"Star Trek" Universe - "M" Characters Quiz

Answer: Martok

Martok, leader of his own Klingon house, was a warrior who served as a general in the Klingon Defense Force. During the Dominion War, he became the Supreme Commander of the Ninth Fleet, and finally, Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episodes "The Way of the Warrior", "You Are Cordially Invited", "Tacking Into the Wind", and "What You Leave Behind")

One day during a hunting trip, Martok was captured by the Dominion and replaced by a Changeling. The Changeling's mission was to disrupt the relations between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. The Changelings had also enacted a punishment on Odo for him killing another Changeling by stripping him of his shape-changing powers. While in The Link, Odo got a mental image that one of the top Klingons - Gowron - was actually a Changeling. On an undercover mission to expose Gowron, Odo correctly deduces that it is actually Martok who is the Changeling. Once exposed, the nearby Klingon warriors all drew their disruptors and killed the Martok Changeling. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Apocalypse Rising")

Once rescued, the real Martok resumed his military duties. While in captivity, he fought a Jem'Hadar and received an injury on his face, blinding his left eye. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "In Purgatory's Shadow")

Martok is portrayed by the versatile actor J.G. Hertzler. Among his other "Star Trek" roles: Laas ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Chimera"), Roy Ritterhouse ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Far Beyond The Stars"), Drookmani Captain ("Star Trek: Lower Decks" episodes "Terminal Provocations" and "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption"), and Advocate Kolos ("Star Trek: Enterprise" episode "Judgment").

Answer: M'Ress

Lieutenant M'Ress was a female Caitian operations officer on USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), specializing in communications. ("Star Trek: The Animated Series")

M'Ress was voiced by Majel Barrett. Barrett was the wife of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry. Her other "Star Trek" roles include Nurse Christine Chapel ("Star Trek", "Star Trek: The Animated Series"), Lwaxana Troi ("Star Trek: The Next Generation"), Narrator ("Star Trek: Voyager"), and the voice of Federation computers on several "Star Trek" productions.

Answer: Joseph M'Benga

Dr. Joseph M'Benga was the chief medical officer under Captain Pike on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). After several years, he stepped down as CMO and was succeeded by Dr. Mark Piper ("Star Trek" episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before") and then Dr. Leonard McCoy ("Star Trek") during Kirk's captaincy.

Dr. M'Benga is versed in Vulcan medicine. He helped Spock when Spock was in a healing trance after being shot by an old-style flintlock gun on planet Neural. ("Star Trek" episode "A Private Little War")

On "Star Trek", M'Benga was portrayed by Booker Bradshaw. On "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" he was portrayed by Babs Olusanmokun.

Answer: Beckett Mariner

Ensign (later lieutenant JG) Beckett Mariner is the daughter of two high-ranking Starfleet officers: Captain Carol Freeman and Admiral Alonzo Freeman. Not wanting to appear to be riding her parents' coattails, she goes by her first and middle names.

After having survivor guilt after one of her Academy friends, Sito Jaxa, was killed in a covert mission and some PTSD from the Federation-Dominion War, she developed an aversion to the responsibilities of higher ranks. She then behaved in such a way as to be demoted back to ensign if she ever was promoted. This also got her shuffled from ship to ship until she ended up on her mother's ship - the USS Cerritos - as her last chance.

After a mission where she and others were taking the USS Voyager back to Earth to serve as a museum, she was once again promoted to lieutenant junior grade. She overheard Commander Ransom saying that she would not be his problem, which she took to mean he would demote her again. (What he really meant was that he recognized her misbehavior as a means to be demoted, and he wouldn't let her go down that path again.) With her misinterpretation on her mind, she showed up to a menagerie mission in her exercise outfit instead of her uniform, she piloted recklessly to the menagerie, and was disrespectful to the curator. But due to a crisis when one of the menagerie's most dangerous beasts - the moopsie - was freed, she and Ransom worked together to lure the beast back to its enclosure. ("Star Trek: Lower Decks" episode "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee")

Beckett Mariner is voiced by Tawny Newsom. She also portrayed Mariner in-person in the "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" crossover episode "Those Old Scientists".

