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Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 33: Who Mourns For Adonais? VHS

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A nifty idea: the Greek god Apollo turns out to be quite real, a powerful extraterrestrial (Michael Forest) waiting some 5,000 years for the human race to develop enough to meet him out in the cosmos. Catching sight of the Enterprise , he immobilizes the ship and demands that the members of a landing party--Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Chief Engineer Scott (James Doohan), Chekov (Walter Koenig), and antiquities specialist Lieutenant Carolyn Palamas (Leslie Parrish)--bow before him and prepare to spend the rest of their lives being cherished through his insistent love. A doubting Kirk recruits his people to secretly find the mechanical source of Apollo's power to throw lightning bolts, become a giant, and punish his naughty Enterprise children by tossing them around like rag dolls. The stern god gives Kirk a sword, so to speak, by falling for Lt. Palamas, setting the stage for some stormy drama late in the game. Written by television veteran and Greek myth aficionado Gilbert Ralston (with a polish by producer Gene L. Coon that enhanced the story's relationships), and directed by Marc Daniels, "Who Mourns for Adonais?" is one of those classic Trek episodes that lingers in the memory for the creative incongruity of its story line (starships and Olympians) and principal set (an Athenian temple with a few trees, shrubs, and confused Starfleet personnel). Wonderful stuff. A subplot involving Scotty's big-time crush on Palamas provides a rare glimpse into the emotional life of one of the supporting players--even if his gallant efforts to save her from Apollo's wooing result in a concussion or two. --Tom Keogh

From the Back Cover

TREK TRIVIA Leslie Parrish (Lieutenant Carolyn Palamas) is married to popular author Richard Bach, writer of the best-selling Jonathan Livingston Seagull . In this episode's original script, Lieutenant Palamas was to have been impregnated by Apollo, but the network censors wouldn't allow it. Before Michael Forest as cast in the role of Apollo, costumer William Ware Theiss recommended a relatively unknown young actor he'd seen on the New York stage - John Voight.

Product details

• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.32 x 4.19 x 1.12 inches; 6.13 ounces
• Release date ‏ : ‎ April 15, 1994
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ February 9, 2007
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Star Trek Original Series
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Paramount
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 6300213374

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The Greek gods were an immortal alien species , native to Pollux IV in the Beta Geminorum system , who possessed powerful psychokinetic abilities.

• 2 Physiology
• 3 Greek gods
• 4.1 Background information
• 4.2 Apocrypha
• 4.3 External links

Self described as " a gallant band of travelers, " this species visited the Mediterranean region of ancient Earth around 2700 BC . Their psychokinetic abilities made these beings appear god -like to the simple shepherds and tribesmen of early Greece , and so these beings were worshiped as the Greek gods as they resided on Mount Olympus , forming the basis for Greek mythology . ( TOS : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ")

Songs of praise to the Greek gods and accounts of their deeds were included in the Homeric Hymns . ( TNG : " Darmok ")

Humanity gradually outgrew the need of these gods until they were only memories. Unable to survive as a memory, these space travelers departed Earth and returned home to Pollux IV. There, they found it an empty place without worshipers , but they lacked the strength to leave. So they waited. Eventually, all of the gods save Apollo lost hope, and departed their corporeal existence. They " spread themselves upon the wings of the wind … thinner, and thinner, until only the wind remained. "

Apollo meets Carolyn

In 2267 , the USS Enterprise encountered the species on Pollux IV, where Apollo remained. During this encounter, Apollo attempted to force the crew of the Enterprise to worship them once again, and took Carolyn Palamas as his queen , promising to make her a goddess .

This, unfortunately for Apollo, was a state of affairs unacceptable to men. Captain James T. Kirk and his landing party schemed continuously; between them, and members of the crew still in orbit , they were eventually able to overcome Apollo, and destroy the source of his power. With his temple gone and his power broken, Apollo spread himself upon the wind, imploring his fellow gods to take him, and vanished. ( TOS : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ")

The memory of the Greek gods, namely Pan , lived on with the Platonians , another alien species that visited Earth during the tail end of the Greek civilization. This was discovered, again, by the crew of the USS Enterprise , during their visit to Platonius in late 2268 . ( TOS : " Plato's Stepchildren ")

Demonstrating his ability to grow in size

As represented by Doctor Leonard McCoy 's tricorder scan of Apollo's corporeal form, who for all intents and purposes appeared Human , registered as a normal humanoid , with just a few variations. Most notable was that he possessed an extra organ in his chest . This organ allowed him to generate and control energy by channeling it through his body and direct it by acts of will. This organ allowed the Greek god to tap a powerful field of energy , generated within his temple . However, scans from Enterprise were unable to identify his presence.

