Cyber-Controller (The Tomb of the Cybermen)

The Cyber-Controller, as he appears in The Tomb of the Cybermen

A **Cyber-Controller** directed the rest of his race, via the deputisation of less powerful Cyber-Leaders, as their ultimate mastermind. First seen in control of the Telosian forces in the Cyber-Tombs, he relocated to Cyber-Control, and later to a Cybership.

## Biography

In the 25th century, the Second Doctor and his companions found the Cyber-Controller in the Cyber-Tombs, and he immediately took charge of the Cybermen. He told the archaeological party they would become the first of a new race of Cybermen.

Using a Cyber-gun, Eric Klieg tried to hold the controller hostage when he was low on power, but he was unsuccessful.

Toberman, a partially cyber-converted human attacked the Controller after he killed Kaftan after she had fired on him with her gun, just before the Doctor sealed off the Cyber-Tombs, freezing the Cybermen once more. (TV: *The Tomb of the Cybermen*)

Unbeknownst to the Doctor, the Controller survived. On returning to Telos, the Sixth Doctor met the Cyber-Controller again, this time in a more advanced body. He interrogated Lytton and prepped him up for conversion. He tried to kill the Doctor, but Lytton stabbed him in the arm, causing him to bleed green fluid. The Cyber-Leader and Lieutenant attempted to assist him, but a blast from a cyber-gun fired by the Doctor killed them. The Cyber-Controller waved his arms frantically trying to kill the Doctor, but in self-defense, he fired the cyber-gun again, seemingly destroying the big-domed leader for good. (TV: *Attack of the Cybermen*)

Through unknown means, the Controller was able to survive the destruction of Cyber-Control. He was upgraded to a sleeker body, stationed himself in a Cybership, and received news of various other Cyberman defeats. (PROSE: *Destination: Holocaust*) Resultantly, the Controller devised a plan to remove the Doctor from time. He sent several platoons of Cybermen to kill the first eight Doctors, and landed at Old Marley to directly attack the Eighth Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Bernice Summerfield. He and his Cybermen were able to corner the Doctor and his friends in a church, but Bernice was able to escape and save the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors, alongside their respective companions, with each Doctor rendezvousing at Old Marley to help their present self. Whilst his forces were distracted, and even physically attacked, by the Doctors and their companions, the Fifth and Seventh Doctors managed to turn two Cyberman time capsules into time bombs. The Controller tried to escape with the Doctors and companions, but was stopped by a gold-tipped bullet shot by the Brigadier. He, alongside his ship, his forces and the church, were all sucked into the Time Vortex, destroying the Controller's body, this time permanently. (TV: *Destiny*)

## Appearance

Taller than the others, the Controller found in the Cyber-tombs on Telos had an enlarged, dome-shaped semi-transparent brain case lit from the inside. He also lacked the Cyberman chest unit and the Cyberman head handles, and his head was grey instead of silver. The Cyber-Controller had such authority that, upon awakening, the other Cybermen appeared to salute him. (TV: *The Tomb of the Cybermen*) Later, when he co-ordinated actions from Telos, the Controller had changed physically, now having changed to resemble the other Cybermen of that era. He had a chest unit, but still lacked the Cyberman head handles. He also now had a metal, though still enlarged, brain case. (TV: *Attack of the Cybermen*) When attempting to destroy the Doctor's timeline, the Controller had changed drastically once again, having a sleeker build. His body looked almost the same as the Cybermen he commanded, but with no head handles and fewer cables than a typical Cyberman. He also had an enlarged brain case, with the brain more visible than it had been previously. (TV: *Destiny*)

## Behind the Scenes

### Hybrids

During the gap between the broadcasts of *The Invasion* and *Revenge of the Cybermen*, a number of hybrid Cyber-suits were crafted out of existing Cyberman parts for publicity purposes.

* The Cyber-head of a "late CyberFaction" along with the chest unit of an "early CyberFaction" was fitted to what was the Cyber-body of the CyberTelosian Controller to form a new Cyber-suit which posed with Third Doctor actor Jon Pertwee for the Radio Times in 1970. Notable for being potentially the first appearance of a live-action Cyberman in colour, its image later appeared on the Doctor Who website and *The Doctors Revisited*.
* The *Radio Times'* *Doctor Who Special (1973)* featured a pair of Cyberman pursuing Polly Wright and Ben Jackson. One suit was a mostly standard CyberTelosian, with head, chest unit and body but with the legs of the Controller, whilst the other was a "late CyberFaction" head atop a standard Telosian body.