This week we explore who would win in a fight between two classic cyborgs, one American and one British:
{democracy:210}
As a special bonus, I don't know jack about the latest iteration of the Cylons and I never knew jack about Daleks. That means you don't have to listen to me blather on about them! Just jump right on in and tell everyone why one would defeat the other, displaying your mighty geek puissance and knowledge in a frothy explosion of nerd spittle.
Er, I mean, I look forward to the enlightening and genteel discussion that is sure to follow.
When you consider the fact that now Cylons look like this…
http://static.igossip.com/photos_2/august_2011/tricia_helfer_grace_park_maxim.jpg
I don’t see much of a contest.
Let’s see, the Cylons are thwarted by the Battlestar Galactica.
The daleks are thwarted by…stairs
Daleks do not care for crude constructs dressed as scantily-clothed human females! All species that are not Dalek are to be exterminated! Much like Cybermen, Cylons are superior in one respect… they are better at dying!
Daleks conquer and destroy!
Mr. Q
@ Dr. Shrinker Except that the Daleks have hover devices built in now, so they can go up stairs! I don’t know about the Cylons. I ignore the “reimaging” and go only by the original series, where they were leftover from a race of lizard-men. And back then, they were kinda clunky and suffered from the Stormtrooper Effect. Besides, Daleks are way more awesome because they’re cybernetic creatures and not robots.
@Dr. Shrinker: Not in the new series. In the first Dalek episode of the new Doctor Who a Dalek hovered up stairs. They can even fly now.
Easily, the Daleks take this one. I want you to consider the singular motive that drives the Daleks: the extermination of every species in the known (…and unknown) universe. If you’re not Dalek, you’re only fit for destruction. The Daleks in essence are Space Nazis.
The Cylons have certain ideological similarities to the Taliban, yet unlike the Taliban, they [The Cylons] ultimately want to co-exist and discover their place among the stars. And while Tricia Helfer is hawt, and while I’d rather take my chances with a killer piece of ass, that is not going to be a tactical advantage against the Daleks. Let’s take a quick look, shall we?
Her come hither eyes, to stare into them is to ignite an inferno raging throughout your body. Her smile, flirty and confident, would quicken even the most stoutest of hearts. Deadly with a rifle, deadlier with a kiss. And yet, none of that availed her.
There wasn’t anything she or any of the Others possessed that made any difference against them. As her visual processors go dark, she’s left with only a word. Playing over and over in a jagged loop as she disintegrates into slag- EXTERMINATE!
Well, considering that I have no idea what in the name of all that is holy a Dalek is, I guess I’m going with Cylons. Plus the new version of Cylons are nicer looking.
@Jessica(7): Silly girl, Daleks are the most dangerous, emotionless, destructive beings in the whole of creation! I agree with Joshua(6), “Space Nazi’s” is a pretty fitting term for them, but they have better guns, and they speak with a really funny voice.
@Dr. Shrinker(2): Your words are BLASPHEMY! Do not blaspheme! Do not blaspheme! DO NOT BLASPHEME!
Ok, let’s look at other aspects of these two:
Daleks are driven by a desire to kill everything.
Cylons are driven by a massive daddy/mommy complex.
Daleks will only be happy once everything in the universe that is not Dalek is destroyed.
Cylons are happy to commune and procreate with humans.
Daleks are unrelenting and cannot be reasoned with.
Cylons are not unrelenting and can be reasoned with.
So, if you’re looking for an “enemy” to help us prosper in the end, go with the Cylons.
If you’re looking for the most bad-ass, unforgiving, never-stopping, will-kill-you-100-ways-from-here-to-sunday real frakin’ Enemy, go with the Daleks.
I swear I once read Daleks were intended to parallel nazis, with Cybermen as Commies In Space.
How about a Borg Vs. Cybermen fight?
