The Age of Steel ( TV story ) The Age of Steel was the sixth episode of the second series of " Doctor Who " . It was the second part of a two - part story that featured the return of Cybermen ( albeit a parallel version ) and the departure of Mickey Smith , who stayed in the parallel world . Mickey also had a moment of decisive character development , discarding his clumsy , cowardly nature to become a braver , confident , and focused man of action and heroism . " Tardisode 6 " serves as a prologue to this episode . It depicts the issuing of an order to John Lumic ' s Cybermen to commence worldwide cyber - conversion . The story was inspired by Marc Platt ' s 2002 audio play " Spare Parts " . Head writer Russell T Davies decided he wanted the two - parter " Rise of the Cybermen " and " The Age of Steel " to be loosely adapted from the Big Finish play , albeit with a similar " feel " , just like how series 1 ' s " Dalek " was adapted from " Jubilee " . Platt was paid a fee for Tom MacRae reusing the basic concepts of " Parts " and was given a credit for both " Rise " and " Steel " . Initial drafts of the parallel Earth story were very close to Mondas ' depiction in " Spare Parts " as a " dying world " . ( DWMSE 14 ) Along with inspiration from " Parts " , writer Tom MacRae was supplied the television serials " The Tenth Planet " , " The Tomb of the Cybermen " , " Earthshock " , the " DWM " comic story " The Flood " and David Banks ' " " . Director Graeme Harper also read Banks ' book in preparation for this two - parter , along with the surviving episodes of " The Invasion " , which Harper ' s mentor Douglas Camfield directed . ( DWMSE 14 ) Synopsis . The Cybermen take control of London and start converting the population , and the Tenth Doctor , Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith become fugitives . Plot . As the Cybermen close in for the kill , the Tenth Doctor uses the charging TARDIS power cell hidden in his hand , sending tendrils of energy which disintegrate the cyborgs . Mrs . Moore drives up in the Preachers ' van and shouts for them to get in . The Doctor and the others are climbing in , but Pete wants to go back for Jackie . When the Doctor tells him she is dead , however , he reluctantly gets in the van . Rose also is torn about going back in , but the Doctor reminds her that this Jackie is not her mother , and the group make their escape from the rest of the Cybermen . Inside the house , Jackie Tyler is trapped helplessly behind the basement door as the invading Cybermen patrol her mansion . In the Preachers ' van , the Doctor tells Mickey that the power cell will recharge in about four hours . Pete reveals that he is actually " Gemini " , the source of the Preachers ' inside information on Lumic . He only joined Lumic to feed information to the Security Services , but instead got the Preachers . Ricky also confesses that he is indeed London ' s " most wanted " — but for parking tickets . The Doctor then grimly promises them that , " This ends tonight ! " . Meanwhile , Lumic is inside Battersea Power Station , in the cyber conversion factory . Pleased and ready to begin his next plan , Lumic broadcasts a signal via the EarPod s throughout London . In the city streets , the population is suddenly stopped by the signal and Lumic takes them under his control . They all walk slowly towards the factory to be converted into Cybermen . In her house , Jackie ' s EarPods also become controlled and she too walks towards the factory . At the factory , Mr Crane takes his EarPods off . The Cybermen begin stalking the streets as the city is sealed off ; the Doctor and the others have arrived amidst this and Rose suggests removing the EarPods from the entranced , but the Doctor warns her that this would be too dangerous as it would cause a " brainstorm " ; he goes on to express disgust at the human race ' s willingness to let themselves be taken over . Jake and Ricky see that the Cybermen are everywhere , taking the people to their lair . When asked , Pete tells the Doctor that Lumic ' s base of operations is at Battersea and that the Cybermen were born out of the dying Lumic ' s obsession with prolonging his own life . . . no matter the cost . Rose recognises the Cybermen from the head she saw in Henry van Statten ' s museum . The Doctor confirms that the Cybermen in their universe began on a small planet like this , and then swarmed across the galaxy . The group decides to split up to increase their chances of getting out of the city . Ricky and Mickey will head in one direction as Mrs Moore and the others go in the other . Fleeing