Jonathan Archer Jonathan Archer was a 22nd century Human Starfleet officer and captain of , United Earth ' s first full - fledged starship . In that role , he was responsible for greatly expanding United Earth ' s presence in the Alpha and Beta Quadrant s and making first contact with more than a dozen species , among them Klingon s , Andorian s , and Xindi . Considered by historian John Gill , as the " " greatest explorer of the 22nd century , " " Archer is widely credited with saving Earth from the Xindi and paving the way for the founding of the United Federation of Planets . He went on to become one of the Federation ' s earliest presidents . ( ) Early life . Jonathan Archer was born in 2112 to renowned warp scientist Henry Archer and his wife Sally . Despite being born in upstate New York , ( ) Archer variously claimed to have lived " all " or " most " of his life prior to 2151 in San Francisco . ( ) One of Jonathan ' s earliest inspirations for space sciences was a copy of " The Cosmos A to Z " , which he got on his eighth birthday , in 2120 , from his father . Jonathan spent hours staring at its front cover depicting the Arachnid Nebula . ( ) His fascination for space led to him wanting to serve in what became the United Earth Starfleet from an early age , so , in at least one astronomy book he owned as a child , he styled his name on the " ex libris " as " Admiral Jonny Archer " . ( ) In 2121 , while he and his father built and flew a remote - controlled starship model , Jonathan eagerly asked his dad when " his new starship " would be ready to fly . Henry responded that it would take many more years , but that Jonathan should not distrust the Vulcan s for having held back Humanity ' s technical progress , as they probably had their reasons . ( ) Also in his youth , Jonathan achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts . During his time there , he earned twenty - six merit badge s , including a Wilderness badge which he received in a rain forest in New Zealand . ( ) In school , Jonathan was called to the principal ' s office only once , for passing notes to Katy Bentley . ( ) On the day before he entered flight training , Jonathan asked his father what would happen if he failed . The elder Archer ' s response was , " " Don ' t fail . " " ( ) Tragically , in 2124 , his father died of Clarke ' s Disease after suffering from frequent hallucinations and pain for years , sometimes not even recognizing his own son . However , the relationship that Jonathan shared with Henry ' s friend , Emory Erickson , strengthened , and Emory became like a surrogate father to him . ( ) As an undergraduate in California , Jonathan was an accomplished athlete in the sport of water polo . During his senior year , he participated in the 2134 North American Water Polo Regionals . The match featured a come - from - behind victory for his team , who were down by two goals in the last minute of play . The nature of the rally became a mantra that Archer carried forward into later life , such that he always believed he could win , no matter the odds . Following the victory in the regionals , he and his team went on to participate in the championship round of the tournament that year . ( ) During his early 20s , Archer was on a trip to East Africa where he witnessed a gazelle giving birth . He remembered his surprise at seeing how fast the newborn managed to stand up on its feet and run along with the herd . ( ) A few years before Starfleet was chartered , Jonathan gave serious thought to serving on a cargo ship , but decided against it . ( ) Starfleet career . Before " Enterprise " . As a commander , Archer was one of four test pilots in the NX Program in the 2140s . In 2143 , he and A . G . Robinson became not - so - friendly rivals in wanting to be the first to fly the NX - Alpha . Though Commodore Maxwell Forrest ultimately gave the assignment to Robinson , Archer had spent the most time in the flight simulations and got the engines to a ninety - two - percent efficiency . Robinson , however , was determined to break warp two . He did , with Archer serving as the flight director in NX - Control , but the NX - Alpha was destroyed ; Robinson managed to get out just in time via an escape pod . The incident led Starfleet to suspend the NX program at the urging of the Vulcans . Robinson blamed the destruction of the craft on flaws in the engine Archer ' s late father had designed , which eventually led to the two of them coming to blows . Eventually , however , Archer reviewed the data and conceded that Robinson had been right . After devising engine modifications to compensate for the flaws , Archer and Robinson , with the help of Lieutenant Charles Tucker III , took the NX - Beta on an unauthorized field test . With Archer at the controls , the craft achieved a new speed record of warp 2 . 5 . Archer and Robinson were grounded for three months for their actions , but were successful in convincing Starfleet to resume the program . ( ) Later in the 2140s , Archer was on Titan as part of the Omega training mission , along with Tucker . When Tucker ' s environmental suit malfunctioned , Archer saved Tucker ' s life by preventing him from taking off his helmet on Titan ' s surface . ( ) A few years prior to the launch of " Enterprise " NX - 01 , Archer was a guest aboard a Vulcan ship , the " Yarahla " , which made a run to a dark matter nebula . He helped set up the graviton telescope , and also spacewalked in a Vulcan EV suit . ( ) In 2150 , the final selection for the captain cy of " Enterprise " took place between Captains Robinson and Archer . Vice Admiral Maxwell Forrest gave the post to the latter , although Captain Gardner was originally considered the most suitable choice by Ambassador Soval . ( ) Archer ' s quarters aboard " Enterprise " were located on E Deck . ( ) Commanding " Enterprise " . First mission . Jonathan Archer ' s mission as captain of " Enterprise " began in 2151 , after a Klingon officer named Klaang was attacked on Earth by Suliban who , under the leadership of Silik , were trying to start a Klingon civil war as part of the Temporal Cold War . " Enterprise " s historic launch coincided with the Klingon incident , and Vulcan Ambassador Soval believed the launch should be pushed off until the matter with the Klingons had been resolved . Archer was not happy about the prospects of waiting around once again to launch the much anticipated warp five project and in fact believed that the Vulcan ' s suggestion to delay the launch was just another way to impede humanity ' s space exploration and expansion into the galaxy . Not wanting any further delays or interferences by the Vulcans , he suggested taking Klaang back to Qo ' noS himself . Despite objections from the Vulcans , who believed Humans were too volatile and provincial to take on such a matter , Archer ' s proposal was fully supported by Admiral Maxwell Forrest , who gave Archer three days to assemble his crew and begin the mission . ( ) Archer recruited Denobulan physician Doctor Phlox as the ship ' s chief medical officer , Commander Charles " Trip " Tucker as chief engineer , and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed was assigned as the ship ' s armory officer . For the position of communications officer , Archer traveled to Brazil to recruit Hoshi Sato , who was an exolinguist and had a special aptitude with alien languages . It was not easy getting Sato , who was teaching at the time , on board but the prospects of being the first Human to decipher the Klingon language were very tempting . Finally , as a concession to the Vulcans , and to have access to their star chart s , Archer had to agree to have a Vulcan science officer with the name of T ' Pol on board . It was expected that her assignment was temporary and that she would leave after the Klingon had been returned to his homeworld . T ' Pol herself looked forward to the end of her assignment on board " Enterprise " . Even though halfway through it looked like the mission was not going to be accomplished , Archer was known for finishing what he had started . Moreover , he did not believe in giving up and returning home , as that would represent failure to the Vulcans and reaffirmation of their long - held beliefs that Humans were not ready for space exploration and should never have embarked on such a " foolish mission . " After Klaang was returned to Qo ' nos and war averted , Archer received word from Starfleet to " keep going " instead of returning to Earth . Realizing the mission would have failed without T ' Pol ' s help , he offered to have her on board as his science officer and second - in - command . He admitted that , ever since he could remember , he had seen Vulcans as an obstacle which had been keeping Humans from standing on their own two feet . However , having been given the opportunity to finally begin " Enterprise " s missions , he realized he had to leave misgivings about Vulcans behind . T ' Pol accepted his offer and made the request to her superiors personally . Remembering his father and the dream he had envisioned , Archer gave the orders for " Enterprise " to finally set sail into the unknown . ( ) Year one : into the unknown . Archer and " Enterprise " made first contact with the Andorian s at an ancient Vulcan monastery at P ' Jem . Even though the Andorians were initially suspicious of Humans because of their alliance with the Vulcans , they gained some measure of trust , particularly in Archer , when he assisted them in exposing a Vulcan sensor post hidden on P ' Jem . Even though the decision resulted in the destruction of the ancient monastery , it was the beginning of a close relationship with the Andorians , in particular with Shran , which later proved invaluable when the Andorians came to the assistance of " Enterprise " during the Xindi mission in the Delphic Expanse . ( ) Archer ' s next venture concerned the discovery of a pre - industrial civilization populated by the Akaali . A plague was ravaging the planet , and a woman named Riaan , a pharmacist , was attempting to determine the cause . Archer helped her , and found that a hidden antimatter emitter in a local shop owned by a man named Garos had contaminated the water supply . Garos was really an alien who was mining the resources of the planet . Archer exposed him , and when " Enterprise " disabled his ship , Garos was forced to leave . Archer had come close to Riaan during the events and became briefly romantically involved with her . ( ) Archer again encountered Silik when Silik , in the disguise of a pilgrim invited on " Enterprise " , tried to disable the ship . He also met , who he thought was a crewmember , but was in reality a temporal agent from the future . Daniels informed Archer that