Ruk was an android built on Exo III half a million years before the 23rd century by the Old Ones.

Ruk was tall, broad and immensely strong, capable of lifting a Human male easily with one hand. Despite his size, he could move silently and gracefully, making him an extremely dangerous physical opponent. He could duplicate voices effortlessly – his actual voice was very low-pitched and gravelly.

He was discovered in the underground ruins of that planet in 2261, by Dr. Roger Korby, where he was still tending the machinery the Old Ones had left behind. Even he did not remember how many centuries he had been doing this work. Ruk helped Korby learn how to use the ancient machinery, including the android duplicator. With Ruk's help, Korby built other androids, including Brown and Andrea.

In 2266, Captain James T. Kirk and Christine Chapel arrived at Exo III in search of Korby. By then, Korby had reprogrammed Ruk to serve him, and had devised a scheme to infiltrate android duplicates into society slowly and carefully. As part of that scheme, Korby and Ruk imprisoned Kirk and Chapel, and built a duplicate of Kirk to take control of the USS Enterprise.

Ruk killed two security officers named Mathews and Rayburn, who were beamed down to Exo III with Kirk and Chapel, but Korby claimed to his visitors this action was expressly against his orders.

Questioned about his origins by Kirk, Ruk remembered that the androids, presumably including himself, had become frustrated by the illogic and inferiority of the Old Ones. In turn, the Old Ones became frightened of their creations, and began turning them off. Their survival at stake, the androids overcame their programming and slew their makers. Once Ruk remembered this, he overcame Korby's programming the same way. No longer able to control Ruk, Korby destroyed him with a phaser blast. (TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?")

In 2381, a framed photograph of Ruk was among several others displayed on the walls of a bar on Starbase 25. (LD: "An Embarrassment Of Dooplers")

In 2382, Ruk's outfit was among the items for sale at Starbase 80. (LD: "Starbase 80?!")

What abilities made Ruk a formidable opponent?

Ruk's formidable nature stemmed from his immense strength and agility. Created by the Old Ones before the 23rd century, he could lift a human male with one hand. Despite his size, Ruk moved silently and gracefully, making him a dangerous opponent. His ability to duplicate voices effortlessly further enhanced his strategic capabilities.

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What is the significance of Exo III in Ruk's origin?

Exo III is crucial to Ruk's origin as it is the planet where the Old Ones created him. As the surface froze, the Old Ones moved underground, constructing Ruk, an android, to serve them. Ruk remained on Exo III after the Old Ones perished.

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How was Ruk discovered by Dr. Roger Korby?

In 2261, Dr. Roger Korby discovered Ruk on Exo III. Ruk, an android from an ancient civilization, had been maintaining machinery for centuries. Korby, an expert in archaeological medicine, used Ruk's knowledge to operate an android duplicator, creating other androids like Brown and Andrea.

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How did Ruk's voice mimicry contribute to his danger?

Ruk's voice mimicry made him a formidable threat. Despite his large and strong build, he could replicate voices easily, allowing him to deceive others and lure them into danger. This skill, combined with his silent and graceful movements, increased his effectiveness as a dangerous opponent.

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Who were the Old Ones that created Ruk?

The Old Ones were an ancient race from Exo III who created Ruk, an android, over half a million years ago. As their planet's surface froze, they moved underground. Their most notable invention was the android duplicator. Fearful of their creations, the Old Ones attempted to deactivate them, leading to their own destruction by the androids. Ruk maintained the Old Ones' machinery until Dr. Roger Korby found him in 2261.

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Appendices[]

Background information[]

Ruk was portrayed by the late Ted Cassidy. Additional voices mimicked by Ruk were provided by Majel Barrett, William Shatner, Michael Strong, and Sherry Jackson.

In the revised final draft script of "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", Ruk was characterized as a "huge, enormously tall, completely hairless half-Human creature." He was also scripted to have a "heavy" voice. [1]

The book Star Trek: The Original Series 365 (p. 066) refers to Ruk as "a monster right out of the classic novel Frankenstein." Ruk's facial appearance involved makeup designed by TOS Makeup Artist Fred Phillips. He emphasized the natural planes of Ted Cassidy's face with grease pencil and covered the actor's hair with a latex bald cap. The costume Cassidy wore as Ruk was designed by TOS Costume Designer William Ware Theiss. (The Star Trek Compendium, 4th ed., p. 41)

Ruk appears on the cover of A Child's Garden of Lifeforms in Our Galaxy, a book that was designed by Doug Drexler for DS9: "Time's Orphan". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 579)

Apocrypha[]

According to the novella "The Worst of Both Worlds", the mirror universe James T. Kirk of the ISS Enterprise destroyed the last surviving member of the android society (presumably Ruk's mirror counterpart) on Exo III, who had likewise turned on their masters and killed them.

External links[]

• Ruk at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works