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{{at|xx}}
 
[[File:Suicidal tendencies.jpg|thumb|Masaro seconds before committing suicide]]
 
[[File:Suicidal tendencies.jpg|thumb|Masaro seconds before committing suicide]]
 
{{Ep disambiguation|VOY|Death Wish|rd=Death wish}}
 
{{Ep disambiguation|VOY|Death Wish|rd=Death wish}}
   
'''Suicide''' is the [[death|termination of one's life]] by one's own hand. The action can be a personal choice brought on by extraneous circumstances, part of one's [[culture]], or a [[military]] directive.
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'''Suicide''' is the [[death|termination of one's life]] by one's own hand. The action can be a personal choice brought on by extraneous circumstances, part of one's [[culture]], or a [[military]] directive.
   
 
=== Cultural considerations ===
 
=== Cultural considerations ===
* The citizens of the [[planet]]s [[Eminiar VII]] and Eminiar III ([[Vendikar]]), prior to the end of their centuries long [[Eminiar-Vendikar War|war]], would voluntarily enter [[disintegration station]]s as part of a social contract. ({{TOS|A Taste of Armageddon}})
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* The citizens of the [[planet]]s [[Eminiar VII]] and Eminiar III ([[Vendikar]]), prior to the end of their centuries long [[Eminiar-Vendikar War|war]], would voluntarily enter [[disintegration station]]s as part of a social contract. ({{TOS|A Taste of Armageddon}})
   
* [[Klingon]] warriors who become infirm or who lose honor may request the assistance of another to perform [[Hegh'bat]] or [[Mauk-to'Vor]], forms of ritual suicide. ({{TNG|Ethics}}; {{DS9|Sons of Mogh|Children of Time}})
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* [[Klingon]] warriors who become infirm or who lose honor may request the assistance of another to perform [[Hegh'bat]] or [[Mauk-to'Vor]], forms of ritual suicide. However, Klingons believe that ''unassisted'' suicide is an honorless death, and ths souls of Klingons who do so are condemned to ''[[Gre'thor]]''. ({{TNG|Ethics}}; {{DS9|Sons of Mogh|Children of Time}})
   
* All [[Kaelon]]s are required to perform suicide at age of sixty so that the elders won't stress the society. ({{TNG|Half a Life}})
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* All [[Kaelon]]s are required to perform suicide at age sixty so that the elders won't stress the society. ({{TNG|Half a Life}})
   
 
* Some [[Vulcan]]s perform ritual suicide when they "reach a certain infirmity of age". ({{VOY|Death Wish}})
 
* Some [[Vulcan]]s perform ritual suicide when they "reach a certain infirmity of age". ({{VOY|Death Wish}})
   
* A [[Bolian]] medical [[philosophy]] on euthanasia was developed during their Middle Ages known as the "Double Effect Principle". The position held that an act which had the principle effect of relieving suffering was ethically acceptable even if the same act had the secondary effect of causing death. ({{VOY|Death Wish}})
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* A [[Bolian]] medical [[philosophy]] on euthanasia was developed during their Middle Ages known as the "Double Effect Principle". The position held that an act which had the principle effect of relieving suffering was ethically acceptable even if the same act had the secondary effect of causing death. ({{VOY|Death Wish}})
   
 
* [[Xindi-Reptilian]]s have a [[suicide gland]] for use in the event they are captured. ({{ENT|Rajiin}})
 
* [[Xindi-Reptilian]]s have a [[suicide gland]] for use in the event they are captured. ({{ENT|Rajiin}})
   
* [[Vorta]] are expected to commit suicide when they are captured by activating their [[termination implant]]. ({{DS9|The Magnificent Ferengi|Treachery, Faith and the Great River}})
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* [[Vorta]] are expected to kill themselves when they are captured by activating their [[termination implant]]. ({{DS9|The Magnificent Ferengi|Treachery, Faith and the Great River}})
   
