11 Villains For Star Trek 2
If Khan can't, who could be the sequel's big bad?
Harry Mudd
Back-Story: Mudd (Roger C. Carmel) is a con man who Kirk discovers is trading in dodgy women on two occasions. In Mudd's Women , he uses drugs to make three mingers appear beautiful; in rematch I, Mudd , he's created a harem of lady androids.
Film Version: In the reboot's altered timeline, this Mudd is more psycho than rogue, whose android-building capabilities are to be used to take over the Earth and position himself as leader.
Played By: Paul Giamatti
Key Scene: Kirk gets it on with one of Mudd's women, only for her to transform into a robot assassin.
Gorn
Back-Story: After the Enterprise battles with a Gorn ship in the episode Arena , the omniscient Metrons kidnap Kirk and the lizard-like Gorn captain (Bobby Clark), forcing them to compete in a duel to the death.
Film Version: The Metrons freezes time and brings the Enterprise into an intergalactic cage-fight where the entire crew must fight a rogue's gallery of foes: not just the Gorn, but Romulans, Klingons and even a batch of homicidal Tribbles.
Played By: CGI is inevitable, but for full tactility during combat it has to be a mo-capped Andy Serkis.
Key Scene: The Gorn leader disguises itself as an attractive woman to lure Kirk into a trap.
Gary Mitchell
Back-Story: Kirk's buddy at Starfleet Academy and an Enterprise navigator, Mitchell is possessed by the mysterious Galactic Barrier in Where No Man Has Gone Before . Now cursed with ESP, his unnatural powers become a danger and Kirk is forced to kill his best bud.
Film Version: Much the same, but with enhanced shock and awe as the Galactic Barrier decides to use Mitchell as a conduit towards spreading its powers through the cosmos - cue a zombie-like uprising as Mitchell infects more of Starfleet with his powers.
Played By: Sam Riley
Key Scene: Kirk gets it on with a Starfleet intern, only for her eyes to glow silver. Mitchell's got to her!
Salt Vampire
Back-Story: As seen in The Man Trap , a routine mission goes awry when it turns out that Bones' ex, archaeologist Nancy Crater (Jeanne Bal), has been replaced by a shape-shifting creature that sucks the salt out of its victims.
Film Version: A deadly race against time, after the Enterprise unwittingly brings the salt vampire on-board prior to a vital peace conference with the Romulans. But how can Kirk trust his crew when one of them might be the killer?
Played By: Julianne Moore doubles as Nancy and (using mo-cap) the vampire.
Key Scene: Kirk gets it on with what he thinks is "Nancy," only for the creature to shape-shift into McCoy. That's gonna cause some psychological damage.
Balok
Back-Story: In The Corbomite Manuever , the Enterprise engages in a Mexican stand-off with fearsome alien Balok (Clint Howard). Turns out the alien is a dummy; in reality, Balok's a kid, the poor blighter.
Film Version: The Enterprise starts a war after trespassing on Balok's turf. This time, there's no dummy; Balok really is scary.
Played By: Javier Bardem.
Key Scene: Kirk tries to unwind from the battle the only way he knows how, but his coitus is interrupted as Balok beams himself aboard the Enterprise. Awkward.
Kor the Klingon
Back-Story: The Klingons made their debut in Errand of Mercy , waging war on the peaceful planet of Organia under the sadistic governorship of Kor (John Colicos). With war imminent, it's up to the Enterprise to save the day.
Film Version: This one scarcely needs changing, save to make the Klingons suitably bad-ass to surprise a generation raised on the nice Klingons of the spin-off series.
Played By: Josh Brolin
Key Scene: Kirk finds his path barred by a sexy female Klingon. Kill her...or kiss her?
Horta
Back-Story: The Horta, an aggressive rock, is killing miners in The Devil in the Dark . But it turns out to be the last adult Horta alive, protecting its eggs from what it sees as an attack on the Horta race.
Film Version: This is a movie, so the Horta needs to be super-sized to planetary status. Big threat, but how can the Enterprise defend itself from the giant's attack when Federation policy forbids it to slaughter the last of a species?
Played By: Dwayne Johnson. Think about it.
Key Scene: Kirk and the Horta bond by sharing tales of past sexual conquests.
Trelane
Back-Story: Tally-ho! In The Squire of Gothos , Trelane (William Campbell) is an omnipotent being with a fondness for recreating ye old Englande rituals, including hunting Kirk to the death.
Film Version: The timey-wimey shenanigans of the first film have opened the doors for Trelane to transform reality into a medieval playground. Without tricorders or phasers, the Enterprise crew must rely on their wits to survive.
Played By: John Cusack
Key Scene: Kirk gets it on with a medieval serving wench, only for the apparition to disappear into nothingness just as things are getting interesting.
The Talosians
Back-Story: These bulb-headed telepaths kidnapped original Enterprise Captain Pike (in unaired Trek pilot The Cage ) and subjected him to experiments involving psychic visions. The story, and pilot footage, is revisited in the two-part The Menagerie .
Film Version: As in the TV version, Pike (a returning Bruce Greenwood) is kidnapped by the Talosians. The Enterprise's rescue mission is complicated by the fact they can't tell what's real and what's a Talosian projection...which is bad news, because the Klingons are genuinely on the warpath.
Played By: In a cute in-joke, Patrick Stewart gets prime slap-head honours as the Keeper of Talos.
Key Scene: A confused Kirk tries to get it on with everyone .
Pancake Aliens
Back-Story: In Operation: Annihilate! , a Federation colony is under siege by a race of flying pancake-shaped creatures with a hive-mind, which sting their victims to infect and ultimately kill them.
Film Version: Evolved slightly differently in the parallel timeline, these pancakes are more cunning and take control of key Starfleet personnel to initiate a secret coup.
Played By: Well, the creatures are going to be SFX, so let's get an acting heavyweight to make this silliness work. Isn't it about time Ian McKellen did a Trek ?
Key Scene: Kirk tries to cook a meal, only to find it's one of the pancake aliens...and now dinner wants revenge!
Kirk
Back-Story: In The Enemy Within , a transporter cock-up sees Kirk split into 'good' and 'evil' personalities.
Film Version: A perilous first contact mission with a warlike race isn't the best time for evil Kirk to capture control of the bridge.
Played By: Chris Pine, of course.
Key Scene: Both Kirks try to get it on with the same crewmember. Poor lass.