Theory:Timeline - Supreme Dalek

This page lists the appearances of various Supreme Daleks in chronological order. This timeline is based upon observations of the Doctor Who universe and the events that occur during each of these stories.

Black Dalek Leader
The Black Dalek first appeared in The Dalek Invasion of Earth. It soon appeared in the off-screen Daleks series, starting with the comic story Duel of the Daleks, and became a recurring character throughout The Dalek Chronicles, serving as the warlord of the original Dalek Emperor, the Dalek Prime. For years, despite widespread fandom perception of "the Black Dalek" as a singular figure, there was no explicit, definitive link made between the Black Dalek Leader of TV Century 21, the Black Dalek which appears in The Dalek Invasion of Earth and The Chase, or the Supreme Dalek(s) who went on to feature in Mission to the Unknown, The Daleks' Master Plan, and the later televised stories relating to the Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War. Indeed, other currents of thought began to present Black Daleks as a rank, with many non-televised stories making use of plural Black Daleks as ultimately low-ranking Dalek officers.

The first tangible connections were made by John Peel in his short story The History of the Daleks, published in 1988 in The Official Doctor Who & the Daleks Book, where the Black Dalek of the comics was explicitly identified with the Dalek Supreme of Planet of the Daleks, Dalek Supreme of Resurrection of the Daleks and the Black Dalek of The Dalek Invasion of Earth and The Chase. Peel later wrote three novelisations, The Chase, Mission to the Unknown, The Mutation of Time and The Evil of the Daleks, as interconnected works in-line with The History of the Daleks, confirming the Black Dalek from The Chase, Mission to the Unknown and The Daleks' Master Plan as one and the same in the process. The Evil of the Daleks confirmed the Black Dalek's death in The Daleks' Master Plan, but as far as Peel was concerned, this did not cause any continuity issues due to his controversial timeline placement of The Daleks' Master Plan and The Evil of the Daleks towards the end of the Dalek timeline, postdating the events of the Imperial-Renegade Civil War. The Black Dalek's apparent, but off-screen, demise in Resurrection was easily avoided, with the novelisation of Resurrection explicitly depicting the Dalek Supreme as surviving.

Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe permitted the identification to stand even if one placed the televised Dalek stories in a chronological order more closely relating real-world release order: it explicitly established that the Black Dalek survived the events of Master Plan, such that the Black Dalek was indeed still serving as the Dalek Supreme by the time of Resurrection of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks and related spin-off materials, establishing the Black Dalek in all these stories as one and the same. Mention of the Supreme Dalek in Destiny of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks can also be attributed to this Dalek.

Early history

 * AUDIO: Return to Skaro
 * The "original Dalek leader", the Dalek Supreme rules the Dalek City in the era following the Neutronic war. It is destroyed when Ian Chesterton overloads the power feeds to the Dalek City.


 * TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
 * Designated as Supreme Controller, the Black Dalek warlord leads the Dalek Earthforce in the mid-22nd century, operating a matching casing. It is forced to retreat to Skaro when the 22nd century Dalek invasion is defeated in 2167. (PROSE: The History of the Daleks)


 * AUDIO: Vengeance
 * A black Dalek Supreme leads the 2223 Dalek invasion of Earth with the Dalek Litigator only to be destroyed by.


 * TV: The Chase
 * Now in a slatted casing matching its Silver Dalek subordinates, the Black Dalek warlord, designated as Dalek Supreme/Supreme Dalek, orders the extermination of the First Doctor and his companions for their role in "delay[ing]" the conquest of Earth.


 * AUDIO: The Destroyers


 * TV: Mission to the Unknown/The Daleks' Master Plan
 * The Black Dalek warlord, designated Dalek Supreme, oversees the Daleks' master plan in the year 4000.

Second Dalek War

 * TV: Frontier in Space
 * A Chief Dalek in a basic gold casing works with for Operation Divide and Conquer in 2540. The Astounding Untold History identifies this Gold Dalek as a member of the Supreme Council, whilst the Dalek Survival Guide suggests that it is a lower-ranking Dalek Supreme.


 * TV: Planet of the Daleks
 * During the 2540 Spiridon campaign against the Thals, a gold-and-black Dalek Supreme is a member of the Supreme Council, with the novelisation identifying him as second-in-command of the Dalek Emperor. The History of the Daleks claim that this Supreme is the original Black Dalek warlord, a claim which is disputed by the Astounding Untold History, which claims that the Supreme was never recovered from Spiridon.


 * AUDIO: Out of Time
 * During the Second Dalek War, a refined red-and-gold Dalek Supreme leads grey Daleks in an attack on the Cathedral of Contemplation but is ultimately lost.


 * PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks (mentioned only)
 * In the later stages of the Second Dalek War, a time where refined Bronze Daleks serve as drones, the Supreme Dalek is supported by the Dalek Inquisitor General, a Black Dalek designated Dalek X.

Dalek-Movellan War

 * TV: Destiny of the Daleks (mentioned only)
 * During the Dalek-Movellan War, the Supreme Dalek is leading the Daleks while Davros is retrieved from Skaro.