 
=== Attempted or considered ===
 
=== Attempted or considered ===
 
* [[Malcolm Reed]] tried to suffocate himself when pinned to the hull of {{EnterpriseNX}} by a [[Romulan]] mine, attempting to force Captain [[Jonathan Archer|Archer]] to save the ship and crew. ({{ENT|Minefield}})
 
* [[Malcolm Reed]] tried to suffocate himself when pinned to the hull of {{EnterpriseNX}} by a [[Romulan]] mine, attempting to force Captain [[Jonathan Archer|Archer]] to save the ship and crew. ({{ENT|Minefield}})
   
* Attempting suicide was grounds to relieve a [[flag officer]] of command according to [[Starfleet General Orders and Regulations#Starfleet Orders|Starfleet Order 104, Section C]]. In [[2267]], [[Spock]] threatened to relieve [[Commodore]] [[Matt Decker]] per that regulation after stating he would interpret Decker's initial refusal to veer off from an attack on the [[Planet killer]] as a suicide attempt. ({{TOS|The Doomsday Machine}})
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* Attempting suicide was grounds to relieve a [[flag officer]] of command according to [[Starfleet General Orders and Regulations#Starfleet Orders|Starfleet Order 104, Section C]]. In [[2267]], [[Spock]] threatened to relieve [[Commodore]] [[Matt Decker]] per that regulation after stating he would interpret Decker's initial refusal to veer off from an attack on the [[Planet killer]] as a suicide attempt. ({{TOS|The Doomsday Machine}})
   
 
* That same year [[Isak]] asked [[James Kirk]] and Spock, who were imprisoned with him by the [[National Socialist Party]] of [[Ekos]], if they were trying to kill themselves when he observed them removing [[subcutaneous transponder]]s from their arms. ({{TOS|Patterns of Force}})
 
* That same year [[Isak]] asked [[James Kirk]] and Spock, who were imprisoned with him by the [[National Socialist Party]] of [[Ekos]], if they were trying to kill themselves when he observed them removing [[subcutaneous transponder]]s from their arms. ({{TOS|Patterns of Force}})
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  +
*[[Commander]] [[Ari bn Bem]] considered ceasing to exist, but the [[god]]-like alien entity inhabiting [[Delta Theta III]] did not wish harm to come to him and thus convinced him not to. ({{TAS|Bem}})
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* In [[2366]], the living [[starship]] [[Gomtuu]] attempted to die by entering [[orbit]] of [[Beta Stromgren]], a [[star]] on the verge of [[supernova]]. ({{TNG|Tin Man}})
   
 
* In [[2367]], [[Minister]] [[Krola]] tried to kill himself with [[William T. Riker]]'s [[phaser]], intending to make it look like Riker killed him so [[Chancellor]] [[Avel Durken]] would not choose to pursue diplomatic relations with the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]]. Fortunately for him, Riker's phaser was only set on stun. ({{TNG|First Contact}})
 
* In [[2367]], [[Minister]] [[Krola]] tried to kill himself with [[William T. Riker]]'s [[phaser]], intending to make it look like Riker killed him so [[Chancellor]] [[Avel Durken]] would not choose to pursue diplomatic relations with the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]]. Fortunately for him, Riker's phaser was only set on stun. ({{TNG|First Contact}})
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* The single survivor of a shipwreck, [[Anna]], threatened to kill herself by jumping off a cliff in order to make [[Jean-Luc Picard|Picard]] fall in love with her. In reality she was a man called [[Voval]], an [[Iyaaran]] [[ambassador]] assigned to investigate the [[Human]] emotion of love. ({{TNG|Liaisons}})
 
* The single survivor of a shipwreck, [[Anna]], threatened to kill herself by jumping off a cliff in order to make [[Jean-Luc Picard|Picard]] fall in love with her. In reality she was a man called [[Voval]], an [[Iyaaran]] [[ambassador]] assigned to investigate the [[Human]] emotion of love. ({{TNG|Liaisons}})
   
