The Doctor, with Sarah and Harry, returns to Space Station Nerva (the scene of the Ark in Space adventure) to find that the Tardis has drifted back a few thousand years in time. Plague is raging through the Nerva which is being manned by only a handful of frightened survivors. Sarah falls victim to the mystery virus. The Doctor discovers that the Cybermen have taken over the station in order to use use it destroy the planet Voga where there are extensive gold mines. They wish to destroy all the gold in the solar system as it is a deadly metal to them. Will the Doctor manage to defeat the Cybermen and find an antidote to cure Sarah?
Original BBC VHS Video synopsis - 1983
My memories of seeing the Cybermen for the first time in 1975, having now properly reached my fifth birthday, are not as potent as they were with the previous Dalek story, which had made such an impression on me - this was probably because I had seen the Daleks in the Pertwee era and had no real prior visual referencing for the Cybermen (who hadn't been seen properly in the series for six years). Nonetheless, of the overall story I recall the opening discovery of the dead bodies on the space station, the moment where the Cybermat attacks Sarah, the Cybermen boarding the space station and attacking our heroes, and their later battling the Vogans within their home cave system. But that's about it really. It wasn't until the story became available on BBC rental tape in 1983 (the first release, and one selected by the fans), that I got to fully enjoy Revenge of the Cybermen, it was great to see it following on from the recent success of their return against Peter Davison's incarnation in Earthshock, and having seen the classic clip from the story (of Baker confronting the Cyberleader) shown to audiences as part of Cyber history. Yes, we can all agree that Revenge is not an all-time classic, but there's still lots of great stuff in it- the story idea, from Cyberman co-creator Gerry Davis (re-shaped by script editor Robert Holmes), is a good one, the cast are fine, I like the re-designed Cybermen (even if their leader, as played by Christopher Robbie, is a bit too emotional and hip holding at times) and there's some great location work at the legendary Wookey Hole caves system directed by the ever-popular Michael E. Briant. The story is pure nostalgia in the history of Who on so many levels and, like Death to the Daleks, has since proven to be great comfort watching to me in many ways...
Behind you! A great publicity image of Tom Baker with one of the returned Cybermen.
Returned to space station Nerva but in its past function as a navigational beacon, its crew now dead from an invasion of Cybermats, Harry and Sarah survey their grim surroundings. Phase One of the Cybermen's takeover plan continues.
Sarah is attacked by a dreaded Cybermat, from which the Doctor races against time to cure her of its lethal infection.
In their crude but efficient spaceship, the Cybermen begin the next phase of their take over of Nerva, helped by the human traitor Kellman.
Another interesting view of the Cyber vessel interior.
The small but lethal force of Cybermen board Nerva Beacon and subdue its remaining crew, plus the Doctor.
Our captured heroes are fitted with Cyberbombs and will be transported to the nearby planetoid of Voga, whose gold is lethal to Cybermen.
The headstrong Vogan named Vorus (David Collings) plans his own revenge against the Cybermen.
Now on Voga with a recovered Sarah, Harry confers with Vogan leader Tyrum (Kevin Stoney) and the human traitor Kellner (Jeremy Wilkin), who has been working as a double against against the Cybermen for Vorus.
The Cybermen, guiding the Cyberbombs, arrive on Voga, and soon bring murderous havoc to the populace. The Doctor soon has a plan to render the bombs useless.
The Vogan's defence against the metal tyrants is soon ineffective, but Vorus's rocket launch attack eventually destroys the Cybermen and their ship.
Reunited on the space station, and with the TARDIS returned, our trio return to Earth, having been mysteriously summoned back by the Brigadier.
UK W.H. Allen Hardback release cover jacket from 1976. Cover art by Chris Achilleos.
US Pinnacle Books cover art from 1979. Art by David Mann.
The story was chosen by fans as the first ever official BBC Video release in 1983.
Great advert for the first ever Doctor Who BBC video release in 1983.
UK re-release of the story on VHS, at a lower budget pricing, and with a more representative cover.
Australian VHS re-release cover from early 2000's.
The great cover to Doctor Who Magazine issue 97, back in 1985.
Reprint edition art by Alister Pearson.
Memorable cover for the In-Vision magazine covering the story.
Revised art by Alister Pearson for his earlier Target Books cover of the nineties.
US DVD sleeve. Photo composition art by Clayton Hickman.
DVD Files sleeve art from the UK.
German DVD release art.
Official UK TV music soundtrack release, from Silva Screen.
Gerry Davis's original version of the story, Return of the Cybermen, would be successfully adapted by Big Finish Productions.
Get the BBC Audiobook adaptation of Terrance Dicks' Target Book here:
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