Theory:Timeline - Cybermen

This page lists appearances of the Cybermen in the order in which they experienced them. This timeline is based upon observations of the Doctor Who universe and the events that occur during each of these stories.

Origins
There are several conflicting origin stories for the Cybermen, including Mondasians converting themselves to deal with deteriorating planetary conditions (AUDIO: Spare Parts), ancient Cybermen predating the Mondasian Cybermen (COMIC: The Cybermen), and Mondas being another name for Marinus (COMIC: The World Shapers). These accounts seem impossible to reconcile. However, TV: World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls establish that Cybermen are subject to Parallel Evolution, explaining contradictory sources of their origins. For more information, consult Creation of the Cybermen.

Appearance

 * The original Cyberman of Mondas, which the Twelfth Doctor identifies on sight as a "Mondasian Cyberman" (TV: World Enough and Time) first appear in TV: The Tenth Planet (1966), set in 1986.
 * A second Cyberman look debuts in TV: The Moonbase (1967), set in 2070. They are later seen on Telos in The Tomb of the Cybermen.
 * A third Cyberman look debuts in TV: The Wheel in Space (1968), set in 2079.
 * A fourth Cyberman look debuts in TV: The Invasion (1969); set prior to The Tenth Planet, these Cybermen are led by a Cyber-Planner who recognises the Doctor from Planet 14.
 * A fifth Cyberman look debuts in TV: Revenge of the Cybermen (1975), where they are reeling from their defeat in "the Cyber-War".
 * A sixth Cyberman look, the last of the classic series, debuts in TV: Earthshock (1982); set in the year 2526, the Cybermen fail to stop a conference which will lead to a war they know that cannot win.
 * The first Cyberman look of the new series is introduced in TV: Rise of the Cybermen (2006) as a product of Cybus Industries from a parallel Earth. With the Cybus logo on their chest plate, such Cybermen appear to be a space-faring power, while making a reference to multiple universes, in TV: The Pandorica Opens; meanwhile, however, near-identical Cyberman appear in GAME: Blood of the Cybermen (2010), distinguished by an engraving of a Cyberman face in place of the Cybus plate.
 * TV: A Good Man Goes to War (2011) marks the on-screen debut of a "Cybus" variant that is a space-faring power within our universe; the "Cybus" logo is absent, replaced by a generic chest plate rather than the engraving from Blood of the Cybermen.
 * The second Cyberman look of the new series is introduced in TV: Nightmare in Silver (2013) following the "Cyber-Wars" in the far future.

Mondasian

 * TV: World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls
 * A Mondasian colony ship becomes trapped in the orbit of a black hole, while the inhabitants are gradually cyber-converted. As a result of time dilation, the Cybermen rapidly evolve from the original patients to primitive "Mondasians", Cybus-style and ultimately Cyberiad-style Cybermen. Spending the last 491 years of his life aboard the ship, Nardole ensures that the remaining Mondasian colonists "sort" their conflict with the Cybermen. (PROSE: Twice Upon a Time)


 * AUDIO: Spare Parts
 * In a parallel event, Cybermen also arise on Mondas, a planet which at this stage only has a few thousand inhabitants.


 * 1873 - AUDIO: The Silver Turk
 * At this point, Mondas is 200 light years away from Earth. A Mondasian Cyberman scout sent to find Earth crash lands on the planet but fails to report its location.


 * 1954 - COMIC: The Good Soldier
 * The Seventh Doctor and Ace delay the Mondasian Cybermen's attack on Earth.


 * COMIC: The Coming of the Cybermen
 * The Second Doctor and his grandchildren thwart a plot by the Mondasian Cybermen to destroy Earth with a bomb.


 * 1968 - COMIC: The Cyber Empire
 * The Second Doctor and his grandchildren thwart an attempt by the Mondasian Cybermen to build a city on Earth.


 * 1970 - COMIC: Cyber-Mole
 * The Second Doctor and his grandchildren thwart an attempt by the Mondasian Cybermen take over Earth using a Cyber-Mole.


 * COMIC: Test Flight
 * The Mondasian Cybermen attempt to hijack an American B-52 bomber but are defeated by the Second Doctor.


 * 1976 (projection) - PROSE: No Future
 * TV: The Invasion
 * Subject to UNIT dating but roughly between c.1969 and c.1979. The Cybermen, led by a Cyber-Planner who recognises the Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon from Planet 14, invade Earth but are destroyed by UNIT


 * AUDIO: The Isos Network
 * Shortly following The Invasion, a Cyber-Controller, identical to the one later seen in The Tomb of the Cybermen, leads the Cybermen in a second attempt to invade Earth, from Isos II, but they are destroyed by the Second Doctor and his companions.


 * AUDIO: The Blue Tooth
 * During the former's exile on Earth, the Third Doctor and Liz Shaw encounter a ship of Cybermen.