Answer: Michael Burnham

Michael Burnham was a female Starfleet officer raised on Vulcan by Ambassador Sarek and Amanda Grayson following the death of her parents, thus being a step-sister to Spock.

As a commander, she served as the first officer aboard the USS Shenzhou under Captain Philippa Georgiou, with whom she had served for years. ("Star Trek: Discovery" episodes "The Vulcan Hello" and "Battle at the Binary Stars") She was stripped of rank and sentenced to life imprisonment for mutiny when the Shenzhou encountered the Klingons and she attempted to attack them as the Vulcans had.

She gained a second chance when she was assigned to the USS Discovery as a specialist. ("Star Trek: Discovery" episode "Battle at the Binary Stars", "Context Is for Kings")

Michael Burnham was portrayed by Sonequa Martin-Green. Martin-Green also played Boston police detective Lena Silver on "Boston Blue".

Answer: Carol Marcus

Carol Marcus was a leading Federation scientist and a lost love of James Kirk. They both cared about their careers more than their relationship, so they parted ways. She was pregnant with Kirk's son, but she wanted to raise him in her world, so Kirk stayed away.

Years later, she and her now-adult son, Dr. David Marcus, worked on Project Genesis ("Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"). But due to David unethically using protomatter in his experiments, any planetary-scale use of the Genesis device would become unstable ("Star Trek III: The Search for Spock").

An alternate timeline placed Dr. Marcus on the USS Enterprise as a science officer. (movie "Star Trek")

Carol Marcus was portrayed by Bibi Besch in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". She was portrayed by Alice Eve in "Star Trek".

Answer: Montgomery Scott

Montgomery Scott, nicknamed "Scotty", was the masterful chief engineer of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) under Captain James Kirk. He secretly over-estimated any repair projects, so when he finished early people would think of him as a miracle worker.

Montgomery Scott was portrayed by James Doohan in "Star Trek", "Star Trek: The Animated Series", "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Relics", and the first seven "Star Trek" movies.

Scott was portrayed by Simon Pegg in the Kelvin timeline "Star Trek" movies.

Scott was portrayed by Martin Quinn in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds".

Answer: Morn

Morn was a Lurian cargo courier whose home was Deep Space Nine. He was a fixture in Quark's bar, and was known for being quite loquacious. (The irony of this character trait is that the character is never heard speaking in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine")

Morn was one of five thieves who stole a thousand bricks of gold-pressed latinum from the Central Bank of Lissepia in the Lissepian Mother's Day Heist of 2365. Morn somehow extracted the latinum from the bricks, then deposited the gold in the Bank of Bolias and stored the liquid latinum in his second stomach, causing most of his hair to fall out. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Who Mourns for Morn?")

Morn was mainly played by Mark Allen Shepherd.

Morn was also portrayed once by Dennis Madalone. Madalone himself has played five dozen background characters in various "Star Trek" productions.

Answer: Raffaela Musiker

Raffaela "Raffi" E. Musiker was a Starfleet officer who lived in the late 24th and early 25th century. She served under Admiral Jean-Luc Picard until the end of the Romulan Rescue and resigned her commission shortly after. Years later, she joined him on an unsanctioned mission to seek out Soji Asha and Bruce Maddox. After playing a crucial role in discovering the plot that led to the Attack on Mars, Musiker rejoined Starfleet and once again found herself at Picard's side when Q pulled the admiral into a dystopian alternate reality. ("Star Trek: Picard")

Raffi Musiker was portrayed by Michelle Hurd. Hurd is known for playing Detective Monique Jeffries in the first two seasons of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit".

Answer: Leonard McCoy

Dr. Leonard McCoy was the chief medical officer on the USS Enterprise under Captain Kirk ("Star Trek"). He lived a very long life, to at least the Earth year 2364, when he, at age 137, was an admiral who did a maiden voyage inspection of the USS Enterprise-D ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Encounter at Farpoint").

McCoy was portrayed by DeForest Kelley in "Star Trek", "Star Trek: The Animated Series", "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Encounter at Farpoint", and the first six "Star Trek" movies.

McCoy was portrayed by Keith Urban in the Kelvin timeline "Star Trek" movies.

