Jonathan Archer
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Archer is a fictional character
in the Star Trek
franchise. He is the protagonist
of the television series
Star Trek: Enterprise
, where he is played by Scott Bakula
. Archer also plays a major role in the formation of the United Federation of Planets
.
Archer is captain of the first starship
Enterprise
(NX-01) from 2151 to 2161, and is later President
of the United Federation of Planets
from 2184 to 2192.
According to a computer display in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly", historian John Gill considered Archer "the greatest explorer of the 22nd century." The same display states that two planets were named after Archer: Archer IV and Archer's Planet.
Archer's favorite sport
is water polo
. He has a pet
beagle
named Porthos.
engineer Henry Archer and his wife Sally, was born in 2112 in Upstate New York
, where he spent most of his formative years; he later claimed to have spent the majority of his life in San Francisco. His dreams of exploring started as a boy. As a youth, Archer earned the Eagle Scout Award
, along with 26 Merit Badge
s, from the Boy Scouts of America
.
Archer grew up with a distrust of Vulcan
s, perceiving them as having held back Humanity
's progress, particularly with regard to his father's warp five engine. It is strongly suggested in several episodes ("The Seventh", among others) that prior to joining Starfleet
, he studied at and played water polo
for Stanford University
just south of San Francisco. (Starfleet Academy
would not be founded until 2161.)
As a commander
in Starfleet, Archer served as a pilot in the NX warp trials with A.G. Robinson, Duvall and Gardner (all mentioned in the episode "First Flight"; it is assumed it is this Gardner who becomes Admiral
when Maxwell Forrest dies in "The Forge"). Robinson pushed the limits of a test ship, the NX-Alpha, resulting in its destruction. The Vulcans recommended that the warp trials end, which Starfleet agreed to until Charles Tucker III
(who would later serve as chief engineer under Archer) fixed the intermix ratios, and Archer and Robinson stole the NX-Beta, the second test ship, to prove its readiness. Although Archer was suspended for the act, it is believed his risk (and the fact that it paid off) eventually secured his role as Captain of Enterprise
, Earth
's first warp five starship.
and astronomer
. He runs into species from all over the quadrant
trying to kill him and his crew. Encounters with the Mazarites, Tholian
s, Suliban
, and Klingon
s cause Archer to become more of a military commander.
In addition, Archer learns that the duties of captain include being a diplomat
. During Seasons 1 and 2, he is somewhat uncomfortable with this role, especially in the episode "A Night In Sickbay" when Porthos contracts a deadly illness on an alien world.
While exploring, Archer becomes an enemy of the Klingons. In a dispute with the Klingon Empire
in 2152, he is convicted and sentenced to exile on Rura Penthe, even though he is innocent of the charges and despite the Klingons having acknowledged his previous service to the Empire. With his escape, a bounty
is put on Archer's head and tensions with the Klingon Empire increase.
Also during this period, Archer has the distinction of making Earth
's official first contact
with dozens of alien
races, including the Andorian
s, Axanar, Suliban, Tandarans, Tellarite
s, Tholians, Xindi and Romulan
s (although this is not a face-to-face contact).
in the middle of the Temporal Cold War
. The Temporal Cold War begins at the beginning of the pilot episode, "Broken Bow". In that episode, the audience is introduced to the Suliban
and a mysterious being from the future (informally referred to as "Future Guy") who is guiding them.
As the Temporal Cold War continues, Archer also meets Daniels, whose purpose seemingly is to safeguard Archer in particular and Enterprise in general. Daniels' comments are that Archer will be the man who helps to form the United Federation of Planets
, and it becomes apparent by the third season that Daniels is representing the Federation throughout the Temporal Cold War.
in 2153, Archer becomes a changed man. No longer a congenial captain, he is now driven and determined to seek out and confront the perpetrators. Archer commits desperate, controversial acts of questionable morality to ensure a future for Earth, including torturing a prisoner, cloning Tucker to harvest body parts in order to save the chief engineer and thus killing the clone, and stealing a vital warp coil and leaving a ship of aliens stranded in space.
