3. The Moonbase (1967)
Just as companions Polly and Ben get used to the new Doctor, as played by Patrick Troughton, they find themselves once again facing the the Cybermen when the tin terrors invade a moonbase as part of their eternal struggle to make all life just like them. This second story to feature the Cybermen wisely keeps them to the shadows for much of the opening episodes as our heroes attempt to discover the source of a mysterious illness that is affecting the crew of the moonbase. New companion Jamie spends much of the story unconscious, mostly because the scriptwriters didnt know that hed be on board the TARDIS by this point and were forced to write him in at the last moment. These upgraded Cybermen start to look more and more like the ones viewers know and fear today. The full face masks, the more streamlined chest units and the wiring on their limbs begin to look ever more machine like and their brutality is ceaseless and utterly detached. Although, it's a very cute moment when you look closely and notice that their Cyber-boots have little laces on them. Cuties. In a nutshell, this story is one of the best Cybermen stories out there. From its joyous opening as the TARDIS crew muck about in the moon's zero-G atmosphere to the tense discovery of the Cyberman in the medical bay, it is jam-packed with classic Doctor Who moments. There are gaps in logic, certainly, but as one of the original base under siege stories that would become a Doctor Who staple, it works brilliantly with a limited cast and an enemy whose inhumanity is absolutely nailed. These are the Cybermen that the fans deserve.