"Star Trek" Universe - "P" Characters Quiz

Answer: Christopher Pike

Captain Christopher Pike was the second captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), after Robert April and before James Kirk. After leaving starship command, he was on an inspection tour of a cadet ship when a baffle plate ruptured. Delta radiation was released, and Pike rushed to rescue all the surviving cadets. Unfortunately, he was caught behind lockdown shield, suffering horrendous radiation damage and confining him to a wheelchair that he could operate slightly and answer yes/no questions with a light on the chair's console. Upon learning this, his former science officer, Spock, contacted the Talosians, a race that had once kidnapped Pike, to see if they would take him in and let him live out his life as a fully-capable human, and not an invalid. The agreed, and Spock plotted a scheme to take Pike to Talos IV via a commandeered Enterprise, and to stage a court martial that would distract Kirk from regaining control of his ship. ("Star Trek" episode "The Menagerie", parts I and II)

Pike was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in the originally unaired pilot "The Cage", the footage of which was integrated into "The Menagerie's" plot.

For the scenes with a disabled Pike in "The Menagerie", actor Sean Kenney portrayed Pike. Kenney also played Lieutenant DePaul in "Star Trek" episodes "Arena" and "A Taste of Armageddon".

In the prequel series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds", Pike is portrayed by Anson Mount.

Answer: Pelia

Commander Pelia was a female Lanthanite Starfleet officer who lived on Earth from at least the 6th century BC through the 23rd century. She served as an instructor at Starfleet Academy before being assigned to Operational Support Services as chief fleet inspector, and later transferring to the USS Enterprise as chief engineer.

Pelia was portrayed by notable actress Carol Kane. Kane was given free rein to develop Pelia. She developed an accent, to which she noted: "I wanted her to sound like you don't know where exactly she comes from...There is an elegance and a power to it. It's unique on the ship - nobody else has that accent or whatever it is...You know, I'm not a very confident person, unlike Pelia. I was terrified that at the end of it, they would say, 'No, we want you to regular voice,' but they didn't. They said, 'Go for it!' I think that was brave of them."

Answer: Philippa Georgiou

Captain Philippa Georgiou was a Starfleet officer, commanding officer of the USS Shenzhou. When the Shenzhou encountered Klingons, she believed a peaceful approach was warranted. However, her first officer, Michael Burnham, had contacted her foster father, Sarek. He said that Vulcans had shown aggressive strength rather than diplomacy towards the Klingons. When Georgiou wouldn't take Burnham's advice, Burnham Vulcan-neck-pinched her and took command. However, Georgiou was able to recover, took the ship back, and arrested Burnham for mutiny. Sadly, Burnham was right but had acted wrongly. Georgiou's outright pacifism was the clarion call that the Klingon leader T'Kuvma was waiting for, and began the Battle of the Binary Stars. ("Star Trek: Discovery" episode "The Vulcan Hello")

Philippa Georgiou from the mirror universe was the Terran Empire's empress. After mirror Lorca's failed attempt to claim leadership of the Terran Empire, mirror Georgiou ended up coming back to the prime universe. Then, when Discovery time-jumped to the 32nd century, the combined effects of universe-jumping and time-travel put a strain on her molecular structure.

Michelle Yeoh portrays both prime Georgiou and mirror Georgiou.

Answer: Tom Paris

Thomas Eugene "Tom" Paris was an admiral's son, so a lot of expectation was thrust upon him. After graduating from Starfleet Academy, he was assigned to the USS Exeter. While on the Exeter, an incident involving his own pilot error resulted in the death of three fellow officers. He tried to cover this up, and when he finally confessed he was discharged from Starfleet. He then joined the Maquis, but was captured, convicted of treason, and sent to a penal colony in New Zealand on Earth.

He was recruited by Captain Janeway to help her find her security officer, Tuvok, who was working undercover in the Maquis. It was during this hunt that USS Voyager was seized by The Caretaker and brought to the Delta Quadrant. Because of the deaths that occurred, Janeway reinstated Paris as a lieutenant j.g. to take over as the main shift helmsman for their potentially 70-year trip back to Federation space.

