As the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials continued this weekend, we asked you to name your favorite villains from the show. As expected, the Daleks exterminated the competition with 30 percent of the vote, proving once again they are the most iconic characters (nevermind villains) from the show. Created by Terry Nation for what was only the show’s second serial in 1963, the Daleks may seem like shrill postboxes with a plunger and egg whisk, but they are deadly war machines, who nearly wiped out the Doctor’s people the Time Lords, and a constant reminder of the dangers of fascism and nuclear war. Have we mentioned they have their own typeface, created for their comic in “TV Century 21” during the ’60s, as well? Their power truly knows no bounds.
In second place with 20 percent was the Master, the Doctor’s rival renegade Time Lord, known as Missy during their female incarnation. Introduced by writers Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks in 1971’s “Terror of the Autons,” the Master was portrayed by Roger Delgado until his untimely death in 1973. Since then, many actors have taken on the part, including Anthony Ainley (the longest-serving Master), Eric Roberts, Derek Jacobi, John Simm, Alex Macqueen, Michelle Gomez, and Sacha Dhawan, some of whom have even honored the memory of Delgado’s incredible facial hair.
Tied with the Master were the Weeping Angels, the statue-like predators who first appeared in 2007’s beloved Carey Mulligan outing “Blink.” Capable of temporally displacing you in the blink of an eye, the Angels have become the most beloved of creator (and later showrunner) Steven Moffat’s especially nightmarish brand of monsters, tapping into a primordial childhood fear of creatures in the dark. While already overexposed by 2012’s “Angels Take Manhattan,” the creatures made a welcome comeback in last year’s “Village of the Angels,” a highlight in the otherwise largely disappointing Flux storyline.
Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to stay tuned on Friday for our next Reader Poll! And do enjoy the Doctor’s regeneration on Saturday everyone! Hopefully David Tennant’s version will be finally ready to go this time.