Though possessing great power, these Greek gods were weakened after having overextended their powers, requiring a brief period of rest during which their vitality was restored. As their form of sustenance, these gods thrived on love , admiration, worship , in much the same way Humans needed food to survive. After time without this needed sustenance they gave up their corporeal existance. Though immortal, these gods did not die, they simply reached " a point of no return, " and " returned to the cosmos on the wings of the wind. "

Demonstrating his ability to release energy-bolts into space

As a corporeal, Apollo's abilities included that of altering his physical own form as well as the forms of material objects in his vicinity.

He could hurl lightning -like energy bolts, interfere with Federation technology (i.e. disable the ship's " transportation device ", and hand phasers , as well as jam communication frequencies), transform Starfleet uniforms into ancient Greek clothing by simply waving his hand, transport himself and others from place to place, and alter the local weather patterns.

Though never fully demonstrated, Apollo claimed he could wipe out a man with a gesture, and bring him back again just as easily.

The Greek god's senses extended great distances; while on the surface of his world, Apollo was able to sense happenings on the bridge of the Enterprise , and project his image and voice into her equipment for the purpose of conversation.

Apollo's ghostly hand

Perhaps his most tasking feat was the generation of a powerful field of energy that appeared as an enormous, translucent, green hand , capable of holding a Constitution -class in place, and resisted most attempts to break and disrupt it. Though conventional in composition, it operated on unusual wavelengths, generated by Apollo. This field was powerful enough to stop the ship, and impulse engines could not break the ship free.

In addition to merely holding the ship, Apollo could exert pressure beyond the ship's tolerance, over 1,000 GSC of external pressure, threatening the structural integrity of the ship. In addition to his demonstration, he explained that once everyone was off the ship he would crush it's empty hull.

Attempts to push it away with the tractor beam , and to reverse its polarity were equally unsuccessful in disrupting it. The force field was eventually pierced with powerful bursts of M-rays on carefully calculated wavelengths. Although this did not destroy the field, it enabled the Enterprise to fire her phasers through it.

Apollo returns to the cosmos to join his brethren

After the temple was destroyed, Apollo demonstrated that he still possessed some intrinsic abilities when he expanded his corporeal form. However, from his reaction to the temple's destruction, he expended the last of his stored energy, before he himself gave up his corporeal existence. ( TOS : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ")

• Aphrodite , goddess of love, beauty, and sexual desire
• Apollo , god of music and medicine
• Artemis , goddess of hunting and Apollo's beloved sister
• Asclepius , god of medicine and healing
• Athena , goddess of wisdom
• Atlas , a Titan
• Hephaestus , god of fire and the forge
• Hera , queen of the gods
• Hermes , messenger of the gods
• Pan , god of the shepherds
• Persephone , daughter of Zeus
• Zeus , king of the gods; father of Apollo and Artemis

Background information

The Star Trek Encyclopedia , 4th ed., vol. 1, p. 125 dated the visitation of the Greek gods to around the year 3000 BC.

It is never revealed how long Apollo and the other Greek gods remained on Earth, with Apollo stating only that "it has been five thousand years". The earliest references to Greek mythology historically date from around 900BC, which would have been well after when Apollo states the Greek gods had visited Earth. Dialogue from Captain Kirk speculates that Apollo and his companions were the "basis" for Greek mythology , implying that there was a difference between the time the Greek gods actually lived on Earth and the eventual myths and legends which developed about them over a thousand years later.

StarTrek.com has theorized that the Olympian gods may have also visited Vulcan and Romulus , centuries earlier before coming to Earth, to explain how words like Vulcan, Romulus, Remus , Centurion and Senate , etc. came to be used by all three races. StarTrek.com also went on to speculate that the Gods may have been responsible for separating the Vulcan and Romulan races. [1] (X)

In the comic book What Fools These Mortals Be , the crew of the USS Enterprise encounter a planetoid resembling ancient Greece that is ruled by the Greek gods. The gods subject the landing party to various events from The Odyssey , including encounters with the cyclops, sirens, Aeolus, Scylla and Charybdis. The landing party manage to embarrass Zeus causing the gods to leave the planet.

In the Star Trek: New Frontier novels Being Human and Gods Above , it is revealed that the Greek gods were the same beings as the Egyptian and Norse gods, just known under different names. Despite Apollo's belief that they had all perished, they did in fact survive. The gods are revealed to be energy beings assuming a humanoid form, who feed on the worship of their followers. Apollo's energy supply in the temple had been limited, which is why he was so desperate for the Enterprise crew to worship him. The gods offered ambrosia to anyone who would worship them and attacked those who didn't, but were eventually defeated and sealed in another dimension through the combined efforts of Old Father and Mark McHenry, a descendant of Apollo.

