A weird idea about Star Trek canon

[Star Treks]

This post may be a tad long, so I will state the basic idea upfront:

What if - what might be some of the implications if - Star Trek (as in CBS/Viacom/whomever) decided to retroactively incorporate a completely different science fiction franchise as part of Trek canon (i.e. as part of the Trek universe)?

I was reminded of this by noting that Larry Niven had written the Animated Series episode "The Slaver Weapon", but the idea is actually much more broad.

I know this is almost certainly never going to happen, and I'm not really trying to get at the business aspects of this, more the way a fan might see it, but I'm curious what your reaction to the thought is, and what you think some of the results might be:

Let's say that in an official Trek television show (or film) something occurs which allows the characters to witness the events of a different sci-fi franchise with the implication that these events actually occurred? I will use a couple examples but there are an almost unlimited number of possibilities:

- Somehow they travel back in time and we see that the "Star Wars" story actually happened?
- They visit an alternate dimension ("mirror universe") past where, say, Babylon 5 actually existed, and it is implied that the entire Babylon 5 series actually took place, albeit in this alternate history?

I know some of these things would take a lot of explaining (say, why are the aliens totally different?) but it's certainly not impossible; with enough genetic meddling, Q, or other sci-fi type explanations, I would argue that almost any sci-fi franchise could be shown to "take place" in the Trek universe, although sometimes it will require the explanation of a parallel universe or something similar.

Who knows why CBS or whomever would do this? But let's say that they wanted to take it so far as to actually repackage the original franchise under the Star Trek brand? Official Star Trek reference guides now include references to the events of this other franchise. Would you swallow the idea? What if events from this other franchise actually actively made their way into new Trek stories (in other words, it's not just saying this old thing is now Star Trek, it's actually incorporating it into the Trek universe?).

The point isn't so much what franchise or how they would pull it off as the general idea of taking some other sci-fi property, incorporating it into "official" Trek, and repurposing that property as part of the official, and therefore in some sense "canonical" Trek universe.

I know there's a lot of places this could go but I'm still kind of muddling through the idea. I wonder how fans would react if they woke up to find out that SeaQuest or Star Wars was now officially promoted as part of the Star Trek universe. Kind of an interesting possibility, at least.

 

[SonicRanger]

Well, there were these about 15 years ago or so:

http://www.fanboy.com/2008/04/star_trek_teenage_mutant_ninja_turtles.html
http://www.geekstir.com/img/tmntst2.jpg

 

[Sector 7]

I know this is almost certainly never going to happen, and I'm not really trying to get at the business aspects of this

While you may not WANT to talk about the business aspects; it is precisely the reason it could not happen. The Star Trek FRANCHISE is such because it is a business enterprise (pun intended). This enterprise, like others, is owned by corporations who protect their exclusive rights to the property called Star Trek.

I don't believe I will ever wake up one morning to find that Trek includes another franchise or that it will become part of another franchise. It is an intriguing idea, but not possible.

 

[Sector 7]

Well, there were these about 15 years ago or so:

http://www.fanboy.com/2008/04/star_trek_teenage_mutant_ninja_turtles.html
http://www.geekstir.com/img/tmntst2.jpg

Ummm... creepy.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Funny you mention Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The original Playmates line also did a Usagi Yojimbo figure, and Usagi Yojimbo then appeared in the TMNT cartoon, albeit as a time traveler.

Aliens and Predators have been fighting each other for years in comics, then video games, and now movies. (Sometimes including Robocop in the comics.)

As for how it could happen, an upcoming GIJoe toy is a MASK character: MASK was a Kenner property, and Kenner was bought and absorbed by Hasbro many years back so they now own the rights. I don't seriously forsee Viacom buying Lucasfilm or Fox, or vice versa, but that's how it could happen.

As far as how Star Trek would adapt to such things, its a big universe, and the concept of alternate realities isn't strange to us fanboys at all. And Star Trek's history isn't all that consistant. Seaquest could easily fit into Trek's alternate history. Star Wars takes place "long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away" so there'd be no continuity gaffs there. B5 takes place around the same time as TOS, so it'd have to be an alternate reality. Stargate could be something that played it's entire existence out in secret and was forgotten, or is an alternate history. Aliens and Predators would just be another species of the week.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Fun idea. Here are some thoughts how it would work:

Heroes - The still-unexplained phenomenon of people developing superpowers with genetic origins and wreaking havoc on the world could be explained by the Company (or another entity) doing clandestine genetics experiments which culminate in the Eugenics War. The traumatic experience makes genetic enhancements a taboo forever after. Spock of course is descended on his human side from one of the mutants, the guy who was a serial killer, whereas Sulu traces his ancestry to a Japanese industrialist who was part of the Company cabal.

Lost - The island is actually a massive space-dwelling alien being that crash-landed on Earth many eons ago and was buried under the ocean. It is using its abilities (healing, time distortion, etc) to try to get humans to understand it is there and to free it. The Lost island becomes Earth's "first contact" with an alien species - a really alien one, not humanoids with funny ears in Montana.