Answer: Bruce Maddox

Dr. Bruce Maddox was a 24th century Starfleet cyberneticist and one of the Federation's most prominent researchers in that field. He worked in the Cybernetics Division of the Daystrom Institute and was the Associate Chair of Robotics. He was later promoted to Chair of Robotics.

At one point in his career, he is on a Starfleet special admissions panel that was considering the admission of Data to Starfleet Academy. He was the sole "no" vote to Data's admission, stating that he was not a sentient being. Nonetheless, Data was admitted and went on to have a career in Starfleet.

In 2365 (star date 42523.7), he goes with Admiral Nakamura to Starbase 173 to meet up with the USS Enterprise-D. He intends to take possession of Lieutenant Commander Data, as Data is considered Starfleet property, and to disassemble him so as to get better insight into Dr. Noonian Soong's techniques for creating working positronic brains. Captain Picard objects to this. Initially, they see the only way to stop this is for Data to resign his commission. This is blocked again because Data was seen as property, and as such couldn't resign.

Captain Picard demands a legal hearing from the Starbase's JAG office. However, it is manned by just two people: Captain Phillipa Louvois (who was the prosecutor at Picard's court martial following the loss of the USS Stargazer) and a "scared little ensign". Because of the lack of personnel, she assigns the ranking officer present at the starbase - Picard - to be Data's defense and the second-highest ranking - Commander Riker - to take on Maddox's position. Riker initially declines, as Data is his friend and comrade. Louvois says if he does not participate, she'll have to act with summary judgement that Data is property. He then agrees, being warned by Louvois to act vigorously as he can.

Riker does act with competence, to Picard's dismay. During a recess, Picard is talking with Guinan in Ten Forward lounge about the case. She brings up that if Maddox is successful in replicating Data-type androids, he would create a race of disposable beings. Picard turns this around as making a slave race. He takes his newfound perspective back to court. He dismisses Riker's points about Data's artificial nature, stating that biological beings are also created from simpler building blocks. He then emphasizes one of Starfleet's basic missions: to seek out new life. He then points to Data and says, "well, there it sits! Waiting."

Picard's argument is convincing, and Louvois concludes although Data is a machine, he is not property. While not ruling that he is indeed sentient of has a soul, she rules that he has the right to choose his own path.

With this, Data then again refuses to undergo Maddox's procedure, and Maddox in turn says he'll rescind Data's transfer orders.

Back on the Enterprise-D, there is a celebration on the holodeck for Data's winning day in court. However, Riker is instead by himself on the observation deck. Data enters and asks why Riker is not joining the party. Riker says he feels he doesn't belong there, because his prosecution almost cost Data his freedom. Data then reminds Riker that had he not, Louvois would've judged summarily. Data thanks Riker for going through with the prosecution, even though Riker felt shame, because it ultimately saved Data. Thus forgiven, Riker goes with Data to the party. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Measure of a Man")

Commander/Doctor Bruck Maddox was portrayed by Brian Brophy. On "Star Trek: Picard", Maddox was portrayed by John Ales.

Answer: James Moriarty

Moriarty was originally an antagonist character pitted against Sherlock Holmes in two of Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories, and was mentioned in five others. In "Star Trek" lore, he was a holodeck character created when Geordi La Forge is frustrated because Data keeps "solving" Sherlock Holmes mysteries because he has memorized them all. La Forge asks the holodeck to create a story and a character "capable of defeating Data". This causes the computer to create Moriarty who in appearance looks like his 19th century basis. But he has been given sentience, which he uses to take control of the real USS Enterprise-D and demand that he be allowed to exit the holodeck. Picard meets with him, and explains the nature of his true existence. Picard promised to save Moriarty in the computer until such a time as they may be able to give him extra-holodeck existence. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Elementary, Dear Data")

Years later, Lt. Barclay is doing repair work on the holodeck when he finds Moriarty's saved program. Barclay reactivates Moriarty. Moriarty is upset that nothing has been accomplished in giving him freedom from the holodeck, and also that he experienced time passing while saved in the computer. Picard, Data, and Barclay meet with Moriarty, who claims that he can will himself to exist off of the holodeck. He then steps through the exit and does indeed continue to exist. This is actually a ploy by Moriarty; he has created a holodeck version of the Enterprise to exist in, so that he might trick Picard into finding a solution quicker so that he and his paramour, Countess Regina Barthalomew, can leave the holodeck. Data figures out that they are still in the holodeck, because the repair that Barclay was working on is still evident. They in turn trick Moriarty into believing they've come up with a solution. They then save Moriarty and his girlfriend to a memory device where they can experience their own reality for years to come. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Ship in a Bottle").

