Tuvok
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tuvok | |
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| Species: | Vulcan |
| Gender: | Male |
| Eye color: | Brown |
| Date of birth: | Stardate 3877.4 |
| Home planet: | Vulcan |
| Affiliation: | Starfleet |
| Posting: | USS Excelsior Science Officer USS Voyager Security & Tactical Officer |
| Rank: | Lieutenant, Lieutenant commander |
| Portrayed by: | Tim Russ |
Lt. Commander Tuvok is a character on the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by Tim Russ. He is the first black Vulcan character to be seen on a Star Trek series.
On Voyager, Tuvok serves as the ship's Security & Tactical Officer.
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[edit] Overview
Tuvok was born on Stardate 3877.4 (mid 23rd century) on Vulcanis, a lunar colony belonging to the Vulcan people.
Tuvok attended Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. Upon graduation, he was commissioned an Ensign at age 29, serving as Junior Science Officer on the USS Excelsior, under Captain Hikaru Sulu (seen in the episode "Flashback"). Tuvok distinguished himself during the Khitomer Incident.
During his early service with Starfleet, Tuvok became increasingly uncomfortable associating with non-Vulcans, and he resigned his Starfleet commission in order to undergo the Kolinahr on Vulcan, a process which allowed him to purge his emotions. After six years of Kolinahr, Tuvok began experiencing pon farr, which led to his marriage to T'Pel.
Eighty years later, after much self-examination, Tuvok rejoined Starfleet as a training instructor at Starfleet Academy. After a few years teaching cadets, Tuvok was briefly assigned to the USS Billings under Captain Kathryn Janeway, until both Janeway and Tuvok were assigned to the USS Wyoming and then the Intrepid-class starship USS Voyager, as Security & Tactical Officer.
In 2371, Tuvok was assigned to infiltrate the Maquis organization aboard Chakotay's Maquis vessel. During the mission, Tuvok's identity was uncovered by a Maquis intelligence agent, who used Tuvok as a laboratory specimen for torturous mind-control experiments. While Tuvok was conscious throughout the experiments, the agent wiped his memory when he had finished, ensuring that Tuvok was unable to remember the experiments. Following the experimentation, Tuvok was released back amongst the Maquis, and during an incident invloving the Maquis ship and the USS Voyager, Tuvok, along with the crews of the Maquis and Federation vessels, was unwillingly transported to the Delta Quadrant by the enigmatic Caretaker. When the Maquis ship was destroyed by crashing into a Kazon ship to save USS Voyager , Tuvok was transported off the ship with a handful of other survivors, and resumed his duties as Security & Tactical Officer.
At that time, Voyager also picked up two Delta Quadrant natives, Neelix, a Talaxian, and his girlfriend Kes, from Ocampa. Tuvok recognized Kes' psionic abilities and helped her develop them. Tuvok learned to tolerate Neelix's overly friendly and emotional behavior. Later, a transporter accident fused Tuvok and Neelix together into a new humanoid appropriately named "Tuvix". They were eventually restored to their individual forms under the orders of Captain Janeway, using a procedure devised by the EMH and chief engineer B'Elanna Torres. Tuvok still had issues with Neelix after the experience and many of them were raised again in the episode "Riddles". The two eventually became friends, though it was more apparent from Neelix's end.
At the opening of Voyager's 4th season episode "Revulsion", relatively dated 2374, Tuvok was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
It was learned during the final episode of the series that Tuvok suffered a degenerative neurological disease, which could only be cured by undergoing a "mind-meld" with a family member. In 2377, he was still well enough to perform his duties. But, sadly, in his elderly years, the disease had finally ravaged Tuvok's mind.
However, in order to save Tuvok from this inevitable future, Captain Janeway's future-self changed history, by finding a way to return the Voyager crew to the Alpha Quadrant back in 2377, the time before his disease worsened. Once he returned to Vulcan, he was cured of the neurological disease that he had been afflicted with. Thus, an alternate future was created, and his cruel fate never occurred.
Tuvok has also served on the USS Titan, a Luna class starship.
[edit] Personality
A full Vulcan, Tuvok had a complex personality, with internal conflict. Despite his undergoing the Kolinahr, there is a fair amount of evidence to suggest that he never entirely gained emotional control, and felt bitterness over his Vulcan heritage.
Despite this internal conflict, he is shown on numerous occasions to be capable of great nobility and altruism.
[edit] T'Pel
T'Pel was the wife of Tuvok. They married in 2304. They had three sons and one daughter. T'Pel was featured in the Voyager episodes "Persistence of Vision" and "Bliss", both times when Tuvok was hallucinating. A holographic version of his wife was featured in "Body and Soul". She was played by actress Marva Hicks.
[edit] Trivia
The "Upright Citizens Brigade" on Comedy Central made references to Tuvok in the final episode of their first season. In this episode, Little Donnie carries a Tuvok doll with him, and repeatedly expresses his wish that Tuvok will "find his way home." In the DVD commentary to the episode, the cast members reveal that the doll which Little Donny repeatedly refers to as "Tuvok" is in fact a Geordi La Forge doll which was missing its visor.
[edit] External links
- Tuvok article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
| Regular characters on Star Trek | |||
| The Original Series | Kirk | Spock | McCoy | Scott | Uhura | Sulu | Chekov | Chapel | Rand | ||
| Animated Series | Arex | M'Ress | ||
| The Next Generation | Picard | Riker | Data | La Forge | Worf | B. Crusher | Troi | W. Crusher | Yar | Pulaski | ||
| Deep Space Nine | B. Sisko | Kira | J. Dax | Odo | Bashir | O'Brien | Worf | J. Sisko | Quark | Rom | Nog | E. Dax | Garak | Martok | Damar | Dukat | Weyoun | Winn | ||
| Voyager | Janeway | Chakotay | Tuvok | Paris | Torres | Kim | Doctor | Neelix | Seven | Kes | ||
| Enterprise | Archer | T'Pol | Tucker | Reed | Phlox | Sato | Mayweather | ||
