Was the movie First Contact the first time it was revealed that first contact was with the Vulcans?

[KerbalStarfleet]

I remember seeing the landing scene from First Contact on tv when I was young, so I always kind of assumed that first contact was with the Vulcans and it was a known thing in Trek. For those who remember what it was like before, was it ever revealed in Trek canon before FC that it was the Vulcans or was that some big reveal? It certainly seemed like it was treated that way when the Vulcan flips back his hood to reveal his ears. For older Trek fans, what did it feel like seeing for the first time?

 

[Timo]

It was sort of the safe choice and made me feel all warm and fuzzy for that very fact.

But by that time, Earthlings had already had lots of contact with aliens, beginning with the ancient Greeks. The movie didn't exactly establish whether it was news that there were Space Men in existence, or merely that these particularly pointy-eared ones were now revealing themselves. But it was another nostalgia moment of sorts that the Vulcans chose to make open contact by the same criteria our Starfleet heroes later would: at the point where the natives first discovered true interstellar travel with warp drive. I mean, it's highly logical to make contact there, because just two weeks later it would no longer be on Vulcan terms if Cochrane chose to make another test flight to Andoria or whatever. But the familiar rules are nicely implicit in the events in any case.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[KerbalStarfleet]

But it was another nostalgia moment of sorts that the Vulcans chose to make open contact by the same criteria our Starfleet heroes later would: at the point where the natives first discovered true interstellar travel with warp drive. I mean, it's highly logical to make contact there, because just two weeks later it would no longer be on Vulcan terms if Cochrane chose to make another test flight to Andoria or whatever.

Yes, when I say "first contact" I mean that threshold, or the first contact with the races that would later form the Federation, because I had already known about the Prime Directive. I don't really count the previous relatively unknown contacts, like Apollo, or Quark, Rom, and Nog... But you are right about that rule being kind of illogical *sings "IIIILLOGICAL!" in Robert Picardo voice*. Also, had Vulcan made contact with Andoria by 2063? ENT's "The Andorian Incident" seemed like the Vulcans already knew about the Andorians but it was Archer and humanity's first contact with them.

 

[KerbalStarfleet]

Oh you meant it was logical to make contact at that point, not illogical..sorry lol

 

[Guy Gardener]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_from_the_Sky

1987.

 

[NCC-73515]

When I saw FC on the big screen (my first Trek movie in theaters), I got excited when the ship opened up cause I was very curious who those first aliens were. When the guy revealed his ears, I screamed "HAAA! Of course!" and my brother and I exchanged the salute. What a great movie that was!

 

[Dukhat]

There was nothing canonical about Earth’s first contact with aliens until that film.

 

[ToddKent]

I remember being surprised at the reveal. In hindsight I think they also did a great job with keeping the story engaging enough for the audience to not sit around wondering who the First Contact aliens were (or at least I didn't).

 

[arch101]

I remember seeing the landing scene from First Contact on tv when I was young, so I always kind of assumed that first contact was with the Vulcans and it was a known thing in Trek. For those who remember what it was like before, was it ever revealed in Trek canon before FC that it was the Vulcans or was that some big reveal? It certainly seemed like it was treated that way when the Vulcan flips back his hood to reveal his ears. For older Trek fans, what did it feel like seeing for the first time?

It wasn’t a surprise if you read Strangers From The Sky, as noted above.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

It wasn’t a surprise if you read Strangers From The Sky, as noted above.

By the time First Contact hit the screens, I had completely forgotten about that book (read it '87). But I guess it somehow stuck with me, because I wasn't the least bit surprised it was the Vulcans.

 

[Nyotarules]

For older Trek fans, what did it feel like seeing for the first time?

No surprises, I read Strangers from the Sky and the Federation book (which would have made a better film IMO)

 

[Kor]

I had already read Strangers from the Sky, but knowing full well that the movies have nothing to do with the novels, I had no expectations whatsoever when it came to the identity of the aliens who would make first contact with humanity. It was a nice surprise that they turned out to be Vulcans. I'm glad it wasn't Tellarites or Pakleds.

Kor

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

One of the Myriad Universes stories (The Tears of Eridanus) takes place in a universe where it was the Andorians who made first contact. Turns out rather interesting...

 

[NCC-73515]

I'm glad it wasn't Tellarites or Pakleds.

Imagine that!
"Your ship is small and unimpressive."
"You made it go, you are smart!"
That should've been the opening of Mirror Darkly! It justifies Cochrane's attack XD

 

[Tenacity]

there was previous contact between t'pol's nana and humans in the 1950s.

xindi interacted with humans in detroit prior to the events of the movie, so did t'pol. forget the year.

spock (a half vulcan) was around humans in the 1930s and the 1960 and the 1980s.

tuvok in the 1990s.

 

[Timo]

....Apollo, and supposedly Zeus and Poseidon and the whole lot, in indeterminate antiquity (probably sufficiently long before the classic Greeks that accounts on their antics weren't documentaries or even sagas any longer, but more like general ideas). Platonians possibly a bit later. Kukulkan later still, but again suitably long before the height of the meso-American cultures for the memory to fade somewhat.

And those folks didn't have any Prime Directive concerns or other reasons for secrecy - I gather they all clearly stated "We came from the stars, verily", only the poor natives may have mistaken that for a figurative turn of the tongue.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Tim Thomason]

The movie actually skirts around the first contact many times before the reveal at the end, not mentioning the Vulcans when it would seem logical to do so.

 

[Timo]

Ah, the insufferable teases...

Of course, Cochrane couldn't tell a Vulcan from a Zeta Reticulian anyway.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Fun fact:

The captain of the Vulcan ship in the film is actually Solkar, Spock's great-grandfather.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

First contact was with the Ferengi in 1947