 * 1984 - AUDIO: The Reaping (end scene)
 * 1986 - TV: The Tenth Planet
 * Mondas returns to the solar system. The Mondasian Cybermen launch a failed invasion of Earth which ends with the destruction of Mondas. The encounter with the First Doctor is recalled in Earthshock.


 * 1988 - TV: Silver Nemesis
 * 1993 (alternate timeline) - COMIC: Time & Time Again
 * 2000 - PROSE: Vrs
 * 2006 - AUDIO: Human Resources
 * The survivors of The Tenth Planet have settled on Lonsis, however they are depicted as the Cybermen from The Invasion. They have never heard of Telos and know only of the Doctor from their meeting in The Tenth Planet


 * 2006, November - PROSE: Iceberg
 * The survivors of The Invasion plan a second invasion.


 * 2010 - GAME: Blood of the Cybermen
 * 2011 - TV: Closing Time
 * 2012 - GAME: The Eternity Clock
 * 2021 - AUDIO: The Harvest
 * 2070 - TV: The Moonbase
 * 2079 - TV: The Wheel in Space
 * The encounter with the Second Doctor is recalled in Earthshock.


 * AUDIO: Legend of the Cybermen
 * The Cybermen launch a second attack on the Wheel, but are pulled into the Land of Fiction.


 * PROSE: The Janus Conjunction
 * Occurs some time during the second half of the 22nd century.


 * 2191 - PROSE: Killing Ground
 * 2267 - COMIC: Assimilation²
 * Cybermen, resembling those from Revenge of the Cybermen, make an incursion into the Federation universe but are thwarted by the Fourth Doctor.


 * 2284 - AUDIO: The Tyrants of Logic
 * COMIC: Dreadnought
 * Dated 23rd century


 * 2368 - COMIC: Assimilation²
 * Cybus-style Cybermen attempt to combine the Doctor's universe with the Federation universe. Their plot to convert both universes is thwarted by the Eleventh Doctor.


 * COMIC: Junkyard Demon
 * COMIC: Junkyard Demon II
 * The Brotherhood of Logicians are active.


 * 25th/26th century - TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen
 * The Cybermen have been assumed extinct for five centuries.


 * circa 25th/26th century - TV: Attack of the Cybermen (Telos scenes)
 * Telos has explicitly been destroyed by the audio Telos so Attack cannot occur after Earthshock.


 * 2503 - AUDIO: Sword of Orion
 * AUDIO: Kingdom of Silver
 * Occurs light years from the Orion war front lines


 * AUDIO: Scorpius
 * AUDIO: Fear
 * AUDIO: Conversion
 * AUDIO: Telos
 * AUDIO: Outsiders
 * AUDIO: Terror
 * AUDIO: Machines
 * AUDIO: Extinction
 * 2526 - TV: Earthshock
 * Thanks to the Fifth Doctor, the Cybermen fail to stop a conference on Earth which they predict will unite powers against them in a war they will not be able to win. The Cyber-Leader recalls the Doctor's involvement in the events of The Tenth Planet, The Wheel in Space and Revenge of the Cybermen, despite the later story taking place in the future; he is unfamiliar with the Fifth Doctor, only recognising him through the presence of the TARDIS.


 * AUDIO: Silver Lining
 * AUDIO: The Crystal of Cantus
 * 26XX - AUDIO: Return to Telos
 * TV: Revenge of the Cybermen
 * Following their defeat in the Cyber-War, the Cybermen are believed by some to have died out. Their attempt to destroy Voga is thwarted by the Fourth Doctor


 * 1940 - PROSE: Illegal Alien
 * The Cybermen are from the 30th century.


 * 3286 - WC: Real Time/AUDIO: Real Time*
 * 52nd century, some time after 5145 - A Good Man Goes to War
 * 54th century - COMIC: The Bidding War.
 * As recalled by the Ninth Doctor, the Cyber-Empire annexed Malleon in either the 5300s or the 5310s.
 * Again to the best of the Doctor's knowledge, he is in the year 5324 or 5325 as he witnesses the Cybermen ravage Nomicae.
 * COMIC: The Flood
 * Highly advanced Cybermen travel back in time to 2005. However they are unable to convert non humans.


 * TV: Nightmare in Silver
 * The Cyber-Wars were 1,000 years ago when the Tiberian spiral galaxy was destroyed. This appears to be a different war to the one with Voga.


 * AUDIO: The Reaping
 * The Cyberleader is one of the last Cybermen.


 * AUDIO: The Gathering
 * The cyber-technology from The Reaping is used to enhance human medical technology.


 * End of the universe - COMIC: Supremacy of the Cybermen
 * Banished from Gallifrey by the Twelfth Doctor, Rassilon joins forces with the Cybermen.

