When he first encounters the Fourth Doctor in Genesis of the Daleks, Davros is the chief scientist of the Kaleds, one of two native sentient races of the planet Skaro.

The concluding episodes of the fourth season, " The Stolen Earth "/" Journey's End ", reveal that Davros was thought to have died during the first year of the Time War, when his command ship " flew into the jaws of the Nightmare Child " at the Gates of Elysium, despite the Doctor's failed efforts to save him.

In earlier episodes, Davros is referred to ( albeit not by name ) twice: first in the episode " Dalek " by the Ninth Doctor, who explains that the Daleks were created by " a genius ... a man who was king of his own little world ", and again by the Tenth Doctor in the episode " Evolution of the Daleks ", where he refers to the Daleks ' creator as believing that " removing emotions made a race stronger ".

Terry Molloy has reprised his role as Davros in the spin-off audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions, mostly notably Davros ( taking place during the Sixth Doctor's era ), which, through flashbacks, explored the scientist's life prior to his crippling injury, which is attributed to a Thal nuclear attack ( an idea that first appeared in Terrance Dicks ' novelisation of Genesis of the Daleks ).

However, the Daleks return in " Bad Wolf "/" The Parting of the Ways " ( 2005 ), and subsequently in " Army of Ghosts "/" Doomsday " ( 2006 ), " Daleks in Manhattan "/" Evolution of the Daleks " ( 2007 ), " The Stolen Earth "/" Journey's End " ( 2008 ) and " Victory of the Daleks " ( 2010 ), the penultimate of these being the series 4 finale where Davros also returns, and the final of these being the first time the Eleventh Doctor meets the Daleks.

When the Doctor first visits the planet in the 1963 serial The Daleks, Skaro is a nuclear wasteland, whose principal features are a petrified forest, the endless highly acidic rain, a lake containing the results of Davros ' early experiments, and the Dalek city, Kaalann.

However, the Daleks ' ability to defy gravity was first implied as far back as The Chase ( 1965 ); a Dalek was seen hovering with the aid of an " anti-gravitational disk " in the 1973 adventure Planet of the Daleks and both Davros and the Daleks were seen to hover in Revelation of the Daleks ( 1985 ).

The unnamed protagonist ( listed in the credits as " The Stranger ") was played by Colin Baker, his assistant Miss Brown by Nicola Bryant, who had played the Doctor's assistant Peri Brown opposite Colin Baker for two years, and the villain of the piece by Michael Wisher, who had been the first actor to play Davros.

It marks the first appearance of Davros, the creator of the Daleks.

* The novelisation of The Evil of the Daleks by John Peel suggests that the very first Dalek seen is the one that exterminates Davros at the end of this story and eventually becomes the Dalek Prime mentioned in Peel's novelisation of The Daleks ' Master Plan and then the Dalek Emperor seen in Evil.

Padbury has appeared in Doctor Who audio adventures from Big Finish Productions, first as a character other than Zoe in the full-cast audio Davros, and then as Zoe in Fear of the Daleks, part of the " Companion Chronicles " talking book series.

Following orders, Watch Officer Osborn attempts to destroy Davros, first using a non-functional automated system, then in person.

* For the first time, Davros and the Daleks are seen to hover some distance above ground.

* The serial was one of the first British productions to make use of a Steadicam ; due to the high cost of such a set-up, nearly all the props and sets were reused, including the Davros mask.

Wisher was the first actor to portray Davros, the creator of the Daleks, who spoke with an electronically aided voice.

It is revealed that Dalek Caan was able to teleport back to the Time War ( apparently a feat thought impossible due to the events being ' time-locked ') and was able to save Davros from his apparent destruction during the first year of the conflict.

In the first year of the War, Davros ' command ship was seemingly destroyed at the Gates of Elysium after flying into the jaws of the Nightmare Child.

* The story marks the first appearance of Davros in the Big Finish audios.

