Quark
Quark, Businessman
Species:	Ferengi
Gender:	Male
Hair color:	Bald
Eye color:	Blue
Home planet:	Ferenginar
Affiliation:	Ferengi Alliance
Posting:	Owner of Quark's Bar on Deep Space Nine
Portrayed by:	Armin Shimerman

Quark, son of Keldar and Ishka, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, played by Armin Shimerman, and a regular for the show's seven-year run. A member of the ultra-capitalist Ferengi, Quark owned a bar on the Promenade of Deep Space Nine. Image File history File links STDS9Ep612. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Ferengi on Star Trek: The Next Generation The Ferengi are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. ... The gender symbols used to denote a male or female organism. ... The shield and spear of the Roman God Mars are often used to represent the male sex In heterogamous species, male is the sex of an organism, or of a part of an organism, which typically produces smaller, mobile gametes (spermatozoa) that are able to fertilise female gametes (ova). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Eye color is a polygenic trait and is determined primarily by the amount and type of pigments present in the eyes iris. ... In the Star Trek universe, Ferenginar is the homeworld of the Ferengi and the capital of the Ferengi Alliance. ... Ferengi on Star Trek: The Next Generation In the Star Trek fictional universe, the Ferengi are an alien race notable for their devotion towards capitalist profit and their constant efforts to swindle people into bad deals. ... In the Star Trek fictional universe, Deep Space Nine (or DS9) is a space station. ... Armin Shimerman (born November 5, 1949) is an American actor. ... Keldar, a native of the Ferengi species, is the father of Quark (the owner of a bar on Deep Space Nine). ... Ishka, daughter of Adred and widow of Keldar, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, played by Cecily Adams and Andrea Martin. ... A fictional character is any person who appears in a work of fiction. ... Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... Armin Shimerman (born November 5, 1949) is an American actor. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... Ferengi on Star Trek: The Next Generation The Ferengi are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. ... In the Star Trek fictional universe, Deep Space Nine (or DS9) is a space station. ...

Character arc

The writing of the character softened considerably during the course of the series. Near the beginning, he was portrayed as a strict follower of Ferengi morals, and allowed nothing to stand in the way of making profits. He was therefore occasionally mixed up in highly illegal activities. However, Quark gradually became a more appealing character, who, although never losing his greed, could be counted on to do what was right. The Rules of Acquisition, in the fictional Star Trek universe, are a set of guidelines intended to ensure the profitability of businesses owned by the ultra-capitalist Ferengi. ... Profit, from Latin meaning to make progress, is defined in two different ways. ... Greed is often associated with death and disease. ...

Career

Before opening Quark's on the station, Quark served as a cook aboard a Ferengi freighter for eight years. Quark originally came to the station while it was named Terok Nor during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. Originally, Quark admired the Cardassian race for their version of morality, but later he seemed to take pity on the downtrodden Bajoran people, selling them food and equipment just above cost, which could've gotten him into serious trouble if the Cardassians had found out. When the station changed hands at the end of the occupation, Quark decided to leave the station. Commander Sisko, feeling that Quark's presence would encourage commercial tourism to boost the station's economy, exhorted Quark to stay, using his nephew, Nog as a bargaining chip, in the Deep Space Nine episode, Emissary. Quark nevertheless continued to conduct a variety of shady deals while on the station, but neither Sisko nor the Bajoran authorities took many punitive actions against him, perhaps because his contribution to station tourism outweighed the trouble caused by his activities, which were legal according to Ferengi law and, for the most part, harmed no one. Deep Space Nine Deep Space Nine is a fictional space station in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... Cardassians are a spacefaring race in the fictional Star Trek universe. ... A typical major city on Bajor In the fictional Star Trek universe, Bajor (IPA: /bedʒoɹ/ or /beʒoɹ/) is the homeworld of the Bajorans. ... Morality refers to the concept of human ethics which pertains to matters of good and evil —also referred to as right or wrong, used within three contexts: individual conscience; systems of principles and judgments — sometimes called moral values —shared within a cultural, religious, secular, Humanist, or philosophical community; and codes... Bajorans, a race of humanoids in the fictional Star Trek universe, were introduced in the Next Generation series and played an integral part in the Deep Space Nine series. ... Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, is a Starfleet officer and the main character of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... Nog was a recurring character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, played by Aron Eisenberg. ... Emissary was the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ...

When the Bajoran wormhole was discovered, Quark helped broker deals between several Gamma Quadrant races and the Ferengi. The Alpha Quadrant's first knowledge of the Dominion came through business dealings that Quark and the Ferengi had in the Gamma Quadrant with the Karemma of the Dominion. Quark's role in these dealings came about as a result of the interference of Grand Nagus Zek. Quark became Grand Nagus for a brief period when it appeared that Zek had died; however, Zek's death turned out to be a ruse and Quark was promptly deposed. Along with Commander Sisko, Quark was also among the first to encounter the genetically engineered soldiers of the Dominion, the Jem'Hadar. In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Bajoran wormhole is a wormhole located near the planet Bajor. ... The quadrant arrangement of the Star Trek Galaxy. ... In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Dominion is a ruthless and militaristic Gamma Quadrant state, consisting of many different races, with ultimate power held by the xenophobic Changelings. ... In the TV show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Grand Nagus is the title given to the political and economic leader of the fictional race known as the Ferengi. ... Grand Nagus Zek In the fictional Star Trek universe, Zek was the Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance throughout most of the 24th century. ... Ikatika, a JemHadar soldier in 2373 In the fictional Star Trek universe, the JemHadar are the shock troops of the powerful Dominion located in the Gamma Quadrant. ...

