Davros

Davros is a fictional extraterrestrial villain in the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who. He is a megalomaniacal inventor, who created The Daleks, however after an unnamed accident is restricted to a Dalek-like wheelchair. He has been a fairly regular villain since his 1975 debut in Genesis of the Daleks, where he was portrayed by Michael Wisher, whom had also played the Daleks on several occasions. Davros has been described, by Julian Bleach, an actor who played the character in a later series, as a cross between Hitler and Stephen Hawking, and has been constantly compared to the infamous German dictator in Doctor Who fandom.

The Fourth Doctor

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Fourth Doctor. (Discuss)

Portrayed by Tom Baker

Genesis of The Daleks (8th March 1975 to 12th April 1975)

Gharman: Ready Davros?

Davros: [Calmly] Observe the test closely, my friend. This will be a moment that will live in history. [Davros flicks a switch, revealing a prototype Dalek, which glides slowly forward]

Davros: Halt. Turn Right. Halt. Now... [With rising Anticipation and ecstasy] Exterminate.

[The Dalek fires at three dummies]

Davros: Perfect. The weaponry is perfect... Now; We can begin

[After Davros introduces the Dalek prototype to the scientific elite]

Davros: Turn left. Halt! Move forward

Ronson: That's magnificent! Davros has perfected voice control!

Davros: Turn right. Move forward, and circle left. You will agree, I think, that voice control represents an enormous step forward. But the best is yet to come. Nyder!

[Nyder picks up a Dalek Gunstick from a box, and helps an aide attach it to the Dalek prototype]

Davros: Our machine is now equipped with a weapon for self-defence. Now, I shall turn the machine over to total self-control. It will be entirely independent from all outside influences. A living, thinking, self supporting creature.

[Davros flicks a switch and The Dalek activates rounding on the Doctor]

Davros: Brilliant... Brilliant! It has detected nonconformity!

Dalek: A-li-ens. I must exterminate. Exterminate!

Ronson: No!

[Ronson runs to Davros' chair and flicks the switch; deactivating the Dalek]

Davros: [Outraged] You dare to interfere?! You have the audacity to interrupt one of my experiments?!

Ronson: But it would have destroyed him!

Davros: [with rising anger] So, you think the saving of a worthless life more important than the progress we have made?! My creature showed a natural desire, an instinct to destroy, and you interceded! YOU WILL BE PUNISHED FOR THIS!

Ronson: Davros, I'm sorry, but I believe that these prisoners, they could be extremely valuable. By all means, when I have my questions, let the machine do what it likes with them, but I do need to interrogate them further.

Davros: [more controlled] You will be punished for insubordination! In the meantime, you may question the prisoners until first light. After that, they will be used to resume the experiment. This meeting is ended.

[After an audition high the Kaled High Council]

Davros: The council has signed the death warrant for the whole of the Kaled people. Only us, the Elite, and the Daleks will go on.

Nyder: The whole Kaled race? you would go so far?

Davros: Did you ever doubt it?

Nyder: No.

Davros: There is much I want to do. I want the genetically conditioned creatures installed in the machines. Immediately. Twenty of them!

Nyder: Twenty?

Davros: They are our troops in this battle for survival.

[Within the Thal, the enemies of the Kaled's city.]

Davros: Words such as patriotism and nationalism. My concern is only for peace, an end to the carnage that has near destroyed both our races.

Thal Councillor: Why have you not taken this up with your own people?

Davros: I have tried, time and again, I have tried. But now they will be satisfied with nothing but the total annihilation of the Thal people.

Thal Councillor: Then they deserve to perish, and perish they will when we launch our rocket! It's primed and ready. The countdown for firing can begin immediately.

Davros: And it will fail

Thal Councillor: It cannot fail.

Davros: The Kaled dome cannot be penetrated. Your great rocket will barely scratch it. This is the measure of my faith. Nyder.

