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Christopher Pike (Star Trek)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Pike is a character in the Star Trek
franchise. He was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter
in the original Star Trek
pilot episode
, "The Cage", as captain of the USS Enterprise
. The pilot was rejected, and the character was dropped during development of the second pilot when Hunter decided that he did not want to continue with the series. Sean Kenney portrayed Pike in new footage filmed for a subsequent Star Trek episode, "The Menagerie", which also re-uses original film featuring Hunter from "The Cage". Bruce Greenwood
portrays Pike in the 2009 Star Trek movie, directed by J. J. Abrams
.
on Earth and once owned a horse named Tango.
Pike is the first captain of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701
to be recognized in Star Trek canon
. However, the animated Star Trek series
reveals that Captain Robert April
predated Pike, and printed Star Trek fiction and reference books also identify April as Pike's predecessor.
Meanwhile, the Enterprise is en route to Vega Colony to drop off wounded crew members when it receives a distress call from the survey vessel SS Columbia, lost 18 years previously. Pike orders the ship diverted to Talos IV to rescue survivors.
Pike soon learns that all but one of the survivors are illusions created by the Talosians in order to lure the Enterprise crew to Talos IV. The Talosians make every effort to provide sexual fantasies that they hope will appeal to Pike, using as the object of desire the only real Columbia survivor, Vina. After escaping from his prison cell with the aid of his first officer, Number One
, and Yeoman J. M. Colt, the Talosians reveal Vina's real appearance to Pike as a disfigured older woman. The Talosians saved her life after the Columbia crashed, but they had no guide on how to repair a human body. Pike requests that the Talosians restore her illusion of beauty and the Enterprise leaves Talos IV.
radiation leaving him paralyzed, mute, badly scarred, and dependent on a brainwave-operated wheelchair. His only means of communicating is through a light on the chair: one flash meaning "yes" and two flashes indicating "no".
In The Menagerie, the Enterprise, now under the command of Captain James T. Kirk
, travels to Starbase 11. Spock
, who had served with Pike for "eleven years, four months and five days," makes clandestine arrangements to take Pike back to Talos IV, despite travel to Talos IV being the only criminal offense still punishable by death in Starfleet. Spock is court-martialed, with evidence during the procedure including footage from "The Cage". At the two-part episode's conclusion, Pike is reunited with Vina and given the illusion of perfect health.
A brief reference to Pike occurs in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
episode "Tears of the Prophets
"; Captain Benjamin Sisko
receives the "Christopher Pike Medal of Valor" for his actions during the Dominion War
.
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode The Most Toys, the name Pike can be seen briefly on the side of the shuttlecraft Lt. Commander Data
was going to pilot at the beginning of the episode.
Captain Pike is featured in the 2009 reboot Star Trek, this time played by Bruce Greenwood
. In the film, Pike encourages the young James T. Kirk
(Chris Pine
) to follow in the footsteps of his father, and challenges him to enlist in Starfleet. Pike is the first captain of the USS Enterprise, with Kirk on board. Pike is taken prisoner by Nero and tortured for information on Earth's defenses. He is later rescued by Kirk, whom Pike saves from an attacking Romulan
. At the end of the film, Pike is promoted to admiral
. He appears, in the final scene of the film, in a wheelchair. In this production he is able to speak and to use his upper body, unlike in The Menagerie. Admiral Pike proudly yields command of the Enterprise to Kirk while he recovers from his injuries.
Director J.J. Abrams has indicated that Pike may return for the next Trek film.
novels Enterprise: The First Adventure (Vonda N. McIntyre, 1986), Final Frontier (Diane Carey, 1988), Vulcan's Glory (D.C. Fontana, 1989), and Burning Dreams (Margaret Wander Bonanno, 2006).
A mirror-universe version of Pike (established in "Mirror, Mirror", as having been assassinated by the mirror James T. Kirk
.)
He also appears in the novel Dark Victory (William Shatner
, 1999), and the short story "The Greater Good" (Margaret Wander Bonanno) in the anthology Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Shards and Shadows (2009).
