Index File: Daleks
Daleks were the mutated descendants of the Kaleds of theplanet Skaro. They fought the Time Lords in the Last Great Time War, ending in the near-total destruction of both races. Regarded by the Doctor as his greatest enemy, the Daleks were hated and feared throughout time and space. They were the oldest and most frequent foes of the Doctor, having faced him several times in every one of his incarnations. Although the Daleks looked entirely mechanical, they were in fact cybernetic organisms or cyborgs, with a biological body sheathed in and supported by a protective outer shell ofDalekanium metal armour, armed and mobile. In this respect they were somewhat similar to a Cyberman; unlike them, the Daleks' bodies had mutated so drastically from their Kaled ancestors they had lost all humanoid appearance, save for one eye. The Dalek casing, originally called a "Mark III travel machine", could be seperated into three sections.
The interdependence of biological and mechanical components made the Daleks a type of cyborg. TheImperial Daleks created by Davros during the Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War were true cyborgs, surgically connected to their shells. (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks)
Externally, the Daleks resembled human-sized peppershakers, with a single mechanical eyestalk in a rotating dome, a gunstick and a manipulator arm. The casings were made of both polycarbide anddalekanium (WC: Captain Jack's Monster Files)
The lower shell was covered with fifty-six hemispherical protrusions, which could serve as a self-destruct system (DW: Dalek).
The Dalek creature had no visible vocal apparatus as such and their voices were electronic. Their most infamous battle-cry was "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!", each syllable screeched in a frantic-sounding, electronic scream (the last two syllables together). Other common utterances included "I (or WE) OBEY!" to any command from a superior. Daleks also had radio communicators built into their shells to emit an alarm to summon other Daleks if the casing was opened from outside. [source needed]
The Dalek's eyepiece was its most vulnerable spot – as there was no back-up system if this was obscured, damaged or destroyed – and impairing its vision often led to its main weapon being fired indiscriminately. (VG: City of the Daleks) The Dalek casing also functioned as a fully-sealed environment suit, allowing travel through the vacuum of space or underwater without the need for additional life-support equipment. (DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, DW: The Parting of the Ways)
A Dalek was connected to its casing through a positronic link. The mutant itself accesses nutrient feeders and control mechanisms inside its internal chamber. (BFA: The Time of the Daleks)
Due to their gliding motion, some models of Dalek were baffled by stairs, which made them easy to overcome under the right circumstances. One time the Fourth Doctor and his companions escaped from Dalek pursuers by climbing into a ceiling duct. (DW: Destiny of the Daleks) Some models were able to hover, or fly under their own power like small spacecraft. (DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Chase,Revelation of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks, Dalek, The Parting of the Ways, Doomsday, Evolution of the Daleks, etc.)
The armour of the Cult of Skaro had temporal shift capacity, seemingly the only users of such technology during the Battle of Canary Wharf. (DW: Doomsday, Daleks in Manhattan)
The power source of the Dalek casing also changed several times. During his first encounter with them on Skaro, the First Doctor learned that the casing was externally powered by static electricitytransmitted through the metal floors of the Dalek City. Isolating a Dalek from the floor using a non-conductive material shut down the casing, although it was not immediately fatal to the occupant. (DW:The Daleks) The Daleks overcame this defect by adding dishes to their casing to receive power. (DW:The Dalek Invasion of Earth) The Daleks found a better way around this impediment. (DW: The Chase)
By the beginning of the Last Great Time War the Daleks had adapted their technology to use a type of energy apparently linked to the process of time travel. On more than one occasion, Daleks and their devices were seen to leech this energy from time-travellers to power themselves. (DW: Dalek,Doomsday)
Whatever the power source the Daleks used in the interim, it was (apparently uniquely) immune to being drained by the City of the Exxilons. Strangely, the Daleks retained motive power and the ability to speak even though their weaponry was shut down, which suggests the weapon systems had a separate power supply. The Third Doctor indicated that this was because the Daleks werepsychokinetic, and the City unable to absorb psychic energy. Other references to the Daleks havingpsychic potential are scarce, but on the planet Kyrol, the Eighth Doctor discovered an enclave ofhumanised Daleks who had, through years of meditation, developed psychokinesis to a remarkable degree. (DW: Death to the Daleks, DWM: Children of the Revolution)
The casing was booby-trapped, making even dead Daleks a dangerous foe. They were frequently equipped with virus transmitters which worked automatically. (QR: I am a Dalek) Furthermore, the armour contained an automated distress beacon which activated if disturbed. (DW: Planet of the Daleks)
- Top: The Dalek's means of vision and communication, a dome with a set of twin speaker 'lights' (referred to as luminosity dischargers) [source needed] on the upper part of the sides and a telescope-like eyestalk in the middle. This was attached to the mid-section by a "neck"
- Mid: On the Dalek's "chest" the Gunstick & Manipulator arm were attached. These provided the Dalek's means of offence and operating capabilities.
