Telos (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
Telos is a fictional planet from the British
science fiction television
series Doctor Who
. It is an arid and mountainous planet, with little sign of vegetation. Beneath its surface, however, are the legendary tombs of the Cybermen
.
The planet was featured in the serials The Tomb of the Cybermen
(1967) and Attack of the Cybermen
(1985).
, and inhabited by the Cryons, humanoids who could survive only in the cold. As temperatures rose, the Cryons were forced underground, building giant refrigerated cities as shelter. When the Cybermen entered the Telos system, they took over the planet, using the cities as cryogenic facilities
.
The Cybermen disappeared sometime in the 21st century, following defeats around human-occupied space. Although the rest of the galaxy presumed them to have died out, they had, in reality, retreated into hibernation in the tombs of Telos to await discovery and reactivation.
Sometime around the 25th century, a team of archeologists
, led by Professor Parry and financed by the Brotherhood of Logicians, embarked on an expedition to Telos, believing it to be the Cyberman homeworld and hoping to discover artefacts amongst its ruins. No Cryons were encountered during these events and it is not known what the Cryons were doing during the Cybermen's long sleep.
Uncovering the entrance to the tombs, Eric Klieg of the Brotherhood brought the Cybermen out of hibernation in an attempt to ally the Brotherhood with them. However, the Cybermen were intent on converting all of the expedition and once more begin their expansion. The Second Doctor
and companions Jamie McCrimmon
and Victoria Waterfield
were on hand to help the survivors of the expedition escape the tombs and then reseal them.
However, this respite was short-lived, as by the 26th century the Cybermen had once again developed into a galactic threat. When the Sixth Doctor
arrived on Telos inside the tombs, the Cyber Controller captured him and imprisoned him in a refrigeration chamber. There, he met Flast, the leader of a Cryon rebellion against the Cybermen, who revealed the presence of stores of vastial in the chamber, an unstable mineral that became explosive at temperatures above 15 degrees Fahrenheit
. Using a sonic lance, they ignited the vastial, destroying the Cyber Control. With the Cybermen destroyed, the Cryons regained their planet.
or Telos. The Tomb of the Cybermen merely states "Telos was their home planet," seemingly at odds with the statements in The Tenth Planet
that Mondas
is where the Cybermen have originated. The first edition of The Making of Doctor Who (1972) gives Telos as their home planet, as do several 1970s novelisations of the Cybermen stories by co-creator Gerry Davis
. With the episodes becoming easily accessible and the issue being covered in magazines like Doctor Who Magazine
the uncertainty declined in the 1980s and Attack of the Cybermen (1985) sought to resolve the conflicting claims by detailing how the Cybermen had conquered Telos.
Cyberman audio play miniseries, written by Nicholas Briggs
, the Cybermen are portrayed as having frozen armies on many planets, controlled from a central tomb on Telos. In the fourth instalment, titled "Telos", it is revealed that the planet Telos has been destroyed due to an asteroid collision — possibly concurrent with the events of Attack of the Cybermen
. However, the Cybermen were prepared for this eventuality, and their central tomb survived the impact, sealed away from the vacuum. Android and human agents later destroyed the tomb, the last surviving element of Telos.
In the game "Doctor who and the mazes of time" Telos is one of the stages in which the Doctor and Amy must de-activate all of the Cybermen and make sure that there is no way the frozen Cybermen on Telos can escape!
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. It is an arid and mountainous planet, with little sign of vegetation. Beneath its surface, however, are the legendary tombs of the Cybermen
Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
.
The planet was featured in the serials The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Tomb of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that originally aired in four weekly parts from September 2 to September 23, 1967 and is the earliest serial starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor to exist in its entirety...
(1967) and Attack of the Cybermen
Attack of the Cybermen
Attack of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from 5 January to 12 January 1985. It opened Season 22 of the series...
(1985).
History
Telos was originally covered entirely in iceIce
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
, and inhabited by the Cryons, humanoids who could survive only in the cold. As temperatures rose, the Cryons were forced underground, building giant refrigerated cities as shelter. When the Cybermen entered the Telos system, they took over the planet, using the cities as cryogenic facilities
Cryonics
Cryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
.
The Cybermen disappeared sometime in the 21st century, following defeats around human-occupied space. Although the rest of the galaxy presumed them to have died out, they had, in reality, retreated into hibernation in the tombs of Telos to await discovery and reactivation.