Silik was trying to change the future , but Silik denied this and said it was Daniels who was the culprit . When Silik was found in engineering and confronted , he escaped ; it was apparent he was the saboteur . ( ) Archer helped rescue a Klingon ship that was losing orbit and falling into a gas giant . Bu ' kaH , a survivor of the accident , was convinced to cooperate with Archer in a rescue attempt after he convinced her that she would be letting her crew die a dishonorable death . Bu ' kaH reluctantly let Archer take her on a reinforced shuttlepod toward her ship , along with an antidote to a neurotoxin which had rendered the crew unconscious . The Klingon crew was rescued along with Hoshi Sato , T ' Pol , and Malcolm Reed , who had become marooned on the ship in a previous rescue attempt . ( ) Archer and T ' Pol were captured on an away mission on Coridan by rebels backed by the Andorians against the government supported by the Vulcans . Shran , along with Reed and Tucker , rescued them . ( ) Archer visited a planet where Eska engaged in hunting sentient beings , telepathic shapeshifters . When they were afraid , they emitted a chemical that gave away their location and made them easy targets . On Archer ' s orders , Phlox came up with a plan to mask the chemical , which shielded them from the hunter ' s scans . The hunters left when they could no longer use their scans , and the beings were safe . ( ) Archer made first contact with the Ferengi later that year , although the aliens in question remained anonymous ; official first contact was eventually made by Jean - Luc Picard . The Ferengi captured " Enterprise " by rendering the crew unconscious , robbing the ship of all valuables . When Archer woke , he , along with Tucker and T ' Pol , was able to play the Ferengi off against each other and retake the ship . ( ) Archer accompanied an away team to a barren planet to salvage an abandoned ship . They had been told by D ' Marr , an alien they met , about the ship and also that it was haunted . Arriving on the planet , the party found that a group of Kantare had inhabited the planet . Their behavior seemed strange , though , especially when Archer offered to transport them back to their homeworld . They learned that all but two of the Kantare were hologram s created by Ezral , who blamed himself for the crash and the death of his friends . He had created the holograms to keep his daughter , Liana , company . " Enterprise " returned both to their homeworld . ( ) Archer , along with Travis Mayweather , was imprisoned in a Tandaran prison camp . The Tandarans were at war against the Suliban Cabal , and had interned innocent Suliban in the camp . Archer learned of the plight of innocent Suliban , who weren ' t involved with the Cabal but still suffered the wrath of the Tandarans by being imprisoned for years in these camps . Archer and Mayweather , along with " Enterprise " , escaped and released the Suliban . ( ) Archer was captured by a symbiotic creature who had stowed away on " Enterprise " . The creature assimilated Archer ' s nervous system , along with others it had captured . When " Enterprise " offered to take it back to its home so it could be attached to its large host , it released Archer and the others . ( ) In February of 2152 , while fleeing from two hostile Mazarite ship s , Archer gave the order to increase speed to Warp 5 , the first time the ship ' s Warp 5 engine was pushed to its theoretical limit . The ship eventually reached a top speed of warp 5 . 2 , faster than any other Earth vessel had traveled at that point . ( ) During a visit to Zobral ' s village , Archer and Tucker got caught up in a civil war , and after an attack , they became stranded in a vast desert . With Zobral ' s help , " Enterprise " rescued them . ( ) While on shore leave on Risa , Archer met a Tandaran named Keyla Terrana , who , in the disguise of a Human , tried to obtain information about the Suliban from him . ( ) In of 2152 , after it appeared his ship ' s mission was over because due to destruction of a mining colony on Paraagan II , Archer was transported to April 9 , 2151 by Daniels , who revealed the Suliban were responsible for what had happened . Returning to the present , Archer used knowledge given to him by Daniels , including the technical skill to construct a quantum beacon , to board a Suliban stealth cruiser and prove what they had done . As a result , Silik demanded Archer be captured . To save Archer , Daniels transported him to the 31st century , causing a major disruption in the timeline that apparently destroyed Earth . Fortunately , Archer and Daniels were able to repair the timeline , though not before Archer managed to learn that he was vital to the creation of the future United Federation of Planets . ( ) Year two : first contact . Archer made a regrettable first contact with the Romulan Star Empire . When Reed tried to disarm a mine attached to the hull , a spike thrust out of the mine and through Reed ' s leg , pinning him to the ship ' s hull . Archer , with Reed ' s instructions , was able to disarm the mine and save Reed . ( ) This led to a stop at an automated repair station that was just as dangerous as the minefield . The station used humanoid brains as co - processors in its computer by physically connecting the captive ' s nervous system to its network . The crew escaped , but not before Mayweather became one of the station ' s adjuncts and had to be saved . ( ) After insulting the Kreetassan s during an away mission , Archer ' s dog , Porthos , was infected with a deadly disease . Phlox cured him , but not before Archer spent a whole night worrying about the relations with the Kreetassans and comforting his dog . Phlox not only saved Porthos , but provided Archer with advice that solved the diplomatic problem . ( ) Archer led a team of crewmen in teaching a mining colony to defend itself against Klingons . The crewmen stayed with the miners while they drove off the Klingons . ( ) Archer helped T ' Pol track down Menos , a rogue Vulcan agent who had become a weapons smuggler . When Menos played on T ' Pol ' s guilt concerning an earlier incident in capturing another rogue agent , Archer was able to help her put her guilt aside and do the right thing . ( ) Archer and Reed were sentenced to death when exploring a planet . Reed had accidentally left behind a communicator , and when he and Archer tried to retrieve it , they were captured . Their captors believed they were super - soldiers sent by their enemies . Heeding T ' Pol ' s long - offered advice on inter - species contact , Archer decided that he and Reed would have to be hanged in order to avoid contaminating the pre - warp civilization . This early , solemn consequence of the as - yet - uncodified Prime Directive was averted , however , when the crew of " Enterprise " saved Archer and Reed using a captured , cloaked . ( ) Later that year , Archer granted asylum to Takret refugees . During a radiation storm , they had to take refuge in " Enterprise " s catwalk . The military , pursuing the refugees , boarded " Enterprise " and almost destroyed it when they tried to start the warp engines . ( ) " Enterprise " investigated a black hole that was part of a trinary star system . However , the radiation from the trinary system affected the crew , causing odd behavior and rendering them comatose . Though the exposure would otherwise have killed the crew , Archer was woken by T ' Pol and was able to pilot the ship away from danger . ( ) Archer was once again drawn into a dispute between Vulcans and Andorians . He avoided a war when he mediated a territorial dispute between the two species . ( ) Archer and Tucker were arrested and sentenced to Canamar for false crimes . A fellow prisoner was able to hijack the ship with their help , but when they found out the prisoner was going to beam off the ship and crash it , killing the rest of the prisoners and guard , they foiled his plot and were rescued by " Enterprise " . ( ) When " Enterprise " discovered a futuristic vessel adrift in space , Archer ordered it brought on board for further investigation , and a Human body was found in the ship . The Suliban and the Tholian s claimed that the ship belonged to them , and demanded that Archer turn it over immediately . Archer was worried that the course of the Temporal Cold War could be affected . During the battle , as they tried to activate the ship , it vanished , and the Suliban and Tholians left . ( ) Archer and his crew fought against the Borg two centuries before the ' s encounter with them . ( ; ) Two Borg drones had been found in Earth ' s Arctic Circle and thawed out by a team of scientists that they then assimilated . These drones were from an unsuccessful attempt by the Borg in the 24th century to stop the flight of Earth ' s first warp - capable vessel via time travel . ( ) The drones , old and new , left Earth on an arctic transport which had belonged to the scientists . " Enterprise " intercepted and destroyed the ship , with Archer and Reed boarding it and setting explosives to make this possible . In the course of doing this , they fought and killed several of the drones . ( ) During first contact with the Vissian s , Archer became close with their captain , Drennik . Drennik invited Archer to join him when he took a Vissian strato - pod deep into a hyper - giant . This first contact ended tragically when Tucker interfered with a cogenitor , a third gender of the Vissians who were second - class citizens . Archer was asked by the cogenitor to grant asylum , which he denied after a meeting with the Vissians . Drennik contacted Archer and told him that the cogenitor had committed suicide . ( ) In late 2152 , Archer was captured by the Klingons after assisting Raatooras rebels . Put on trial on Narendra III , he was spared the death sentence through the efforts of his lawyer , . Archer was sentenced to labor in the dilithium mines on Rura Penthe , but managed to escape . He was hunted by the Klingons for this offense , at first through bounty hunters such as the Tellarite Skalaar , resulting indirectly in Archer making Human first contact with the Tellarites . Skalaar believed the Klingons would return his ship to him , but when he found out they had scrapped it , he helped Archer escape . ( ) During the expedition to the Delphic Expanse , Archer was hunted by Duras , who had been dishonored when Archer saved the Raatooras rebels from him . Archer destroyed Duras ' ship and its crew with it . ( ) Year three : the Xindi attack . After a Xindi probe attacked Earth in 2153 , Archer was given a new mission : search for the Xindi weapon , which required entering a dangerous region of space known as the Delphic Expanse , in order to find the ones responsible