| “ | Excellent! | „ |
| ~ A frequent quote of the Cyber-Leader. |
The Cyber-Leaders are supporting antagonists in the Doctor Who franchise.
It is a model of Cyberman that functions as a commander of the Cyber-Army's operations, however, it is deferential to higher authorities such as the Cyber Controller.
It was portrayed by Christopher Robbie in Revenge of the Cybermen, and by David Banks throughout the 1980's, with Paul Kasey portraying and Nicholas Briggs voicing the Cyber-Leader in the 21st century.
Biography
Revenge of the Cybermen
A Cyber-Leader led a group of Cybermen aboard an ancient Cybership in hunting Voga, the planet of Gold, which was responsible for their defeat in the Cyber-Wars. After taking command of the Nerva Beacon, the Cyber-Leader strapped the Fourth Doctor, and crew Stevenson and Lester, with Cyber-bombs to take to the centre of Voga, and annihilate it, so that the Cybermen could rebuild themselves. After the plan was thwarted, and the Cyber-Leader discovered the Vogans were planning to destroy the Cybermen with a Skystriker missile, the Cyber-Leader instead loaded the Beacon with bombs, and sent it to crash into Voga. This plan would fail, and the Cybermen were destroyed by the Skystriker.
CyberNeomorph Leader
The Cyber-Leader with the 1980's design, known in-universe as the CyberNeomorph has been depicted as the same individual mind in multiple bodies, able to remember previous encounters with the Doctor. While emotionless, this Cyber-Leader spoke with a deeper voice, and did have characteristics similar to anger, amusement, and even smugness.
Earthshock
The Cyber-Leader was the commander of an operation to destroy Earth before a peace conference that could unite enemies of the Cybermen could be held. Accompanied by his Lieutenant, the Leader oversaw the Androids who had been left to guard the bomb. After the androids were destroyed, and the bomb defused, the Cyber-Leader realised that an incarnation of the Doctor was responsible. The Cyber-Leader decided to use Captain Brigg's freighter as a way to destroy Earth. He reactivated a unit to take command of the ship, with the aid of their collaborator, Ringway. When the Doctor and Lieutenant Scott's military unit began to fight back against the Cyberman's rear guard, the Cyber-Leader wrongly concluded Ringway lied about the crew numbers.
The Cyber-Leader awakened his 15'000 strong army, smuggled aboard the freighter, and executed Ringway when he took control of the bridge. With the Doctor was captured, the Cyber-Leader debated with him on whether emotions were a weakness, which the Leader concluded was correct, as he could threaten the Doctor's companion Tegan to force the Doctor to do what he wanted. With the ship's flight computer locked on course to Earth, the Cyber-Leader and his envoy would leave in the Doctor's TARDIS, wishing to observe the human's reaction to the destruction of their homeworld for research purposes. However, the interference of Adric led to the ship's anti-matter engine's warping the ship back in time 65 million years, to become part of Earth's history. Preparing to kill the Doctor, the Cyber-Leader was choked by the gold on Adric's badge, and the maddened and asphyxiating Leader fired its gun aimlessly, damaging the TARDIS console in the process. The Cyber-Leader was killed after being shot three times by the Doctor with his own gun.
The Five Doctors
A Cyber-Leader led a squad that was transported to the Death Zone on Gallifrey. They attempted to capture the Fifth Doctor and the Master, but after the Doctor escaped, they formed an alliance with the Master to overthrow the Time Lords. Led into the Dark Tower, the Master lured then across a giant chessboard. When the Cybermen attempted to cross, they were all electrocuted. The Cyber-Leader asked why the Master had betrayed them. He told him the safe path changed with every journey. When the Master showed the Cyber-Leader the safe path under threat of death, he turned around and killed the Cyber-Leader with one of his weapons.
Attack of the Cybermen
A Cyber-Leader was second in command to the Cyber-Controller in its attempt to time travel and destroy Earth in the year 1985 so Mondas would not be destroyed the next year.
It interrogated Lytton. The Cyber-Leader knew of the Doctor, and captured the TARDIS, but it and the Cyber-Controller were later shot dead by the Sixth Doctor.
Silver Nemesis
A Cyber-Leader led a Cyber-shuttle to Earth in 1988 to find the Nemesis to transform Earth into New Mondas.
Upon arrival, the Cyber-Leader recognised the Seventh Doctor, having predicted his presence. The Cybermen massacred the Neo-Nazis whom they encountered at their landing site for control of the Nemesis.
After the statue was seized, the Cyber-Leader moved it to Lady Peinforte's tomb, as it had noticed she was present in the 20th century, and believed that the statue being in her tomb would drive her mad. After the statue began to glow due to the close presence of the bow, the Cyber-Leader intended to call in reinforcements, but the Doctor and Ace blocked its transmission.
After Peinfote and Richard Maynarde found the statue, the Cyber-Leader mistook her frantic searching for madness, but its troops were forced to retreat due to the duo having gold arrows. After Ace destroyed the shuttle with Nitro-9, the Cyber-Leader believed their agents had rebelled against them, and executed them.