While on his mission to locate the Xindi, Archer is briefly transformed into a member of the extinct Loque'eque by a mutagenic virus
. Later, he is infected by subspace
parasite
s, creating an alternate timeline in which the Enterprise
s mission fails and the Xindi succeed in destroying Earth. With the help of Daniels, Archer, along with T'Pol
, travels back in time to the year 2004 to prevent the release of a Xindi-Reptilian bio-weapon
.
By the end of the season, Archer is presumed dead when the Xindi superweapon is destroyed. However, in reality, he is transported back to the early 1940s during World War II
, as is the Enterprise.
fight an oppressive government on their planet. During this incident, he is the recipient of the katra, or living spirit, of the great Vulcan philosopher Surak
. The katra is later transferred to a Vulcan priest, and Archer is left unharmed. This leads to the reformation of Vulcan society, and explains why the Vulcans of Archer's time were so different from the Vulcans of Kirk
's time. In the process, Archer becomes the first known Human
participant in a Vulcan mind meld. Since that experience, he has used that knowledge at least once: To assist T'Pol
with conducting her first mind meld in order to gain information about who kidnapped Dr. Phlox
(as seen in the episode "Affliction").
Archer is also involved in one of the first, and possibly most significant, treaties yet, being asked to escort Gral, the Tellarite
ambassador, to the Tellarite-Andorian
negotiations. En route, he and his crew run into the Andorian Shran, a long-time friend/enemy/ally. During Shran's stay, Romulan
s attack and cause the fragile alliance to crash to a halt. In the mix-up, a Tellarite kills Shran's lover Talas, and Shran avenges her death by demanding the Tellarite who killed her to fight to the death. In an attempt to protect the fragile peace treaty, Archer takes the challenge instead and Shran is incapacitated (but not seriously hurt). The alliance remains intact, and soon evolves into the United Federation of Planets
. ("Babel One", "United", "The Aenar", "Demons", "Terra Prime", "These Are the Voyages...")
in 2161. He briefly took Archer ahead in time to the point where Archer is about to sign the Federation accords on Earth
.
Archer's fate is revealed in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly Part II" when a computer information screen aboard the 23rd century Starfleet
vessel USS Defiant is briefly visible. According to the computer profile, Archer was an Admiral
and Chief of Staff at Starfleet Command
at the time of his retirement. He later went on to serve as ambassador
to Andoria
from 2165 to 2175. From 2175 to 2183, Archer served as a member of the Federation Council, followed by eight years as Federation President
(2184-2192). He was also an honorary member of the Andorian Imperial Guard.
Unused artwork shows that Archer dies peacefully in his sleep at his home in Upstate New York
in 2245, exactly one day after he attends the commissioning ceremony of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
. (This is the first canonical confirmation of the date the NCC-1701 was launched.) However, this computer display gives 2160 as the year Archer's captaincy of Enterprise
came to an end, which is contradicted by the 2161 date given in "These Are the Voyages...".
The 2009 Star Trek film briefly references Archer, as Montgomery Scott
receives punishment stemming from an incident involving a transporter
and "Admiral Archer's prized Beagle." There was some confusion as to if this actually referred to Jonathan Archer himself as this would make him 141 years old. Star Trek writer Bob Orci went on record to clear up the issue, "...Admiral Archer is a reference to the Archer we all know and love, and yes he would be over 100, which is a likely life expectancy in a futuristic space faring race of humans (as depicted by McCoy’s (Deforest Kelley) in THE NEXT GENERATION."
. One of four males born in a litter of English
Beagle
s, Porthos and his brothers, Athos, Aramis and d'Artagnan, were named after characters from The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas, père
. He has been Archer's faithful companion since the age of six weeks, and has remained so for the duration of Archer's 10-year assignment as captain of Enterprise
.
