"The Tenth Planet" is known for 2 things. It introduced the concept of regeneration (the Doctor's molecules restructure themselves when he dies, thus allowing a new actor to take over) and it introduced the Cybermen. Since it was 1966, creating cyborgs for television meant they looked a bit crude. Very crude actually. And that look is accurately reflected in this toy.
1) Their heads look like they're covered in cloth masks. That would be addressed in their next appearance, and after this they always had what looked like a metal head.
2) Giant lamp on their head. Every Cyberman that followed had a lamp and those weird handlebars on the top of their head. They became streamlined as design and costuming technology advanced, but they were always there. The same can be said about their giant chest units.
3) They have human looking hands. The Cybermen aren't robots. They're humans who have replaced their body parts with mechanical bits. To convey this in "the Tenth Planet" the costumers decided that the Cybermen should have human hands to indicate that the mechanical stuff has been added onto a human body.
This guy is awesome - are you finding these at retail or ordering them online?
ReplyDeleteI'm getting them online. They're very niche and thus not a big draw for retailers. Well, some comic book stores, but only a few.
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