Daleks first appeared in Doctor Who in 1963, created by writer Terry Nation as the Doctor's most enduring enemies, and exterminate quickly became their defining catchphrase. The voice, processed through a ring modulator, gave the armoured creatures a chilling, inhuman sound that stuck in popular culture far beyond the show itself. The word has since been quoted, parodied and sampled across comedy, music and online video, and it remains shorthand for cold, unstoppable aggression. That instant recognition is why a single shouted word still lands decades later.