Porthos was portrayed by a female beagle named Prada in Season 1. Afterwards, he was played by a further two female beagles, Breezy and Windy, although the character of Porthos remained male. Prada also portrayed the character Lou in the film Cats & Dogs
.
Archer would occasionally leave Porthos in the care of Dr. Phlox
when he was away or otherwise unavailable.
Archer cares very much for Porthos. In the pilot episode, Travis Mayweather
says Archer won't use the transporter
for himself and certainly not for his dog. In "A Night In Sickbay", Porthos nearly dies when he contracts a deadly pathogen
on the Kreetassan homeworld, but is saved when Phlox transplants
a gland from a chameleon
-like creature.
Although Porthos isn't the first domesticated pet to be featured in a Star Trek
series (Data
owned a cat, Spot, in Star Trek: The Next Generation
and Captain Jean-Luc Picard owned a lionfish
named Livingston), Porthos has the distinction of being the first pet to maintain an ongoing presence in the series, and even - as illustrated above - become the focus of an episode.
In the Mirror Universe
depicted in "In a Mirror, Darkly", Porthos is a Rottweiler
. According to the episode's podcast
on Startrek.com, the dog that portrayed the mirror Porthos was known on set as an even bigger "baby" than the dogs which have played the regular Porthos. Episode writer Mike Sussman
noted that the animal was "The sweetest dog I have ever met."
In the episode "Acquisition", Porthos was interrogated by a group of Ferengi
pirates while the rest of the crew were incapacitated, but the aliens' universal translator
could not decipher his barking. The pirates didn't know what to make of the dog, even speculating that he was perhaps food.
In the 2009 Star Trek film, it is implied that "Admiral Archer's" prized Beagle was involved in a freak accident when Montgomery Scott
used him as a test subject for a transporter experiment. Porthos, however, would have been over 70 years old when Scott was born, therefore it is not at all certain whether or not the beagle in question was Porthos, although it is possible that it has been made possible for dogs to live longer by that time. The novelization of the film has the beagle transported onto the Enterprise.
, Jonathan Archer was first officer
of the ISS Enterprise with the rank of Commander
. In this universe, he served under the command of Captain Maximilian Forrest, the alternate version of Admiral
Maxwell Forrest. Unlike in the "normal" Trek
universe, where Forrest and Archer are close friends, the mirror versions of the characters did not get along well at all.
Like most characters in the Terran Empire
, the mirror Archer was treacherous, cunning and scheming. He led a mutiny
against Forrest and took over Enterprise. However, with the help of T'Pol
and other Vulcan
s, Forrest was freed and retook the ship. Archer surrendered, but had locked the ship's navigation controls so its heading could not be altered. His reason for the mutiny was brought to light as he had been informed about a ship that seemed to be from another dimension. With the ship's course unable to be changed and Starfleet
now intrigued by what Archer had become aware of, Forrest was ordered to investigate, he also had Archer punished in the Agony Booth for a then record of ten hours, giving the Commander only one hour to clean up and get ready for a staff meeting after his release. On arrival, they discovered the USS Defiant, a Starfleet
ship from 100 years into the future of the "normal" universe.
Archer led an away team to take control of the Defiant while the Enterprise was destroyed by the Tholian
s. He and his team, plus survivors from the Enterprise, discovered the Defiant was not only from another dimension, but the future and that the alternate dimension never had a Terran Empire. After successfully crushing a rebellion against the Empire, Archer attempted to take the futuristic vessel to Earth
where he would proclaim himself Emperor
. However, before he could do so, he was killed by his universe's Hoshi Sato, who poisoned him, took the ship and (we are led to believe) the Terran throne as well for herself.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the 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...
franchise. He is the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
, where he is played by Scott Bakula
Scott Bakula
Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Beckett in the television series Quantum Leap, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1991 and was nominated for four Emmy Awards. He also had a prominent role as Captain Jonathan...
. Archer also plays a major role in the formation of the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
.
Archer is captain of the first starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
Enterprise
Enterprise (NX-01)
The Enterprise is a fictional starship in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer.-History:...
