Q is for Q
The aliens of Star Trek have always been imaginative, from the menacing Klingon to the bizarre Andorians. But, sometimes the make-up department made an alien that took them a coffee break to make.
The all-powerful Q looked exactly like us. His omnipotent powers allowed him to have a British accent though.
Here are nine other Star Trek aliens that took very little effort.10. Nagilum (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Distinguishing feature: Eyes and mouth suspended in space
Supposedly, an inter-dimensional being of immense power it manifested itself as a two eyes, a nose and mouth in space. He threatened the crew At least they could have done that trick with the upside-down mouth.
Cost $$$
Effort ****
9. Orion Slave Girls (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Distinguishing feature: Green skin
“They’re like animals: vicious, seductive. They say no Human male can resist them.” That’s how these women were described in the episode “The Menagerie.” We were delighted by the sexy vision of the Orion Slave girls.
Unfortunately, instead of making them have three eyes or enormous horns, they decided to use greasepaint to cover their body green. No complaints on the final product, but the make-up team just phoned this one in.
Cost $$
Effort ****
8. Romulans (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Distinguishing feature: Pointed ears and eyebrows
One of the major villains of Star Trek. When they first appeared in the episode “Balance of Terror,” the new alien race looked a lot like an old race: the Vulcans. They already had the ears hanging around. All they had to do was shave the eyebrows, add a wig, put a different costume on them and they called it a new alien race.
Later attempts to add a rubber forehead showed a desire to put some kind of effort into it.
Cost $
Effort *
7. Deltans (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
Distinguishing feature: Bald head
The exotic alien race the Deltans showed up in the first Star Trek movie. The Navigation Officer Ilia. This one is easy for the makeup dept and hard on the actor.
Persis Khambatta had to have her head shaved for the role of the bald alien Deltans. It made her cry. Shame on you make-up team.
Cost $
Effort **
6. Bajorans (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Distinguishing feature: Ridge on the nose
When the show needed a new alien race of terrorists for the episode “Ensign Ro,” the make-up team jumped into action. Because of the cost of makeup on a weekly television show the most common aliens on TNG were bits of rubber on the forehead. The Bajorans at least had some design to it.
Cost $$
Effort ***
5. Ocampa (Star Trek: Voyager)
Distinguishing feature: Wig and pointy ears
Star Trek: Voyager had six major aliens as weekly cast members. So, you know they can’t put a lot of money into all of them. The Klingon and the cook took most of the money. When it can time for the alien Ocampan, Kes, they settled on some ears.
Cheap and effective, but lazy.
Cost $$
Effort **
4. Betazoids (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Distinguishing feature: Black contact lenses
No makeup. No wigs. No nothing. If they’re wearing sunglasses, a Betazoid asking you why you’re sad would be your only clue. Or, if you were invited to one of their naked weddings.
Cost $
Effort *
3. Ardanan (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Distinguishing feature: Nothing
The sky-dwelling Ardanans from the episode “The Cloud Minders” were unique in that they looked exactly like Humans. Period. No make-up required.
Cost $
Effort $
2. Dikironium Cloud Creature (Star Trek: The Original Series)Distinguishing feature: Smudge on the film
A smudge on the screen became an alien race. The vampiric Dikironium Cloud Creature from the episode “Obsession” was distinguished by a sickly sweet smell. Without “Smell-O-Vision, the audience wouldn’t even know they were aliens.
Cost **
Effort *
1. Q (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Distinguishing feature: Nothing
In the first episode of The Next Generation, “Encounter at Farpoint,” the crew faced an alien being that was omnipotent, all powerful and potentially malevolent. He also had great hair and a British accent.
While Q appeared in several episodes the make-up team took time off and headed for the beach. Picard describes him as “…devious and amoral and unreliable and irresponsible and… and definitely not to be trusted.” That’s why we love him.
Cost *
Effort *
Which is the laziest alien in Star Trek?
[Image Source: wikipedia, memory-alpha.org]
This post is “Q is for Q,” part of the “A-Z Blogging Challenge.” We’ll be posting something on our blog every day in April except for Sundays. The challenge is hosted by Arlee Bird , Jeffrey
Beesler, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Jen Daiker, Candace Ganger, Karen J Gowen, Talli Roland and Stephen
Tremp. Visit them today and every day for the next month!
