Star Trek crossovers

Several characters within the Star Trek franchise, primary and secondary, often made crossover appearances between one live-action series and another. This included appearances of established characters on premiere episodes of new series, a few long-term transfers from one series to another, and even crossovers between Trek films and television. A few crossover appearances, such as that of Spock on The Next Generation and the time-travel of the crew of Deep Space Nine to the era of The Original Series were especially lauded by both fans and critics.

"Crossovers (Star Trek)" redirects here. For Deep Space Nine episode, see Crossover (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).

Appearances in series premieres

After the original series, a character from an earlier series appeared in the premiere episode of each new series. These were the appearances of Leonard McCoy in "Encounter at Farpoint", the first episode of The Next Generation; that of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Emissary", the first episode of Deep Space Nine; Quark and Morn in "Caretaker", the premiere of Voyager; Zefram Cochrane (from the original series episode "Metamorphosis" and the film Star Trek: First Contact) in "Broken Bow", the premiere of Enterprise; and Sarek in "The Vulcan Hello", the first episode of Discovery.

Long-term transitions

Two long-term transitions were the transfer of Worf and Miles O'Brien from permanent characters on The Next Generation to permanent characters on Deep Space Nine. Worf stayed on The Next Generation until its conclusion, then transferred from the start of season 4 of DS9. Chief O'Brien had appeared in fifty episodes of The Next Generation, but only gained opening credits billing on DS9, in which he appeared in almost every episode of all seven seasons. While not seen as often as Chief O'Brien, his wife Keiko O'Brien also transitioned as a series regular guest star from The Next Generation to Deep Space Nine, bringing their daughter Molly. Miles O'Brien reprised his Next Generation role in that series' finale "All Good Things...".

Episodes and films focused on crossovers

Television-to-television crossover

An especially significant crossover is Spock's appearance on the two-part Next Generation episode "Unification". Spock meets Data and they exchange opinions on the relative value of logic and emotion, and share mutual impressions of Next Generation's Captain Picard (who for Spock is a model of logical behavior, and for Data is a model of what it means to be human). Critics such as Ina Rae Hark have noted this encounter between two non-human characters summarizes their contrasting attitudes to humanity, Data embodying Spock's ideal of pure logic, while Data aspires to be more human.[1]

Scotty appears in TNG Season 6, Episode 4 "Relics".

Recycled footage from the original series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" is used extensively in Deep Space Nine's time-travel episode "Trials and Tribble-ations". In addition to extensive archival footage of cast from the original series, actor Charlie Brill (portraying Klingon spy Arne Darvin) appears in both new and archival footage. The episode was designed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the original series. Critic Matthew Kappell notes that the new episode simultaneously "parodies and valorizes" the original series, highlighting the discontinuities between two eras of Trek while trying simultaneously to weave them together.[2]

William Riker and Deanna Troi from The Next Generation appear in a flash-forward to the future in "These Are the Voyages...", the final episode of Enterprise. This episode was widely criticized by both cast members and fans for playing more like a Next Generation episode to the point of being an inappropriate wrap-up for the series.[3][4]

Film-to-television crossover

In the Voyager episode "Flashback", events from the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) play a pivotal role, and are re-enacted with the same actors thus allowing George Takei to reprise his role as Hikaru Sulu. The episode contains the added revelation that the USS Voyager's Tuvok was on Sulu's ship Excelsior at the time. In bit of rather glaring discontinuity, the character of Lieutenant Dimitri Valtane, who appears in both the 1996 third season Voyager Episode and the 1991 feature film is shown to still be alive at the end of Undiscovered Country. While that same character in the "Flashback" episode, is shown to have died prior to the feature films concluding scene in which the Excelsior crew bid farewell to the USS Enterprise crew. A scene from the film in which Valtane is visibly featured, and Tuvok is completely absent. Though the actor Tim Russ whom portrayed Tuvok, made an appearance as a Star Fleet bridge officer from the same fictional time period, serving on the USS ''Enterprise'' NCC-1701-B in the feature film ''Star Trek Generations'' (1994). Critic Lincoln Geraghty cites this as an example of Star Trek's ongoing propensity for reverential recognition of earlier versions of the series.[5]

Television-to-film crossover

The film Star Trek Generations brought Kirk and Picard, Enterprise captains from different centuries, together to defeat a common enemy. It also marked the passing of the film franchise from the original series cast to that of The Next Generation.

