# LOTR Question - Who else could have carried the ring? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810 "2006-04-15T21:47:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/81 "2006-04-18T03:05:15Z")
Oh. For real? Upon Googling her, I find a story called the Doomed Lensman. Is that the same one? And do you know how hard it is to stop the fingers from adding that ‘u’? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/82 "2006-04-18T03:09:50Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Oh. For real? Upon Googling her, I find a story called the Doomed Lensman. Is that the same one? > And do you know how hard it is to stop the fingers from adding that ‘u’? Practice, practice, practice! Sybly is a him. And “Doomed Lensman” was written by someone who assumed Sybly’s name! Yes, the name is derived from Smith’s Lensman series. You’re hot on the trail. But I must keep up my reputation for being vague and opaque as regards my name. But other dopers have ferreted it out. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/83 "2006-04-18T03:20:28Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > [hijack]And if you really want to learn more, google “zymolosely polydactile tongue” [/hijack] :dubious: 3 links, two of them dead. The first one, however - is \*that \*you? No, you’re not UK, are you? (And damn Google. It says did you mean “zymolosely \*\*polydactyl \*\*tongue” and then when I click on that, says “No results found.” Hmm. Do you eat neutronium? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/84 "2006-04-18T12:39:12Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > You’re saying that instead of wielding a flaming umlaut… I have flaming diaresis? > > _Curse those Mordor beans!!!_ Now you know why Sauron is sitting on top of his tower and is so unhappy all the time… er, well, as unhappy as a giant flaming vagina on a phallic tower can look, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/85 "2006-04-18T14:40:55Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > :dubious: 3 links, two of them dead. The first one, however - is \*that \*you? No, you’re not UK, are you? > > (And damn Google. It says did you mean “zymolosely \*\*polydactyl \*\*tongue” and then when I click on that, says “No results found.” > > Hmm. Do you eat neutronium? Try this cached site. [http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:zkniqzRPWt0J:animeglobe.com/al/mystuff/E-books/E%20E%20Doc%20Smith%20-%20Lensman%2006%20-%20Children%20of%20the%20Lens.txt+Qadgop+the+Mercotan+&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=12](http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:zkniqzRPWt0J:animeglobe.com/al/mystuff/E-books/E%2520E%2520Doc%2520Smith%2520-%2520Lensman%252006%2520-%2520Children%2520of%2520the%2520Lens.txt+Qadgop+the+Mercotan+&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=12) Jim ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/86 "2006-04-18T15:32:51Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > (And damn Google. It says did you mean “zymolosely \*\*polydactyl \*\*tongue” and then when I click on that, says “No results found.” “zymolosely polydactile,”’ actually. In case you don’t want to wade through all of **What Exit’s** link: [http://spacefrog.blogspot.com/2006/02/qadgop-mercotan.html](http://spacefrog.blogspot.com/2006/02/qadgop-mercotan.html) > [@](#): > > Qadgop the Mercotan > > I’ve just started reading Children of the Lens, final volume in the Lensman series, massively overblown space operas that were exactly the kind of thing that gave science fiction a bad name back in the 1950s. And I was astonished to find a chapter entitled ‘Kinnison Writes a Space-Opera’, in which the the device of the main character going undercover as an author is used to create a short space opera within a space opera. Behold what happens when E. E. ‘Doc’ Smith pokes fun at himself: > > > [@](#): > > > > Qadgop the Mercoatan slithered flatly around the after-bulge of the tranship. One claw dug into the meters-thick armour of pure neutronium, then another. Its terrible xmex-like snout locked on. Its zymolosely polydactile tongue crunched out, crashed down, rasped across. Slurp! Slurp! At each abrasive stroke the groove in the tranship’s plating deepened and Qadgop leered more fiercely. Fools! Did they think that the airlessness of absolute space, the heatlessness of absolute zero, the yieldlessness of absolute neutronium, could stop QADGOP THE MERCOTAN? And the stowaway, that human wench Cynthia, cowering in helpless terror just beyond this thin and fragile wall… I always picture our **Qadgop** “leering fiercely.” And knowing that he can devour pure neutronium helps explain his fondness for Marmite . . .’ ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/87 "2006-04-18T17:13:31Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Hmm. Do you eat neutronium? Ah, neutronium. A moment on the zymolosely _polydactile_ tongue, forever on the xmex-like snout! And of course neutronium is better with marmite on it! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/88 "2006-04-18T22:12:09Z")