* While trying to fight [[Borg]] [[nanoprobe]]s, [[Phlox]] gave [[Captain]] [[Jonathan Archer|Archer]] a [[hypospray]] with a [[poison|toxin]] that would kill Phlox in seconds should his [[omicron radiation]] treatment prove unsuccessful. ({{ENT|Regeneration}})
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* While trying to fight [[Borg]] [[nanoprobe]]s, [[Phlox]] gave [[Captain]] [[Jonathan Archer|Archer]] a [[hypospray]] with a [[neural toxin]] that would kill Phlox in [[second]]s should his [[omicron particle]] treatment prove unsuccessful. ({{ENT|Regeneration}})
   
 
* In [[2369]] the [[Trill]] [[Jadzia Dax]] was accused of [[treason]] and [[murder]]. She said nothing about the accusations of [[Dax (symbiont)|Dax]]'s former host [[Curzon Dax]] and was silent during the [[hearing]], knowing that this would cost her life. ({{DS9|Dax}})
 
* In [[2369]] the [[Trill]] [[Jadzia Dax]] was accused of [[treason]] and [[murder]]. She said nothing about the accusations of [[Dax (symbiont)|Dax]]'s former host [[Curzon Dax]] and was silent during the [[hearing]], knowing that this would cost her life. ({{DS9|Dax}})
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* [[Charles]], a [[Vissian]] [[Cogenitor]], killed itself after [[Jonathan Archer|Archer]] declined [[political asylum|asylum]] in an attempt to get equal rights, and the [[Vissian]] vessel departed. ({{ENT|Cogenitor}})
 
* [[Charles]], a [[Vissian]] [[Cogenitor]], killed itself after [[Jonathan Archer|Archer]] declined [[political asylum|asylum]] in an attempt to get equal rights, and the [[Vissian]] vessel departed. ({{ENT|Cogenitor}})
   
* [[Ensign]] [[Masaro]] killed himself with a [[phase pistol]] after confronting Captain Archer regarding his involvement with [[Terra Prime]]. ({{ENT|Terra Prime}})
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* [[Ensign]] [[Masaro]] killed himself with a [[phase-pistol]] after confronting Captain Archer regarding his involvement with [[Terra Prime]]. ({{ENT|Terra Prime}})
   
 
* [[Commander]] [[Charles Tucker III|Tucker]] sacrificed himself while trying to save Captain Archer from a group of alien criminals. ({{ENT|These Are the Voyages...}})
 
* [[Commander]] [[Charles Tucker III|Tucker]] sacrificed himself while trying to save Captain Archer from a group of alien criminals. ({{ENT|These Are the Voyages...}})
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* [[Kryton]] committed suicide with a phaser after sabotaging the engines of the ''Enterprise'' for the Klingons, in order to keep the [[sabotage]] secret. ({{TOS|Elaan of Troyius}})
 
* [[Kryton]] committed suicide with a phaser after sabotaging the engines of the ''Enterprise'' for the Klingons, in order to keep the [[sabotage]] secret. ({{TOS|Elaan of Troyius}})
   
* [[Thelev]], an [[Orion]] disguised as an [[Andorian]] ambassador, committed suicide with a poison pill to avoid capture after a mission to disrupt the Babel Conference failed. Although he said it was a "slow poison", he died quicker than even he expected. His comrades died when setting off the [[auto-destruct]] on the ship they were using to attack the ''Enterprise''. ({{TOS|Journey to Babel}})
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* [[Thelev]], an [[Orion]] disguised as an [[Andorian]] ambassador, committed suicide with a poison pill to avoid capture after a mission to disrupt the Babel Conference failed. Although he said it was a "slow poison", he died quicker than even he expected. His comrades died when setting off the [[auto-destruct]] on the ship they were using to attack the ''Enterprise''. ({{TOS|Journey to Babel}})
   
 
[[File:Terrell, suicide.jpg|thumb|Terrell, vaporizing himself]]
 
