Data (Assimilation²)

In a parallel universe, Lt Commander Data was an android who served aboard the USS Enterprise-D during the 24th century. He was created by Dr Soong more than thirty years earlier, and one of his goals on the Enterprise was to become more human. As a particularly knowledgeable android, he had a quick wit to rival the Doctor's.

Locutus
During the Borg invasion of the United Federation of Planets, Picard was kidnapped by the Borg and taken aboard their cube, resulting in Riker taking command of the Enterprise As the crew discovered, Picard had been assimilated into the Borg Collective as his identity was suppressed by Locutus, the emissary of the Borg. After the Borg used Picard's knowledge to easily defeat a Starfleet task force in battle of Wolf 359, Riker devised a plan to turn the tables against the Borg as they proceeded to Earth, entailing the retrieval of the Captain from the Borg cube by Data and Lieutenant Worf. Back aboard the Enterprise, Picard was freed from the Collective as he assisted Data in incapacitating the Borg cube, leading to its self-destruction. (COMIC: Assimilation²)

The Doctor and the Cybermen
Data was present on the ship's holodeck with William Riker and Beverly Crusher when the Doctor's TARDIS materialised in its "Dixon Hill" holonovel in 2368. The Eleventh Doctor noted that the sight of an android wearing a pinstripe suit in San Francisco in 1941 was unusual. Data along with Commander Riker and Doctor Crusher learned of the Doctor in the holodeck.

He was alerted of the attack of the planet Delta IV, where he told the captain and they began their journey there. They soon learned that it was the Borg and Cybermen attempting to assimilate the planet. Once the Borg and Cybermen learned of the Enterprise, Data navigated into a nearby nebula to confuse the opposing ship's sensors. Data under order from Captain Picard looked up any knowledge the Federation had of the Cybermen and he was the one to discover that the original Enterprise crew met a group of Cybermen.

Data confirmed that the Borg and Cybermen went to planet Cogen V.

The team made way to the main Cybership where Data, the Doctor and Picard were almost assimilated. The Cybermen noticed that Data on the other hand could not be upgraded. They were saved by the Enterprise with a gold beam and they soon made way to the Cyber-Controller. Data and the Conduit managed to pin the Cyber-Controller long enough for the Borg library to be restored. However, after the Cybership was set to self destruct, the Conduit attempted to assimilate the TARDIS. Data was possessed by its power and he managed to repel the Borg drone, which gave Worf and Rory the opportunity to throw him into the time vortex. (COMIC: Assimilation²)

Other references
A Vortex Wraith reminded Anji Kapoor of a scene from Independence Day in which "Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation" was "used somewhat demeaningly as a glove puppet". (PROSE: The Slow Empire)

Behind the scenes

 * Assimilation² depicts Data with the likeness of actor, who originally portrayed him in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
 * Brent Spiner also portrayed the character of Doctor in the film Independence Day; Anji's mention of "Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation" in The Slow Empire is a reference to this.
 * Spiner was one of many names put forward for the role of in the 1996 TV Movie.
 * J. K. Woodward, who worked on the Star Trek crossover Assimilation², released a piece depicting Data laughing in the TARDIS with the Fourth Doctor.