Bronze Daleks (PROSE: Engines of War ^[+]George Mann, BBC New Series tie-in novels (BBC Books, 2014).) were the Dalek drones which served during several of the Daleks' biggest conflicts, such as the Second Dalek War, (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks ^[+]Trevor Baxendale, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).) the Dalek-Movellan War, (TV: The Pilot ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017).) and, most notably, the Last Great Time War. (PROSE: Engines of War ^[+]George Mann, BBC New Series tie-in novels (BBC Books, 2014).) After returning to use under the New Dalek Paradigm, (PROSE: The Dalek Generation ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2013).) they returned to the primary foot soldier role under the resurrected Dalek Empire. (TV: Asylum of the Daleks ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 7 (BBC One, 2012).)

The Time Lords called this casing the "Type VIII Dalek", indicating that it followed the Civil War-era Imperial Daleks, designated Type VII. They had believed that this model of casing was developed for the Time War and termed it the "ultimate warrior" (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).)

Characteristics[]

While their casings were mostly bronze, their slats and sense globes were golden. (TV: Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005). et al.) Although bronze-coloured, the metal of the casings was in actuality still Dalekanium. (TV: Evolution of the Daleks ^[+]Helen Raynor, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).) The Time Lords understood that this model was constructed from "a new Dalekanium alloy", with the casing given additional seals, detailing and structural reinforcements. Unlike earlier models, they were distinguished by ID tags which identified individual Daleks. They also boasted a rotating middle section that allowed the Dalek to attack in all directions, which the Time Lords believed to be a new ability. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).)

In addition, a band which connected the middle weapons platform to the lower base unit was coloured bronze for most of these Daleks. However, on some bronze Daleks, such as the "Metaltron", the band was golden. (TV: Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)., Bad Wolf ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)./The Parting of the Ways ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) This minority of bronze Daleks shared this trait with the red and golden Supreme Daleks. (COMIC: Ambush, TV: The Stolen Earth ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)./Journey's End ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)., The Magician's Apprentice ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One, 2015)./The Witch's Familiar ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One, 2015).)

Bronze casings were also notable for their in-built countermeasures. (TV: Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005). et al.) The casing had the ability to make any who touched it, while unprotected by gloves or such gear, sick onto it and ignite into flames if the mutant inside so wished. The casing could also extract the individual's biomass to repair damage, with the genetic material of time travellers proving particularly effective, (TV: Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)., PROSE: Dalek, et al.) but the DNA of a non-time traveller was enough to start regenerating even a seemingly-dead mutant. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks ^[+]Trevor Baxendale, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).)

Even if the Dalek occupant was killed, the casing could still kill those who touched it with automatic virus transmitters. (PROSE: I Am a Dalek ^[+]Gareth Roberts, Quick Reads (BBC Books, 2006).) The Tenth Doctor remarked that "every Dalek" had countermeasures in place to prevent enemies from raiding its casing after its death, explaining that trying to "crack open" a casing was like "playing with a live hand grenade" because of the many self-destruct mechanisms contained within. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks ^[+]Trevor Baxendale, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).)

Hierarchy[]

The bronze-coloured drone Daleks remained subordinate to similarly designed Black Daleks, (TV: Doomsday ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006)., COMIC: The Only Good Dalek ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW., et. al) the Dalek Inquisitor General, (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks ^[+]Trevor Baxendale, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).) red and golden Supreme Daleks, (TV: The Stolen Earth ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)./Journey's End ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) and the Dalek Emperor himself. In addition, the Emperor was protected by the Emperor's Personal Guard; mostly bronze, they were distinguished by their black domes as with their pre-Time War counterparts. (TV: The Parting of the Ways ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)., The Evil of the Daleks ^[+]David Whitaker, Doctor Who season 4 (BBC1, 1967).)

A minority of bronze-type Daleks aboard the Dalek Emperor's flagship following the Last Great Time War had black base units with golden sense globes in addition to a black dome similar to that of the Emperor's Personal Guard. (TV: The Parting of the Ways ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Though generally appearing as foot soldiers, bronze Daleks could also be of higher ranks, distinguished from their subordinates only by their individual identifcation tag. Indeed, a bronze Dalek served as a Command Dalek during the Second Dalek War, subordinate to the Dalek Inquisitor General. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks ^[+]Trevor Baxendale, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).) Similarly, a bronze Dalek served as a Dalek Squad Leader during the New Dalek Paradigm's governance of the Sunlight Worlds. (PROSE: The Dalek Generation ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2013).) The leader of a Dalek Death Squad was a bronze Dalek. (TV: Revolution of the Daleks ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2021 (BBC One, 2021).)