While on Voyager, he had a few romantic pursuits. But the one that persisted was his relationship with B'Elanna Torres, the former Maquis who became the chief engineer. They eventually married and were expecting their first child, a daughter, when Admiral Janeway (from 25 years in the future) met Voyager and showed them the location of a Borg transwarp hub that could bring them to the Alpha Quadrant near-instantly. They went through, and as he was piloting, B'Elanna gave birth to their daughter, Miral, just as they arrived in the Alpha Quadrant. ("Star Trek: Voyager")

Tom Paris was portrayed by Robert Duncan McNeill. McNeill also played Nicholas Locarno ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The First Duty", "Star Trek: Lower Decks" episodes "The Inner Fight", and "Old Friends, New Planets"). Locarno was going to be the character that McNeill plays on "Star Trek: Voyager". But because of copyright rules, they would have to pay the writers of "The First Duty" royalties every time Locarno appeared. So instead, they created a new character with a different biography that also got him discharged from Starfleet.

Answer: Phlox

When a Klingon courier, Klaang, crash-landed in Oklahoma, Earth, he was fleeing from Suliban. He managed to kill them in an empty grain silo. But then the farmer whose land he was on shot him with a plasma rifle.

Being an new alien to Earth, he was transferred to Starfleet Medical, where Dr. Phlox was working as part of the Interspecies Medical Exchange. He was able to stabilize Klaang. It was decided that as a show of good faith, Starfleet would return Klaang to Kronos, his homeworld, via the newly christened USS Enterprise (NX-01). Phlox was then recruited by the Enterprise's new captain, Jonathan Archer, to help monitor Klaang on the trip to Kronos to make sure he arrived in good shape.

Dr. Phlox was portrayed by John Billingsley.

Answer: Pavel Chekov

Ensign (later commander) Pavel Chekov served on the USS Enterprise as navigator.

There is a controversy concerning Chekov. In the movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", Chekov recognized the remnants of the SS Botany Bay on what he thought was Ceti Alpha VI. But it turns out that the planet was in fact Ceti Alpha V. (An explosion 15 years prior devastated Ceti Alpha V and made it change its orbit so that it was now the sixth planet in the system.) He rushed Captain Terrell and himself out of the Botany Bay, only to be caught by Khan Noonian Singh and his compatriots. Khan recognized Chekov from the USS Enterprise. The appearance of Khan in "Star Trek" was the first season episode "Space Seed". Chekov didn't appear on "Star Trek" until the second season episode "Catspaw". However, the stardates that were stated in each of these episodes were 3142.3 and 3018.2, respectively. Therefore, "Catspaw" occurred before "Space Seed", allowing Chekov to have been among the crew when Khan and his crew temporarily took over the USS Enterprise.

Chekov was portrayed by Walter Koenig ("Star Trek"). Besides his work on Star Trek, Koenig is also well known for his role as villainous Psi Cop Alfred Bester on Babylon 5. He appeared in twelve episodes of this show between 1994 and 1998.

Koenig's son, Andrew, was a guest star playing Tumak on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Sanctuary".

Answer: Katherine Pulaski

Dr. Pulaski was the Chief Medical Officer on the USS Enterprise-D for a year when Dr. Crusher had been promoted to head of Starfleet Medical. During her year on the Enterprise-D, she learned to respect non-organic life, realizing that Data was a being deserving of respect.

Dr. Pulaski was portrayed by Diana Muldaur. Muldaur is one of the rare actors to have guest starred on the original "Star Trek" (twice), as well as appearing on later TV productions of "Star Trek". Her characters on "Star Trek" were both doctors: Dr. Ann Mulhall/Thalassa ("Star Trek" episode "Return to Tomorrow") and Dr. Miranda Jones ("Star Trek" episode "Is There in Truth No Beauty?"). She is also the former sister-in-law to fold and blues singer Marie Muldaur.

Answer: Porthos

Porthos was Captain Jonathan Archer's pet beagle. He was brought along on the USS Enterprise's (NX-01) maiden voyage.

Porthos was portrayed by three dogs: Prada, Breezy, and Windy.

Answer: Paul Stamets

Commander Paul Stamets was an astromycologist and Starfleet officer. He became part of the team that discovered the mycelial network and helped develop the experimental spore drive propulsion system. In that capacity he served as the spore drive specialist of the USS Discovery. ("Star Trek: Discovery")

As a means of controlling the spore drive of the Discovery, he first use a large creature that resembled a tardigrade, a typically microscopic life form. But using the tardigrade as a navigator caused it great pain. When it became unable to function as the navigation link, Stamets had himself injected with the tardigrade's DNA, which enabled him to act as the spore drive navigator. This also resulted in a personality change, making him more affable. It also allowed him to view the universe through different timelines. It was this ability that allowed him to sense the 30-minute time loop that conman Harry Mudd was putting the Discovery through in order for him to figure out how to control the Discovery and sell it to the Klingons. Instead, he and others on the Discovery were able to thwart his plans and turn him over to the control of his fiancée Stella's father, Baron Grimes. ("Star Trek: Discovery" episode "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad")

Commander Stamets was portrayed by Anthony Rapp. Rapp is known for portraying the character Mark Cohen in the stage musical "Rent", as well as playing Cohen in the film adaptation.