Dave Stern's 2010 original series novel: The Children of Kings, features Captain Pike and Spock. ** Here is an excerpt from the publisher's description of the novel ** ("Captain Pike is charged with trying to foster cooperation between the Orions and the Federation. A distress call from an Orion vessel offers him the perfect opportunity. But the Orion ship lies in disputed space long claimed by the Klingon Empire, and crossing it could be the spark that sets off an interstellar war.")
, Star Trek: Early Voyages
chronicled the adventures of the Enterprise under the command of Pike. The earliest issues lead up to the events seen in "The Cage", which was retold from Yeoman Colt's point of view. Although extremely popular, the comic series ended on a cliffhanger when Marvel lost the Star Trek license rights.
, Starfleet Academy, Nog and some fellow cadets encounter a solid image of Pike on Talos IV.
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
franchise. He was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers, and as Capt...
in the original Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
pilot episode
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, "The Cage", as captain of the USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
The USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, is a fictional starship in the Star Trek media franchise. The original Star Trek series depicts her crew's mission "to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before" under the command of Captain James...
. The pilot was rejected, and the character was dropped during development of the second pilot when Hunter decided that he did not want to continue with the series. Sean Kenney portrayed Pike in new footage filmed for a subsequent Star Trek episode, "The Menagerie", which also re-uses original film featuring Hunter from "The Cage". Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...
portrays Pike in the 2009 Star Trek movie, directed by J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
.
Depiction
Little is known about Christopher Pike's personal life. According to dialog in The Cage, he is from the city of MojaveMojave, California
Mojave is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Mojave is located east of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 2762 feet...
on Earth and once owned a horse named Tango.
Pike is the first captain of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
The USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, is a fictional starship in the Star Trek media franchise. The original Star Trek series depicts her crew's mission "to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before" under the command of Captain James...
to be recognized in Star Trek canon
Canon (Star Trek)
The Star Trek canon is the set of all canonical material in the Star Trek universe. It is usually defined as comprising the television series Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and the motion pictures in the franchise...
. However, the animated Star Trek series
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe following the events of Star Trek: The Original Series of the 1960s...
reveals that Captain Robert April
Robert April
Robert T. April is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe. April is listed in the Star Trek Chronology, The Star Trek Encyclopedia and at startrek.com as the Enterprises first commanding officer, preceding Captain Christopher Pike....
predated Pike, and printed Star Trek fiction and reference books also identify April as Pike's predecessor.
The Cage
At the beginning of The Cage, Pike and his crew are recuperating from a mission to Rigel VII during which several members of the landing party were killed by the inhabitants. The incident filled Pike with so much guilt that he is considering resigning his commission.Meanwhile, the Enterprise is en route to Vega Colony to drop off wounded crew members when it receives a distress call from the survey vessel SS Columbia, lost 18 years previously. Pike orders the ship diverted to Talos IV to rescue survivors.
Pike soon learns that all but one of the survivors are illusions created by the Talosians in order to lure the Enterprise crew to Talos IV. The Talosians make every effort to provide sexual fantasies that they hope will appeal to Pike, using as the object of desire the only real Columbia survivor, Vina. After escaping from his prison cell with the aid of his first officer, Number One
Number One (Star Trek)
Number One, in "The Cage", the original pilot episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek, was the un-named intellectual, problem-solving second-in-command serving under Captain Christopher Pike. She performs the same role for Pike "as Spock later does for Kirk"...
, and Yeoman J. M. Colt, the Talosians reveal Vina's real appearance to Pike as a disfigured older woman. The Talosians saved her life after the Columbia crashed, but they had no guide on how to repair a human body. Pike requests that the Talosians restore her illusion of beauty and the Enterprise leaves Talos IV.
The Menagerie
At some point prior to "The Menagerie", Pike is promoted to fleet captain. He is severely injured while rescuing several cadets from a baffle plate rupture onboard a J-class training vessel, the delta rayDelta ray
A delta ray is sometimes used to describe any recoil particle caused by secondary ionization. The term was coined by J.J. Thomson. It is entirely unrelated to the family of subatomic particles named delta baryon.-Characteristics:...
radiation leaving him paralyzed, mute, badly scarred, and dependent on a brainwave-operated wheelchair. His only means of communicating is through a light on the chair: one flash meaning "yes" and two flashes indicating "no".