for the attack and prevent them from launching their weapon to destroy Earth . It took nearly six weeks before " Enterprise " came into contact with an actual Xindi , and even then he proved to be of little help , directing Archer to coordinates that contained nothing but a field of debris which used to be the planet Xindus . ( ) In September of 2153 , while investigating an abandoned Xindi vessel on a planet , Archer , Hoshi Sato , and Malcolm Reed succumbed to a virus that mutated them into Loque ' eque , a primal lifeform . Tret , the leader of an alien race , attempted to kill Archer in order to eradicate the virus . Even after being cured by Phlox , Archer continued to suffer strange dreams of the Loque ' eque city . Phlox kept a sample of the virus as per Archer ' s instructions , as destroying it would effectively make the Loque ' eque completely extinct . ( ) While visiting a planet to obtain trellium - D , a substance that would protect " Enterprise " from the anomalies of the Expanse , Archer helped rescue a woman , Rajiin , from slave rs . However , Rajiin was really an agent of the Xindi , sent to obtain information about the Humans . Thus , the first battle between " Enterprise " and the Xindi occurred . Xindi - Reptilian s boarded the ship and took Rajiin so they could retrieve the information she had obtained . ( ) " Enterprise " encountered a Vulcan ship in the Expanse . When Archer and T ' Pol boarded the ship to see if there were survivors , they found that the crew had gone insane . The Vulcans were intent on killing them and , after they escaped , Archer ' s only choice was to destroy the ship . ( ) Archer spied on a Xindi research facility , and convinced a Xindi - Arboreal , Gralik , that the Humans were not a threat . Gralik gave Archer a canister of kemocite , fuel for the weapon , to analyze . ( ) In October of 2153 , Archer suffered a mild concussion from an encounter with a spatial anomaly . He eventually recovered . ( ) Archer encountered a Human colony populated by descendants of 19th century American s . He helped them reconcile with the Skagaran s , who had originally kidnapped them from Earth to work as slaves on their planet . The descendants of the Humans had revolted and taken over the planet , relegating the Skagarans to slaves . Archer , following a gunfight with some local cowboys , helped convince sheriff and town leader MacReady to make changes to the area . When the Humans expressed a desire to be reconnected with Earth , Archer was forced to explain that his ship could not accommodate them . Nevertheless , he promised that Starfleet would eventually recover them . As a stopgap measure , he at least provided them with the current history of Earth to help them reintegrate with the main Human population . ( ) Archer and T ' Pol went back in time with the help of to stop the Xindi from producing a bio - weapon that would destroy Earth in the past . He killed the Xindi and returned to the present . ( ) Archer dealt with a group of religious zealots who hijacked " Enterprise " , planning to use it in a religious war . When the lead zealot demanded that a crewmember be put to death for the " blasphemy " of taking scans of the " sacred realms " , Archer tricked them into using the transporter on Archer himself ; allegedly , it would disperse his atoms , but really he was just teleported to another part of the ship . After the ship was retaken , he returned the zealots to their homeworld , where he revealed their planet had been practically destroyed already , asking them before he left to consider if the " truth " really was that important . ( ) An Andorian starship commanded by Shran helped Archer and " Enterprise " track down the Xindi weapon by following a signal from one of several kemocite canisters that Archer had planted when he visited a research facility earlier in the year . The Andorians captured the prototype of the weapon , but Shran was under orders to return it to Andoria . Before Shran could leave with the weapon , Archer activated it , and Shran was forced to jettison it before it exploded . Despite the conflict , Shran transmitted details of the weapon to Archer . ( ) In an attempt to gather the whereabouts of the weapon , Archer captured Degra and , using mind control , attempted to convince him that both had been in a Xindi prison . He tried to gain Degra ' s trust so Degra would give them the location of the weapon . Archer told Degra that the weapon had been used and Earth had been destroyed , but that a civil war had broken out among the Xindi , resulting in a great loss of life . Degra discovered the ruse , but not before he let slip that the weapon was on Azati Prime . ( ) On the way to Azati Prime , " Enterprise " discovered a damaged Xindi - Insectoid vessel with no life sign s on board . There , Archer discovered a hatchery containing Xindi eggs , some of which were still viable . He was suddenly spattered by a strange liquid that spewed from one of the egg sacs , and Phlox determined that Archer had been hit by a mild neurotoxin that made him believe he was the eggs ' caretaker , and his actions began to jeopardize their mission . ( ) On the way to Azati Prime , " Enterprise " found a damaged ship containing an injured male alien . It was determined that the alien was a test subject and he threatened that his people , who were from another dimension , would take over the quadrant when Earth was destroyed . They were the Sphere - Builder s , who had been manipulating certain Xindi species into destroying Earth . ( ) Arriving at Azati Prime , a fierce firefight began . Archer discovered that the weapon was hidden in an ocean . At that point , he declared he was not going to order any more deaths , instead choosing to personally destroy the Xindi weapon , despite attempts by T ' Pol and Daniels to talk him out of it . However , the Xindi intercepted and captured him , though they released him after a lengthy interrogation . Degra was starting to believe the war was being motivated by aliens . ( ) In February 2154 , Archer went before the Xindi Council to convince them not to launch the Xindi weapon at Earth . He had a hard time attempting to persuade them , but quickly made an ally of Degra . The other Xindi - Primate councilor , Jannar , and Kiaphet Amman ' sor soon came around to Archer ' s side as well , but Commander Dolim betrayed the Council , stole the weapon , and killed Degra . ( ) In a final battle to save Earth , " Enterprise " was joined by the Xindi - Aquatic s and Xindi - Primates . As the fleet of Reptilian and Insectoid ships were destroyed , the Sphere - Builders , the aliens behind the plot , tried to intervene . Sato was captured by Dolim to decode the weapon ' s software so it could be activated . The MACO s , under the leadership of Major J . Hayes , rescued her , but Hayes was killed . Archer , along with Reed and the MACOs , used Degra ' s ship to intercept the weapon . " Enterprise " proceeded to destroy the spheres in the Expanse . Boarding the weapon , Archer , with Sato ' s help , was able to cause a reversal overload that would destroy the weapon . As the away team beamed out , Archer was left behind and confronted Dolim , whom he killed . " Enterprise " destroyed all the spheres and ended the alien interference . Archer was believed to have been killed , having been aboard the Xindi weapon as it exploded while approaching Earth . ( ) " After the destruction of the Xindi weapon , Archer was saved when he was thrown back in time to World War II of an alternate timeline . He found that , as part of the Temporal Cold War , the Na ' kuhl were helping the Nazi s win the war by conquering America . Archer managed to destroy a Na ' kuhl time conduit and end the war . " ( ) Year four : making friends . . . and enemies . Several months after returning to Earth with " Enterprise " , Archer was sent on a mission to stop a group of rogue Augment s , relics of the Eugenics Wars who had been resurrected by Dr . Arik Soong . They had attacked and stolen a Klingon ship , and the Klingons threatened war unless the Augments were brought to justice . Archer , along with Soong , tried to find them . After Soong escaped and joined the Augments , Archer found them at Cold Station 12 , a Starfleet facility where other Augment embryos were stored . He was captured and left to die when the Augments triggered a self - destruct procedure . Archer disarmed the self - destruct , and was able to defeat the Augments , recapture Soong , and preserve the peace with the Klingons . ( ) The United Earth Embassy on was bombed , resulting in the death of Archer ' s friend and mentor Admiral Maxwell Forrest . Although a Vulcan splinter group , the Syrrannite s , was blamed , Ambassador Soval urged Archer to travel to their hideout in Vulcan ' s Forge and find the truth . Accompanied by T ' Pol , he met their leader , Syrran , there . Syrran was secretly carrying the " katra " of Surak , and prior to his death by wounds from a sandfire storm , he transferred Surak ' s " katra " to Archer . Archer , guided by Surak ' s " katra " , met with the remaining Syrrannites led by Syrran ' s lieutenant , T ' Pau , and found the long - lost " Kir ' Shara " , a record of Surak ' s original teachings . Archer and T ' Pau headed to the Vulcan capital to confront the Vulcan High Command . It was discovered by Soval , Tucker , and Reed that the bombing had been the work of V ' Las , the leader of the Vulcan High Command , who wished to wipe out the Syrranites and start a war of conquest against Andoria . Archer and T ' Pau , after presenting the " Kir ' Shara " to the Vulcan High Command , averted a war between Vulcan and Andoria . In the process , the Vulcan High Command was dissolved , beginning a new era in the development of Vulcan society . No longer would the Vulcans hold back Humanity ' s advancement into space ; for Archer , it was a lifelong dream fulfilled . The event was mutually beneficial : Vulcan society reverted to the more altruistic and logical path Surak had originally intended , and Archer gained a greater insight into Vulcans than ever before as a result of having carried the " katra " of Surak . ( ) Archer later made first contact with the Organian s , though his memories of the event were completely erased . ( ) He then become embroiled in high - level galactic intrigue when he rescued Commander Shran from the destruction of the " Kumari " , which Shran blamed on the Tellarite s . However , Archer discovered the truth that the Romulan Star Empire , using a Romulan drone ship in attempts to manipulate other galactic powers into fighting one another , was trying to destabilize the entire region . Discovering the ruse , he organized a landmark combined fleet effort of Humans , Vulcans , Andorians , and Tellarites to search for the Romulan vessel , beginning the first steps in uniting these disparate races against a common enemy . ( ) Archer again came into conflict with the Klingons . They were using Human Augment DNA in attempts to genetically engineer their own Augments , unleashing a virus that threatened the Klingon race with extinction . They kidnapped Phlox so he could help find a cure . Archer was able to rescue Phlox , but not before helping him find a cure for the virus . ( ) Archer foiled a plot attempted by John Frederick Paxton , leader of Terra Prime , a xenophobic terrorist group , who threatened to attack all alien ships and Starfleet Command with the verteron array on Mars . Archer fought Paxton and knocked him unconscious but was unable to stop the verteron array firing at Earth . After the array fired on San Francisco Bay without resulting in any humanoid casualties , Archer was instrumental in Paxton ' s arrest . Afterward , he was influential in restarting negotiations for the formation of a Coalition of Planets , giving a speech which persuaded delegates from various alien worlds to continue the steps towards an alliance with Earth . ( ) Later career . Archer ' s command of " Enterprise " ended in 2161 , after which he signed the charter ratifying the Coalition of Planets , which ultimately lead to the formation of the United Federation of Planets . After the founding of the Federation , Archer went on to serve in the Federation Starfleet . At his retirement from Starfleet , he was Chief of Staff at Starfleet Command with the rank of admiral . Archer became an honorary member of the Andorian Imperial Guard in 2164 , Federation ambassador to Andoria in 2169 , served as Federation Council man from 2175 to 2183 , and was ultimately elected President of the United Federation of Planets in 2184 , a post which he held for eight years until 2192 . ( ) Moral conflicts . As one of the first Starfleet captains to explore the galaxy , Archer was sometimes faced with moral decisions . Consequently , he was at times forced to bend the morals to which he once strictly adhered , especially during his time in the Delphic Expanse , though he told T ' Pol he could not save Humanity if he lost what made him Human . ( ) During " Enterprise " s first year in space , the ship visited the Valakian s , who were being killed off by an unknown epidemic ; they would be extinct in less than two centuries . The other species on the planet , the Menk , who were a second - class species , were unaffected . Archer wanted to know if a cure was possible . Phlox told him that he had found a cure , but that what was happening was natural evolution and that the Menk showed evidence of an awakening and had the potential to become the dominant species on the planet , which wouldn ' t happen as long as the Valakians were around . Archer ' s decision to withhold a cure and let nature take its course was against all his principles , but he realized that he had no right to interfere in another culture and play god ; this could be used as an example of an early Prime Directive . ( ) " Enterprise " was ordered to evacuate a group of Denobulan geologists from , a world that had been taken over by the military . One of the evacuees was an Antaran named Hudak . Hudak was dying , but refused to be treated by Phlox , because the Antarans and the Denobulans were mortal enemies . Phlox wouldn ' t treat patients against their wishes even when Archer threatened to order Phlox to do so . Archer could not understand Phlox ' s attitude , but honored his wishes . Phlox was able to convince Hudak to be treated . ( ) When the Vissians informed him that their cogenitor had committed suicide due , in part , to Commander Tucker ' s actions , Archer told Tucker that he wasn ' t in the position to judge the rightness of the Vissian culture and that he hoped Tucker had learned his lesson about interfering in other cultures . ( ) Archer once went so far as to torture an Osaarian pirate named Orgoth in order to find his ship that had stolen weapons , food , and precious supplies . Orgoth ' s final words to Archer , who was adamant about retaining his own humanity in the Delphic Expanse , were to warn him that mercy wouldn ' t serve him well in the Expanse , which " Enterprise " had recently entered . ( ) Archer authorized Phlox to create a clone of Trip Tucker , Sim , so its neural tissues could be used to save Tucker , who had been hurt in an accident and was dying . This transplant would have ended Sim ' s life . Phlox refused to perform the operation until Sim agreed to it . ( ) Archer once ordered the destruction of a Xindi monitoring station to prevent it revealing " Enterprise " s position to the Xindi . The facility ' s destruction killed three Xindi in the process . ( ) Archer was so obsessed with accomplishing the Xindi mission that he stole a warp coil from an Illyrian vessel ; " Enterprise " needed the warp coil to be able to stop the Xindi weapon from destroying Earth . The theft left the Illyrian vessel with three years added onto its voyage home . Though he did leave them trellium , food , and supplies , Archer couldn ' t help but come into a conflict with what he believed was right and wrong . ( ) Relationships . Family . Henry Archer . As a boy , Jonathan often built model spaceships with his father . The two also spent time together flying the models . On Jonathan ' s eighth birthday , his father gave him his first astronomy book , " The Cosmos A to Z " . Archer spent hours staring at the cover of this book , which featured an image of the Arachnid Nebula . Shortly thereafter , his father gave him a tour of the Warp Five Complex . ( ) Sadly , Henry Archer died from Clarke ' s Disease when Jonathan was twelve , leaving his mother to raise him . During the last two years of his life , Henry had difficulty recognizing Jonathan or his mother as a result of the disease . ( ) Sally Archer . Often , when Jonathan had trouble sleeping as a child , he would ask his mother to recite a poem for him . One poem he frequently requested from her was " The Song of the Wandering Aengus " . While listening , Jonathan imagined how the woman in the poem would appear , creating her image in his mind . He did not learn until years later that the poem was written by William Butler Yeats . ( ) Friendships . A . G . Robinson . Archer was close friends with fellow pilot A . G . Robinson despite the two competing to become the first pilot to test the NX - Alpha . ( ) In March of 2153 , Robinson was killed while climbing Mount McKinley on Earth , a death Archer thought was senseless considering Robinson ' s close calls flying Warp trials . ( ) Charles " Trip " Tucker III . Archer met Charles Tucker III , or " Trip " , during the NX Project . Archer was a pilot and Tucker was a lieutenant on Captain Jefferies ' engineering team . After the NX - Alpha was destroyed and the project was going to be canceled , Tucker and Archer teamed up with Commander A . G . Robinson to save the program . They launched the NX - Beta without permission , and were ultimately successful . ( ) Archer and Tucker ' s friendship continued to grow when both were assigned to the Australia n Outback for survival training . Archer saved Tucker ' s life on a number of occasions . On Titan in 2147 , Tucker ' s EV pack froze up and he got nitrogen narcosis . Archer stopped him when he tried to remove his helmet . Archer later saved a delirious Tucker from heatstroke when they were stranded on a desert planet . ( ) On " Enterprise " , Tucker became Archer ' s right arm . They had their meals together and shared many interests . Archer never got tired of listening to Tucker ' s Southern home - spun stories . Tucker , for his part , knew how to relieve Archer ' s stress . When Archer was upset about a first contact with the Kreetassans , Tucker gave him a data module of the Stanford versus Texas water polo match . ( ) No matter what kind of a jam he was in , Archer always knew he could count on Tucker , both professionally and personally as his friend . When in 2152 , Archer and Malcolm Reed – who had been trying to find a communicator left behind on a pre - warp alien planet – were sentenced to death , it was Tucker and his efforts that rescued them from execution by the natives . ( ) He also rescued Archer from bounty hunters who wished to turn Archer over to the Klingon s . ( ) Archer and Tucker ' s relationship was not always stress - free . During first contact with a race known as the Vissian s , who used a third gender called a cogenitor for reproduction , Tucker – who was upset at how it was treated – took it aside in an attempt to open its eyes . The cogenitor didn ' t have a name and was not allowed to leave its room or receive education . It was even treated somewhat lower than a second - class citizen , which was evidenced by Tucker pointing out , " " Even Porthos has a name . " " Tucker had the cogenitor ' s DNA sampled and in a side - by - side comparison , Doctor Phlox discovered the cogenitor was intellectually on the same level as its counterparts , thus neither superior nor inferior to them . Tucker used this as an opportunity to take on the cogenitor , teaching it how to read and telling it that it had the same rights as everyone else and that it should stand up for itself , asserting its freedom and rights as an individual . When the cogenitor asked for asylum on " Enterprise " and Archer denied it , it committed suicide rather than keep living as it had . Archer was both disappointed and furious that Tucker had jeopardized not only their first contact with the Vissians but had also indirectly caused the death of the cogenitor . Tucker told Archer that he had done exactly what Archer would do ; a statement which left the captain even more upset , as he himself often had to wrestle with the fine line of doing what he thought was right and interfering with other species . Archer told Tucker it was not his place to judge the fairness of another culture and that he should never have interfered . While Tucker was shocked at how the situation had unfolded , as he never foresaw this going so far , Archer held him responsible for the cogenitor ' s death and asked him to weigh the repercussions of his actions . Archer did not formally discipline Trip , but made it clear how disappointed he was in him for having acted so impulsively and irresponsibly . ( ) After the first Xindi attack on Earth in 2153 , Archer was the one to break the news to the " Enterprise " crew . This was of particular significance to Tucker as his younger sister , Elizabeth , was an architect who lived in Florida – part of the area that had been destroyed by the Xindi weapon . Even though Archer did not know whether