- Bottom: The Dalek's means of mobility was a sturdy base with a skirtlike structure of plates covered with globes. This allowed movement and, in later models, flight.
The interdependence of biological and mechanical components made the Daleks a type of cyborg. TheImperial Daleks created by Davros during the Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War were true cyborgs, surgically connected to their shells. (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks)
Externally, the Daleks resembled human-sized peppershakers, with a single mechanical eyestalk in a rotating dome, a gunstick and a manipulator arm. The casings were made of both polycarbide anddalekanium (WC: Captain Jack's Monster Files)
The lower shell was covered with fifty-six hemispherical protrusions, which could serve as a self-destruct system (DW: Dalek).
The Dalek creature had no visible vocal apparatus as such and their voices were electronic. Their most infamous battle-cry was "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!", each syllable screeched in a frantic-sounding, electronic scream (the last two syllables together). Other common utterances included "I (or WE) OBEY!" to any command from a superior. Daleks also had radio communicators built into their shells to emit an alarm to summon other Daleks if the casing was opened from outside. [source needed]
The Dalek's eyepiece was its most vulnerable spot – as there was no back-up system if this was obscured, damaged or destroyed – and impairing its vision often led to its main weapon being fired indiscriminately. (VG: City of the Daleks) The Dalek casing also functioned as a fully-sealed environment suit, allowing travel through the vacuum of space or underwater without the need for additional life-support equipment. (DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, DW: The Parting of the Ways)
A Dalek was connected to its casing through a positronic link. The mutant itself accesses nutrient feeders and control mechanisms inside its internal chamber. (BFA: The Time of the Daleks)
Due to their gliding motion, some models of Dalek were baffled by stairs, which made them easy to overcome under the right circumstances. One time the Fourth Doctor and his companions escaped from Dalek pursuers by climbing into a ceiling duct. (DW: Destiny of the Daleks) Some models were able to hover, or fly under their own power like small spacecraft. (DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Chase,Revelation of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks, Dalek, The Parting of the Ways, Doomsday, Evolution of the Daleks, etc.)
The armour of the Cult of Skaro had temporal shift capacity, seemingly the only users of such technology during the Battle of Canary Wharf. (DW: Doomsday, Daleks in Manhattan)
The power source of the Dalek casing also changed several times. During his first encounter with them on Skaro, the First Doctor learned that the casing was externally powered by static electricitytransmitted through the metal floors of the Dalek City. Isolating a Dalek from the floor using a non-conductive material shut down the casing, although it was not immediately fatal to the occupant. (DW:The Daleks) The Daleks overcame this defect by adding dishes to their casing to receive power. (DW:The Dalek Invasion of Earth) The Daleks found a better way around this impediment. (DW: The Chase)
By the beginning of the Last Great Time War the Daleks had adapted their technology to use a type of energy apparently linked to the process of time travel. On more than one occasion, Daleks and their devices were seen to leech this energy from time-travellers to power themselves. (DW: Dalek,Doomsday)
Whatever the power source the Daleks used in the interim, it was (apparently uniquely) immune to being drained by the City of the Exxilons. Strangely, the Daleks retained motive power and the ability to speak even though their weaponry was shut down, which suggests the weapon systems had a separate power supply. The Third Doctor indicated that this was because the Daleks werepsychokinetic, and the City unable to absorb psychic energy. Other references to the Daleks havingpsychic potential are scarce, but on the planet Kyrol, the Eighth Doctor discovered an enclave ofhumanised Daleks who had, through years of meditation, developed psychokinesis to a remarkable degree. (DW: Death to the Daleks, DWM: Children of the Revolution)
The casing was booby-trapped, making even dead Daleks a dangerous foe. They were frequently equipped with virus transmitters which worked automatically. (QR: I am a Dalek) Furthermore, the armour contained an automated distress beacon which activated if disturbed. (DW: Planet of the Daleks)
