Star Trek: 10 First Contacts We Need To See

Some of us will be edging on the wrong side of septuagenarian, but we're all planning on being around for First Contact Day on the day of the year itself. To celebrate, we can only hope that actual intelligent extra-terrestrial life exists, watches Star Trek, and has a flair for the dramatic. Either way, 2063 will go to the Vulcans.

After Zefram Cochrane's extended palm marked 'First Contact' for Earth and the Vulcans, there followed litany for humanity, Starfleet, and the Federation, a great number of which have been seen on screen. Hands have been literally or metaphorically shaken with, or rejected by, the Klingons, Kazon, Xindi, Excalbians, Horta, Andorians, Hirogen, Talaxians, Q, Vidiians, 10-C, and the Dominion, to name but a few.

Star Trek has also always featured a variety of pre-established relationships between humans and alien species. For some of those, we've been given hints or descriptions in dialogue as to how first contact played out without actually seeing it on screen; for others, we know almost nothing at all. And although it often feels like it, the universe does not revolve around Starfleet and the Federation either. We've broadened the scope to include the first encounters we'd like to see between alien species that would have occurred outside of (or before the existence of) both organisations.

Remember, you can always skip the fish course! Yew-cheen chef-faw. Emphasis on the 'cheen' and the 'faw.'

The Medusans are one of the most distinctive alien species in all of Star Trek, introduced in The Original Series episode Is There in Truth No Beauty? Rather than literal petrification, any human who looked upon the full form of this non-corporeal energy being suffered complete insanity and often died soon thereafter. Certain species had less severe reactions to exposure: if you were a Vulcan, and didn't forget your visor, you'd normally be fine to take a peek.

Hitching a ride back to their homeworld, the Medusan ambassador to the Federation came aboard the Enterprise in 2268. Captain Kirk, crew, Doctor Jones (… Jones, calling Doctor Jones), and Larry 'Murder' Marvick were already eminently familiar with the species, down to the Medusans' exemplary navigational abilities, suggesting that first contact had happened quite some time prior.

Given the extreme danger posed by even the reflection of the true form of a Medusan, it's commendable that the species had managed to make first contact with anyone at all. We know the Medusans had ships of their own by the mid-23rd century, so it is perhaps more likely, and no doubt more practical, that they made the first moves with humanity and/or the Federation. Or, perhaps the Vulcans met them first and included them in their database as fair warning for Starfleet back in the day of the NX-01. Still, we can't help but wonder if humans in particular had to find out the madness in the Medusans the hard way.