Captain Janeway features prominently in the Star Trek mythos. Here are some interesting facts about her that fans may not have known.
Despite the naysayers, plenty of Star Trek fans will argue that Kathryn Janeway is the best captain ever. There's a lot to back up that statement and it might even be a fact. Some push it further and say The Next Generation is overrated and Voyager is the true heir to the legacy of the original series.
Casual viewers and hardcore Star Trek fans will fight about who is the best captain until the day of First Contact and beyond. Whether you're undecided or firmly in Camp Kathryn, here are a few interesting and obscure facts about the best captain in the Star Trek universe.
The word "Hoosier" is a nickname for anyone from Indiana, and the metropolitan center of Bloomington is where Kathryn Janeway was born and grew up. There are a few episodes with the show that explore the relationship she had with her father, along with some drama with her continuing but strained relationship with her sister and mother, but not much about her distant past and childhood.
Janeway is comparable to Kirk in this sense, another captain who grew up in a small town in a midwestern region of the US. Both also followed the path of their fathers into a career in Starfleet.
The community of Riverside, Iowa, has a monument to the fictional local boy-turned-hero James Kirk, and that's what inspired some fans in Bloomington to do the same. A group was formed in 2019 with the name The Janeway Collective, and their goal was to raise money to get a similar one in their neighborhood for Janeway.
Although COVID-19 slowed the process down, the monument was unveiled in October 2020. Kate Mulgrew attended the ceremony virtually because of the pandemic, which seems fitting considering the science and technology angle.
There are all kinds of stories about the many changes the captain of the USS Voyager went through before the writers and producers settled on Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway. Information about the changes her actual name went through, and why, are less well-known.
Her first name was Elizabeth Janeway, taken from the American author and critic of the same name who was influential in 20th-century politics and philosophy. Geneviève Bujold, the first actress who was cast as Janeway, suggested Elizabeth be changed to Nicole. When she was replaced by Mulgrew, the actor who would play the part forever in the Star Trek universe suggested Kathryn, and this is the name that stuck.
Kathryn Janeway was born on May 30th, a day before the sun crosses from the constellation of Taurus into Gemini. This is what's called a "cusp" and people born during these times have the traits of two signs instead of one.
The Taurus is typically a leadership sign, strong and broad-shouldered, taking on the most difficult tasks and bearing the heaviest emotional and physical burdens. Gemini, on the other hand, is the sign of the notorious twins, and people born under this sign can change their personas quickly and dramatically. This is where someone makes a joke about the inconsistent writing regarding Janeway's character, but in some ways, she was a very different person in her social life.
This fact about Janeway's past was referenced in a few Voyager episodes, including "Caretaker," "Bride of Chaotica!," and "Shattered." Janeway shares the spotlight with several other fan favorites in the Star Trek universe in this regard.
After graduating from Starfleet, her first assignment was as a science officer aboard the USS Al-Batani, an Excelsior class ship with Captain Owen Paris at the helm. A few twists crucial to the plot happen when she's in charge, and eventually she takes the rank of Chief Science Officer.
Janeway has to be the best captain because she appears in everything. Every show on the same timeline references her in some way, and she is an important character in the recent animated show, Star Trek: Prodigy. Her popularity even extends beyond the realm of conventional media and into more creative entertainment venues.
An "experience ride" simulates an experience in a controlled environment, using light, sound, and narration as opposed to movement. Star Trek: The Experience has been closed since 2008, and during the time it was in operation it featured an adventure, first aboard a space station, and then a shuttlecraft under attack by the Borg.
There are a few different ultimate fates written for Janeway in the novels and video games that continued her story where the TV show left off. In a 2012 novel called The Eternal Tide by Kirsten Beyer, she is resurrected by a youthful version of Q, and another novel set in The Next Generation also reunites her with the continuum but in a much more compelling way.
Before Dishonor, written by Peter David, tells the story of Janeway being assimilated by a rogue Borg collective, eventually becoming its Queen. Seven of Nine and Ambassador Spock attempt a rescue, and although they fail, they reach Janeway's consciousness. She helps them destroy the Borg cube but dies in the process. She receives an impressive memorial service and a Q takes her spirit to an unknown fate.
Kristy Ambrose has been writing professionally since 2010. She dabbles in various genres and creates everything from short blog posts to serialized novels. Her inspiration comes from gamers, beachcombers, foodies and of course her fellow travelers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Victoria.
Star Trek: Captain Janeway Trivia – GameRant