The inner casing, in which the actual Dalek resided, also held a life support system and a battle-computer for strategic and tactical knowledge. The Dalek Mutant operated the casings manually. Once removed, other life forms could pilot one if they could fit within. (DW:The Daleks)
A pre-Time War Kaled mutant. (DW: The Five Doctors)MUTANTThe interior mutant was, as Acedescribed it, a green or pinkish "blob." (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks) It was the brain of the Dalek and the true creature that hated everything not a Dalek. The "blobs" were usually genetically mutated Kaleds or, at times, other species captured by the Daleks. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks, The Parting of the Ways) They were depicted with multiple tentacular protrusions, a normal right eye and a left eye so reduced in size as to be easily missed. Despite their apparent lack of any motive capability they were capable of defending themselves, as demonstrated when a Dalek attacked and killed a soldier. (DW: Resurrection of the Daleks)
While Daleks were typically small mutants, at least one member of the species, Dalek Sec, had extremely large tentacles and was pale green; he could even produce a sac-like membrane that appeared to come from his mouth (most likely a self-induced alteration in preparation for the final experiment). It was this membrane that he used to absorb MrDiagoras and transform into a human-Dalek. (DW: Daleks in Manhattan) Before or during the Last Great Time War, the Daleks mutated even more, with a large eye in the centre of the body and tentacles. (DW:Dalek)
Although they were nearly invulnerable, Daleks had several exploitable weaknesses. These changed and varied depending on the Dalek's type.
A pre-Time War Kaled mutant. (DW: The Five Doctors)MUTANTThe interior mutant was, as Acedescribed it, a green or pinkish "blob." (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks) It was the brain of the Dalek and the true creature that hated everything not a Dalek. The "blobs" were usually genetically mutated Kaleds or, at times, other species captured by the Daleks. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks, The Parting of the Ways) They were depicted with multiple tentacular protrusions, a normal right eye and a left eye so reduced in size as to be easily missed. Despite their apparent lack of any motive capability they were capable of defending themselves, as demonstrated when a Dalek attacked and killed a soldier. (DW: Resurrection of the Daleks)
While Daleks were typically small mutants, at least one member of the species, Dalek Sec, had extremely large tentacles and was pale green; he could even produce a sac-like membrane that appeared to come from his mouth (most likely a self-induced alteration in preparation for the final experiment). It was this membrane that he used to absorb MrDiagoras and transform into a human-Dalek. (DW: Daleks in Manhattan) Before or during the Last Great Time War, the Daleks mutated even more, with a large eye in the centre of the body and tentacles. (DW:Dalek)
Although they were nearly invulnerable, Daleks had several exploitable weaknesses. These changed and varied depending on the Dalek's type.
- Eyestalk susceptible to concentrated fire (DW:Resurrection of the Dalek,Dalek, The Parting of the Ways)
- Pride
- Arrogance
- Lack of imagination
- Movellan virus (DW: Resurrection of the Daleks)
- High explosives (DW: Planet of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks)
- High-powered energy weapons (DW: Parting of the Ways, Journey's End)
- Bastic bullets (Pre-Time War Daleks only) (DW: Revelation of the Daleks)
- Dalek gunsticks - Extermination and Disintegration (DW: Evil of the Daleks, Planet of the Daleks, The Five Doctors, Resurrection of the Daleks,Revelation of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks, Evolution of the Daleks, Victory of the Daleks EDA: Legacy of the Daleks, TVA:The Threat from Beneath)
- Extremely low temperatures (DW: Planet of the Daleks)
- Extreme heat and pressure
- Photon beams (DWM: The Dogs of Doom)
- Machine Guns (EDA: Legacy of the Daleks)
- Reliance on logic & machinery (DW: Destiny of the Daleks)
- Dinosaurs (TVA: The Planet of the Daleks)
- Time Vortex (BFA: The Time of the Daleks)
- Bats upgraded by the Hand of Omega into energy maces (DW:Remembrance of the Daleks)
- Overloading (DW: The Power of the Daleks, Journey's End)
- Rocks in the path (Renegade Daleks only) (DW: The Daleks' Master Plan)
- Intense sonic beams (DW: Revelation of the Daleks)
- Anti-Dalekanium Plasma Bolts (SP: The Monsters Are Coming!)
