Guardian of Forever

The Guardian of Forever is a time portal portrayed in the fictional universe of "Star Trek".

Fictional Origins

In the Star Trek universe, analysis of the ruins on the Guardian's home world suggests it may be billions of years old but no one knows who built the Guardian. The Guardian is able to speak to anyone who asks it a question, though the meaning of its responses is not always clear. For instance, when asked if it was machine or being, it responded, "Both, ... and neither." When Spock says that there is no reason to speak in riddles, the Guardian says that it answers in the way that is best for "your limited understanding." The Guardian can detect changes in the timeline, but typically provides its users little help in figuring out how to change it back. And being in the vicinity of the Guardian when such changes occur isolates those there from the effects of the change in the timeline.

Television appearances

Canonical

The first appearance of the Guardian was in the "" episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" (1967). In that episode, the voice of the Guardian was provided by Bartell LaRue. The Guardian's only other on-screen appearance was in the animated episode "Yesteryear" (1973), in which the Guardian's voice was provided by James Doohan (best known as Scotty).

Non-canonical

In the unofficial mini-series "," the Original Series character Charlie Evans used the Guardian to go back in time and change history. The Guardian also appears in an episode of "." The episode also portrays a second Guardian, much larger than the first, through which a starship can fly.

Books

The Guardian has proven popular in both fan fiction and the "official" "Star Trek" novels published by Pocket Books. However, none of these writings are considered canon.

Novels

hort-Stories

Computer games

* In the computer role-playing game Fallout 2 there's a random encounter in which the player is able to enter a time portal resembling the Guardian of Forever which paradoxically makes him start the plot of the game's predecessor, Fallout.

ee also

*Stargate

External links