Sometime around the 25th century, a team of archeologists
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, led by Professor Parry and financed by the Brotherhood of Logicians, embarked on an expedition to Telos, believing it to be the Cyberman homeworld and hoping to discover artefacts amongst its ruins. No Cryons were encountered during these events and it is not known what the Cryons were doing during the Cybermen's long sleep.
Uncovering the entrance to the tombs, Eric Klieg of the Brotherhood brought the Cybermen out of hibernation in an attempt to ally the Brotherhood with them. However, the Cybermen were intent on converting all of the expedition and once more begin their expansion. The Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
and companions Jamie McCrimmon
Jamie McCrimmon
James Robert "Jamie" McCrimmon is a fictional character played by Frazer Hines in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A piper of the Clan McLaren who lived in 18th century Scotland, he was a companion of the Second Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1966...
and Victoria Waterfield
Victoria Waterfield
Victoria Waterfield is a fictional character played by Deborah Watling in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A native of Victorian England, she was a companion of the Second Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1967 to 1968.-Character history:Victoria first...
were on hand to help the survivors of the expedition escape the tombs and then reseal them.
However, this respite was short-lived, as by the 26th century the Cybermen had once again developed into a galactic threat. When the Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
arrived on Telos inside the tombs, the Cyber Controller captured him and imprisoned him in a refrigeration chamber. There, he met Flast, the leader of a Cryon rebellion against the Cybermen, who revealed the presence of stores of vastial in the chamber, an unstable mineral that became explosive at temperatures above 15 degrees Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
. Using a sonic lance, they ignited the vastial, destroying the Cyber Control. With the Cybermen destroyed, the Cryons regained their planet.
Home planet of the Cybermen?
For many years there was much confusion amongst Doctor Who fans as to whether the Cybermen had originated on MondasMondas (Doctor Who)
Mondas is a fictional planet in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Mondas is the homeworld of the Cybermen, a race of cyborgs....
or Telos. The Tomb of the Cybermen merely states "Telos was their home planet," seemingly at odds with the statements in The Tenth Planet
The Tenth Planet
The Tenth Planet is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 8 October to 29 October 1966. It was William Hartnell's last regular appearance as the First Doctor, and the first story to feature the Cybermen...
that Mondas
Mondas (Doctor Who)
Mondas is a fictional planet in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Mondas is the homeworld of the Cybermen, a race of cyborgs....
is where the Cybermen have originated. The first edition of The Making of Doctor Who (1972) gives Telos as their home planet, as do several 1970s novelisations of the Cybermen stories by co-creator Gerry Davis
Gerry Davis (screenwriter)
Gerry Davis was a British television writer, best known for his contributions to the science-fiction genre. He also wrote for the soap operas Coronation Street and United!....
. With the episodes becoming easily accessible and the issue being covered in magazines like Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
the uncertainty declined in the 1980s and Attack of the Cybermen (1985) sought to resolve the conflicting claims by detailing how the Cybermen had conquered Telos.
Other appearances
In the Big Finish ProductionsBig Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
Cyberman audio play miniseries, written by Nicholas Briggs
Nicholas Briggs
Nicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Daleks. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym Arthur Wallis...
, the Cybermen are portrayed as having frozen armies on many planets, controlled from a central tomb on Telos. In the fourth instalment, titled "Telos", it is revealed that the planet Telos has been destroyed due to an asteroid collision — possibly concurrent with the events of Attack of the Cybermen
Attack of the Cybermen
Attack of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from 5 January to 12 January 1985. It opened Season 22 of the series...
. However, the Cybermen were prepared for this eventuality, and their central tomb survived the impact, sealed away from the vacuum. Android and human agents later destroyed the tomb, the last surviving element of Telos.
In the game "Doctor who and the mazes of time" Telos is one of the stages in which the Doctor and Amy must de-activate all of the Cybermen and make sure that there is no way the frozen Cybermen on Telos can escape!
Trivia
- Telos lends its name to Telos Publishing Ltd.Telos Publishing Ltd.Telos Publishing Ltd. is a publishing company, originally established by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker, with their first publication being a horror anthology based on the television series Urban Gothic in 2001...
, which began by publishing licensed novellasTelos Doctor Who novellasThe Telos Doctor Who novellas were a series of tie-in novellas based on the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, officially licensed by the BBC and published by Telos Publishing Ltd...
based on Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.