Possible error in Star Trek

Discussion in 'Star Trek Movies: Kelvin Universe' started by RyanKCR, Dec 4, 2009.

  1. RyanKCR

    RyanKCR Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I apologize if this has been brought up before. If it has what was decided?

    The delta sheild as the insignia for Starfleet was not done until Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan. Each ship and starbase had its own insignia. The arrowhead was the Starfleet insignia. This movie has it for Starfleet long before it was supposed to be.

    Am I correct?
     
  2. Alrik

    Alrik Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'd say not so much and error, but a change. Remember, the timeline began to change when the Kelvin was destroyed. Perhaps the Delta was unique to the Kelvin as it's ensignia, but was adopted as the fleetwide insignia early in this timeline to honor the Kelvin and the heroics of Captain Robau and George Kirk.
     
  3. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Thats was the theory but in practice no. Some episodes featured non Enterprise personnel wearing the delta and so did TMP.

    [​IMG]

    Not assigned to the Enterprise.

    [​IMG]

    Not assigned to the Enterprise


    My guess is that the Kelvin's emblem (the delta) was adopted fleetwide as a tribute to her sacrifice. Prior to that is was used by the fleet the Kelvin was assigned to. In the prime universe anyone sporting that emblem was part of the same fleet as the Enterprise.
     
  4. Johnnymuffintop

    Johnnymuffintop Commander Red Shirt

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    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 4, 2009
  5. Bones2

    Bones2 Commodore Commodore

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    I won a caption competition off the back of this.
     
  6. I am not Spock

    I am not Spock Commodore Commodore

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    I still have a theory that the delta insignia could have been designed as a tribute to either Archer or Pike (the arrowhead).
     
  7. Bones2

    Bones2 Commodore Commodore

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    Tribute to the Kelvin if anything, in the new timeline at least. Didn't they have the same assignment patch?
     
  8. Sector 7

    Sector 7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I agree with the theory that it is a tribute to the USS Kelvin. In the novelization, the Iowa shipyard is a tribute to George Kirk, Sr. The Kelvin's sacrifice appears to be a BIG deal to people in our altered timeline.
     
  9. Therin of Andor

    Therin of Andor Admiral Moderator

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    The publicity material for TMP mentioned how the delta shield had been adopted beyond the one ship to acknowledge Kirk's return from the 5YM with his ship and crew "relatively intact". However, we didn't see another full crew till Reliant in ST II.
     
  10. ROBE

    ROBE Commander Red Shirt

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    In the original Trek series different ships had dfferent badges to the Enterprise while Starbase members wore a flowery sun like symbol. However sometimes you saw people from other ships wear the delta symbol. This can be explained as costume error and/or ships belonging to the same fleet wore the same symbol e.g 12 symbols for ships of each fleet. Starfleet later decided just to use the delta symbol because of the Enterprise fame. In the new universe they adopted the delta symbol earlier becuse of the Kelvin. In the real world the British Royal Navy used to use three flags based on what division of the fleet a ship belonged to, Red Ensign, White Ensign and Blue Ensign. Later all Royal Navy ships just flew the White Ensign.
     
  11. Franklin

    Franklin Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Even though it's an official off-screen explanation, it's a pretty damned big tribute to Kirk to adopt the Enterprise arrowhead as the symbol for all of Starfleet. Too big for me to swallow, anyway. Such an explanation also adds fuel to the fire that James T. Kirk was the only real heroic captain out there. That is something Abrams deliberately tried to dispell in this movie with Robau and Pike.

    As far as it being a tirbute to the Kelvin in the new universe goes, that makes no sense, either. I don't even like the idea of a shipyard being built in Iowa to honor George Kirk. Maybe renamed for him, since it's also his home town. But built there to honor him? Yes, he performed a heroic act, but come on.

    To me, the best explanation for all this is to step back and adopt the MST3000 rule for a second (it's just a show) and allow for the change without explanation. Chalk it up to one more continuity error and move on.
     
  12. Sector 7

    Sector 7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Continuity errors in the Star Trek franchise??! WTF?! Say it ain't so!! :rommie: There have always been such errors in canon for over 40 years. This is just further proof that this movie really is Star Trek.
    I have no problem with the shipyard being named, or built, to honor George Kirk, Sr. as there are so many real life precedents in existence. If they can rename an airport after Ronald Reagan and build ships and submarines named for politicians, then it is no stretch of the imagination to name a shipyard after a hero.
     
  13. barnaclelapse

    barnaclelapse Commodore Commodore

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    Yeah, I'm not sure I buy that either.
     
  14. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Decker was a commodore with a different symbol, admirals had their own symbol, the crew of the cargo-merchant ship from Charlie X (non-starfleet ?) had their own too. ALL starfleet ships from the begining of TOS used the arrow head design.
     
  15. Commander Dan

    Commander Dan Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    In TMP, didn't the Epsilon IX personnel have a different emblem?
     
  16. shadowedgalaxy

    shadowedgalaxy Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    "Relatively intact"? :lol:
     
  17. M'Sharak

    M'Sharak Definitely Herbert. Maybe. Moderator

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    They did -- apparently, the basic design was specific to a Starfleet Communications group within the sciences division. The logo would be re-used in slightly modified form on several later occasions:

     
  18. Mirren Audax

    Mirren Audax Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    What about the United Earth emblem on the back of Friendship One, launched by UESPA in 2067? That was a recognisable 'Starfleet' arrowhead with the UN flag set within.
     
  19. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Actually, no we saw several different chest insignia in TOS, for different starships. Like the Constellation and Exeter. Hell, when Enterprise showed us the 23rd century Defiant, they even created a new chest insignia for it
     
  20. Therin of Andor

    Therin of Andor Admiral Moderator

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    Yes, a space station emblem, in the same six colour divisions as the Enterprise insignia patch.

    [​IMG]

    From my TMP Epsilon 9 costume, won via "It's a Wrap!"