ‘’The Evil of the Daleks’’ (1967) the Daleks conduct an experiment to isolate the "Human Factor"; the unique qualities which have allowed human beings to consistently resist and defeat them. Once the factor is isolated they plan to implant it in themselves, creating an undefeatable army of ‘Super Daleks’. Simultaneously the “Dalek Factor” will be revealed, enabling the Daleks, with the aid of a ‘converted’ Doctor and his TARDIS, to turn all humanity throughout history into "Human Daleks”. When, in the story, Daleks are actually implanted with the Human Factor they lose their aggressive traits and begin the question authority, leading to a catastrophic civil war.

In ‘’Revelation of the Daleks’’ (1985) Davros is engaged in creating a new breed of Dalek mutants to command. He uses as source material the severed heads, and specifically the brains, of terminal human medical patients in the Tranquil Repose facility on the planet Necros. During the earlier stages of the conversion process it appears that the victims retain some memory and awareness of their humanity, but by the end of the metamorphosis they have become fully Dalek in nature, if not appearance.

In ‘’Dalek’’ (2005) a dying Dalek’s casing is touched by Rose Tyler, the Doctor’s companion. During this brief physical contact the Dalek absorbs sufficient of her DNA to regenerate itself and its damaged travel machine. It later becomes apparent that this DNA is causing it to mutate further, as it begins to experience human emotions. It finally becomes trapped in an agony of conflict and self-loathing, not human and yet no longer Dalek. The Dalek finally begs Rose to order it to destroy itself which, out of pity, she eventually does. Admitting that it’s afraid, the Dalek rises into the air. The hemispheres separate from the Dalek’s casing and encircle it in a sphere of energy, which detonates before collapsing in upon itself. Afterwards every last vestige of the Dalek is gone.

"The Parting of the Ways," (2005) Crippled during the Time War, the Dalek Emperor’s spaceship falls through time to the edges of Earth’s solar system. It and the few surviving members of the Dalek crew hide in space for centuries, harvesting organic material from the dispossessed of Earth and genetically manipulating it to rebuild their race. The Emperor tells the Doctor that a new Dalek army has been created using "filleted," "pulped" and "sifted" human bodies, with "only one cell in a billion fit to be nurtured". Rose says that the new Daleks must be half-human, but the Daleks and their Emperor respond that this is blasphemy and that their flesh is “pure and blessed Dalek.” The Emperor now regards itself as the god of the Daleks, and the Daleks worship it as such. The Doctor declares that, driven mad by centuries of isolation and loathing for their own genetic makeup, they hate themselves and are thus more dangerous than ever.

When a Dalek is destroyed and the mutant revealed it looks different from the mutant in ‘Dalek’, perhaps betraying its human heritage. Mutants originating from Kaled stock appear to have a closed, vestigial second eye, set below and to one side of the sighted eye. The mutant in The Parting of the Ways seems to have two identical, symmetrically set eyes above which are prominent orbital ridges. A large fleshy mass protrudes below the eyes, the folds of which hint at a mouth-like orifice.

In "Daleks in Manhattan", / "Evolution of the Daleks" (2007) the Cult of Skaro, stranded in 1930’s America following an emergency temporal shift, are attempting to rebuild the Dalek race. Endeavours to ‘manufacture’ Dalek embryos result in green brain-like entities which are non-viable and discarded. Template:Doctorwhocharacter

They then turn their attention to creating what they term "Human Daleks” using a gene solution on thousands of frozen humans which have been captured and had their minds erased. Dalek Sec wishes the hybrids to be a new race which will have the intelligence of a Dalek but the appearance and emotions of a human. It states that the Daleks' obsession with universal supremacy has led them to the brink of extinction and now they must change. The other members of the Cult attempt to thwart it, however, believing that the Daleks should remain “pure”. Initially it appears that they have succeeded, when the first batch of creatures are animated, looking human but identifying themselves as Daleks. They have been contaminated with the Doctor’s DNA during the conversion process, however, which soon causes them to begin questioning their orders and the Dalek ideology. Armed with Dalek weapons, a fire-fight erupts between the hybrids and Daleks Jast and Thay, during which the two Daleks and several hybrids are destroyed. Watching events via a remote visual link, Dalek Caan declares that the Human Dalek are a failure and issues a destruct command. This causes all of the hybrids to collapse and die.

Dalek Sec decides to sacrifice itself for the survival of the Dalek race by becoming a true human/Dalek hybrid. It has Mr. Diagoras, a human collaborator, brought before it. Opening its casing to the floor, the Dalek mutant uses its long tentacles to grab Diagoras. It then envelopes him in a large, sack-like membrane, before dragging him into the casing which then closes to begin the 'evolution'.

