Q appears in first of all The Next Generation, then a brief entrance in Deep Space Nine and makes a few lovely appearances in Voyager, along with his son Q2.

The Next Generation

• Encounter at Farpoint (1)
• Hide and Q (9)
• Q Who (41)
• Deja Q (60)
• Q Pid (93)
• True Q (131)
• Tapestry (140)
• All good Things (176)

And even has his own book: "Q's Guide to the Continuum"(Michael Jan Friedman and Robert Greenberger) with such 'useful' information as: "The galaxy's wordiest treaty" and "The galaxies largest single celled organism".

For those of you who haven't heard about Q (where have you been!) he is an omnipotent and immortal being from a place somewhere in the universe, known as 'The Q Continuum' they have (or perhaps more specificlly he has) a fasination with humanity, and the crew of the Enterprise especially.

Although he only actually appears in eight of the episodes, he is mentioned in a few others (Devils Due), and many unexplained starnge goings on could be thanks to him (Time squared). The amount of times he saves the crew of the Enterprise, (Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart)mostly) you would think they were best friends. Their relationship is one one of the most erratic and inexplicable in the whole series (closely followed by the Captain and Lwaxana (Majel Barrett))

Encounter at Farpoint

Just as we are being introduced to the crew of the new Enterprise ( NCC 1701 8211 D) we have the surprise of meeting Q, appearing with a new forcefield ( which isn't seen again after series one). Straight away we see that he is going to become the character that adds in the comic relief, and the unexpected events, when he puts Captain Picard, Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Tasha Yar ( Denise Crosby) and Data ( Brent Spiner) on trial for the cruelty of mankind. Why an android can be included in that only Q knows. After they manage to pass the test, Q decides to "keep an eye on them" and warns them "they haven't seen the last of 'The Q'"

Hide and Q

Q Presents Riker ( Jonathan Franks) with what he called an irresistible offer, which Riker, in a true "good guy" way refuses. But not after another of Q's games, taking the senior officers to his own version of the Napoleonic world, and making Riker save them. The captain and Q have a Shakespeare quoting session, showing that while the Enterprise was travelling through the galaxy Q was obviously researching human literature.

Q Who?

Q has been banished from the continuum, and wants a position aboard the Enterprise, but when he introduces them to the Borg, (Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) must have hated that, her two least favourite things in the universe) killing eighteen crew members ( though he did save them in the end, a very amusing scene with the Captain begging for help) he is (surprisingly) refused.

Deja Q

Now exiled from the Q continuum, Q has been turned into a human,(at his request). He befriends Data ( "the android who teaches a course on humanity") and saves a planet from total annihilation. Not bad for one episode.

Q Pid

No saving planets this time, Q is back to playing his old games( this time with an old lady friend of the Captains) introduced by one of the best lines in the series : Riker:Any idea what he's up to? Captain: He wants to do something nice for me Riker: I'll alert the crew. Come on, he's not that bad. Vash, (Jennifer Hetrick) (the captain's archaeologist friend) certainly doesn't think so, she decides to accept Q's offer., and becomes his travelling partner.

True Q

Not just satisfied with one Q this time, we have another. A human Q? Amanda Rogers (Olivia d' Abo) came aboard to gain some experience as a medical officer with Dr. Crusher (Gates Mc Fadden) and turns out to be a Q. Only on the Enterprise.

Tapestry

Q saves the Captain again, and teaches him a lesson which is either : "Things turn out the way the should" or "be careful what you wish for".

Or perhaps it's as simple as: "don't underestimate the Q"

All Good Things

This is really the perfect ending to the series, in which Q takes the captain back and forward through time and space from the start of humanity to 25 years or so into their future. Where the Captain "shows a glimmer of intelligence". Q helps save the Captain again, though this time it was his fault in the first place.

Deep Space Nine

Only one appearance here, in Q-less with Vash again, even she couldn't put up with him for long, after two years, she is requesting to be left on Deep Space 9. Q meeting Sisko results in Q getting punched, even Worf never punched him.

Voyager

A couple of appearances:

Death Wish

Kathryn Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) first out of three meetings with Q - who likes the idea of female starship captains. Another Q trial in thsi episode, but the tables are turned, Q 3 (Gerrit Graham) wants to be turned into a human, and killed, he is bored of immortality. But Q claims this will 'distrupt the continuum'. We learn that Sir Issac Newton (Maury Ginsberg) had a bit of help from Q3 while discovering gravity.

The Q and the grey

Say hello to the first female Q that we meet (Suzie Plakson)and be prepared to see the consequences of Q3's suicide. Captain Janeway and Q end up in another version of the continuum, this time they are at war.

Q 2

Q's son (Keegan de Lancie (John de Lancie's son))appears in this episode, and is just like his father. Only Q, in true "do as I say not as I do" style, asked 'Aunt Kathy' to teach Q2 a lesson.

Q is definitely the character that is meant to be loved and loathed, expressing views on humanity that many of us would agree with -if it is a bit exaggerated.

John de Lancie has also written a book about the Q, entitled 'I,Q'