Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who The Cybermen From Dark Water (2014) Vortex Edition Figure Set

Release Date: June 2026

RRP: £44.99

The Doctor Who action figure line has slowly but surely been building itself back up through a range of online exclusives that feature more new/upgraded tooling when compared to the B&M store exclusive retail figures, now culminating in its most ambitious wave in years. Over the next five months Character Options will be release one new figure set a month in their website exclusive Vortex Edition range, each featuring a build-a-figure piece to create a Yeti from 1967’s The Abominable Snowmen. Kicking off the wave is The Cybemen from Dark Water (2014) Vortex Edition figure set, a two-pack of the “Cyberiad” Cybermen that first appeared in 2013’s Nightmare in Silver before subsequently appearing the 2014 series eight two-part finale Dark Water/Death in Heaven.

Reviews in Time & Space: Doctor Who 2022 Centenary Special - The Power of the Doctor

"It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for." After four years and 31 episodes, the time of Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall has come to an end. Combined with the celebration of the BBC's centenary, such an exit deserves an extra-special episode of Doctor Who. The Doctor's greatest enemies converge on her in The Power of the Doctor – a feature length special clocking in at an incredible 90 minutes. As teased following the credits of Legend of the Sea Devils, the episode brings back classic companies Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) – along with several other familiar faces that were kept top secret ahead of the episode airing.

(This review contains major spoilers, make sure you've seen the episode first!)

Top 5: Most Wanted Doctor Who Figures (Classic Series)

Despite some of the difficulties Character Options' Doctor Who toy line has faced over the years, thanks to the steady stream of B&M store exclusives it's regained enough strength that figure wish lists don't feel like a complete fantasy any more – particularly when it comes to the classic era. For this month's top five feature I'll be looking at the figures I'd most like to see come to the line, as well as giving brief reasons as to why. Some of these are pretty unlikely so truth be told I don't have too much hope of any of them happening, but even if one could become a reality that would be cause for celebration.

Reviews in Space & Time: Doctor Who 12x10 - The Timeless Children

The time has finally arrived, and things will never be the same again. With the Cybermen back in full force, a long-awaited return to Gallifrey and the Master once again in tow, the stage is set for the Doctor Who series 12 finale – The Timeless Children. Showrunner Chris Chibnall brings his series-long arc to forefront of the episode, having planted the seeds for the eponymous Timeless Child as far back The Ghost Monument. Once again directed by series staple Jamie Magnus Stone, the episode follows directly on from the events of both The Haunting of Villa Diodati and Ascension of the Cybermen. “Everything you think you know is a lie.”

Reviews in Space & Time: Doctor Who 12x09 - Ascension of the Cybermen

The end is almost upon us, and in the finale of Doctor Who series 12 the 13th Doctor must once again battle against an enemy that's taken so much from her in the past - the Cybermen. Following on from the surprise appearance of the lone Cyberman in The Haunting of Villa Diodati, the race towards the end continues in Ascension of the Cybermen - written by show runner Chris Chibnall and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone. Interestingly Ascension is also the fourth two-part finale in modern Doctor Who to feature the Cybermen, following on from Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, Death in Heaven/Dark Water and of course World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls. But despite now having more finale appearances than even the Daleks, many have said that the Cybermen lost their lustre a long time ago. Could this be the episode that finally brings it back?

Reviews in Space & Time: Doctor Who 12x08 - The Haunting of Villa Diodati

Doctor Who and Mary Shelley - a match made in heaven? One might think so given the amount of times the two have crossed paths, with the 19th century writer having previously crossed paths with the Tenth Doctor in the Battles in Time comic strip and been a fully-fledged companion to the Eighth Doctor in a series of Big Finish audio adventures. But without arguing just which of these are considered canon, it’s time for a new first encounter with Doctor 13 in The Haunting of Villa Diodati. Edging one step closer to the two-part series finale, this episode from writer Maxine Alderton and director Emma Sullivan promises to be the injection of gothic horror series 12 has lacked thus far.

Reviews in Time & Space: Doctor Who 10x12 - The Doctor Falls

After 12 (mostly) fantastic weeks, but the time has finally come for Doctor Who series 10 to come to an end. Along with that comes goodbye to Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, Michelle Gomez as Missy, Steven Moffat as showrunner and quite likely Pearl Mackie and Matt Lucas as Bill Potts and Nardole too. Well, this is true for some of those anyway as we already know Capaldi and Moffat will both be returning for the Christmas special before handing the reins over to new showrunner Chris Chibnall and the currently unknown new Doctor. But regardless regeneration is in the air, and following the sheer horror of World and Time Enough there's two Masters, a newly born army of Cybermen and Bill's transformation into a Cybermen to deal with as The Doctor Falls...