Quark repeatedly clashed with FCA (Ferengi Commerce Authority) liquidator Brunt, who believed that Quark was detrimental to Ferengi society and beliefs. The two met initially in a scandal involving Quark's mother Ishka, who had illegally earned profit. Following this, Brunt was responsible for Quark receiving a savage beating at the hands of Nausicaan thugs. The attack was meant to coerce Quark into dissolving the employee union founded by his brother, Rom. Instead, Quark secretly honored many of the union's demands. Later, when Quark was falsely diagnosed with a fatal disease, Brunt anonymously bought the Ferengi bartender's remains six days in advance. When Quark discovered he was not dying and backed out of the contract, Brunt revoked Quark's business license with glee; however Quark's friends supplied him with all the equipment necessary to continue operating his bar anyway. When Brunt almost became Grand Nagus, Quark temporarily became a female named Lumba. This was in order to convince FCA commissioner Nilva that allowing Ferengi females to wear clothing was an opportunity for profit. Brunt didn't believe the charade for a minute. Nilva, owner of Slugo-Cola: "The Slimiest Cola In The Galaxy!", on the other hand, was not just convinced, he chased Lumba amorously. Brunt, of the Ferengi Commerce Authority Liquidator Brunt is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, played by actor Jeffrey Combs. ... Rom is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe, played by Max Grodénchik on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ...

Apart from being involved in various illegal money-making ventures, Quark also served as an important source of information for the crew of the space station.

Family, friends, and romantic interests

Quark loved his brother Rom, and occasionally even found him useful. Nonetheless, in true Ferengi fashion, he treated Rom with little respect and ordered him about like a servant. Quark was also fond of swindling Rom out of his share of the bar's profits. They were partners in many other business ventures, although Quark routinely made sure to keep Rom in the dark about the true nature of their dealings. Quark's nephew, Nog, also briefly worked in his uncle's bar, before departing for Starfleet Academy. Rom eventually succeeded Zek as Grand Nagus, largely through the machinations of Ishka. The official logo of Starfleet Academy, circa 2370. ...

Quark's relationship with his mother was tumultuous at best. She drove him to distraction with her untraditional ways. Ishka insisted upon wearing clothing and making profit. She was the financial mastermind in the family. However, Quark's father Keldar refused to listen to her advice simply because she was female. Ishka reluctantly revealed to Quark that he was a lot like her, while Rom was more like his father. She became Zek's lover and trusted advisor.

Throughout the series, Quark was often locked in a battle of wits between himself and station security chief Odo. Odo would regularly foil Quark's financial schemes. The two men eventually developed a grudging respect for each other. When Odo finally left the station to rejoin the Great Link at the end of the series, Quark came to say goodbye, and made a toast to Odo. Quark also had a firm friendship with Jadzia Dax, with whom he often played tongo. Odo is a shapeshifter played by Rene Auberjonois on the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Great Link is the natural state of Changelings on their home planet in the distant Gamma Quadrant of the Milky Way. ... Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax (played by Terry Farrell) was a fictional character in the first 6 seasons of the television show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ...

Quark has had his share of romances throughout the series. In the first season, he was involved with Vash, a corrupt archaeologist first introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was married to (and divorced from) a Klingon (Grilka) in an incident that also garnered him considerable respect from the Klingon community for his bravery, had a recurring Cardassian love interest (Natima Lang), was shown on several occasions to be attracted to both Major Kira Nerys and Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax, and once tried to seduce a Vulcan member of the maquis. He also had a platonic affair with Pel, a female Ferengi posing as a male in order to make profit. The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Colonel Kira Nerys was a character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... This article or section may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Maquis were a resistance movement made mostly of humans that refused to give up the colony planets that they lived on after they were ceded to the Cardassians as part of the treaty to end the war between the Federation and the Cardassian...

Trivia

• During an earthquake that occurred while shooting a Deep Space Nine episode, Armin Shimerman was so concerned for his family, he ran out into the streets in full Ferengi make-up (one version of the story says he drove home in the make-up) and "scared the crap out of everyone there."
• The character was meant to appear in the movie, Star Trek: Insurrection. The premise was that Quark had travelled to Ba'ku in order to open a spa. However, all of the scenes in which Quark appeared were left on the cutting room floor.

Ferengi on Star Trek: The Next Generation The Ferengi are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. ... Star Trek: Insurrection (Paramount Pictures, 1998) is the ninth Star Trek feature film. ...

External links

• Quark article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
• StarTrek.com: Quark