The bronze Daleks that were later named Thay, Caan and Jast respectively served in the positions of Commandant of Station Alpha, Attack Squad Leader in the Thirtieth Assault Group, and Force Leader of the Outer Rim Defensive Battalion. Furthermore, these Daleks were recruited by the Daleks to form the Cult of Skaro under the black Dalek Sec, who himself was originally the bronze Dalek Commander of the Seventh Incursion Squad before receiving a new casing composed of metalert. (PROSE: Birth of a Legend) The Cult ultimately became regarded as "above and beyond the Emperor himself." (TV: Doomsday ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).) Upon overthrowing Sec, Caan took command of the Cult of Skaro. (TV: Evolution of the Daleks ^[+]Helen Raynor, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).) The Emperor himself was housed in a massive bronze casing, (TV: The Parting of the Ways ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) designated by the Time Lords as Emperor Type II. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).)

Aboard the Starbane, bronze Daleks were seen to coexist alongside identically-shaped Daleks distinguished by casings coloured red, white and green. (GAME: The Doctor and the Dalek)

Variants[]

A Reconnaissance Scout Dalek encountered by the Thirteenth Doctor appeared in an ancient scroll to resemble a bronze Dalek. Additionally the weapons platform of its reconstructed scrap casing beared a similar design pattern to that of a bronze Dalek. (TV: Resolution)

Assault Daleks were specialised bronze Daleks equipped with laser-cutting arms and blowtorches to replace their plunger manipulator arms. They had a claw and blowtorch combination. These were used for cutting through strong metals and for picking up objects normal Dalek drones could not. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks ^[+]Trevor Baxendale, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009)., TV: The Parting of the Ways ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Surgical Daleks were equipped with saw arms. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks ^[+]Trevor Baxendale, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).)

Temporal Weapon Daleks were identical to the bronze Dalek drones with the exception of their weapons platform, which was very similar to Special Weapons Dalek, with a single, large cannon rather than a gunstick and manipulator arm. (PROSE: Engines of War ^[+]George Mann, BBC New Series tie-in novels (BBC Books, 2014).)

Vault Daleks were bronze Daleks who were distinguished by their specialised manipulator arm claw. They were charged with guarding their creator Davros in the Vault, a special chamber within their giant space station the Crucible. (TV: The Stolen Earth ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)./Journey's End ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).)

While masquerading as the Dalek Litigator during the Daleks' manipulation of the Sunlight Worlds, the Dalek Time Controller changed his form to that of a generic bronze Dalek, albeit with a wavering effect around its grating section that was observed by the Eleventh Doctor. (PROSE: The Dalek Generation ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2013).)

Bronze Daleks belonging to a Death Squad were equipped with claws on their manipulator arms. (TV: Revolution of the Daleks ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2021 (BBC One, 2021).) Identical claws were used by bronze Daleks seeking to exploit the Flux. (TV: Once, Upon Time, The Vanquishers)

Executioner Daleks dispatched to kill the Thirteenth Doctor wielded larger guns and claws on their manipulator arms. (TV: Eve of the Daleks ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).)

History[]

Pre-Time War[]

One account held that bronze Daleks existed as early as the creation of the Daleks at the hands of Davros, using their ability to fly in the subsequent attack on the Thal Dome. (PROSE: Creation of the Daleks) Most other accounts established that the first "Mark III Travel Machines" presented by Davros in the Genesis Incident were more primitive grey Daleks. (TV: Genesis of the Daleks ^[+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 12 (BBC1, 1975)., PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).)

One account of the 2150s Dalek invasion of Earth presented bronze Daleks as the Dalek soldiers who saw to the conquest of the planet, dated to 2164, in which they defeated the Air Force and Navy in Westminster. (PROSE: Invasion Earth: 2164) During the occupation of London, several bronze Daleks chased the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald after they landed in the midst of the occupied city with a time fly. Using a bomb the First Doctor had disarmed, the Doctor and Clara escaped after destroying a force of bronze Daleks and many time flies. (COMIC: A Stitch in Time) By the time the First Doctor saw to the end of the occupation, however, the Dalek Earthforce was comprised of more primitive Type II Daleks, (TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth ^[+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 2 (BBC1, 1964).) adaptations of the Type I Daleks which the Time Lords knew to be stationed on occupied worlds after battle-ready Daleks had dealt with any significant opposition. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).)

Though most sources held that the Pursuer-Daleks who pursued the First Doctor through time before being destroyed in battle against the Mechanoids of Mechanus operated silver Type III Dalek casings, (TV: The Chase ^[+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 2 (BBC1, 1965)., PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).) one account of the Mechonoid Incident presented the Daleks as operating the more advanced bronze casings. (PROSE: Daleks vs Daleks!)