Trip ' s sister was among the casualties , he comforted Tucker anyway , suggesting she may have been visiting elsewhere when the attack took place . When it turned out that his sister was among the victims killed , Trip ' s reaction was naturally one of anger towards the Xindi ; he and Archer agreed that they would find the people responsible and hold them to account for their actions . " " Whatever it takes , " " Archer said . ( ) During the Xindi mission , Tucker became seriously injured when an explosion on top of the warp core flung him to the lower engineering deck . Upon arriving in sickbay , he had lapsed into a coma , due to extensive neural damage he had sustained . Dr . Phlox insisted the only way to treat him was to use a Lyssarian Desert Larvae to create a clone of Tucker and then use that to harvest the required neural tissue . Archer , aware of the moral implications , gave the order to proceed , thereby saving Tucker ' s life . Even though it was not an easy decision and he was aware that the clone would have to be sacrificed , Archer still bonded with him . Phlox gave him the name " Sim " , as he was an exact facsimile of Trip , including all of his memories and experiences . When the time finally came , Archer held a funeral service for Sim who he said was " one of [ their ] own . " ( ) Later that year , Archer was infected with a Xindi - Insectoid neurotoxin causing him to act irrationally . He lost all sense of self and became obsessed with protecting a Xindi - Insectoid hatchery the crew had found . Archer went to great lengths to protect them , such as relieving senior officers of their duties and assigning MACO units to all decks of the ship . It was only due to Tucker ' s stubbornness that he became aware something was controlling the captain ' s behavior and , with the help of Phlox and T ' Pol , they managed to incapacitate him and cure him of the neurotoxin . ( ) As they grew closer to finding the Xindi weapon , Archer managed to convince the weapon ' s creator , Degra , to help them in their cause . This resulted in him coming aboard " Enterprise " , where he and Tucker came to blows over the death of Elizabeth . Tucker , out of respect for Archer , calmed down , eventually coming to realize that the whole situation wasn ' t Degra ' s fault , for he had simply been acting on what he had been told about Human s . ( ) The Xindi weapon finally reached Earth in February of 2154 , where it was destroyed by a strike team led by Archer . Even though they were successful in their mission , Archer was believed to have been killed in the explosion . This had a noticeable effect on Tucker , who couldn ' t seem to grasp what had happened . However , he didn ' t have much time to grieve when it soon became apparent that the ship had been transported into the 20th century , right amid the events of World War II . Upon investigation , it was discovered that a Temporal Cold War faction was trying to alter the timeline on Earth so the allies never won the war . During an attempt to stop them , Tucker became reunited with Archer , who had survived the explosion and had been transported back in time like the rest of the crew , much to Tucker ' s relief . ( ) Later that year , Tucker became infected with a silicon - based virus , as part of an experiment by the Organian s . While Tucker was under quarantine in the decon chamber and his health was continuing to deteriorate , Archer visited him periodically to check how he was . When one of the Organians revealed itself and their " experiment " , a plea by Archer convinced the aliens to cure both Trip and Hoshi Sato . ( ) After a somewhat awkward courtship with T ' Pol and the feelings he had developed for her , which she could not reciprocate at the moment , Trip requested a transfer to , citing the new ship needed experienced crew . Realizing this was just an excuse , Archer asked Tucker for the real reason , but Tucker did not want to reveal his true motivation for leaving . Instead , he solemnly asked that Archer grant his request as his friend , to which Archer replied , " " I ' m asking you to stay . . . as a friend . " " Despite this , Tucker still left " Enterprise " , which put somewhat of a strain on their friendship . ( ) Trip eventually decided to return to " Enterprise " permanently , when he and T ' Pol could no longer deny their feelings for one another . Archer and Tucker ' s friendship remained stable from this point on . ( ) In 2161 , Tucker died , saving the ship and crew . As he was placed into the medical imaging chamber , he gave one last smile to Archer , as if to reassure him that everything would be fine . ( ) T ' Pol . Archer ' s first encounter with T ' Pol was not very pleasant for either one of them . Archer had just found out that the Vulcans wanted to delay " Enterprise " s much anticipated launch due to the Klingon incident and to make matters worse , T ' Pol interjected , berating Archer and humanity for their volatile and provincial nature that she believed rendered them unfit for space exploration . Archer was angered and his response to her was that he was restraining himself a great deal as he really wanted to just " knock [ her ] on [ her ] ass . " When she was later assigned to his ship as his first officer and science officer or as Archer called it " a chaperon " , he was looking forward to her leaving after the mission was over as he found T ' Pol cold , uncaring , cynical , and humorless . To make matters worse , T ' Pol was not particularly fond of Archer ' s pet dog , Porthos , whose smell bothered her . She insisted on cutting vegetables with a knife as Vulcans do not touch their food and she did not find Archer ' s initial attempts at humor and breaking - the - ice worth entertaining . In turn , Archer made it clear to her that she was not to disclose anything they discussed to her superiors on Vulcan . As the mission progressed , however , Archer and T ' Pol found common ground . He was wounded saving her life in a fire - fight , and T ' Pol assumed command and led " Enterprise " in pursuit of Suliban who had kidnapped Klaang . As the acting captain , she could have easily turned around and left but she chose to continue the mission , knowing that it was what Archer wanted . This gave him a new - found respect for her , as he was surprised at the loyalty she exhibited after the initial cold reception . The mission was a success and when T ' Pol was scheduled to leave " Enterprise " as agreed , Archer asked her to join his crew , as he no longer wanted to hold grudges and was instead eager to start freshly with the Vulcans . ( ) Archer began to trust T ' Pol when she didn ' t turn a blind eye when the secret Vulcan surveillance station at P ' Jem was revealed and she helped Archer expose the spy station to the Andorian commandos . ( ) When Ambassador V ' Lar came aboard " Enterprise " in 2152 , she sensed a great bond between Archer and T ' Pol , of " trust . . . and friendship . " ( ) T ' Pol took meals in the captain ' s mess , and once drank wine and entertained Archer with a story of an ancestor who visited Earth before first contact . Archer convinced T ' Pol to interact with the crew . She went to movie night with them , and actually liked a movie called " Frankenstein " . ( ) Archer lent T ' Pol support when she was sent on a troubling mission for the Vulcans : She was to apprehend a former Vulcan agent who had become an arms dealer . Archer assisted her and reassured her self - doubts during the mission . The incident solidified the trust between the duo . ( ) Archer opened up to T ' Pol when his good friend and former rival , A . G . Robinson , died . T ' Pol listened to Archer ' s story about the two of them and offered him a shoulder to lean on . ( ) In the end , it was T ' Pol who was with Archer before he gave a speech at the signing of the Federation Charter . Overcome with emotion , T ' Pol and Archer embraced before his speech . ( ) Increased friction between Archer and T ' Pol in 2152 lead Dr . Phlox , who also had a degree in psychiatry , to believe that Archer was sexually attracted to T ' Pol but was frustrated , as a romantic relationship between him and his first officer would be very inappropriate . He believed that Archer ' s inordinate anger towards T ' Pol ' s opinions on him and other unexpected behavior he exhibited stemmed from Archer subconsciously knowing that his attraction to her was inappropriate . At first , Archer denied that there was any sexual attraction but after an erotic dream with T ' Pol in it , he opened up to the doctor , wondering what to do . Phlox told him that simply being aware of it would be the best course of action , as talking to her about it would make matters worse . In a later discussion with T ' Pol , Archer told her that he would like to minimize the friction between the two of them , a type of friction which could especially develop between people of the opposite sex . T ' Pol replied , matter - of - factly , that in this case it was ideal that he was her superior officer , as that way they were in a position that would not allow them to become attracted to one another with a kind of attraction that would exacerbate the very friction Archer was hoping to avoid . Archer agreed that such a relationship would be inappropriate and the possibility of a romance between the two was never explored again . ( ) " In the alternate timeline in which Archer was afflicted with anterograde amnesia , T ' Pol resigned the captaincy and spent twelve years caring for Archer on Ceti Alpha V . Over the years , she learned more about Archer while he continuously forgot everything past the day he became ill . It became apparent , however , that T ' Pol had begun harboring romantic feelings for Archer . In 2165 , a way had been found to eradicate the interspatial parasites that were preventing Archer from forming new memories . Phlox suggested to T ' Pol that , if the treatment worked , everything between Archer and T ' Pol might be different . " ( ) Thy ' lek Shran . Shortly after taking command of the " Enterprise " , Archer encountered the Andorian commander Shran . In their first confrontation , at the Vulcan monastery of P ' Jem , Shran believed Archer ' s crew were there to help the Vulcans spy on the Andorians . While being kept hostage , Archer managed to contact " Enterprise " , which sent a rescue team . During a firefight inside the monastery ' s reliquary , one of the Vulcans accidentally destroyed a curtain , which was covering the entrance to the Vulcans ' sensor array . Archer asked T ' Pol to give Shran all the data she had collected , to which Shran said that he owed a debt to Archer . ( ) In 2152 , Shran met with " Enterprise " crewmembers attempting to rescue Archer and T ' Pol