Doctor Who: 10 Times The Earth Was Invaded

Featuring the biggest and baddest monsters to try and call Earth 'home'.

Dr Who Dalek Invasion Earth
BBC

Alien invasions have become a staple of Doctor Who, with the Doctor's most dangerous foes trying to take over the Earth on a regular basis. Throughout the show's nearly sixty-year history, the Earth has seen its fair share of overlords, despots, and alien dominators. Suffering through many major hostile takeovers in the past, present, and future, protecting Earth has always been one of the Doctor's most important missions.

Attempting to enslave the planet, decimate it, or pilot it across the universe like a spaceship, the Doctor's enemies have always got a plan for our world. Since those first images from of the Daleks storming Westminster Bridge or the Cybermen stomping past St. Paul's Cathedral back in the 1960s, the idea that our planet isn't safe from extra-terrestrial menaces has been set in stone.

Luckily, the Doctor has always been on hand to combat these dreaded invaders. With the help of countless companions and the alien specialists known as UNIT, rarely do the villains win the day. Taking a look at some of these events which put humanity at peril, these are 10 Times the Earth was Invaded in Doctor Who.

10. The Christmas Invasion

Dr Who Dalek Invasion Earth
BBC

The first major invasion of the revival series, the 2005 Christmas Special saw the Sycorax warrior clan attempt to sell the human race into slavery. Crashing into the atmosphere, the Sycorax used hypnosis to force everyone on the planet with an A+ blood type into almost jumping from the rooftops. Capturing Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, and Prime Minister Harriet Jones (yes, we know who she is), the Sycorax Leader made them watch as he executed various officials with an energy whip.

Awaking from his post-regenerative state, the Tenth Doctor deactivated the Sycorax's 'blood magic' hypnosis and challenged their leader to a duel. Accepting the challenge, the Sycorax Leader got the 'upper hand' by managing to cut off the Doctor's hand. Due to the regeneration cycle not yet being complete, the Doctor regrew a 'fighting hand' and defeated his opponent.

Promising to leave the Earth as his forfeit for losing the battle, the Sycorax Leader betrayed the Doctor and attempted to run him through when his back was turned. The trick didn't work, and the Doctor sent the warrior chief plummeting to Earth with a trap door and a well-aimed satsuma.

Leaving the planet, the Doctor was enraged when Harriet Jones ordered the destruction of the Sycorax ship. Believing she was protecting the people, this temporary invasion ended with the Sycorax's ashen remains falling on London like snow.

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Eden Luke McIntyre is a Scottish writer, editor and script consultant, with an MA in TV Fiction Writing. He writes content for TV, radio, stage, and online, and was appointed as a BBC Writers Room Scottish Voice in early 2020. Eden can usually be found rambling about Doctor Who, The Beatles, and obscure things that no one cares about.