Gorn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gorn Gorn Hegemony (Government) |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Homeworld: | Gorn Homeworld |
| Affiliation: | None |
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Gorn are intelligent reptilian humanoids from the Gorn Hegemony.
The Gorn had contact with the Orion Syndicate as early as 2154 (ENT: "Bound"). They made first contact with Starfleet at Cestus III in 2267 when a misunderstanding nearly led to war (TOS: "Arena"). Although the Gorn made territorial claims, the Federation had a settlement there in 2371, indicating tensions later softened (DS9: "Family Business").
Despite limitations in make-up technology which made it obvious the Gorn Captain in "Arena" was simply an actor (Bobby Clark was the actual actor in the suit) in a lizard suit (see picture), the Gorn has nonetheless become one of the most popular aliens to ever appear on Star Trek due to the striking design of Wah Chang and the Gorn's memorable personality: a hissing, slow-moving beast, the Gorn is nonetheless quite devious, chuckling wickedly to himself as he sets a trap for Kirk and promising that if the captain gives himself up, the Gorn will make his death "merciful and quick." "Arena" is also considered one of the series' classic episodes and was the template for a similar, critically acclaimed episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation entitled "Darmok".
For years, "Arena" marked the only live action appearance of the Gorn, although the race was "name dropped" from time to time. In 2005, an episode of Star Trek Enterprise featured a Gorn (albeit in the Mirror Universe) in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly Part II". In that episode, the Gorn was a leader of a group of slaves belonging to the mirror universe's Tholians in an attempt to steal technology from the USS Defiant (NCC-1764) which had been discovered in the alternate universe. The Gorn hid in the ship's corridors and killed several crewmembers until it was killed by Jonathan Archer. For this appearance, the Gorn was recreated using computer animation (and much to the chagrin of some fans, appeared radically different from the original Gorn). Since "In a Mirror, Darkly" takes place entirely within the Mirror Universe, the contact seen between Starfleet and the creature does not contradict the first contact seen in "Arena".
[edit] Non-canon appearances
|
Star Trek |
|---|
| TV series |
| Original Series · 80 episodes |
| Animated Series · 22 episodes |
| Next Generation · 178 episodes |
| Deep Space Nine · 176 episodes |
| Voyager · 172 episodes |
| Enterprise · 98 episodes |
| Films |
| The Motion Picture · II: Wrath of Khan |
| III: Search for Spock |
| IV: Voyage Home · V: Final Frontier |
| VI: Undiscovered Country |
| Generations · First Contact |
| Insurrection · Nemesis · Star Trek |
| Major nations & races |
| UFP · Human · Vulcan · Romulan · Q |
| Klingon · Cardassian · Bajoran · Borg |
| Ferengi · Dominion · Mirror Universe |
| Spin-off fiction |
| Phase II · Novels · Comics · SFU · CCG |
| Games · Fan productions · Experience |
| Further reading |
| Canon · Characters · Starfleet · Wars |
| Chronology ·Timeline · Ships by class |
| Planets classification · Physics · Law |
| Cultural influence |
| Society · Trekkies · Trekdom · Motto |
| Star Trek Portal |
- A Gorn appeared in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "The Time Trap" (TAS is not considered canon by Paramount Pictures).
- Gorn burial practices were discussed in an issue of Marvel Comics' Star Trek Unlimited.
- Gorn appear in the SNES game Starfleet Academy.
- Gorn appear in the 2005 novel STAR TREK - Starfleet Corps of Engineers #44: Where Time Stands Still, a sequel to the animated episode mentioned above.
- Gorn appear in the PC game Starfleet Command
- Gorn appear in the Nintendo game Star Trek: 25th Anniversary.
- Gorn appear in Star Trek: The Next Generation book #32, Requiem
- A Gorn, with a name that sounds like "Rrrk", manages a bar in Arcturus (a city, planet and star all with the same name) in the novel "The Lost Years"
[edit] The Gorns in the Star Fleet Universe
Note that in the Star Fleet Universe, there is a distinction between Gorn (singular) and Gorns(plural).
The Gorn race appears in the alternate Star Fleet Universe, represented in the range of games from Amarillo Design Bureau Inc. as well as the first two Star Fleet Command games (and the Orion Pirates stand-alone addon for Starfleet Command II) from Taldren. These are not considered canon with the Star Trek movies or series. In this continuum, the Gorn Confederation is a powerful empire located coreward of the Romulan Star Empire, also bordering the United Federation of Planets and the Interstellar Concordium. It is comprised of three genetically related races, each from a neighbouring star system, knows as Ghdar I, Ghdar II and Ghdar III, are on the coreward border of the Romulan Star Empire and are portrayed as a more civilized and cultured race than as referenced in the Paramount Star Trek universe.
They ally in Y174 with the Kzinti Hegemony, the Hydran Kingdoms, the Federation and the Tholian Holdfast in the General War. The alliance between the Gorns and the Federation - following a brief conflict over a misunderstanding regarding the Federation colony on Cestus III, a Gorn world - represents one of the few alliances that is based on mutual trust and desire for friendship as opposed to political convienence.
They are mutually antagonistic with the Romulans, with whom they share a border with the Interstellar Concordium, and were among the first races to feel the effects of the ISC War of Pacification.
[edit] External links
- Gorn article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