from the rebels on the planet Coridan . He told them he had " lost sleep " over the fact that he owed a favor to Archer , and so wanted to help rescue him to write off his " debt " . ( ) Later that year , Shran insisted to Vulcan ambassador Soval that Archer be the mediator at talks between their two species , because on their previous encounters , Archer had been " objective " . The Vulcans were initially annoyed at the request , due to their disdain with Humans , but eventually agreed , and the negotiations were completed successfully . ( ) In late 2153 , Shran ' s ship , the " Kumari " , was dispatched to the Delphic Expanse to secure the prototype Xindi weapon , to use in their conflict with the Vulcans . Shran arrived in the Expanse and aided " Enterprise " , claiming ( under false pretenses ) that the Vulcans had only spared one officer to help " Enterprise " during their mission . The " Kumari " and " Enterprise " were able to effect a joint mission to steal the prototype , which was stored in the " Kumari " s cargo bay . However , Shran then informed Archer of the Imperial Guard ' s plan , and gave Archer an escape pod so he could return to " Enterprise " . When encountering spatial anomalies , " Enterprise " caught up with the " Kumari " , and Archer told Shran that he would detonate the weapon in the Andorian ship ' s cargo bay if necessary . Shran thought he was bluffing , but Archer proceeded with his plan and , although jettisoned , the resulting explosion severely damaged the " Kumari " . Later , Shran covertly sent Archer invaluable information on the weapon . ( ) As the Xindi weapon approached Earth , the " Kumari " provided assistance , destroying Xindi Commander Dolim ' s ship , telling Archer that now the Human was in his debt . ( ) In 2154 , Shran led a group of Andorian ships attempting to stop a Vulcan fleet launching a preemptive strike against them . As the Vulcans were ordered to destroy " Enterprise " , Shran went to their assistance again , claiming that Archer now owed him two favors . ( ) The two met again in November of 2154 , when the " Kumari " was attacked and destroyed by a Romulan drone ship posing as a Tellarite cruiser . Shran was very bitter about the loss of his ship , and openly blamed the Tellarites . However the Romulan plot was eventually revealed by Archer , who was attempting to keep an already fragile alliance between the Andorians , Tellarites and the Vulcans . ( ) In 2158 , Shran went into hiding . Three years later , he enlisted Archer ' s help in looking for his daughter , Talla , who had been abducted . The pair were able to initiate a rescue , with the help of the " Enterprise " s crew . ( ) Malcolm Reed . Early in " Enterprise " s mission , Archer took steps toward forging a relationship with his senior staff , including his armory officer , Malcolm Reed . During the first year of their voyage together , Archer and Hoshi Sato took great pains to learn more about Reed , even going so far as to contact members of his family to discover his likes and dislikes . While the effort culminated in a friendly birthday celebration for Reed , the relationship between Archer and Reed failed to develop substantially . ( ) It wasn ' t until a full year after the launch of " Enterprise " that Archer and Reed were able to plan a private breakfast in the captain ' s mess . While Reed mistook the meal for a more professional meeting , Archer was able to coax the armory officer into a personal , though somewhat awkward conversation . Speaking freely , Reed revealed that he felt Archer was too lax a commanding officer . These sentiments were later repeated when Archer chose to risk his own life in an attempt to save Reed when he became trapped on the hull of " Enterprise " during the Romulan minefield crisis . Though both men survived and some level of trust was achieved between Archer and Reed , a closer relationship failed to materialize and Reed continued to doubt Archer ' s resolve as an effective commander . ( ) In 2154 , following the Xindi mission , Archer and Reed clashed when Reed ' s loyalty to Section 31 put him in direct conflict with Archer . Performing a minor act of sabotage against the investigation into the disappearance of Dr . Phlox , Reed was subsequently thrown into the brig . Though several heated conversations took place , Archer was able to get through to Reed and the mission ultimately proved successful . ( ) Phlox . Archer initially met Dr . Phlox in San Francisco upon learning of the incident involving the Klingon Klaang in Broken Bow , Oklahoma . Phlox was treating Klaang and saved his life ; this impressed Archer , who recruited Phlox soon after to serve as chief medical officer aboard " Enterprise " . Phlox was one of only two aliens among the crew , and became one of its most valuable members . He became one of Archer ' s most trusted advisers and on many occasions , his counselor . Phlox also played devil ' s advocate for Archer . There were a few issues that they came into conflict over , but this only strengthened their friendship . ( ) Early in the mission , Archer and Phlox argued over a cure for an epidemic on the planet Valakis , whose population had two species , the Valakian s and the Menk . Phlox discovered that the illness was genetic , and that the Menk were evolving and would become the dominant species , while the Valakians would become extinct . Archer wanted to give them a cure , but Phlox believed that it was not ethical , because such a cure would interfere with nature . Archer was eventually convinced that they had no right to play God , and gained a new respect for Phlox and his counsel . ( ) Archer looked to Phlox for advice on how to deal with various races , since Phlox had experience in such matters . He sought advice on how to deal with the Klingon Bu ' kaH , in order to persuade her to help with a rescue attempt . Archer was convinced by Phlox to apologize to the Kreetassans and avoided a diplomatic incident . He even told Phlox about his attraction to T ' Pol . Phlox endeared himself to Archer when he saved Archer ' s dog , Porthos . ( ) Archer returned the favor when an Antaran refused to be treated by Phlox because the Denobulans and the Antarans were mortal enemies . He convinced Phlox to set aside his preconceptions , and attempt to persuade the Antaran to accept treatment . Phlox ' s attempts were successful , and the Antaran gave his consent . ( ) Phlox and Archer continued their friendship for the rest of " Enterprise " s mission , depending on each other for not only friendship , but counseling . Hoshi Sato . A white - knuckled explorer from the beginning , communications officer Hoshi Sato was at first hesitant to reveal her misgivings to her captain . Not long after the discovery of a derelict Axanar vessel in 2151 , Archer was able to coax Sato into describing her fears . While Archer was sympathetic , he nevertheless expected Sato to perform her duties and placed confidence in her abilities in diffusing a situation involving an attacking Axanar vessel . Taking strides to overcome her difficulties , Sato later made it a point to volunteer for missions , offering to join T ' Pol and Malcolm Reed on a severely damaged Klingon starship , and later opting to stay alone with the alien Tarquin for a short time in 2153 . ( ) Hoshi was Archer ' s choice for looking after Porthos before surrendering himself to the Suliban Cabal in 2152 . ( ) By the end of the Xindi mission , Sato had become one of Archer ' s most valued officers , ultimately aiding him in disarming the Xindi weapon despite having been injured by Xindi - Reptilian s . ( ) Maxwell Forrest . Admiral Maxwell Forrest was Archer ' s mentor and fully trusted him as a capable starship captain devoted to the mission . When the Vulcans , and in particular Ambassador Soval , objected to Archer returning Klaang back to Qo ' noS , Forrest backed Archer up and gave him the " Enterprise " assignment , asking him to " [ not ] screw this up " . After the success of the mission , he was so pleased that " Enterprise " got the green light to continue its mission of exploration and first contact . ( ) In 2154 , when the " Enterprise " returned home from the Delphic Expanse , he forced Archer to apologize to Soval after an emotional outburst in debriefing , maintaining the respect Forrest had for Archer . ( ) He and Admiral Forrest remained close friends until the Admiral ' s death on Vulcan when the United Earth Embassy was bombed by what was assumed to be Syrrannite terrorists . ( ) Travis Mayweather . In many ways , Archer was a role model for his young helmsman , Travis Mayweather . Following the death of Mayweather ' s father in 2152 , Archer personally comforted Mayweather , and granted him permission to visit his family aboard the . ( ) During their time in the Delphic Expanse , Mayweather was one of the few officers to whom Archer opened up . As the " Enterprise " neared Azati Prime , Archer refused to allow Mayweather to go on what amounted to a suicide mission , choosing to go himself . He confided in Mayweather that he had asked for too many sacrifices already , opting to pay what Mayweather described as a penance . ( ) Romance . Margaret Mullin . In 2136 , when Archer was 24 years old and in flight school in San Francisco , he met Margaret Mullin , with whom he became romantically involved . The night before he graduated , he asked her to marry him . Margaret turned him down as she did not want to become " a Starfleet widow . " ( ) Caroline . Some time prior to 2143 , Archer had a relationship with Caroline . When she moved to New Berlin , however , he decided to get drunk in the 602 Club . ( ) Erika Hernandez . Later in the 2140s , Archer was romantically involved with Erika Hernandez . However , he discontinued the relationship when he became Erika ' s superior officer . In 2154 , after Erika became captain of the , they briefly rekindled their romance . ( ) Riaan . In 2151 Archer had a brief romantic relationship with Riaan , an Akaali female he met when they made first contact with their civilization . When his translator malfunctioned and he was in danger of being exposed as an alien , Archer quickly kissed her to prevent her from asking questions . When later on they got to know each other better and came closer and he was about to leave the planet , he kissed her again while she joked that the translator must have malfunctioned again . ( ) Porthos . Porthos was Archer ' s pet beagle – his " buddy " as he once called him – and he had him since he was six weeks old . Archer ' s girlfriend ' s mother had a beagle that he was particularly crazy about . Even after Archer and her daughter broke up , he stayed in touch with the mother . When the dog got pregnant , he was the first