Star Trek: 10 Alien Encounters Before First Contact
We all know about First Contact Day, but there have been earlier alien encounters in Star Trek.
April 5th, 2063. The day that the Vulcans arrived in Bozeman, Montana, ushered in the next phase of human civilisation. Though the birth of the Federation would still take roughly one hundred years from that point, we are focusing our view on what came before.
Earth had been a hot bed for alien encounters for many hundreds of years before those pointy-eared hobgoblins decided to park right in the middle of town. Though these visits were often fact-finding missions, there were those times that saw direct intervention in human affairs.
We can just imagine a wild-haired man looking at obelisks and thinking 'Heh. Aliens.'
Well, at least in this context, he would have been bang on the money, because we've collected just ten examples of when humanity was visited by those from on high. None of these come with the level of destruction seen when the Breen popped by for a hello, though that is not to say that they didn't leave a long-lasting impact on the fate of the world.
10. The Greek Gods - Who Mourns For Adonais?
In a now-infamous scene, the Enterprise is stopped in space by a giant, green hand - grasping the ship and holding it in place. This was sent from Apollo, the last remaining corporeal member of the race of aliens native to Pollux IV. They had visited Earth around 2700 BC, inspiring an entire religion to form around them.
These aliens were restored by love and admiration, with these serving to them as food did to humans. Ironically, they appeared mostly human themselves, save for an extra organ in their chests. This organ made all the difference, as it allowed them to control the elements, technology, and even their physical forms.
They ruled over the Hellenic region on Earth until Humanity outgrew, and eventually forgot them. Unable to face this obscurity, they elected to return to their homeworld. At that point, all bar Apollo chose to leave their bodies behind and become one with the wind. It was only after the encounter with the Enterprise, and the reminder that humanity had truly outgrown them, that Apollo shed his skin and went to join his people.