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I've always assumed that Trelane was not related to the Q continuum but it's hard to ignore their similarities (e.g. super-human powers, mischievous personality, testing/observing humans, etc).

Are they related/associated at all?

Paul D. Waite
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Mike B
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    It would help if you specify whether you want an answer in canon or if non-canon sources are acceptable. – Tango Aug 10 '12 at 06:22
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    “it's hard to ignore their similarities” — I dunno, I feel like I’ve managed it with minimal effort. – Paul D. Waite Feb 02 '16 at 10:29
  • What is the relationship of the Organians or the Thasians (from Charlie X) with each other and the Q -- just 3 separate groups of omnipotent beings? – Jeff Aug 16 '17 at 04:01

10 Answers10

17

Trelane only appears in The Squire of Gothos, in the original Star Trek. He never appears again or is referenced again in canon. (In Trek, canon generally refers to what we see on the TV shows and movies and excludes printed material, but it can vary depending on whom you ask and how rabid they are.)

However, Trelane appears in non-canon works, as described in the Apocrypha section of the entry that covers him at Memory Alpha. He shows up in the game Star Trek: Judgment Rites, and now has an interest in World War I. There's no real indication of his origin in this.

In Peter David's novel Q-Squared, Trelane is said to be Q and is under the watch or mentorship of the Q that we have seen as played by John DeLancie. While I can give you this from Memory Alpha, I can't tell you why this doesn't contradict the issues that arose in Voyager that resulted in the birth of a new Q, which was something new to all the Q.

Tango
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    To clarify your last paragraph, Trelane has parents, implying that he must have been born at least decades before the birth of a new Q in Voyager. – Keith Thompson Aug 10 '12 at 09:15
  • Trelane's relationship to Q on Memory Alpha is under the Apocrypha section - "of questionable authenticity", non-canon. I don't know why only some Memory Alpha articles have the section. – Izkata Aug 10 '12 at 10:55
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    @KeithThompson - assuming that Q-time and TOS-time are parallel and linear. It could be that Trelane is a child-Q born after Voyager's time that has traveled back in time with his folks on a field-trip :). – Chris B. Behrens Aug 10 '12 at 15:52
  • @KeithThompson: Decades, to the Q, would be so short a time as to be almost nothing, since they're eternal. – Tango Aug 10 '12 at 16:26
  • @TangoOversway: I thought you were making the point I mentioned in my first comment. If not, what's the contradiction? – Keith Thompson Aug 10 '12 at 17:15
  • In the Voyager episode they were stagnant from the boredom of eternity. If it had only been a few decades ago that Trelane was born, that would still be recent by Q terms, so a new Q would not be such a big deal. – Tango Aug 10 '12 at 21:22
  • @Tango: I realize this is 4 years afterwards, but the issues that arose in Voyager was already contradicted by canon. Amanda Rodgers is a Q born in 2351. The events in Voyager really shouldn't have been that big of a deal. – Ellesedil Jul 07 '16 at 06:26
  • Her parents weren't Q at the time, though, if memory serves. – DeadMG Sep 05 '16 at 22:01
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Yes, Trelane is a Q (probably).

The Star Trek Encyclopedia, considered a canon source of information about the Star Trek universe ("officially licensed and endorsed by Paramount") directly cross-references Trelane's article to the article about the Q.

Tellingly, the only other articles that have this same cross-reference are known to be members of the Q-Continuum such as Q2, Female Q, Q Colonel and Quinn.

Trelane : Life-form of unknown origin and extraordinary powers. Trelane kidnapped several Enterprise crew members in 2267. A tall, dashing humanoid male in appearance, Trelane was actually a small child from a civilization of noncorporeal life-forms. With his ability to change matter to energy at will, he created the planet Gothos and manufactured an elaborate facade of a Gothic castle from Earth. Trelane patterned himself after an 18th-century Earth squire. He toyed with the Enterprise personnel, eventually forcing his parents to keep him from making any more planets until he could learn not to be cruel to inferior life-forms. SEE: Q

Valorum
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    Trelane had "instrumentality" i.e. technology at his disposal. A Q would have had no such need.

