The Infinite Vulcan

"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 Sutherland^MA 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[]

Locations[]

Episode locations[]

Phylos system (Phylos II)

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[]

Augment • Human • Phylosian • Edosian or Triexian • Vulcan
Referenced only: Klingon • Romulan

States and organizations[]

Federation • Starfleet Command (Starfleet Science)

Science and classification[]

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.

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: Witness for the Defense	Memory Beta Chronology	Next Adventure: Once Upon a Planet
Previous Adventure: The Lorelei Signal	Pocket	Next Adventure: Once Upon a Planet