(NX-01) from 2151 to 2161, and is later President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
from 2184 to 2192.
According to a computer display in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly", historian John Gill considered Archer "the greatest explorer of the 22nd century." The same display states that two planets were named after Archer: Archer IV and Archer's Planet.
Archer's favorite sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
is water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. He has a pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
beagle
Beagle
The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound, but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game...
named Porthos.
History
Archer, the son of famed warpWarp drive (Star Trek)
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...
engineer Henry Archer and his wife Sally, was born in 2112 in Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, where he spent most of his formative years; he later claimed to have spent the majority of his life in San Francisco. His dreams of exploring started as a boy. As a youth, Archer earned the Eagle Scout Award
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
, along with 26 Merit Badge
Merit badge (Boy Scouts of America)
Merit badges are awards earned by youth members of the Boy Scouts of America , based on activities within an area of study by completing a list of periodically updated requirements. The purpose of the merit badge program is to allow Scouts to examine subjects to determine if they would like to...
s, from the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.
Archer grew up with a distrust of Vulcan
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
s, perceiving them as having held back Humanity
Human (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek science fiction universe, Humans/Terrans are one of the races undertaking interstellar travel. Human beings were instrumental in the founding of the United Federation of Planets...
's progress, particularly with regard to his father's warp five engine. It is strongly suggested in several episodes ("The Seventh", among others) that prior to joining Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
, he studied at and played water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
for Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
just south of San Francisco. (Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
would not be founded until 2161.)
As a commander
Starfleet ranks and insignia
Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...
in Starfleet, Archer served as a pilot in the NX warp trials with A.G. Robinson, Duvall and Gardner (all mentioned in the episode "First Flight"; it is assumed it is this Gardner who becomes Admiral
Starfleet ranks and insignia
Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...
when Maxwell Forrest dies in "The Forge"). Robinson pushed the limits of a test ship, the NX-Alpha, resulting in its destruction. The Vulcans recommended that the warp trials end, which Starfleet agreed to until Charles Tucker III
Charles Tucker III
Charles "Trip" Tucker III , played by Connor Trinneer, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, which is the last generation of the Star Trek seriesTucker was the chief engineer on the Enterprise, and also briefly served as chief engineer aboard...
(who would later serve as chief engineer under Archer) fixed the intermix ratios, and Archer and Robinson stole the NX-Beta, the second test ship, to prove its readiness. Although Archer was suspended for the act, it is believed his risk (and the fact that it paid off) eventually secured his role as Captain of Enterprise
Enterprise (NX-01)
The Enterprise is a fictional starship in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer.-History:...
, Earth
Earth in fiction
An overwhelming majority of fiction is set on or features the Earth. However, authors of speculative fiction novels and writers and directors of science fiction film deal with Earth quite differently from authors of conventional fiction...
's first warp five starship.
Seasons 1 and 2
As a man who loves to travel amongst the stars, Archer realizes being captain is a larger duty than managerManagement
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
and astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
. He runs into species from all over the quadrant
Galactic quadrant
A galactic quadrant, or quadrant of the galaxy, refers to one of four circular sectors in the division of the Milky Way galaxy.-Quadrants in the galactic coordinate system:...
trying to kill him and his crew. Encounters with the Mazarites, Tholian
Tholian
Tholians are a fictional starfaring and extremely territorial race in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Tholian home nation is the Tholian Assembly, which inhabits an area of space in the Alpha Quadrant, near the Cardassian Union and the Badlands....
s, Suliban
Suliban
The Suliban are a starfaring race in the fictional Star Trek universe, seen throughout the series Star Trek: Enterprise. A Suliban sect known as the Cabal served as the show's primary antagonists in the first and second seasons....
, and Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
s cause Archer to become more of a military commander.
In addition, Archer learns that the duties of captain include being a diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. During Seasons 1 and 2, he is somewhat uncomfortable with this role, especially in the episode "A Night In Sickbay" when Porthos contracts a deadly illness on an alien world.
