10. Arthur Stengos, Dalek - Revelation Of The Daleks (1985)
Body horror has always been one of Classic Doctor Who's main stocks in trade, and by the 1980s even the Daleks were making us worry about where our various body parts might end up if they came a' calling. Dalek mutants themselves are by definition a horrifying concept, but while we've gotten used to seeing these one-eyed one-tentacled beasties in the 2005 series, they were always a source of terror in the Classic run. (By rights, both the attack of the Dalek on the Fourth Doctor in Genesis of the Daleks and a similar couple of attacks on a solider in Resurrection should be on this list, so if those are on your personal lists, don't worry - they scare us, too.) When the Daleks decide to covert humans into themselves in Revelation, though, that's when the concept of Dalek mutation turns from simple ickiness to downright horror. Even the inherent coolness of the glass Dalek in this scene can't completely divest it of the pants-wetting terror of seeing Arthur Stengos, or what's left of him, trying to fight off the Dalek conditioning that's ravaging his mind. The makeup is also a marvel, making Dalek conversion look almost as painful and unpleasant as Cyberconversion. Almost.
Tony Whitt has previously written TV, DVD, and comic reviews for CINESCAPE, NOW PLAYING, and iF MAGAZINE. His weekly COMICSCAPE columns from the early 2000s can still be found archived on Mania.com. He has also written a book of gay-themed short stories titled CRESCENT CITY CONNECTIONS, available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle format. Whitt currently lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.
