When Doctor Who, the world’s longest-running science fiction television series, was rebooted in 2005, every science fiction lover breathed a sigh of relief. Since 1963, this extremely famous British television program has been aired on BBC One, depicting the exploits of a Time Lord, who is addressed as ‘the Doctor,’ but is actually an extraterrestrial entity disguised as a human. It goes without saying that this specific show has long been a significant element of British pulp culture, with a devoted fan base.
The series was created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson and lasted from 1963 to 1989. While there was a failed attempt to bring the program back to regular production in the shape of a television film titled Doctor Who in 1966, fans of the show can only thank their lucky stars that it was revived in 2005.
Returning to the series, there are many frightening elements here that are sure to send shivers down our spines. Well, we are concentrating on the spine-chilling monsters that are featured here. Prepare yourselves, Doctor Who fans, for today’s video, in which we will discuss 12 of the most terrifying monsters from the show! Are you prepared?
The Beast
Claiming to have existed way before the creation of the Doctor’s universe, the character of Beast identified himself as Satan. While it is debatable if the Beast was actually Satan or not, there’s no denying that he was certainly a demon. Boasting a scary corpse-like face, the Beast looked more like a huge humanoid having crimson skin and two very large ram-like horns out of which one was half broken.
Trapped by the Disciples of the Light beneath the surface of Krop Tor in chains, this ancient monster is entirely shrouded in mystery. From being able to manifest himself via electronic media such as computer voices or say hologram viewers, his mind was capable of leaving the body and taking control of a single hive mind of the Ood jointly and for that matter even a human being. The Beast owned both the powers of telepathy and telekinesis; be it a single human or a hive mind that the beast took control of, the eyes of his victims would always have this fiery red glow. But that’s not even the creepy part, things get even more freakish when the possessed hosts of the Beast start projecting fire from their mouth the same way the latter does. Hell, they can also literally survive in a vacuum! What else can be creepier?
Still, wondering if he is the devil himself? Chances are high that he actually might be. Adding more to the fear factor, the Beast besides being narcissistic was also far too egotistical; so much so that he actually disregarded every other creature. From calling them inferior to regarding himself as unconquerable, immortal, and supreme in every way, the Beast also went to the extent of referring himself in the third person.
Next, comes his vicious killer instincts. It should not surprise you at all when we highlight the manipulative, crafty nature of the Beast and the fact that he would heartlessly prey on the fears of people and then leave them feeling susceptible. For instance, he was vicious enough to torment Toby with his presence before taking control of him of course, and also compelling him to believe that if he looked at him, he would simply die. Also, the sole fact that the Beast could see the future made him take advantage of this clairvoyant insight and misuse it against others.
There are no second thoughts regarding the Beast being absolutely deadly and creepy, thereby topping this list for sure!
The Flood
Say hello to the viral species that became confined underneath a glacier on the planet of Mars and required a physical form to take on so as to contaminate all kinds of biological life that contained water. It goes without saying that the Flood’s usual state was liquid and that it could control water, even leading the liquid form to flow in unusual directions. Of course, it was quite capable of infecting other forms of life by simply coming in contact with them. Don’t forget that the Flood itself is a viral form of life!
Now, once an individual gets affected by it, they begin to ooze out water. So, there’s water practically pouring from the hands, mouth, and mind you the pressure of the water that’s getting discharged is pretty high. Things begin taking a turn for the worse; the infected individuals start relying on water to draw oxygen instead of the air. The infection affects their heartbeats and pulse to quite an extent and also leads to some major electrical activity mostly in the brain of the affected individual. Also, upon mutation, the infected hosts are capable of disabling the nearby cameras and would also develop cracked, scaly skin, particularly around the mouth and neck region besides having blackened teeth and internal fission. There are a few hosts who can also evolve faded blue eyes but that’s not in the case for all.
