The Daleks first appeared in Doctor Who in 1963 as the Doctor's most enduring enemies, armoured mutants whose catchphrase exterminate became instantly recognisable in British science fiction. Their weapon, a beam fired from a gunstick, is usually accompanied by that harsh electronic voice and a crackling blast, a combination reused across decades of the show. The sound spread beyond television through fan edits, reaction videos and memes, where it now signals comic overkill or a fake threat, keeping a sixty-year-old villain funny and threatening at once.
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The Dalek beam sound effect from Doctor Who, with the robotic voice shouting its catchphrase over a crackling laser blast, used for sci-fi memes and reveals.
This short clip captures a Dalek firing its extermination beam, pairing the creature's cold, distorted electronic voice with a harsh, crackling laser burst. The word exterminate cuts through in that unmistakable metallic monotone, followed by the sharp zap of the weapon itself, creating an instant sense of menace and sci-fi dread. Even out of context, it feels threatening and absurd at the same time, which is why it lands so well as a punchline. Listeners recognise it immediately, and the sudden blast gives any joke or reveal a dramatic, over-the-top finish.