Reviews in Time & Space: Doctor Who 10x11 - World Enough and Time

It's been a fun ten weeks, but now the end is finally approaching. It's time to begin bidding farewell to Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor, Michelle Gomez as Missy, Steven Moffat as showrunner and potentially Pearl Mackie as Bill Potts too. As Doctor Who series 10 draws to a close we begin the two-part finale with World Enough and Time - written by Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay, who previously directed the two-part finales for both series eight and nine. As well as bringing back the original Mondasian Cybermen to screens, World Enough and Time also features the much-publicised return of John Simm as the Master, making this the first multi-Master story put to screen.

Reviews in Time & Space: Death in Heaven

The big finale has finally arrived! Danny Pink is dead! Missy is the Master! There are Cybermen pouring out of St Paul's Cathedral! As the Doctor and Clara face Earth's darkness hour, they'll both be presented with some incredibly hard decisions. The Cybermen have revealed that with Missy's help they now have the power to pollinate the dead, UNIT return and the Doctor is made President of planet Earth in the crisis. As the Doctor has every army under his command to defend Earth against this Cyberthreat, Clara meets Danny again in a way she never expected. But what is Missy's end goal? It's time for Death in Heaven.

Reviews in Time & Space: Dark Water

The end is in sight for Doctor Who season eight. After ten weeks of learning the new side of the 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald becoming a character rather than a plot device, the season finale has finally arrived  - Dark Water. Danny Pink is dead, and Clara wants the man she loves back. After showing the Doctor just how determined she is, the two head off to find out just where people go after they die. As Danny's past resurfaces as he struggles with his death, the Doctor and Clara find themselves in 3W - a strange organisation that houses the dead in strange tanks. As the two explore a chilling prospect of what happens to us after we die, they not only uncover a Cybermen plot but also come face to face with the mysterious Missy. As she reveals her true identity, the Doctor is in for quite a shock...

Reviews in Time & Space: The Time of the Doctor

After a bombshell of a season finale and a triumphant 50th anniversary special, it's finally time to say goodbye to the Eleventh Doctor. Matt Smith has led the show since 2010 and seen it through seasons that have been met to varied reception, but his eccentric and childlike incarnation has certainly been a popular one. But the special thing about The Time of the Doctor is that not only that it covers Smith's regeneration into number 12 Peter Capaldi, but it also addresses something fans have wondered about since it was first mentioned back in the days of the classic series...what will happen when the Doctor reaches the end of his natural life with no regenerations left?

When a mysterious but untranslatable signal leads thousands of alien races to an unknown planet, the Doctor is first in line to take a look at what mystery it holds. Passing through the forcefield set up by the Church of the Papal Mainframe to keep all of the Doctor's enemies out, he finds one final crack and a message from his lost home of Galifrey - the oldest question, "Doctor who?" With the Church refusing to let Galifrey out for fear of starting another Time War and the Doctor refusing to lose his home again, so begins a stalemate that lasts centuries. As races fall and only the Doctor's deadliest enemy is left, time is counting down for the Time Lord's eleventh incarnation.

The planet is Trenzalore, and the clock is striking twelve.

Thought you'd seen the last of me? Muahaha

In some ways The Time of the Doctor is less a new episode and more a culmination of all the hanging plot threads that have been gathered since Matt Smith first stepped into the TARDIS four years ago. Massive questions such as what caused the TARDIS to explode back in season 5, what "silence will fall" means and just what are the Silents are finally answered - and to be perfectly honest more often that not these answers feel incredibly underwhelming. The Church of the Papal Mainframe or, as they later become, the Church of the Silence are the string that tie all these things together - headed by the enigmatic Tasha Lem whose unexplained history with the Doctor makes her come across as a poor River Song clone. And speaking as someone who greatly dislikes River Song, this is a fairly impressive achievement.

Meet your new eco-friendly Cybermen

As a Christmas special the Christmas theme has to be tied in there somewhere, and while the episode arguably does it in a wholly unnecessary fashion that doesn't mean it's not something that's done badly. Clara's rather awkward family Christmas dinner aside, the Doctor stays to defend Trenzalore he spends hundreds of years as sheriff of the snow covered town of Christmas, fixing toys and putting on Punch and Judy shows when he isn't battling Sontarans, Weeping Angels and even wooden Cybermen. Moffat's Comic Relief special The Curse of Fatal Death once referred to the Doctor as like Father Christmas and here it couldn't be any more apparent. Even with some dodgy old man make up (which gets progressively better the Doctor ages even further), the Eleventh Doctor shines throughout his swan song through a performance that very much feels like something only he could pull off.

So when will old man 11 team up with old man 10?

