Cyber - conversion Cyber - conversion was the physical and mental re - engineering of victims , often humanoid , into Cybermen . In an alternate universe , this was referred to as upgrading . A similar process used by the Borg from a parallel universe was called assimilation . Cybermen of Mondas . Mondasian cyber - conversion involved the replacement of body parts ( including limbs , organs , and vital systems ) with artificial components . ( TV : " Attack of the Cybermen " ) Partial conversion , with the victim retaining autonomy and a human identity and body parts , was possible . ( TV : " The Invasion " ) The Cybermen would traverse the universe to find beings to convert , adding to their forces . ( TV : " Attack of the Cybermen " ) The Cybermen relied on tubing to keep the body operating , but over time the amount needed decreased . ( TV : " The Tenth Planet " onwards ) The Cybermen who recovered from the Cyber - Wars and formed the Cyberiad possessed the most advanced technology used by Cybermen , and this extended to their conversion technology . Cyber - conversions could be carried out at almost any time , even in the midst of battle . Cybermite s , an advanced form of Cybermat , could attack organic beings and graft technology that converted the being ' s mind to that of a Cyberman , with full conversion of the body presumably being carried out later . Cyberiad technology had also overcome a major flaw of previous Cyber - conversion techniques ; the reliance on exclusively Human or Mondasian stock . The Cyberiad were able to convert all organic life forms , even Time Lord s , into Cybermen , meaning that the Cyberiad could create more Cybermen than had been possible for the other groups of Cybermen . The method used for the full conversion of a victim ' s body is unclear , and may have been different depending on which species was being converted . The partially - converted body of Webley seems to show that Humans are converted by encasing the body within a cyber - suit . However , a fully - converted Cyberman was able to remove it ' s head entirely to trick a Human soldier . This Cyberman may have originally been a non - humanoid , however . ( TV : " Nightmare in Silver " ) Cybermen of Pete ' s World . The Cybermen of Pete ' s World , instead of replacing body parts , transplanted living brain s into metal exoskeletons sustained in a cradle of chemicals and threaded together by an artificial nervous system . The process was extremely painful and took place in a booth where the subject ' s skull was sliced open by a robotic machine that used knives , lasers and syringes to remove the brain before encasing it in an empty cybernetic helmet . Later , the Ear Pods created a trance state for the victim , so they were , in a sense , unconscious during the process and unable to feel the pain of being converted due to the EarPods having control over the brain ' s pain receptors . This was the most efficient form of conversion as it took under 60 seconds . They also had an Emotional inhibitor placed within them to suppress their humanity because , as the Tenth Doctor put it ; During the Battle of Canary Wharf , the Cybermen , badly needing reinforcements , quickly converted humans into Cybermen using a different method . They encased humans in cybernetic shells by constructing the suit of armour around their body , as with Lisa Hallett . Hallett would have died if her lover , Ianto Jones , had not retrofitted a cyber - conversion unit into life support for her . This form of conversion was excruciating . The subjects were heard screaming as metal was grafted onto their flesh , possibly because the Cybermen had little time to place their victims in a trance state . ( TV : " Cyberwoman " ) The Cybermen also employed a very primitive type of conversion in 1851 when they created the Cybershade s using scrap metal and Victorian era human technology . They also invented a method of converting humans into command units for CyberKing s by fitting them with a headset that could take control of their brains . The CyberKing was intended as a mass conversion unit , but the command unit Miss Hartigan , aided by the Tenth Doctor , destroyed it before it was put to use . ( TV : " The Next Doctor " ) A Cyberman ' s exo - skeleton in 102 at Stonehenge displayed the ability to upgrade humans without any external machinery , merely needing to restrain the victim while the Cyberman ' s faceplate split open at the middle and enveloped the victim ' s head . The process from here on is unknown , as the only known victim of this process was Amy Pond , who escaped before the process was completed . ( TV : " The Pandorica Opens " ) The human that was previously converted seemed to have an upgrade like that during the Battle of Canary Wharf , due to the fact that the Canary Wharf upgrade involved encasing the body inside the suit , ( TV : " Cyberwoman " ) while this Cyberman had a severed head in its helmet . ( TV : " The Pandorica Opens " ) Cybermen of the Cyber Legions . Although having a design almost identical to the Cybermen of Pete ' s World , the Cybermen who formed the Cyber Legions seem to have converted their victims by encasing the victim in a body containment suit . However , as the only seen case of the Cyber Legionaries converting a Human , specifically Craig Owens , was done in an emergency situation on a crippled , buried Cybership , it is possible that this was a non - standard conversion procedure . ( TV : " Closing Time " ) Named cyber - converted individuals . Cybermen of Mondas . The first known Cybermen , if not " the " first , Zheng was converted as part of the Mondasian effort to steer their planet away from the destructive cherrybowl nebula , and back to Sol , with a propulsion system on the surface . Like other early Cybermen , Zheng retained his name , as Cybermen were regarded as still being individuals by their creators . Unlike other early Cybermen , however , Zheng was not affected by organ rejection , a problem which affected the Cybermen until they learnt of a way of avoiding it by scanning and copying part of the physiology of the Fifth Doctor , specifically a lobe in his brain that dealt with all bodily functions . Before this , however , he was unique in surviving for so long , and he was made Cyber - commander . Zheng was more resilient than other Cybermen , being able to survive being shot by another Cyberman on the orders of the first Cyber - Planner , ( AUDIO : " Spare Parts " ) and still functioned well after all Mondasians were converted . ( AUDIO : " The Reaping " ) The Mondasien Chang Twins joined the surface work crews , and were converted into Cybermen . ( AUDIO : " Spare Parts " ) Mondasien teenager Eric Krailford either volunteered to join or was drafted into the surface work teams , and was converted . ( AUDIO : " Spare Parts " ) As a Cyberman , he retained part of his name , and became Krail . In 1986 , he led the first force of Cybermen to land on Earth in the occupation of Snowcap base , and was killed by General Cutler . ( TV : " The Tenth Planet " ) After being drafted by the Mondasian government to work on the propulsion system , Yvonne Hartley was mostly converted . Conversion was stopped by loss of power caused by proximity to the cherrybowl nebula , and Yvonne wandered back to her home , due to her pre - conversion desire for her Father to see her ' uniform ' . Enough of her individuality survived for her to recognise her Father and her pet Cybernetic bird . When power was restored , her conversion continued automatically . Away from the hospital used for conversions , the process killed her . ( AUDIO : " Spare Parts " ) Sisterman Constant was originally responsible for draughting Mondasians for conversion , but was injured when a partially converted Cyberman tried to force her to divulge their purpose . Cyber - commander Zheng shot the Cyberman , and , noting that her scapula was fractured , sent both the Cyberman he had shot and Constant to be repaired . Despite her protests , Constant was converted , and as a Cyberman advocated full conversion of Mondas . ( AUDIO : " Spare Parts " ) Thomas Dodd , the owner of a store selling replacement organs and limbs , was captured by the Cybermen while trying to help the Fifth Doctor . He was converted , becoming the first Cyberman to be augmented with an additional lobe , based on that found in the Doctor ' s brain , that dealt with bodily functions and prevented organ rejection . ( AUDIO : " Spare Parts " ) Toberman was Partially converted on Telos with his right arm replaced . He regained his humanity and attacked the Cyber - Controller . He gave his life to close doors of the Cybermen ' s tombs ( TV : " The Tomb of the Cybermen " ) Bates and Stratton , when Cyber - converted , found it failed at an early stage after their limbs had been replaced by mechanical equivalents . They put to work on the surface of Telos with similar such failures . Lytton was Partially converted cyber on Telos , still incomplete at the time of his death . Others notably converted were Bill and David ( TV : " Attack of the Cybermen " ) In a divergent timeline , Evelyn Smythe , Nicola Savage , Ricky Allen , Ryan Carey and David Isherwood were all partially converted . Reece Goddard became a skin drone . ( WC : " Real Time " , AUDIO : " Real Time " ) Tobias Vaughn suffered partial cyber - conversion , retaining just his head and therefore his own thoughts . ( TV : " The Invasion " ) Jason Kane was nearly converted after being manipulated by Irving Braxiatel . Before the conversion was complete , however , Bernice Summerfield used the energy in the Crystal of Cantus to defeat the cybermen , reversing the conversion . ( AUDIO : " The Crystal of Cantus " ) Webley was partially converted by cyber mites . He retained most of his body and , based on speech , some emotions as well . Artie Maitland and Angie Maitland suffered partial conversion by Cybermites , who intended to take advantage of their imagination . The conversion was later reversed . A pair of soldiers were partially converted while in combat with a Cyberman . The Eleventh Doctor was Partially converted into a Cyber - Planner , splitting his mind into two halves ; one was normal , the other converted . The Cyber - planner half showed emotion , possibly due to the fact that the conversion wasn ' t completely successful . The Doctor suggested that to decide who controlled the brain , they play chess , to which the Cyber - planner agreed . After distracting the Cyber - planner by lying about being able to win the game with only three moves , the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to remove the cybernetic implants , freeing his mind . ( TV : " Nightmare in Silver " ) Bill Potts , after being mortally wounded , was taken to a hospital on a Mondasian colony ship and was granted a cybernetic heart then fully converted into a Mondasian Cyberman some years later . Prior to her full conversion , she was unable to survive if she did not remain in the hospital . ( TV : " World Enough and Time " ) Cybermen of Pete ' s World . John Lumic was converted into a Cyber - Controller , while numerous others such as Sally Phelan and Jackie Tyler were converted into regular Cybermen . ( TV : " The Age of Steel " ) Yvonne Hartman , a Torchwood Institute administrator , was converted . She retained her free will though , killing several Cybermen before her death . ( TV : " Doomsday " ) Another Torchwood employee , Lisa Hallett , the lover of Ianto Jones , was partially cyber - converted ( TV : " Cyberwoman " ) Mercy Hartigan was the CyberKing command unit . Miss Hartigan refused to be converted to a standard Cyberman and took control of the Cybermen which landed in 1851 . The Cybermen , however , had slowly set a plan in motion that would eventually make Miss Hartigan both a convert and a leader . ( TV : " The Next Doctor " ) There was also Valerie Brannigan . ( COMIC : " In - Flight Entertainment " ) Cybermen of the Cyber Legions . Several people ( namely Shona , George , Atif Ghosh and Sheila Clark ) were converted by the Cybermen of a crashed ship as they attempted to find a suitable Cybercontroller . They eventually chose Craig Owens but the conversion failed when Craig ' s paternal instincts were triggered by his son ' s crying . ( TV : " Closing Time " ) Cybermen created by Missy . Missy transformed the dead corpses of millions of humans into Cybermen , such as Alistair Gordon Lethbridge - Stewart , Danny Pink and Skarosa . They were eventually destroyed when Danny detonated all of them to stop Missy ' s plans , save for Stewart , who shot Missy personally before being saluted by the Twelfth Doctor . ( TV : " Death in Heaven " )