Matthew Decker

Matthew "Matt" Decker was a Starfleet flag officer during the 23rd century.

Decker and Ron Tracey were among several junior officers discussing the new Ares-class starships in the 602 Club in 2244. (Axanar: "Why We Fight")

By 2246, Decker had become chief of security for Starbase 4. (Star Trek: The Original Series novella The First Artifact)

As a lieutenant commander, Decker served aboard the Larson-class USS Patton. (Federation: The First 150 Years)

In the late 2250s, Decker was commanding officer of the Pyotr Velikiy-class USS Tav. James T. Kirk served as his executive officer for a time. (The Starfleet Museum)

As of 2256, Matthew Decker was one of the most decorated line officers in Starfleet history. (DIS: "Choose Your Pain")

By 2267, he had been promoted to the rank of Commodore and commanded the USS Constellation.

In that same year, a Planet Killer crippled the Constellation under his command and killed his crew, whom he'd evacuated to L-374's third planet, leaving him the sole survivor. The USS Enterprise responded, but revenge and grief made Decker unstable. He stole a shuttlecraft, dying in the Planet Killer's maw while trying to destroy the machine. His sacrifice, however, allowed the Enterprise time to disable the machine. (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")

The novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture suggested Matt Decker was Enterprise first officer Willard Decker's father.

Fan continuities

Star Trek: New Voyages

A now aged Decker appears on a video tape recorded for Captain Kirk.

In an alternate timeline, during the Doomsday War, the Constellation also encountered a Planet Killer. Decker and his derelict ship were discovered by the USS Farragut. Similar to what happened in the canon timeline, Decker stole the shuttlecraft Jeffries and flew it directly into the weapon. However, he was not killed. His attempt to destroy the machine accidentally caused excess chronitons vented by its antiproton engine to activate and send the shuttle back in time to 1967.

With nowhere else to go, Decker set course for Earth. He was discovered by a woman named Veronica who nursed him back to health. The two shared Decker's secret and lived a long, happy life together without making any significant changes in this timeline. Later in 2006, Kirk, Spock and McCoy, tracking high levels of residual antiprotons, arrived on Earth and discovered Veronica. Expecting them, she showed the trio a video tape Decker made before he died, explaining how he arrived in this time. The three left with vital information on how to disable the weapons, as well as a gift to Decker's son, Will. (Star Trek: New Voyages: "In Harm's Way")

Star Trek: Counter Worlds

In the episode "The Klingon Invasion", Decker pursues a Klingon battlecruiser that has just destroyed a freighter when he is led into an ambush. Decker is killed by a Klingon spy on board his ship during a firefight with three Klingon battlecruisers.

Matt Decker was played by the actor William Windom in "The Doomsday Machine", "In Harm's Way", and "The Klingon Invasion". Several other members of the Decker family are featured in the Starfleet Academy Marvel Comics series.

Legacy

Matt Decker presumably had at least one son other than Willard, as he would have grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the 24th century, including Admiral Dennis Decker and his namesake, Cadet Matt Decker. (Star Trek: Starfleet Academy comic series, Star Trek: Pendragon)

USS Matthew Decker (NCC-6000) was the lead ship of the Decker-class destroyers. It was commissioned on reference stardate 2/7502 (circa 2333). It was in service for 30 years, then retasked as a training vessel. (FASA RPG: Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual)

External links

• Matthew Decker article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Matthew Decker article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.