Similarly, whilst most sources held that the Dalek inhabitants of Kaalann at the time of Operation Human Factor and the subsequent Dalek Civil War operated silver Type III Dalek casings, and that the Dalek Emperor inhabited what was known as the Emperor Type I casing (TV: The Evil of the Daleks ^[+]David Whitaker, Doctor Who season 4 (BBC1, 1967)., PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).) one account of the Civil War presented the warring Daleks and the Emperor's Personal Guard as operating bronze casings, with the Emperor himself inhabiting the bronze Emperor Type II casing. (PROSE: Daleks vs Daleks!)

The Dalek Emperor favourable to Davros who ruled Skaro in 2254 inhabited a bronze-coloured casing similar in shape to that of the earlier Golden Emperor. However, no bronze-coloured Dalek drones were in appearance on Skaro at this time. (GAME: Dalek Attack)

Bronze Daleks, led by Dalek X, a black Dalek Inquisitor General, participated in the Second Dalek War against humanity. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks ^[+]Trevor Baxendale, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2009).) Others fought in a war against the Movellans, (TV: The Pilot ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017).) as did earlier Grey Daleks. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks ^[+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 17 (BBC1, 1979).) One Bronze Dalek joined two grey units in chasing Walter the Worm. (WC: The Daleks Chase Walter the Worm)

A bronze Dalek attempted to gain access to the Matrix hidden underneath the Capitol on Gallifrey during the Cloister Wars. It was attacked by the Cloister Wraiths, where it became a part of the Matrix hard drive, being "filed". It was still trapped within the Cloisters following the Time War. (TV: Hell Bent)

The Daleks of the Restoration Empire, which followed the Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War, (PROSE: The Restoration Empire) used casings with a structure matching the "Type VIII" bronze Daleks but with different colours according to rank, with the Dalek Drones appearing with a silver colour scheme much like the earlier "Type III Daleks". (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).) The Dalek Prime Strategist was distinguished in that its casing was that of an early Dalek War Machine. (COMIC: Defender of the Daleks) The last surviving Silver Dalek Drone of the Restoration Empire's Dalek Time Squad rebuilt its casing in the bronze design after being brought aboard the Starship Future. (AUDIO: Genetics of the Daleks)

Lead-up to the Time War[]

Bronze Daleks, led by a Supreme, were used during the Daleks’ takeover of the Axis and subsequent incursions into alternate Gallifreys. (AUDIO: Extermination) They attempted to invade Gallifrey of the main universe via the Matrix but were trapped in an projection by Romana and a projection of her future self. (AUDIO: Ascension)

Prior to the Time War, bronze Daleks attacked Galacton to energise its core to create fuel for the Seventh Fleet (PROSE: Mission to Galacton) and, led by a bronze Dalek Commander, saw to the extermination of the Mechonoids on Magella. Following this, the Dalek Commander was summoned by the Dalek Emperor alongside three other high-ranking bronze Daleks. Anticipating the oncoming Time War, the Emperor named the four Daleks, who formed the Cult of Skaro; led by the Commander who was transfered to a black Metalert casing and named Dalek Sec, the remaining bronze Daleks were named Thay, Jast and Caan. (PROSE: Birth of a Legend)

Time War[]

Led by the Dalek Emperor and Time Strategist, bronze Daleks fought throughout the Last Great Time War against the Time Lords, (AUDIO: Gallifrey: Time War, Only the Good, The Eighth Doctor: Time War, The War Doctor, COMIC: Ambush, PROSE: Engines of War ^[+]George Mann, BBC New Series tie-in novels (BBC Books, 2014).) who believed that this model had been made for the Time War. (PROSE: Dalek Combat Training Manual ^[+]Richard Atkinson and Mike Tucker, BBC Books (2021).)

Bronze Daleks made up the vast majority of the "billion billion" Dalek Fleet that converged on Gallifrey on the last day of the Time War. Having successfully penetrated the sky trenches, they engaged in the fall of Arcadia, where they were fought by the War Doctor and Gallifreyan soldiers. (TV: The Last Day, TV: The Day of the Doctor) Leela was among those who fought on Gallifrey and, after witnessing Axton's extermination, used a gunstick to destroy a bronze Dalek and a silver Dalek. Soon after, a Red Dalek led a bronze Dalek and two silver Daleks to confront Leela, who used a Wayfinder to escape. (WC: The Final Battle ^[+]Pete McTighe, Doctor Who: The Collection mini-episodes (BBC Studios, YouTube, 2024).)

