Preferred Mirror Universe?

[Emperor Norton]

There are basically two Mirror Universes. In the TOS era, these are the same, but sometime afterward is where they diverge.

There is the canon Mirror Universe, where Spock arose to lead the Empire, reformed it, and then it was conquered by a Klingon/Cardassian Alliance.
And then there is the Dark Mirror Universe, where either Spock didn't take Kirk's advice or was killed off before he could do too much, and the Terran Empire survives into the 24th century, maybe managing to conquer most of the galaxy and other powers by then.

Out of the entirety of a multiverse, there's no reason to say these two versions couldn't both exist, so I don't want to give the impression that this is to tear down either version. The question is, which of the two is the one you like the most.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Actually, there are many versions of the Mirror Universe:

The one from "Dark Mirror"
The one from DC comics' "The Mirror Universe Saga"
The "Dark Passions" duology
The Shatnerverse
The continuing novelverse one.

....and probably more besides. The DC comics and Shatnerverse ones had different divergeance points to that established in "In a Mirror, Darkly"

All of them are better than the garbage Deep Space Nine inflicted on us.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I agree with that!

Mirror Mirror is still my favorite, and still rings true and not cheesy.

 

[Emperor Norton]

Actually, there are many versions of the Mirror Universe:

The one from "Dark Mirror"
The one from DC comics' "The Mirror Universe Saga"
The "Dark Passions" duology
The Shatnerverse
The continuing novelverse one.

....and probably more besides. The DC comics and Shatnerverse ones had different divergeance points to that established in "In a Mirror, Darkly"

All of them are better than the garbage Deep Space Nine inflicted on us.

I know that, but I boiled it down to the Mirror Universe where the Terrans fall and are conquered by the Cardassians and Klingons, and the Mirror Universe where the Terran Empire continues and thrives into the 24th century, because those are really the two core versions.

***

To give my opinion, I prefer the Dark Mirror Universe. I love the Terran Empire and Mirror reality, probably more than I do the normal reality. I loathed finding out that DS9 had them destroyed (which I did years after that show came and went, btw, since I didn't watch it when it was on).

 

[Takeru]

The Dark Mirror universe is better. What made the mirror universe great was that humans were the bad guys, DS9 showed them as the victims of other bad guys, the humans in that mirror universe were pretty much heroes fighting for earth's freedom.

 

[Emperor Norton]

"They can take away our beards, but they can never take away our FREEEEDOM!!!"

 

[bullethead]

The Dark Mirror universe is better. What made the mirror universe great was that humans were the bad guys, DS9 showed them as the victims of other bad guys, the humans in that mirror universe were pretty much heroes fighting for earth's freedom.

Well, I wouldn't call them heroes, but they fought for a good cause, which helped downplay all the bad things they did.

 

[GemHaters]

I uh like the one from DS9. Whatever that's called. *shrugs*

 

[MacLeod]

Actually, there are many versions of the Mirror Universe:

The one from "Dark Mirror"
The one from DC comics' "The Mirror Universe Saga"
The "Dark Passions" duology
The Shatnerverse
The continuing novelverse one.

....and probably more besides. The DC comics and Shatnerverse ones had different divergeance points to that established in "In a Mirror, Darkly"

All of them are better than the garbage Deep Space Nine inflicted on us.

Canonically speaking isn't there only one, the one depicted on screen in episodes of TOS and DSN?

 

[RandyS]

Actually, there are many versions of the Mirror Universe:

The one from "Dark Mirror"
The one from DC comics' "The Mirror Universe Saga"
The "Dark Passions" duology
The Shatnerverse
The continuing novelverse one.

....and probably more besides. The DC comics and Shatnerverse ones had different divergeance points to that established in "In a Mirror, Darkly"

All of them are better than the garbage Deep Space Nine inflicted on us.

The continuing novelverse one is based on the "garbage that DS9 inflicted on us".

By which you meant excellent.

It's a parrallel universe story. There's no such thing as a bad one.

But, your point is the same as mine, with 285,000 universes, there's bound to be more that one MU. After all, there's at least seven Federation universes, and most likely more.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I prefer the "canon" version, because it's thematically linked to Mirror Mirror and Spock's actions. I hated in Dark Mirror that they basically swept him under the rug. The point of the episode was that a man can change the present... only well, apparently, he can't. Alas.

In the canon version, on the other hand, Spock's actions did change the future... for the worse, in true Mirror Universe's style. So, very apt. Also, the fact that Terrans got to taste their own medicine was the only way to eventually redeem them, which makes for an interesting narrative arc.

Dark Mirror was fun to read, but it didn't have any resonance beyond the gimmick.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

The canon MU and the continuing MU in the novelverse. Except for the last couple of MU episodes I enjoyed the canonical MU a lot.

 

[captcalhoun]

the canon/novel one.

 

[Hound of UIster]

the anti-matter universe from dc comics

 

[bullethead]

I prefer the "canon" version, because it's thematically linked to Mirror Mirror and Spock's actions. I hated in Dark Mirror that they basically swept him under the rug. The point of the episode was that a man can change the present... only well, apparently, he can't. Alas.

I actually liked that bit, because it is true. We may like to give all the credit for society changing movements to single individuals, but the only reason those individuals succeed is because they manage to gather like-minded and receptive people around them. And in the Mirror Universe, even those people who would listen to Spock's message would likely be too cynical to join him.

DS9's take on the Mirror Universe really had nothing going for it until the MU novel line took off. It was mostly an excuse for semi-standalone action fodder that had no goal and devolved into silliness as it went along. The novels rehabbed it by inserting the whole "Mirror Spock had a grand plan to lead the galaxy to democracy" overarching plot and making DS9 the focal point of a rebellion that was coming years ahead of time.

 

[milo bloom]

The canon one makes more sense logically, if you will, where Spock would make that change and humans would get the short end of the stick. But the versions presented in Mirror, Mirror and In a Mirror, Darkly are so much more enjoyable to watch.

 

[scotpens]

I like any Mirror Universe in which female Starfleet officers have bare midriffs.

 

[RandyS]

I like any Mirror Universe in which female Starfleet officers have bare midriffs.

I like any universe where women have bare midriffs period.

 

[Frontier]

I think, if they wanted, they could restore the mirror universe. Simply have the Terran rebellion succeed - only to lead to the restoration of the Terran Empire. Perhaps with Vulcans and a few other species as equal partners - but never the less; the empire restored.

 

[Sci]

I think, if they wanted, they could restore the mirror universe. Simply have the Terran rebellion succeed - only to lead to the restoration of the Terran Empire. Perhaps with Vulcans and a few other species as equal partners - but never the less; the empire restored.

Eh. I mean, you can only do "Evil Universe!" stuff for so long; afterwards, it just becomes boring, as DS9 proved.

My favorite stories of the Mirror Universe are The Sorrows of Empire and Rise Like Lions by David Mack. These novels take the idea of an oppressive, interstellar empire seriously -- it's not a thing of camp like in "In A Mirror, Darkly" or the DS9 MU episodes. And it's telling an interesting story about fascinating characters, living under an oppressive system, working to try to create something better. It's a really beautiful pair of novels worth a look.