 | |
| Elizabeth Dehner | |
| Continuity: | Star Trek |
| Type: | Scientist |
| Gender: | Female |
| Race: | Human |
| Location: | USS Enterprise NCC-1701 |
| Relatives: | Gerald Dehner (father) |
| Status: | Deceased |
| Born: | 2244 |
| Died: | 2265 |
| First: | "Where No Man Has Gone Before" |
| Actor: | Sally Kellerman |
Elizabeth Dehner was a supporting character featured in the Star Trek franchise. Played by actress Sally Kellerman, she appeared in the second pilot episode of the original Star Trek television series, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". She served as ship's psychiatrist aboard the USS Enterprise and briefly served under the command of Captain James T. Kirk.
Biography[]
Doctor Elizabeth Dehner was a member of the Federation Starfleet and a psychiatrist stationed aboard the starship USS Enterprise. She began serving aboard the Enterprise in the year 2265 under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. Dehner met Kirk's First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell who, like she, demonstrated high marks in extrasensory perception. Dehner and Mitchell did not immediately get along with one another and Gary regarded her as a "walking freezer unit".
The crew of the Enterprise recovered a disaster recorder left behind by the SS Valiant, a ship that disappeared near the Galactic Barrier more than two-hundred years ago. Exploring the region, they came upon a giant magnetic anomaly that swept across the ship, wreaking havoc with the onboard electrical systems. Dehner was caught in the power surge wrought by the anomaly and collapsed on the bridge of the ship. Mitchell was also affected by the anomaly, but to a greater extent and had to be taken to Sick Bay. Exposure to the magnetic radiation mutated him, evolving him into a higher order of being. He found that his innate ESP capabilities were greatly enhanced and he could read the thoughts of others and move things with his mind. He could also discharge bursts of electricity from his hands. Mitchell's personality was adversely altered as a result of this as well and he came to regard himself as a god, viewing all others as nothing more than insects. Dehner sympathized with Mitchell's situation and was the only crew member who did perceive him as a threat. At a special meeting to discuss the situation, Dehner posited that there was nothing wrong with a man evolving to a higher state of being.
Gary Mitchell and Elizabeth Dehner.
Mitchell's power continued to grow and he turned against Captain Kirk and his Science Officer, Mister Spock, stunning them with arcs of electricity that he generated from his hands. Once Gary was restrained, Dehner was forced to give him a sedative, but even this only incapacitated him momentarily.
Kirk beamed Gary Mitchell to a lithium cracking station on the planet Delta-Vega where he was imprisoned behind an electric force field. He left instructions with the ship's navigator Lee Kelso to blow up the station should Gary attempt to escape. Mitchell telepathically deduced Kirk's plan and used telekinesis to strangle Kelso with a power cable.
Elizabeth Dehner came to visit Gary's cell. The radiation from the magnetic storm took longer to affect her than it did Gary, but now, she too was an evolved being with strong psionic potential. She considered herself a kindred spirit and helped Gary to escape from his prison. Mitchell brought Elizabeth with him across the plains of Delta-Vega and used his power to transform the barren landscape into a lush, tropical paradise.
Kirk eventually caught up with Gary and tried to take him down with a phaser rifle, but the weapon had no effect. Gary retaliated and it became clear to Elizabeth that he intended on killing Kirk. Unlike Mitchell, Dehner still retained some of her humanity and could not advocate Gary's violent abuse of his power. She fired a burst of electricity from her finger tips at Gary, which briefly stunned him, but when he revived, he turned his power against her, felling her with a wave of energy from his hands. Elizabeth collapsed to the ground and died a few moments later. Kirk was eventually able to defeat Mitchell by blasting away pieces off the side of a butte, which came crashing down upon him.
When Kirk returned to the Enterprise he reported in the official log that both Mitchell and Dehner gave their lives in the line of duty. [1]
Starfleet personnel file[]
- Name: Dehner, P.H.D. Elizabeth
- Present address: 1489, Delman Newst [obscured]
- Permanent address: Same
- Birth place: Delman
- Date of Birth: Stardate 1089.5
- Age: 21
- Height: 5'2"
- Weight: 116 lbs.
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Elizabeth Dehner was created by James Goldstone and Samuel A. Peeples.
- Gary Mitchell regarded her as a "walking freezer unit".
See also[]
Media
The World of Star Trek
Star Trek miscellaneous
External Links[]
- Elizabeth Dehner at IMDB
- Elizabeth Dehner at Memory Beta
- Elizabeth Dehner at Memory Alpha
- Elizabeth Dehner at the Star Trek Database
References[]
