What is the most advanced being/species in Star Trek

[Squirrelfang]

Over the course of the Star Trek sagas, the crew comes across various species/individuals that are far more powerful then themselves, seemingly godlike in comparison to themselves. Which is the most powerful of these entities and why?  

[Squirrelfang]

No one else is interested?  

[Sustineo]

you forgot the borg............. whatever  

[Squirrelfang]

[[charge]]

you forgot the borg............. whatever

The thing is, though they are advanced, I don't think their quite on the same level as the other species that I included. I mean, the Borg have an incredible level of technology, but I don't think their at the same level as the others on the list, personally. However their means may be, whether it be existence at a higher level (Q), physiological (Apollo), technological or mental, I believe that any species that seems to hold some level of power over reality itself is in a whole different class.  

[Lindira]

Well, the Q (as a species) are supposed to be omnipotent. So, seeing as they're all-powerful, it would make sense if the Q were the most powerful/advanced species in Star Trek. So I go with them.

But, before I read the whole thread, I would have mentioned that the Borg are undoubtedly the most advanced technologically speaking. But that's been said already. sweatdrop  

[lymelady]

Kevin Uxbridge.

He was the guy who was living with his wife on a planet but he was a pacifist, and then a malevolent species came and invaded. His wife died and in his anger he accidentally wiped out the entire species. Not just everyone on the planet, but all of them.

Most of the beings you list have arrogant and manipulative natures. This guy doesn't need that stuff to feel powerful. He balances his actions to control himself. He's got all this power, self restraint, and respect for the little people.

With great power comes great responsibility. He's the most responsible of the power entities that I've seen so far.

Though, the traveller's pretty responsible, too.  

[Squirrelfang]

lymelady

Kevin Uxbridge.

He was the guy who was living with his wife on a planet but he was a pacifist, and then a malevolent species came and invaded. His wife died and in his anger he accidentally wiped out the entire species. Not just everyone on the planet, but all of them.

Most of the beings you list have arrogant and manipulative natures. This guy doesn't need that stuff to feel powerful. He balances his actions to control himself. He's got all this power, self restraint, and respect for the little people.

With great power comes great responsibility. He's the most responsible of the power entities that I've seen so far.

Though, the traveller's pretty responsible, too.

I disagree, though I must admit, I haven't entirely seen the episode with Uxbridge. sad (I've seen a lot of Star Trek but not all of it...) However, based on your argument, I must admit I am not completely impressed by his actions.

First of all, I don't think his actions show responsibility as much as a contradiction in character. He tries to have self restraint, but it's just illusory, which is shown by his destruction of an entire species of beings. In other words, I'm thinking that he is merely misleading himself by his actions and denying the more negative aspects of his existence...

As for the other beings being only manipulative and petty, I would like to refute that with a few examples. The Thasians, whom Charlie X had joined, were clearly morally responsible. The problem wasn't them, it was the fact that Charlie X was a human that had been given those abilities.

Another example would be the Prophets, who don't really do much of anything outside of their wormhole, based on what I've seen. This doesn't strike me as being that manipulative, except for perhaps what was occuring with their actions with Sisco, which they used to counter the Pah Wraiths, who were an extremely dangerous force...

Finally, I would bring up the Q, which I still hold was the most advanced. In TNG, I have never seen much of Voyager sadly, so I can't bring up his actions in Voyager, but on TNG, almost all of his trials and manipulations yielded something positive. For instance, at Farpoint System, his trial eventually led to Picard's realization of the truth of Farpoint, and the subsequent solution that is made. In their third encounter, against the Borg, he shatters the overconfidence of the Federation, which would have been really harmful against more powerful opponents, and allows us a level of preperation against the Borg. Later on, he twice allows Picard knowledge concerning his own life and values, first in "Qpid" and secondly in "Tapestry". Finally, in the episodes "All Good Things" he allows Picard and the others to think at an entirely different level and comprehend problems they couldn't even imagine before.

