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  1. Entertainment
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11 Villains For Star Trek 2

Features
By Simon Kinnear published 27 October 2010

If Khan can't, who could be the sequel's big bad?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Harry Mudd

Harry Mudd

Back-Story: Mudd (Roger C. Carmel) is a con man who Kirk discovers is trading in dodgy women on two occasions. In Mudd's Women , he uses drugs to make three mingers appear beautiful; in rematch I, Mudd , he's created a harem of lady androids.

Film Version: In the reboot's altered timeline, this Mudd is more psycho than rogue, whose android-building capabilities are to be used to take over the Earth and position himself as leader.

Played By: Paul Giamatti

Key Scene: Kirk gets it on with one of Mudd's women, only for her to transform into a robot assassin.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
Gorn

Gorn

Back-Story: After the Enterprise battles with a Gorn ship in the episode Arena , the omniscient Metrons kidnap Kirk and the lizard-like Gorn captain (Bobby Clark), forcing them to compete in a duel to the death.

Film Version: The Metrons freezes time and brings the Enterprise into an intergalactic cage-fight where the entire crew must fight a rogue's gallery of foes: not just the Gorn, but Romulans, Klingons and even a batch of homicidal Tribbles.

Played By: CGI is inevitable, but for full tactility during combat it has to be a mo-capped Andy Serkis.

Key Scene: The Gorn leader disguises itself as an attractive woman to lure Kirk into a trap.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
Gary Mitchell

Gary Mitchell

Back-Story: Kirk's buddy at Starfleet Academy and an Enterprise navigator, Mitchell is possessed by the mysterious Galactic Barrier in Where No Man Has Gone Before . Now cursed with ESP, his unnatural powers become a danger and Kirk is forced to kill his best bud.

Film Version: Much the same, but with enhanced shock and awe as the Galactic Barrier decides to use Mitchell as a conduit towards spreading its powers through the cosmos - cue a zombie-like uprising as Mitchell infects more of Starfleet with his powers.

Played By: Sam Riley

Key Scene: Kirk gets it on with a Starfleet intern, only for her eyes to glow silver. Mitchell's got to her!

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Salt Vampire

Salt Vampire

Back-Story: As seen in The Man Trap , a routine mission goes awry when it turns out that Bones' ex, archaeologist Nancy Crater (Jeanne Bal), has been replaced by a shape-shifting creature that sucks the salt out of its victims.

Film Version: A deadly race against time, after the Enterprise unwittingly brings the salt vampire on-board prior to a vital peace conference with the Romulans. But how can Kirk trust his crew when one of them might be the killer?

Played By: Julianne Moore doubles as Nancy and (using mo-cap) the vampire.

Key Scene: Kirk gets it on with what he thinks is "Nancy," only for the creature to shape-shift into McCoy. That's gonna cause some psychological damage.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
Balok

Balok

Back-Story: In The Corbomite Manuever , the Enterprise engages in a Mexican stand-off with fearsome alien Balok (Clint Howard). Turns out the alien is a dummy; in reality, Balok's a kid, the poor blighter.

Film Version: The Enterprise starts a war after trespassing on Balok's turf. This time, there's no dummy; Balok really is scary.

Played By: Javier Bardem.

Key Scene: Kirk tries to unwind from the battle the only way he knows how, but his coitus is interrupted as Balok beams himself aboard the Enterprise. Awkward.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Kor the Klingon

Kor the Klingon

Back-Story: The Klingons made their debut in Errand of Mercy , waging war on the peaceful planet of Organia under the sadistic governorship of Kor (John Colicos). With war imminent, it's up to the Enterprise to save the day.

Film Version: This one scarcely needs changing, save to make the Klingons suitably bad-ass to surprise a generation raised on the nice Klingons of the spin-off series.

Played By: Josh Brolin

Key Scene: Kirk finds his path barred by a sexy female Klingon. Kill her...or kiss her?

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
Horta

Horta

Back-Story: The Horta, an aggressive rock, is killing miners in The Devil in the Dark . But it turns out to be the last adult Horta alive, protecting its eggs from what it sees as an attack on the Horta race.

Film Version: This is a movie, so the Horta needs to be super-sized to planetary status. Big threat, but how can the Enterprise defend itself from the giant's attack when Federation policy forbids it to slaughter the last of a species?

Played By: Dwayne Johnson. Think about it.

Key Scene: Kirk and the Horta bond by sharing tales of past sexual conquests.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
Trelane

Trelane

Back-Story: Tally-ho! In The Squire of Gothos , Trelane (William Campbell) is an omnipotent being with a fondness for recreating ye old Englande rituals, including hunting Kirk to the death.

Film Version: The timey-wimey shenanigans of the first film have opened the doors for Trelane to transform reality into a medieval playground. Without tricorders or phasers, the Enterprise crew must rely on their wits to survive.

Played By: John Cusack

Key Scene: Kirk gets it on with a medieval serving wench, only for the apparition to disappear into nothingness just as things are getting interesting.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
The Talosians

The Talosians

Back-Story: These bulb-headed telepaths kidnapped original Enterprise Captain Pike (in unaired Trek pilot The Cage ) and subjected him to experiments involving psychic visions. The story, and pilot footage, is revisited in the two-part The Menagerie .

Film Version: As in the TV version, Pike (a returning Bruce Greenwood) is kidnapped by the Talosians. The Enterprise's rescue mission is complicated by the fact they can't tell what's real and what's a Talosian projection...which is bad news, because the Klingons are genuinely on the warpath.

Played By: In a cute in-joke, Patrick Stewart gets prime slap-head honours as the Keeper of Talos.

Key Scene: A confused Kirk tries to get it on with everyone .

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
Pancake Aliens

Pancake Aliens

Back-Story: In Operation: Annihilate! , a Federation colony is under siege by a race of flying pancake-shaped creatures with a hive-mind, which sting their victims to infect and ultimately kill them.

Film Version: Evolved slightly differently in the parallel timeline, these pancakes are more cunning and take control of key Starfleet personnel to initiate a secret coup.

Played By: Well, the creatures are going to be SFX, so let's get an acting heavyweight to make this silliness work. Isn't it about time Ian McKellen did a Trek ?

Key Scene: Kirk tries to cook a meal, only to find it's one of the pancake aliens...and now dinner wants revenge!

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Kirk

Kirk

Back-Story: In The Enemy Within , a transporter cock-up sees Kirk split into 'good' and 'evil' personalities.

Film Version: A perilous first contact mission with a warlike race isn't the best time for evil Kirk to capture control of the bridge.

Played By: Chris Pine, of course.

Key Scene: Both Kirks try to get it on with the same crewmember. Poor lass.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
Simon Kinnear
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