Christopher Pike, played first by Jeffrey Hunter and then by Sean Kenney, is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe. Hunter portrayed him in the original Star Trek pilot episode, "The Cage", as captain of the USS Enterprise. The pilot was rejected, and the character was dropped during development of the second pilot when Hunter decided that he did not want to continue with the series. Kenney portrayed him for new footage in a subsequent Star Trek episode, "The Menagerie", which also uses footage featuring Hunter's Pike from "The Cage".

Actor Bruce Greenwood has been cast to play Pike in the upcoming Star Trek movie, to be directed by J.J. Abrams..

Character history

Little is known about Pike's personal life. According to dialog in "The Cage", Pike is from the city of Mojave in North America on Earth in Southern California, and at one point owned a horse named "Tango".

Pike is the first captain of the Enterprise to be recognized in Star Trek canon. However, the non-canon animated Star Trek series reveals that Captain Robert April predated Pike, and printed Star Trek fiction and reference books also identify April as Pike's predecessor.

"The Cage"

At the beginning of "The Cage", Pike and his crew are recuperating from a mission to Rigel VII during which several members of the landing party were killed by the inhabitants. The incident filled Pike with so much guilt that he is considering resigning his commission.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise is en route to Vega Colony to drop off wounded crew members, when it receives a distress call from the survey vessel SS Columbia, lost 18 years previously. Pike orders the Enterprise to Talos IV to retrieve survivors.

Pike soon learns that all but one of the survivors are illusions created by the Talosians in order to lure the Enterprise crew to Talos IV. The Talosians make every effort to provide sexual fantasies that they hope will appeal to Pike, using as the object of desire the only real Columbia survivor, Vina. After escaping from his prison cell with the aid of his first officer, Number One, and Yeoman J. M. Colt, the Talosians show Pike Vina's real appearance as a disfigured older woman. The Talosians saved her life after the Columbia's crash, but they had no guide on how to repair a human body. Pike requests that the Talosians restore her illusion of beauty and the Enterprise leaves Talos IV soon after.

"The Menagerie"

At some point prior to "The Menagerie", Pike is promoted to fleet captain. He is severely injured while rescuing several cadets from a baffle plate rupture onboard a J-class training vessel, the delta ray radiation leaving him paralyzed, mute, badly scarred, and confined to a wheelchair at Starbase 11. Pike's wheelchair is operated by brainwaves, and his only means of communicating is through a light on the chair: one flash meaning "yes" and two flashes indicating "no".

In "The Menagerie", the Enterprise, now under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, travels to Starbase 11. Spock, who had served with Pike for more than a decade, makes clandestine arrangements to take Pike back to Talos IV, despite travel to Talos IV being the only criminal offense still punishable by death in Starfleet. Spock is court-martialed, with evidence during the procedure including footage from "The Cage". At the two-part episode's conclusion, Pike is reunited with Vina and given the illusion of perfect health.

"Mirror, Mirror"

Although not seen in the Mirror Universe episode "Mirror, Mirror", the alternate reality's Enterprise computer reveals that the Mirror Universe's James T. Kirk achieved command of that ship after assassinating Pike.

Star Trek: Early Voyages

In the Paramount-licensed Star Trek comic book series published by Marvel Comics, Star Trek: Early Voyages chronicled the adventures of the Enterprise under the command of Pike. The earliest issues lead up to the events seen in "The Cage", which was retold from Yeoman Colt's point of view. Although extremely popular, the comic series ended on a cliffhanger when Marvel lost the Star Trek license rights.

Starfleet Academy comics

In the Paramount-licensed Star Trek comic book series published by Marvel Comics, Starfleet Academy, Nog and some fellow cadets encounter a solid image of Pike on Talos IV.

Christopher Pike Medal of Valor

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Tears of the Prophets", Captain Benjamin Sisko receives the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor for his actions during the Dominion War. Dialog in the Deep Space Nine episode "Take Me Out to the Holosuite indicates that Captain Solok of the USS T'Kumbra received the medal twice.

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