When the thirteen Doctors saved Gallifrey by transporting it to a pocket universe, the Dalek Fleet inadverently destroyed themselves in their own crossfire. (TV: The Day of the Doctor) The Ninth Doctor, along with the rest of the universe, believed the entire Dalek race to have been wiped out along with Gallifrey. (TV: Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Due to "chronological complications" after the destruction of Gallifrey, the planet along with many artefacts and the Daleks themselves, appeared in another universe called New Eden. There, the posthuman inhabitants referred to the Dalek invaders as "Biomechanoid Combat Units", not knowing their true name. They then fought the Biomechanoids around Gallifrey, in a remote area of space. (GAME: The Interstellar Convergence)

Rebuilding post-Time War[]

However, the Doctor found that one bronze Dalek had survived, crashing to Earth in 1962. Eventually, in 2012, it came to the possession of Henry van Statten, who ignorantly named it the "Metaltron". Ultimately, the Dalek, after finding that it had been "contaminated" by Rose Tyler's human DNA chose to self-destruct. (TV: Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Surviving the war in his flagship, the Dalek Emperor, guarded as ever by the Emperor's Personal Guard, created an army of half a million bronze Dalek of human origin. At the end of the Battle of the Game Station in 200,100, they were all reduced to dust by Rose Tyler, under the possession of the Bad Wolf entity. (TV: Bad Wolf ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)./The Parting of the Ways ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Unknown to anyone, the Daleks created, and launched, a time capsule during the final battle of the Time War with a single bronze Dalek with the plan to spread the Dalek factor on Earth, to use humanity's life force and raw materials to build more Daleks for back-up in the final battle. The capsule's engines failed in the journey and the Dalek within ejected, falling to Earth in 70 AD. The Dalek died but released a small amount of Dalek factor that remained dormant in the genetic structure of approximately one in 500,000,000 humans. When the Dalek casing was uncovered in Crediton Vale in Dorset, England in the 2000s, the Dalek factor became active in Kate Yates whose newfound Dalek powers allowed her to grow a new Dalek mutant within the casing.

The Dalek pursued the Tenth Doctor, who eventually knocked it into the sea with a crane from the dig site where the Dalek was found, although the Dalek electrocuted the Doctor and escaped. After breaking into a train and recovering its gunstick from Frank Openshaw, the leader of the team who excavated the Dalek's casing, the Dalek exterminated Frank along with several civilians before slaughtering dozens of people in Twyford. It then united with Kate Yates, whose Dalek personality had become dominant. Upon receiving a Time Ring from the Tenth Doctor it intended to travel to Earth in 500,000,000 to use humanity's resources to rebuild its race but failed when Kate's human personality resurfaced and set the Dalek's Time Ring to self-destruct. The self-destruct caused a warp implosion that atomised the Dalek and made the Dalek factor go dormant again in humanity. (PROSE: I Am a Dalek ^[+]Gareth Roberts, Quick Reads (BBC Books, 2006).)

In 2007, the Tenth Doctor and Bronwyn Ceredig overheard a bronze Dalek on Black Island in Yns Du, Wales. The Dalek had been generated from Rose Tyler's memories after she had been put asleep by Nathaniel Morton and the Cynrog Peyne and forced to dream of some of the aliens she had encountered; these dreams were fed back to a Cynrog machine in the lighthouse on Black Island that allowed for dream-generated creatures to be made physical. The Dalek, along with a pair of Slitheen and a replica of the Nestene Consciousness that had also been generated from Rose's memories, ceased to exist after Rose was disconnected from the Cynrog machine. (PROSE: The Nightmare of Black Island ^[+]Mike Tucker|Mike Tucker]], BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2006).)

Within a Void Ship, the Cult of Skaro survived the Time War as well, taking with them the Genesis Ark, which contained millions of bronze Daleks imprisoned by the Time Lords. Emerging on Earth in 2007, the Cult were able to open the Ark, unleashing the millions of Daleks who attacked humans and parallel world Cybermen in the Battle of Canary Wharf, fighting over Tower Bridge, (PROSE: Clash of the Titans) Southwark, (PROSE: Terror in the Streets) and as far as Aberdeen. (PROSE: Small Victories) However, the conflict was soon ended when the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler opened the Void, resulting in the millions of Daleks and Cybermen being sucked into it. The Cult were forced to perform an emergency temporal shift to escape. (TV: Army of Ghosts ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006)./Doomsday ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).) Those contained within the Void were eventually destroyed as a result of the reality bomb. (TV: The Next Doctor ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2008 (BBC One, 2008).)