Pete's World

 * 2007 (Pete's World) - TV: Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel
 * GAME: Save Paris
 * GAME: Cyber Assault
 * 2010 (Pete's World)/2007 (N-Space) - TV: Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
 * Approximately 5 million cybermen travel through the void to N-Space. These Cybermen are eventually sucked back into the void by The Doctor


 * TV: The Next Doctor
 * A group of Cybermen escape from the void and end up in London in the 1850s


 * TV: Cyberwoman
 * 2008 (N-Space) - PROSE: Made of Steel
 * COMIC: The Power of the Cybermen/Drones of Doom/Enemy Mine/Time of the Cybermen

Third universe

 * 2010s - AUDIO: Code Silver/Master of Worlds
 * Cybermen of a third universe attempt to conquer N-Space only to be destroyed by.

Unplaced

 * TV: The Five Doctors
 * Placed in the Death Zone by Borusa.


 * PROSE: Warmonger
 * The Cybermen are part of the Alliance led by the Supreme Controller, actually the Fifth Doctor, in the war against Morbius. They deem the battle "excellent".


 * AUDIO: Hour of the Cybermen
 * Set in the 1980s.


 * COMIC: Flower Power
 * The Second Doctor and his grandchildren fight the Mondasian Cybermen in their city.


 * COMIC: Masquerade
 * The Second Doctor, accompanied by his grandchildren, infiltrates the Mondasian Cybermen.


 * COMIC: The Time Museum
 * The Second Doctor and his grandchildren elude the Mondasian Cybermen in a Time Museum with exhibits up to 2150.


 * COMIC: The Champion
 * The Second Doctor, accompanied by his grandchildren, engages a primitive Mondasian Cyberman in an arena.


 * COMIC: Eskimo Joe
 * The Second Doctor fights the Mondasian Cybermen with Joe.


 * COMIC: Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman
 * COMIC: Deathworld
 * COMIC: Black Legacy
 * COMIC: Exodus/Revelation!/Genesis!


 * AUDIO: The Ultimate Adventure
 * The Cybermen work with the Daleks in an attempt to invade 1980s Earth, however it is unclear as to whether time travel is involved with their invasion. The Daleks claim to have invaded Earth in the past.


 * TV: The Time of the Doctor
 * Invasion of Trenzalore, use the Cybus model seen in Nightmare in Silver and in The Doctor Falls


 * AUDIO: The Girl Who Never Was
 * Cybermen that sound like those from The Tenth Planet but have the appearance of those from The Invasion.
 * The Doctor encounters a Cybermen timesquad which had been dispatched into "the future" before making an emergency exit from the vortex into 500,002. Their distress signal was unanswered, so they then plan to cyberconvert 1942 Earth and bring restart the cyber race in 500,002. The remnants of the squad move between 20th century and the 5001st century every time there is a storm, until 2008. Their origin time is unknown.

aHistory Timeline
This timeline is from the third edition of aHistory. Most of the dates given here are speculative.
 * Birth of the Cybermen: COMIC: The Dead Heart, The Flesh Unbound, The Black Sky, The Hungry Sea, The Dark Flame, The Future Perfect
 * Birth of the Cybermen: TV: The Keys of Marinus
 * Birth of the Cybermen: COMIC: The Ugly Underneath
 * Birth of the Cybermen: COMIC: The World Shapers
 * Birth of the Cybermen: AUDIO: Spare Parts
 * 1873: AUDIO: The Silver Turk
 * 1954: COMIC: The Good Soldier
 * UNIT Year 1: TV: The Invasion
 * UNIT Year 3: AUDIO: The Blue Tooth
 * 1984: AUDIO: The Reaping
 * 1985: TV: Attack of the Cybermen
 * 1986: TV: The Tenth Planet
 * 1988: TV: Silver Nemesis
 * 2005: COMIC: The Flood
 * 2006: AUDIO: Human Resources
 * 2006: AUDIO: The Gathering
 * 2006: PROSE: Iceberg
 * 2008: AUDIO: The Girl Who Never Was
 * 2012: TV: Closing Time
 * 2021: AUDIO: The Harvest
 * 2068: TV: The Wheel in Space
 * 2070: TV: The Moonbase
 * 2109: AUDIO: Legend of the Cybermen
 * 2191: PROSE: Killing Ground
 * 2296: COMIC: Dreadnought
 * 2485: COMIC: Junkyard Demon
 * 2485: COMIC: Junkyard Demon II
 * 2486: TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen
 * 2495: TV: Attack of the Cybermen
 * 2502: COMIC: Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman
 * 2503: AUDIO: Sword of Orion
 * 2505: AUDIO: Kingdom of Silver
 * 2514: AUDIO: Keepsake
 * 2515: AUDIO: Scorpius / Fear / Conversion / Telos
 * 2516: AUDIO: Outsiders / Terror / Machines / Extinction
 * 2526: TV: Earthshock
 * 2604: AUDIO: Silver Lining
 * 2606: AUDIO: The Crystal of Cantus
 * 2875: TV: Revenge of the Cybermen
 * 3286: WC: Real Time
 * 3980: COMIC: Deathworld
 * 4635: COMIC: Kane's Story
 * River Song: TV: A Good Man Goes to War
 * 500,000: AUDIO: The Girl Who Never Was