The hybridization takes approximately 20 minutes, during which the Dalek shakes, its eyestalk twitches erratically and smoke is emitted from the casing. Eventually the eye dims and droops, the casing opens and from within steps the result of the experiment. The hybrid is humanoid and still wears Diagoras’ clothes, but what can be seen has mutated beyond recognition. Its hands are disfigured so that the fingers taper to a point. The brain, fused with Dalek flesh, is left exposed. It has a single eye set high on what remains of a face which is framed by six tentacles. These tentacles make small twitching motions when the creature is calm, but move more rapidly during periods of heightened emotion. Along the back of the neck are what may be exposed vertebrae. The voice is a bizarre amalgam of human and Dalek characteristics. The creature announces: "I am a Human Dalek. "I am your future!"

Dalek Agents

Despite their penchant for racial purity, the Daleks are not averse to using other species in subordinate roles, or as ostensible allies, although they are usually exterminated once they have served their usefulness (like Mavic Chen in the 1965 serial The Daleks' Master Plan).

They routinely enslave planetary populations, putting them in labour camps and using them as operatives, willing or otherwise. In The Dalek Invasion of Earth they convert selected humans into Robomen overseers, using oversized mind-control helmets. However, these Robomen are mentally unstable and eventually go insane, then turn suicidal.

In The Evil of the Daleks, the mind control is accomplished by a necklace-mounted device powered by static electricity, which allows the subject to appear normal but prevents him from eating or drinking. Mental instability still occurred as the subject wrestled with the Dalek conditioning.

By the time of Remembrance of the Daleks, the control device has been refined and reduced to the size of a microchip implanted behind the subject's ear which can also shut the agent down when they are in danger of being compromised. More advanced versions of the Robomen based on this technology appear in the Dalek Empire series of Big Finish audios. In the alternate future of Day of the Daleks humans who willingly served the Daleks supervise slave labour.

The Daleks also use mercenaries. In Day of the Daleks and Frontier in Space (1973), the Daleks use Ogrons to police their slaves and as foot soldiers. In 1984's Resurrection of the Daleks, the Daleks use human mercenaries as Dalek troopers (who wear helmets resembling the domed head and eye-stalk of a Dalek) as well as human duplicates known as Dalek Agents. In Remembrance of the Daleks they used mercenaries who communicated via a microchip located behind the ear, with the ability for Daleks to kill the human should they no longer serve a purpose.

Dalek battle computers are mentioned in 1979's Destiny of the Daleks. It is their completely logical nature that causes the centuries-long stalemate in the war with the android Movellans. As a result, the Daleks decide to harness human creativity by using them as part of their battle computers, as seen in Remembrance of the Daleks. In that serial, the battle computer is a brainwashed human child sitting in a Dalek-styled chair and wearing a helmet similar to that of the Dalek troopers. The child is also capable of attacking with bolts of energy emanating from her hands, although Dalek control over her (and presumably, her offensive capabilities) ends when the Dalek Supreme on Earth is destroyed.

In "Daleks in Manhattan", the Cult of Skaro have created slaves by genetically re-engineering humans with pig DNA and then brainwashing them, creating loyal and vicious "pig slaves". The pig-slaves had no will of their own, were not very clever and died after living only a few weeks.

Daleks in Other Media

The following Daleks have never featured in any television serials or films.

Dalek Emperors

File:TV21 Emperor Dalek.jpg

The Dalek Book / TV21 Emperor Dalek.

The Dalek Emperor was first introduced in The Dalek Book (1964), re-appearing shortly thereafter in the TV 21 comic strip The Daleks, reproduced in collective format as the Dalek Chronicles.

According to the comic strip version of events, after a nuclear war with the Thals which devastated Skaro the only survivors of the original blue-skinned humanoid Dalek race were the scientist Yarvelling and the warlord Zolfian. Whilst exploring the shattered remains of their world they come across one of the war machines which Yarvelling had created shortly before the holocaust. The inference is that these machines were designed to act as semi-autonomous robotic warriors. It informs them that it is actually a mutant Dalek, the result of the Neutron war, which has comandeered the casing as a travel machine. It says that there are many more mutants, and persuades Yarvelling and Zolfian to build more Dalek casings to house them. Before the last two humanoid Daleks die, exhausted by their labours and the effects of radiation, it elects itself as Emperor and has a special gold casing created to reflect its new rank. It is slightly shorter than the other Daleks, with a disproportionately large spheroid head section. This origin story is completely different from that portrayed on television in Genesis of the Daleks. The description of the Dalek Prime in John Peel's novel War of the Daleks matches the TV 21 Emperor closely.

