I firmly believe that this Star Trek legacy character deserves more screen-time

Zefram Cochrane’s name may find rare mentions, nonetheless he is probably one of the most important characters in the Star Trek universe. The genius Dr. Cochrane was the human scientist responsible for the invention of Warp Drive on Earth. Yes, the same Warp Drive that helped Captain Kirk and the USS Enterprise crew to boldly go where no man has gone before!

Despite the importance the character holds in Star Trek, he has made just a handful of appearances through the franchise. Zefram Cochrane was first introduced to the audience in Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 2, Episode 9, titled Metamorphosis, in 1967. In The Original Series, the character was played by Glenn Corbett while James Cromwell later portrayed the role of Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact in 1996, Star Trek: Enterprise in 2001 and Star Trek: Lower Decks in 2022.

Dr. Zefram Cochrane’s role in Star Trek

Dr. Zefram Cochrane invented the Warp Drive on Earth, which enabled humans to travel across the galaxy for space exploration. He began developing the Warp Drive in the 2060’s with his engineers. While his contribution was considered to be the greatest invention in human history, in Star Trek: First Contact, Cochrane revealed that he hoped to retire after making enough money through his creation.

When the USS Enterprise-E crew, who traveled back in time, meet Cochrane, they are in awe of the inventor. In the future, the famous inventor has a celebrity status. Cochrane does not like the fame that is attached to his name. He tells the crew members that he did not want to be revered as a visionary, and he was in the process of developing warp speed only for financial gains. He appears as a flawed man with questionable traits and a drinking problem.

Cochrane finishes the work on Phoenix, the first warp space vessel. After the first Warp Drive test, he manages to get the attention of the Vulcan survey ship passing near Earth. Despite the Borg trying to stop this moment from taking place, Cochrane achieves the landmark in Bozeman. He establishes the first contact between the Vulcans and the humans, an iconic moment in Star Trek history.

In Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1 Episode 1, titled Broken Bow’, a young Jonathan Archer is seen taking inspiration from Cochrane’s celebrated speeches, which impacts him even as he becomes a Starfleet Commanding Officer. Cochrane appears in archival footage talking about the Warp speed in space. In the famous speech he says,

“Thousands of inhabited planets at our fingertips, and we'll be able to explore those strange new worlds and seek out new life and new civilizations. This engine will let us go boldly where no man has gone before.”

In Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain Kirk and his crew find Cochrane marooned on a planet, after being listed missing for about 150 years. He had left for one last journey at the age of 87, and was rescued by an alien known as the Companian. He was the only human on the planet.

The entity even reversed his aging process and made Cochrane much younger. He lived out his life on the planet with the Companian, who merges with a Federation representative.

Corbett and Cromwell’s representation of Cochrane are very different. Cromwell’s Cochrane is a more spirited and dramatic, compared to Corbett’s more subdued and elusive take on the role.

While he has appeared in a few projects, a character of his importance deserves a bigger mantle in the world of Star Trek. With talks of new movies and shows being in development, it would be interesting to see the character making a comeback, especially during the days when Warp Drive finally takes humans across the galaxy.

Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry. The Original Series on NBC ran for three seasons between 1966 and 1969. Despite getting cancelled, owing to low ratings, the series went on to gain a cult following. The Star Trek franchise expanded to comics, animated series, films, and spin-off shows.

ALSO READ: I had no idea this OG Star Trek character’s name was banned from The Next Generation

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