one she called . There were four males in the litter , the four Musketeers as they were called . ( ) Porthos lived with Archer on Earth in mid - 2150 before moving to " Enterprise " in April of 2151 . ( ) On " Enterprise " , Porthos had a dog basket in Archer ' s quarters as well as a mat he could lie down on in the captain ' s ready room . Archer also kept a small supply of cheese in a cupboard , something he gave Porthos as a treat now and then , until he realized the " treat " was causing him mild gastrointestinal distress . ( ) Aware that Porthos needed to get off the ship from time to time , Archer occasionally allowed him to visit habitable planets and took him on certain away mission s . It was on one such visit to the Kreetassan homeworld that Porthos picked up a deadly pathogen . Archer was incredibly upset that his " best friend " was at risk of death , and stayed at his side until Doctor Phlox could develop a cure . Porthos eventually made a full recovery . ( ) In 2153 , Archer allowed Porthos to accompany " Enterprise " to the Delphic Expanse in search of the Xindi weapon to the objection of Commander Tucker who believed the Expanse may have unknown properties which could affect him . Early on during the Xindi mission , it became evident that Porthos could sense the anomalies present in the Expanse . He had attempted to alert Archer to one , however , the captain did not understand the warning until after the anomaly had passed through his desk . ( ) Awards and honors . In 2154 , several dozen North America n schools were renamed for Jonathan Archer following the successful resolution of the Xindi crisis , including the former high school of Erika Hernandez . ( ) Archer earned an impressive list of commendations during his career , including the Starfleet Medal of Valor with clusters , the Star Cross , the Preantares Ribbon of Commendation , and the Federation Citation of Honor . ( , biographical display ) In the 23rd century , historian John Gill hailed Archer as " the greatest explorer of the 22nd century . " ( Biographical display in ) In 2256 , Archer was considered one of Starfleet ' s most decorated captains , listed among other legends such as Robert April , Matt Decker , Philippa Georgiou , and Christopher Pike . ( ) Two planets were named for the former captain : Archer ' s Planet in the Gamma Trianguli sector , and Archer IV , the first M - class planet explored by " Enterprise " . ( Biographical display in ) Archer ' s Comet and the Federation starship were also named for the former captain . ( ; ) Memorable quotes . " " Volatile ? You have no idea how much I ' m restraining myself from knocking you on your ass . " " " " We can ' t be afraid of the wind , ensign . " " " " Human beings have a code of behavior that applies whether they ' re Starfleet officers or space boomers , and it isn ' t driven by revenge . Just because someone isn ' t born on Earth doesn ' t make him any less human . " " " " Someday . . . my people are going to come up with some sort of a doctrine , something that tells us what we can and can ' t do out here , should and shouldn ' t do . But until somebody tells me that they ' ve drafted that directive . . . I ' m going to have to remind myself every day . . . that we didn ' t come out here to play God . " " " " Once you give up , the game ' s over . " " " " An old girlfriend ' s mother had . . . this beagle I was crazy about . Even after her daughter and I broke up , we stayed in touch . When the dog got pregnant , I was the first one she called . Four males in the litter - the Four Musketeers . I ' ve had Porthos since he was six weeks old . " " " " I don ' t like bullies , Trip . Not on Earth , and not out here . " " " " I need what was taken from me . There ' s too much at stake to let my morality get in the way . " " " " I ' m prepared to do whatever it takes to find your ship . And if that ends up causing me remorse , then it ' s something I ' m willing to live with . " " " " We ' ll find a way through this . But I won ' t leave anyone behind , not if I can help it . I can ' t try to save Humanity without holding on to what makes me Human . " " " " I need Trip . " Trip " . I ' ll take whatever steps necessary to save him . " " " " Even if it means killing me ? " " " " Even if it means killing you ! " " " " You ' re not a murderer . " " " " Don ' t make me one . " " " " You did the right thing . " " " " It seems the longer we ' re out here , the more I have to keep telling myself that . " " " " We ' re in bad shape – I can ' t deny that , but we ' re still in one piece . " Enterprise " is a tough ship . She took more than anyone could ask her to and then some . And so have all of you . I wanted to say thank you . I only wish I could thank the eighteen crewmen who were lost . Like you , they understood how important our mission is , and they accepted the risks . We came into the Expanse not knowing what we ' d find , with no one to rely on but ourselves . We ' re going to succeed – to accomplish our mission – for everyone on Earth who ' s relying on us , and for the eighteen . " " " " You ' ve changed , captain . " " " " And not at all for the better ! " " " " I ' ve been told that people are calling us heroes . When it comes to my crew , you won ' t get any argument from me . But I think it ' s important that we remember the heroes who aren ' t with us – the twenty - seven crewmen who didn ' t make it back . Without their sacrifice , I wouldn ' t be standing here right now . None of us would . But I ' m sure I speak on behalf of my entire crew when I say . . . it ' s good to be home . " " " " Up until about a hundred years ago . . . there was one question that burned in every Human - that made us study the stars and dream of traveling to them : " Are we alone ? " Our generation is privileged to know the answer to that question . We are all explorers , driven to know what ' s over the horizon , what ' s beyond our own shores . And yet . . . the more I ' ve experienced , the more I ' ve learned . . . that no matter how far we travel , or how fast we get there . . . the most profound discoveries are not necessarily beyond that next star . They ' re within us - woven into the threads that bind us - all of us - to each other . The final frontier begins in this hall . Let ' s explore it together . " " " " Here ' s to the next generation . " " " " Just beyond the next planet , just beyond the next star . . . " " Appendices . Appearances . Jonathan Archer appears in : Background information . Jonathan Archer was played by Scott Bakula in all ninety - eight episodes of . Prior to playing Archer , Bakula never considered that he might like to play a captain in " Star Trek " . ( " " , p . 36 ) The young version of Archer in " Broken Bow " was portrayed by Marty Davis . The character of Captain Archer was initially conceived by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga . They originally imagined the character as " " a captain who was an adventurer and who was lighthearted , " " said Berman . " " A little bit of Captain Kirk and a little bit of Chuck Yeager . " " ( " " , paperback ed . , p . 248 ) Braga noted , " " We knew we wanted our captain to be a down - to - earth , kind of guy . " " ( ) Archer ' s first name was originally to have been " Jackson " . ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 33 , No . 5 , p . 21 ) He was to have been called " Jack " colloquially . While having the first name " Jackson " , a character description of Captain Archer was written in the ENT series bible . It described him as " " Early 40 ' s . Physical . Intensely curious . Born and raised an explorer by his father , an engineer who worked on the warp 5 project . Unlike the Captains in centuries to come , Archer exhibits a sense of wonder and excitement , as well as a little trepidation about the strange things he will encounter . He holds a grudge against the Vulcans , who he blames for impeding humanity ’ s progress . But his Science Officer is Vulcan , and he ' s struggling to reconsider those preconceptions . Although he has a strong sense of duty , he ' s a bit of a renegade – he ' s not afraid to question orders or even disobey them , if he feels in his gut that he ' s right . Archer was there when the first girders on the " Enterprise " were put into place . And when the Vulcans tried to suspend the maiden launch after the Broken Bow Incident , claiming humans weren ' t ready for interstellar travel , Archer helped persuade Starfleet to press on [ . . . ] The Kirks and Picard s and Janeway s will one day have the benefit of the Captains who preceded them . But Jackson Archer is the prototype . He ' s making history with every light year . Because he knows his Captain ' s Logs will be studied for years to come , he keeps especially detailed reports . " " While Archer was still planned to have the first name " Jackson " , a character breakdown sheet sent from Paramount to talent agents , upon seeking an actor to play the role , described the character thus ; " " Early 40s . Physical . Bold personality . Intensely curious . Born and raised an explorer . Unlike the Starfleet captains in centuries to come , he exhibits a sense of wonder and excitement , as well as a little trepidation about the strange things he will encounter . He holds a grudge against the Vulcans , who he blames for impeding humanity ' s progress . But his science officer is Vulcan , and he ' s struggling to reconsider those preconceptions . Although he has a strong sense of duty , he ' s a bit of a renegade – he ' s not afraid to question orders or even disobey them if he feels in his gut that he ' s right . " " Rick Berman and Brannon Braga definitely had a certain type of actor in mind for the role of Archer . Berman explained , " " We were looking for a little Han Solo quality . We were looking for a little boyishness . We were looking for somebody who had a sense of excitement and awe and was his own man , someone who was young and fit , someone who embodied those heroic qualities that haven ' t really existed since Captain Kirk . " " ( " " , paperback ed . , p . 254 ) Berman commented further , " " We sort of thought of a Han Solo type , a younger Harrison Ford . Somebody with a sense of humor , and somebody who [ . . . ] was very human and very accessible . " " ( audio commentary , ENT Season 1 DVD / Blu - ray ) Archer ' s first name was eventually switched to " Jonathan " . This was because research turned up exactly one person in the United States of America with the name of " Jackson Archer " . ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 33 , No . 5 , p . 