While exploring, Archer becomes an enemy of the Klingons. In a dispute with the Klingon Empire
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
in 2152, he is convicted and sentenced to exile on Rura Penthe, even though he is innocent of the charges and despite the Klingons having acknowledged his previous service to the Empire. With his escape, a bounty
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
is put on Archer's head and tensions with the Klingon Empire increase.
Also during this period, Archer has the distinction of making Earth
Earth in fiction
An overwhelming majority of fiction is set on or features the Earth. However, authors of speculative fiction novels and writers and directors of science fiction film deal with Earth quite differently from authors of conventional fiction...
's official first contact
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....
with dozens of alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
races, including the Andorian
Andorian
Andorians are a fictional race of humanoid extraterrestrials created by D. C. Fontana for the Star Trek universe. They are native to the icy M-class moon Andoria , which orbits a blue, ringed gas giant. Definitive traits include their blue skin, a pair of cranial antennae, and white hair...
s, Axanar, Suliban, Tandarans, Tellarite
Tellarite
Tellarites are a fictional species from the planet Tellar from the Star Trek television show.Though not used in a great number of episodes, they are one of the founding races of the show's United Federation of Planets, to which Earth belongs....
s, Tholians, Xindi and 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...
s (although this is not a face-to-face contact).
Temporal Cold War
Although initially optimistic, Archer becomes involved in his first mission as captain of EnterpriseEnterprise (NX-01)
The Enterprise is a fictional starship in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer.-History:...
in the middle of the Temporal Cold War
Temporal Cold War
The Temporal Cold War is a fictional conflict waged throughout history in the Star Trek universe, predominantly during the 22nd century AD...
. The Temporal Cold War begins at the beginning of the pilot episode, "Broken Bow". In that episode, the audience is introduced to the Suliban
Suliban
The Suliban are a starfaring race in the fictional Star Trek universe, seen throughout the series Star Trek: Enterprise. A Suliban sect known as the Cabal served as the show's primary antagonists in the first and second seasons....
and a mysterious being from the future (informally referred to as "Future Guy") who is guiding them.
As the Temporal Cold War continues, Archer also meets Daniels, whose purpose seemingly is to safeguard Archer in particular and Enterprise in general. Daniels' comments are that Archer will be the man who helps to form the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
, and it becomes apparent by the third season that Daniels is representing the Federation throughout the Temporal Cold War.
Season 3
In Season 3, he was the Military commander in the Expanse. Following the Xindi attack on EarthEarth in fiction
An overwhelming majority of fiction is set on or features the Earth. However, authors of speculative fiction novels and writers and directors of science fiction film deal with Earth quite differently from authors of conventional fiction...
in 2153, Archer becomes a changed man. No longer a congenial captain, he is now driven and determined to seek out and confront the perpetrators. Archer commits desperate, controversial acts of questionable morality to ensure a future for Earth, including torturing a prisoner, cloning Tucker to harvest body parts in order to save the chief engineer and thus killing the clone, and stealing a vital warp coil and leaving a ship of aliens stranded in space.
While on his mission to locate the Xindi, Archer is briefly transformed into a member of the extinct Loque'eque by a mutagenic virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
. Later, he is infected by subspace
Subspace (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek fictional universe, subspace is a feature of space-time which facilitates faster-than-light transit, in the form of interstellar travel or the transmission of information. Subspace obeys different laws of physics...
parasite
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
s, creating an alternate timeline in which the Enterprise
Enterprise (NX-01)
The Enterprise is a fictional starship in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer.-History:...
s mission fails and the Xindi succeed in destroying Earth. With the help of Daniels, Archer, along with T'Pol
T'Pol
Commander T'Pol is a fictional character played by Jolene Blalock in Star Trek: Enterprise. She is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Concept and creation:...
, travels back in time to the year 2004 to prevent the release of a Xindi-Reptilian bio-weapon
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
.
