Cyber-Controller (The Tomb of the Cybermen)

A Cyber-Controller, identified as the CyberTelosian Controller by ArcHivist Hegelia, (AUDIO: The Cyber Nomads) 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 later relocated to Cyber-Control.

Biography
The Cyber-Controller was the mastermind at the heart of the Cybermen's empire. (PROSE: The Powers Behind the Throne)

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 when 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, though was highly damaged. 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-defence, he fired the cyber-gun again, seemingly destroying the big-domed leader for good. (TV: Attack of the Cybermen)

However, one account noted that as the Second Doctor had been equally certain the Cyber-Controller was dead the first time around, it was very much possible that the Sixth Doctor had been mistaken — (PROSE: The Powers Behind the Throne) as evidenced by the fact that the Cybermen continued enacting complex schemes at later points in their history, suggesting they still possessed their Controller. (TV: Silver Nemesis, PROSE: The Powers Behind the Throne)

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)

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 classic 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.

Other matters

 * J. K. Woodward, who worked on the Star Trek crossover Assimilation², released a piece depicting the CyberTelosian Controller modified with Borg technology.