21 ) The change was listed as one of six revisions of character names in a one - page " script note " at the start of the final draft script of ( the page was dated ) . The revised final draft script for " Broken Bow " established that Archer was nine years old in the very first scene of " Enterprise " , set in 2121 , and thirty - nine in 2151 . However , a " Behind the Scenes of " Enterprise " " section in the novelization of " " ( paperback ed . , p . 251 ) states that he was created as " a man in his mid - forties . " When the adult version of Archer was introduced in the script , the teleplay quoted a section from the series bible and character breakdown , stating , " " Unlike the Starfleet Captains in centuries to come , he exhibits a sense of wonder and excitement . " " British actor Simon MacCorkindale claimed he was offered the role of Captain Archer , but turned it down . Brannon Braga , however , once stated that Scott Bakula was the only actor seriously considered to play Archer . ( audio commentary , ENT Season 1 Blu - ray ) Rick Berman reminisced about the option of casting Bakula , " " When his name was brought up to us by the studio , we jumped for it . " " ( ' , paperback ed . , p . 254 ) Braga noted , " " Scott Bakula was an actor who was pretty much the actor who we had in mind all along for the role [ . . . ] We actually had a meeting with Scott , to discuss the [ . . . ] character , and he just seemed so perfect . He seemed like he really was Jonathan Archer . He was not your typical spit - and - polish captain . He was more of an everyday guy , with some extraordinary abilities , who . . . was perfect . And people kinda knew [ . . . ] Scott Bakula , so you felt like you kinda knew the guy already . So , in every regard , Scott was just perfect in the role . " " Berman believed the phrase " a very intelligent and very gracious man " could be applied to both Archer and Bakula . ( audio commentary , ENT Season 1 DVD / Blu - ray ) Shortly after Bakula was cast , Berman enthused , " " “ Scott personifies the charm and intelligence that the role calls for . " " When first asked to play Captain Archer , though , Bakula was uninterested in the offer . " " I may have even said , ' I ' m not interested in , you know , the next captain [ after Janeway ] . " " When Bakula was informed he would be playing " the first captain , " about 100 years before Kirk , Bakula accepted the part . ( " The Captains " ) " " They had him pretty much on the page when I got the pilot script , " " Bakula reflected . " " It was exciting to read him because he ' s a lot like Kirk : very emotional and very given to being angry , and , sometimes , acting before he thinks . I thought that was a great way to go , and I thought it would be an exciting kind of character to create . " " ( ) Berman reminisced , " " When we found out that Scott was interested , it was very exciting for all of us . " " ( audio commentary , ENT Season 1 DVD / Blu - ray ) The fact that the role of Captain Archer went to Bakula partly made him the most widely known actor to be hired to play the lead role of a captain in a " Star Trek " series . " " As a recognized actor he brings a little validity to the show , " " Berman remarked . " " It doesn ' t hurt to have someone who is recognizable [ . . . ] I cannot think of a single soul I would rather have playing that role . " " ( ' , paperback ed . , pp . 253 - 254 ) Bakula was forty - six when he began appearing as Archer . The call sheets throughout " Star Trek : Enterprise " consistently omitted Scott Bakula ' s name , referring to him as " Archer " , whereas the other key cast members were actually referred to by their own names on those same call sheets . Scott Bakula found the ENT producers allowed him " a fair amount of input " in shaping the persona of Jonathan Archer . ( ) " " We didn ' t realize how likeable and down - to - earth Scott would be , " " Brannon Braga divulged , shortly after ENT Season 1 began , " " so we ' re giving him more moments that are a little bit more laid back . " " ( ) Following the casting of Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer , Brannon Braga observed about the captain , " " He ' s a bit of a Davy Crockett - type character in that he ' s got the flair for frontier diplomacy , but there are no protocols . " " ( ) Brannon Braga and Rick Berman wanted Archer ' s command style to initially be indecisive ( such as in the second installment of ENT , ) . " " That [ indecisiveness ] was planned , " " remarked Braga , following the first season . " " We wanted a captain who was gung - ho to get out there and explore , and then realizes the galaxy ' s not quite what he expected [ . . . ] You could say he ' s indecisive , but to me , that ' s part of the fun . We want to see him frustrated . Gradually he does start to get his space legs . But that ' s something you want to see depicted , because it ' s good character drama . " " ( ) Archer was altered for the third season , as a reaction to Earth being threatened by the Xindi . " " We set up a harder - edged Archer , who ' s willing to kill or torture a man if he has to . It ' s a loss of innocence , " " Braga explained . " " Archer went out into space wide - eyed and all - embracing . And here he is now , realizing that maybe the Vulcans were right – maybe we weren ' t ready [ . . . ] He has to take a different view of what it ' s like to be out there on a ship . It ' s no longer about exploring . It ' s about saving his people . So there ' s definitely a corruption of his character . " " ( ) The change in Archer ' s personality was noted in the final draft script of , with a scene description referring to Archer as having " judicious caution borne of time spent in the Expanse . " Archer ' s hairstyle changed , during the course of the series , from a classic comb - over to a shorter , straight - banged haircut that he ended up sporting by the conclusion of the show ' s third season . Between production of that season and the fourth one , Hair Designer Michael Moore commented , " " The short hair on him was a good move . When we first started , they went with the traditional cut kind of longer , part to the side and all . It kind of morphed into what it is now . We just blow it dry really quickly with a little product in there to give it a little texture so it doesn ' t lay down flat or anything . That ' s the extent of his look – pretty no - nonsense . " " ( ) In the final draft script of ENT ' s penultimate episode , , Archer was regarded as " the man who summoned the future . " In , Brannon Braga stated on his Twitter account that the show ' s fifth season would have revealed the mysterious Humanoid Figure ( aka Future Guy ) in the Temporal Cold War to be Jonathan Archer , " trying to correct history . " Reception . Some fans were at first hopeful that , due to the retro approach of " Enterprise " , Archer would be very similar to Kirk . When it was revealed that Archer was to originally be depicted as indecisive , however , some of those fans were initially unsure what to make of the new captain . ( ) Paramount was initially noncomittal to confirm repeated claims that Scott Bakula had been cast as Jonathan Archer . On , Daily Variety reported , " " Meanwhile , Paramount Network TV declined comment on ongoing reports that Scott Bakula has been tapped to lead the next " Star Trek " series , subtitled " Enterprise . " However , by the time filming was actually about to start , there was a formal announcement that Bakula had indeed been selected ; with filming set to begin on the following Monday , a Daily Variety report on Friday declared , " " The " Enterprise " has a new captain : After weeks of negotiations , Scott Bakula is officially on board the next " Star Trek " series . " " Early in the run of " Star Trek : Enterprise " , Malcolm Reed actor Dominic Keating remarked , " " The fact that they ' ve got Scott Bakula as the captain is just terrific . " " ( ) At about the same time in the making of the series , Maxwell Forrest actor and veteran " Star Trek " performer Vaughn Armstrong referred to Bakula as having " a volatile undercurrent that will make his character pretty exciting . " ( ) UPN , the network that aired " Enterprise " , did not share the enthusiasm of Keating and Armstrong , however , as they were of an opinion that Bakula ' s performance was one of the reasons for the poor performance of the series ; Brannon Braga has revealed that , by the end of Season 3 , UPN had decreed that if the series was to be renewed for a fourth season – the network actually already of a mind not to do so – a necessary step would be ridding the series of Bakula ( who was , in effect , already looking for a new job , as he too was led to believe that " Enterprise " would not be renewed ) . Rick Berman fought UPN ' s decree tooth and nail , successfully as it turned out . That the series was renewed for a last season , and thus allowed for an encore of Jonathan Archer , was in no small part due to the fact that strong backing was received from an unexpected corner , as Bakula has unequivocally cited Garry Hart – a former UPN head and " Star Trek " supporter , who had just been promoted to another position within the conglomerate – as the driving force behind the renewal , thereby thwarting the cancellation intents of the person or people who succeeded him at UPN . ( " Before Her Time : Decommissioning " Enterprise " " , ENT Season 4 Blu - ray special features ) In , Mark Jones and Lance Parkin , writers of the review reference book " Beyond the Final Frontier " ( p . 357 ) , commented about Archer therein , " " Scott Bakula often appears surprisingly stiff , given the warmth , intelligence and humour he demonstrated on " Quantum Leap " – you get the sense he ' s not being given the freedom and creative control he had on that show . However , even on low power , he dominates the show . " " Apocrypha . The novel " Beneath the Raptor ' s Wing " gives Archer ' s middle name as " Beckett " , a nod to Sam Beckett ( also portrayed by Scott Bakula ) in . In the " " novel , " A Less Perfect Union " , John Frederick Paxton destroys Starfleet Command and ends the talks for the Coalition of Planets . Archer continues to work toward creating a political alliance between Vulcan , Andoria , Tellar , and other worlds , with the belief Earth would eventually join as well . His actions are opposed by the Isolationist Party , who has taken control of the Parliament and recalls him for court martial . In this novel , he also performs the marriage between Trip Tucker and T ' Pol . He also married Erika Hernandez sometime prior to 2199 and died sometime after 2244 . At the very end of the novelization of ( and IDW ' s " The Truth About Tribbles , Part 2 " ) , " Archer ' s prized beagle " rematerialized on the " Enterprise " transporter pads , moments before the ship jumped to warp on its new voyage .