Since Matt Smith is officially number 11, that begs the question of how the character has suddenly used up 13 lives. Eager to please all parties the episode neatly explains this - we already heard about the War Doctor in The Day of the Doctor, and then its finally confirmed that David Tennant's clone Doctor from the season 4 finale makes 13. Sure it might be rushing things along a bit hastily, but the BBC probably don't want the thought looming over their head for another how many years and neither do the fans so it may as well be covered now. This was both casual and hardcore fans can get behind the premise of the Doctor meeting his final days, a premise that might actually have some gravity behind it everyone under the sun didn't already know Peter Capaldi was taking over. It's one thing to have it announced by the media, but the guy has already cameoed in the show for god's sake. It was always obvious that the Doctor wasn't going to die to the audience, so the important parts were how the character would react to it (one can only assume Doctors 1-11 + War weren't aware Capaldi's evil eyebrows were present at the saving of Galifrey) and just how the Doctor's new lease of life would be handled.

And the way it's handled was perhaps the most logical choice of all, a brand new regeneration cycle granted to him by the Time Lords. Predictable as it may be, it works because it means the show can continue on without breaking any of its already established rules. That being said, Galifrey's "return" was one of the more poorly handled aspects of the episode. Having them appear behind the crack ties things back to how the 11's tenure began, but to have them not physically appear and then swan off again without any real thought behind it (especially after so much of a fuss was made about it in the story) worries me that the Time Lords coming and going will become a recurring thing for the show from now on. Either bring them back or don't, another "last Dalek" scenario is not what the show needs. The regeneration process (or in this case, the de-aging process) is also something that needs to be toned down because things are getting a little ridiculous. Having 10's destroy the TARDIS interior was one thing, but 11's has the power to take down an entire Dalek invasion force.

One day, one day we might be a threat again!

Speaking of the Daleks, their inevitable crushing defeat aside the monsters are beginning to claw back a little of their former glory after the train wreck that was Asylum of the Daleks. In a swift move that episode's ridiculous ending was seemingly retconned, and the hateful pepper pots were back to screaming the Doctor's name and knowing all about his incoming demise. While the episode features some great moments from all the aliens appearing (although Sontarans being played for laughs is getting a bit too much now), the Daleks stand victorious amongst them are stand firm as the universe's biggest threat.

Dem eyebrows.

All that's really left to talk about is the exit itself, which can be best summed up in one word - dignified. Matt Smith's departure is in a similar vein to David Tennant's in The End of Time, but the over-sentimentality is thankfully toned down and we get a Doctor that is accepting of his fate rather than going out like a blubbering idiot. That's not to say the sequence doesn't try its damned hardest to pull at the heartstrings (the surprise vision of Amy springs to mind), but at least here everything feels right rather than unnecessarily forced. Matt Smith has always excelled at delivering epic speeches, and his final words about treasuring every moment he's spent in this body will certainly go down as one of his best. Then in a flash of light we have Peter Capaldi, ready to take the reins as a much older Doctor. First impressions? Well, 20 seconds isn't a whole lot to go on but anticipation is certainly running high...

All in all The Time of the Doctor isn't a perfect episode by any means but it is both a fitting and moving end for the Eleventh Doctor. His run may not have been the best, but the impression he's left on the show is one that will be fondly remembered by many for years to come. "Raggedy man, goodnight" indeed.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who Enemies of the First Doctor Collectors' Set

With the 5" classic Doctor Who line now limited to one or two releases a year, now is the perfect time to start raiding the back catalogue of previous releases. I recently received the Enemies of the First Doctor set as Christmas gift from the wonderful admin guys at Tokunation, which was perfect as it was a set I've been longing to get since it was released back in 2011. Unfortunately the "Enemies of..." sets never really took off, with only a Third Doctor version being released not long later.Still, this set features some of the iconic villains from the First Doctor's run - a Cyberman, a Roboman and of course, a Dalek.

ROBOMAN

Moving along these First Doctor enemies in chronological order, our first stop is the set's only brand new figure - a roboman from the 1964 serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth. I use the term "new figure" lightly, as in reality this is in fact a re-purposed Primeval figure with new colouring and some fashionable Dalek zombification headgear. It's a bit of a lazy move on Character Option's part, but at the same time it's not something that is at all noticeable unless you happen to compare the two figures (I myself only know because it was plastered all over the internet upon release.

While a roboman was never going to be the most detailed of figures, it's a fantastic representation of the very first set of Dalek slaves. Not only that, but the articulation is among the best the 5" Who line has to offer. Altogether there's a turning head, bicep/upper leg swivels, hinged arms/knees,t-joint hips and even rotating hands. The vacant headsculpt may just be due to Character Option's varied sculpting, but if there was any figure that kind of expression was going to be appreciated on it was this one.

DALEK with flame arm

Our next stop takes us to 1965-66 and the fourth appearance of the Doctor's oldest enemies - The Daleks' Masterplan. At an impressive 12 parts it is currently the longest Dalek story ever produced, but unfortunately only three episodes (two, five and ten) are held in the BBC archive with the remaining nine still missing.Still, the audio for the story still remains in its entirety, as does a popular clip from the second episode which inspired this particular Dalek variant.

