Guardian of Forever
Encyclopedia
The Guardian of Forever is a time portal
portrayed in the fictional universe
of Star Trek
.
, but typically provides its users little help in figuring out how to change it back. And being in the vicinity of the Guardian when such changes occur isolates those from the effects of the change in the timeline.
episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" (1967). In that episode, the voice of the Guardian was provided by Bartell LaRue
. The Guardian's only other on-screen appearance was in the animated episode "Yesteryear
" (1973), in which the Guardian's voice was provided by James Doohan
(best known as Scotty
).
, the Original Series character Charlie Evans used the Guardian to go back in time and change history. The Guardian also appears in an episode of Star Trek: New Voyages
. The episode also portrays a second Guardian, much larger than the first, through which a starship can fly.
Time portal
Time portals are doorways in time, employed in various fiction genres, especially science fiction and fantasy, to transport characters to the past or future....
portrayed in the fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of Star Trek
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...
.
Fictional origins
In the Star Trek universe, analysis of the ruins on the Guardian's home world suggests it may be billions of years old but no one knows who built the Guardian. The Guardian is able to speak to anyone who asks it a question, though the meaning of its responses is not always clear. For instance, when asked if it was machine or being, it responded, "Both, ... and neither." When Spock says that there is no reason to speak in riddles, the Guardian says that it answers in the way that is best for "your limited understanding." The Guardian can detect changes in the timelineTimeline of Star Trek
Below is an abridged timeline of events established in the group of television shows and feature films set in the Star Trek universe. Many dates are estimates as the various shows and films are not consistent in their use of dates...
, but typically provides its users little help in figuring out how to change it back. And being in the vicinity of the Guardian when such changes occur isolates those from the effects of the change in the timeline.
Canonical
The first appearance of the Guardian was in the Star Trek: The Original SeriesStar 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...
episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" (1967). In that episode, the voice of the Guardian was provided by Bartell LaRue
Bartell LaRue
Bartell LaRue was known mainly for his work as a voice actor for many US television shows including Star Trek, Mission: Impossible and Mannix....
. The Guardian's only other on-screen appearance was in the animated episode "Yesteryear
Yesteryear (TAS episode)
-Plot:Spock returns from a time-traveling research project he has been conducting with the use of the Guardian of Forever. When he emerges from the portal, he discovers that apart from Kirk , no one onboard the Enterprise recognizes him...
" (1973), in which the Guardian's voice was provided by James Doohan
James Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
(best known as Scotty
Montgomery Scott
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous...
).
Non-canonical
In the unofficial mini-series Star Trek: Of Gods and MenStar Trek: Of Gods and Men
Star Trek: Of Gods and Men is a three-part unofficial Star Trek fan mini-series which contains many cast members from the Star Trek TV series and movies. It is described by its producers as a "40th Anniversary gift" from Star Trek actors to their fans. It was filmed in 2006, but its release was...
, the Original Series character Charlie Evans used the Guardian to go back in time and change history. The Guardian also appears in an episode of Star Trek: New Voyages
Star Trek: New Voyages
Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II is a fan-created science fiction series set in the Star Trek universe. The series was created by James Cawley and Jack Marshall in April 2003...
. The episode also portrays a second Guardian, much larger than the first, through which a starship can fly.
Books
The Guardian has proven popular in both fan fiction and the "official" Star Trek novels published by Pocket Books. However, none of these writings are considered canon.Novels
| Title | Author | Plot |
|---|---|---|
| The Devil's Heart The Devil's Heart The Devil’s Heart is the title of a non-canon Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by Carmen Carter, and the name of a legendary object of unsurpassed power and mystery which appears in that novel.-Plot summary:... |
Carmen Carter | The origin of the Guardian is revealed. |
| Federation | Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens are a prolific husband and wife writing team, known mainly for their involvement with the Star Trek franchise. They have written several books both within and outside of Star Trek, and acted as executive story editors and co-producers on the fourth season of the... |
The Guardian apparently stopped responding to questions several years after the events of "The City on the Edge of Forever" but it answers one special question from James T. Kirk. |
| Imzadi Imzadi Imzadi is a non-canon Star Trek novel by Peter David, primarily exploring William Riker's assignment to Betazed and his early relationship with Deanna Troi.... |
Peter David Peter David Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games... |
The portal serves as the focus of the story, creating an alternate timeline where Deanna Troi died at the hands of a scientist from the future in order to reshape the history of his species. The attempt by a future (then Admiral) Riker to undo the changes to the timeline drives the novel to conclusion. |
| Provenance of Shadows | David R. George III | Where the Guardian and "The City on the Edge of Forever" are pivotal to the story and the fate of the Guardian may be indicated. |