In fact, I believe I could make similar arguments for all the races included except for Gary Mitchell, who was a human given those kinds of power. In TNG, Picard and co. also go meet with the Talking Heads, and if they are the same group, it would appear that the evil Talking Head was an aberation, imprisoned by the others. Trelaine was really a child, but his parents clearly showed responsibility. Apollo thought that he was offering Kirk and the Enterprise people a good thing. He didn't understand how much times had changed and humanity with it.

In conclusion, I don't agree with your assertion that Uxbridge has superior morality to the other beings in this group. Personally, I think his contradictory behavior may show a weakness in his morality, if morality as we see it is even truly moral when you reach that kind of level in power.

Prepare to blast my statement because, I admit, my ideas are biased. The Q are, afterall, my favorite group in the series, just as the Nox are in Stargate. rolleyes  

[Saoraan]

Squirrelfang

lymelady

Kevin Uxbridge.

He was the guy who was living with his wife on a planet but he was a pacifist, and then a malevolent species came and invaded. His wife died and in his anger he accidentally wiped out the entire species. Not just everyone on the planet, but all of them.

Most of the beings you list have arrogant and manipulative natures. This guy doesn't need that stuff to feel powerful. He balances his actions to control himself. He's got all this power, self restraint, and respect for the little people.

With great power comes great responsibility. He's the most responsible of the power entities that I've seen so far.

Though, the traveller's pretty responsible, too.

I disagree, though I must admit, I haven't entirely seen the episode with Uxbridge. sad (I've seen a lot of Star Trek but not all of it...) However, based on your argument, I must admit I am not completely impressed by his actions.

First of all, I don't think his actions show responsibility as much as a contradiction in character. He tries to have self restraint, but it's just illusory, which is shown by his destruction of an entire species of beings. In other words, I'm thinking that he is merely misleading himself by his actions and denying the more negative aspects of his existence...

As for the other beings being only manipulative and petty, I would like to refute that with a few examples. The Thasians, whom Charlie X had joined, were clearly morally responsible. The problem wasn't them, it was the fact that Charlie X was a human that had been given those abilities.

Another example would be the Prophets, who don't really do much of anything outside of their wormhole, based on what I've seen. This doesn't strike me as being that manipulative, except for perhaps what was occuring with their actions with Sisco, which they used to counter the Pah Wraiths, who were an extremely dangerous force...

Finally, I would bring up the Q, which I still hold was the most advanced. In TNG, I have never seen much of Voyager sadly, so I can't bring up his actions in Voyager, but on TNG, almost all of his trials and manipulations yielded something positive. For instance, at Farpoint System, his trial eventually led to Picard's realization of the truth of Farpoint, and the subsequent solution that is made. In their third encounter, against the Borg, he shatters the overconfidence of the Federation, which would have been really harmful against more powerful opponents, and allows us a level of preperation against the Borg. Later on, he twice allows Picard knowledge concerning his own life and values, first in "Qpid" and secondly in "Tapestry". Finally, in the episodes "All Good Things" he allows Picard and the others to think at an entirely different level and comprehend problems they couldn't even imagine before.

In fact, I believe I could make similar arguments for all the races included except for Gary Mitchell, who was a human given those kinds of power. In TNG, Picard and co. also go meet with the Talking Heads, and if they are the same group, it would appear that the evil Talking Head was an aberation, imprisoned by the others. Trelaine was really a child, but his parents clearly showed responsibility. Apollo thought that he was offering Kirk and the Enterprise people a good thing. He didn't understand how much times had changed and humanity with it.

In conclusion, I don't agree with your assertion that Uxbridge has superior morality to the other beings in this group. Personally, I think his contradictory behavior may show a weakness in his morality, if morality as we see it is even truly moral when you reach that kind of level in power.

Prepare to blast my statement because, I admit, my ideas are biased. The Q are, afterall, my favorite group in the series, just as the Nox are in Stargate. rolleyes

I heartily agree with your arguements for if you read any of the Q books such as Q squared, I,Q, and the two Q continuum books you will find that they corroborate your pro Q arguements  

[lymelady]

Something good can come out of everything, even if it's not necessarily good.

