Cult-TV Theme Watch: Crystals

The word “crystal” comes from the Greek word “krustallos” meaning rock or ice, and in cult-television history, crystals -- rocks of solid matter in peculiar organic arrangement -- have appeared quite frequently, especially in programs involving spaceships.

In Star Trek (1966 – 1969), the U.S.S. Enterprise is powered by dilithium crystals, which contain and control the matter/anti-matter reaction in the ship’s warp engines.  In the original Star Trek, dilithium is a naturally occurring substance, found on many planets.  The Klingons and Federation often are at odds over finding new sources of dilithium on planets in the Alpha Quadrant.

In Star Blazers (1979), the space battleship Argo’s “energy transmission unit” is powered by a crystalline substance called “Titanite.”  After the first use of the wave motion gun near Jupiter, the Argo’s energy transmission unit is blown out, requiring mining on the icy world of Titan.

In a similar vein, The Earth-ship Searcher in the second season of Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century is also powered by naturally-occurring crystals.  When more are needed in the episode “The Crystals,” Buck (Gil Gerard), Wilma (Erin Gray) and Hawk (Thom Christopher) find them on the ancient world of Philoctetes…along with a mystery involving mummies.

The second season Space: 1999 (1975 – 1977) story, “Seed of Destruction” also concerns a crystal, this time one housing (in microcosm) the entire population and culture of the Kalthon Empire.  When hit with the energetic power stores of Moonbase Alpha, the seed of Kalthon will be restored.

The Sid and Marty Krofft Saturday morning series Land of the Lost (1974 – 1977) involves a pocket world or universe called Altrusia.  In Altrusia, crystals form the basis of all advanced technology. By moving power crystals in different slots on a matrix pedestal, for instance, one can open dimensional portals or modulate the weather.  A third season story involves a crystalline Altrusian relic which can turn back time (“Timestop.”)

In Doctor Who (1963 – 1989), in the era of the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), mention is frequently made of Metebelis crystals, which can augment mental psychic ability and emit radiation.  The crystals play a role in the serial “The Green Death” and also Pertwee’s last, “Planet of the Spiders.”

In the 1996 animated series Beast Wars (1996 – 1999), Maximals and Predacons eat raw Energon crystals found on prehistoric Earth.  These sources of energy eventually ignite, at the end of the first season.

Other than dilithium crystals, perhaps the most famous “crystal” in pop culture is Kryptonite.  In Smallville (2001 – 2011), exposure to green kryptonite (or meteor rocks) often turns normal teens into “freaks of the week.”  Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) also wears a Kryptonite crystal necklace for the first few seasons of the series.  Over Smallville’s long run, the crystalline Kryptonite returns in different hues, including red, black, and silver.  Each color variation of Kryptonite affects Clark Kent (Tom Welling) in different but inimical ways.

In some cases, alien beings are seen to consist of crystal in cult television.  Star Trek’s (1966 – 1969) the Tholians are a crystalline species.  In Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994), in the episodes “Datalore” and “Silicon Avatar,” NCC-1701 D tangles with the giant, life-draining Crystalline Entity.

And, finally, in Ben 10, young Ben Tennyson can turn into Diamondhead, a Tetraxian or crystalline being.