"The Infinite Vulcan" was the seventh episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series. It was produced in TAS' first season and debuted on 20 October 1973. The episode was directed by Hal SutherlandMA and written by Walter Koenig. It was the sixth episode to be novelized by Alan Dean Foster, appearing in Star Trek: Log Two in August 1974.
In this story, a giant clone is made of Spock.
Publisher's description
- VHS teaser
- A 20th century scientist who has lived for 200 years by cloning himself has the same plan for Mr. Spock. "The Infinite Vulcan" was actually written by Walter Koenig (Ensign Chekov).
Summary
The USS Enterprise explores the planet Phylos. Here they find the Phylosians and a giant fifth clone of an Augment scientist named Stavos Keniclius. Spock is kidnapped by Swoopers. After being misled many, many times, James T. Kirk discovers the nefarious plot involves cloning a giant army of Spock clones to impose peace in the galaxy. The first Spock clone, Spock 2 convinces the giant Stavos Keniclius 5 that the United Federation of Planets already has enough peace to go around. Spock 2 then agrees to stay on Phylos to help the Phylosians, thus averting interstellar issues.
Log entries
Captain's log, stardate 5503.1. Escort of the Carson's World/Bethulia ore shipment having been assigned to other vessels, the Enterprise has been ordered to survey a new planet recently discovered at the Federation galactic fringe. (Novelization)
Captain's log, stardate 5554.4. The Enterprise has been ordered to survey a new planet recently discovered at the periphery of the galaxy.
Captain's log, stardate 5554.8. We have come upon one of the most fascinating discoveries we have ever seen. Plant life of extraordinary intelligence and technology. However, they have captured Mr. Spock, apparently under the orders of a human named Keniclius. Lieutenant Uhura is trying to locate any reference to such a man in order to unravel the mystery of this giant human.
References
Characters
Episode characters
- Agmar • Arex Na Eth • Stavos Keniclius 5 • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Spock 2 • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • USS Enterprise computer • retlaw plant • swooper
- Referenced only
- Stavos Keniclius
Novelization characters
- Agmar • Arex Na Eth • Chatusram • Digard • Stavos Keniclius 5 • James T. Kirk • John Kyle • Leonard McCoy • Shiboline M'Ress • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Spock 2 • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Ush • retlaw plant • swooper
- Referenced only
- Diogenes • Stavos Keniclius • Patrick O'Morion • Julianna van Leeuwenhook
Starships and vehicles
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • flitter • Phylosian starships
Locations
Episode locations
Novelization locations
- Phylos system (Phylos II)
- Referenced only
- Bethulia III • Carson's World • Earth (North America • South America) • Kinshasa • Omicron region • Starfleet Science Center • Valeria
Races and cultures
Episode races and cultures
- Augment • Human • Phylosian • Edosian or Triexian • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Klingon • Kzinti • Romulan
Novelization races and cultures
States and organizations
Science and technology
- anaphase • antidote • antitoxin • biology • cassette tape • chemical weapon • cloning • communications • communicator • deflector shield • defoliant • dylovene • endocrinology • flashlight • force-field shield • hypospray • identity transference • incendiary grenade • laboratory • library computer • life support • medical tricorder • medicine • medikit • medscanner • nerve toxin • phaser • phaser bank • scanner • sensor probe • stun • synopmist • tranquilizer • transporter • tricorder • viewscreen • voder • warp engine • weapon • weapons deactivator
Ranks and titles
- aide • astronomer • captain • chief • chief engineer • commander • doctor • ensign • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • guard • healer • helmsman • lieutenant • master • navigation officer • physician • physicist • physiologist • policeman • president • rank • science officer • scientist • security officer • spokesman • Starfleet ranks • transporter chief • vice-admiral • weapons specialist
Other references
- alien • anaconda • artichoke • assignment patch • atmosphere • bacteria • bat • bible • bird • blood • brain • brain • bridge • butterfly • captain's log • captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2269 • carbon • cathedral • century • city • civilization •crystal • dandelion • death certificate • dilithium crystal • element • Eugenics Wars • exile • Frankenstein • galaxy • glass • government • hangar • hour • IDIC • judo • kilometer • landing party • language • lead • lifeform • light • martial arts • memory • metal • meter • minute • Moana predictor • moss • murder • nitrogen • ohm • oil • orbit • ore • oxygen • plant • plague • poison • R&R • root • salad • sarcophagus • seaweed • shore leave • sickbay • space • specimen • spore • staphylococcus • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • tentacle • thorn • toast • transporter room • tree • Vulcan mind touch • yard
Appendices
Background
- Spock noted tricorder readings showing that Phylosians used nearly 70% of their brain capacity, saying that it was a high percentage. The statement referred to a popular misconception that Humans use only 10% of their brains. All regions of the human brain have functions. (Ten percent of the brain myth article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
- Leonard McCoy's great-grandfather was noted as a gardener who created an effective weed killer.
