Star Trek & Cryptids
Posted by: Loren Coleman on May 7th, 2009
The countdown is on until the new Star Trek movie opens on May 7th (in sneak previews) or May 8th (in wide release). The new film should do a lot to re-energize interest in the popular cultural phenomenon that goes where no human has gone before.
But what does “Star Trek” have to do with cryptozoology? Well, let’s take a look at some favorite cryptid-related memories and perhaps a bit deeper aspect too.
First up, there was this lame creature, “Mugato,” which appeared to be someone’s nightmare remembrance of a Yeti that had mated with a unicorn. From the “Star Trek” episode “A Private Little War,” what can you say about a white gorilla with a horn?
Then, who can forget the Salt Vampire from “The Man Trap”?
Probably the creature most like any cryptid truly reported from Earth was the Gorn Captain, a Lizardman, although not from the Ohio Valley. This clothed reptilian humanoid was in “Star Trek’s” episode entitled “Arena.” He had to battle Captain Kirk, of course, for it seems mostly one captain would fight another captain on the show.
All three of the above were featured in Wired’s Star Trek’s 10 Cheesiest Classic Creatures by Lore Sjöberg, which first appeared on November 19, 2007. You can go view the others. But they are not really worthy of Cryptomundo, although all are good sci-fi creatures.
“Star Trek” was a science fiction program, and even when Daniel Cohen wrote his book on the monsters that inhabited the various worlds of the show, most of them were hardly cryptids.
A couple “apes,” however, which were created for the pilot, seemed to be more Bigfoot-like than the rest.
Honestly, cryptozoologically speaking, there is one element that came out of the entire “Star Trek” genre that must be highly praised and celebrated. It was a Vulcan, played by a human.
This actor was Leonard Simon Nimoy (born March 26, 1931). Nimoy is best known for playing the character of Mr. Spock on “Star Trek” for three seasons from 1966 to 1969.
But it was after Nimoy left the “Star Trek” series that he would take on a role that installed him forever into the Cryptozoology Hall of Fame. In the late 1970s, Nimoy hosted and narrated the television series “In Search of…” (1976 to 1982), which investigated unexplained events or subjects, including cryptids, most notably Bigfoot.
“Star Trek” moments will be broadcast forever in reruns. But it is Nimoy’s legacy following “Star Trek” via his “In Search of…” hosting that links deeper Trekker sensibilities most closely to cryptozoology. The study of Bigfoot, for example, became widely known via television thanks first to the logical delivery of the case for these creatures due to the transplanted Mr. Spock.
The cryptid documentary universe was never quite the same after that.
Even an alleged (or photoshopped) image of Elvis as a Vulcan exists in cyberspace.
Live long and prosper!
🙂 Thank You.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
My favorite would be the Horta, the silicon-based life from Devil in the Dark.
I actually had a dream once about silicon-based “salamanders” being discovered to live in the mantle and being responsible for certain otherwise inexplicable earthquakes.
The Horta was really cool, although silicon-based life is problematic. The Salt Vampire was a great alien.
As to Spock, I think it was Isaac Asimov who wrote an essay on why copper is a poor substitute for iron in hemoglobin – it can work, but not nearly as efficiently. Carl Sagan wrote that two independently-evolved species from different planets had about as much chance of producing a child as a man and an artichoke, but Spock remains one of the great characters of science fiction.
Nothing wong with the Gorn except the show couldn’t afford a head that provided any realistic movement.
One thing that has struck me lately, in connection with the reports of Bigfoot throwing rocks and such at buildings is the episode (Gallielo 7 I think) where the shuttle is stranded on a planet where it is pelted with boulders by oversized bigfootish locals. I’ve wondered if perhaps the writer of that episode had some knowledge of BF reports of rock throwing, and worked that into the screenplay.
Trek had all kinds of fun aliens and critters (how about Tribbles, they’re born pregnant, lol).
Trek was ahead of its time and had some of the BEST monsters ever. I can’t believe some poser would call any of the classic creatures on this page “lame” or “cheesy”. Trek and its cast of monsters along with blue or green hued female aliens in miniskirts helped many a 13yr old boy through puberty. I wish the BEST success for the new film!
SPOILERS
Greetings All,
In the new movie there are no real cryptids, except for aliens we haven’t seen yet. (In Starfleet and as critters on other planets.) Scotty does have a friend about the size of the Hobbit, but it is obviously not from Indonesia! (At least, not the summer I lived there!) Good movie, but I find myself missing special effects where you could tell what was happening! (And we ate dirt at the movies, and we liked it, by cracky!)
As a teen I really enjoyed those cool creature episodes with the Gorn from the episode “Arena” being my favorite. And speaking of Mr. Spock I had the rare and great pleasure of meeting Leonard Nimoy at a book signing event for his “I Am Not Spock” book back in the mid-70s.
Why is Patty going to throw a boulder on the pilot episode?