External links

• Beings at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Greek god at Wikipedia
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Jamaharon

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from novelizations
• Memory Beta articles sourced from short stories
• Mythological characters
• Religious figures

In 2357 , Zeus’ left eye was missing and appeared with a red beard with gray streaks. He wore a cape and had pet ravens.

Unlike most Beings, he drew power from others believing in themselves, rather than from being worshipped. Moke is his most recent son. ( NF novel : Gods Above )

Chronus and Rhea were the parents of both Zeus and his wife Hera . ( NF novel : Being Human )

• 3.1 References
• 3.2 External link

History [ ]

Zeus kept the other Beings locked away for a hundred years to keep them from demanding vengeance for the death of Apollo . Anubis and Artemis were the only two allowed to roam free. ( NF novel : Gods Above )

During this time of imprisonment, Zeus and the rest of the Greek Gods ruled over a small planet, which they remade in the image of Ancient Greece . When the crew of the Enterprise encountered them on the planet, Zeus forced the crew to live through The Odyssey . ( TOS comic : " What Fools These Mortals Be.. ")

Zeus foresaw a golden age coming for the Federation. ( NF novel : Being Human )

Zeus was betrayed, and the others were released in the Gateways Crisis of 2376 . The Beings repaid his efforts by locking him away in a “sideways dimension” with their combined powers. Zeus trapped the other Beings into an energy vortex at the expense of much of his life force. What was left of his “inner essence” remained within Mark McHenry , who vowed to guard against the Beings’ return. ( NF novel : Gods Above )

Remarks [ ]

In the 1990s , when an unexpected visitor arrived with a connection to his mother twenty years prior, Khan considered only the potential benefits. He quoted, “All strangers and beggars are from Zeus.” ( TOS - The Eugenics Wars novel : The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2 )

In December 2000 , Henry Janeway told a stranded Shannon O'Donnel “Zeus himself watched over travelers and we should follow his example,” offering her decaf when then first met. ( VOY episode : " 11:59 ")

In 2267 , Apollo described his history to Carolyn Palamas . He said Zeus took the mortal woman Latona, his mother, saying that Zeus intended to care, love and protect her, and he wanted the same for Palamas. ( TOS novelization : Who Mourns for Adonais? )

In 2273 , when James T. Kirk first saw the newly- refitted USS Enterprise , he compared her to how Aphrodite must have been when Zeus first raised her up from the sea. ( TOS novelization : The Motion Picture )

Prior to 2277 , a temple to Zeus was built overlooking the city of New Athens on planet Macedon III . It was a famous attraction observed by Lieutenant Commander Nyota Uhura . ( TOS - Star Trek II Short Stories short story : " Under Twin Moons ")

In 2365 , Katherine Pulaski recalled that, according to myth, Athena was created by Zeus fully formed. ( TNG novel : A Call to Darkness )

The story of Zeus and Athena was Worf 's favorite human myth that was told to him as a boy by Sergei Rozhenko . ( DS9 - Rebels novel : The Liberated )

Appendices [ ]

References [ ].

• TOS novelization : Who Mourns for Adonais?
• TOS comic : " What Fools These Mortals Be.. "
• TOS - The Eugenics Wars novel : The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2
• TOS novel : The Cry of the Onlies
• TOS novelization : The Motion Picture
• TOS - Star Trek II Short Stories short story : " Under Twin Moons "
• TNG novel : Do Comets Dream?
• TNG novel : Spartacus (not named)
• TNG novel : A Call to Darkness
• NF novel : Being Human
• NF novel : Gods Above
• DS9 - Rebels novel : The Liberated
• VOY episode : " 11:59 "
• VOY novel : Mosaic

External link [ ]

• Zeus article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• 1 Lamarr class
• 2 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 3 Odyssey class

Elias Toufexis

Additional crew.

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 150

• He has been a clue on Jeopardy!
• He was awarded the signing of the Golden Book of Montreal (akin to getting the key to the city)
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Personal details

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• 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
• Montréal, Québec, Canada
• Michelle Boback June 23, 2007 - present (2 children)
• Other works Co-wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production "Killing Jar Jar Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Just Wait In Line For Star Wars" in 2002.
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Did you know.

• Trivia His hometown local paper, The Montreal Mirror, rated him the third most popular actor from Montreal after William Shatner and Jay Baruchel.
• Quotes I don't have a dream role as much as I have a dream of working with great people. I've achieved some of that with Michael Imperioli, Jon Voight etc...there are, of course, many others that I dream of working with. (On his dream role - TV Guide 2005)
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