From having the ability to endure on the surface of Mars to being able to run exceedingly fast, the host is literally capable of keeping up with a rocket-boosted robot. And, just a tiny drop of water released by the host was more than capable of spreading the infection. In spite of the substantial amount of water that was produced by the infection, the contaminated host didn’t really seem to be much affected by electricity. In fact, at the time Andy Stone, the crew member of Bowie Base One and also the first of the colony to be infected by the Flood was electrocuted by the Tenth Doctor, he was incapacitated for a rather brief period of time.
The character of the Flood despite being scattered demonstrated coordinated action as well as considerable intelligence. Post the infection, the victims could no longer speak and could only emit gurgling growls and to some extent comprehend Ancient North Martian. Besides all this, they could also produce petrifying high-pitched shrieks that sounded more like tortured metal, able to crack open ice and communicate with other infected victims. What’s even more bizarre is the fact that one could actually hear the victim’s scream even through the thickest of the metals!
Vashta Nerada
Described by the Doctor as the piranhas of the air, Vashta Nerada also addressed as ‘the shadows that melt the flesh’ were a swarming bunch of microscopic carnivorous beings that were found on most of the planets. While individually or say in small numbers, their species wasn’t considered a threat but God forbid if they were to be found in large numbers, they were quite capable of leaving their victims to their very bare-bones – all within a span of just milliseconds. The sole fact that one does not really get much time to learn about them makes them all the more terrifying. Just imagine them attacking someone inside their victims’ spacesuits, devouring them, and even going to the extent of mimicking them just to avoid others from suspecting them. Well, that is called being smart and creepy, both at the same time!
The Vashta Nerada dwelled in the very dark; they cast shadows when they entered the light. In fact, they impersonated the shadows of their targets while trying to get closer to them. While it was usually the element of light which kind of slowed them down but if they were in larger numbers, the effects of light would eventually be ineffective. They inspired fear of the dark in most species because almost any shadow for that matter could be made of Vashta Nerada. As per the Tenth Doctor, this was precisely the reason why literally every species out there in the universe dreaded the dark.
They were regarded mostly harmless and benevolent on Earth. It is true that they survived by scavenging road kill but then again, the Tenth Doctor did state that some people who walked in the dark, never really came out. In fact, he also did mention that wherever there is meat, there is Vashta Nerada. It is also reported that these beings were born as microscopic spores in trees and apparently lived their lives in the forests. Adding more to the creepy factor is the simple fact that these spores were so impactful and strong that they could be reborn even after the tree was converted into paper.
Our tip would be to stay away from these creatures as far as possible!
The Silence
Intended to be the creepiest monster of the series, the Silence, previously known as the Confessional Priests of the Papal Mainframe were genetically modified by the Church to allow people to confess their sins but without the latter remembering that they ever did such a thing in the first place to the extent of not even remembering their meeting with the Silence the minute they turn away. This particular ‘memory proof’ factor implies for people looking at their photographs as well. It’s safe to say that they are not really monsters but more like a religious order, ones that were also resistant to scanning devices.
Putting stress on their powers and abilities, the Silence were capable of consuming electricity, even if that meant the tiniest amount of static electricity straight from the air and into their bodies. And, if you think that’s cool, wait till we disclose to you their best part, a rather unsettling skill. They are quite proficient in shooting lightning from their hands and the amount of energy that gets released is literally enough to annihilate the ones they are firing at. Mind you, while they are either absorbing or releasing the energy, a hole would actually appear on their faces, especially where their mouth is. No points for guessing how strong they are; be it effortlessly smashing through fortified doors, breaking reinforced glasses by pushing on it, surviving point-blank handgun shots to being able to hang upside down from the ceilings just the way bats do, they give scary an all-new definition.