In The Menagerie, the Enterprise, now under the command of Captain James T. Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
, travels to Starbase 11. Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
, who had served with Pike for "eleven years, four months and five days," makes clandestine arrangements to take Pike back to Talos IV, despite travel to Talos IV being the only criminal offense still punishable by death in Starfleet. Spock is court-martialed, with evidence during the procedure including footage from "The Cage". At the two-part episode's conclusion, Pike is reunited with Vina and given the illusion of perfect health.
Later References
Pike is mentioned in episode Mirror, Mirror: An alternate-universe version of Capt. Kirk evidently assassinated Pike to become captain of the ISS Enterprise (the Mirror Universe version of the USS Enterprise).A brief reference to Pike occurs in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
episode "Tears of the Prophets
Tears of the Prophets (DS9 episode)
"Tears of the Prophets" is the last episode of the sixth-season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine first broadcast on June 17, 1998.In this episode, Starfleet Command plans to go on the offensive and it is decided that Captain Sisko will be responsible for planning the first steps in the assault on the...
"; Captain Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, is the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Early life and career:...
receives the "Christopher Pike Medal of Valor" for his actions during the Dominion War
Dominion War
The Dominion War is an extended plot concept developed in a number of story arcs of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, an American science-fiction television series produced by Paramount Pictures...
.
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode The Most Toys, the name Pike can be seen briefly on the side of the shuttlecraft Lt. Commander Data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
was going to pilot at the beginning of the episode.
Star Trek
Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...
. In the film, Pike encourages the young James T. Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
(Chris Pine
Chris Pine
Christopher Whitelaw "Chris" Pine is an American actor. He has appeared in the romantic comedies The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and Just My Luck , as well as the action films Smokin' Aces and Unstoppable . In 2009, he portrayed James T...
) to follow in the footsteps of his father, and challenges him to enlist in Starfleet. Pike is the first captain of the USS Enterprise, with Kirk on board. Pike is taken prisoner by Nero and tortured for information on Earth's defenses. He is later rescued by Kirk, whom Pike saves from an attacking Romulan
Romulan
The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager...
. At the end of the film, Pike is promoted to admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
. He appears, in the final scene of the film, in a wheelchair. In this production he is able to speak and to use his upper body, unlike in The Menagerie. Admiral Pike proudly yields command of the Enterprise to Kirk while he recovers from his injuries.
Director J.J. Abrams has indicated that Pike may return for the next Trek film.
Novels and short stories
Pike has significant roles in the Pocket BooksPocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
novels Enterprise: The First Adventure (Vonda N. McIntyre, 1986), Final Frontier (Diane Carey, 1988), Vulcan's Glory (D.C. Fontana, 1989), and Burning Dreams (Margaret Wander Bonanno, 2006).
A mirror-universe version of Pike (established in "Mirror, Mirror", as having been assassinated by the mirror James T. Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
.)
He also appears in the novel Dark Victory (William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, 1999), and the short story "The Greater Good" (Margaret Wander Bonanno) in the anthology Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Shards and Shadows (2009).
Dave Stern's 2010 original series novel: The Children of Kings, features Captain Pike and Spock. ** Here is an excerpt from the publisher's description of the novel ** ("Captain Pike is charged with trying to foster cooperation between the Orions and the Federation. A distress call from an Orion vessel offers him the perfect opportunity. But the Orion ship lies in disputed space long claimed by the Klingon Empire, and crossing it could be the spark that sets off an interstellar war.")
Star Trek: Early Voyages
In the Paramount-licensed Star Trek comic book series published by Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, Star Trek: Early Voyages
Star Trek: Early Voyages
Star Trek: Early Voyages was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics in the United States, running for 17 issues from February 1997 until June 1998...
chronicled the adventures of the Enterprise under the command of Pike. The earliest issues lead up to the events seen in "The Cage", which was retold from Yeoman Colt's point of view. Although extremely popular, the comic series ended on a cliffhanger when Marvel lost the Star Trek license rights.
Starfleet Academy comics
In the Paramount-licensed Star Trek comic book series published by Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, Starfleet Academy, Nog and some fellow cadets encounter a solid image of Pike on Talos IV.