from the advancing Cyber army , Mickey and Ricky match each other ' s personalities before splitting up . Elsewhere , the Doctor , Mrs Moore , Pete and Rose also run from the Cybermen . Whilst hiding around a street corner , the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to send a Cybermen platoon away . However , in the process of fleeing , the Cybermen catch up with Ricky while he is climbing a fence , Mickey on the other side . They grab him by the foot and electrocute him as Mickey watches in horror from the other side . Ricky drops to the ground , dead , as Mickey gazes at the Cybermen with anger . He flees to tell the others . Inside the factory , Crane is brought before Lumic for his seeming treachery . Lumic states that he thought Crane was a trustworthy ally but Crane claims that his EarPod malfunctioned and requests an upgrade . However , this is only a ruse to get him close to Lumic ' s wheelchair , and when he is close enough , Crane grabs Lumic ' s vital breathing apparatus and damages it badly , causing Lumic to go into shock . The Cybermen quickly come to his aid and electrocute Crane , but the damage has already been done . The Cybermen say he must be converted , but Lumic says he will upgrade with his last breath . The Cybermen automatically move his chair into a conversion room . Near the river , the team all meet up beneath a bridge when Jake states that the Cybermen are everywhere . Suddenly , Mickey arrives and tells them of Ricky ' s demise ; Jake reacts with a mixture of grief and anger , turning on Mickey . The Doctor says that they can mourn Ricky when London is safe , but for now they move on . The team walk up a hill , viewing Battersea Power Station from across the river , and see Lumic ' s zeppelin moored on the roof . The Doctor states that the whole of London has been sealed off , and the entire population is being taken inside there — to be converted . They must get inside the factory and shut it down . Mrs Moore calls up a schematic of the factory , which shows old cooling tunnels that lead beneath it . Pete suggests another way in : through the front door , using dummy EarPods provided by Mrs Moore . Rose demands to go with Pete , even though to successfully infiltrate the building neither of them must show any emotion . The Doctor relents , and thinks of a third way , to sabotage the EarPod transmissions so the people do not walk to their deaths like sheep . He tells Jake to take out the transmitter , which the Doctor , using the sonic screwdriver , determines is on the zeppelin . The Doctor and Mrs Moore will enter the factory from below , through the cooling tunnels . The group then are about to set off , when Mickey realises that , once again , he has not been assigned a role , and complains about being the " tin dog " . Mickey says he will go along with Jake , despite Jake ' s resentment at his survival . Ultimately , however , Jake lets Mickey go with him , and the Doctor wishes him luck . The Doctor and Mrs Moore enter the cooling tunnels , which they find are filled with hundreds of inactive Cybermen . He tells Mrs Moore to move carefully and keep an eye out for any trip devices . Meanwhile , outside the factory , hundreds of Cybermen patrol the area as thousands of hypnotised citizens walk inside to be converted . Amongst this , Rose and Pete retreat behind some barrels and place the EarPods upon their ears . They then successfully join the line of human s entering the factory and manage to fool the Cybermen they walk past . Meanwhile , Mickey and Jake make it to the mooring station on the roof . The zeppelin is guarded by two hypnotised guards . Jake wants to kill them , but Mickey makes him realise that if he does , there ' s no difference between him and a Cyberman . Jake then shows Mickey several knock - out drops provided by Mrs Moore that should prove effective . They launch upon the guards and render them unconscious with the drops . The two then climb into the airship . Below , Mrs Moore and the Doctor move through the cooling tunnels . Mrs Moore tells the Doctor that she used to work for Cybus Industries , until one day she read a file that she was not supposed to on the mainframe . As a result she was hunted by Lumic and went on the run , eventually finding the Preachers . She also reveals that her husband and two children think her dead and that her name is not really " Mrs Moore " . She took that from a book , assuming the alias to bolster the impression that she had died and to protect her family . Her real name is Angela Price , but she makes the Doctor promise not to tell a soul . However , they do not notice a red light flashing at their passing . Inside the factory control room , two Cybermen notice an alarm in the tunnels . They activate the stored army to remove the intruders . Inside the tunnels , the hundreds of Cybermen suddenly awake and the Doctor and Mrs Moore quickly escape just in time through a hatch which the Doctor seals behind them . " Oh good team Mrs Moore " , says the Doctor happily . In the main conversion area of the factory , Pete and Rose move towards the conversion chambers , keeping an eye out for Jackie . The conversion machines activate as many unfortunate humans walk inside and they swoop down , with sharp cutting equipment , and the human ' s brain is removed and put into a Cyberman . Rose and Pete watch as a woman is converted . Suddenly , a Cyberman approaches them , identifying Pete . To Pete and Rose ' s horror , it reveals that it was once Jackie Tyler . Pete shouts out that this is impossible but the Cyberman confirms this , stating that Pete worked with Cybus Industries and must be rewarded — by force . Rose and Pete are captured and taken to Cyber Control as the Cyberman that was once Jackie fades back into the mass of identical steel creatures . On the bridge of the zeppelin , Jake and Mickey search for the transmitter controls , and find what seems to be an empty Cyberman shell . They dismiss it and continue to look . In the tunnels , the Doctor and Mrs Moore meet a Cyberman , which she quickly deactivates with an EMP bomb . The Doctor opens the chest of the downed Cyberman , finding bits of an organic nervous system and an emotional inhibitor . The Doctor explains that if the Cybermen realised what they had become , they would go insane . The Cyberman stirs , and with its inhibitor broken , it remembers that it was once a bride - to - be named Sally Phelan . The Doctor apologises , and eases her into death with the sonic screwdriver . The Doctor realises this is the solution : if they could find the cancellation code for the inhibitor and feed it throughout the system , the shock of realising what they are would probably kill the Cybermen . He hesitates at the thought of this , but Mrs Moore convinces him that they have to do this before they kill anyone else . Suddenly a Cyberman appears from behind and kills Mrs Moore with electricity . Two more appear . The Doctor is outraged but the Cyberman ' s only response is to note his alien biology ; his binary vascular system registers as an " unknown upgrade . " The Doctor is to be taken to the factory ' s central command to be studied further . On the zeppelin , Mickey finds the transmitter control behind a steel plate , but there is no way to cut through it . Jake suggests setting the autopilot of the ship to crash and then escaping . Mickey begins to hack into the ship ' s systems , but activates a silent alarm in the process . The Doctor is brought to Cyber Control where he meets Pete and Rose , who tell him of Jackie ' s demise . The Doctor asks where Lumic is , and a Cybermen tells him that Lumic has been upgraded into a superior Cyberman model — the Cyber - Controller . A wall slides back and reveals what was once Lumic , now a specialised Cyberman with glowing eyes and a transparent brain case , seated upon a mechanical throne . " This is the Age of Steel and I am its creator , " he triumphantly states to the Doctor , Pete and Rose . The Cyberman on the zeppelin comes to life in response to the silent alarm and tries to kill Mickey and Jake . Mickey goads the Cyberman into punching him , ducking out of the way at the last second so it punches through the steel plate protecting the transmitter control instead . Electricity crackles through the Cyberman ' s body and it falls at the same time the transmission is cut off . The humans in the factory snap out of their trances and see the conversion machines above them . They begin to flee , screaming , flooding past the Cybermen trying to stop them . In Cyber Control , the Doctor hears the cries and realises that his friends have succeeded . However , the Cyber - Controller refuses to admit defeat , saying that he has factories around the world , and if he cannot use the EarPods , the conversions will take place by force . Knowing that Jake and Mickey are observing through a monitor in the zeppelin , the Doctor stalls Lumic , challenging his assertions of an emotionless utopia . The Doctor points out that Lumic is creating a world without imagination , emotion and creativity and that with such thinking humanity will cease to progress . Lumic may have an army , but he is forgetting about the