Best. Hijack. EVAR!!!11ELEVEN ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/89 "2006-04-19T00:27:43Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Ah, neutronium. A moment on the zymolosely _polydactile_ tongue, forever on the xmex-like snout! > > And of course neutronium is better with marmite on it! See, I \*did \*find it! It just took a looooooooooong time. : preens : And **Colibri** , that’s the point! Google tried to change the spelling on me and then gave me no links. What’s up with that, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/90 "2006-04-19T02:19:22Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > And **Colibri** , that’s the point! Google tried to change the spelling on me and then gave me no links. What’s up with that, anyway? My apologies for not noticing you had mentioned that. There is actually no such word as “polydactile,” which seems to only appear as a misspelling of polydactyl or in reference to the Mercotan, and it gets only 385 Google hits. Because polydactyl gets 145,000 hits, Google figures that’s what you must have meant. But since zymolosely (which Smith apparently made up) only appears with polydactile, and not polydactyl, you get no hits for the combination. (Zymolosely only gets 3 hits, all for the Lensman story.) Google will not venture to guess an alternate spelling for zymolosely, and combining it with “marmite” also gets no hits. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/91 "2006-04-19T02:25:07Z")
So I think that decides it. If we need to rid of a Ring of Power, we nominate **Qadgop the Mercotan** but he must be covered in Marmite first. 😕 Or should the ring be covered in \*\*Marmite \*\*? Wait is there a chance that Marmite is Mighty enough to destroy a RoP? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/92 "2006-04-19T02:48:08Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > My apologies for not noticing you had mentioned that. There is actually no such word as “polydactile,” which seems to only appear as a misspelling of polydactyl or in reference to the Mercotan, and it gets only 385 Google hits. Because polydactyl gets 145,000 hits, Google figures that’s what you must have meant. But since zymolosely (which Smith apparently made up) only appears with polydactile, and not polydactyl, you get no hits for the combination. (Zymolosely only gets 3 hits, all for the Lensman story.) Google will not venture to guess an alternate spelling for zymolosely, and combining it with “marmite” also gets no hits. You’re cute. : pats head : (It was a rhetorical question, but that’s OK, knowledge is always good.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/93 "2006-04-19T17:35:01Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > You’re cute. You betcha. 😃 > [@](#): > > (It was a rhetorical question, but that’s OK, knowledge is always good.) I didn’t _look_ rhetorical, it seemed as if you might have genuinely been confused. And after many years on the board, I’ve learned that there is no question so obvious that someone hasn’t asked it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/94 "2006-04-19T18:45:13Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > You betcha. 😃 > > I didn’t _look_ rhetorical, it seemed as if you might have genuinely been confused. And after many years on the board, I’ve learned that there is no question so obvious that someone hasn’t asked it. 😉 Between you, **Gfactor** , and **Chronos** , I’m learning to be veeeeery careful what questions I ask! ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/95 "2006-04-19T19:50:57Z")
Well, we have determined that from Middle Earth only Frodo could have carried the ring to Mordor. [Well, maybe there are a few votes for Sam and Bilbo, and even Radagast, but nevermind.] And we have determined that from the SDMB Qadop the Mercotan is the chosen. So, who could carry the ring to Mordor from - Star Wars? (nah – all too busy worrying about the Force); Star Trek? (anyone? I say even Mr. Spock would be tempted to remake the universe in his image); Peanuts? (Linus, most likely – unless he lost his blanket then we’d all be in trouble.) Any candidates from other books/films/TV shows? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/96 "2006-04-19T20:15:59Z")
