Star Trek: 10 Times Captains Lost Control

This was the moment when First Contact really hammered home the seriousness of Picard's struggle with the Borg. For years, the experiences inside the Collective had haunted him but, with some exceptions, these had simmered, well under control.

He battles the Borg aboard the Enterprise-E in what seems like a hopeless fight. They lose deck after deck, continually having to retreat. He advocates euthanising any crew member who'd been assimilated. He fires without regard, unwilling to pause to mourn.

The Borg are an evil entity, a plague and disease. He becomes more and more resolute to stop them, no matter the cost.

So, when he almost comes to blows with Worf on the bridge, it seems as though he can't be saved. He didn't reckon of course with Lily Sloane. With no regard for his position or his reaction, she corners him in the observation lounge and calls him out as only she can.

He begins calmly, trying to make her see that his viewpoint is the only viewpoint, while she simply calls it revenge. He disagrees. She shouts at him to evacuate and destroy the ship. In the scene that has become infamous, he roars that he won't and, just to channel his anger, swings his rifle in an arc, shattering the glass of the display cabinet and breaking apart several of the models.

He finally voices his deepest intention: he will stop the Borg.

Lily shakes her head, preparing to leave Captain Ahab to his fate. This final comparison is enough to get through.