[[File:Terrell, suicide.jpg|thumb|Terrell, vaporizing himself]]
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* [[Khan Noonien Singh]] committed suicide by detonating the [[Genesis Device]] aboard the {{USS|Reliant}}. ({{film|2}})
 
* [[Khan Noonien Singh]] committed suicide by detonating the [[Genesis Device]] aboard the {{USS|Reliant}}. ({{film|2}})
   
**''In the alternate reality, [[Thomas Harewood]] committed suicide when he was coerced by [[Khan Noonien Singh (alternate reality)|John Harrison]] to blow up the [[Kelvin Memorial Archive]] to save his [[Lucille Harewood|his daughter]]'s life.'' ({{film|12}})
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**''In the alternate reality, [[Thomas Harewood]] committed suicide when he was coerced by [[John Harrison]] to blow up the [[Kelvin Memorial Archive]] to save his [[Lucille Harewood|his daughter]]'s life.'' ({{film|12}})
   
 
==== 24th century ====
 
==== 24th century ====
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=== Euthanasia ===
 
=== Euthanasia ===
Euthanasia is the termination of life by another party at the request of an individual who wishes to die. This may be for religious, cultural, or medical reasons. It can be regarded either as assisted suicide or as
+
[[Euthanasia]] is the termination of life by another party at the request of an individual who wishes to die. This may be for religious, cultural, or medical reasons. It can be regarded either as assisted suicide or as
 
murder upon request of the victim.
 
murder upon request of the victim.
   
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* [[Leonard McCoy]] "pulled the plug" for his father, [[David McCoy]], who suffered from a painful and incurable illness. Cruelly, a cure was found only a short time afterward. ({{film|5}})
 
* [[Leonard McCoy]] "pulled the plug" for his father, [[David McCoy]], who suffered from a painful and incurable illness. Cruelly, a cure was found only a short time afterward. ({{film|5}})
   
* When the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-E|-E}} was invaded by Borg after following a Borg Sphere to the 21st century, [[Jean-Luc Picard]] advised his officers that they should not hesitate firing on assimilated Enterprise crew members. Rather, killing them would be the merciful thing to do. Later, as his assault team retreated to a Jefferies tube, Picard was forced to kill a crewman that had been infected with assimilation nanoprobes before escaping into a hatch. ({{film|8}})
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* When the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-E|-E}} was invaded by Borg after following a Borg Sphere to the 21st century, [[Jean-Luc Picard]] advised his officers that they should not hesitate firing on assimilated Enterprise crew members. Rather, killing them would be the merciful thing to do. Later, as his assault team retreated to a Jefferies tube, Picard was forced to kill a crewman that had been infected with assimilation nanoprobes before escaping into a hatch. ({{film|8}})
   
 
=== Uncertain or suicide missions ===
 
=== Uncertain or suicide missions ===
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:''This is uncertain, as Data knew that his memory had been transferred to [[B-4]].''
 
:''This is uncertain, as Data knew that his memory had been transferred to [[B-4]].''
   
* In order to repair the warp engines of the ''Enterprise'', [[Spock]] entered a radiation-flooded reactor room well knowing that he would probably not survive the radiation. ({{film|2}})
+
* In order to repair the warp engines of the ''Enterprise'', [[Spock]] entered a radiation-flooded reactor room well knowing that he would probably not survive. ({{film|2}})
 
:''This is uncertain, as Spock transferred his ''[[katra]]'' to McCoy before entering the reactor room.''
 
