Star Trek

By StarTrek.com Staff

January 13, 2011

Dilbert fans know that Scott Adams, writer-creator of the long-running comic strip, is an avid Star Trek fan. Every now and then he tips his cap to the venerable franchise. Case in point: this week’s trio of Dilbert strips, which kicked off Tuesday, continued on Wednesday and ends today, and which finds everyone’s favorite average-Joe office engineer shocked to learn the real reason why he’s been voicing unusually honest opinions at work and turning bright pink. That reason? He’s not had his Pon Farr vaccination!

Star Trek fans surely got the inside joke about the Vulcan version of heat – they’ve got to mate every seven years, or else – but others took to the Internet seeking clarification. The result was a huge spike in Google searches for “Pon Farr.” For the record, legendary sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon devised the term and the concept for the TOS episode “Amok Time,” which he scripted. 

Now, boldly going in all directions with the Dilbert and Pon Farr connection, check this out: Back on the Dilbert animated series, which ran on UPN, the home of Voyager and Enterprise, Dilbert kept a model of the Enterprise in his cubicle. Even better, in one episode he woke up with the help of a Seven of Nine alarm clock, replete with Seven (and guest voice Jeri Ryan) herself intoning, among other things, “Get out of bed. Resistance is futile. Wake up and assimilate the day.” 

Also, Trek fans will remember that GenkiWear, in 2009, launched its Pon Farr Perfume, designed to “Drive him crazy.” Anyone eager to get a hold of Pon Farr Perfume still can (from the Official Star Trek Store). And for those folks amused by the current Pon Farr-centric Dilbert comic strips, a new three-piece mug set, each depicting one of the three Dilbert strips, will be available beginning today in the official Star Trek Store.