Cyber Planners are the occasional leaders of the Cybermen and supporting antagonists in Doctor Who, appearing in various forms as the main antagonist of the stories "The Wheel in Space", "The Invasion", "Spare Parts", The “Cyberman” audio series, and "Nightmare in Silver".
The Cyber Planner is responsible for the Cybermen's tactics and strategy.
History[]
Spare Parts[]
As seen in the Big Finish audio drama Spare Parts, the first Cyber Planner was originally Mondas's central Committee, a gelsat of Mondas's finest minds. They eventually abandoned their individuality, and moved their intelligence into a metal shell, to ensure the Cybermen would continue. This Cyber-Planner was sabotaged by the Fifth Doctor, who poured wine into its nutrient vats, impeding its thought processes. It was later destroyed by a swarm reprogrammed Cybermats.
The Wheel in Space[]
In his first appearance the Cyber Planner directed the Cybermen's attack on Space Station W3.
The Invasion[]
Tobias Vaughn had the Cyber Planner, also known as the Cyber Director, installed in his office. He channeled communications between him and the Cybermen during their invasion. When Vaughn encountered the Second Doctor and Jamie, the Cyber Planner revealed that the Cybermen had previously encountered them on Planet 14, told Vaughn to destroy them.
After discovering that they had two days before Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart reputed to the UN, thus jeopardising the whole invasion, Vaughn and the Director argued whether they should bring their plans forward, as the invasion forces were not complete. After Vaughn stated he would sever all help if the invasion was not brought to the next day, the Director relented. Later, the Cyber-Director went over the plan for invasion. However, after stating they would identify and convert suitable humans and destroy the rest, Vaughn argued their agreement was that he could rule Earth and the Cybermen could take mineral resources.
After the invasion began, the Director and Vaughn confronted the Doctor, as the Director stated the invasion fleet would arrive in two waves. After the humans began fighting back against the Cyber Fleet, the Director believed Vaughn had betrayed them, and revealed that the Cybermen were going to destroy Earth with a cyber megaton bomb. In retribution, the Director was destroyed by Vaughn's Cerebration Machine.
The Orion War[]
In the audio spin off Cyberman, a Cyber Planner was aboard the Cyber-Ship uncovered by the Scorpius Project off the coast of the Isle of Wight. After the Cybermen reactivated, the Cyber Planner oversaw the conversion of Paul Hunt into their Cybrid agent. The Cyber Planner oversaw operations in taking control of Earth, with Hunt reporting to it.
The Eternity Clock[]
In the video game The Eternity Clock, a Cyber Planner led the Ninth Cyber Legion in invading Earth in London during 2012. The Cyber Planner used a piece of the Eternity Clock to power the Cyberfactory. The Eleventh Doctor and River Song destroyed the Cyberfactory, along with the Cyber Planner and the Ninth Cyber Legion and collected the piece of the Eternity Clock.
Nightmare in Silver[]
With the Cybermen in the Cyber tombs the Cyber Planner (using the name Mr. Clever) needed a body to control. Children were the ideal being as they had new fresh minds. However since the children stopped coming to Hedwick's World of Wonders where he was hiding he had no one to control. However the Eleventh Doctor and Clara brought Artie and Angie there with them so he had a Cyberman kidnap them. Mr. Clever partially upgraded them however he decided to possess the Doctor seeing him as superior as he was a Time Lord. Through a swarm of Cybermites he took over nearly half of his brain with the Doctor in control of most the other half leaving a a small part neutral.
They decided to have a chess game to determine who would control the whole brain. When the Doctor took a turn he was in control and when Mr. Clever took a turn he was in control. In the end Mr. Clever was almost able to win however The Doctor used a hand pulse to destroy his circuitry, giving him full control of his body back. Mr. Clever was then redistributed within the Cyberiad and presumably was destroyed with the Cybermen on Hedgewick's World.