While the human stories of the crew aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series were a key source of the show's popularity, the voiceover for the opening credits tells us that part of the mission is "to seek out new life and new civilizations." To that end, the Enterprise did encounter many creatures that were indeed "new" and at times frightening.
I do remember that the first time that I watched the series as a kid that some of these aliens scared me quite a bit. Now looking at them as an adult I can understand why. I will also highlight the scariest one of all at the end of this list.
So, let's take a look at the aliens that made me shiver as a child but also delighted me as well.
The plot is less important than the cute multipliers, but it does involve the disputed Sherman's Planet and Klingons who want to control the planet and its grain resources. After Captain Kirk (William Shatner) decides the situation is stable, he grants shore leave for the crew on Deep Space Station K-7. In a bar Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Chekov (Walter Koening) encounter a shady dealer named Cyrano Jones who is trying to sell different things, among them are cute little creatures called Tribbles. The Klingons also have been granted shore leave on the station, and they seem to hate the Tribbles while humans like them because they make soothing noises.
Back on the Enterprise Uhura's Tribble gives birth to a new bunch, and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) tells Kirk that their primary function is to give birth. Soon the Tribbles are all over the ship and the space station. With the Tribbles everywhere, they get into the grain supply from the planet and some of them are dying. It is discovered that a Klingon agent poisoned the grain. The creatures actually saved people that would have been eventually been poisoned by foods made with that grain. Everything gets resolved and Kirk orders Scotty (James Doohan) to get all the Tribbles off the ship, which Scotty does by beaming them all onto the Klingon ship where he says that "They will be no tribble at all." This is one of my favorite episodes of TOS.
Season 1, Episode 1 started the series off on a very creepy note with "The Man Trap." The Salt Vampire is exactly what its name implies – it sucks the salt out of its victims' bodies. It is also a shapeshifter, so it can appear like any one of the crew members. To say that this thing scared me as a kid is an understatement.
The creature is also the last of its race, so there are many implications about having to kill it, and that is what Gene Roddenberry wanted us to understand right out of the gate. It really sets the bar unusually high for a weekly TV series, and we would expect no less from Star Trek as we moved forward.
"The Devil in the Dark" (Season 1, Episode 25) features a living rock monster that is killing miners in the tunnels of a planet. The Enterprise is called in to try to find what is killing them. It is a very scary episode at first when you see the innocent victims staring at whatever it is that is attacking them. Like in most monster movies, the victims do little or nothing but scream as the monster approaches them.
In keeping with Gene's philosophy of mostly benevolent aliens, this one turns out to be a loving mother that's protecting its eggs – which the miners are collecting. This is one of the more memorable and sympathetic creatures the crew encounters, and it also provides Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) with a golden moment when he is going to try to repair the wounded alien when he tells Kirk (William Shatner), "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer."
Spock deduces that the individual creatures are all connected and working together, with the goal of having their victims take them back on a journey to spread to other planets. It may be hard to believe that these blobs of cells could be scary, but as a kid I thought the crew was going to be destroyed (I had yet to realize that they had to be back for the next episode). Even as an adult, these critters give me the creeps.
"Is There in Truth No Beauty?" (Season 3, Episode 5) presents us with a species so hideous looking that if human beings saw them they would drive them insane. While they are super intelligent beings, they must be kept in containers to avoid people seeing them.
There is a scene where Spock wears a special visor to look inside the container to see what the creature looks like. Since he is only half human, Spock is able to accept what he sees that otherwise wise would drive a human mad. In this episode it is implied that humans are a lesser species and that this civilization has evolved to a higher level to exist without their bodies. It isn't the first time that Trek gives us a reality check about our standing in the galaxy.
As another non-humanoid race, they seem to exist in a high temperature environment. While it is noted that The Federation has never encountered this species before, Spock hints at the Vulcans knowing about them. This is a memorable episode and yet another reminder that in the vast expanse of the galaxy there are intelligent lifeforms that defy our expectations about appearance.
It seems that the Melkotians have set up this gunfight as a test of some kind. While in real life the Earps are considered heroic, here they are cast with a tinge of evil that no doubt has been purposely done by the hosts. By the end of the episode the crew has passed with flying colors, and the Melkotians have agreed to establish relations with The Federation. Chalk up another win for Kirk and company.
The Zetarians
The Zetarians attack people's brains and the process tortures the victims – which literally involves contorting people's faces with light and sound. As a kid I didn't fully understand this episode, but it scared the crap out of me. As an adult I came to see it as a metaphor of a superior race trying to take over a lesser evolved species. It was definitely another memorable encounter with an alien race.
The Excalbians
The representative of the Excalbians is Yarnek, a sinister, huge compilation of rock and lava, making us wonder about the wisdom of seeking "new civilizations" sometimes. While the battle is something that is a cruel manipulation by a more powerful being, in the end there is a victory for the human-Vulcan team. The bonus is Lincoln's reaction to seeing Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) on the Enterprise. While we know this is not the real Lincoln, there is just a subtle moment where old Abe seems to realize what his fight against slavery accomplished when he sees her.
The Providers
As is sometimes the case in TOS, Kirk's actions bring an awareness to his bickering and petty hosts that they should not be using other species for their amusement. It is an interesting trope that happens in episodes like these, but it is also a real world warning from Gene that countries can oftem act like these disembodied brains using their populations as pawns in a game of political chess.
The Gorn/The Metrons
In "The Arena" (Season 1, Episode 19) the Enterprise takes on another alien vessel, but the Metrons, a highly advanced race do not appreciate a battle between the two ships in their area of space. The captain of the alien vessel and Kirk are beamed down to a harsh planet to fight one another. The Gorn is a large reptilian creature who is obviously much stronger than Kirk. The winner and his ship will be allowed to depart, and the loser and his ship will be destroyed.
The Metron said that the planet contained elements for them to make weapons. As they engage in various fights with sticks and rocks, it becomes clear that Kirk cannot defeat the Gorn. Then he remembers how to make gunpowder and finds the ingredients that he needs. Kirk "shoots" the Gorn with his crude device, but refuses to kill him. A Metron appears and expresses shock that Kirk spared the Gorn, who tells him that while he appreciates his mercy it will still be thousands of years before the Metrons will make contact again. Kirk and Gorn are then returned to their ships. This is definitely one of my favorite Trek episodes.
Once on board Kirk discovers that who he thought was Balok was just a puppet, and what looks like a little boy (Clint Howard, Ron's younger brother) is in charge. As a kid I found this to be amazing that a little kid was in charge of things. As an adult I still find the scene a bit surreal and yet intriguing because it is a lesson of not judging a book by its cover. There is also the infamous "tranya" moment, where the diminutive alien shares an orange colored drink with Kirk.
Truthfully, I do not know if the puppet or the kid scared me more, but overall I found Balok to be the scariest alien of all. It is the sense of the unknown and the enormous ship that could have destroyed the Enterprise, and it all being under control of a kid or someone who looks like a kid. To borrow from another franchise called Star Wars, another small creature named Yoda said, "Size, matters not." We would all be wise to remember that!
Other Aliens
I'm sure that there are other aliens that you liked more than these, but this list is very subjective and are my favorites. I apologize if I didn't mention ones that you liked here.
So, that is my look at what for me were the most memorable aliens besides Vulcans, Klingons, and Romulans. I will be looking at them in my next post.
Until next time, Live Long and Prosper.
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