The Master Plan Dalek uses the same base mould as the Chase version also released back in 2011 (so silver with light blue hemispheres, vertical slats, and orange dome lights), but with a brand new appendage in place of the standard sucker arm - the flamethrower arm or "pyro flame" as it was referred to in the story. Despite only still existing in the 10 second clip, this alternate appendage has gone down as somewhat of a fan favourite and previously saw release in Dapol's classic Dalek figure set. Not only does the Character Options version have the edge in terms of accuracy, but the flame piece is also fully removable from the arm itself. Articulation-wise there isn't a whole lot to say...it has everything you'd expect a Dalek to have.

CYBERMAN

Finally we reach October 1966 and the First Doctor's final story, The Tenth Planet. Of course this story was also famous for being the first appearance of the Doctor's second most famous enemy - the Cybermen. And while the Cybermen have changed rather drastically over Doctor Who's 50 year history, the original Tenth Planet are still by far the creepiest in terms of passing the race of as humans that have had their bodies slowly replaced by prosthetics.

The Tenth Planet Cyberman had previously seen release as part of the Collect & Build Cyberman wave, however this version features slightly revised paint apps with darker hands and face mark (see comparison image above/below). Other than that it's the same old Cyberman figure, which is still a nicely articulated figure despite the bulky chestplate with protruding tubes. Despite being the original silver giant the Cyberman has a little bit of colour variation,so the overall silver finish is complimented with clear plastic and black detailing. Articulation is the same as the Roboman, save for the lack of an upper leg swivel. My one complaint is that I'd have liked to have maybe see this version of the Cyberman come with a black cloak, just to differentiate it even more from the original release. Omega got one, so why not this?

So is this set worth it? Well, there are a number of factors to take into consideration. Its about two years old now and still in reasonable supply, so in many cases sports a lower price tag than it did on initial release (which was £35...perhaps a bit TOO much). At the same time, this set is made up of a re-purposed "new" figure, a variant re-release and a Dalek a new appendage...not the most appetising selection for existing collectors. It is however a very nice set and a great way to pick up a long-discontinued Cyberman, a popular Dalek variant and perhaps the only Dalek henchman we'll ever get in the 5" range (can't say I'm holding my breath for Ogrons anymore). The variety is certainly divisive, but at the very least you can be certain each figure included is of great quality.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who 3.75" Scale Cyberman (Season 7 Ver.)

I'm still not quite over Character Options' decision to change the new series Doctor Who figure scale from 5" to 3.75", but I'm getting there slowly. From a business point of view it makes perfect sense, but certain areas of my collection are now going to feel strange - particularly my Cyberman display. After amassing a collection of 5" Cybermen through the ages, the latest incarnation from Nightmare in Silver is a bit short standing next to its predecessors. But that aside, is it a good figure?

 

There's nothing particularly unique about the Cyberman's packaging, as its a uniform card for each figure in the wave. The front features a picture of the TARDIS and the time vortex, while the back features images of the latest Who figures on the shelves. The Cyberman also comes with a single accessory - the stand included with every other figure with the exception of the Dalek.

Out of the package we have a bog-standard Cyberman, completely devoid of any weapons. There are two variants among this wave - one with an arm-mounted blaster and another with the blue chest piece lit to show the Cyberman is active, but both are considerably rare and limited edition. Despite it's short size, I'm extremely impressed with the level of sculpt detail on this guy - so much that I would consider it one of the most detailed Doctor Who figures so far. It may only be one colour, but every bit of metal panelling detail is sculpted in and the figure has been given a black wash to make it all stand out. Nightmare in Silver never really stopped to let us have a good look at this new model of Cyberman, so to see the sculpted spinal cord in all its glory is a first.

But despite all it's sculpted glory, the Cyberman falls into the same level of mediocrity as every other Who figure when it comes to articulation. There are a few ball joints on the figure - in the shoulders, thighs and possibly head (I say this because it can achieve a little up/down motion as well as left/right), with the rest being taken up by standard hinges. There's even a little articulation in the ankles! However despite this impressive array of joints, the Cyberman's armoured build means it can't really make the most of it all. Cybermen aren't exactly the most articulate of creatures, but a little more variety in posing would have been nice.

There's no denying that out of the three 3.75" scale Doctor Who figures I've bought that the Cyberman is hands down the best one, but even then it isn't quite a perfect figure...and for once I'm not harping on about the size. The blue-chest variant should have arguably been the standard release as that represents an "active" Cyberman, and the limited articulation is especially noticeable when there are no accessories to fall back on. Still, this is definitely a figure worth getting for the sculpt alone, and if ANY season 7 figure deserves a 5" version in the near future it's this one.