- Similar Dalekanium weapons. (VG: Destiny of the Doctors)
HISTORY Davros, creator of the Daleks. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks)The Daleks were the product of a generations-long war between the Kaled and Thal races.
Main article: Creation of the DaleksOver the course of their history, the Daleks developed time travel (DW:The Chase), an interstellar (and later intergalactic) Dalek Empire (DW:The Daleks' Master Plan) and factory ships for conquest (DW: The Power of the Daleks). The radio dishes which had originally been required to allow them to travel on surfaces without a static charge (DW: The
Dalek Invasion of Earth) also vanished, enabling Daleks to move under their own power.
RIGIN OF NAME edit"Dalek" had been the ancient Kaled word for god. Davros, the creator of the Daleks, appropriated the name, supposing the Daleks to approximate gods in evolutionary terms. (BFD: I, Davros) Obviously "Dalek" was an anagram of Kaled, the race from which the Daleks were genetically engineered. A scientist under the command of Davros mentioned that the word "Dalek" had never been heard before the Fourth Doctor, and then hours later, Davros himself uttered it. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks)
The Daleks were known to write poetry (NA: The Also People), and some of the more elaborate Dalek battlecries had an almost poetic quality about them (for example, "Advance and Attack! Attack and Destroy! Destroy and Rejoice!" (DW: The Chase) and repetition of words such as "Predict! Predict! Predict!" (DW: The Parting of the Ways). In an alternate reality, the Daleks showed a fondness for the works of William Shakespeare. (BFA: The Time of the Daleks)
Due to their frequent defeats by the Doctor, he became a legendary figure in Dalek culture and mythology. They had standing orders to capture or exterminate the Doctor on sight, and were occasionally able to identify him despite his regenerations. This was not an innate ability, but probably the result of good record keeping. The Daleks knew the Doctor as the "Ka Faraq Gatri", (which meant the "Bringer of Darkness"A Renegade Dalek (DW:Remembrance of the Daleks) or "Destroyer of Worlds") (DWM: Bringer of Darkness, referencing DWN: Remembrance of the Daleks). The Ninth Doctorclaimed that the Daleks also called him "the Oncoming Storm". (DW: The Parting of the Ways)The second name was also used by the Draconians to refer to the Doctor, though probably in a less pejorative sense. (NA: Love and War)
Daleks had little individual personality and a strict hierarchy. They were conditioned to obey a superior's orders without question, even if these orders resulted in pain or death. (BFA: The Curse of Davros) The most fundamental feature of Dalek culture and psychology was an unquestioned belief in the superiority of the Daleks. Other species were either to be exterminated or enslaved, and then exterminated when no longer necessary. The default directive of a Dalek was to destroy all non-Dalek life forms.
Daleks even regarded "deviant" Daleks as their enemies and worthy of destruction. The civil war between the Renegade and Imperial Dalekswas an example of this. Each faction considered the other a perversion despite the relatively minor differences. [source needed] This belief also meant that Daleks were intolerant of such "contamination" even within themselves. (DW: Dalek, The Parting of the Ways, Evolution of the Daleks,BFA: The Mutant Phase)
Another result of this superiority complex was their complete ruthlessness. This was due to genetic modifications made to the original Kaled mutants by Davros. It was because of this that it was nearly impossible to negotiate or reason with a Dalek and it was this single-mindedness that made them so dangerous.
