| Q | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Q | |
| Series: | Star Trek: The Next Generation |
| Gender: | Male |
| Notability: | Antagonist |
| Race: | Q Continuum |
| Location: | Alpha Quadrant |
| Status: | Alive |
| First: | TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint" |
| Final: | VOY: "Death Wish" |
| Actor: | John de Lancie |
Q is the name attributed to any number of characters featured in the Star Trek television franchise. The most well-known of which was played by actor John de Lancie and made recurring appearances in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. De Lancie's Q is notable for having appeared in both the pilot episode of the series, "Encounter at Farpoint", as well as the series finale, "All Good Things...". He made appearances on the program in total and also appeared in one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. John de Lancie also appeared, either as himself or as a voice only in several Star Trek-related video and computer games such as Star Trek: Borg, Star Trek: The Game Show and Star Trek: Conquest Online. Additionally, the character has also appeared in numerous novels and comic books based on the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Overview
Q is a member of the Q Continuum - an extraterrestrial race of godlike power and unlimited knowledge. Having taken an interest in the development of humanity, Q decided to assume human form in order to teach the "upstart race" a lesson about the splendors of the universe. He targeted Jean-Luc Picard - Captain of the Federation starship USS Enterprise as his proverbial guinea pig, often presenting himself in an arrogant and antagonistic manner. Though he would never admit it, Q developed a growing respect for Captain Picard, but was never one to make things easy for him during their cat-and-mouse games.
Notes & Trivia
Q in civilian human attire.
- The character of Q was created by director Corey Allen and writers D.C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry.
- The character of Q was also featured in the Star Trek World Tour traveling museum exhibit by Special Entertainment Events.
- Q harbored a fierce dislike of Guinan and regarded her as an extreme threat. The initial meeting between the two alluded to the notion that Guinan's race, the El Aurians, may have possessed great power beyond that of just a prolonged lifespan; power strong enough to rival that of even Q. [1]
- In the expanded mythos, the Q Continuum shared history with The One - the godlike being that was imprisoned at the center of the universe region known as Sha Ka Ree as seen in the 1989 film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.
- In the Star Trek: The Next Generation novel Q-Squared, authored by Peter David, the character of Trelane from the original series episode "The Squire of Gothos" was revealed to be a baby Q, whom Q had to take on as an apprentice.
- Q is responsible for establishing First Contact between the United Federation of Planets and the Borg. [2]
- As yet another means of antagonizing Captain Picard, Q often peppered his diatribes with a mocking French accent - an allusion to Jean-Luc's ancestry.
- No one on the Enterprise was safe from Q's barbs. In particular, he enjoyed poking fun at Worf's perceived low intellect by calling him "Micro-Brain". [3][4]
- Q possessed the ability to bestow a portion of his own power unto a mortal. He demonstrated this on his second encounter with the Enterprise crew when he tested Commander William T. Riker's resolve by giving him the power of a Q. [5]
Appearances
Star Trek: The Next Generation
- "Encounter at Farpoint"
- "Hide and Q"
- "Q Who
- "Deja Q"
- "Qpid"
- "True Q"
- "Tapestry"
- "All Good Things..."
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- "Q-Less"
Star Trek: Voyager
- "Death Wish"
- "The Q and the Grey"
- "Q2"