Do ALL Starfleet Captains fight madmen?

[Cyke101]

I ask because, well, among our five Captains, they seem to have episodes where the entire crew is pitted against one generally insane person (usually, but not always, a brilliant scientist, or a brilliant leader, or a brilliant rebel. Just somebody brilliant!).

Examples would include:
Archer: John Paxton, Dr. Soong
Kirk: Khan, Gill, Korby
Picard: Dr. Soran, Ira Graves
Sisko: Benteen, Eddington, and of course, Dukat
Janeway: Braxton, Ransom, Arturis, Starling

(By the term "madmen," I'm talking about either antagonists who are just outright evil, or who aren't right-of-mind but still wield considerable influence, enough to be a match for a captain and crew. I'm strictly using the term "madmen" in the archetypal sci-fi role)

There are probably thousands of captains in Starfleet, many of whom lead ships that are about on par with the main ships of the franchise. Starfleet captains discover new new life forms, new worlds, new civilizations, new regions and anomalies in space, just like our heroes. They solve problems, rescue colonies, and investigate special phenomena, just like our heroes. Our star captains fight madmen fairly frequently, almost routinely. Would other captains like, say, Captain DeSoto of the Hood or Captain Tryla Scott of the Renegade take on madmen as well? What about Captain Esteban or Solok of the T'Kumbra? Is this just standard captain fare?

Space is big.

 

[Yeffrey]

Isnt one of the duties to Starfleet civil defence?

Yeah they would take on "madmen" just as readily as Picard or Sisko would.

The only thing is that space is friggin huge, Starfleet is probably friggin huge, so there are probably more planetary survey reports that would bury the madmen mission reports in a mountain of paperwork.

Gotta love beauracracy; even in the future

 

[Cyke101]

Isnt one of the duties to Starfleet civil defence?

Yeah they would take on "madmen" just as readily as Picard or Sisko would.

The only thing is that space is friggin huge, Starfleet is probably friggin huge, so there are probably more planetary survey reports that would bury the madmen mission reports in a mountain of paperwork.

Gotta love beauracracy; even in the future

Civil defence is a gimme. Fighting brilliant madmen falls in that category. With the number of planets and living beings out there, is there a chance that fighting brilliant madmen is a routine activity for your routine captain?

Now I'm starting to wonder how many temporal adventures any given vessel gets before the ship gets decommissioned

 

[erastus25]

I ask because, well, among our five Captains, they seem to have episodes where the entire crew is pitted against one generally insane person (usually, but not always, a brilliant scientist, or a brilliant leader, or a brilliant rebel. Just somebody brilliant!).

Examples would include:
Archer: John Paxton, Dr. Soong
Kirk: Khan, Gill, Korby
Picard: Dr. Soran, Ira Graves
Sisko: Benteen, Eddington, and of course, Dukat
Janeway: Braxton, Ransom, Arturis, Starling

(By the term "madmen," I'm talking about either antagonists who are just outright evil, or who aren't right-of-mind but still wield considerable influence, enough to be a match for a captain and crew. I'm strictly using the term "madmen" in the archetypal sci-fi role)

There are probably thousands of captains in Starfleet, many of whom lead ships that are about on par with the main ships of the franchise. Starfleet captains discover new new life forms, new worlds, new civilizations, new regions and anomalies in space, just like our heroes. They solve problems, rescue colonies, and investigate special phenomena, just like our heroes. Our star captains fight madmen fairly frequently, almost routinely. Would other captains like, say, Captain DeSoto of the Hood or Captain Tryla Scott of the Renegade take on madmen as well? What about Captain Esteban or Solok of the T'Kumbra? Is this just standard captain fare?

Space is big.

I think what you're identifying is Star Trek's propensity to depict the "good" captains fighting the "evil" guys. This was especially true before Deep Space 9. This question could really be applied to just about any hero archetype on television before the 1990s.

And there are several more episodes that could be added to your list for each captain. Kirk alone was pitted against madmen in The Omega Glory, Dagger of the Mind, The Enemy Within, etc.

 

[Cyke101]

I ask because, well, among our five Captains, they seem to have episodes where the entire crew is pitted against one generally insane person (usually, but not always, a brilliant scientist, or a brilliant leader, or a brilliant rebel. Just somebody brilliant!).

Examples would include:
Archer: John Paxton, Dr. Soong
Kirk: Khan, Gill, Korby
Picard: Dr. Soran, Ira Graves
Sisko: Benteen, Eddington, and of course, Dukat
Janeway: Braxton, Ransom, Arturis, Starling

(By the term "madmen," I'm talking about either antagonists who are just outright evil, or who aren't right-of-mind but still wield considerable influence, enough to be a match for a captain and crew. I'm strictly using the term "madmen" in the archetypal sci-fi role)

There are probably thousands of captains in Starfleet, many of whom lead ships that are about on par with the main ships of the franchise. Starfleet captains discover new new life forms, new worlds, new civilizations, new regions and anomalies in space, just like our heroes. They solve problems, rescue colonies, and investigate special phenomena, just like our heroes. Our star captains fight madmen fairly frequently, almost routinely. Would other captains like, say, Captain DeSoto of the Hood or Captain Tryla Scott of the Renegade take on madmen as well? What about Captain Esteban or Solok of the T'Kumbra? Is this just standard captain fare?

Space is big.

I think what you're identifying is Star Trek's propensity to depict the "good" captains fighting the "evil" guys. This was especially true before Deep Space 9. This question could really be applied to just about any hero archetype on television before the 1990s.