Appearing in New York in 1930, the Cult attempted to rebuild their race in the Final Experiment. Discarding his casing to assume the form of a Human-Dalek, Sec collaborated with the Doctor to combine Dalek and human DNA, believing that the Daleks could only survive with humanity's thought and emotions. This, however, put him at odds with his bronze subordinates, who overthrew him with Caan taking command. After Sec gave his life to save the Doctor, Thay and Jast were destroyed by Dalek-humans infused with Gallifreyan DNA, who were then terminated by Caan. Rejecting an offer by the Doctor to help him, Caan used an emergency temporal shift to escape. (TV: Daleks in Manhattan ^[+]Helen Raynor, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007)./Evolution of the Daleks ^[+]Helen Raynor, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).)

Breaking the time-lock to enter the first year of the Time War, an act which ultimately cost him his sanity, Caan rescued Davros from death. Using his own DNA, Davros proceeded to create a New Dalek Empire composed mostly of bronze Daleks with a red Supreme Dalek. Though this Supreme Dalek usurped Davros' as ruler, he did allow Davros to remain aboard the Crucible alongside the mentally broken Caan, whose half-broken casing his Dalek mutant form.

Gathering 27 stolen planets in the Medusa Cascade, the Daleks launched a brief invasion in which they easily overwhelmed human military forces, including the UNIT aircraft carrier Valiant, (PROSE: The Battle of the Valiant) sustaining only minimal casualties at the hands of the Children of Time. Notably, one Dalek chose to spare the life of the young Adelaide Brooke, who it recognised as a fixed point in time. (TV: The Waters of Mars) Ultimately, the New Dalek Empire was destroyed by the Meta-Crisis Tenth Doctor, who used the Daleks' Dalekanium power feed against them. (TV: The Stolen Earth ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)./Journey's End ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).)

A small group of bronze Daleks were found by the Tenth Doctor on 22nd century Earth. They intended to use a proton cannon to conquer the planet by rendering humanity intangible, only for the Doctor to turn the weapon against them. Trapped in an intangible state, the Daleks judged this an unacceptable outcome and self-destructed. (COMIC: Extermination of the Daleks)

New Paradigm and Resurrected Empire[]

Having survived the New Dalek Empire's destruction, (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe ^[+]George Mann, Justin Richards and Cavan Scott, Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe (Ebury Publishing, 2017).) A single Dalek flying saucer, containing three Daleks, located a progenitor; while this progenitor had the potential to restore the Dalek race, it would not recognise these Daleks' DNA. As a single bronze Dalek remained aboard, the other two masqueraded as Ironsides, ostensibly the creation of a human scientist, actually a android created by the Daleks, for the British war effort in the Second World War. In reality, the Daleks' plan was to lure and provoke a testimony from the Doctor, which would confirm them as Daleks to the progenitor. After a month in 1941, this succeeded as the Eleventh Doctor identified them as Daleks, thus enabling the creation of a New Dalek Paradigm. Sporting larger casings, the new paradigm consisted of five archetypes which included a red Drone Dalek, subordinate to the white Supreme Dalek. The older three Daleks, who were deemed as "inferior" by their successors, allowed themselves to be exterminated before the new Daleks departed to rebuild their race. (TV: Victory of the Daleks ^[+]Mark Gatiss, Doctor Who series 5 (BBC One, 2010).)

For a while, the red Drone Daleks appeared en masse as the foot soldiers of the New Paradigm's (GAME: City of the Daleks, COMIC: The Only Good Dalek ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.) Dalek Imperial Army. However, the New Paradigm (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe ^[+]George Mann, Justin Richards and Cavan Scott, Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe (Ebury Publishing, 2017).) eventually began to rely heavily on bronze drones instead. (PROSE: The Dalek Generation ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2013)., et. al) Led by a Black Dalek, bronze Daleks made up the crew of Survey Ship Delta, one of three Survey Ships assigned to the Dalek Project, the analysis of how humanity waged war throughout the history of Earth. The Eleventh Doctor saw that these Daleks were all destroyed along with the Proto-Daleks in No Man's Land in 1917, and later returned to deal with a bronze Quasimodo Dalek in 2017. (COMIC: The Dalek Project)

During the New Dalek Paradigm's manipulation of the Sunlight Worlds to discover the Cradle of the Gods, bronze Daleks made up the majority of the Daleks involved in the operation, subordinate to a white Supreme Dalek, the secondary leader, and the Dalek Time Controller, who served as overall leader; on this particular mission the Time Controller frequently masqueraded as the Dalek Litigator, appearing as a regular bronze Dalek, although the Eleventh Doctor observed a wavering effect around its grating section. In addition a Dalek Squad Leader, identical to a standard bronze Dalek, led a patrol of Daleks in pursuit of the Doctor when he tried to escape with Sabel, Jenibeth and Ollus Blakely in his TARDIS. Five bronze Daleks were destroyed by Jenibeth, now converted into a Dalek puppet, after her original childlike personality resurfaced; shortly after the remaining Daleks, including the Dalek Time Controller, abandoned the Sunlight Worlds after they believed the Cradle of the Gods was about to destroy all of the Sunlight Worlds. (PROSE: The Dalek Generation ^[+]Nicholas Briggs, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2013).)