ordinary people , and even an ordinary person — some " idiot " — can save the world . Mickey , listening , realises the Doctor is referring to him and is dropping hints about finding a code that will shut down the emotional inhibitors . Mickey picks up on this , and searches the Lumic database to decrypt the code , which he sends to Rose ' s mobile phone . The Doctor points out to Lumic that in his drive for technological dominance , he made his systems able to interface with anything . The Doctor proves this by plugging Rose ' s phone into the console , sending the code across the Cyber system . All over the factory , the Cybermen ' s inhibitors shut down ; they see each other and realise what they have become , overloading from the emotions they start to feel . The Cybermen begin to malfunction and collapse , some even exploding . As one Cyberman catches sight of what it has become in a reflective surface , the Doctor solemnly tells it , " I ' m sorry . " The Cyber - Controller calls out to the Doctor in the horror of what is happening to his fellow Cybermen , all his creations , demanding to know what he has done . The Doctor retorts that he has given the Cybermen back their souls , and he , Rose and Pete run out of the control room as the factory begins to be consumed in fire and blows up from the inside . All the exits are blocked by the crazed Cybermen and the Doctor realises there is no way out . Despite Jake ' s urgings , Mickey refuses to leave the others behind . He calls Rose and tells her to make for the roof . Rose , the Doctor and Pete retreat up the stairs as the factory explodes all around them . In the midst of the flames , the Cyber - Controller , displaying pure rage at the destruction of his creations , frees himself from the chair and goes on a rampage after the Doctor . Mickey meanwhile , lowers a ladder from the zeppelin for the Doctor and the others . As the Doctor , Rose and Pete climb upward , escaping the factory ' s destruction , the ladder is suddenly jerked by a great weight — the Cyber - Controller climbing up after them . The Doctor throws Pete his sonic screwdriver and tells him to use it on the rope . Pete says that this is for Jackie Tyler and cuts the ladder . The Cyber - Controller falls down from the zeppelin and is consumed by a huge fireball which rises up from the burning factory , presumably destroying him . Pete , Rose and the Doctor keep hold of the remaining ladder as the zeppelin fades away into the night . The Doctor returns to the TARDIS with the fully charged power cell and restores power to the ship . Outside , Rose tries to persuade Pete into boarding the TARDIS but he refuses . She tries to explain about parallel universes and that she is his daughter , but Pete is unable to handle this information and leaves to tell the authorities about Lumic and the other factories . The Doctor says they have only five minutes of power and have to leave . He tells Jake Mrs Moore ' s real name , asking him to find her family and tell them how she died saving the world . However , Mickey announces he is staying . This world lost its Ricky , there are other Cybermen factories to destroy , and his blind grandmother needs looking after . Rose promises that they will come back and see him , but the Doctor reminds her that they only arrived in this parallel universe by accident , and when they leave they must seal the crack in time , meaning they can never come back . The Doctor gives Mickey Rose ' s mobile phone , telling him to get the code out there and wishes " Mickey the Idiot " luck . Rose and Mickey reminisce about their childhood and how they wondered what they would do with their lives , never imagining they would be travelling to the stars . They share an emotional farewell , and Rose tearfully returns to the TARDIS , which dematerialises before Jake ' s astonished eyes . The TARDIS rematerialises in Jackie Tyler ' s flat . Rose breaks down in tears upon seeing her mother alive , and hugs her tightly . Jackie wonders where they went , and asks the Doctor where Mickey is . The Doctor simply responds that Mickey has " gone home . " On the parallel Earth , Mickey tells Jake that he does not intend to replace Ricky but be his own man . They can remember him by fighting in his name . Mickey wonders if there is a Cyber - factory in Paris , and suggests they go liberate the city . Jake is sceptical that they can do that with the two of them in a van . Mickey tells him there is nothing wrong with a van . After all , he once saved the universe with a big yellow truck . . . Story notes . Filming locations . " to be added "