* For Davros, this audio adventure takes place between the events of Resurrection of the Daleks and Remembrance of the Daleks, making this his first of many encounters with the Sixth Doctor.

* To date, this is the first and only appearance of Davros without the Daleks.

Cast in the role of Davros was Michael Wisher, who had previously appeared in several different roles on Doctor Who and had provided Dalek voices in the serials Frontier in Space, Planet of the Daleks and Death to the Daleks.

In 2008, Julian Bleach appeared live as Davros at the Doctor Who Prom, announcing that the Royal Albert Hall would become his new palace, and the audience his " obedient slaves ".

In 2003 he appeared in Davros — a Doctor Who audio drama produced by Big Finish Productions.

* The plot point of Davros being given the opportunity to commit suicide shortly after the attack which left him crippled originally appeared in the 1990 novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks, written by Ben Aaronovitch.

Davros uses a trick to wipe out those who oppose him, by ordering a vote to decide whether to continue with the project, when the Daleks arrive they kill those who voted against Davros, but ultimately turn on Davros and apparently kill him at the conclusion of the serial.

In this serial Davros was again played by Molloy, his appearance as Davros was the same with very minor changes.

The serial, which sees the swanky space-age necropolis Tranquil Repose turned into a front for the Dalek breeding activities of the maniacal Davros, has set designs and scenes which clearly reference the 1965 film, while the characters Joyboy, Thanatogenos and The Blessed Reverend all have direct analogs in the episode.

The serial also continues the story arc of a civil war between rival Dalek factions, culminating in a titanic showdown between the Doctor and Dalek Emperor Davros.

Created by Davros, they are portrayed in the serial as a rebel faction while the grey Daleks from the Dalek home-world of Skaro, seen in the final episode, serve the Supreme Dalek.

In this serial Davros ' life-support chair is shown hovering a short distance above the ground.

During the serial it is revealed that it contains not a Dalek mutant but the Kaled Davros.

Michael Wisher as Davros in Genesis of the Daleks.

The hypothetical creation of a viral weapon that could destroy all living creatures had been the subject of a discussion between the Fourth Doctor and Davros in Genesis of the Daleks.

In events shown in Genesis of the Daleks, the Kaled chief scientist Davros accelerated their mutations and placed the now mutated Kaleds in tank-like " Mark 3 travel machines ".

Former BBC director and producer David Maloney claimed on the DVD commentary for Genesis of the Daleks that John Birt " succeeded where Davros failed and ruined the BBC ".

In the later Genesis of the Daleks, their mutation was accelerated ( but not directly caused ) by the machinations of Davros, their previous species was the Kaleds, and the mutation marked the end of the war with the Thals.

* The 2006 four part audio series I, Davros depicts Davros ' early life, from his childhood, right up to a few weeks before Genesis of the Daleks.

* Before the Doctor falls from the dish, the enemies that mock him are the Master ( as seen in The Deadly Assassin ), a Dalek ( Destiny of the Daleks ), the Pirate Captain ( The Pirate Planet ), the Cyberleader ( Revenge of the Cybermen ), Davros ( Genesis of the Daleks ), a Sontaran ( The Invasion of Time ), a Zygon ( Terror of the Zygons ) and the Black Guardian ( The Armageddon Factor ).

In 2001 it was remastered and re-released as part of The Davros Collection, which consisted of VHS editions of Genesis of the Daleks, Destiny of the Daleks, Resurrection of the Daleks, Revelation of the Daleks and Remembrance of the Daleks.

It is available on its own and as part of the Davros Collection box set featuring Genesis of the Daleks, Resurrection of the Daleks, Revelation of the Daleks and Remembrance of the Daleks.

Despite attempts to avoid them altogether, the Time Lords continue to send him on occasional missions, including an attempt to prevent the creation of the Daleks ( Genesis of the Daleks ), during which he also meets a new adversary, Davros.

Davros, the creator of the Daleks, also fought during the war after his creations, which had turned against him during Genesis of the Daleks, rehabilitated him to a leadership position.