After its repeated series of failures that that the Eleventh Doctor had inflicted on the Paradigm, the empire reorganised itself under the Parliament of the Daleks, led by the Prime Minister of the Daleks. Eager to distance this reinvented Dalek Empire from the Paradigm's failures, the Prime Minister promoted the Red Daleks to an officer class and formally had the drones return to the Bronze Dalek style of those who had fought in the Last Great Time War, feeling that their design was the one most likely to invoke fear across the galaxy. (TV: Asylum of the Daleks ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 7 (BBC One, 2012).; PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe ^[+]George Mann, Justin Richards and Cavan Scott, Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe (Ebury Publishing, 2017).)

When the human starliner Alaska crashed into the Dalek Asylum, thereby compromising the planet's security, the Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams were captured by the Daleks and confronted by the Prime Minister of the Daleks onboard the Parliament of the Daleks, who tasked them with deactivating the asylum's planetary forcefield so that the Daleks could destroy it. A large number of bronze Daleks were among those classed as insane and therefore kept within the asylum, with a handful of bronze Daleks being kept in the asylum's intensive care area. Oswin Oswald, a human that had been converted by the Dalek inmates, was contained in a bronze casing. Ultimately, she and the insane Daleks died when she disabled the asylum's planetary shield, allowing the asylum to be destroyed by the Parliament of the Daleks. (TV: Asylum of the Daleks ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 7 (BBC One, 2012).)

Bronze Daleks participated in the Siege of Trenzalore, (TV: The Time of the Doctor) and the war with the Combined Galactic Resistance. One of them, named Rusty by the Twelfth Doctor, joined the resistance to destroy his kind, becoming known as the "good Dalek". (TV: Into the Dalek ^[+]Phil Ford and Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 8 (BBC One, 2014).) Eventually making his home on Villengard, Rusty survived for billions of years into the far future, defending himself as Daleks were repeatedly sent to destroy him. (TV: Twice Upon a Time)

Bronze Daleks were among a diverse range of Daleks who, led by a red Supreme Dalek, resided on the rebuilt Skaro where Davros lived, having survived the destruction of the Crucible. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One, 2015).) One bronze Dalek was killed by Missy, allowing Clara Oswald to temporarily operate its casing so that they could safely navigate the Dalek City. When the Doctor's regeneration energy rejuvenated the discarded Daleks from the sewers, the city-dwelling Daleks were overrun and destroyed. (TV: The Witch's Familiar ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One, 2015).)

A Dalek Death Squad that the Thirteenth Doctor summoned to Earth in 2021 to fight the Defence Drones consisted entirely of bronze Daleks. (TV: Revolution of the Daleks ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2021 (BBC One, 2021).)

A bronze Dalek was one of multiple alien entities that arrived in the River Thames of London in the early morning of 19 August 2020. However, it was intercepted by military personnel before it could attack the civilian population. (WC: 14683 UNIT Field Log) Daleks were encountered in UNIT HQ by a group of humans (PROSE: And now for a story...) during the Time Fracture event in the early 2020s. (WC: 14681 UNIT Field Log, 14684 UNIT Field Log, etc.)

During the Great Disruption caused by the Flux, Bel sighted bronze Daleks who were taking over a portion of the galaxy which she coined the Dalek Sector. (TV: Once, Upon Time) Later in the crisis, bronze Daleks, belonging to the Dalek War Fleet, (TV: Eve of the Daleks ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).) responded to the Sontarans' offer of an alliance, only to be destroyed by the second Flux event as the Sontarans had planned. (TV: The Vanquishers) After the Daleks' discovered her role in the War Fleet's destruction, five bronze Executioner Daleks were dispatched to kill the Thirteenth Doctor, tracing her to ELF Storage in 2021. They became caught in a time loop created by her TARDIS, with the Doctor eventually devising a way to destroy them after they'd repeatedly exterminated her. (TV: Eve of the Daleks ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).)

A group of bronze Daleks allied with the Spy Master and his CyberMasters as part of an ill-fated plot to eliminate the Thirteenth Doctor. Appearing on Earth in 2022, they intercepted and destroyed a Dalek traitor who intended to help the Doctor destroy the Daleks, but were themselves ultimately destroyed by a volcanic eruption. (TV: The Power of the Doctor ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who Centenary Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).)