And there are several more episodes that could be added to your list for each captain. Kirk alone was pitted against madmen in The Omega Glory, Dagger of the Mind, The Enemy Within, etc.

Well, I'm trying to avoid stating outright-evil guys because they'd be sane. Guys like Kruge and Chang and Seska would be different than someone like Dr. Soran or Dr. Soong, for instance. They'd be archnemeses for sure, but not quote-unquote "insane mad scientists" or geniuses with a majorly huge chip on their shoulders.

For several of the villains listed up there, they sincerely believe they're doing it for the good of others and commit crimes through ingenius means, rather than your standard archetypal rival or villain.

 

[HellRaiser]

My take on the issue is that just like how there are a troublesome amount of serial killers in the United States or a regretful amount of dictators in the world, they may have a similar problem in the future. It just that the people of the future who would commit their demented forms of violence have access to higher education and more advanced technology.

 

[idreamedmusic]

I think story-wise it just makes for good drama. Nothing lets Kirk, Picard or the others shine like a worthy antagonist that is a match for the captain. Which is why I love TWOK or eps like "Balance of Terror" so much, as it's more a battle of wits than anything else.
The über-scientists are also a staple of sci-fi to a certain degree, as they provide the opportunity to explore questions of ethics when it comes to science and technology, which I tend to find a gripping subject (even more so now than when I first saw any Trek, I suppose).

On a realistic level, I guess it is a bit much, though I really like the comparison to today's serial killers. But in the end it comes down to telling a good story and any "hero" is only as good as his or her antagonist, so we tend to get these larger than life villains in most shows. It's not just Star Trek.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Was Gill a madman? Sure for a historian he wasnt too bright, but was he batshit insane?

 

[Rat Boy]

They're not mad, they're just "special."

 

[Honorable Ensign]

Now I'm starting to wonder how many temporal adventures any given vessel gets before the ship gets decommissioned

Ah, but how would they count? Now I'm imaging some bureacrat looking over logs--"Okay, they appeared in three different years; now does that count as one, two, or three temporal violations?"

 

[EnsignRicky]

If they're given their own television show, it's pretty much required.

 

[A beaker full of death]

Do ALL Starfleet Captains fight madmen?

Or become them.

 

[JM1776]

Though I understand such is not what you meant, Cyke101, one could reasonably argue that Sisko, having been touched by the 'gods' time and again, had himself become something of a madman by DS9's end. Thus, he and Dukat were more evenly matched than one might think at first glance.

"A madman got us into this ... and it's beginning to look like only a madman can get us out."

In my opinion, though, neither Benteen nor Eddington were madmen. Leyton more fully qualified than the former, and zeal in a [believed] righteous cause, no matter how Quixotian, is by no means insanity.

[Sorry, A Beaker Full of Death ... I didn't read the thread before posting. Thus, I conveyed a similar thought to yours.]

 

[Saul]

I think they have to fight mad men sometimes to make themselves look more sane. Sometimes their own actions are quite questionable.

 

[Cyke101]

Though I understand such is not what you meant, Cyke101, one could reasonably argue that Sisko, having been touched by the 'gods' time and again, had himself become something of a madman by DS9's end. Thus, he and Dukat were more evenly matched than one might think at first glance.

"A madman got us into this ... and it's beginning to look like only a madman can get us out."

Hm, good points. One would think that a holosuite would relieve some of that tension in our captains, eh?

In my opinion, though, neither Benteen nor Eddington were madmen. Leyton more fully qualified than the former, and zeal in a [believed] righteous cause, no matter how Quixotian, is by no means insanity.

Eh, maybe we can agree to disagree on this one. To me, perhaps the goals are fine, but the methods would be insane.

But when I said Benteen, I really meant Leyton My mistake.

I think they have to fight mad men sometimes to make themselves look more sane. Sometimes their own actions are quite questionable.

Very right. Though, in their defense, how often do captains have to call to Starfleet Command to tell them that they've found a giant space mushroom with 200-meter long tentacles in some rainbow-hued gaseous anomaly during a time drift? Quite often, I'd imagine...

Starfleet HQ: "Get out, really? No way, dude. Pass that Romulan Ale."

 

[M'Sharak]

Do ALL Starfleet Captains fight madmen?

Yes. It's in the small print on the back of their Good Guys Union Membership Card:

"* MUST fight ALL madmen encountered during the course of duty."

I think it's also printed at the bottom of their Starfleet Captain's Certificate of Office (suitable for framing.)

 

[Cyke101]

Do ALL Starfleet Captains fight madmen?

Yes. It's in the small print on the back of their Good Guys Union Membership Card:

"* MUST fight ALL madmen encountered during the course of duty."

I think it's also printed at the bottom of their Starfleet Captain's Certificate of Office (suitable for framing.)

Then my follow-up question would be, "How often does the average captain fight a madman?"

Surely the Union has some stats on that!

 

[M'Sharak]

You'd probably have to consult some arcane actuarial table to be absolutely certain, but I'd bet it pretty much boils down to: whenever circumstances dictate (or ratings demand it, whichever carries a greater urgency at any given moment.)

 

[Cyke101]

You'd probably have to consult some arcane actuarial table to be absolutely certain, but I'd bet it pretty much boils down to: whenever circumstances dictate (or ratings demand it, whichever carries a greater urgency at any given moment.)

But surely the average, non-hero captains doesn't worry about ratings...?