Name:
Cybermats
Type:
Rodent-like Cyborgs
Place of Origin:
Made by:
Used by:
First Seen In:
Appearances:
The Wheel in Space
Revenge of the Cybermen
Closing Time
Destiny of the Doctors
The Eternity Clock
The Doctor and the Dalek
Blood of the Cybermen
Sword of Orion
Spare Parts
Last of the Cybermen
Return to Telos
The Tyrants of Logic
The Blue Tooth
The Crystal of Cantus
Illegal Alien
Dr. Twelfth
The Scruffy Piper
The Piper Flower Power
Deathworld
Party Animals
Junk-Yard Demon II
Dreadnought
Prologue: The Fourth Doctor
Prologue: The Eighth Doctor
click on images to enlarge
Cybermats were small cyborgs used as advance guards, plague carriers and energy thieves by the Cybermen.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The various types of Cybermat seen so far have all had a metallic body, usually segmented. Some types have had eyes, some mouths, and some have had ciliaat least one type had visible organic teeth.
By some accounts, the Cybermats were created by Cybermen from bodies or body parts of humanoids not suitable for Cyber-conversion: pets, very young children and babies. (Spare Parts, Illegal Alien, The Crystal of Cantus)
VARIANTS
Early in the Cybermen’s history, before they froze themselves on Telos, some variants had crystalline eyes and antennae through which they received commands. These Cybermats resembled oversized metallic silverfish. They had segmented bodies with cilia-like tactile sensor probes along the bases of their heads. Some, though not all, Cybermats of this kind could fit in the palm of a humanoid hand. (The Tomb of the Cybermen)
In the 21st century, when the Cybermen attempted to infiltrate Space Station W3, they had photoreceptors for eyes rather than crystal-based eyes, spines down their backs and lacked the antennae. Otherwise, they looked similar to the kind seen on Telos. (The Wheel in Space)
Also in the 21st century, a type of Cybermat that had been buried beneath Colchester could drain electrical energy from the lights in town. This Cybermat had black, teardrop-eyes like Cybermen and an opening mouth with organic teeth. (Closing Time)
When the Cybermen infiltrated Nerva Beacon in a plot to destroy Voga, the Cybermats had segmented, eyeless, flat worm-like bodies without cilia. They had needles which injected poison into humans, but they could also inject gold dust into Cybermen. (Revenge of the Cybermen)
Another variant was a sleeker and more high-tech version of the Telosian Cybermats. Unlike the Telos version, these Cybermats were purposed with biting humans and infecting them with a virus, much like the Cybermats at the Nerva Beacon. However, instead of being deadly, the virus mutated flesh into metal and the victims became Cyberslaves. (Blood of the Cybermen)
Future Cybermen used smaller drones called Cybermites, which the Eleventh Doctor described as “Not even a Cybermat.” (Nightmare In Silver)
WEAKNESSES
Cybermats shared the Cybermen’s weakness for gold, but it was possible for gold to be placed inside them without damaging their systems and the gold could be injected into Cybermen. (Revenge of the Cybermen) they could also be disabled with electric charges, (Revenge of the Cybermen) although this weakness seems to have been eliminated later, one was used to siphon electricity from power sources instead. The same model proved vulnerable to the sonic screwdriver, which was able to either stun or fry the Cybermat memory. (Closing Time) they could also be disabled with a sonic pulse, using an amplifier. (Blood of the Cybermen)
HISTORY
The Cybermats originated on Mondas during the earliest phases of Cyberman history, when most of the planet had not yet been converted. They were kept as pets. (Spare Parts)
The Cyber-tombs on Telos had tunnels for the Cybermats to move from the tombs to the main control rooms. (Revenge of the Cybermen) Cybermats were also seen on the surface of Telos. (The Doctor and the Dalek)
On GSO Arctic Drilling Station in 2010, most of the crew had been converted into Cyberslaves by the Cybermat’s nanovirus. The Eleventh Doctor repelled the Cybermats with a specific frequency on a sonic amplifier device and found a cure for the nanovirus to treat Chisholm. (Blood of the Cybermen)
In 2011, a group of Cybermen who had crashed on Earth centuries before were able to make their way to the surface. A Cybermat was used to drain electrical energy for the crashed Cybership so they could begin full Cyber Conversions. One was named “Bitey” by the Eleventh Doctor for its organic mouth. The Doctor reprogrammed it to drain power from the Cybership, but a Cyberman stepped on Bitey, destroying it. (Closing Time)
The Cybermats were used to guard the Cyberfactory when the Ninth Cyber Legion invaded London in 2012. The Cybermats were destroyed with the Cyberfactory. (The Eternity Clock)
Cybermen from the 30th century who travelled back to 1940 also employed Cybermats and harvested humans to make more of them. (Illegal Alien)
The Cybermats appeared to have something to do with the conversion process. (Dreadnought)
In 2503, a Cybermat smuggled itself aboard the Vanguard and began sabotaging its systems. Vol shot it, disabling its weapons, but the Cybermen reprogrammed it to take control of the crew’s minds. (Sword of Orion)
The Master once forced the Graak to steal a disabled Cybermat. (Destiny of the Doctors)
When the Cybermen allies with Rassilon to change history, a swarm of Cybermats covered The Doctor’s TARDIS when the Eighth Doctor stepped out. (Supremacy of the Cybermen)
Cybermats were used by the Cybermen created by The Master on the Mondasian colony ship. They continued to appear every spring by the time Nardole died, 491 years after he stayed behind to defend the colony, though by that time the Mondasians had “basically sorted” their conflict with the Cybermen. (Twice Upon a Time)
BEHIND THE SCENES
Cybermat effects in Revenge of the Cybermen used a combination of strings, puppetry and CSO. The Cybermats (or rather the single Cybermat which appeared) went through a radical re-design and resembled a cybernetic silverfish.
RELATED LINKS
Back to Alien Cultures Directory
Tomb of the Cybermen DVD page
Lost in Time DVD Set
Series 6 DVD Box Set
The Cybermen Early Years
Revenge of the Cybermen DVD