- Hikaru Sulu caught a glimpse of Phylos II's star Phylos prior to spotting a retlaw plant. In the novelization, its glare blocked his view of a swooper.
- An undated near-final draft script of this episode included many of the novelization's details that were not seen in the episode:
- Security guards Morgan and Kolchek from the script appeared as Digard and Ush in the novelization, with Morgan/Digard witnessing Sulu's collapse from the nerve toxin. The aired episode omitted the guards.
- Buildings, deceased Phylosians, Phylosian starships, Stavos Keniclius 5, and Spock 2 were all described as being four times normal scale, with Keniclius and Spock cited as being 25 feet tall in the script, and about 24 feet tall in the novelization. In the episode, Keniclius and Spock were depicted 50 or 60 feet tall. No explanation was provided in the script, episode, or novelization why they were all so large, or why the current generation of Phylosians was not that large.
- The swoopers flew by means of spinning coils. The script compared the motion to a swimmer's frog kick, with the flattening out of the coils producing a flapping sound. Foster described their flight like "organic helicopters". The episode simplified the idea, having them fly with wings but using the coils to attack.
Novelization
- The tricorder detected small animals on the surface, as well as a predominance of plant life.
- Swooper coils felt as strong as an anaconda according to Kirk, when he was being pinned down by them.
- Agmar stated that Phylosians reproduced by spores.
- The ambulatory retlaw plant was described as a sporing dandelion.
- Kirk's statement in the episode that there had been peace in the Federation for more than 200 years was amended to "well over 50 years".
- Sulu was given the last word in Log Two, making a cloning joke at McCoy's expense. Kirk's comment from the episode about Sulu's judo prowess was omitted.
Related stories
- TOS comic: "The Planet of No Return" – An encounter with plant species (K-G) in 2266, a sentient ambulatory plant species on planet K-G.
- TOS comic: "The Perfect Dream" – Yamoto tried to harvest Spock's DNA for cloning in 2266 on the artificial world Rifas-L.
- TOS episode & Star Trek 2 novelization: Space Seed, TOS comic: "Sceptre of the Sun" – Other 2260s encounters with Augment refugees from the Eugenics Wars.
- TOS comics: "To Swiftly Go...", "Where Giants Tread", "Nova-Thirteen", TOS novel: Giant in the Universe – Additional encounters with giant humanoids in the 2260s.
Timeline
published order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous episode: More Tribbles, More Troubles |
TAS episode produced | Next episode: Yesteryear |
Previous episode: The Survivor |
TAS episode aired | Next episode: The Magicks of Megas-Tu |
Previous story: The Lorelei Signal |
Log Two |
Next story: last story |
chronological order | ||
Previous Adventure: The Lorelei Signal |
Next Adventure: Once Upon a Planet |
Images
External links
- The Infinite Vulcan article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- The Infinite Vulcan article by Keith R.A. DeCandido at Tor.com.
- The Infinite Vulcan discussion at Mission Log Podcast.