By the end of the season, Archer is presumed dead when the Xindi superweapon is destroyed. However, in reality, he is transported back to the early 1940s during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as is the Enterprise.
Season 4
After returning home in 2154, Archer helps a faction of VulcansVulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
fight an oppressive government on their planet. During this incident, he is the recipient of the katra, or living spirit, of the great Vulcan philosopher Surak
Surak
Surak is a fictional character in the backstory of the Star Trek television series and franchises. He is portrayed as the most important philosopher in the history of the planet Vulcan...
. The katra is later transferred to a Vulcan priest, and Archer is left unharmed. This leads to the reformation of Vulcan society, and explains why the Vulcans of Archer's time were so different from the Vulcans of 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...
's time. In the process, Archer becomes the first known Human
Human (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek science fiction universe, Humans/Terrans are one of the races undertaking interstellar travel. Human beings were instrumental in the founding of the United Federation of Planets...
participant in a Vulcan mind meld. Since that experience, he has used that knowledge at least once: To assist T'Pol
T'Pol
Commander T'Pol is a fictional character played by Jolene Blalock in Star Trek: Enterprise. She is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Concept and creation:...
with conducting her first mind meld in order to gain information about who kidnapped Dr. Phlox
Phlox (Star Trek)
Phlox is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, played by John Billingsley.Dr. Phlox is the chief medical officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Overview:...
(as seen in the episode "Affliction").
Archer is also involved in one of the first, and possibly most significant, treaties yet, being asked to escort Gral, the Tellarite
Tellarite
Tellarites are a fictional species from the planet Tellar from the Star Trek television show.Though not used in a great number of episodes, they are one of the founding races of the show's United Federation of Planets, to which Earth belongs....
ambassador, to the Tellarite-Andorian
Andorian
Andorians are a fictional race of humanoid extraterrestrials created by D. C. Fontana for the Star Trek universe. They are native to the icy M-class moon Andoria , which orbits a blue, ringed gas giant. Definitive traits include their blue skin, a pair of cranial antennae, and white hair...
negotiations. En route, he and his crew run into the Andorian Shran, a long-time friend/enemy/ally. During Shran's stay, 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...
s attack and cause the fragile alliance to crash to a halt. In the mix-up, a Tellarite kills Shran's lover Talas, and Shran avenges her death by demanding the Tellarite who killed her to fight to the death. In an attempt to protect the fragile peace treaty, Archer takes the challenge instead and Shran is incapacitated (but not seriously hurt). The alliance remains intact, and soon evolves into the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
. ("Babel One", "United", "The Aenar", "Demons", "Terra Prime", "These Are the Voyages...")
Place in history
The time traveler Daniels revealed that Archer would eventually have a major role in the founding of the United Federation of PlanetsUnited Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
in 2161. He briefly took Archer ahead in time to the point where Archer is about to sign the Federation accords on Earth
Earth in fiction
An overwhelming majority of fiction is set on or features the Earth. However, authors of speculative fiction novels and writers and directors of science fiction film deal with Earth quite differently from authors of conventional fiction...
.
Archer's fate is revealed in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly Part II" when a computer information screen aboard the 23rd century Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
vessel USS Defiant is briefly visible. According to the computer profile, Archer was an Admiral
Starfleet ranks and insignia
Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...
and Chief of Staff at Starfleet Command
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
at the time of his retirement. He later went on to serve as ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Andoria
Andorian
Andorians are a fictional race of humanoid extraterrestrials created by D. C. Fontana for the Star Trek universe. They are native to the icy M-class moon Andoria , which orbits a blue, ringed gas giant. Definitive traits include their blue skin, a pair of cranial antennae, and white hair...
from 2165 to 2175. From 2175 to 2183, Archer served as a member of the Federation Council, followed by eight years as Federation President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
(2184-2192). He was also an honorary member of the Andorian Imperial Guard.
Unused artwork shows that Archer dies peacefully in his sleep at his home in Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
in 2245, exactly one day after he attends the commissioning ceremony 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...
