10 MORE Greatest Battles In Star Trek
5. Zero Hour
Star Trek: Enterprise's third season introduced the Xindi, an alien race that finally displayed evolution within a species. The Arboreals, the Insectoids, the Reptilians, the Aquatics, and the Primates all combined to make one hell of a headache for Jonathan Archer. By the events of Azati Prime, it looked as though Enterprise's number was up.
The arc had kicked off with a devastating attack on Earth, spurred on by malevolent manipulation, leaving seven million people dead. The mission to the Delphic Expanse was part preventative, part revenge for the Starfleet crew - though they found themselves outmatched.
The closing moments of Azati Prime see a Reptilian and Insectoid armada attack Enterprise, kicking seven levels of hell out of it. For a short time, it looks as though it's all over - the hull is being carved to pieces, there are no forcefields to stop the vacuum of space swallowing up the crew, and T'Pol looks how we all feel: hopeless.
This being Star Trek, it's not entirely hopeless, but this was a stark example of the third season of the show not coming to play.