 

[Kryton]

It's worth noting that, as National Periodical Publications (later DC Comics) grew and acquired rights to other comics lines, those comics continuities were absorbed/retconned into the DC Universe. Though pre-1985, each was given its own "Earth" to exist on (e.g. Earth-S for the Fawcett/Shazam! titles, Earth-C for the Charlton titles, along with Earths for Quality and at least a couple of other lines they plundered over the years). Ultimately, the '85 Crisis folded them all into the same relative reality with one another where they more or less continue to co-exist today.

Point being, if they REALLY wanted to badly enough, they could find a way to make such a thing work. I'm not sure it's entirely adviseable, but it's certainly possible.

 

[ToddKent]

There were a couple of X-Men/Star Trek crossover comics a few years ago.

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

Let's not forget these monstrosities:

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Star_TreX
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Second_Contact
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Planet_X_(novel)

 

[msbae]

Some other franchise being retroactively inserted into Trek Canon is a horrible idea. However, I wouldn't mind seeing a Trek/DW crossover. The best way to make it happen is for the TARDIS to get pulled off course and carried over to Trek's dimension. How the Doctor got there and why is something I'll leave to the screenwritier's imagination.

Also, I'd prefer that the Doctor encounter Picard's crew. I don't know why, I just instinctively feel that they would work well together.

 

[JNG]

As for how it could happen, an upcoming GIJoe toy is a MASK character: MASK was a Kenner property, and Kenner was bought and absorbed by Hasbro many years back so they now own the rights. I don't seriously forsee Viacom buying Lucasfilm or Fox, or vice versa, but that's how it could happen.

Wow! Which one? Where can I read about this? I haven't thought about MASK in years

 

[The Wormhole]

How about a Quantum Leap where Sam leaps into the body of a starship captain from the 22nd century? Or is that too obvious?

 

[Sector 7]

There were a couple of X-Men/Star Trek crossover comics a few years ago.

Let's not forget these monstrosities:

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Star_TreX
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Second_Contact
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Planet_X_(novel)

Excuse me while I go drink LOTS of coffee. If I sleep I will have nightmares about this abomination!

How about a Quantum Leap where Sam leaps into the body of a starship captain from the 22nd century? Or is that too obvious?

It's been done. On UPN as I recall...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It's worth noting that, as National Periodical Publications (later DC Comics) grew and acquired rights to other comics lines, those comics continuities were absorbed/retconned into the DC Universe. Though pre-1985, each was given its own "Earth" to exist on (e.g. Earth-S for the Fawcett/Shazam! titles, Earth-C for the Charlton titles

Charlton was Earth-4. Earth-C was that weird one with Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew.

 

[Nardpuncher]

How about a Quantum Leap where Sam leaps into the body of a starship captain from the 22nd century? Or is that too obvious?

Not to be too hard on you, but the first time that quirky idea was brought up was about 3 minutes after it was announced that bakula would be on Trek. I really mean 3 minutes.

 

[CoveTom]

You know, speaking of Alien, I think it would be absolutely fascinating to see how Kirk or Picard and their crews would deal with it if a landing party/away team beamed down to a planet and encountered one of the xenomorphs.

Of course, I suppose one phaser set to disintegrate could solve the whole problem, but what unique dynamics would we see? Would Spock object to killing this lifeform that they don't understand? Would Troi be able to sense something from it to give us a better idea of its motivations? How would the alien cope with a Klingon?

Interesting possibilities...

 

[alicelouise]

There is a lot of fanfic with Star Trek and nuBSG. Some of it is interesting.

 

[Timewalker]

Some other franchise being retroactively inserted into Trek Canon is a horrible idea. However, I wouldn't mind seeing a Trek/DW crossover. The best way to make it happen is for the TARDIS to get pulled off course and carried over to Trek's dimension. How the Doctor got there and why is something I'll leave to the screenwritier's imagination.

Also, I'd prefer that the Doctor encounter Picard's crew. I don't know why, I just instinctively feel that they would work well together.

There is a ton of Star Trek/Who crossover fanfic. Most of what I've read is actually not too bad. I've had my own crossover brewing in my mind for awhile. In one of the time travel-themed Trek novels (Ishmael, I think), one of the Starfleet characters makes reference to an elusive race of time-traveling aliens from the "constellation of Kasterborous." That is where the Doctor has always said Gallifrey is located.

How about a Quantum Leap where Sam leaps into the body of a starship captain from the 22nd century? Or is that too obvious?

Yuck.

Besides, it wouldn't work according to Quantum Leap canon. Sam could only leap into people who existed within his own lifetime. That's why he never leaped into some medieval crusader or into the far future.

 

[Kryton]

It's worth noting that, as National Periodical Publications (later DC Comics) grew and acquired rights to other comics lines, those comics continuities were absorbed/retconned into the DC Universe. Though pre-1985, each was given its own "Earth" to exist on (e.g. Earth-S for the Fawcett/Shazam! titles, Earth-C for the Charlton titles

Charlton was Earth-4. Earth-C was that weird one with Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew.

Heh...that's right. Forgot about the Cap'n's world...though I did get a kick out of the crossover with the JLA (Justa Lotta Animals).

 

[Nardpuncher]

How about fitting All In The Family into Trek's past? Stretch Cunningham could be the great grandfather of Zephram Cochrane! (both were played by the same actor, James Cromwell)