Mary Sue

==1) The Perfect Protagonist==
In a Trek story she (usually a she, named after the author but not necessarily) graduates first in her class and the Academy while at the same time teaching the Command school and re-writing the curriculum. She is posted at once to the Enterprise where her efforts increase the sensor power by five, adds three warp factors to the ship's speed and makes better coffee than any one else. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy et all fall madly in love with her and when the villains attack she and she alone can save the ship by sacrificing herself. (Jay Hailey)
A Mary Sue character can be a Captain. But he, or she, is usually a brooding bad ass, anti-social type, who sneers at everyone and has a massive disrespect for authority and rules. His ship is usually the new super-dooper experimental mega space battleship of which there is no other. Only Captain Mary Sue (Sometimes Marty Stue) and the USS Enormous Phallus can possibly save the Federation.
The third form of Mary Sue, and perhaps the most vile (from the reader's viewpoint) is the Perfect Antagonist "too cool to lose" (Jezabelle Sue). The author is thoroughly in love with their villain and can't stand to see them lose. Nothing the PCs can do seems to alter the situation. When by the vilest of methods they do defeat the wonderful villain, the villain still gets away to wreck havoc in the future. Black Omne of the "Phoenix" books is a perfect example of this. (Garry Stahl) See "Slug Writer"
==2) The protagonists and their ship are the "best of the best"==
The ship is the latest experimental faster than heck super- battle- stealth- dreadnaught- etc., capable of traveling faster than heck, through time, and chocolate pudding with equal ease, that Starfleet has ever made. All the crew are Mary Sues as per definition one. 
This is usually the clue that the story or stories will be blatant wish fulfillment and power projection. Most usually found in "club fiction" where the author(s) write about the club members' characters in a Star Trek club.
==3) The way things "ought" to be==
The perfect Society as the Federation sees itself, Prejudice and greed free. Truly equal opportunity and resources for all. This being opposed to how things really are, as we are still working on that. See: Betty Sue.(Garry Stahl)
See Also "Betty Sue"
=The Mary Sue Litmus Test=
This is strictly for fun. Anyone not having fun with it but taking it seriously will be given a wedgie by Bob the Dinosaur. (Note: This was created long before NuTrek. I think JJ Abrams was cribbing from it.)
Methodology - Pick something that you have read in a horrible Mary Sue story - scrape the serial numbers off the incident and turn it into a question. Then arrange the answers from cool to totally Mary Sue.
*Stuff that makes a Yak gag and makes the most drooling explosion addicted 14 year old yell "Oh, COME ON!!" gets 25+ points.
*Slightly over the top gets 20 to 24 points 
*A bit of a stretch gets 15 to 19 points. 
*Solid but special gets 10 to 14 points 
*Perfectly normal gets 5 to 9 points 
*Sad Sack gets 4 or less. 
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1) If a TNG/DS9/VOY era (through Nemesis) Original Character. Does your Original Character's ship out gun:
*A) The Voyager? 
*B) The Enterprise-D? 
*C) The Defiant? 
*D) The Enterprise-E?
*E) The Scimitar?
A: 10 point B: 15 points C: 20 points D: 25 points E: 30 points
2) The Original Character's first command is a: 
*A) Old junker pulled from the back of spacedock 
*B) Slightly used but sturdy ship worthy of its crew. 
*C) Brand new heavy cruiser. 
*D) Brand new battleship. 
*E) Secret prototype like no other.
A: -5 points B: 0 points C: 10 points D: 20 points E: 30 points
3) Can your Original Character captain beat up:
*A) Riker (Chakotay) 
*B) Spock (Sisko) 
*C) Worf (Tuvok) 
*D) Kirk (Odo) 
*E) Q
A: 5 points B: 5 points C: 15 points D: 25 points E: 35 points
4) When did your Original Character character graduate from Starfleet Academy?
*A) age 24 (After 6 years) 
*B) age 22 (After 4 years) 
*C) age 20 (After two years) 
*D) below age 18 (A prodigy!) 
*E) brevetted by a Cannon character to officer's rank during a crises
A: 0 points B: 1 point C: 10 points D: 20 points E: 25 points
5) Who could your Original Character beat in a 3D chess game?
*A) Tuvok 
*B) Data 
*C) Kirk 
*D) Spock 
*E) Q
A: 5 points B: 10 points C: 15 points D: 25 points E: 35 points
6) Who could your Original Character beat in a poker game?
*A) Harry Kim 
*B) Geordie La Forge 
*C) Picard 
*D) Kirk 
*E) Riker
A: -5 points B: 1 point C: 15 points D: 25 points E: 26 points
7) Who is in love with your Original Character?
*A) One special person 
*B) Anyone that spends time with them 
*C) All the Series Character principles 
*D) The whole ship 
*E) Everyone
A: 5 points B: 10 points C: 15 points D: 20 points E: 25 points<BR>
+50 points if your character is the same gender as those Series Characters that love them.
8) Your Original Character can out drink
*A) La Forge 
*B) Chekhov 
*C) Picard 
*D) Kirk 
*E) Scotty
A: 0 points B: 10 points C: 15 points D: 20 points E: 25 points
9) In tactical combat your Original character is better than. 
*A) La Forge 
*B) Picard 
*C) Sisko 
*D) Riker 
*E) Kirk
A: 5 points B: 10 points C: 15 points D: 20 points E: 25 points
10) Your Original Character is good at: 
*A) Competent, but shines at nothing. 
*B) Competent, with a special talent for one thing. 
*C) Generally Competent and expert in two or three things. 
*D) Competent and a leading light in three to four diverse fields of study. 
*E) Everything but ballroom dancing.
A: 5points B: 10 points C: 15points D: 20points E: 25 points
Results: 
Up to 50: You are really trying to avoid Mary Sue, perhaps a little too hard.<BR>
51 to 80: Not a Mary Sue.<BR>
81 to 150: Not a Mary Sue, and don't do it again.<BR>
151 to 249: I think there is a hint of Mary Sue happening here.<BR>
250 or more: Full blown raging, but universally loved, Mary Sue.<BR>
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Category:Humor
Category:Turkey City