Their reliance on logic and machinery was a weakness, albeit one that they recognised. Daleks considered illogical actions impossible. (DW:Destiny of the Daleks) They transferred emotions from other life-forms twice, in one case humans, having refined the Human Factor with the help from the Second Doctor to create Humanised Daleks. (DW: The Evil of the Daleks) In another instance, they refined savagery, hatred and cunning from other life forms. (DWM: The Dogs of Doom) One unintentionally humanised Dalek occurred after it used Rose Tyler's DNA to regenerate after sustaining injuries, involuntarily developing feelings. Its traditional Dalek psychology remained, however, and it self-destructed in disgust. (DW: Dalek)
RELIGION editAs noted above, the Daleks created by the manipulation and mutation of human genetic material by a demented Dalek Emperor were religious fanatics. They worshipped the Emperor as their god. Normal Daleks had no religion, other than their fanatic belief in their own supremacy. (DW: The Parting of the Ways)
LEGAL SYSTEM editAlthough the Daleks had no regard for due process and Galactic Law, there were at least two occasions on which they took enemies back to Skaro for a "trial" rather than killing them on the spot; the first was their creator Davros (DW: Revelation of the Daleks) and the second was the renegade Time Lord known as the Master. (DW: Doctor Who)
Accounts differ as to whether the retrieval of Davros was for a 'trial' in the criminal sense but rather a test to see if he was in fact worthy of becoming the supreme leader of the race (BFD: I, Davros) or if they gave him more of a literal trial (DWM: Emperor of the Daleks)DALEK HIERARCHY editMain article: Dalek hierarchyAlthough they saw their entire species as superior, the Daleks had a hierarchical system. This included a wide range of ranks bestowed upon selected Daleks. (DW: The Daleks, The Evil of the Daleks, Victory of the Daleks)
DALEK WRITINGS editMain article: Dalek writingDaleks used inscriptions as recognition codes. (DW: Doomsday) They were able to read human numerals and words, even using them upon occasion. (DW: Planet of the Daleks)
CULTURAL EFFECT editThe Daleks had a devastating effect on the races and individuals that encountered them. For the most part they epitomised fear and danger, especially for the Doctor, upon arriving in 1966 and seeing thePost Office Tower that contained WOTAN, the First Doctor remarked to Dodo he had felt like that when the Daleks were near. (DW: The War Machines) The Second Doctor used his encounters with them to warn Zoe Heriot of what she might encounter. (DW: The Wheel in Space) The Second Doctor also later used a mental projection of a Dalek to show the Time Lords of his enemies. (DW: The War Games) A Dalek was one of many fears that assaulted the Third Doctor in the Keller Machine. (DW: The Mind of Evil) When as he approached his fourth regeneration, a vision of a Dalek came to the Fourth Doctor. (DW: Logopolis) Their power over the Doctor continued through his personality when he used aChameleon Arch. His human self, John Smith, sketched a Dalek within his Journal of Impossible Things. (DW: Human Nature)
Their danger was on occasion negligible compared to a greater threat; when speaking of his fellow Time Lords at his trial the Sixth Doctor stated that "I have battled against evil...I should have stayed here. The oldest civilisation: decadent, degenerate, and rotten to the core. Power-mad conspirators, Daleks, Sontarans,Cybermen - they're still in the nursery compared to us. Ten million years of absolute power. That's what it takes to be really corrupt." (DW: The Ultimate Foe) When Rassilon threatened to break the Time-lock on the Last Great Time War the Tenth Doctor warned the Master, that "not just the Daleks" would be unleashed if it were broken. (DW: The End of Time)
The Daleks' impact on those humans who encountered them had different effects on their psyches. They appeared in dreams or visions; Ace associated the Daleks with Nazis; a Dalek with a swastika chased her, chanting "Heil Doktor" following her time in an alternate universe populated by Nazis. (NA: Timewyrm: Exodus) To Bernice Summerfield a Dalek appeared, also in a dream, along side several other races such as Sontarans and Cybermen in which the nature of evil was dissected. (NA: The Also People) Sam Jones, on awakening from unconsciousness exclaimed, "Anyone get the number of that Dalek?". (EDA: The Taint) Alternatively, encounters with the Daleks took a certain pride of place for some individuals. Rose Tyler and Sarah Jane Smith compared their experiences encountering Daleks (and in Rose's case the Dalek Emperor) upon meeting. (DW: School Reunion)
The key item of Dalek technology was the casing, derived from the Mark III Travel Machines built by Davros. The casings of Davros'Imperial Daleks were made out of bonded polycarbide. (DW:Remembrance of the Daleks) The eyestalk of the casing bestowed superior vision to the Dalek creature. The plunger-shaped attachment functioned as a flexible and adaptable limb. (DW: Dalek) Dalek gunsticks could kill almost any sentient being and could paralyse their victims temporarily or permanently.
The Dalek's gunstick evolved alongside other aspects of Dalek technology. When the First Doctor met them in the Dalek City, the gunstick seemed to have the same qualities as a human gun. Extermination was not always guaranteed and some targets would be merely wounded.