. (This is the first canonical confirmation of the date the NCC-1701 was launched.) However, this computer display gives 2160 as the year Archer's captaincy of Enterprise
Enterprise (NX-01)
The Enterprise is a fictional starship in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer.-History:...
came to an end, which is contradicted by the 2161 date given in "These Are the Voyages...".
The 2009 Star Trek film briefly references Archer, as Montgomery Scott
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...
receives punishment stemming from an incident involving a transporter
Transporter (Star Trek)
A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek universe. Transporters convert a person or object into an energy pattern , then "beam" it to a target, where it is reconverted into matter...
and "Admiral Archer's prized Beagle." There was some confusion as to if this actually referred to Jonathan Archer himself as this would make him 141 years old. Star Trek writer Bob Orci went on record to clear up the issue, "...Admiral Archer is a reference to the Archer we all know and love, and yes he would be over 100, which is a likely life expectancy in a futuristic space faring race of humans (as depicted by McCoy’s (Deforest Kelley) in THE NEXT GENERATION."
Porthos
Porthos is Archer's pet dogDog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
. One of four males born in a litter of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Beagle
Beagle
The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound, but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game...
s, Porthos and his brothers, Athos, Aramis and d'Artagnan, were named after characters from The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
by Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
. He has been Archer's faithful companion since the age of six weeks, and has remained so for the duration of Archer's 10-year assignment as captain of Enterprise
Enterprise (NX-01)
The Enterprise is a fictional starship in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer.-History:...
.
Porthos was portrayed by a female beagle named Prada in Season 1. Afterwards, he was played by a further two female beagles, Breezy and Windy, although the character of Porthos remained male. Prada also portrayed the character Lou in the film Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs is a 2001 American-Australian action-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman. The screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra centers on the relationships between cats and dogs. It was shot in Victoria and Vancouver. The film was released on July 4, 2001 by Warner Bros...
.
Archer would occasionally leave Porthos in the care of Dr. Phlox
Phlox (Star Trek)
Phlox is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, played by John Billingsley.Dr. Phlox is the chief medical officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Overview:...
when he was away or otherwise unavailable.
Archer cares very much for Porthos. In the pilot episode, Travis Mayweather
Travis Mayweather
Travis Mayweather is a fictional character, played by Anthony Montgomery, in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, serving as a navigator and helm officer aboard the starship Enterprise. He holds the rank of Ensign, and is in the command division...
says Archer won't use the transporter
Transporter (Star Trek)
A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek universe. Transporters convert a person or object into an energy pattern , then "beam" it to a target, where it is reconverted into matter...
for himself and certainly not for his dog. In "A Night In Sickbay", Porthos nearly dies when he contracts a deadly pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
on the Kreetassan homeworld, but is saved when Phlox transplants
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
a gland from a chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
-like creature.
Although Porthos isn't the first domesticated pet to be featured in a 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...
series (Data
Data (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
owned a cat, Spot, in 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...
and Captain Jean-Luc Picard owned a lionfish
Lionfish
Lionfish may refer to:* genus Pterois, collectively known as the lionfish* Red Lionfish , a significant invasive species off the East Coast of North America and in the Caribbean-Fish:...
named Livingston), Porthos has the distinction of being the first pet to maintain an ongoing presence in the series, and even - as illustrated above - become the focus of an episode.
In the Mirror Universe
Mirror Universe (Star Trek)
The Mirror Universe is a fictional parallel universe in which the plots of several Star Trek television episodes take place...
depicted in "In a Mirror, Darkly", Porthos is a Rottweiler
Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market...
. According to the episode's podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
on Startrek.com, the dog that portrayed the mirror Porthos was known on set as an even bigger "baby" than the dogs which have played the regular Porthos. Episode writer Mike Sussman
Mike Sussman (TV series writer/producer)
Mike Sussman is an American television writer and producer best known for his work on Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise and Threshold. He is currently a writer and Co-Executive Producer on Sam Raimi's syndicated adventure series, Legend of the Seeker.- External links :*...
noted that the animal was "The sweetest dog I have ever met."
