And the maddest Dalek is...

In honour of the forthcoming Asylum of the Daleks, my nominations for the maddest Daleks yet seen on the show.

DEATH TO THE DALEKS

If you discovered you'd let a prisoner escape, what would you do? This poor soul screams at himself then commits suicide. Without telling anyone about his screwup. That's stress in the workplace.

POWER OF THE DALEKS

Thanks to the Doctor, first three then more Daleks here suffer a personality meltdown and start playing trains. Sample quote: "Dizzy! Dizzy Doctor!"

THE DALEKS

Arguable perhaps, but a Daleks' reaction to Thal anti-radiation drugs is to go all trippy and psychedelic (but in monochrome) while yelling "ahhhhh! Ahhhhhhh!"

REVELATION OF THE DALEKS

If Arthur Stengos is anything to go by, all the Daleks created on Necros are basically barking mad inside.

DALEK

A more profound and distressing form of the personality disintegration seen in Power of the Daleks. Leading to a far more understandable suicide than in Death to the Daleks. It's interesting that when the Dalek is killing everyone it's being sane, but when it's sparing Rose and sunbathing it's going mad.

REMEMBRANCE OF THE DALEKS

The evidence for this one isn't so much in the TV version but in the novelisation, where the Special Weapons Dalek is called "The Abomination" by other Daleks and is a gibbering psychopath even for a Dalek. The fact that he's due to appear in Asylum Of The Daleks suggests Steven Moffat agrees.

JOURNEY'S END

Russell T Davies borrowed the title The Abomination for Dalek Caan in his final appearance (to date!) when he seemed utterly unhinged, not to mention incomplete. The only Dalek to giggle maniacally, he had enough sanity to condemn his race to oblivion, although perhaps this is what sent him mad.

THE PARTING OF THE WAYS

And finally to surely the maddest of them all: the Emperor. Convinced he's God; head of an army of deranged Daleks; goes into oblivion screaming about his own invincibility. Also, can anyone explain why Emperor Daleks lose manoeuvrability as a result of importance? Seems a bit silly.

Hope that's whetted your appetite. Bring on the Asylum!