Scott Bakula Officially Returns To Star Trek For Adorable Reunion With Porthos

Star Trek‘s list of iconic characters feels like it could go on forever, but there’s probably no more adorable or unexpected duo than Captain Jonathan Archer and his beloved beagle, Porthos. Scott Bakula’s role in Star Trek: Enterprise as Archer ushered in a new era for the franchise aboard the Enterprise NX-01, with the doggo Porthos being a somewhat out-of-place addition to the crew that completely changed the dynamic of the show and the captain’s character.

Archer’s relationship with Porthos brought a touching and wholesome element to the franchise, as the loyal beagle was a constant source of companionship for the captain through thick and thin, with their bond providing some of Enterprise‘s most endearing moments. Now, more than two decades after the series concluded, Scott Bakula’s Captain Archer is officially returning to Star Trek this week for an overdue reunion with his adorable four-legged sidekick.

Wizards of the Coast has found an adorable way to translate Archer and Porthos’ relationship into the new Magic: The Gathering crossover releasing this week. The new “Captain Jonathan Archer” card brings Scott Bakula’s Enterprise captain back to the franchise, but easily the best part of the comeback is that his faithful canine companion automatically joins him.

Archer is a rare green 3/3 Legendary Creature costing three mana to play, including one green, but when he enters the battlefield, he creates Porthos, a legendary green 1/1 Dog creature token. For those unfamiliar with Magic, tokens are essentially game pieces created through other cards’ abilities that serve as creatures, artifacts, or other permanents on the battlefield, functioning much like regular cards despite not being part of a player’s main deck.

Porthos even has his own collectible token card, so players can actually reunite the adorable duo on the battlefield without having to draw and cast two separate characters. It’s an incredibly fitting tribute to their relationship in Enterprise, where Porthos was Archer’s constant companion (despite having no official Starfleet duties). Even better, the pair actually complement each other through Archer’s second ability, Federation.

By spending one green mana and tapping Archer, players can give a creature they control +X/+X until the end of their turn, with X being the number of different creature types among their non-Borg creatures.

Archer counts as both a Human and Officer, while Porthos adds Dog to the mix. Together, they provide three distinct creature types, so Archer can actually turn his adorable 1/1 companion into a formidable 4/4 creature. It’s a clever translation of the partnership and a great nod to longtime Enterprise fans.

Archer is included as part of the main Star Trek expansion (TRK), available through boosters, while Porthos is included as a separate collectible token card. The crossover also includes four themed Commander decks: Federation Fleet, Landing Party, Klingon Fury, and We Are the Borg, as well as unique scene cards featuring mosaic-style themed sets from across the franchise, such as Unimatrix Zero.

Magic: The Gathering x Star Trek officially releases Friday, November 13 to celebrate the franchise’s 60th anniversary. However, it’s worth noting that Wizards of the Coast has warned that certain products, including Commander decks and select bundles, are experiencing shipping delays and may arrive after the official launch.

Video Game(s)

Magic: The Gathering, Magic the Gathering Commander, Magic: The Gathering – Battlegrounds, Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers, Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013, Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014, Magic: The Gathering Arena

Created by

Richard Garfield

Main Genre

Fantasy

Release Date

August 5, 1993