Coming to their appearance, they are pretty tall, more like a seven feet tall humanoid boasting a bulbous head along with a grey face, one that did not really have a mouth. They had four big spatula-like fingers and tiny, dark eyes devoid of the sclera and nestled deep within the skull. They would either growl or make clicking noises if they weren’t communicating in deep, raspy voices. While breathing, they would frequently produce rattling noises that were exceedingly spooky. Last but not the least, imagine them donning black suits, high collared shirts, and let’s not miss out on their ties either. It goes without saying that the all-black sartorial sense of the renegade priests of the Kovarian Chapter was bang on point!
Weeping Angel
Popularly known for being kind, murderous psychopaths, the Weeping Angels were an exceedingly powerful species of quantum-locked humanoids. Wondering why they are addressed so? Well, they have this rather unique nature of hiding their faces with their very hands to prevent trapping each other in petrified forms for almost an eternity by simply looking at one another. And because they appeared like that, that’s how they got their signature weeping look.
As far as their victims are concerned, the Weeping Angels would eliminate them quite leniently by dropping them into the past and letting them live out their full lives but in an entirely separate time period. As a result, this led the Weeping Angels to live off the remaining time energy of the victim’s life. At times, they were also known to kill their victims by just snapping off their necks. Boasting an age that was as old as the universe itself, they appeared as stone statues of winged humanoid angels in chitons. From taking the form of bigger statues such as The Statue of Liberty to baby angels resembling cherubs, they would have their fangs and claws on display while showing ferocity. With victims looking at an Angel in the eyes, the latter is quite capable of infecting their visual centers forming images in their mind, mentally influencing them.
Putting further stress on the capabilities of the Weeping Angels, they had the power to convert regular statues into Angels. To those who are not aware of the kiss of a Weeping Angel, you will be quite surprised to know that it could literally change kissed people into replicas of other individuals, which of course died after some time. Mind you, an Angel’s kiss also had the power to reduce the kissed individuals to complete dust. Besides being able to move their victims back through time all thanks to a touch, they could also move people through both space and time. Next comes the fact that they could feed on other kinds of energy as well, like radiation or say the electrical form of energy found in electronics.
Now, you wouldn’t want them to be adequately fed because that makes them very strong; in fact, strong enough to be able to break through steel doors to the extent of making magnetized wheels turn and we are already well versed with the breaking of the necks of the victims. They are also quite skilled in terms of night vision and can even pursue in complete darkness. Add to that their horrifying squeals which happen to be the laughing and their ability to speak with each other even though they aren’t close to one another or let’s say they are in their frozen states.
Lastly, one of their major attributes is their almost perfect defense mechanism, which by the way is known as quantum locking. This led them to transform into harmless stones while they are being watched. In case they thought that they are being observed, quantum locking is still bound to happen as some kind of a reflex action. While they are not being watched, they are capable of moving impeccably fast. Full credits to their defense mechanism, which makes them quite hard to kill, specifically making them resistant to almost every type of weapon.
Gas Mask Zombies
With conman Captain Jack Harness stealing an ambulance and a Chula warship, he used the vehicle to tempt the TARDIS and ended up landing it in London in 1941. The part of the plan was to trick the time agents into believing that it was a Chula warship and made sure that a German bomb was to land on it, destroying it. But very little did he know that the nanogenes would not only escape but also give birth to the Empty Child Plague. The Chula nanogenes had never really encountered human beings before so post escaping when they came across one, they infected a dying boy called Jamie, who was caught in the London Blitz. Thinking that the gas mask he was wearing was part of his face, they revived him and inadvertently created the Empty Child, a zombie to be more precise. It goes without saying that almost everyone who got affected by the plague inherited a gas mask instead of their faces, a critical head injury on the left side, a partial collapse of the right side of their chest activity, and some kind of a slash on the backside of their right hands. The nanogenes also bestowed the child with the powers of Chula soldiers like their telepathic abilities, super-human strength, and the skill to communicate using anything with a speaker grill.
