A Xindi-Reptilian
The Xindi-Reptilians were a member of the multi-species Xindi race. They were easily the most aggressive of the six species, which shared a genetic ancestry.
Physiology
Xindi-Reptilian faces were scaly and highly textured, including many small wrinkles and ridges. The Reptilians had yellow to brown-colored scales with multiple spikes coming out of their heads and little tusks, one on either side of the face, protruding from close to the mouth. They had yellow eyes with slitted vertical pupils, and were cold blooded. Like other Xindi, they had a characteristic facial feature, involving a small indentation and a series of little bumps on their cheek bones. They also were stronger and had greater stamina than Humans.
Philosophy
Reptilians were perceived as being untrustworthy and impatient by the other Xindi species. (ENT: "The Shipment") A common Reptilian saying was "Patience is for the dead." Nevertheless, the Reptilians were usually the first choice for when force was needed. (ENT: "Azati Prime")
With their easily provoked and opinionated nature, Xindi-Insectoids often sided with the Reptilians on certain issues. (ENT: "The Xindi", et al.) They sometimes even shared ships with each other. Reptilian soldiers were surgically implanted with a "suicide gland" that secreted a neurotoxin if they were captured. (ENT: "Rajiin")
The Reptilians were the species of Xindi that seemed to be most interested in destroying the planet Earth. The Reptilians lived out a militaristic lifestyle and hoped to ultimately rule over all the other species of Xindi. (ENT: "Rajiin")
Reptilians preferred to be on or near the ground as opposed to up in the air. (ENT: "The Council")
Technology
Reptilian weapons used eel-like power cells. Their biorifles worked on a rotating modulation that self-destructed when accessed by other species (see Xindi technology).
The Reptilians also used thermal chambers on board their ships, due to their cold-blooded metabolisms. (ENT: "The Council")
Commander Dolim was the Reptilian representative on the Xindi Council until 2154. (ENT: "Zero Hour")
| Xindi species |
|---|
| Aquatic • Arboreal • Avian • Insectoid • Primate • Reptilian |
Appendices
Appearances
- ENT:
- "The Expanse" (deceased only)
- "The Xindi"
- "Rajiin"
- "Exile"
- "The Shipment"
- "Twilight"
- "Carpenter Street"
- "Proving Ground"
- "Azati Prime"
- "Damage"
- "The Forgotten"
- "The Council"
- "Countdown"
- "Zero Hour"
- "Home" (dreamt only)
Background
Biology
A concept sketch of a Xindi-Reptilian
Of all the Xindi, the Reptilians were meant to look especially different from other aliens on Star Trek: Enterprise. Regarding the intentions for the Reptilians, Makeup Supervisor Michael Westmore noted, "[It] wouldn't just be a pullover head and scales – maybe a few little spikes, horny-toadish and nasty." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 149, p. 54)
Michael Westmore has repeatedly referred to the black spikes ascending from the Reptilians' heads as "porcupine quills," presumably because his idea for the spikes was influenced by the coat of a porcupine. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 149, p. 54; Xindi-Reptilian at StarTrek.com) He admitted, "I've always wanted to do a character that had porcupine quills coming out of its head – that's why we twisted them, bent them; it's not just spikes."
Many concept sketches for this species were done by Michael Westmore, before the design was whittled down. Although the first appearance of a Xindi-Reptilian was in "The Expanse", a few modifications were made to the species thereafter. These included the addition of the bumpy facial feature common to all Xindi.
The mask of a Reptilian
Representing each of the Xindi-Reptilians' faces involved the use of a delicate, full-facial latex prosthetic. [1] The appliance specifically covered the neck and the entire front of the head. [2] The prosthetic was extensively airbrushed to create skin texture, shadows and definition. The small tusks protruding from near the mouth and the black spikes extending from the head were made of resin. [3] The Reptilian makeup also incorporated pointed teeth which, compared to Ferengi teeth, were slightly longer and meant to look more menacing. Contact lenses were worn by the actors who played Reptilians, which is how their eyes were made to seem lizard-like.
The first time Reptilian hands had to be represented in an Enterprise episode, the series' makeup department glued scales onto the relevant actors' hands and gave them long fingernails. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 149, p. 54) In fact, prosthetic pieces were crafted out of foam rubber for both the tops of the hands and the palms. All the pieces were then painted for on-screen usage and the palm applications were designed to represent scales. [4] When Reptilians started being involved in stunt sequences, the make-up approach was deemed no longer viable, so the members of the species were portrayed as wearing gloves. This implied that Reptilian nails could retract, to fit inside the gloves, and extend. Michael Westmore remarked, "It should be interesting to see, at some point, all of a sudden the nails retract as they put a glove on."