    In TOS canon, there were the Thasians (Charlie X) and the Organians (Errand of Mercy), both of whom are depicted as more Q-like in terms of ability. Trelane is only Q-like in his behavior, which as a "naughty little boy" doesn't really qualify him as a Q.

     – Anthony X Jul 03 '16 at 01:59
  • @Anthonyx - And while that's true, the evienne still stands – Valorum Jul 03 '16 at 09:00
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    A cross reference isn't a statement of fact - you are drawing an inference. How do you know the cross reference in this instance isn't in regard to behavior rather than affinity? – Anthony X Jul 03 '16 at 12:41
  • @AnthonyX - I don't, hence why I've put "Probably" and explained my reasoning. - "Tellingly, the only other articles that have this same cross-reference are known to be members of the Q-Continuum such as Q2, Female Q, Q Colonel and Quinn." – Valorum Jul 03 '16 at 12:48
  • Trelane was (in his family's terms) a petulant toddler. While it is speculative that Trelane was a Q, the need for artificial aids to accomplish what an adult Q could do with a thought does not negate that the cross reference is a strong hint, without being definitive. – pojo-guy Feb 03 '18 at 22:27
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    @pojo-guy - Yes, it's definitely a retcon and not one supported by later shows such as Q2 where we see a junior Q who needs no such crutches. – Valorum Feb 03 '18 at 22:37
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I think Trelane is Q's child, the one he had in Voyager the parents are Q, and the female Q from Voyager.

As demonstrated in "All Good Things" time has little meaning for the Q continuum, this is also demonstrated in the episode where Picard had a near death experience.

Cearon O'Flynn
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Jogan
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Also demonstrated similarities with trelanes obsession with military titles and the trial he put Kirk on it tos. He also said in that trial that anything Kirk said was already entered in record to be used against him. Implying he had foreknowledge of the outcome, to a point made obvious by the appearance of his parents. Who I said earlier were prob Q and his Q wife.

Jogan
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I don't claim to be right. Most of you probably know more about star trek than I do. The answer I came up with came from the 2 books The Fifty Year Mission: the First 25 years and the 2nd book The Next 25 Years. From what I read several writers from the original series were also used on the Next Generation. Q was basically I rehashed version of Trelane. Though not related or the same kind of being it's just a similar character because coming right out of the gate they didn't have a completely fresh idea.

Jim Y
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I don't think Trelane is a "Q". Trelane was not aware that food or wine had no taste, or that the Earth he knew was from 900 years earlier. "Q" would have known all of this. However, at the end Trelane's parents come and save the day. They treat him like a child so maybe he's an adolescent "Q" with limited powers

Larry
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Although canon does not specify that Trelane is from the Q Continuum, his being a child of his (unspecified) species does not rule it out. The case of Amanda Rogers in the ST:TNG episode "True Q" shows that, while uncommon, Q can have offspring which are also Q. (And certainly they wouldn't be the first lifeforms to do that simply out of boredom).

Gideon Bodnari
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    Could you clarify how "Trelane being the a child of his (unspecified) species doesn't rule him out" ? – Edlothiad Mar 18 '17 at 21:23
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Trelane seemed to use technology, but his parents did not seem to need any. So I lean towards him being a Q, but maybe with the technology playing some role not described!

Using the idea that the planet was a play pen for a naughty child, perhaps the technology was like a crib to keep the child confined to some degree! Maybe it was there not to grant him powers, but to limit them.

Heather
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But just like "Q2" , "Female Q", "Q Colonel" and "Quinn".

Q's son's name is nothing more than "Q Junior" not Trelane.

In the whole scheme of things I'd say it's more likely that Q and the Continuum, were inspired by Trelane's character, but have definitely surpassed him in all things.

But there is the off chance he was adopted by someone in the Continuum.

Blackwood
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Kayia
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Trelane is a Q and is actually mentored by THE Q that we all know and love in a CANON novel. Trelane rebels and closes off the continuum to play with the Enterprise in several TIMELINES.

The novel is called "Q-Squared "

Jason Baker
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Matthew
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