Mirror Universe
Mirror Universe is a dimension that features in Star Trek.
Contents |
History
The Mirror Universe was an alternate universe that existed within the larger Multiverse.
After first contact with the Vulcans, the people of Earth forcibly took control of the travelling space vessel and plundered its technology. From it, they became a space capable civilisation that came to be known as the Terran Empire. With advanced Vulcan technology at their disposal, the Terran Empire expanded and conquered other races, including the Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, Orions, and Denobulans. (ENT: In a Mirror, Darkly Part 1)
In 2155, the ISS Enterprise under the command of Captain Maximilian Forrest served as the flagship of the Terran Empire's Starfleet. In January, Commander Jonathan Archer mutinied against Forrest in order to take the ship into Tholian space to capture the USS Defiant, which had traveled through a spatial interphase from the year 2268 in the prime universe. While the mutiny was ultimately unsuccessful, Captain Forrest had no choice but to continue the mission, since the ship's helm had been locked on auto-pilot. The Enterprise was later destroyed by Tholian ships, but not before Archer was able to take control of the Defiant. (ENT: In a Mirror, Darkly) Archer then tried to use the Defiant in a grab for power, intending to replace the emperor, but was betrayed by Hoshi Sato who declared herself empress. (ENT: In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II)
In 2257, the prime universe's Starfleet came to classify the existence of the Mirror Universe due to the fear that people would cross over in order to bring back a lost loved one. (DIS: The War Without, The War Within)
In 2267, four Starfleet officers named Captain James T. Kirk, Lieutenant Uhura, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott and Doctor Leonard McCoy of the U.S.S. Enterprise were accidentally exchanged with their mirror universe counterparts on-board the I.S.S. Enterprise due to a transporter incident caused by an ion storm. This le to the Starfleet crew encountering the brutal regime of the Terran Empire where they had to navigate the vicious hierarchy on the ship as they tried to find a way back to their reality. During this time, the prime universe Captain Kirk convinced the mirror universe counterpart of his first officer Spock that the Empire could not sustain itself in the long term. Such a prediction appealed to his logic where he determined that the Empire in its current form would collapse in 240 years. (TOS: Mirror, Mirror)
Sometime afterwards, Spock rose to become leader of the Terran Empire where he proposed a series of reforms designed to make the Empire more secure and less dictatorial in nature. These included a significant disarmament program. Unfortunately, once these reforms were complete, the Empire was unable to defend itself against the equally aggressive and powerful forces surrounding it. The Klingon-Cardassian Alliance overran the Empire, enslaving Terrans and Vulcans, and freeing several worlds that still remained under Terran occupation, including Bajor. (DS9: Crossover)
By 2370, Terok Nor was commanded by Intendant Kira Nerys, with Elim Garak as her second-in-command. It was at this point in time that contact with the prime universe again took place. A runabout from station Deep Space 9 entered the mirror universe following an incident in the Bajoran wormhole. Kira Nerys and Julian Bashir were captured by forces from Terok Nor and interrogated by the intendant. Bashir was sent to work in the ore processing plant, where he befriended "Smiley" O'Brien. After instigating a series of incidents aboard the station, including the death of Odo during a slave uprising, Kira and Bashir convinced privateer Benjamin Sisko to rebel against the Alliance and help them to escape back to the prime universe. (DS9: Crossover)
A year later, Smiley crossed over to the Federation's universe and impersonated his counterpart long enough to capture the prime Sisko and bring him back to the mirror universe, where he convinced Sisko to impersonate the leader of the Terran Rebellion. The mirror Sisko had been killed in a skirmish with Alliance ships, and the rebels needed the other Sisko to win over Jennifer Sisko, Sisko's wife, who in the mirror universe was a scientist working for the Alliance. Jennifer had been developing a transpectral sensor array, which would have allowed the Alliance to locate rebel hideouts in the Badlands. Sisko convinced his wife's mirror counterpart to defect to the side of the rebels. (DS9: Through the Looking Glass)
Whilst in the Federation's universe, Smiley had downloaded information from Deep Space 9's computers, including the plans for the USS Defiant. In 2372, the rebels constructed their own version of the Defiant, but had trouble getting it to function properly. Jennifer lured Sisko back into the mirror universe to help, though Kira Nerys killed her a short time thereafter. By this time, the rebellion had grown in strength, culminating in the capture of Terok Nor, which became a rebel base of operations. (DS9: Shattered Mirror)
In 2374, Intendant Kira sent a thief, Bareil Antos, to the prime universe to steal one of the Bajoran orbs, believing it would permit Kira to unite Bajor under her rule. The attempt failed, and Bareil returned to the mirror universe without the orb. (DS9: Resurrection)
By 3189, the Mirror Universe had diverged from the prime universe enough that no reported crossings had occurred in the preceding five hundred years. (DIS: Die Trying)
Overview
In appearance, the Mirror Universe that was another reality similar to the mainstream universe where events had occurred differently. (TOS: Mirror, Mirror)
Inhabitants
- T'Pol :
- Jonathan Archer :
- Hoshi Sato :
- Philippa Georgiou :
- James T. Kirk : male human who served in the Terran Empire where he operated as Captain of the I.S.S. Enterprise. (TOS: Mirror, Mirror)
- Spock : male Vulcan who served in the Terran Empire and operated as second-in-command of the I.S.S. Enterprise under Captain Kirk. (TOS: Mirror, Mirror)
- Hikaru Sulu :
- Kira Nerys :
Notes
- In Starlog issue #164, writer Jerome Bixby originated the concept after having written a short story about a parallel universe.
- The term Mirror Universe was not used on the show until Star Trek: Discovery in the episode "Such Sweet Sorrow".
In other media
Video games
- In Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force, the Mirror Universe appeared in the setting of the first-person shooter video game. A crew of a Terran Empire Constitution-class came to be displaced into the prime universe by the Vohrsoth were it was trapped by the dead space made by the Forge space station. They came to ally with the crews of a stranded Klingon, Hirogen and Malon ship to form a group called the Scavengers who operated as pirates that pillaged newly trapped ships brought into this region of space.
- In Star Trek: Shattered Universe, the Mirror Universe appeared in the setting of the space simulator video game. The crew of the U.S.S. Excelsior under Captain Sulu were accidentally swapped over with their counterparts in the Mirror Universe whilst travelling through the Janus Vortex.
- In Star Trek Online, the Mirror Universe featured in a number of stories in the MMORPG. In the mission "Jabberwocky", the player must return the mirror version of the Orb of Possibilities to that universe, whilst surviving attacks from both the Cardassian True Way and the reformed Terran Empire.
Novels
- In Dark Mirror, the Mirror Universe appeared in the non-canon novel written by Diane Duane and published by Pocket Books.
Comic Books
- In The Mirror Universe Saga (1984), the Mirror Universe featured in a non-canon story arc that was published by DC Comics.
RPGs
Appearances
- Star Trek: The Original Series:
- Star Trek: Deep Space 9:
- Star Trek: Enterprise:
- Star Trek: Discovery:
External Links
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