> [@well he's back](#): > > Well, we have determined that from Middle Earth only Frodo could have carried the ring to Mordor. [Well, maybe there are a few votes for Sam and Bilbo, and even Radagast, but nevermind.] > And we have determined that from the SDMB Qadop the Mercotan is the chosen. > > So, who could carry the ring to Mordor from - Star Wars? (nah – all too busy worrying about the Force); Star Trek? (anyone? I say even Mr. Spock would be tempted to remake the universe in his image); Peanuts? (Linus, most likely – unless he lost his blanket then we’d all be in trouble.) Any candidates from other books/films/TV shows? I like Linus as an answer. I think it would work. Can you imagine the chaos caused by Calvin getting hold of the Ring of Power? Kirk would fall quickly, Mr. Spock could no more resist the Ring than Elrond. I think \*\*Valentine Michael Smith \*\* of Stranger in a Strange Land could have attempted the quest without the ring overcoming him. We’ll disqualify all of Terry Brooks characters I assume as his world got started as a simple re-write. **Forrest Gump** : Run Forrest Run as he dives head first into Mt. Doom. He would be fairly resistant to the ring, no dreams of power, definitely relied on good fortune or fate. Most Heroes have flaws that would prevent them from resisting the ring. I am trying to think of another example. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/97 "2006-04-19T20:16:07Z")
> [@well he's back](#): > > Well, we have determined that from Middle Earth only Frodo could have carried the ring to Mordor. [Well, maybe there are a few votes for Sam and Bilbo, and even Radagast, but nevermind.] > And we have determined that from the SDMB Qadop the Mercotan is the chosen. > > So, who could carry the ring to Mordor from - Star Wars? (nah – all too busy worrying about the Force); Star Trek? (anyone? I say even Mr. Spock would be tempted to remake the universe in his image); Peanuts? (Linus, most likely – unless he lost his blanket then we’d all be in trouble.) Any candidates from other books/films/TV shows? I was wondering when we’d come to this. From the LucasVerse, I wouldn’t trust anyone but Artoo-Deetoo (assuming droids are eligible), and possibly Chewie. Nobody else we’ve seen has the appropriate combination of force of will and lack of ambition. Star Trek universe: I think Spock and Scotty might actually be good candidates. Each of them has the skill to be captain, but not the desire; they’re willing to do their jobs but relieved when Kirk takes the center seat again. I think that would translate into ring-worthiness. I also think we can all agree that Jim “Prime Directive? What the hell is that?” Kirk would get corrupted as quickly as Boromir. NextGen: Data, if he’s eligible; and possibly Guinan. X-Men (comics): Nobody but Nightcrawler. And for God’s sake keep Xavier away from it, along with anybody surnamed “Grey.” ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/98 "2006-04-19T20:24:30Z")
> [@Fabulous Creature](#): > > X-Men (comics): Nobody but Nightcrawler. And for God’s sake keep Xavier away from it, along with anybody surnamed “Grey.” _Nightcrawler?_ :dubious: Reasoning, please. Have to agree with Xavier and Jean, though. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/99 "2006-04-19T20:30:41Z")
It can’t be anybody human, IMO. Ever. I don’t think humans can ever handle it. So I’ll go with Spock, who quite honestly might not even feel the pull. I don’t agree with Data - he keeps trying to be emotional! 7 of 9 could do it, though. Star Wars? They are all power-hungry. Maybe Yoda. X-Men? Hmm. I don’t know the pantheon (does that word work?) well enough. It’d have to be someone completely self-effacing. I don’t think Nightcrawler would work, though. Xavier might be able to resist is somewhat because of his mind control powers, but I think he would be tempted like Gandalf would be. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810/100 "2006-04-19T20:41:13Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > It can’t be anybody human, IMO. Ever. I don’t think humans can ever handle it. So I’ll go with Spock, who quite honestly might not even feel the pull. I don’t agree with Data - he keeps trying to be emotional! 7 of 9 could do it, though. > > Star Wars? They are all power-hungry. Maybe Yoda. > > X-Men? Hmm. I don’t know the pantheon (does that word work?) well enough. It’d have to be someone completely self-effacing. I don’t think Nightcrawler would work, though. Xavier might be able to resist is somewhat because of his mind control powers, but I think he would be tempted like Gandalf would be. Spock was half Human and prove he had a latent Hunger for Power in Mirror-Mirror. He would start out doing good and if he completed the quest fast enough he would have a chance, but unless he had a Transporter or Shuttle Craft I doubt he would have resisted as long as Frodo or Bilbo. Lets just say for the sake of it that the Ring could not be Transported or Teleported. Not unreasonable. I don’t know comic book Heroes well enough, so I’ll pass. Scotty is interesting, but not cut out for a quest. He is a Technocrat, an Alpha Geek, his idea of a good time is Romulan Brandy, Women and Tech Manuals. Robots and Androids just seem like cheating, Of course R2D2 could resist but shouldn’t we preclude Bots, otherwise we could say any good bot would have a chance. I think conjecture of this sort requires a no use of advance Technology. So no bots, Shuttles, Androids, Helicopters or Tanks. Jim [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-who-else-could-have-carried-the-ring/352810.md?page=6)