I actually have nothing. It’s been forever since I watched old Battlestar Galactica, I’ve not watched the new one. And I’ve not watched a full episode of Doctor Who. From what I’ve heard Daleks are the more badass of the two, and the one I’d least like to encounter. But I’m pretty much in the same boat as Jeff on this one.
Cylons are a bit more cunning than the Daleks, to be honest. But the Daleks are just plain mean. Meaner than the Borg, too. As they say here: Five million Cybermen vs One Dalek?… No Contest.
I don’t mean to be prejudiced, but we’re talking about soda cans with cannons attached. I vote cylons. They are sneakier, They are smarter and they can climb stairs.
Quark, TvTropes makes that parallel.
While I admit I know little to nothing about BSG, I do know a lot about daleks. Considering I spent my weekend at a Doctor Who convention, where I met Mark Sheppard, I think I know a few things about the Whoniverse.
I’m a big Whovian and let me tell you daleks are a major threat. They are space nazis with very powerful weapons and can now fly. These monsters managed to extinguish the most powerful race in the galaxy, the Time Lords, leaving only the Doctor and the Master remaining.
The Cylons, on the other hand, have trouble with us pesky humans who are nowhere near those on Gallifrey.
So my vote goes for Dalek.
Exterminate! EXTERMINATE! No contest.
@Vampyrist
I spend my free time reading the Tardis Wikia and TV Tropes, so it seems some information was left in my head after all those sessions!
I often wonder why do Daleks keep on popping up now and then when they’re supposed to be timelocked along Time Lords. I reckon it’s done so as not to leave the Doktah without anoooother chance to face such iconic foes, but still…
@Dr. Shrinker(2): Too funny!
I’m going old school as I have never seen the new Battlestar Galactica and haven’t watched Dr. Who since the Fourth Doctor. Daleks were the great-granddaddies of the Roomba. Cylons were shiny Stormtroopers.
I give it to the Cylons because they did show some initiative and tactics. Granted, Daleks are more articulate than the modulated Cylons. Ever see a Dalek pilot an aerospace fighter?
@Wulf(4): I forgot that the original Cylons were reptilians. That’s something the original series should have really delved into. Simple enough plot to follow that the Cylons conquer the Twelve Colonies then chase the survivors through space.
My twist is that the Colonies were already dying when the Cylons found them. The Galactica had already set sail. The Cylons, themselves in search of a new world, are not out to destroy the Galactica. Instead, they are harassing the humans. Trying to push them into finding earth faster. Then they would swoop in for the kill.
I’ll admit, that I never seen “Battlestar Galactica”, neither the classic series, nor the remake. So my knowledge of the cylons is limited.
However, I vote for the Daleks. Yes, the Cylons are trying to whipe out the human race, but the Daleks want to exterminate everything in the univerese that isn’t Dalek. The Cylons may have the ability now to asume human form, but the Daleks have been part of the Doctor Who-Universe since the First Doctor. Seriously, they are like cockroaches. Everytime The Doctor tinks they are gone, they suddenly return. They even succeeded in surving the last Time War.
If the contest was who is the cooler and more interesting enemy the Cylons (new series) would win. For sheer insanity and nastiness the Daleks have the clear edge.
I have no idea. So I’m going off-topic.
What’s up with the Hall of Fame, Jeff? Not rushing you or anything, but I’m curious as to what your renovation plans include.
Oh, and many thanks to MLS(1); that’s on my thumb-drive now.
If you know what I mean.
(I don’t know what I mean…)
@Dr. Shrinker(#2) What you said!
spidercow2010: It’s looking like on January 1 I’ll be going with an entirely different WordPress template, which should allow me to install a good off-the-shelf gallery plug-in for the Hall of Fame.
I realize that’s a longish time to wait, but I think it’s the best way to go.
Daleks EXTERMINATE everything across space and time. Cylons will also be exterminated in the middle of their next flawed “upgrade”.
