10 Best Star Trek Villains In Only One Episode
3. The M-113 Creature - The Original Series, The Man Trap
One of the earliest episodes of Star Trek contains one of the most memorable villains of the franchise. It was Star Trek's early foray into the world of vampirism, with a bit of a twist.
The first season of Star Trek was shot somewhat out of sequence, so this episode ended being screened before several others. Therefore, McCoy was a brand new character, though the audience still feels his loss when the creature's ruse is revealed.
It is something of a tragic villain. It is the last surviving member of its race, cursed to hunt on the salt in the blood of its victims. It can take the guise of others, allowing it to hunt at ease. This particular creature has formed a symbiotic relationship with Professor Crater, after killing his wife, though has no qualms about killing him once the situation requires it.
Eventually the creature is killed by McCoy, though not before it is compared to the Buffalo of Earth, hunted to the point of extinction and starved out of existence. In killing this creature, McCoy has caused its race to go extinct.
The episode is a sombre one. Nancy and Professor Crater's home was destroyed by this animal that simply wanted to eat to survive. Crater, in his loneliness and desperation, thought he could tame it - a decision that leads directly to several more deaths before resolution.