In the episode "Acquisition", Porthos was interrogated by a group of Ferengi
Ferengi
The Ferengi are a fictitious extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. They first appeared in "The Last Outpost", the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, during which they made first contact with the United Federation of Planets in 2364 on the planet Delphi Ardu,...
pirates while the rest of the crew were incapacitated, but the aliens' universal translator
Universal translator
A universal translator is a device common to many science fiction works, especially on television. First described in Murray Leinster's 1945 novella "First Contact", the translator's purpose is to offer an instant translation of any language...
could not decipher his barking. The pirates didn't know what to make of the dog, even speculating that he was perhaps food.
In the 2009 Star Trek film, it is implied that "Admiral Archer's" prized Beagle was involved in a freak accident when Montgomery Scott
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...
used him as a test subject for a transporter experiment. Porthos, however, would have been over 70 years old when Scott was born, therefore it is not at all certain whether or not the beagle in question was Porthos, although it is possible that it has been made possible for dogs to live longer by that time. The novelization of the film has the beagle transported onto the Enterprise.
Mirror Archer
In the Mirror UniverseMirror Universe (Star Trek)
The Mirror Universe is a fictional parallel universe in which the plots of several Star Trek television episodes take place...
, Jonathan Archer was first officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of the ISS Enterprise with the rank of Commander
Starfleet ranks and insignia
Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...
. In this universe, he served under the command of Captain Maximilian Forrest, the alternate version of Admiral
Starfleet ranks and insignia
Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...
Maxwell Forrest. Unlike in the "normal" 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...
universe, where Forrest and Archer are close friends, the mirror versions of the characters did not get along well at all.
Like most characters in the Terran Empire
Mirror Universe (Star Trek)
The Mirror Universe is a fictional parallel universe in which the plots of several Star Trek television episodes take place...
, the mirror Archer was treacherous, cunning and scheming. He led a mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
against Forrest and took over Enterprise. However, with the help of T'Pol
T'Pol
Commander T'Pol is a fictional character played by Jolene Blalock in Star Trek: Enterprise. She is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Concept and creation:...
and other Vulcan
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
s, Forrest was freed and retook the ship. Archer surrendered, but had locked the ship's navigation controls so its heading could not be altered. His reason for the mutiny was brought to light as he had been informed about a ship that seemed to be from another dimension. With the ship's course unable to be changed and Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
now intrigued by what Archer had become aware of, Forrest was ordered to investigate, he also had Archer punished in the Agony Booth for a then record of ten hours, giving the Commander only one hour to clean up and get ready for a staff meeting after his release. On arrival, they discovered the USS Defiant, a Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
ship from 100 years into the future of the "normal" universe.
Archer led an away team to take control of the Defiant while the Enterprise was destroyed by the Tholian
Tholian
Tholians are a fictional starfaring and extremely territorial race in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Tholian home nation is the Tholian Assembly, which inhabits an area of space in the Alpha Quadrant, near the Cardassian Union and the Badlands....
s. He and his team, plus survivors from the Enterprise, discovered the Defiant was not only from another dimension, but the future and that the alternate dimension never had a Terran Empire. After successfully crushing a rebellion against the Empire, Archer attempted to take the futuristic vessel to Earth
Earth in fiction
An overwhelming majority of fiction is set on or features the Earth. However, authors of speculative fiction novels and writers and directors of science fiction film deal with Earth quite differently from authors of conventional fiction...
where he would proclaim himself Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
. However, before he could do so, he was killed by his universe's Hoshi Sato, who poisoned him, took the ship and (we are led to believe) the Terran throne as well for herself.
See also
- List of Star Trek: Enterprise characters
External links
- STARTREK.COM: Jonathan Archer
- Production artwork showing Archer's biography, from In A Mirror, Darkly