The Fantasy Review‘s brief history of Christopher Pike.
Christopher Pike, a central figure in the Star Trek universe. Initially known from the pilot of Star Trek: The Original Series, The Cage, and written into the lore of the show, with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, we now have an alternate timeline for the character.
Origins of Christopher Pike’s Character
Christopher Pike first appeared in The Cage, the original pilot episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, filmed in 1965. Played by Jeffrey Hunter, Pike was initially conceived as the captain of the USS Enterprise rather than Kirk.
Despite the pilot not being picked up, elements of it were later incorporated into the series.
While Pike didn’t feature prominently in The Original Series, the lore of his character was depicted in the two-part episode The Menagerie. This story revealed Pike’s fate after a tragic accident, confining him to a wheelchair and unable to speak. It also showcased his deep connection with Spock which we now get to see on screen with Strange New Worlds.
A History of Christopher Pike
Born on Earth in the city of Mojave, Pike had a loving family who taught him science and how to ride horses. He joined Starfleet Academy around 2224 and did well in all his classes except Astrophysics.
After graduating the Academy in 3201.14 he was assigned the role of a test pilot and later a security officer. As a security officer he chased a Nausicaan who was wearing no trousers, only to fall over said trousers during the chase. There was the end of his security officer career.
Christopher Pike would go on to serve on the USS Antares, the USS Chatelet, and the USS Aryabhatta. He was assigned to the USS Enterprise in the 2240s as Captain Robert April’s first officer.
In 2250, he became Captain Pike of the Enterprise with Una Chin-Riley as his first officer. Four years later, Pike led a mission to Rigel VII. It was here he and his crew were attacked by the Kalar, with three deceased and seven injured (including Spock).
The mission to Rigel VII weighed heavily on Pike as he took the wounded survivors to the Vega colony for medical attention. On the way, they intercepted a distress call of an old ship called the SS Columbia.
This distress call led them to Talos IV and this is where Pike met the telepathic Talosians for the first time. Pike was kidnapped on Talos IV and the Talosians attempted to coerce him into mating other human women, but he refused and eventually escaped. Upon his escape, General Order 7 was enacted, banning travel there upon pain of death.
In 2266, Christopher Pike was caught in an automatic lockdown of a starship, after getting everyone else off safely, and was almost killed by the delta radiation. His body was disfigured and he was confined to a wheelchair which he operated with his brain directly, or through blinking.
It was in 2267 that Pike returned to Talos IV. Commander Spock of the Enterprise, under Captain Kirk, concocted a secret plan to retrieve Pike from a hospital on Starbase one and deliver him to the Talosians who could provide a hospice to Pike. The Talosians used their telepathy to create illusions in Pike’s mind, sparing him a lot of pain and allowing him to live out the rest of his days in a dreamlike world.
The Reboot Movies
In the 2009 Star Trek reboot movie and its sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, Bruce Greenwood portrayed an alternate timeline version of Pike. This interpretation showed Pike as a mentor figure to James T. Kirk.
Probably best if we just skip over this particular alternate timeline…
Star Trek: Discovery & Strange New Worlds
Anson Mount’s portrayal of Pike in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery brought the character back into the spotlight. This version of Pike, set roughly a decade before the events of The Original Series, earned the character a new fanbase crying out for a spin-off (especially with the Discovery series being a disappointment for many fans of Star Trek).
This success led to the creation of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a series centered around Pike’s adventures as captain of the Enterprise. This show explores Pike’s character in depth, including his knowledge of his future fate and how it impacts his decisions and relationships.