On the surface of Skaro, within the confines of the Dalek City, the machines ran on static electricity fed from the city floor. They were incapacitated if removed from the floor. The casing technology changed over the years. The first Daleks to emerge from the bunker in which they had been entombed built a city and power from those. (DW: The Daleks) Those occupying Earth during the their 22nd century invasion had dishes on their backs. (DW:The Dalek Invasion of Earth) Later models of Dalek casing had internal power supplies, and even repulsor systems[additional sources needed] that allowed them to hover (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks, Dalek) and fly. (DW: The Parting of the Ways, Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)
Throughout time and space, there were many Dalek variants that sported different casings. A Dalek's ability depended on what features its casing offered. (DW: The Daleks, The Evil of the Daleks) The default manipulator arm could be replaced with the likes of flamethrowers and seismic detectors. (DW: The Chase, The Daleks' Master Plan)
By the era of the Last Great Time War, Daleks had force-fields. Whereas previous versions of Daleks could be destroyed by a well-placed bastic bullet, such bullets could not get close to these Daleks' casings. (DW: Dalek, The Parting of the Ways) However, they could be penetrated by their own weaponry, and variations thereof. (DW: Evolution of the Daleks, Victory of the Daleks) They not only could hover, but travel independently through space. (DW: The Parting of the Ways) These Daleks could use the DNA of a time traveller to regenerate their bodies and their casings just by virtue of the traveller touching the casing. (DW: Dalek)
Dalek travel technology varied over time. Dalek spaceships were (almost) consistently designed in a saucer shape, (DW: Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways, The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, Victory of the Daleks) and hoverbouts allowed individual Daleks to travel without using their own power. [source needed] The Daleks also developed time travel capabilities. Time Corridors allowed limited transport between one era and another. (DW: Resurrection of the Daleks) The Daleks also developedtheir own kind of time machine of similar capacities to the Doctor's TARDIS, though they could not change shape.
These time travel machines were also dimensionally transcendental. (DW: The Chase, DW: The Daleks' Master Plan) Members of the Cult of Skaro could initiate 'emergency temporal shift' which acted as a teleport through time and space to let the Dalek escape a threat. (DW: Doomsday, DW:Daleks in Manhattan, DW: The Stolen Earth)It is not known how advanced their time travel technology had become by the time they vanished to fight the Last Great Time War, but the fact that Dalek Caan was able to travel to the time-locked Last Great Time War meant that it must have approached the level of the Time Lords themselves.The Daleks were also experts in biological warfare, and used (or attempted to use) biological weapons on several occasions. (DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Planet of the Daleks, Death to the Daleks)
click for pages: HISTORY OF THE DALEKS Kaleds Daleks of human origin
Main article: Creation of the DaleksOver the course of their history, the Daleks developed time travel (DW:The Chase), an interstellar (and later intergalactic) Dalek Empire (DW:The Daleks' Master Plan) and factory ships for conquest (DW: The Power of the Daleks). The radio dishes which had originally been required to allow them to travel on surfaces without a static charge (DW: The
Dalek Invasion of Earth) also vanished, enabling Daleks to move under their own power.
RIGIN OF NAME edit"Dalek" had been the ancient Kaled word for god. Davros, the creator of the Daleks, appropriated the name, supposing the Daleks to approximate gods in evolutionary terms. (BFD: I, Davros) Obviously "Dalek" was an anagram of Kaled, the race from which the Daleks were genetically engineered. A scientist under the command of Davros mentioned that the word "Dalek" had never been heard before the Fourth Doctor, and then hours later, Davros himself uttered it. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks)
The Daleks were known to write poetry (NA: The Also People), and some of the more elaborate Dalek battlecries had an almost poetic quality about them (for example, "Advance and Attack! Attack and Destroy! Destroy and Rejoice!" (DW: The Chase) and repetition of words such as "Predict! Predict! Predict!" (DW: The Parting of the Ways). In an alternate reality, the Daleks showed a fondness for the works of William Shakespeare. (BFA: The Time of the Daleks)
Due to their frequent defeats by the Doctor, he became a legendary figure in Dalek culture and mythology. They had standing orders to capture or exterminate the Doctor on sight, and were occasionally able to identify him despite his regenerations. This was not an innate ability, but probably the result of good record keeping. The Daleks knew the Doctor as the "Ka Faraq Gatri", (which meant the "Bringer of Darkness"A Renegade Dalek (DW:Remembrance of the Daleks) or "Destroyer of Worlds") (DWM: Bringer of Darkness, referencing DWN: Remembrance of the Daleks). The Ninth Doctorclaimed that the Daleks also called him "the Oncoming Storm". (DW: The Parting of the Ways)The second name was also used by the Draconians to refer to the Doctor, though probably in a less pejorative sense. (NA: Love and War)
Daleks had little individual personality and a strict hierarchy. They were conditioned to obey a superior's orders without question, even if these orders resulted in pain or death. (BFA: The Curse of Davros) The most fundamental feature of Dalek culture and psychology was an unquestioned belief in the superiority of the Daleks. Other species were either to be exterminated or enslaved, and then exterminated when no longer necessary. The default directive of a Dalek was to destroy all non-Dalek life forms.