Those who the virus had infected, contaminated others, and the nanogenes spread in a fashion quite similar to a virus. The Gas Mask Zombies were famous for repeating a rather odd and sinister phrase, ‘Are you, my Mummy?’. Initially, people got infected if they were touched by someone who was already infected but eventually, the plague became airborne. The whole idea of people donning what looked more like a World War 2 gas mask, repeating the same phrase again and again and turning people they came in contact with into zombies is quite eerie. What’s even more dreadful is the part where the infected ones chanced upon their targets. Imagine faces getting stretched and twisted and the next thing you see is a gas mask on where the face should have been!
Boneless
Full credits to the Twelfth Doctor for coming up with the name, ‘Boneless’. To those of you who are wondering why are they called so in the first place, the Boneless appear as some kind of a mass of see-through, wriggling tendrils that are only capable of traveling across surfaces that are flat. But even in this form, they could reduce a three-dimensional object or even a person for that matter into a two-dimensional figure. Let’s say, the right way to put it would be their ability to flatten people as well as objects! Of course, the whole process is exceedingly painful and has also led to the very demise of their targets.
If you thought that the terrifying part about them is finally over, we urge you to rethink. The Boneless were further capable of dichotomizing anything or anyone that they had flattened just to understand how their physical dimensions worked. At times, they would even wear the skin of the deceased victims to camouflage themselves and also appear as distorted versions of them. How sick is that, right?
Post having learned enough about their targets, the Boneless had the power to change from their usual two-dimensional selves to three-dimensional ones. However, these versions were not perfect and continually fluttered between dimensions. Just visualize parts of their bodies repetitively distorting, restructuring, disappearing, and reappearing all at the same time.
The Cybermen
No points for guessing that the Cybermen were a race of emotionless cybernetically enhanced humanoids, which have made their appearances over and over again to make the Doctor’s life a living hell. Each differed greatly in design and had different groups originating independently through parallel evolution on various locations all across time, space, and the universe. While some of them were mainly born out of an instinct to survive, there were some who hankered for immortality because of the sole fact that their civilizations were perishing and they wished to survive. There were also others who were born from the determination to not only upgrade themselves but also everyone around them.
In spite of their various origins, the Cybermen were quite similar to each other. For starters, they didn’t really have any names, no emotions either, and often tried to re-engineer humans as well as other humanoids into Cybermen via cyber-conversion. Putting further stress on the conversion, this process of transforming compatible beings, mainly humans into themselves was quite essential on the part of the Cybermen to increase in number. What’s eerie is the part where they are also able to convert corpses regardless of their condition and post restoring the minds of the dead, delete their very emotions.
The weapons possessed by the Cybermen were called Cyber-weapons. Back in 1986, when they had attacked Earth, they carried huge, hand-held, energy weapons. In the year 2070 on the Moon, the Cybermen could generate arcs of electricity, their built-in weapon also known as the electro attack from their very hands to stun, disable and kill too. They also owed a cannon that could function even in space. In fact, the virus Neurotrope X was majorly employed as a biological weapon by the Cybermen with the sole aim of incapacitating humans. From having death ray weapons built into their very chest units, carrying large rifles emitting flames, having weapons built into their very helmets, owning portable cyber-bombs to literally being in possession of a Megatron bomb, one that had the power to destroy almost every form of life of Earth, the Cybermen were absolutely terrifying!
The Wirrn
Apparently, the race of these human-sized insects has been here in the universe since a very long time. Native to the Andromeda Galaxy, the Wirrn left the galaxy before the end of the 40th century in search of new host sources. They, in due course, made it to the Mutter’s Spiral, where they infested the planet and as they gained new hosts, they were able to learn about the political structures. No wonder, they planned an invasion and were successful in reaching Earth.
Boasting anatomy that was a lot similar to an earth-based insect, the Wirrn had heads, which were made of two large golden eyes, a long floppy antenna, and three small mandibles. Well, underneath the head was larger mandibles which they primarily used for talking or should we say squeaking. The head was connected to a long thorax that had six long arms affixed to it, ones that were as strong as a human arm. The Wirrn as species were pretty tough, effortlessly able to adapt itself to unknown environments and even endure energy blasts.
The Zygons
Having originated from the planet Zygor, the Zygons were a race of well-built humanoids, boasting large, cone-shaped heads and deeply inset faces. These metamorphic humanoids, who spoke in gurgling whispers, were way stronger than humans and had an average lifespan of seven hundred to one thousand years old. The Zygons also had this earthy, iron odor, their blood was maroon in color and they were powerful enough to sting people – thanks to poisonous barbs on their palms. The stings not only left large wounds on the affected area but at times could also lead to the death of humans.
Of course, they had the ability to alter members of other species also into Zygons along with the side effect of forming this telepathic link between the new Zygon created and the one that caused the change. The young Zygons were addressed as hatchlings; they were pale, had shorter limbs and were also quite slimy in nature. Although these hatchlings were mute, they were way faster than the adults. Let’s not miss out on the part that they are hermaphrodites; in the starting, they are completely white, more feminine, graceful, and minus the suckers. Next, their color changes to orange, they are covered in suckers and are also more masculine to look at. One of the greatest ranks that a Zygon could reach was that of a warrior engineer and to become one, A Zygon had to undergo the process of sterilization, something that eventually made it all more hostile and single-minded.
Stressing on their powers and abilities, they were capable of generating electricity bolts from their very hands to the extent of disintegrating humans into heaps of hair and skin. One of their most significant achievements was their usage of body prints on humans. For instance, they would capture a human and put them inside a vessel. Next, they could take the human form, mimicking not only the looks but also the voice. While they usually took the form of humanoids, they could also mimic creatures such as cattle, dogs and even horses.
The Ood
Just a single glance at the Ood and they are capable of literally topping this list. When you have a humanoid species with tentacles situated on the lower parts of the faces, you already know that they are going to be downright creepy. These monsters don’t have vocal cords; instead, they communicate via telepathy. They have two brains – a forebrain situated in the head and a secondary hindbrain that is usually held by them in their hands and connected by what looks like an umbilical cord to their faces. While the forebrain took care of the thinking part and also stored the telepathic sensors, the hindbrain processed all the memories and emotions.
Well, under usual conditions, they were actually quite gentle in nature. But it was the structure of their brain that made them inclined towards corruption. In fact, it was their passive telepathy, which led them to be controlled or let’s say possessed by stronger telepathic entities like the Beast and House.
Native to the Ood Sphere, they were initially a hive mind, one that was led by a huge living brain known as the Ood Brain. So much so that the color of an Ood’s eyes was also directly proportional to the level of telepathic activity. It changed from a normal glowing bright-red to white when it was not linked to a hive mind. As for the humans, they misinterpreted their red eyes as some kind of disease. In fact, humans are to be blamed for enslaving the Ood, to the extent of maiming them just to confirm their loyalty to servitude.
Gangers
At times, the main reason why monsters seem scary to us is because of the simple fact that they are so similar to us. Full credits to the show for driving us to our realm of fear and introducing to us Gangers. Also known as Flesh Avatars, it would not be wrong to address Gangers as the abbreviated form of Doppelgangers. After all, it was the humans who created this clone race from an artificially formed organic substance known as the Flesh.
The Gangers have mimicked duplicates of humans who controlled their Gangers through telepathic remote control. This drove humans to work in extremely hostile conditions without risks and any damage that they endured would not be felt by the actual human thanks to the nerve endings getting automatically shut down. Are you creeped out yet? If not, we have more reasons to make you. In some cases, Gangers also had this ability to expand their neck and limbs but that’s after getting animated by a solar system’s electricity. For instance, when they were animated by electricity, they became mostly unstable and shifted between half-human faces and half flesh. There, that should be more than enough for you to get creeped out completely!