Zefram Cochrane
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference
 Zefram Cochrane in 2063 | |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Human |
| Occupation: | Scientist, inventor |
| Status: | Unknown |
| Born: | 2032 |
| Played by: | Glenn Corbett (TOS: "Metamorphosis"); James Cromwell (Star Trek: First Contact, ENT: "Broken Bow") |
 An artificially rejuvenated Zefram Cochrane in 2267 | |
- For the mirror universe counterpart, see Zefram Cochrane (mirror).
Doctor Zefram Cochrane was a Human scientist in the 21st century. An eccentric genius, he was the inventor of warp drive on Earth, and was the first recorded Human to travel faster than light.
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[edit] Biography
Cochrane was born in 2032. During the 2060s, he lived in Bozeman, Montana in North America, where he and his team of engineers began developing warp drive and finally built Earth's first warp ship, the Phoenix. After Cochrane's historic first warp flight on April 5, 2063, the Vulcans established first contact with Humanity, thereby ushering in a new era of prosperity for mankind. (Star Trek: First Contact)
In 2064, Cochrane mentioned details about that first contact in Bozeman, in a commencement address at Princeton University, and that it involved "a group of cybernetic creatures from the future." Cochrane's cryptic remark referred to the involvement of the 24th century Federation starship USS Enterprise-E and a Borg sphere, both of which had traveled back in time. The Borg tried to prevent first contact in order to assimilate Earth in the past, but they were eventually stopped by the crew of the Enterprise. However, Cochrane's remarks were largely shrugged off by his audience as a result of his tendency toward intoxication, and Cochrane later discounted his own statements. (Star Trek: First Contact; ENT: "Regeneration")
Later, Cochrane worked closely with Henry Archer on the warp five engine. In 2119, he officially opened the Warp Five Complex on Earth. During this speech, Cochrane coined many phrases that would be used by Starfleet for generations to come, including "where no man has gone before." (ENT: "Broken Bow") Later that year, he left his new home on Alpha Centauri colony for an unknown destination, and was later presumed dead. (TOS: "Metamorphosis")
When the Enterprise NX-01 discovered a mysterious small craft adrift in space with one dead occupant, Captain Jonathan Archer wondered if it could be the long-lost Cochrane. (ENT: "Future Tense")
In 2267, Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, and Dr. Leonard McCoy of the USS Enterprise were ferrying the terminally-ill Federation commissioner Nancy Hedford aboard the shuttlecraft Galileo when they were mysteriously brought down on an asteroid in the Gamma Canaris region. There, they discovered Cochrane alive and living with a cloud-like entity called the Companion, which had kept him young and alive over the past 150 years. The Companion later entered the body of Hedford, and she and Cochrane began a new life on the asteroid, now with a typical Human life span. Cochrane had Kirk promise never to reveal the events surrounding their encounter. (TOS: "Metamorphosis")
[edit] Personal life and legacy
One of Cochrane's good friends was Lily Sloane, whom he knew since the Third World War. She nicknamed him "Z". Among Cochrane's favorite songs included "Ooby Dooby" by Roy Orbison, and "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf. (Star Trek: First Contact) His favorite food was cheese pierogies. (VOY: "Homestead")
At the time of First Contact, Zefram Cochrane did not have a grand vision of ushering in a new era for mankind or of endowing Earth with the gift of warp technology. These qualities came to be commonly ascribed to him by later generations, but, as with many of history's icons, the man himself was more complex.
In fact, Cochrane had a cynical streak. He had an alcohol abuse problem, and his primary motivation for developing warp technology was financial gain in the devastated, poverty-stricken America that existed in the wake of the Third World War. When confronted with worshipful Enterprise crew members, Cochrane claimed that he was interested in nothing more than a simple life filled with money, rock and roll, and naked women. He actually had an intense dislike for air and space travel and preferred taking trains.
When the crew of the Enterprise-E confronted him in 2063 with his future image as herald of a better world, Cochrane refused to accept this new role. After Geordi La Forge told him about the statue of Cochrane which would be built in Bozeman, Cochrane initially attempted to literally flee from his destiny. In time, Cochrane came to understand the enormity of his accomplishment and the necessity that he become a better leader -- and of the hope for a better future that First Contact with the Vulcans provided. In 2073, he is recorded as proclaiming, "Don't try to be a great man; just be a man, and let history make its own judgments." (Star Trek: First Contact)
By 2152 Cochrane still had surviving family. (ENT: "Future Tense")
The cochrane, a unit of measure of subspace distortion, was named after Zefram Cochrane. Planets, great universities, cities, and the USS Cochrane were also named in his honor, as was the shuttlecraft Cochrane on the USS Voyager. (TOS: "Metamorphosis"; DS9: "Emissary"; VOY: "Threshold")
[edit] Appendices
[edit] Background
Zefram Cochrane was first seen and mentioned in the original series episode "Metamorphosis", played by Glenn Corbett. Veteran Star Trek actor James Cromwell was cast in the role for First Contact, despite the apparent age discrepancy – Cochrane was supposedly in his early 30s during the events of the film; by contrast, Cromwell was 56 years old during the filming of First Contact. Most attribute Cochrane's older appearance in the film to exposure to radiation either as a result of the nuclear holocaust that ended World War III or from attempts to develop warp drive.
Cromwell would go on to reprise the role of Cochrane in an uncredited cameo appearance in the pilot episode of Enterprise. Footage of Cromwell (as Zefram Cochrane greeting the Vulcans) was reused, with Cromwell's consent, at the beginning of "In a Mirror, Darkly".
In the credits of Star Trek: First Contact, the character's name is spelled "Zefram Cochran".
The statue of Cochrane described in First Contact – which has Cochrane "reaching out to the stars" – was created as a statuette and seen in Jonathan Archer's quarters on Star Trek: Enterprise. In the episode "Twilight", Archer had used the statue to kill a Xindi-Reptilian who had boarded the ship. The props of this statue and "stunt" statue were sold in both the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection and It's A Wrap! sale and auction. [1] [2]
There are rumors that Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks was considered for the role of Cochrane in First Contact, but these have not been substantiated. Given the limited budget of the film – around US$45 million – and Hank's typical US$20 million paycheck, this is somewhat unlikely, despite Hanks' avowed fandom for Star Trek.
An episode of South Park referenced Cochrane's line, "Don't try to be a great man, just be a man." [3]
Cochrane is the only character to utter the phrase "star trek" in the franchise. (Star Trek: First Contact)
[edit] Apocrypha
In the novelization of First Contact, it was suggested that Cochrane's alcoholism was not his only issue. He also suffered from bipolar disorder, a condition that had been treated with a cerebral implant that delivered the necessary medications. After World War III, however, Cochrane was unable to find either a way to refill the implant, nor a suitable replacement, so he took to self-medicating with alcohol. The Enterprise crew was able to stabilize his condition enough for him to complete his work on the Phoenix, and Beverly Crusher cured the disorder permanently shortly before returning to the Enterprise-E.
In addition, this novelization states that Cochrane was born in the year 2013, as opposed to 2032, which would be more consistent with actor James Cromwell's real-life age (to say nothing of physical appearance) in the film.
The novel First Frontier states that Cochrane accidentally stumbled on the secrets of the warp drive and that he was originally looking for something else, though it is never mentioned what he was looking for exactly.
[edit] External links
- Zefram Cochrane at Wikipedia
- Zefram Cochrane at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