Nyder: It is a simple chemical formula. If it is loaded into artillery shells and launched onto the surface of the Kaled dome, it will weaken the molecular structure, making it brittle. Your rocket will then be able to penetrate without resistance.

Thal Councillor: Why are you giving us this information? You own people, the Kaleds, will be utterly exterminated!

Davros: No price is too great to pay for peace. I only ask that when the war is over I be allowed to help in the reconstruction of our world.

Nyder: We want to see the conflict brought to an end. The formula will give you the power to bring that about.

Davros: By dawn, our world will be at peace.

Nyder: Do you think they believed you?

Davros: It is unimportant. They are hungry for victory.

[Within the Kaled Bunker, all Elite are looking at a monitor]

Davros: Switch it off. We will avenge the annihilation of the Kaled people with a retaliation so massive, so merciless, that it will live in history.

[Davros flicks a switch, and three armed Daleks enter the room]

Davros: Let the vengeance begin with the death of the Arch Traitor, the Thal Spy; Ronson!

Ronson: No! I- Davros!

Davros: Exterminate! Exterminate!

Ronson: No!

Davros: Exterminate!

[One of the Daleks fires, killing Ronson instantly]

Davros: Today the Kaled race is ended, consumed in a fire of war. But from it's ashes will rise a new race! The supreme creature, the ultimate conqueror of the universe; The Dalek! The action you take today is the beginning of a journey that will take the Daleks to their destiny of universal and absolute supremacy! You have been conditioned and programmed to complete a task. You will now carry out that programme

Daleks: We obey!

[Davros hands a sheet of paper to Gharman]

Davros: That outlines the chromosomal variations to be introduced to the embryo Daleks. It is to be implemented at once.

Gharman: Davros, this will create enormous mental defects

Davros: Not defects; Improvements.

Gharman: But it means they'll be creatures without conscience, no sense of right or wrong, no pity! They'll be without feeling or emotion.

Davros: Correct. Now see that my orders are carried out

Gharman: But-

Davros: Without question, Gharman.

[Gharman leaves with the paper]

Davros: Well?

Nyder: The Daleks are in position. They will act on your command

Davros: I see no reason to delay any longer.

Davros: [about to torture Harry and Sarah in front of the Doctor] Let me tell you what is going to happen. You will answer my questions. You will answer them carefully and precisely. The instruments to which you are wired are particularly sensitive. They will detect instantly any attempt to lie.

The Doctor: And if I do lie?

Davros: If you lie, your friends will suffer. I can create in their bodies all the torments and agonies ever known.

[Davros turn a knob; Sarah and Harry begin to gasp]

Sarah: Don’t — tell him — Doctor!

Davros: Now, you will tell me the reason for every Dalek defeat. With that knowledge I will program them. With that knowledge they will know their errors and how to avoid them. With that knowledge there will be no defeats! We will begin!

The Doctor: [wearily] Davros… If I tell you want you want to know, I betray millions of people in the future. I can’t do that.

Davros: But you can! You will tell me! You will tell me! You will tell me!

Davros: Now, future errors will be eradicated! Defeats will become victories! You have changed the future of the universe, Doctor!

The Doctor: I have betrayed the future. Davros, for the last time, consider what you are doing. Stop the development of the Daleks!

Davros: Impossible. It is beyond my control. The workshops are already fully automated to produce the Dalek machines.

The Doctor: It's not the machines, it's the minds of the creatures inside them. Minds that you created! They are totally evil!

Davros: Evil?! No! No, I will not accept that. They are conditioned simply to survive. They can survive only by becoming the dominant species. When all other life forms are suppressed — when the Daleks are the supreme rulers of the universe — then, you will have peace. Wars will end. They are the power not of evil, but of good.

The Doctor: Davros, if you had created a virus in your laboratory, something contagious and infectious that killed on contact, a virus that would destroy all other forms of life; would you allow its use?

Davros: It is an interesting conjecture.

The Doctor: Would you do it?

Davros: The only living thing... The microscopic organism... reigning supreme... A fascinating idea!...