For example, there are many people who would never have been born if the holocaust had never happened. It also gave people a reality check that they weren't invincible. That does not mean I think that the nazis were good or necessarily more advanced than any other group on earth.

Please remember, I did say most, not all. And I also didn't say morality, I said responsibility. Though you raise a good point about the Thasians. Like Uxebridge, there isn't much where they're shown, though, which annoys me. I also never said petty. It's possible to be arrogant without being petty.

In a moment of weakness, he wiped out a species, which proves he's not perfect. I haven't seen a perfect species in the saga yet, unless you'd like to point me to it, but that was the only time where he did irreparable damage. He admitted he had the power to do much, much evil, but denied himself the luxury of doing so until his wife was killed and he lost his self-control.

The Q are alright, but not convincingly the most powerful, or they wouldn't need to be so arrogant. They obviously have some leeway, since Q didn't end up like Amanda's parents. They were powerful, but humans are very much compareable to the Q except for their powers and in the guidelines set down by the saga, humans have the potential to reach their level. Though I might be wrong, since I haven't read the books in ages and the tv show is hard to watch regularly.

The Pah Wraiths were basically former Prophets. They got cast out of the celestial temple, I believe. And they had power within their realm, but the furthest stretch I can think of would be Sarah going to earth. They cared about Bajor, but not really about most corporeal beings.

I always felt sorry for Charlie. He hadn't asked to be cut off from his own species. He hadn't asked for his powers. He'd needed it to survive, but surely if the Thasians were at least as powerful as the Q continuum, they could have just sent him back home. They did the responsible thing, but it doesn't prove power.

If you think that humans enjoyed ancient Greece living under the rule of the olympic gods, brush up on ancient greek history. Apollo was powerhungry, plain and simple. he may have justified it to himself by saying they'd be better off, but it wasn't about them, it was about him. It wasn't very responsible, no matter what his intentions were.

I don't remember much about that part about the talking head. All I remember is thinking Q could beat him at wrestling. Especially since the head had no apparent hands.

If there were more Kevin Uxebridges to show the species, I'm sure it'd end up that they aren't all like him, but...there aren't. There's only one and he wouldn't even pick up a phaser to kill to save his wife.

He didn't toy with them or experiment on them. He just wanted them to leave him in peace. The episode was really a bit boring because he didn't want to interact with them but wouldn't kill them to get rid of them. At least Q is entertaining.  

[Squirrelfang]

lymelady

Something good can come out of everything, even if it's not necessarily good.

For example, there are many people who would never have been born if the holocaust had never happened. It also gave people a reality check that they weren't invincible. That does not mean I think that the nazis were good or necessarily more advanced than any other group on earth.

Please remember, I did say most, not all. And I also didn't say morality, I said responsibility. Though you raise a good point about the Thasians. Like Uxebridge, there isn't much where they're shown, though, which annoys me. I also never said petty. It's possible to be arrogant without being petty.

In a moment of weakness, he wiped out a species, which proves he's not perfect. I haven't seen a perfect species in the saga yet, unless you'd like to point me to it, but that was the only time where he did irreparable damage. He admitted he had the power to do much, much evil, but denied himself the luxury of doing so until his wife was killed and he lost his self-control.

The Q are alright, but not convincingly the most powerful, or they wouldn't need to be so arrogant. They obviously have some leeway, since Q didn't end up like Amanda's parents. They were powerful, but humans are very much compareable to the Q except for their powers and in the guidelines set down by the saga, humans have the potential to reach their level. Though I might be wrong, since I haven't read the books in ages and the tv show is hard to watch regularly.

The Pah Wraiths were basically former Prophets. They got cast out of the celestial temple, I believe. And they had power within their realm, but the furthest stretch I can think of would be Sarah going to earth. They cared about Bajor, but not really about most corporeal beings.

I always felt sorry for Charlie. He hadn't asked to be cut off from his own species. He hadn't asked for his powers. He'd needed it to survive, but surely if the Thasians were at least as powerful as the Q continuum, they could have just sent him back home. They did the responsible thing, but it doesn't prove power.