Daleks even regarded "deviant" Daleks as their enemies and worthy of destruction. The civil war between the Renegade and Imperial Dalekswas an example of this. Each faction considered the other a perversion despite the relatively minor differences. [source needed] This belief also meant that Daleks were intolerant of such "contamination" even within themselves. (DW: Dalek, The Parting of the Ways, Evolution of the Daleks,BFA: The Mutant Phase)
Another result of this superiority complex was their complete ruthlessness. This was due to genetic modifications made to the original Kaled mutants by Davros. It was because of this that it was nearly impossible to negotiate or reason with a Dalek and it was this single-mindedness that made them so dangerous.
Their reliance on logic and machinery was a weakness, albeit one that they recognised. Daleks considered illogical actions impossible. (DW:Destiny of the Daleks) They transferred emotions from other life-forms twice, in one case humans, having refined the Human Factor with the help from the Second Doctor to create Humanised Daleks. (DW: The Evil of the Daleks) In another instance, they refined savagery, hatred and cunning from other life forms. (DWM: The Dogs of Doom) One unintentionally humanised Dalek occurred after it used Rose Tyler's DNA to regenerate after sustaining injuries, involuntarily developing feelings. Its traditional Dalek psychology remained, however, and it self-destructed in disgust. (DW: Dalek)
RELIGION editAs noted above, the Daleks created by the manipulation and mutation of human genetic material by a demented Dalek Emperor were religious fanatics. They worshipped the Emperor as their god. Normal Daleks had no religion, other than their fanatic belief in their own supremacy. (DW: The Parting of the Ways)
LEGAL SYSTEM editAlthough the Daleks had no regard for due process and Galactic Law, there were at least two occasions on which they took enemies back to Skaro for a "trial" rather than killing them on the spot; the first was their creator Davros (DW: Revelation of the Daleks) and the second was the renegade Time Lord known as the Master. (DW: Doctor Who)
Accounts differ as to whether the retrieval of Davros was for a 'trial' in the criminal sense but rather a test to see if he was in fact worthy of becoming the supreme leader of the race (BFD: I, Davros) or if they gave him more of a literal trial (DWM: Emperor of the Daleks)DALEK HIERARCHY editMain article: Dalek hierarchyAlthough they saw their entire species as superior, the Daleks had a hierarchical system. This included a wide range of ranks bestowed upon selected Daleks. (DW: The Daleks, The Evil of the Daleks, Victory of the Daleks)
DALEK WRITINGS editMain article: Dalek writingDaleks used inscriptions as recognition codes. (DW: Doomsday) They were able to read human numerals and words, even using them upon occasion. (DW: Planet of the Daleks)
CULTURAL EFFECT editThe Daleks had a devastating effect on the races and individuals that encountered them. For the most part they epitomised fear and danger, especially for the Doctor, upon arriving in 1966 and seeing thePost Office Tower that contained WOTAN, the First Doctor remarked to Dodo he had felt like that when the Daleks were near. (DW: The War Machines) The Second Doctor used his encounters with them to warn Zoe Heriot of what she might encounter. (DW: The Wheel in Space) The Second Doctor also later used a mental projection of a Dalek to show the Time Lords of his enemies. (DW: The War Games) A Dalek was one of many fears that assaulted the Third Doctor in the Keller Machine. (DW: The Mind of Evil) When as he approached his fourth regeneration, a vision of a Dalek came to the Fourth Doctor. (DW: Logopolis) Their power over the Doctor continued through his personality when he used aChameleon Arch. His human self, John Smith, sketched a Dalek within his Journal of Impossible Things. (DW: Human Nature)
Their danger was on occasion negligible compared to a greater threat; when speaking of his fellow Time Lords at his trial the Sixth Doctor stated that "I have battled against evil...I should have stayed here. The oldest civilisation: decadent, degenerate, and rotten to the core. Power-mad conspirators, Daleks, Sontarans,Cybermen - they're still in the nursery compared to us. Ten million years of absolute power. That's what it takes to be really corrupt." (DW: The Ultimate Foe) When Rassilon threatened to break the Time-lock on the Last Great Time War the Tenth Doctor warned the Master, that "not just the Daleks" would be unleashed if it were broken. (DW: The End of Time)