Undated events[]

A single Dalek survived, albeit heavily damaged, when its ship crash landed in ancient Britain. The native Britons, believing it to be a deity, named the Dalek the "Bronze God". It encountered Winston Churchill and Kazran Sardick when the Eleventh Doctor took them back in time in the TARDIS. Ultimately, it was destroyed when its ship exploded. (AUDIO: Living History)

A bronze Dalek crash landed to 21st century Earth and was acquired by a human guerrilla faction, who scavenged its weathered casing for parts. (AUDIO: The Dalek Transaction)

Other references[]

Trick-or-treaters on Verticulus dressed as bronze Daleks as well as Cybermen. (COMIC: Wholloween)

Fake Bronze Daleks created by the Dalek Dome company appeared to attack Earth in 1966, encountering the newly-regenerated Fourteenth Doctor, as a theme park attraction. (COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks)

Behind the scenes[]

Merchandise[]

• The "Dalek Patrol Ship" sets released in 2014 by Character Options included an exclusive 3.75-inch bronze "Dalek pilot" figurine bearing a black dome and alternating black "skirt" panels identical to the colour scheme of the Dalek saucer commander.
• In 2014, Character Options released a Dalek Invasion of Earth set with the colours of the Black Supreme and Silver Dalek drone applied to the bronze Dalek model.^[1]

Invalid sources[]

Battles in Time[]

• Bronze Daleks, including Emperor's Personal Guards at times, are featured in depictions of all the battles and conflicts depicted in the Dalek Wars section of Doctor Who: Battles in Time magazines.
  • While the majority take place in new settings, others feature scenes concurrent to select television episodes, such as the Battle of Canary Wharf in Doomsday ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006). and the 21st century Dalek invasion in The Stolen Earth ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).. Curiously, bronze Daleks are also inaccurately featured in pre-Time War events derived from "classic series" episodes, including the attack on the Thal Dome during Genesis of the Daleks ^[+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 12 (BBC1, 1975)., the 22nd century Dalek invasion and contemporary Dalek invasion of Mars preceding The Dalek Invasion of Earth ^[+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 2 (BBC1, 1964)., the battle against the Mechonoids during The Chase ^[+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 2 (BBC1, 1965)., and the Great War during The Evil of the Daleks ^[+]David Whitaker, Doctor Who season 4 (BBC1, 1967)..
  • The bronze Daleks are also revealed to have made several other incursions on Earth.
    • The Dalek of a rusted saucer downed in the Bermuda Triangle massacred an American air force in 1958, and were potentially responsible for disappearances as early as the 1490s.
    • Exterminating a pirate fleet in late September 1697.
    • Circa 70 million BC, Daleks fell through time and engaged dinosaurs on prehistoric Earth, with the encounter ultimately being uncovered by UNIT.
    • A Dalek saucer recovered a Dalek that had been captured at a Earth military base.
    • Bronze Daleks also attacked humans across space in a Dalek-Human War spanning 300 years, the Third Dalek War, 2614, 3682, the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire, 4826. Elsewhere, they struck in the 4203 and throughout the 43rd century, 5874 9000, and exterminated the natives of Aridius.

Parodies[]

• The The Big Fat Quiz of the Year in 2015 concluded with the skit Jimmy Carr and the Dalek ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.; a bronze Dalek from Skaro was unveiled to ask the show's final three questions and is revealed to be hosting 8 Out of 10 Cats the next week, with the Dalek revealing it intends to exterminate each of the cats. Once the questions were answered, the Dalek demands the human race surrender, exterminates Jimmy Carr, and declares Earth to be under Dalek control as the audience applauds.

• A bronze Dalek features in the comic story The Invasion of Bash Street.
• A Bronze Dalek appeared within the 2023 Red Nose Day short 2023: The Eurovision Audition Tapes ^[+]Comic Relief specials Comic Relief special 2023 (BBC One, 2023)., where the Dalek insisted it could sing as part of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Other media[]