The complexion of Reptilian skin also changed during the third season of Enterprise. The first three Reptilians to be shown on-screen all had much the same "neutral brownish tones," in the words of Michael Westmore. He cited the Reptilians, later in the season, as varying with a mix of green, brown and red. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 149, p. 54)
A spiked Xindi-Reptilian breast piece shown in "The Council" consisted of several latex molds. These were adhered together, before the chest application was painted in the fashion of scales. [5] [6]
Clothing
The Reptilians' uniforms were reused Reman costumes from Star Trek Nemesis. Costume Designer Bob Blackman recalled, "The idea was to reuse the Nemesis Reman foot soldiers [suits] but make them be entirely different." Originally under the impression that he would be required to create an enormous quantity of Reptilian uniforms under the ever-present time pressure, Blackman came up with the idea of altering the costumes with "cages". "I saw this picture of a cage and thought that would be a good way to do it," he said. Broad cages of wire armor were therefore added for the Reptilians' reuse of the costumes. Explained Blackman, "There's an aluminum tube as a frame; the rest is vinyl hose." The alterations to the costumes included the removal of breastplates which had been part of the Reman configuration of the suits and making them into two pieces rather than a single piece, which meant they were more user-friendly for episodic usage. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 149, p. 55)
The wire cages were extremely delicate, so a great deal of care had to be taken to avoid damaging them. ("Countdown" text commentary, ENT Season 3 DVD) Despite this, Bob Blackman thought they were indeed a good addition to the costumes. "We didn't think about them doing stunts in those, and the first time they got rough in them we just held our breath – but they came through just fine." The meshes also echoed the wiry quality of the spikes above the head. "And for all of that – Michael and I didn't really talk about any of that, the quills. So when you look at the quills and you look at the cages and go, 'Well – how did that happen?!' – I don't know how that happened!" (Star Trek: Communicator issue 149, p. 55)
Trivia
The original representation of a Xindi-Reptilian
As well as being portrayed by live actors and stuntmen, Xindi-Reptilians were also depicted with a mannequin (in the case of the Xindi-Reptilian corpse in "The Expanse") and computer-generated figures (such as in the first shot of the Xindi weapon's interior, in "Countdown"). ([7]; "Countdown" text commentary, ENT Season 3 DVD)
The look of the Xindi-Reptilians influenced the CGI design of the Xindi-Insectoids and -Aquatics, as well as helping to make the task of designing the Primates easy. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 149, pp. 51, 52 & 56) Also, the faceplate from the Xindi-Reptilian make-up design went on to be reused; it was kit-bashed with other prosthetic pieces, to represent an unnamed Coalition of Planets dignitary in the two-parter "Terra Prime" and "Demons". [8]
The Xindi-Reptilians gained the approval of Archer actor Scott Bakula, who enthused, "I love the Reptilians... the visual that [the art department] created with the Reptilians I think is spectacular." (Star Trek Magazine issue 113, p. 7) In a 2010 interview, Michael Westmore cited the Reptilians as one of "two things I loved doing on Enterprise." He went on to refer to the species as "fascinating" and further remarked, "The heads, with the porcupine quills coming out of them, were gorgeous." Xindi-Reptilian at StarTrek.com Consulting Producer David A. Goodman regarded the Reptilian make-up as "amazing" and "remarkable," an opinion which Director David Livingston agreed with. ("Impulse" audio commentary, ENT Season 3 Blu-ray) Regarding the Reptilian uniforms, Chris Black admitted, "I love those costumes." André Bormanis stated, "It made sense in the context of the civilization we were trying to portray here [....] You can see these guys have a very distinctive look and that's a costume style that we've never seen before." Black agreed but he and Bormanis also joked that the Xindi-Reptilians might use their uniforms, with all the tubing, to distil alcohol, concocting moonshine. Bormanis jested, "It's how they get through the day," and Black concurred, "Exactly. They have little jars at their waist that it's just slowly dripping into." ("Countdown" audio commentary, ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)
When asked to cite one of the Xindi species as the one he believed to be the most complex and disruptive in the Xindi Council, Jannar actor Rick Worthy initially responded with uncertainty as to which was the most complex but then stated, "Perhaps the Reptilians. They're warhawks, really. They're bullheaded, and it's difficult for them to see others' point of view." [9]
Several Xindi-Reptilian make-up appliances were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction. One such piece was a painted, heavily detailed face application. One of its head spikes had come loose from the prosthetic, owing to time and use of the mask, but the application sold for US$786. [10] A group of Reptilian prosthetics was included in the auction too, in a lot additionally consisting of two Xindi-Primate masks. The Reptilian portion was comprised of a full-facial application, a pair of hand top coverings and a pair of palm coverings. All these pieces were unpainted except for one of the palm coverings, which had been painted but retained the tear-away foam rubber which exists during casting. [11] Another lot consisted of a facial application and a chest and shoulder prosthetic piece. Both of these were painted and the mask was known to have been worn by Dolim actor Scott MacDonald. [12] Two other Reptilian masks were sold at the auction, one of which fetched US$760. [13] Yet another lot presented at the auction consisted of the breast piece from "The Council" and the facial prosthetic used for the aforementioned unnamed dignitary in "Terra Prime" and "Demons". The latter item was originally misidentified as a Xindi-Reptilian mask worn by Scott MacDonald. The ebay entry for this lot ended early, due to the error being stated in the listing. The mistake caused much confusion and resulted in MacDonald himself trying to ensure the listing was corrected. [14]