Civil War

 * TV: Resurrection of the Daleks
 * Following the Dalek-Movellan War, the Black Dalek Leader and designated Supreme Dalek, in a new black casing, oversees the rescue of Davros from his imprisonment.


 * TV: Revelation of the Daleks (mentioned only)
 * The Supreme Dalek is leading the Daleks as they capture Davros on Necros.


 * AUDIO: The Juggernauts


 * TV: Remembrance of the Daleks
 * The Black Dalek Leader and designated Supreme Dalek, in yet another new casing, leads the Renegade Daleks during the civil war against the Imperial Daleks following Davros, the Emperor Dalek. After being informed of the destruction of Skaro by the Seventh Doctor, the Supreme Dalek self-destructs.

Renewed Empire-building

 * AUDIO: The Genocide Machine


 * AUDIO: The Time of the Daleks


 * AUDIO: Neverland


 * AUDIO: Invasion of the Daleks


 * AUDIO: The Human Factor


 * AUDIO: The Fearless: Part 1


 * AUDIO: The Fearless: Part 2


 * AUDIO: The Fearless: Part 3


 * AUDIO: The Fearless: Part 4
 * Ending coincides with the end of "Death to the Daleks!.


 * AUDIO: "Death to the Daleks!"


 * AUDIO: Project Infinity


 * AUDIO: Dalek War: Chapter One


 * AUDIO: Dalek War: Chapter Two


 * AUDIO: Dalek War: Chapter Three


 * AUDIO: Dalek War: Chapter Four


 * AUDIO: Renaissance of the Daleks


 * AUDIO: The Exterminators
 * Two thousand years after the War in Dalek Empire I and II.


 * AUDIO: The Healers


 * AUDIO: The Survivors


 * AUDIO: The Demons


 * AUDIO: The Warriors


 * AUDIO: The Future

Build-up to war

 * AUDIO: Eye of Darkness


 * AUDIO: Arbitration


 * AUDIO: Extermination
 * AUDIO: Ascension

Time War

 * AUDIO: Desperate Measures
 * A Dalek Supreme is destroyed months into the Last Great Time War, with the Emperor ordering the Time Strategist to appoint a new Supreme.


 * AUDIO: Dissolution
 * A Dalek Supreme passes on the Emperor's orders regarding the capture of Narvin to a Hunter Dalek.


 * AUDIO: Homecoming
 * The Emperor destroys a Dalek Supreme for questioning his strategy, with a technician being upgraded to replace it as Dalek Supreme.


 * COMIC: Ambush
 * A red-and-gold Dalek Supreme pursues the young War Doctor.


 * AUDIO: Saviour
 * A Supreme Dalek is destroyed when its Dalek harvest ship collides with Tharius.

Post-Time War

 * TV: The Stolen Earth/Journey's End
 * A red-and-gold Supreme Dalek leads the New Dalek Empire created by Davros. It is ultimately destroyed by Jack Harkness.


 * TV: Victory of the Daleks
 * A New Dalek Paradigm is created by surviving Daleks, witnessed by the Eleventh Doctor. Of the first five new Daleks, their leader is the white Supreme Dalek who is distinguished by its deep voice, similar to the Dalek Emperor and the earlier, red Supreme Dalek. The five Daleks successfully escape through a time corridor, proceeding to rebuild their race.
 * All subsequent instances of the white Supreme Dalek speak with a standard Dalek voice.


 * GAME: City of the Daleks
 * Having acquired the Eye of Time, a white Supreme Dalek enters the city of Kaalann on Skaro, intending to rebuild the Dalek Empire. It is destroyed in a confronation with the Doctor.


 * GAME: Evacuation Earth


 * GAME: Return to Earth
 * A Supreme Dalek leads the Daleks on their attempted take-overs of the SS Lucy Gray in their efforts to recover their lost Time Axis. They are destroyed when their ship is sent into the sun.


 * TV: The Pandorica Opens
 * A Supreme Dalek leads the Daleks in the Alliance.


 * TV: The Wedding of River Song
 * A dying, white Supreme Dalek is found by the Doctor.


 * GAME: The Eternity Clock
 * In an alternate 2106, the Supreme Dalek is subordinate to a Dalek Emperor. Hacking into the Dalek transmat systems, the Doctor and River Song send the Supreme Dalek to the North Pole.


 * TV: Asylum of the Daleks
 * The Paradigm's original Supreme Dalek is subordinate to the Prime Minister of the Daleks.


 * TV: The Time of the Doctor
 * The original New Paradigm Supreme Dalek usurps control from the Prime Minister only to be destroyed at the end of the Siege of Trenzalore. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)


 * TV: The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar
 * A red-and-gold Supreme Dalek leads the Daleks on the recreated Skaro.


 * PROSE: Abduction
 * A Dalek Supreme plots an invasion of Earth which is opposed by the Twelfth Doctor.


 * COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks
 * A red-and-gold Supreme Dalek leads an invasion of Earth in 1966, which is discovered by the Fourteenth Doctor.