“Star Trek” warps along to the adoration of millions. Since 1966, creator Gene Roddenberry’s space opera fascinated Trekkies or Trekkers the world over, and gave fans some of the weirdest bad guys and gals ever on TV or films. As director J.J. Abrams finishes his next trek with launch of a sequel, “Star Trek: Into Darkness” (2013), to his 2009 box office hit, it’s fun remembering the baddies. They’re cyborg humans, emotionless aliens and even godlike entities. They’re played by Oscar winners like Louise Fletcher, who snagged an Academy Award as Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”, and Christopher Plummer who got Oscar gold for his role in “Beginners”. But no matter the actor or actress, villains make “Star Trek” one of the best Hollywood playgrounds for being downright naughty.
Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) – TOS
Khan first blasted his way into our hearts as a genetically engineered super mad superman in the classic TV episode, “Space Seed” – way back in 1967. Montalban took a completely devious character on the page – full of depth and deception – and fleshed him out into such a memorable foil for William Shatner’s Captain Kirk, that producers brought him back for the big feature film “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”. Though still unconfirmed at this writing, speculation is Abrams will shape a new Khan for his forthcoming sequel. Currently, under the “Star Trek: Into Darkness” IMDB entry, it lists British actor Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan.
Kang (Michael Ansara) – TOS
Kang wasn’t the first Klingon to appear on “Star Trek”, but he was definitely one of the most memorable. Played by the talented actor Michael Ansara with a powerful speaking voice, Kang and Kirk mix it up on the Enterprise, while a mysterious energy alien – a kind of parasite – feeds of their respective crews. Kang was so well received, all subsequent Klingons have had to measure up to his impressive standard. Ansara was so admired for his performance, he played Kang again for two Trek spin-offs – in episodes of ‘Deep Space Nine’ and ‘Voyager’.
Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel) – TOS
Harry Mudd wasn’t your true villainous bad guy, but as a profiteering con man and general scallywag, he definitely wouldn’t have made Starfleet’s best cadet list. In two classic Trek outings, Mudd plied unsuspecting men with the promise of exquisite sexual creatures and dangled the heady lure of eternal life in front of Kirk’s crew by promising them android replacement bodies. Talk about a fast and sweet talker, Mr. Harry Mudd covers all the bases. Sadly, Carmel was scheduled to appear in a first season ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ episode, but passed away before filming.
General Chang (Christopher Plummer) – TOS
Chang opposed Captain Kirk in the feature film, “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”. Chewing up the scenery as colorfully as trek veteran (and fellow Canadian) William Shatner, Plummer infused his Klingon Chang with the same kind of memorable villainous bravado as Ansara’s Kang. Complete with eye patch bolted over his eye like a Frankenstein prosthetic, Chang taunted and teased Kirk until the two adversaries met in space battle, and the devious Klingon vowed to blow the good Captain out of the stars
Q (John DeLancie) – TNG
When “Star Trek: The Next Generation” warped into syndicated TV in 1987, some were skeptical a bald Captain Picard could successfully bring new life and a future to things. It all worked out wonderfully of course, and in the pilot episode, the godlike entity Q engaged Picard in a battle royal. Ever since that introduction, actor DeLancie has teased, tortured and tormented Picard and crew in all sorts of weird ways. He even crossed over into DS9 and appeared opposite Kate Mulgrew as Captain Janeway on Voyager.
Soran (Malcolm McDowall) – TNG
Malcolm McDowall as the devious Soran is known as the man who killed Captain Kirk – you don’t get more villainous than that. As Dr. Tolian Soran in “Star Trek: Generations”, McDowall plays a crazed scientist bent on destroying an entire world just so he can be reunited with the Nexus, an energy ribbon able to bestow nearly any kind of fantasy environment onto those who reside therein. Soran is a fun character on paper, and may have been perfectly fine with another actor, but by casting the mischievously magical McDowall, a true classic villain was born and is unforgettable.
Borg Queen (Alice Krige) – TNG
She is the beginning, the end, the one who is many. She is the Borg. She’s also arguably the most enigmatic, sexy and truly haunting “Star Trek” villain – man or woman – of all time from any TV show or movie. While violently predictable guys like Khan try to kill or imprison enemies, or with darkly playful Q wish to test an adversary, the Borg Queen simply wants to seduce you. In, “Star Trek: First Contact”, she plies her charms on the android Data, yet he never succumbs to her predatory gifts. It took hours of painful make-up to bring the Borg Queen to life and was so popular she was brought onto the “Star Trek: Voyager” TV series for several outings, played by another actress, Susanna Thompson. The role ultimately returned to the rightful monarch when Ms. Krige reprised her iconic role for the Voyager finale.
Female Changeling (Salome Jens) – DS9
This gal and the Borg Queen have something in common. They both care deeply about the fate and future of their people, but whereas the royal Borg babe assimilates all who cross her path, the ruler of the Founders doesn’t want new grunts joining up in her ranks. She employs a powerful army of aliens called Jem H’adar warriors who make Klingons look like boy scouts. Jens plays it with such a haunting grace, that you completely buy her as a being who’s lived hundreds of years and can morph and twist herself into any shape, or assume the identity of nearly any humanoid imaginable.
Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) – DS9
She’s the spiritual leader of her Bajoran people – a kind of pope with an attitude. She’s also a pathologically deranged despot. It’s a sly take on Fletcher’s Oscar winning role to again flesh out a character whose well managed rage gets her into all sorts of nasty and colorful conflicts. Her dulcet vocal tones belie unspeakable plans for all who cross her. Above all else, Winn loves to tangle with Kira Nerys (Nana Vistior) of station Deep Space Nine, and finally joins forces with a disguised Cardassian military leader, who rounds out my merry mobster list.
Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) – DS9
He’s the silky voiced, snake-like Cardassian who charms you with a wink, while sizing you up as to where to best stick his battle dagger. Actor Alaimo took a battle hardened character and infused such a refreshing and potent energy, that in each appearance, it feels like we’re meeting him for the first time. Dukat acted as steel fisted commander of DS9 (Terok Nor) during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, and when he battles the Federation to take command back in the show’s last season, he’s evilly gleeful to be in charge at the helm again. I had the real pleasure of seeing Marc Alaimo in person, when he was featured at a convention where he performed some Shakespeare. He brought the same kind of electricity to the Bard, as he did to being the big baddie of DS9.
Honorable Mention
Seska (Martha Hackett) – VOY
In the future, cosmetic surgery may become so sophisticated, you won’t know one’s age, let alone race or even species. This is the basic premise behind the character of Seska, who after charming us as a vindictive, mutinous Bajoran, is revealed to be in reality a Cardassian spy who was surgially altered to pass as another race. She didn’t make the whole series in one piece, but came back as a mischievious hologram trying to kill as many of her former crewmates as possible.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1408101/
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Kang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_C._Carmel
