"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" introduced Trekkies to Marc Alaimo’s Gul Dukat, a Cardassian with ambitions that never quite aligned with those of Starfleet.

Dukat is considered one of the greatest villains in "Star Trek" history, and that's no mean feat for an actor buried beneath prosthetic makeup.

Alaimo first joined the franchise in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," where he played a string of prosthetic-laden supporting characters, including Macet, the first Cardassian.

According to "Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts" by Michael Westmore, Alan Sims, Bradley M. Look, and William J. Birnes, the Cardassians were designed to match Alaimo's physique.

"The Cardassian had to be humanoid looking […]," said Westmore (via StarTrekStuff). "With Marc's long neck, […] I extended his look [...] almost into the look of a king cobra."