Species 8472

What kind of idiot thinks this constitutes the pinacle of evolution?

Species 8472 is the Borg designation for an otherwise unnamed alien lifeform from another dimension called "fluidic space". The Borg invaded their realm to try and assimilate them, as they are supposedly the "pinnacle of evolution."

Attributes

S-8472 is Voyager's biggest example of biowank. They have more than 100 times the DNA of humans (which in real life doesn't prove anything, amoebae have over 100 times as much genetic material as humans). Some of their special attributes include:

• Telepathy
• "Bioelectric fields" that wrecked havoc with Voyager's equipment.
• Aggressive cells: A few stray cells slapped onto Harry Kim grew to become many tentacles covering his face and upper body, slowly eating him alive.
• Aggressive immune systems that easily resisted Borg attempts to assimilate them by destroying the Borg nanoprobes
• Sufficient strength for one member of their species to slaughter a large pile of drones with its claws.
• Ability to survive in the vacuum of space for an undetermined period of time.

Hey, that borg weapon tickles

Their ships are apparently built out of the same organic material as their bodies. They displayed very impressive abilities. They suffered little damage from Borg attacks (Trektards often insist it was zero damage in spite of Tuvok commenting that a hole in a bioship was caused by a Borg weapon), and their weapons easily blasted Borg cubes to bits, with the Borg showed no sign of adapting to S8472 weapons.

Where have I seen something like this before?

Finally, a group of eight bioships, together with a special ninth ship, could combine their energies into a weapon capable of destroying entire planets. While the exact nature of the planet-destroying weapon is unknown, it does not appear to operate on strict energy transfer to the target, as the planet did not explode until several seconds after the termination of the beam.

Threat Assessment

S8472 are so powerful that Voyager's crew estimated that they would completely destroy the Borg collective in a matter of months. Despite their power, however, they are surprisingly timid. Voyager's holo-doc modified some Borg nanoprobes to be undetectable by 8472 tissues in order to treat Harry, and the modified nanoprobes also proved an effective weapon against the bioships. S8472 forces subsequently retreated back to their realm after taking less than two dozen casualties--I guess with all their awesome abilities, they only wanted to fight when their opponents really couldn't fight back. Cowards.

S8472 have appeared in Trek canon on at least two subsequent occasions. One of them was left behind after the big retreat. The Hirogen, a hunter race, decided the thing would make good prey, and it was rescued by Voyager. The rest of the species decided the Federation was a threat because of the modified nanoprobes, and 8472 planned on infiltrating Earth. Voyager stumbled across one of their simulation outposts in the Delta Quadrant and talked them out of their plan, convincing them that diplomacy between S8472 and the Federation could be a wiser course of action.