Moriarty was portrayed by Daniel Davis. Davis is best known as playing the butler Niles in the TV series "The Nanny". In both "The Nanny" and his "Star Trek: The Next Generation" appearances, he speaks with a British accent. In actuality, he is from Gurdon, Arkansas, and normally speaks with a Southern US accent.

Answer: Matt Decker

Commodore Matt Decker was the flag officer who was in command of the USS Constellation. He led the Constellation in investigating the disappearances of planets in previously charted star systems. They found an immense planet-killing machine that would chop up planets and consume their matter as fuel. The Constellation fought the machine until the starship's power was nearly depleted. As life support was going minimal, he beamed his crew to the third planet. The machine attacked again, knocking out the Constellation's transporters. It then started to chop up the third planet. Decker had to sit powerless aboard the Constellation and listen to his crew's desperate pleas to be rescued.

Commodore Decker was portrayed by William Windom. Windom is probably best remembered for his recurring role as Dr. Seth Hazlett on "Murder, She Wrote".

Answer: Malcolm Reed

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed was the armory/security officer aboard the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise (NX-01) under Captain Jonathan Archer. The men in his family were all navy men, serving in the Royal Navy on Earth. However, Malcolm Reed had a case of aquaphobia, so instead he turned his service career to the stars.

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed was portrayed by Dominic Keating. In 2022, Keating and fellow Enterprise co-star Connor Trineer (Commander Trip Tucker) started a podcast called The Shuttlepod Show. In 2024, the podcast ended and was replaced with The D-Con Chamber.

Answer: Gary Mitchell

Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell was one of the helmsmen aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) under Captain James Kirk. He and Kirk were friends at Starfleet Academy. Kirk was the senior cadet, and as an upperclassman was in charge of some of Mitchell's classes. To divert his attention, Mitchell convinced an attractive blonde lab technician to pursue Kirk romantically. Upon learning about his mechanizations, Kirk was shocked, stating that he almost married the woman.

During an investigation of the SS Valiant, a ship missing for two centuries, the Enterprise discovered the Valiant had tried to penetrate the energy barrier at the perimeter of the Milky Way galaxy. When they tried to do the same, they were heavily damage and had to retreat back into the galaxy. Also, the strange energies of the barrier affected crew members who had exceptionally high ESP ratings, specifically Mitchell and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner. The energies gave him extraordinary mental powers, such as hypercognition, conscious regulation of autonomic reflexes, telepathy, extrasensory perception of various kinds, including clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairoratory and telekinesis.

Recognizing Mitchell's growing danger to the Enterprise, Spock recommends killing Mitchell. Kirk instead decides to abandon Mitchell on Delta Vega, which had an unmanned dilithium cracking station. Mitchell escapes with Dr. Dehner, who has started to manifest the same mental powers. Kirk follows them into the hills near the cracking station. Mitchell begins to show powers that allow him to re-form matter into whatever he can envision. He first creates a Garden of Eden, then an open grave with a headstone that reads "James R. Kirk" (sic). Kirk and Mitchell begin to fight, when Dehner sides with Kirk and helps fight Mitchell. Mitchell falls into the open grave, then Kirk phasers a boulder that falls and crushes him to death. ("Star Trek" episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before")

In "Star Trek: Lower Decks" episode "Strange Energies", Commander Jack Ransom is struck by strange energies on a second contact mission on Apergos. Upon examining Ransom on the planet, Dr. T'Ana deduces that he's been hit by strange energies and is developing powers, similar to Gary Mitchell. When Captain Freeman asks Dr. T'Ana how Kirk stopped Mitchell, T'Ana says, "Kirk smooshed him with a boulder."

Gary Mitchell was portrayed by Gary Lockwood. Lockwood is best known as playing Dr. Frank Poole in the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey".