"Star Trek" - "Z" Characters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Zephram Cochrane

Zephram Cochrane developed warp drive in the mid-21st century. He initially flew the Phoenix, his missile-converted-to-warp-ship alone. His flight caught the attention of a passing Vulcan ship, which came to Earth and initiated first contact with Cochrane and his crew. This meeting eventually led to the creation of the Federation.

But when the Borg traveled from the 24th century to the 21st, they attacked Cochrane's base in Montana to try and disrupt history. However, the USS Enterprise-E happened to follow the Borg through their time vortex and helped repair the Phoenix from the attack. This time, Riker and La Forge flew in the Phoenix with Cochrane to make sure the flight occurred and attracted the Vulcans, which it did. (movie "Star Trek: First Contact")

In his later years, he set out by himself to the stars, eventually crash-landing on Gamma Canaris N. There he was found by an energy being, referred to as The Companion, who healed Cochrane and also apparently de-aged him so that he appeared to be in his mid 30s.

One hundred and fifty years later, he was discovered by Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and a dying Commissioner Nancy Hedford, who also landed on Gamma Canaris N. The Companion had hypothesized that Cochrane was lonely for humans, so she caused their shuttle to land there. Though The Companion could communicate with Cochrane telepathically, he didn't realize that its gender was actually female and that it loved him. Through using a universal translator, they discovered this gender identity and The Companion's attraction to Cochrane. Cochrane rejected The Companion's attraction. But then when Hedford became close to death, The Companion joined with her and healed her, but at the expense of her immortality. It was then that Cochrane grew to appreciate The Companion, and he and Companion/Hedford stayed on Gamma Canaris N to live out their lives. ("Star Trek" episode "Metamorphosis")

Zephram Cochrane was portrayed by Glenn Corbett ("Star Trek" episode "Metamorphosis") and James Cromwell (movie "Star Trek: First Contact" and "Star Trek: Enterprise" episodes "Broken Bow" and "In A Mirror, Darkly").

Corbett made many guest appearances on American television in the 1960s - 1980s. One of his notable roles was that of Linc Case in the last season of "Route 66", a soldier who had returned from the Vietnam War. This was one of the first acknowledgements of the Vietnam War on American TV.

Cromwell has a vast resume in both television and movies. He appeared three times as Stretch Cunningham in "All In The Family", though the character was referenced quite a bit more. He starred as Farmer Hoggett in the movie "Babe" and as Brother Mathias in "The Babe". In "Star Trek" productions, besides his appearances as Cochrane, he played Narok ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Hunted"), Jaglom Shrek ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Birthright", Parts I and II), Hanok ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Starship Down"), and as a Holographic Zephram Cochrane ("Star Trek: Lower Decks" episode "Grounded").

Answer: Zeperez

Zeperez was a Vezda who possessed the body of Ensign Dana Gamble on Vadia IX. ("Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" episodes "Through the Lens of Time" and "New Life and New Civilizations")

The orb containing Zeperez was retrieved by grave robbers who had infiltrated the Vadia IX prison. However, they were unable to find a way out and died of starvation. Centuries later in 2261, their remains were discovered by a USS Enterprise away team assigned to investigate the structure. Ensign Dana Gamble unwittingly picked up Zeperez's orb, whereupon Zeperez broke out and possessed his body. Unaware that Gamble had died upon being possessed, the away team brought Zeperez to the Enterprise, where it masqueraded as Gamble but gradually began evincing its true personality.

Dana Gamble/Zeperez was portrayed by Chris Meyers.

Answer: Zora

Zara was portrayed by stunt actress Carol Daniels Dement. ("Star Trek" episode "The Savage Curtain")

Answer: Zhaban

Zhaban was a Romulan male who lived during the late 24th century. From the 2380s until his death in 2400, he worked as a housekeeper in the service of Jean-Luc Picard, alongside his wife Laris. He was a close confidant and advisor of Picard, and they held each other in high regard. ("Star Trek: Picard")

Zhaban was played by Jamie McShane. McShane also played a NX-01 Enterprise tactical crewman in "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode "The Andorian Incident".

Answer: Zarabeth

Zarabeth was a Sarpeidonian who was exiled to the ice age of Sarpeidon 5,000 years in the past. During her exile, she was accidentally visited by Spock and McCoy when they inadvertently traveled through the time portal in Sarpeidon's time travel library. While in the past, Spock began to act emotionally, becoming angry and McCoy, and falling in love with Zarabeth. This was because he hadn't been "prepared" for his time travel, and so began acting like Vulcans of five millennia in the past. Spock and McCoy had to both travel back to the future or neither could, because they'd traveled together to the past. ("Star Trek" episode "All Our Yesterdays")

Apocrypha: Spock's relations with Zarabeth begat a son, Zar. A scholar/archeologist examining the ruins of Sarpeidon found evidence of a Vulcan-looking male in 5,000-year-old cave drawings. He informs Spock of this. Spock theorizes that while in Sarpeidon's past, he fathered a child with Zarabeth. He uses the Guardian of Forever to travel back and rescue Zarabeth and Zar, their son. However, in trying to rescue them, he missed his mark and arrived years after Zarabeth had died. ("Star Trek" novel "Yesterday's Son")

Mariette Hartley portrayed Zarabeth in the "Star Trek" episode. Though it was set in an ice age, Zarabeth lived in a geothermally-heated cave, and wore a fur bikini while inside. At the time, network censors didn't want her navel showing, so the bikini was designed to hide it. Years later, Gene Roddenberry was producing a pilot for another science fiction show, "Genesis II", and hired Hartley as Lyra-a. As a bit of retribution, Roddenberry gave Lyra-a two navels.

Answer: Tora Ziyal

Tora Ziyal was a love child of Gul Dukat and Tora Naprem. During the Cardassian occupation, Dukat sent Ziyal and Naprem to Lissepia. However, their transport was shot down by the Breen and Naprem was killed. Ziyal was then sent to a Breen dilithium mine as a slave.

Years later, Dukat and Kira Nerys found out that Ziyal was still alive. They rescued her, and she chose to live on Cardassia with her father. However, life there was difficult, as she was shunned and Dukat's Cardassian family left him and he was demoted. Ziyal then moved to DS9. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Indiscretion")

During the Dominion War, she stayed on the station after it was re-occupied by the Cardassians/Dominion. She aided the resistance by helping Quark to break Kira, Leeta, Rom, and Jake out of prison. Just as the Federation forces were coming to the station to regain control of it, Ziyal admitted her crimes to her father Dukat and told him goodbye. Overhearing this, Dukat's assistant, Damar, killed her on the spot. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Sacrifice of Angels")

Tora Ziyal was portrayed by three actresses in nine episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine": Cyia Batten (2 times), Tracy Middendorf (1 time), and Melanie Smith (6 times).

Cyia Batten also played Navaar, an Orion "slave" who was actually using her female pheromones to manipulate Captain Archer ("Star Trek: Enterprise" episode "Bound"). She also portrayed Irina, the Antarian Trans-stellar Rally racer ("Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Drive").

Answer: Zek

Zek was the Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, their most savvy and visionary leader. Through his agents, he controlled the financial ventures of Ferengi businessmen, even if they were off-world. Zek appeared seven times in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", and his skull appeared in "Star Trek: Picard".

Zek was portrayed by Wallace Shawn (except for in "Star Trek: Picard"; the skull was a prop). Shawn's resume includes many movie and television appearances. He played Vizzini in the movie "The Princess Bride", and Dr. John Sturgis in "Young Sheldon". He also voiced the toy dinosaur Rex in the "Toy Story" movies.

Answer: Zero

Zero is a Medusan, an energy-based non-corporeal lifeform. Medusans can't present themselves to a corporal being without protection without causing psychosis in that being. They possess telepathic powers and have a natural aptitude for navigation ("Star Trek" episode "Is There in Beauty No Truth?").

Zero is a youth who was amongst a group of Medusans who were exploring the Milky Way galaxy. Zero was kidnapped from his group by Kazon slavers, who then sold it to The Diviner and held at the Tars Lamora prison colony. ("Star Trek: Prodigy")

Zero was voiced by Angus Imrie.

Answer: Zac Nguyen

Zacarias "Zac" Nguyen was an operation division yeoman who served Captain Pike on the USS Enterprise. He was one of the reported casualties during the incident on Rigel VII. He was replaced by Yeoman Colt. ("Star Trek" episode "The Cage" [first "Star Trek" pilot])

It was later discovered that he had survived (and was left behind). He had since become ruler of a group of Kalar. In violation of the Prime Directive, he armed the locals with phaser rifles and made himself known as "High Lord Zacarias". ("Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" episode "Among the Lotus Eaters")

Zac Nguyen was portrayed by David Huynh.

Answer: Dr. Lewis Zimmerman

Dr. Zimmerman was the holo-engineer who wrote the holographic program that generates the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH). This program was installed on ships built in the 2370s, with holo-emitters installed in their sickbays. As the name implied, it was for use in emergency situations. However, in the case of USS Voyager and USS Equinox, their emergency lasted for years. ("Star Trek: Voyager", movie "Star Trek: First Contact", "Star Trek: Prodigy")

In the Alpha Quadrant, complaints came in when the EMHs were utilized, as they had a poor bedside manner, and many were relocated to perform menial tasks, such as dilithium mining. This was a source of embarrassment to Zimmerman, as he'd used his image and personality to design this first EMH.

He developed a Mark II EMH that was used on the USS Prometheus. However, this one acted neurotically and was also replaced. He later created a Mark III and Mark IV, and worked on a Long-term Medical Hologram (LMH).

Robert Picardo portrayed Dr. Zimmerman, as well as the EMH Mark I that appeared in various "Star Trek" productions. He was also the Jupiter Station Diagnostic Program in the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "The Swarm".

Answer: Zeus

As portrayed in "Star Trek", psychokinetic beings from Pollux IV visited Earth and became the basis of the Greek gods legends. However, they left to return to their home planet. But after living without worshipers, they all, one by one, transcended their physical form; not death, but a state of being that they couldn't return from.

While corporeal, these Polluxians mated with humans and created demigods. One of these children of Zeus themselves had a daughter named Olly who joined Starfleet. She had hard-to-control electrical powers, similar to Zeus's famed lightning bolts. ("Star Trek: Lower Decks" episode "Of Gods and Angles")

There was no actual portrayal of Zeus in "Star Trek".

Answer: Zareh

Zareh assumed the role of courier for "the Colony" by beheading the planet's previous courier. He supplied the planet's mining settlement with whatever it could not produce for itself, and held immense power over its Coridanite miners as a result. He also had experience with the planet's parasitic ice, and claimed to have seen it go down a person's throat on one occasion. ("Star Trek: Discovery")

Zareh was portrayed by Jake Weber.

Answer: Zim Brott

Zim Brott was a Bolian petty officer serving on Deep Space 9. He was a victim of the serial killer Chu'lak, a Vulcan who had PTSD from the battles he'd survived in the Dominion War. Zim was targeted because he had a picture of him and his family laughing. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "'Til Death Do Us Part")

Zim Brott was portrayed by actor Chris Kelly. He was uncredited probably because he was simply posing as a dead body.

Answer: Groppler Zorn

Groppler Zorn was the Supervisor of Farpoint Station, a station built on Deneb IV by the Bandi people and offered for use by the Federation. However, Picard was suspicious of the construction of such an advanced station by a people who lived quite primitively. It was later revealed that the station was actually a shape-changing space entity that was being forced to take the shape of Farpoint. The USS Enterprise was able to supply the entity with enough energy to escape Deneb IV and rejoin its mate that had been attacking the old Bandi city. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Encounter at Farpoint")

Zorn was played by Michael Bell. Bell also appeared as Borum ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Homecoming") and Drofo Awa ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Maquis", Part II).

Answer: Zahra

Ensign Ellen Zahra was a landing party member when the USS Enterprise was investigating the loss of contact with the colony on Deneva. ("Star Trek" episode "Operation Annihilate!")

Ensign Zahra was played by actress/model Maurishka.