You know that specific, rattling hiss? It sounds like steam escaping a pressurized pipe, but it’s actually the sound of a cyborg lizard trying to breathe in Earth’s thick, humid atmosphere. If you’ve spent any time watching Doctor Who, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The Ice Warriors are one of those rare monster designs from the 1960s that somehow didn’t end up looking ridiculous when the show came back in the 2000s. They aren't just "Martians." They're a proud, dying race of soldiers caught between a code of honor and the cold reality of extinction.
Brian Hayles, the writer who first brought them to life back in 1967, originally envisioned them as cybernetic organisms from the Red Planet. But they aren't robots. Inside that bulky, turtle-shell armor is a tall, green humanoid with scaly skin and a voice that sounds like it’s being filtered through a throat full of gravel. They first appeared in the Second Doctor story The Ice Warriors, popping out of a glacier during a future Earth ice age. Honestly, it’s one of the most effective debuts in the show’s history. They felt heavy. They felt dangerous. Most importantly, they felt like they had a culture, which is something a lot of the "monster of the week" aliens lack.
🔗 Read more: Why Dancing with the Stars Tickets Live Are the Hardest Get in TV
Not Just Your Average Invaders
People often lump the Ice Warriors in with the Daleks or the Cybermen. That’s a mistake. While Daleks want to scream "Exterminate" at anything that isn't a pepper pot, the Martians are more complicated. They have a feudal system. They value strength and discipline. Sometimes they’re the villains, sure, but other times they’re just desperate refugees looking for a home because Mars turned into a dry, dead rock.
Take the Third Doctor era, for example. In The Curse of Peladon, the Doctor shows up on a medieval planet and sees an Ice Warrior standing in the corner. He immediately assumes they’re up to no good because, well, history. But it turns out they were the diplomats! They were there to help Peladon join a galactic federation. It was a massive subversion of expectations at the time. It showed that the "monsters" could grow, evolve, and become allies. This nuance is why fans keep asking for them to return every few seasons. They aren't mindless; they're stoic.
The Evolution of the Martian Shell
The costume itself has a wild history. In the 60s, it was basically fiberglass and foam. It looked great on grainy black-and-white film, but it was a nightmare for the actors. Bernard Bresslaw, the 6'7" actor who played the first Ice Warrior leader, Varga, had to deal with a suit that didn't vent heat. He was literally sweating his way through the performance.
When Mark Gatiss brought them back for the 2013 episode Cold War, the design got a massive upgrade. It stayed faithful to the original silhouette—the "lego-like" arms and the heavy torso—but added a layer of mechanical realism. We also finally got to see what’s under the suit. It turns out they’re much leaner, faster, and more "reptilian" than the bulky armor suggests. That was a big reveal. It turned the armor into a literal life-support system rather than just a costume. It made them scarier because it implied that the version we usually see is actually the "restrained" version.
Red Planet Politics and the Grand Marshal
If you want to understand the Ice Warriors, you have to look at their hierarchy. It isn't just a bunch of soldiers running around. You have the "Warriors"—the grunts in the heavy plating—and then you have the "Ice Lords." The Lords, like Slaar or Izlyr, wear much lighter, more elegant armor. They’re the strategists.
- Varga: The original commander found in the ice. He was a pure soldier of the old Martian Empire.
- Lord Azaxyr: A brutal collaborator who worked with the Daleks during the Space War.
- Grand Marshal Skaldak: The legendary hero from Cold War who proved that a single Ice Warrior is basically a one-man army.
- Empress Iraxxa: Introduced in Empress of Mars, she gave us our first look at Martian royalty and the matriarchal side of their society.
The dynamic between these ranks usually drives the plot. In the episode Empress of Mars, we see a clash between Victorian soldiers and a hibernating Martian hive. It’s basically Zulu on the Red Planet. The conflict isn't just "aliens vs humans"; it's about two different cultures with outdated ideas of "honor" clashing until they realize they’re both just trying to survive.
