The Adventures of Captain Proton

The Adventures of Captain Proton is a Metafiction adventure serial and holodeck novel from the television series Star Trek: Voyager. The program is designed by officers Tom Paris and Harry Kim to capture the spirit of the adventure serials from the 1930s and '40s, complete with over-the-top acting, bad dialog, and a noticeably low budget. To make this a unique experience the holoprojectors have created a monochromatic (black and white) environment (in "Night" the Doctor is first in full color before the holodeck is ordered to turn him monochromatic).

"Captain Proton" is the heroic lead, based heavily on Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Commando Cody. Replicas of Cody's and the "Republic" Robot costume were used to create the Captain Proton ensemble (except for the first episode "Night" where the actual costume, minus the bullet helmet, was used as was the actual Robot Costume). Captain Proton can be thought of as a meta-fiction character, in that he is fictional within the fictional universe of Star Trek.

List of characters

 * With actor names, FA = fictional actor within the Star Trek world, RA = real actor.


 * Captain Proton - The quintessential space-faring hero. Played by FA Tom Paris.
 * Constance Goodheart - Proton's secretary; her only line is a scream. Played once (reluctantly) by FA Seven of Nine.
 * Buster Kincaid - Proton's trusty sidekick. Played by FA Harry Kim.
 * Doctor Chaotica - The megalo-maniacal genius bent on the destruction of mankind (once he's done with Proton); obsessed with himself and Queen Arachnia. Direct parody of Ming the Merciless, complete with high pointy collar. Played by RA Martin Rayner.
 * Satan's Robot - Direct parody of the "Republic Robot," overused robot props in three Republic serials: Undersea Kingdom (1936), Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940, where it was referred to a "Doctor Satan's Robot") and Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952). Despite its mechanical speaking voice and clunky appearance, it actually has a rather high-strung personality, and once worked with Proton. Played by RA Tarik Ergin (who also acted Lieutenant Ayala).
 * The Twin Mistresses of Evil - 'Demonica' and 'Malicia' - played by FA Megan Delaney and Jennifer Delaney (identical twins known as the Delaney sisters), RA Heidi Krämer and Alissa Krämer.
 * The President of Earth - Stuffy and brusque. In a single appearance, portrayed effortlessly by FA The Doctor ("Bride of Chaotica!").
 * Queen Arachnia - Queen of the Spider People. Her pheromones can make any man do her bidding without question. She represents a woman's power over men; this evil vixen of the cosmos is played once (at first reluctantly, later with some enthusiasm) by FA Captain Janeway ("Bride of Chaotica!"); she earlier finds herself improvising when, right after the ship left Earth, she is thrown into a time-split ship ("Shattered").
 * Lonzak - Chaotica's head henchman, played by RA Nicholas Worth. Based on Ming's chief thug, Captain Torch.

As complete stories in the real world
At least one complete Captain Proton story has been written in the real world:
 * Captain Proton: Defender of the Earth, a comic, by Dean Wesley Smith. He presumed that in the Star Trek universe, the holonovel Captain Proton was adapted from a supposed 1930's comic; and he set out to write and publish that comic in the real world.

Other fan fiction described as Captain Proton stories are Star Trek: Voyager stories whose action happens place partly in Voyager's holodeck where the Captain Proton program is running.

Cultural references
Captain Proton is the adopted nickname of research physiologist Thomas E. DeCoursey, Associate Professor at Rush Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.