Characters more prominent on subsequent series

A few occasional recurring characters introduced in one series continued into other series, sometimes attaining more significant roles in their subsequent Trek series than in the one in which they were first introduced:

  • Spock's father Sarek appeared in only one episode of the original series, but became a more developed character in three movies and Star Trek: Discovery and appeared in the Next Generation episode named after him and the first part of "Unification". Sarek's appearance in the former is described in The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion as "the first major unifying event tying together the old and new Trek eras since McCoy's cameo" in the original series.[6]
  • Recurring character Q, originally introduced in the premiere episode of Next Generation, continued to appear in episodes of Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Teleplay writer Robert Wolfe found it difficult to incorporate Q into the DS9 universe as the character had been conceived so much as a foil for Captain Picard. He eventually decided to use Q to show personality differences between Picard and Sisko.[7] It was also difficult to decide how to introduce Q into Voyager, as it was necessary to explain why Q did not return the ship to Federation territory.[8]
  • Although appearing in only five episodes of The Next Generation and six episodes of Voyager, the character of Reginald Barclay became quite pivotal to the story-arc of the final season of Voyager, significantly contributing to the reestablishment of contact between the ship Voyager and the Federation. Barclay also appears in a cameo role in the eighth movie in the film series, Star Trek: First Contact.
  • Three Klingon characters from separate individual episodes of the original series, Kor, Koloth and Kang, all appear in the Deep Space Nine episode "Blood Oath", and Kor further appeared in DS9 episodes "The Sword of Kahless" and "Once More Unto the Breach". Crew members who worked on "Blood Oath" felt that a "special connection" was being made to the original series.[9] Kang made an additional cameo appearance on Voyager, verbally dueling with Captain Sulu in a brief scene of the episode "Flashback".
  • The two Ferengi, Arridor and Kol, were minor characters in the TNG episode "The Price" but were the principal antagonists in the Voyager episode "False Profits".
  • The menacing Borg race appeared in five out of seven of the Trek series. Introduced in The Next Generation, they would appear in Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, and Picard. Their role in Deep Space Nine was limited to an appearance in the premiere episode to explore Benjamin Sisko's troubled past (his wife having been killed in a major confrontation with the Borg), while their role in the Enterprise episode "Regeneration" served as a 'sequel' to Star Trek: First Contact, as an archaeological expedition discovers the remains of the time-travelling Borg sphere that was destroyed in First Contact and unwittingly reactivate a pair of Borg drones. However, the Borg became a recurring threat on Voyager. The only crossover character was the Borg Queen first introduced in the Next Generation feature film Star Trek: First Contact. She would then become a recurring character on Voyager appearing in the two-part episodes "Dark Frontier" and "Unimatrix Zero" and in the series finale "Endgame". These episodes form a narrative thread in which the Borg Queen is battling with Janeway in attempts to re-assimilate Seven of Nine.[10] Only in the final Voyager episode is the Borg Queen played by the same actress who played her in the feature film Star Trek: First Contact, Alice Krige. The magazine Cinefantastique described Krige's appearance as the highlight of this episode.[11]

All crossovers

Character crossovers
The Original Series on The Next Generation
The Original Series on Deep Space Nine
The Original Series on Voyager

The Original Series on Enterprise

The Original Series and The Next Generation on Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013), Star Trek: Beyond (2016)

  • Aside from a complete recasting of all the primary roles from the original series, the reboot Star Trek film series also specifically brought back Leonard Nimoy to reprise his role as Spock last seen in the Next Generation two-part episode Reunification for an appearance in all three films. A recast Sarek, a recasting of Spock's mother Amanda (Mia Kirschner), and a recast Captain Pike also appears in Star Trek (2009). Pike and Ambassador Spock (Nimoy) reappear in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) alongside a recast Khan Noonian Singh and Doctor Carole Marcus, characters who were last seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Marcus was also seen in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. While Nurse Chapel and Harcourt Fenton "Harry" Mudd are both mentioned or alluded to in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) but never seen. Nimoy's Ambassador Spock, and the rest of the original series cast reappear in holographic (Spock) and photographic form in Star Trek: Beyond (2016) and have nor speaking roles.
The Next Generation on Deep Space Nine
The Next Generation on Voyager
The Next Generation on Enterprise
Deep Space Nine on The Next Generation
Deep Space Nine on Voyager
Voyager on The Next Generation
  • The Mark I EMH "Doctor" appeared in the film Star Trek: First Contact. This EMH, while identical in name, appearance and mannerisms, was distinct from the Voyager character due to the nature of the EMH being a holographic computer program.
  • Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway has a brief cameo in the film Star Trek: Nemesis
Voyager on Deep Space Nine
The Original Series on Discovery
  • The characters Sarek, Amanda Grayson, Spock, Christopher Pike, Number One and Harry Mudd from The Original Series appear as recurring characters in Discovery, all played by different actors. The Talosians and Vina, from the unaired pilot of the original series The Cage and the two part original series episode The Menagerie, also appeared in the Discovery episode "If Memory Serves".
The Next Generation on Picard
Voyager on Picard
  • Seven of Nine has appeared five times in the first season episodes of Star Trek: Picard: "Absolute Candor", "Broken Pieces", "Et in Arcadia Ego: Part I", "Et in Arcadia Ego: Part II" and in "Stardust City Rag" she appears alongside Icheb in a final and brief cameo role. Icheb however is portrayed by different actors than those who had acted in the role on Star Trek: Voyager.

