Cyber-Leader

A Cyber-Leader was part of the hierarchy of the Cybermen originating on Mondas (TV: The Tenth Planet), Telos, and Planet 14 (TV: The Doctor Falls).

Profile
A Cyber-Leader served as the supreme leader of the Cybermen when the Cyber-Controller was not present. Cyber-Leaders were sometimes accompanied and assisted by a Cyber-Lieutenant. (TV: The Five Doctors, Silver Nemesis)

Leaders were of sufficient value to warrant a personal guard of Cybermen. (TV: Earthshock)

Several Cyber-Leaders had names such as Maxel, (COMIC: Black Legacy) Wirgun and Tork. The position of Junior Cyber-Leader also existed, and was held by Kroton. (COMIC: Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman) and Loktar. (COMIC: Black Legacy)

Another Cyber-Leader was converted into a human and became Subject One. (AUDIO: The Harvest)

Although Cyber-Leaders shared the same basic vulnerabilities as their subordinates, they were stronger than normal Cybermen. When attacked with gold, they were more resistant. (TV: Silver Nemesis)

Most Cyber-Leaders were recognisable as leader by either a black helmet (TV: Revenge of the Cybermen, AUDIO: Sword of Orion), or black handle bars on their helmet (TV: Earthshock, The Five Doctors, Attack of the Cybermen, Silver Nemesis, AUDIO: The Reaping). However, some Cyber-Leaders, such as Krail, had no markings to indicate their rank (TV: The Tenth Planet, AUDIO: The Five Companions).

Mondas
Krail acted as leader and spokesman of the Mondasian Cybermen whom invaded the Snowcap Base in Antarctica in December 1986. (TV: The Tenth Planet)

Though not physically distinguished as leader unlike later models, Krail was remembered as a Cyber-Leader by the Fifth Doctor. (AUDIO: The Five Companions)

Voga
A Cyber-Leader was in command of an ancient Cybership which attempted to destroy the planet of gold, Voga, to stop the production of glitterguns. It was killed when its ship was destroyed by the Vogan rocket Skystriker. (TV: Revenge of the Cybermen)

Start of the Cyber-Wars
A Cyber-Leader planned to destroy Earth with Cyber-bombs to stop a conference leading to an alliance against the Cybermen. When its androids were destroyed and the bomb had failed, it sent the Cybermen to attack Briggs' freighter. Its cargo, unknown to the crew, was an army of Cybermen. They awoke and took over the ship. The Cyber-Leader planned to destroy life on Earth by hitting it with the craft they had reprogrammed. The craft was taken back in time by the Fifth Doctor. It hit the Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs. The Cyber-Leader attacked the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan Jovanka in the Doctor's TARDIS. The Doctor ground Adric's gold star badge into the Cyber-Leader's chest. It shot at the TARDIS console and died when the Doctor shot it several times. (TV: Earthshock)

In the Death Zone
A Cyber-Leader commanded a squad Time Scooped by Borusa to the Death Zone. It found the Doctor and and fired at them. The Doctor escaped with the Master's homing beacon while the Master tricked the Cybermen into working with him to destroy the Time Lords. They went to a giant chessboard in the Dark Tower. When the Cybermen attempted to cross, they were all electrocuted. The Cyber-Leader asked why the Master had betrayed them. He told him the safe path changed with every journey. When the Master showed the Cyber-Leader the safe path under threat of death, he turned around and killed the Cyber-Leader. (TV: The Five Doctors)

Saving Mondas
A Cyber-Leader was second in command to the Cyber-Controller in its attempt to time travel and destroy Earth in the year 1985 so Mondas would not be destroyed the next year. He and the Cyber-Controller were shot dead by the Sixth Doctor. (TV: Attack of the Cybermen)

The Nemesis
A Cyber-Leader led a shuttle to Earth in 1988 to find the Nemesis and, upon arrival, they massacred the Neo-Nazis whom they encountered at their landing site. The Cyber-Leader was wounded by a gold coin shot by Ace, but he survived and shot De Flores dead when he held the bow. The Cyber-Leader was killed by Richard Maynarde, who stabbed him with Lady Peinforte's gold arrow. (TV: Silver Nemesis)

Karen Brett
After installing her as President of Earth, (AUDIO: Scorpius) the Cybermen converted Karen Brett into a Cyber-Leader and tasked her with reactivating the Master Hibernation Vault in the debris of Telos (AUDIO: Conversion). Ultimately, the vault was destroyed by an Android forces with the help of her former friend, Liam Barnaby. As she lay dying, she declared that the Cybermen would ultimately triumph. (AUDIO: Telos)

As she had remained President of Earth after her conversion, her death caused instability on Earth, and resulted in the Cybrid Paul Hunt taking power as emergency executive-in-chief. (AUDIO: Outsiders)

Aprilia III
A Cyber-Leader led a force of Cybermen which infiltrated a Federation facility on the planet Aprilia III in a parallel universe during the late 2260s. They mind-controlled the researchers, making them unemotional and docile. The USS Enterprise was sent to investigate on stardate 3368.5. Captain James T. Kirk, Mister Spock, Doctor Leonard McCoy and Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott travelled to the planet's surface in the shuttlecraft Galileo, they were later interrupted by the Fourth Doctor, who was visiting the planet in his TARDIS. He helped them break the lock and together they infiltrated the facility. There, they discovered the archaeologists under the control of the Cybermen and tried to free them. A battle ensued and the Cybermen were destroyed with the Doctor's aid, while the researchers were liberated. (COMIC: Assimilation²)

Gallifrey
The Cybermen once allied with Rassilon and converted him into a Cyber-Leader. He returned to Gallifrey and conquered the planet with the aid of his new allies. Another Cyber-Leader was planning Gallifrey's invasion with Rassilon. This Cyber-Leader had a suit similar to standard Cybermen who survived the Cyber-Wars. Its helmet had black handles and a black faceplate and a transparent "window" through which its brain could be seen, similar to the Cyber-Lord in 1851. (COMIC: Supremacy of the Cybermen)

Other Cyber-Leaders

 * A Cyber-Leader was seen commanding at least part of the 12th Cyber Legion. This Cyber-Leader had a similar appearance to the 1851 Cyber-Lord.
 * At least one Cyber-Leader took part in the invasion of Earth in 1975. This Leader escaped the destruction of the invasion fleet and returned to Isos II, where it re-activated the Cyber-Controller and attempted to cyber-convert Ison reinforcements. It was destroyed before the plan could be executed. (AUDIO: The Isos Network).
 * There may have been other Cyber-Leaders similar to Krail, who lacked any rank-specific markings. This would explain the why Cyber-Leaders were seemingly absent for vital operations such as the attack on Earth's moon and the invasion of Space Station W3.