In the late 60s, during the latter half of this story, when the robotic killers appeared in modern London, the fear felt amongst viewers must have been palpable. This was a terror much closer to home. Modern viewers watching The Invasion, however, might be surprised - the first half of this massive, eight episode story is relatively Cyberman free, preferring instead to focus on the mysterious Mister Vaughn, whose corporation might just be hiding some sinister secrets. As our heroes - Jamie, Zoe and the Doctor - investigate, they soon discover that Vaughn has some alien help designing his new technologies and by the time viewers realise that they know what exactly this help is, they are emotionally invested in a story that goes on to become the kind of epic that Doctor Who would rarely achieve again. Its highlight include the claustrophobic sewer chases, the inexplicable kayaking moments and, of course, the emotion gun, a device which would force those complaining about the new series killing the Cybermen with love to finally be quiet. All these elements create an ambitious and gorgeously told story. Of course, fans also get to meet the Brigadier for the second time before he becomes a series regular as the producers slowly planted clues as to what will happen during the Doctors exile to Earth. The invasion feels like something utterly different to what has come before and, as such, it is very special. More than that, though, it remains a tense and terrifying story of invasion with tricks and sequences that still work today. The animated episodes on the DVD release that replace those sequences that are sadly lost are, as usual, executed with a unique style that fits in nicely with the surviving footage. The Invasion is iconic, epic and, unusually for such a long story, remarkably pacy. The Cybermen reach their peak here and would never be so chilling again in the Classic Series. If you only ever watch one Cybermen story, it really should be The Invasion, a drama so powerful that its influence on Doctor Who can still be felt all the way through to the present day. What are your most terrifying Cybermen moments to date? Do you think they were scarier in black and white? Share your commments below!