De Flores, the leader of the Neo-Nazis struck a deal with the Cybermen, telling them it would deal with Peinforte if control over Earth could be divided up between them. The Cyber-Leader agreed, but planned to kill him when he was no longer useful. After De Flores managed to capture the statue, the Cybermen demanded the bow, but as the Nazi never had it in the first place, he was captured. As De Flores tried to negotiate with the Cyber-Leader, it ordered the Lieutenant to execute him, but was momentarily stunned by gold dust.
After the Doctor awakened the Nemesis statue, the Cyber-Leader and its army followed to a hanger. There, they battled Ace, who was armed with gold coins. Eventually, during a confrontation on a gantry, the Cyber-Leader was wounded by a gold coin shot by Ace, falling to the ground. It survived, pulling the coin out of its chest unit, and shot De Flores dead when he held the bow.
The Doctor seemingly surrendered to the Cyber-Leader, despite Peinforte threatening to leak his secrets, to which the Cyber-Leader had no interest. After ordering the Nemesis's destructive capabilities be cancelled, the Nemesis was sent to the Fleet, which it destroyed. The Cyber-Leader was killed by Richard, who stabbed it with Peinforte's gold arrow.
Cybus Cybermen
The Cyber Leader was the commander of the Cybermen from a parallel universe after the death of their Controller and creator John Lumic. "Cyber-Leader One" was the main commander of an army of five million Cybermen that crossed into the Doctor's universe in Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, resembling the average Cyberman with black handles. After he and his squad infiltrated Torchwood One, the Leader fully materialised his army, and began the invasion. The Cyber-Leader confirmed to the Doctor that they did not create the Void Ship, having only followed in its wake. The Cyber-Leader broadcast a message to the rest of the world, telling them that their differences would be removed by the conversion into Cybermen. To the Cyber-Leader's confusion, humanity began fighting back. After the Cult of Skaro emerged from the Void ship, the Cyber Leader sent scouts to meet with the aliens. After the Daleks rejected their offer of an alliance and killed them, the Cyber Leader warned them that they had declared war.
Preparing for the battle with the Daleks, the Cyber Leader ordered the conversion of Torchwood staff to bolster the Cybermen's numbers. He kept the Doctor alive as the Leader detected he had knowledge of the Daleks based on his reaction. Addressing the Doctor, the Cyber-Leader described him as proof that emotions were destructive. Right after, a force of Preachers led by Jake Simmonds immediately arrived from the parallel Earth, and Jake killed the Cyber Leader. The Cybermen elsewhere learned that the Cyber-Leader had been destroyed and immediately installed a new Cyber Leader, with a volunteer being upgraded. This Leader formed a brief alliance with the Preachers and Torchwood against the Daleks and stormed the Dalek's chamber. After the Daleks proved formidable, the Cyber Leader ordered all forces to converge on Torchwood Tower. After the Daleks unleashed an army of millions of Daleks, the Cyber Leader elected to return his forces to his native reality. However, his path was blocked by the converted Yvonne Hartman, who killed the Leader and his forces before the Cybermen and Daleks were sucked into the Void.
After the events of Journey's End, the Cyber army escaped the Void and fell into Victorian era London. The Cybermen were led by a Cyber Leader with black handles and mask, with an exposed brain. This Leader was also referred to as a Cyber-Lord. In The Next Doctor, the Cyber-Lord plotted to create the Cyber King to convert the Earth's population. He claimed to their ally Miss Hartigan that she would receive liberation and exception from conversion in return for her help.
When the Cyber King was completed, the Lord betrayed Hartigan by revealing that she was the one indented to become the King. She was successfully put in control, but her will was too strong to remove her emotions. The Cyberlord tried to remove her, before being killed.
Cyber Legions
A Cyberleader resembling the Cyber-Lord from Victorian London was seen leading the Twelfth Cyber Legion in the 52nd century. However, he witnessed his fleet be decimated by the Eleventh Doctor to force him to reveal the location of Demon's Run.
Ascension of the Cybermen
- Main article: Ashad
After the Cyber-Wars, the partially converted Cyberman Ashad was dubbed "Leader", by his guards. In The Power of the Doctor, the CyberMasters were depicted as having their own equivalent of a Cyber-Leader, in the form of a CyberMaster General.
Quotes
| “ | Cybermen can survive more efficiently than animal organisms. That is why we will rule the galaxy. | „ |
| ~ The Cyber-Leader Revenge of the Cybermen |
| “ | Destroy them. Destroy them at once! | „ |
| ~ The Cyber-Leader in Earthshock |
| “ | So, we meet again, Doctor. | „ |
| ~ The Cyber-Leader encounters the Fifth Doctor, Eathshock. |
| “ | There is logic in what he says. | „ |
| ~ The Cyber-Leader concedes Lytton's point, Attack of the Cybermen |
| “ | A new and final era begins, Doctor. Imagination, thought, freedom, pleasure, all will end. | „ |
| ~ The Cyber-Leader, Silver Nemesis |
| “ | This broadcast is for humankind. Cybermen now occupy every land mass on this planet. But you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and colour and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us. | „ |
| ~ Cyber-Leader One, Doomsday |
Trivia
- While the concept of a Cyber Leader was introduced to TV Doctor Who in Revenge of the Cybermen, Cybermen such as Krail from The Tenth Planet were retroactively declared Cyber-Leaders.
- The CyberMaster General is only referred to as such in the script for The Power of the Doctor, and has similar characteristics to the 1980s Cyber Leader, presumably as a direct homage.
