4. Dalek (2005)
In this standout Ninth Doctor adventure fans see an effort by the show creators to restore some menace and evil to a villain that had been made less threatening and even somewhat silly over the years. In particular, the old joke about Daleks being defeated by their inability to climb stairs is dispatched quickly here as the Dalek in question shows us it now has standard issue booster rockets. Like the previous adventure on this list, this features just one Dalek which has found its way into the collection of alien artefacts owned by uber-rich Henry Van Statten underneath the salt flats of Utah. This Dalek is in a weakened state but is inadvertently reactivated by Rose when she touches its casing, causing the Dalek to absorb the energy she has been exposed to through traveling in the TARDIS. It quickly plugs itself into the electrical grid in order to absorb more power, escapes its chains and subsequently goes on a killing spree. Brilliant. However, the Dalek has also absorbed some of Rose's DNA and finds that its new humanity has rendered itself unable to kill her or Van Statten. Unable to reconcile this fact, the Dalek decides to self destruct. This episode in particular features stellar acting by Christopher Eccleston who can barely contain his disgust upon finding that a Dalek survived the Time War, as well as his glee later in the episode at tormenting and torturing it. This was a very critical episode for the revived series, showcasing the return of a villain that had previously not been seen on TV for seventeen years (since 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks) with renewed vigor and style.