Borg

The Borg are the ultimate villains in Star Trek. It is also a term that can be used to describe conservatives like George Bush or Karl Rove. They are cybernetic aliens linked to a hive mind.

Origins
The Borg were first seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation. A year after they were introduced, they tried to invade the Federation. They tried again later, but the Enterprise crew pwned them both times.

Very little is known about how the Borg came to be. William Shatner wrote that they were created from V'Ger. Voyager suggested that they were organic aliens that developed cybernetic technology centuries ago.

Ships
Borg ships are designed for function rather than form. The classes include cube (the primary vessel), sphere (scout ship/escape pod), and diamond (command ship).

Trivia
The Borg were originally going to be insectoid, tying in with a mysterious parasite seen in Season 1 of TNG. Budget problems and the 1988 Writer's Strike caused them to go with cybernetic aliens.