Actor crossovers
The Original Series on The Next Generation

The Original Series on The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager:

The Original Series on Deep Space Nine:

Clint Howard who played Balok on the episode “The Corbomite Maneuver” appeared as the mentally ill Sanctuary resident Grady in DS9’s “Past Tense, Part II” </ref>https://www.startrek.com/database_article/howardclint2</ref>


The Original Series on Enterprise:

Clint Howard who played Balok on the episode “The Corbomite Maneuver” played the Ferengi Muk in Enterprise’s first-year episode “Acquisition.” </ref>https://www.startrek.com/database_article/howardclint2</ref>


The Original Series on Discovery:

Clint Howard who played Balok on the episode “The Corbomite Maneuver” played Orion in the Star Trek: Discovery season one finale, "Will You Take My Hand?" </ref>https://www.startrek.com/database_article/howardclint2</ref>

The Next Generation on The Original Series
  • In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: Michael Dorn (Worf) appears as Colonel Worf, the grandfather of Lieutenant Worf. Rene Auberjonois (Odo) also appears as Colonel West, a human assassin disguised as a Klingon intent on assassinating the Klingon Chancellor at the Khitomer Conference.
The Next Generation on Deep Space Nine
Voyager on Deep Space Nine
Voyager on The Next Generation
The Next Generation on Enterprise
  • Brent Spiner (Data) plays Arik Soong in series 4, who is intended to be the great-grandfather of Noonian Soong, Data's creator.
Enterprise on Voyager
Deep Space Nine on Voyager
Deep Space Nine on Enterprise
  • Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun) appears as a recurring character Thy'lek Shran, and also as the Ferengi Krem in the episode "Acquisition" alongside Ethan Phillips from Voyager.
  • Rene Auberjonois (Odo) appears in the episode "Oasis" as Ezral, the chief engineer on a crashed Kantare supply ship.
  • Casey Biggs (Damar) appears in the episode "Damage" as the Illyrian captain.
  • J. G. Hertzler (General Martok) appears in the episodes “Judgement” and “Borderland”, as Kolos and a Klingon captain, respectively.
  • Robert O'Reilly (Gowron, also recurring in The Next Generation) appears as the bounty hunter Kago-Darr in the episode “Bounty”.
Voyager on Enterprise

Intercompany crossovers

Star Trek has had a few intercompany crossover stories in comic books. These include:

Marvel Comics franchise, X-Men.

  • Star Trek/X-Men – A comic book based on TOS
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation/X-Men – A comic book based on TNG
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation/X-Men: Planet X – A sequel novel to the TNG comic book

DC Comics franchise, Legion of Superheroes.

  • Star Trek – Legion of the Superheroes

IDW Publishing, Doctor Who

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2

Boom! Studios, Planet of the Apes

DCComics franchise, Green Lantern

Dark Horse Comics, Aliens

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens: Acceptable Losses

Transformers

  • Star Trek vs Transformers

CCG intercompany crossover scenario

Star Wars franchise

  • Mirror, Mirror scenario from InQuest Gamer allows the crossing over Decipher's Star Trek CCG and Star Wars CCG.

References
  1. Hark, Ina Rae (2008). Star Trek: BFI TV Classics. MacMillan. p. 64. ISBN 9781844572144.
  2. Kapell, Matthew Wilhelm (2010). Star Trek as myth: essays on symbol and archetype at the final frontier. McFarland. p. 83. ISBN 9780786447244.
  3. "Jolene Blalock interview". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on 2006-03-18. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  4. Salem, Rob (2005-05-09). "Trek fatigued, producer admits. Enterprise limps off to oblivion". Toronto Star. p. E1.
  5. Geraghty, Lincoln (2007). Living with Star Trek: American culture and the Star Trek universe. I.B.Tauris. p. 51. ISBN 9781845112653.
  6. Nemecek, Larry (2003). The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion: Revised Edition. Simon and Schuster. p. 127. ISBN 9780743457989.
  7. Erdmann, Terry; Paula M. Block (2000). Star trek: Deep space nine : companion. Simon and Schuster.
  8. Schuster, Hal (1996). The Trekker's guide to Voyager: complete, unauthorized, and uncensored. Prima Pub. ISBN 9780761505723.
  9. Dillard, J.M.; Susan Sackett (1996). Star trek, where no one has gone before: a history in pictures. Pocket Books. p. 186. ISBN 9780671002060.
  10. Johnson-Smith, Jan (2005). American science fiction tv: Star Trek, Stargate and beyond. I.B.Tauris. p. 88. ISBN 9781860648823.
  11. Cinefantastique: Volume 36 2004
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