| Star Trek: First Frontier | Diane Carey Diane Carey Diane Carey is primarily a science fiction author best known for her work in the Star Trek franchise. She has been the lead-off writer for two Star Trek spin-off book series: Star Trek The Next Generation with Star Trek: Ghost Ship, and the novelization of the Star Trek: Enterprise pilot, Broken... and Dr. James I. Kirkland |
The Guardian of Forever is instrumental in helping Kirk and his crew return to just before the extinction of the dinosaurs to correct an altered timeline, from which they were spared due to an unexpected effect of an experimental new shielding system. |
| Crucible trilogy | David R. George III | Trilogy explores the long-term effects on Kirk, Spock, and McCoy of the only canonical appearance of the Guardian. |
| Yesterday's Son and Time for Yesterday Time for Yesterday Time For Yesterday is a novel by A. C. Crispin set in the fictional Star Trek Universe. It is a sequel to Crispin's earlier novel, Yesterday's Son, and describes a second encounter between the crew of the USS Enterprise and Spock's son, Zar.... |
A.C. Crispin | Kirk, Spock and McCoy use the Guardian to visit Sarpeion in the past and find Zar, Spock's long lost son from All Our Yesterdays. |
| Preserver Preserver (Star Trek) Preserver is a novel by William Shatner, co-written with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, based upon the television series Star Trek. The novel was released in 2000 in hardcover format. This is the conclusion of a trilogy that began with Spectre and Dark Victory.-Synopsis:Kirk's Mirror Universe... |
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... |
Kirk and Tiberius enter an enormous Preserver obelisk and Kirk discovers a Guardian in the final chamber. |
| Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fourth feature film based on the Star Trek science fiction television series and completes the story arc begun in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and continued in Star Trek III: The... novelization |
Vonda McIntyre Vonda McIntyre Vonda Neel McIntyre is an American science fiction author.-Biography:Vonda N. McIntyre, daughter of H. Neel and Vonda B. Keith McIntyre, earned a degree in biology from the University of Washington in 1970. That same year, she attended the Clarion Writers Workshop, founded at the Clarion... |
McCoy angers Kirk before their time travel by asking, "What would the Guardian say?" |
| Doctor's Orders Doctor's Orders (novel) Doctor's Orders is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel written by Diane Duane.-Plot:In response to good-natured complaints about his command style, Captain Kirk leaves Doctor McCoy in command of the Enterprise. Kirk beams down to the planet 'Flyspeck' in order to facilitate its acceptance into... |
Diane Duane Diane Duane Diane Duane is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her works include the Young Wizards young adult fantasy series and the Rihannsu Star Trek novels.-Biography :... |
The obelisk (named ;At) mentions the Guardian as a 'colleague'. |
| The Q Continuum Star Trek: The Q Continuum Star Trek: The Q Continuum is a series of three novels written by Greg Cox and published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc... |
Greg Cox Greg Cox Greg Cox is a science fiction writer including works that are media tie-ins. He lives in Oxford, Pennsylvania, U.S..He has written numerous Star Trek novels, including The Eugenics Wars , The Q Continuum, Assignment: Eternity, and The Black Shore... |
A young Q implies that the ruins around the Guardian were constructed by his and the Q Continuum's organic ancestors. |
Short stories
| Title | Author | Collection | Plot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mind-Sifter | Shirley S. Maiewski | Star Trek: The New Voyages Star Trek: The New Voyages Star Trek: The New Voyages was a anthology of short fiction based on Star Trek edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath featuring work by fan fiction authors... |
Captain Kirk is stranded on 1950s Earth in a mental hospital, having been abducted by Kor, subjected to a Klingon mind sifter, and transported through the Guardian of Forever. Spock is promoted to Captain and spends a year looking for Kirk. |
| Guardians | Brett Hudgins | Strange New Worlds VII | Set in a future where the Horta are serving as protectors of the Guardian of Forever, preventing any malevolent races from purposely altering the timeline. The story makes use of several popular Trek characters and villains (Odo, Q Q (Star Trek) Q is a fictional character who appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, as well as in related products. In all of these programs, he is played by John de Lancie.... , the Borg Borg (Star Trek) The Borg are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the Star Trek universe associated with Star Trek.Whereas cybernetics are used by other races in the science fiction world to repair bodily damage and birth defects, the Borg use enforced cybernetic enhancement as a means of... , and Armus (from "Skin of Evil")) during the 50,000 year span of time covered. |
Computer games
- In the computer role-playing game Fallout 2Fallout 2Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
there's a random encounterRandom encounterA random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
in which the player is able to enter a time portal resembling the Guardian of Forever which paradoxically makes him start the plot of the game's predecessor, FalloutFallout (computer game)Fallout is a computer role-playing game produced by Tim Cain, developed and published by Interplay in 1997. The game has a post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic setting in the mid-22nd century, featuring an alternate history which deviates some time after World War II, where technology, politics...
.
- In Star Trek OnlineStar Trek OnlineStar Trek Online, often abbreviated as STO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Cryptic Studios based on the popular Star Trek series created by Gene Roddenberry. The game is set in the 25th century, 30 years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis...
, the mission "City on the Edge of Never" involves using the Guardian to travel through time to stop Klingons intent on altering history.