Answer: Phillip Green

Colonel Phillip Green was a racist Earthman in the historic memory of Captain James Kirk. A copy of Green was created by the Excalbian Yarnek when he wanted to discover the difference between good and evil, concepts foreign to the Excalbians. He also recreated Ghengis Khan, Kahless, and Zora, notable evil beings of Kirk's memory. The good characters were Kirk, Spock, and recreations of Abraham Lincoln and Surak, the father of Vulcan philosophy.

Colonel Green was portrayed by actor Phillip Pine. Pine was a fan of Star Trek, and he was delighted to play such a memorable character. His costume he wore, a red jumpsuit, was later modified a bit and used as Mork's alien attire in the comedy series "Mork & Mindy".

Answer: Peanut Hamper

Ensign Peanut Hamper was an exocomp, a flying artificial intelligent robot. She was assigned to the USS Cerritos, and was found to be clumsy at engineering, but excelled in medical procedures. Though eager in her assignments, she proved treasonous when she was found to be the ideal choice to go on a suicide mission to disable an attacking Pakled ship. Instead, she transported herself off-ship. As the USS Titan left the system where the battle had occurred, she is seen tumbling helpless, crying, "Help!"

Peanut Hamper was voiced by Kether Donohue.

Answer: Perrin

Perrin was the wife of Ambassador Sarek in the 24th century. She was a human, Sarek's second human wife, after Amanda Grayson, his first human wife. She accompanied Sarek on his last ambassador mission to the Legaran Conference, a second contact mission held on the USS Enterprise-D at Legara IV. It was here that Sarek's Bendii Syndrome became at issue, which robbed him of his emotional control and also projected his suppressed emotions to those aboard the Enterprise. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Sarek")

Years later, Perrin welcomed Picard into her and Sarek's home on Vulcan when Picard needed to talk with Sarek about Spock's abduction or defection to Romulus. She said she would not let anyone talk with Sarek since his Bendii Syndrome had handicapped him severely. But since Picard had been the last to mind-meld with Sarek, she allowed Picard to speak with the bed-ridden Sarek. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Unification I")

Perrin was portrayed by actress Joanna Miles in both episodes.

Answer: Jankom Pog

Jankom Pog is a young Tellarite engineer. He had been put on a Tellarite sleeper vessel in the mid-22nd century. He was accidentally revived early, then proceeded to fix the damaged systems. He then discovered that there wasn't enough oxygen to support him and the crew in suspended animation, so he left the ship.

He was then captured by Kazon slavers, who sold him to the Tars Lamora prison colony. It was there that he and others found the hidden USS Protostar and activated it in order to escape the colony.

Jankom Pog was voiced by Jason Mantzoukas. Mantzoukas is known for his roles as Derek on "The Good Place" and Adrian Pimento on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine".

Answer: Piotr

When the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) rescues the last forty of a crew of a Klingon vessel, a non-corporeal being transported with them. The being, which fed off the emotions of hate and violence, continued to engineer a situation where the 40 Klingons were matched with forty Enterprise crewmen. It transformed the weaponry aboard the Enterprise into swords, ensuring more violence occurred between the rival crews. It had the power to prevent the warring crews from dying of any injuries they received, so that their numbers stayed the same and they could continue fighting. It also had the ability to alter memories.

Using this last power, it made Pavel Chekov believe he had had a brother, Piotr, who was killed by Klingons. This fuelled a rage in Chekov, which made him leave the bridge to go hunt down Klingons. After he left, Sulu informed Kirk that Pavel Chekov was an only child. ("Star Trek" episode "Day of the Dove")

Since he was imaginary, nobody portrayed Piotr Chekov.

Answer: Jean-Luc Picard

Captain Picard was the first captain of the USS Enterprise-D, a Galaxy-class starship that was considered the flagship of Starfleet. He was temporarily replaced on three occasions: when he was assimilated by the Borg ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes "Best of Both Worlds", parts I and II), when he was sent on a top secret mission ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes "Chain of Command", parts I and II), and when he was kidnapped when he was investigating an archaeological mystery. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes "Gambit", parts I and II)

Picard was mostly portrayed by Patrick Stewart. However, in the episode "Rascals", where Picard and three others were transformed into children, young Jean-Luc was portrayed by David Tristan Birkin. Birkin also played René Picard, Jean-Luc's nephew, in the episode "Family".