The Doctor: But would you do it?

Davros: ...Yes... yes... To hold in my hand, a capsule that contained such power. To know that life and death on such a scale was my choice. To know that the tiny pressure on my thumb, enough to break the glass, would end everything. Yes! I would do it! That power would set me up above the gods! And through the Daleks, I shall have that power!

[The Doctor jumps up and grabs Davros' arm, almost fighting him.]

Davros: Release me.

The Doctor: No, Davros. [His hand hovers over a small, black button. He is still holding onto Davros' arm.]

Davros: [quietly] Don't touch that switch.

The Doctor: Why not?

Davros: It controls my life-support systems. I could not survive thirty seconds without them.

The Doctor: [whispering] Order the destruction of the incubator section!

Davros: [quietly] Destroy the Daleks? Never!

[The Doctor presses the button. A siren goes off and Davros convulses, going weaker. The Doctor eventually relents.]

The Doctor: [severely] I mean it, Davros. Next time I press that switch, it stays pressed. Now, give the order!

Davros: Even if I do this, there will be no escape for you.

The Doctor: I'll take that chance. Now give the order!

Davros: Press...the communicator switch.

[The Doctor throws a red switch.]

Davros: [loudly] This is Davros! Elite Unit Seven will go to the incubator room. All survival maintenance systems are to be closed down. The Dalek creatures...are to be...destroyed.

The Doctor: Tell them the order cannot be countermanded!

Davros: This order...cannot...

[Nyder creeps up on the Doctor and knocks him out.]

Davros: This is Davros! This is Davros! My last order is cancelled - repeat - cancelled. No action is to be taken. [turns off communicator]

Nyder: What do you want done with this?

Davros: For the moment, he must be kept alive. He has knowledge that is vital to our future, and I will drain every last detail of it from his mind. And then...he will learn the true meaning of pain.

Davros: The beginning, only the beginning! From this moment, all other research must cease. Absolute priority is to be given to the building of my Dalek force. Nothing, absolutely nothing must delay the glorious

project!

Davros: Ours is the victory, Nyder. We have won! They talk of democracy, freedom, fairness. Those are the creeds of cowards! The ones who would listen to a thousand viewpoints and try to satisfy them all. Achievement comes through absolute power! And power through strength! They have lost!

Davros: The automated Dalek production line has started. I gave no such order. Who did?

Dalek Prime: I gave the command.

Davros: [Calmly] You will perform no function unless ordered by me. You will obey only my commands. The production line is to be halted immediately.

[Dalek makes no movement to obey]

Davros: [Increasingly angered] You heard my order. Obey! ...Obey!

[The Dalek still makes no move]

Davros: Nyder.

Nyder: Yes, Davros.

[Dalek fires and kills Nyder as he tries to halt the production line]

Dalek Prime: Production will continue!

Davros: You must obey me! I created you! I am the master, not you! I — I — I —

Dalek Prime: Our programming does not permit us to acknowledge that any creature is superior to the Daleks!

Davros: [Flustered and panicked] You cannot exist without me! You cannot progress!

Dalek Prime: We are programmed to survive. We have the ability to develop in any way necessary to ensure that survival-

Dalek 2: [Glides into the room behind the Dalek prime] Main exit blocked by explosion, for a length of at least 1,000 yards!

Dalek Prime: All inferior creatures are to be considered the enemy of the Daleks and destroyed!

Davros: No wait! Those men are scientists! They can help you! Let them live! Have pity!

Dalek Prime: "Pi-ty"? I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EX-TERMINATE!

[The Daleks kill the other scientists]

Davros: [Screaming] For the last time, I am your creator! You must — you will obey me!

Dalek Prime: We obey no one! We are the superior beings!

[Davros quickly turns and reaches for the button]

Daleks: EXTERMINATE!

Dalek Prime: We are entombed, but we live on. This is only the beginning. We will prepare. We will grow stronger. When the time is right, we will emerge and take our rightful place as The Supreme Power of the Universe!!!