:''This is uncertain, as Spock transferred his ''[[katra]]'' to McCoy before entering the reactor room.''
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**''In [[2259]] of the alternate reality, Captain {{alt|James T. Kirk}} had entered the reactor core to restore power to the disabled ''[[USS Enterprise (alternate reality)|Enterprise]]'' that was plummeting towards Earth knowing full-well he would be poisoned from the radiation.'' ({{film|12}})
   
 
* In order to get to the main engineering of {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} and repair the [[antimatter containment]] field, Data had to take a chance of being electrocuted and killed. ({{TNG|Disaster}})
 
* In order to get to the main engineering of {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} and repair the [[antimatter containment]] field, Data had to take a chance of being electrocuted and killed. ({{TNG|Disaster}})
   
* Captain Archer volunteered for a suicide mission to destroy the [[Xindi superweapon]]. However, he failed and was captured by the [[Xindi-Reptilian|Reptilians]]. ({{ENT|Azati Prime}})
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* Captain Archer volunteered for a suicide mission to destroy the [[Xindi weapon]]. However, he failed and was captured by the [[Xindi-Reptilian|Reptilians]]. ({{ENT|Azati Prime}})
   
* In order to give time for the rest of his crew to reach [[escape pod]]s, [[Maximilian Forrest]] stayed aboard the {{ISS|Enterprise|NX-01}} as it was being destroyed by the [[Tholian]]s. ({{ENT|In a Mirror, Darkly}})
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* In the [[Mirror universe]], in order to give time for the rest of his crew to reach [[escape pod]]s, [[Maximilian Forrest]] stayed aboard the {{ISS|Enterprise|NX-01}} as it was being destroyed by the [[Tholian]]s. ({{ENT|In a Mirror, Darkly}})
   
 
* [[Q]], stripped of his powers and the reason the [[Calamarain]] attacked the USS ''Enterprise''-D, left the ship in a [[shuttlecraft]] in an attempt to sacrifice himself and save the ship. ({{TNG|Deja Q}})
 
* [[Q]], stripped of his powers and the reason the [[Calamarain]] attacked the USS ''Enterprise''-D, left the ship in a [[shuttlecraft]] in an attempt to sacrifice himself and save the ship. ({{TNG|Deja Q}})
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*[[Poison]]s and [[radiation]]
 
*[[Poison]]s and [[radiation]]
 
*[[Weapon]]s, such as a [[phaser]] or a [[knife]]
 
*[[Weapon]]s, such as a [[phaser]] or a [[knife]]
  +
* Permanent disassembly of one's component parts ([[colony creature]]s)
   
 
==Death wishes==
 
==Death wishes==

Revision as of 22:00, 4 April 2016

AT: "xx"

Suicidal tendencies

Masaro seconds before committing suicide

Death wish redirects here; for the VOY episode with a similar title, please see "Death Wish".

Suicide is the termination of one's life by one's own hand. The action can be a personal choice brought on by extraneous circumstances, part of one's culture, or a military directive.

Cultural considerations

  • All Kaelons are required to perform suicide at age sixty so that the elders won't stress the society. (TNG: "Half a Life")
  • Some Vulcans perform ritual suicide when they "reach a certain infirmity of age". (VOY: "Death Wish")
  • A Bolian medical philosophy on euthanasia was developed during their Middle Ages known as the "Double Effect Principle". The position held that an act which had the principle effect of relieving suffering was ethically acceptable even if the same act had the secondary effect of causing death. (VOY: "Death Wish")

Attempted or considered

  • Lieutenant Commander Data once considered zeroing his neural net, essentially wiping his entire memory and committing suicide. The formation of new neural pathways was very disorienting and he felt that starting all over again would be easier. He later decided not to do it. (TNG: "Eye of the Beholder")
  • In 2369, Commander Benjamin Sisko considered the accident of Ty Kajada in Quark's as a possible suicide not knowing that she was attacked from Rao Vantika's consciousness in Doctor Julian Bashir. (DS9: "The Passenger")
  • Worf wanted Riker to help him perform a ritual suicide called hegh'bat after experiencing a paralyzing spinal injury. (TNG: "Ethics")
  • Vidiian Denara Pel attempted to kill her real phage-ravaged body, after her consciousness had been transferred into a hologram, in order to spend more time with The Doctor. Eventually, she returned to her own body. (VOY: "Lifesigns")
  • The single survivor of a shipwreck, Anna, threatened to kill herself by jumping off a cliff in order to make Picard fall in love with her. In reality she was a man called Voval, an Iyaaran ambassador assigned to investigate the Human emotion of love. (TNG: "Liaisons")