• A standalone panel by comic artist Lee Sullivan shows Casanova, as played by David Tennant in the 2005 BBC miniseries, meeting the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler amidst an invasion of Venice's St Mark's Square by bronze Daleks.^[2]
• The bronze "Metaltron" functions as the player character in the online game The Last Dalek, which presents an alternate version of the events of Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)..
• A total of eight bronze Daleks appear in the online game Daleks v Cybermen, in which the player controls a squad of Cybermen in an alternate take on Doomsday ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).. The first appears at the end of Level 3, a second alongside human soldiers at the start of Level 4, with the remaining six at the end accompanying Dalek Sec, the Black Dalek. Evidently, the Genesis Ark, containing millions of Daleks, had already been opened. The three members of the Cult of Skaro in addition to Sec are not distinguished in the game, leaving their presence uncertain.
• The series 2 opening of Totally Doctor Who features a trio of bronze Daleks pursuing a group of children before they are rescued by the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones.
• An illustration in the reference book Starships and Spacestations depicts a conflict between bronze Daleks and the CyberNeomorphs.
• The Eleventh Doctor Interactive Story introduces the Children of Davros, a Dalek faction rivalling the New Dalek Paradigm with ranks consisting of bronze Daleks led by a Black Dalek. They are depicted using archive footage of Dalek Sec and the Cult of Skaro from Daleks in Manhattan ^[+]Helen Raynor, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007)..
• Bronze Daleks appear as enemies in the Doctor Who: Legacy mobile game. The original version, dubbed "Time War Dalek", is followed by several variants including "Aristotle Daleks" distinguished by white grating sections which do not appear in Into the Dalek ^[+]Phil Ford and Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 8 (BBC One, 2014)., battered "Asylum Daleks", Glider Daleks and Temporal Weapon Daleks. In addition, bronze drones appear in several versions including "Pixelated", "Cartoony", "Retro Comic" and "Infinity".
  • Unlike the cover of Engines of War, which depicts the Dalek as identical to the bronze Dalek drone but with a distinct weapons platform, Legacy's Temporal Weapons Daleks appear as a bronze version of the Special Weapons Dalek.
• A Bronze Dalek is among the Doctor Who characters which were introduced a character-skin in the free multiplayer battle royale video game Fall Guys, released on 1 November 2022.

Other matters[]

• An early sketch by Matt Savage for the Daleks' return in the 2005 story Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005). depicted a gunmetal grey Dalek before the bronze Dalek design was settled.
• The initial draft for The Only Good Dalek ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW. featured the 2005 rather than the 2010 Dalek model, as Justin Richards had not yet been informed of the coming redesign. He originally wrote that the captive Daleks had their slats removed so that they were forced to draw static electricity from the floor like the original Dalek War Machines; when he found that the new Dalek model naturally had no slats on their middle sections, he introduced a power inhibitor.
• The Dalek Handbook's list of Dalek paradigms, by real world appearance, counts the bronze Daleks and their superiors (Imperial Guard Dalek, Black Dalek and Supreme Dalek) as a paradigm, with the Ironsides being counted as part of the 2010 New Dalek Paradigm.
• The Character Building toyline designates the bronze Daleks as "Gold Daleks".
• Extermination (2013), the first story of Gallifrey VI, marked the first appearance of a bronze Dalek on the cover of a Big Finish Productions audio drama, indicating that the events of Gallifrey were approaching the Last Great Time War. This preceded Big Finish's 2015 acquisition of the license to produce audios based on the revived Doctor Who by a year and a half. From then on, bronze-type Daleks were generally used to place a story during or after the Time War from the Daleks' perspective.
  • Originally, the cover of AUDIO: The Dalek Gambit was to feature grey Daleks but it was changed to feature bronze Daleks before release. Both variants have been depicted battling the Movellans on television, in Destiny of the Daleks ^[+]Terry Nation, Doctor Who season 17 (BBC1, 1979). and The Pilot ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017). respectively. In the story itself, Ian Gilmore observes that the Daleks are of a different design to the ones he previously faced in TV: Remembrance of the Daleks ^[+]Ben Aaronovitch, Doctor Who season 25 (BBC1, 1988)..
  • Barring the time of the New Dalek Paradigm's white Supreme Dalek, bronze Daleks are generally shown to follow Supreme Daleks of the red-and-gold model introduced in The Stolen Earth ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).. Vengeance, however, has bronze Daleks led by a black Dalek Supreme, depicted in the trailer for Master! as The Stolen Earth model coloured in black-and-silver.
• James Johnson rendered Time War-era Dalek models which were featured on the cover of Gallifrey: War Room 1: Allegiance. These bronze-type models were a black and silver Dalek Commander and a Reconnaissance Dalek distinguished by their red domes.^[3][4]
• The bronze Daleks have notably been seen with a total of no less than seven distinct Black Dalek models: the black-domed Imperial Guard Daleks, the mostly black Imperial Guard Dalek with bronze middle section, the black Dalek Inquisitor General with gold slats and sense globes, the all-black Dalek Sec-type, the black and silver Dalek Supreme, the black and silver Dalek Commander and the Dalek Pilot.

External links[]

• Dalek enemies at the Doctor Who Legacy wiki

Footnotes[]