I was a casual ST: TNG viewer when I was younger. I always loved the character Q. What other characters were like him in popular culture?
Gandalf comes to mind. Seemingly all-powerful from the perspective of the main characters; flits in and out of the story at will; sometimes gets the characters into problematic situations but then sometimes gets them out again.
The Great Gazoo
In terms of personality or in terms of powers?
I think the Q are most closely related to God. I.e., if scientists discovered something god-like out in the universe, what would it be like? Q.
Similarly, you have the presence of writers and animators in cartoons and comics. They would occasionally portray themselves as a god-like figure, so far as the characters are concerned. And of course, their intent is just as much to make sure that the characters get into trouble, as it is to make sure that they survive to the next story.
From Doctor Who, the White {and Black} Guardians.
The Dungeon Master from the old D&D cartoon maybe.
Also, maybe Mister Mxyzptlk.
Samantha’s dad on Bewitched.
He’s got the same arrogance and I believe he was the most powerful witch (warlock) on that show.
Quite a few of the Greek Gods were likely to drop into the lives of mere humans and screw around with them (sometimes literally). So they would be my guess for the earliest precursors of Q.
the Greek gods were in a TOS episode of Star Trek (Who Mourns for Adonais?)
John what’s his name voiced a character in My Little Pony that was quite Q like.
Yes I’m sad that I know that.
Gandalf is pretty far from all-powerfull.
Genie from Aladdin is kind of similar, in that he has close to limitless power, and uses it mainly to amuse himself. Though Genies obviously stuck serving whomever has his lamp.
In the Marvel universe I would assume Galactus, Eternity, the living tribunal, the one above all or the Beyonder all have Q level powers.
I think the original Q-like character was Creton in Gore Vidal’s Visit to a Small Planet, which was first a television drama, then was rewritten for the Broadway stage. (It was later turned into a Jerry Lewis movie, which was awful).
There’s no doubt in my mind that Creton inspired the Star Trek character of Trelaine, the Squire of Gothos in the original series. Both had Godlike powers, first appeared in period-inappropriate garb through getting the dates wrong, and wanted to start wars because they were so grand. In the end, both are revealed to be immature children of their race, out on a rampage, and are reined in by their parents.
The Squire of Gothos has been held to be a Q- race or Q-like race. But the character must certainly have influenced Q.
I don’t know of another quite like this that predates Visit
And I’ve suggested before that Creton might have influenced Valentine Michael Smith in Heinlein’s Stran ger in a Strange Land. Both characters have episoides where they speak to cats telepathically, learn that their given names aren’t their real names, and admire the cats’ ferocity.
I think T. S. Eliot is the common source for that. “But above and beyond there’s still one name left over, and that is the name that you never will guess. The name that no human research can discover, but the cat alone knows, and will never confess”
The kid in Jerome Bixby’s “It’s a Good Life” perhaps?
Dopers are only considering Q’s power rather than his personality. Remember that there’s supposed to be a whole Q-dimension of beings with Q’s level of power, but only one of them meddles in human affairs. I consider Q to be a trickster archetype - a god, person, animal or other being that doesn’t play by the normal rules.
[ul]
[li]In Greek mythology, Hermes often played the trickster as did Dionysus. [/li][li]Loki played the role in Norse mythology as well as in the Marvel universe. [/li][li]The Joker is Batman’s trickster; Mr Myxzptlk is Superman’s. [/li][li]Bugs Bunny is the trickster for poor Elmer Fudd.[/li][/ul]
Tom Bombadil is maybe even a better fit. ‘Gandalf is trying his hardest to get the win, but fears the mighty artifact; with me, the only question is whether I give a crap about saving the day! Yeah, to you it’s an insanely addictive relic that turns people invisible – but to me, you’re in plain sight, wearing a ring I can unconcernedly put on and take off like a cheap piece of costume jewelry. You’re like characters in a play; I’m like a cheerful member of the audience who walked onstage to call a prop a prop! Hey, wanna see a magic trick? Look, it doesn’t make me vanish! Now watch me make it vanish! WOOOO! Sleight of hand, amirite?’
Sam’s mother, Endora. She was just as arrogant and powerful and appeared far more regularly. She was Darrin’s trickster, always trying to break up Sam and Darrin’s marriage and putting Darrin into humiliating situations.
Didn’t Endora fear him though? I can’t remember, it’s been so long since I watched the show.
The name is: Deus X. Machina
has appeared in a lot of films under a lot of names.