Suicide performed

22nd century

23rd century

Kryton commits suicide

Kryton commits suicide

  • Kryton committed suicide with a phaser after sabotaging the engines of the Enterprise for the Klingons, in order to keep the sabotage secret. (TOS: "Elaan of Troyius")
  • Thelev, an Orion disguised as an Andorian ambassador, committed suicide with a poison pill to avoid capture after a mission to disrupt the Babel Conference failed. Although he said it was a "slow poison", he died quicker than even he expected. His comrades died when setting off the auto-destruct on the ship they were using to attack the Enterprise. (TOS: "Journey to Babel")
File:Terrell, suicide.jpg

Terrell, vaporizing himself

24th century

  • In an alternate timeline in which his father became trapped in subspace during a subspace inversion, an elderly Jake Sisko injected himself with poison during the short time when his father re-appeared in normal space - by dying when their "bond" was at its strongest, he was able to send him back to the time of the accident, and the captain knew to dodge the energy discharge which would trap him in the first place. (DS9: "The Visitor")
  • Scientist Gideon Seyetik flew a shuttlepod into the dead star at Epsilon 119, dying in the name of science to restart the star's nuclear reactions. His wife Nidell was unable to divorce him even if she wanted to. He felt how unhappy she was and decided the only way to make her happy was to end his life. (DS9: "Second Sight")
  • Boraalan Vorin performed ritual suicide due to cultural shock. He was unable to cope with the transition from his pre-industrial culture to the highly futuristic 24th century. (TNG: "Homeward")

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is the termination of life by another party at the request of an individual who wishes to die. This may be for religious, cultural, or medical reasons. It can be regarded either as assisted suicide or as murder upon request of the victim.

  • Euthanasia services were provided to the victims of the "Quickening", the final stage of the painful, incurable and potentially fatal Teplan blight. (DS9: "The Quickening")
  • When the USS Enterprise-E was invaded by Borg after following a Borg Sphere to the 21st century, Jean-Luc Picard advised his officers that they should not hesitate firing on assimilated Enterprise crew members. Rather, killing them would be the merciful thing to do. Later, as his assault team retreated to a Jefferies tube, Picard was forced to kill a crewman that had been infected with assimilation nanoprobes before escaping into a hatch. (Star Trek: First Contact)

Uncertain or suicide missions

Listed here are character(s) who have performed potentially lethal activities, knowing the possible consequences.

  • Commander Data sacrificed himself to destroy the Scimitar by firing a hand phaser at the thalaron generator, knowing it was totally impossible for him to survive the resulting explosion. (Star Trek Nemesis)
This is uncertain, as Data knew that his memory had been transferred to B-4.
  • In order to repair the warp engines of the Enterprise, Spock entered a radiation-flooded reactor room well knowing that he would probably not survive. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
This is uncertain, as Spock transferred his katra to McCoy before entering the reactor room.
  • Q, stripped of his powers and the reason the Calamarain attacked the USS Enterprise-D, left the ship in a shuttlecraft in an attempt to sacrifice himself and save the ship. (TNG: "Deja Q")
  • In the alternate reality, following a devastating attack on the USS Kelvin by the Romulan starship Narada, acting captain George Kirk was forced to stay on board the Kelvin and set a collision course with the Narada after the auto pilot controls were destroyed. His actions helped save the fleeing shuttlecraft, which had abandoned ship on Kirk's orders. (Star Trek)

Fictional suicides

Methods of suicide

Death wishes

Sometimes, individuals may have suicidal urges that drive them into putting themselves into extremely dangerous and life-threatening situations. A tendency to expose oneself to such danger is often referred as a death wish.

Appendices

See also

Background information

Suicide has been a plot element on several Star Trek episodes, but only "Eye of the Beholder" and "Death Wish" have discussed the ethics of suicide.

External link