Kroton (Cyberman)
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Kroton is a fictional character who appeared in the
Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the followi ...
'' comic'' strip based on the long-running British
science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...
series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
''. He was a companion of the
Eighth Doctor The Eighth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Paul McGann. The character was introduced in the 1996 TV film ''Doctor Who'', a back-door pilo ...
. The character is separate from the Krotons, the villains of the 1968 serial ''
The Krotons ''The Krotons'' is the fourth serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 December 1968 to 18 January 1969. In the serial, the time travel ...
''. Kroton is a
Cyberman The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme '' Doctor Who''. The Cybermen are a species of space-faring cyborgs who often forcefully and painfully convert human beings ...
, a member of the cybernetically augmented race that is one of the most persistent enemies of the
Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...
. However, unlike other Cybermen, Kroton still retains human feelings despite undergoing cyber-conversion. Kroton first appeared in the comic strip ''Throwback — The Soul of a Cyberman'', published in ''Doctor Who Weekly'' #5-#7 (as it then was), written by Steve Moore and drawn by
Steve Dillon Steve Dillon (22 March 1962 – 22 October 2016) was a British comic book artist, best known for his work with writer Garth Ennis on ''Hellblazer'', ''Preacher'' and ''The Punisher''. Early life Dillon was born in London in 1962 and raised i ...
.


Character history

In ''Throwback'', the Cybermen invade the planet Mondaran but continue to encounter heavy human resistance. Among the reinforcements from the Cyberman colony world
Telos Telos (; ) is a term used by philosopher Aristotle to refer to the final cause of a natural organ or entity, or of a work of human art. Intentional actualization of potential or inherent purpose,"Telos.''Philosophy Terms'' Retrieved 3 May 2020. ...
is Junior Cyberleader Kroton, who discovers that he sympathizes with the rebels. He helps the surviving rebels escape the planet, even to the point of killing his fellow Cybermen to defend the rebels. However, uncertain about the meaning of his own existence, he does not stay with the humans, but pilots his ship alone into space, planning to let his power supplies run down. In his battles with the doctors, he gained many battle wounds but fell to a glorious death. However, Kroton survives, encountering a pleasure cruiser that is caught in a time warp (''Ship of Fools'', DWW #23-#24). Despite the passengers' lack of concern, he manages to access the robot pilot of the ship and free it from its endless looping through time. Unfortunately, the ship has been trapped in the time warp for 628 years, and when time catches up with the passengers, they all instantly age and die, leaving Kroton alone with only the robot pilot for the company. Kroton did not reappear until nearly 19 years later, in ''Unnatural Born Killers'' (DWM #277), where he fights off a
Sontaran The Sontarans ( ) are a fictional race of extraterrestrial humanoids principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. A warrior race characterised by their ruthlessness and fearlessness of death, they w ...
raid on a primitive human village; in the time since his last appearances, he has become more proactive and physical as well as speaking more colloquially. The story set up his appearance less than a year later in ''The Company of Thieves'' (DWM #284-#286) where he meets the Eighth Doctor and his companion
Izzy Izzy is a common nickname for the given names Israel,Isaac, Isambard, Isidor, Isidore, Isidora, Isabel, Isobel, Isabelle, Isabella, Isaiah, Ishmael, Izzet, Isarn, Ismail, Isra, Izebel, Izmara, Isobelle, Isaura or Isam (عصام). Izzy, Izzie, ...
on a freighter that has been captured by space pirates. After initially mistaking him for a typical Cyberman and trying to kill him, the Doctor realizes that Kroton is different. Together, they deal with the pirates who are attempting to capture an intelligent super-weapon. At the conclusion of that story, the Doctor welcomes Kroton aboard the
TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior ap ...
. The TARDIS next takes the Doctor, Izzy, and Kroton to the museum planet Paradost, where memories can be accessed and enhanced by means of mnemonic crystals. However, Kroton refuses to use them, believing that remembering his life before cyber-conversion would be too painful. The travelers' visit coincides with the launch of a
jihad Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
by the planet Dhakan's Church of the Glorious Dead. The wholesale slaughter turns out to be the work of the renegade
Time Lord The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', of which the series' main protagonist, The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, is a memb ...
known as the
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, who had survived his last encounter with the Doctor and had been contacted by Esterath, a cosmic being that controls the Glory, the focal point of the Omniversal spectrum which underlies all existence. Esterath is dying and needs to pass control of the Glory over to the worthier of two adversaries, and tells the Master that he and the Doctor had been chosen. While the Doctor and the Master grapple in the Omniversal spectrum, Izzy and Kroton deal with the person who led the massacre on Paradost: Cardinal Morningstar, actually an immortal
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
named Sato who had found eternal life without meaning much as Kroton had. The Master had found Sato and used him to alter
Earth's history The history of Earth concerns the development of planet Earth from its formation to the present day. Nearly all branches of natural science have contributed to understanding of the main events of Earth's past, characterized by constant geologic ...
and make it Dhakan. Sato and Kroton fight, but Kroton is unable to defeat Sato physically. In the spectrum, the Doctor loses his battle with the Master. As Sato is also about to prove victorious over Kroton, Izzy uses a mnemonic crystal to make Sato realize the full import of his part in the slaughter of Paradost, and Sato falls unconscious. Izzy also makes Kroton use the crystal, causing him to remember his pre-conversion life and finally come to terms with it. As the Glory arrives to acknowledge its new controller, the Master steps forward to claim it but is rejected. It is then revealed that the true adversaries chosen by the Glory were not the Master and the Doctor, but Sato and Kroton. Both of them were made immortal by technology, but Kroton won by choosing hope over despair. Kroton takes his place as the new controller of the Glory, restoring the proper timeline, banishing the Master to parts unknown, and granting Sato his wish of an honorable death. The Doctor and Izzy continue their journeys without him (''The Glorious Dead'', DWM #287-#296).


Other appearances

In the Eighth Doctor novel ''
The Scarlet Empress ''The Scarlet Empress'' is a 1934 American historical drama film starring Marlene Dietrich and John Lodge about the life of Catherine the Great. It was directed and produced by Josef von Sternberg from a screenplay by Eleanor McGeary, loosely ba ...
'', Time Lady
Iris Wildthyme Iris Wildthyme is a fictional character created by writer Paul Magrs, who has appeared in short stories, novels and audio dramas from numerous publishers. She is best known from Doctor Who spin-offs, spin-off media based on the long-running Britis ...
mentions that at some point during her travels, she encountered and befriended Kroton. The Doctor, however, gives no response, which may imply that the events of the novel take place before his own meeting with Kroton. However, ''Throwback'' is "narrated" by the
Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...
, who describes it as a recounting of an incident in the Time Lord archives.


External links

{{Doctor Who companions, 8 Comics characters introduced in 1979 Doctor Who comic strip characters Doctor Who spin-off companions Male characters in comics