The Sound of Mars
Let's talk about that voice. It’s iconic. It’s a sibilant, whispered hiss that forces you to lean in to hear what they’re saying. It’s the opposite of the booming Cyberman monotone. It creates an immediate sense of tension. The actors achieve it by whispering loudly and dragging out the "s" sounds. Ssssssspeak to me, Doctorssssss. In the 1960s, this was a brilliant way to hide the limitations of the audio equipment. By the 21st century, it became a signature trait that makes them feel ancient. They sound like they’re dying. They sound like they belong to a civilization that has been breathing thin air for ten thousand years. It’s world-building through sound design, and it’s arguably more effective than any CGI effect.
📖 Related: Why Lyrics Critical Acclaim Avenged Sevenfold Finally Earned Isn't Just About Metal
Why They Keep Coming Back
Why do writers keep returning to the Ice Warriors when they could just invent something new? Honestly, it’s the potential for tragedy. The Doctor usually feels a weird sort of pity for them. He knows Mars is a graveyard. He knows they are a noble race that simply ran out of time.
There's a recurring theme of "the last of their kind" that mirrors the Doctor's own story. When Skaldak thinks he’s the last Martian alive in Cold War, he’s ready to blow up the entire world. He’s grieving. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain; he’s a soldier who lost his platoon, his family, and his planet. That’s why they resonate. They represent the danger of nostalgia and the bitterness of being left behind by history.
The Misconception of Weakness
A common mistake casual viewers make is thinking the Ice Warriors are "weak" because they have a specific vulnerability to heat. Sure, they’re from a cold planet. Yes, a sonic disruptor or a blast of high-temperature gas can mess them up. But people forget how physically strong they are. An Ice Warrior can crush a human skull with one hand. Their sonic cannons can liquefy bone. They are slow, but they are inevitable. Like a glacier.
✨ Don't miss: Meryl Streep Most Recent Movies: What She’s Really Up to Right Now
In the classic serial The Seeds of Death, they used "seed pods" to try and terraform Earth by sucking the oxygen out of the atmosphere. It was a slow, methodical, and terrifying plan. They didn't just invade with ships; they tried to turn our world into theirs. That’s the kind of high-stakes sci-fi that made the show famous.
How to Dive Deeper into Martian Lore
If you're actually looking to get the full story on the Ice Warriors, don't just stick to the TV show. Some of the best material is in the "Big Finish" audio dramas and the novels.
- Watch "The Ice Warriors" (1967): It’s the blueprint. Even with missing episodes (which are now animated), it sets the tone perfectly.
- Listen to "Lords of the Red Planet": This is an audio story that explains the actual origin of the race. It’s essentially a "Genesis of the Ice Warriors" and it’s fantastic.
- Read "The Dying Days": A novel by Lance Parkin that features the Eighth Doctor and a Martian invasion of 1990s London. It’s gritty and explores the political fallout of humans meeting Martians.
- Visit the "Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder" exhibit: If it’s currently touring near you, they often have the screen-used prosthetic masks on display. Seeing the scale of the "Cold War" suit in person is wild—they are much bigger than they look on TV.
The Ice Warriors aren't just a relic of the black-and-white era. They are a constant reminder that the universe is old, cold, and full of people who are just trying to find a place to stand. Whether they're acting as the Doctor's most honorable allies or his most chilling enemies, they remain the undisputed kings of the Red Planet. Next time you hear that hiss, don't just run. Listen. They might actually have something worth saying.
Actionable Next Steps
To truly appreciate the evolution of these characters, your next move should be a side-by-side viewing of The Seeds of Death (Second Doctor) and Cold War (Eleventh Doctor). It highlights how the core essence of the character—that slow, whispering menace—has remained unchanged for over fifty years despite the massive jump in production budgets. After that, look up the animated reconstructions of the lost 1960s episodes to see the full arc of their first invasion.