A Dalek Emperor also appears in the Dalek Empire series of audio plays by Big Finish Productions. In the Eighth Doctor audio adventure Terror Firma, taking place after Remembrance of the Daleks, Davros' increasingly unstable mind is obliterated by a totally Dalek personality, that of the Emperor. This new Emperor then takes command of Davros's Daleks and departs. Whether this is the Emperor seen in the rest of the Big Finish Dalek audios is unclear.

A Dalek Emperor, described similarly to the Emperor in The Evil of the Daleks, appears in the Telos novella The Dalek Factor by Simon Clark. It is referred to as "an" Emperor, implying there is more than one at that time.

Dalek Supremes / Black Daleks

The Dalek Supreme, Supreme Dalek (usage varies) and Black Dalek are variants which all serve in the role of an elite or command Dalek.

In the TV 21 comic strips the Black Dalek acts as overall second-in-command, ranking below only the Dalek Emperor.

In John Peel's BBC Books Doctor Who novel War of the Daleks, Black Daleks are mentioned as being high in the Dalek chain of command. They are in charge of all lower ranks, being subordinate only to Gold Daleks and the Dalek Prime, the leader of the Daleks whose description matches that of the TV 21 Dalek Emperor.

In the Big Finish Productions series of Dalek Empire audio plays, the rank of Supreme Dalek is equivalent to an Army General, subordinate to the Emperor Dalek on Skaro, and eventually rises to command the Daleks in the Emperor's absence, with a different Dalek Supreme taking over in the third series.

Spider Dalek

Spider Daleks were a proposed design by John Leekey for an early version of the Doctor Who television movie to be produced by Amblin Entertainment in 1994. The script was rejected and it was the Matthew Jacobs-scripted television movie that saw production in 1996. Spider Daleks ultimately appear in John Peel's novel War of the Daleks, depicted as creations of Davros. In the novel, Spider Daleks are described as resembling normal Daleks, slightly larger than normal, but with eight legs emerging from their lower half. They are more manoeuvrable than standard Daleks, but more vulnerable at their joints. In the novel, the Thals believe that this design has been abandoned for centuries. Giant-sized versions, known as Striders, are ten times larger than the standard Spider Dalek and are equipped with additional weapons. Spider Daleks directly based on the Amblin production concept sketches were featured in the comic strip Fire and Brimstone (Doctor Who Magazine #251-255), in which they are presented as a radically different form of Dalek from a parallel universe.

Marsh Dalek

File:Marshdalek.jpg

A Marsh Dalek.

Only featured in the 1964 Dalek Book written by Terry Nation and David Whittaker, these are bipedal Daleks which are used to control the Horrorkon Monsters on the planet Gurnian. They appear to be a forerunner of the Striders referred to in John Peel's books.

Marine Dalek

Marine Daleks, introduced in the novel War of the Daleks, are torpedo-shaped with their eyes at the front, and have their gun stick and a grappling arm parallel to their bodies. They are also larger than the standard Daleks.

Psyche Dalek

Only appearing briefly in the comic strip Emperor of the Daleks (Doctor Who Magazine) , Psyche Daleks are equipped with a large mass of green brain tissue contained within a transparent sphere that sits on top of the shoulder section in place of the normal neck bin and dome. In the story, a Psyche Dalek is used to control a group of several partially robotised prisoners through a remote device mounted on its arm in place of the normal suction cup.

Scout Dalek

In Ben Aaronovitch's novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks the Imperial Dalek faction uses a type of scout Dalek which is more streamlined than standard Daleks, with overpowered motors.

The Klade

The Klade are a people from the distant future in Lance Parkin's BBC Eighth Doctor novel Father Time and the Miranda spin-off comics. Although physically humanoid and genetically human, they share many cultural characteristics with the Daleks and appear to regard Dalek history as their own. Their name is both an anagram of "Dalek", as "Dalek" is itself of "Kaled" and a play on the biological term "clade", being a group of species sharing a common ancestor. The implication is that, like that of the Thals, their mutation has come "full circle" and returned them to a humanoid form.

See also

• Dalek
• Dalek Empire
• History of the Daleks
• Cult of Skaro
• Davros
• Skaro

External links

• Dalek variants on Tardis Wiki, the Doctor Who Wiki
• Dalek 6388 - about the various Daleks built for the series
• Dalek Planet - paintings of all the Dalek variants with a design/colour guide
• [5] - The Project Dalek Forum
• [6] - The Dalek Builders' Guild