10 Worst Ever Captains In Star Trek
7. Fleet Admiral Elizabeth Shelby - Starfleet
This entry is one of the more frustrating on this list, as there were few officers in the fleet who had quite the potential as Elizabeth Shelby. There is no doubt that her expertise and drive are what combined to see her ascend to command the entirety of Starfleet, but at the last hurdle, she seemed unable to see the wood for the trees.
Shelby was the expert when it came to the Borg, proving critical to the survival of the Enterprise-D during the Wolf 359 incident. That officer looked set to command her own ship in a matter of months, having not only earned the respect of her new crew, but of those above her as well.
Nearly thirty years later, Shelby had ascended the ranks to become a five-pip Admiral, commanding the Enterprise-F on her ceremonial final voyage, and had personally supported linking the entire fleet together with a program that was so easily hacked.
Shelby transformed from the bright, incredibly astute expert on the Borg - to become their welcoming party by Frontier Day 2401. She not only accepted, but endorsed, a program that was so obviously Borg-like. Perhaps her ascent was too quick, not allowing for the perspective to follow - but Shelby commanded the fleet on the day it was almost destroyed, seemingly falling to Borg drones in the opening moments of the battle.
It was a sad end to what should have been a powerful legacy.