The Daleks' impact on those humans who encountered them had different effects on their psyches. They appeared in dreams or visions; Ace associated the Daleks with Nazis; a Dalek with a swastika chased her, chanting "Heil Doktor" following her time in an alternate universe populated by Nazis. (NA: Timewyrm: Exodus) To Bernice Summerfield a Dalek appeared, also in a dream, along side several other races such as Sontarans and Cybermen in which the nature of evil was dissected. (NA: The Also People) Sam Jones, on awakening from unconsciousness exclaimed, "Anyone get the number of that Dalek?". (EDA: The Taint) Alternatively, encounters with the Daleks took a certain pride of place for some individuals. Rose Tyler and Sarah Jane Smith compared their experiences encountering Daleks (and in Rose's case the Dalek Emperor) upon meeting. (DW: School Reunion)
The key item of Dalek technology was the casing, derived from the Mark III Travel Machines built by Davros. The casings of Davros'Imperial Daleks were made out of bonded polycarbide. (DW:Remembrance of the Daleks) The eyestalk of the casing bestowed superior vision to the Dalek creature. The plunger-shaped attachment functioned as a flexible and adaptable limb. (DW: Dalek) Dalek gunsticks could kill almost any sentient being and could paralyse their victims temporarily or permanently.
The Dalek's gunstick evolved alongside other aspects of Dalek technology. When the First Doctor met them in the Dalek City, the gunstick seemed to have the same qualities as a human gun. Extermination was not always guaranteed and some targets would be merely wounded.
On the surface of Skaro, within the confines of the Dalek City, the machines ran on static electricity fed from the city floor. They were incapacitated if removed from the floor. The casing technology changed over the years. The first Daleks to emerge from the bunker in which they had been entombed built a city and power from those. (DW: The Daleks) Those occupying Earth during the their 22nd century invasion had dishes on their backs. (DW:The Dalek Invasion of Earth) Later models of Dalek casing had internal power supplies, and even repulsor systems[additional sources needed] that allowed them to hover (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks, Dalek) and fly. (DW: The Parting of the Ways, Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)
Throughout time and space, there were many Dalek variants that sported different casings. A Dalek's ability depended on what features its casing offered. (DW: The Daleks, The Evil of the Daleks) The default manipulator arm could be replaced with the likes of flamethrowers and seismic detectors. (DW: The Chase, The Daleks' Master Plan)
By the era of the Last Great Time War, Daleks had force-fields. Whereas previous versions of Daleks could be destroyed by a well-placed bastic bullet, such bullets could not get close to these Daleks' casings. (DW: Dalek, The Parting of the Ways) However, they could be penetrated by their own weaponry, and variations thereof. (DW: Evolution of the Daleks, Victory of the Daleks) They not only could hover, but travel independently through space. (DW: The Parting of the Ways) These Daleks could use the DNA of a time traveller to regenerate their bodies and their casings just by virtue of the traveller touching the casing. (DW: Dalek)
Dalek travel technology varied over time. Dalek spaceships were (almost) consistently designed in a saucer shape, (DW: Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways, The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, Victory of the Daleks) and hoverbouts allowed individual Daleks to travel without using their own power. [source needed] The Daleks also developed time travel capabilities. Time Corridors allowed limited transport between one era and another. (DW: Resurrection of the Daleks) The Daleks also developedtheir own kind of time machine of similar capacities to the Doctor's TARDIS, though they could not change shape.
These time travel machines were also dimensionally transcendental. (DW: The Chase, DW: The Daleks' Master Plan) Members of the Cult of Skaro could initiate 'emergency temporal shift' which acted as a teleport through time and space to let the Dalek escape a threat. (DW: Doomsday, DW:Daleks in Manhattan, DW: The Stolen Earth)It is not known how advanced their time travel technology had become by the time they vanished to fight the Last Great Time War, but the fact that Dalek Caan was able to travel to the time-locked Last Great Time War meant that it must have approached the level of the Time Lords themselves.The Daleks were also experts in biological warfare, and used (or attempted to use) biological weapons on several occasions. (DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Planet of the Daleks, Death to the Daleks)
click for pages: HISTORY OF THE DALEKS Kaleds Daleks of human origin