Daleks > Cylons
Daleks, no contest…
They’re both pretty stupid, of course, but the Daleks have faced a lot more different Doctors than the Cylons have faced Adamas… 😉
Daleks can build a reality-destroying weapon.
That is all.
Also, the Daleks took over Earth in a first Doctor serial (Dalek Invasion of Earth), and have got very close to that several times since. They’ve only been defeated by the Doctor and/or his companions finding a way to defeat them just in the nick of time. And when they built the reality-destroying weapon, they only got beaten when Donna arrived just in time.
Daleks can also kill Cybermen. And call it ‘pest control’ while they’re at it.
Anyway, I’m going for Daleks. The only version of Battlestar Galactica I’ve seen is the original, and there the Cylons were basically robot stormtroopers, so…
Man I wish I read as much as you guys do! I’m totally clueless when it comes to this stuff. Even with the Cylons I only really know the hype as I only ever watched maybe a few episodes of the remake. Sorry guys but I was busy watching Supernatural and Charmed when BSG remake came out. *bows her head in shame*
Nothing shameful about Supernatural. That has some genuinely creepy moments. And you can’t beat Dean’s love of hard rock tunes.
Now, Charmed…well…Alyssa Milano was pretty hot. 🙂
I did love the Battlestar Galactica reboot and I think you would be doing yourself a favor by checking it out from the beginning.
i really think c3po and r2d2 will owned them all
I’m going to go Daleks. They are a universal-level threat, having once almost destroyed the entirety of creation, STEALING dozens of planets as part of the plan. Their level of technology clearly far exceeds that of the Cylons.
BTW, Daleks haven’t had problems with stairs for decades. But if they did, they’d probably just level the building to get at their target…
Yeah, this one isn’t even a contest. Cylon weaponry topped out at nuclear weapons per the new series. On the flip side, the Daleks had time machines, energy shields, planet and star killing weapons, and forces capable of fighting the Time Lords at their height. Both empires at their peak results in a swift and brutal victory for the Daleks, the Cylons at their best vs. the Daleks at their worst would result in a slightly slower brutal victory for the Daleks. This fight would be only marginally less one sided than the Tyranids vs. the armies of Charlemagne.
Tyranids RULE!
p.s. Thanks, Jeff
http://markgorman.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/daleks.jpg
Daleks are not only the second most technologically advanced race in all of space and time, they are all supergeiuses. The Cylon’s hacking skills made networked computers too dangerous in the new series. The Daleks would hack the Cylons themselves and turn them against each other for amusement…
I don’t count the modern incarnation of the Cylons, because I don’t count any remake where they cast one of the leading male roles with a suspected she-man.
The original Cylons were ruthless stormtroopers who could take down fleets of humans in no time flat. The Daleks have a very long history turning the entire universe into their very own playground of war and disaster, leaving almost literally nothing in their wake. The Cylons are only good at war and combat with one species in one galaxy. The Daleks are masters at pain, suffering, war, combat, and, more importantly, conquest. They go to war with everything not Daleks, including the Cybermen! Two of the most super power houses of conquest and death have come toe to toe on more than one occasion, and the Daleks’s have come out on top more than once. They have emotions, but deny them, which lends to their psychotic homicidal tendencies. The Cylons are nothing but wires and circuits in a metal and plastic shell, and only kill because they are ordered to.
Daleks with hands down on this one.
That’s my take.
Nerd spittle explosion!
Hmmm…sorry…I meant NERD SPITTLE EXPLOSION!!!!
…and female Starbuck rules!
Uh, yeah, I think he’s alone in his dislike of female Starbuck. And weirdly offensive about it.
Daleks, no contest.
As an added bonus, they’d fry a legion of Stormtroopers and an entire borg cube before calling it a day.
Even though i have an extreme dislike for the daleks and i think they are stupid looking id have to give it to them
In related news: I’ll admit, I’m not a Whovian, but even I think this is cool:
http://technabob.com/blog/2011/11/28/tardis-dvd-bookcase/