If you think that humans enjoyed ancient Greece living under the rule of the olympic gods, brush up on ancient greek history. Apollo was powerhungry, plain and simple. he may have justified it to himself by saying they'd be better off, but it wasn't about them, it was about him. It wasn't very responsible, no matter what his intentions were.

I don't remember much about that part about the talking head. All I remember is thinking Q could beat him at wrestling. Especially since the head had no apparent hands.

If there were more Kevin Uxebridges to show the species, I'm sure it'd end up that they aren't all like him, but...there aren't. There's only one and he wouldn't even pick up a phaser to kill to save his wife.

He didn't toy with them or experiment on them. He just wanted them to leave him in peace. The episode was really a bit boring because he didn't want to interact with them but wouldn't kill them to get rid of them. At least Q is entertaining.

First of all, with regard to Apollo. It is true that the Greek Gods were tyranical, but their intervention also seems to have sparked the growth of Greek culture. I'm not saying that what they did was right, but it could be that they thought their actions justified and worthy. However, I would prefer to let this matter drop and not pursue it, for I think you bring up a good point.

However, I'd like to profess that my argument towards the morality of the other species included was a responce to your claim that they were all manipulative and petty. I was just trying to show that their interventions, to me at least, are a lot more complex then you were letting on.

Personally, however, I still go with Q. I admit, they are arrogant, but it still strikes me that they go beyond the others. (I admit, I haven't seen Uxebridge, had I known about him when I created this poll, I would have included him, but I have recently read a synopsis of what happens in that episode, so I think I have a fair idea of his abilities).

Basically, I still hold that Uxebridge, though he may not be as arrogant as the Q, seems to be in conflict with himself. His destruction of an entire race of lifeforms is not the only such outburst. He also drove Deanna insane when she started to read his emotions. He strikes me as almost mentally unstable, which can be seen as a cause for his lack of arrogance and overall compassion.

This would bring up a second support for Q's superiority. Deanna Troi is could not read his mind, for it was at an entirely more advanced level of life. The fact that she could read Uxebridge's shows that, as advanced and powerful as he was, he had still not achieved the level that the Q have.  

[Saoraan]

In one of the Q books that I read it says that Trelaine was actually a child Q who had yet to recieve his Q title.... I don't know if this is true or not... sweatdrop  

[Animefanatic101]

Q there's no doubt about it.  

[Change (Revolution)]

Saoraan

In one of the Q books that I read it says that Trelaine was actually a child Q who had yet to recieve his Q title.... I don't know if this is true or not... sweatdrop

Well, though the book is non canon, I do like that Idea. Trelane was relatively omnipotent, but he lacked, well, everything but power.


I'm a huge Q fan. With a snap of his fingers he can do anything. You can't get more powerful then omnipotent. End of story. Other beings are vastly powerful but either have some weakness, or some chance to rebel and escape (if necessary).  

[Animefanatic101]

Quinn (or Q) said they are not really omnipodent, they are not everywhere at the exact same time, they can GO anywhere at anygiving time.  

[sdfhsg]

lymelady

Kevin Uxbridge.

He was the guy who was living with his wife on a planet but he was a pacifist, and then a malevolent species came and invaded. His wife died and in his anger he accidentally wiped out the entire species. Not just everyone on the planet, but all of them.

Most of the beings you list have arrogant and manipulative natures. This guy doesn't need that stuff to feel powerful. He balances his actions to control himself. He's got all this power, self restraint, and respect for the little people.

With great power comes great responsibility. He's the most responsible of the power entities that I've seen so far.

Though, the traveller's pretty responsible, too.

I saw that episode. I would not say he is responsible, siping an entire race in moment of anger isn't a responsible thing to do. However, of the super powerful beings shown in Star Trek he was perhaps the only one who didn't seem to have disdain on lower life forms. It was his demeanor really, he was actually nice to the Enterprise-D crew. Most super powerful life forms are just plain arrogent, Kevin wasn't.

BTW, I voted for the Q.