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Khan Noonien Singh (alternate reality)

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Khan Noonien Singh (or simply Khan ) was the most prominent of the genetically-engineered Human Augments of the late- 20th century Eugenics Wars period on Earth . Many Augments were genocidal tyrants who conquered and killed in the name of order, with Khan and his kind being frozen in cryogenic sleep.

In the 23rd century , Khan was revived by Admiral Alexander Marcus to design weapons and ships to prepare for war against the Klingon Empire . He was given a new identity, that of John Harrison , an English Starfleet commander . Khan, however, rebelled, and after believing his crew had been killed, he began a one-man campaign against Starfleet. His crew of augments remained frozen and Khan struggled to save them during his campaign. After gaining his revenge on Admiral Marcus, he was later stopped by the crew of the USS Enterprise and returned to cryogenic sleep with his crew.

  • 1.1 20th century origins
  • 1.2 21st century temporal changes
  • 1.3 23rd century return
  • 2 Memorable quotes
  • 3.1 Background information
  • 3.2 Apocrypha
  • 3.3 Reception
  • 3.4 External link

Biography [ ]

20th century origins [ ].

Khan Noonien Singh, 1996

One of the few historic pictures of Khan from the 1990s

Records of the period, including Khan's origins, are vague. Khan was born, or created in 1959 . ( Star Trek Into Darkness ) He was the product of a selective breeding or genetic engineering program called Project Khan , based on the eugenic philosophy that held improving the capabilities of a man improved the entire Human race. Augments produced by the program possessed physical strength and analytical capabilities considerably superior to ordinary Humans, and were created from a variety of Earth's ethnic groups. Khan's background was suspected by McGivers to be Sikh , from the northern region of India . ( PIC : " Farewell "; TOS : " Space Seed ")

Khan lived up to the axiom coined by one of his creators, "superior ability breeds superior ambition". By 1993 , a wave of the genetic "supermen," including Khan, had simultaneously assumed control of more than forty of Earth's nations. From 1992 to 1996 , Khan was absolute ruler of more than one-quarter of Earth's population, including regions of Asia and the Middle East . Considered "the best of tyrants "; Khan's reign was considered the most benevolent. His regime was free of much of the problems that plagued Earth history of that era – as Khan was never known for engaging in massacres, genocide or wars of aggression. However, the citizens of his regime enjoyed little freedom. Khan had little, if any, respect for individual liberty, which was also a key issue for Earth history. As such, personal initiative and financial investment were low, and scientific progress suffered as a result.

Khan asleep aboard the Botany Bay

Khan aboard the Botany Bay

In the mid- 1990s , the Augment tyrants began warring among themselves. Other nations joined in, to force them from power , in a series of struggles that became known as the Eugenics Wars . Eventually, most of the tyrants were defeated and their territory recaptured, but up to ninety "supermen" were never accounted for.

Khan escaped the wars and their consequences along with eighty-four followers, who swore to live and die at his command. He saw his best option in a risky, self-imposed exile. In 1996 , he took control of a DY-100-class interplanetary sleeper ship he christened SS Botany Bay , named for the site of the Australian penal colony . Set on a course outbound from the solar system but with no apparent destination in mind, Khan and his people remained in suspended animation for Botany Bay 's centuries-long sublight journey. ( TOS : " Space Seed "; Star Trek Into Darkness )

21st century temporal changes [ ]

Khan Noonien Singh, child

Khan as a child in 2022

Due to the changes caused in the timeline as a result of various Temporal Wars , the original events concerning the rise of Singh were pushed back, and events reinserted themselves at a later date in the timeline. According to Romulan temporal agent Sera , in a revised 2022 timeline, " And all this was supposed to happen back in 1992, and I've been trapped here for 30 years trying to get my shot at [Khan]. "

The Khan of this era lived in Toronto , Ontario , Canada , at the Noonien-Singh Institute for Cultural Advancement .

As a child in the revised timeline, he witnessed La'an Noonien-Singh shoot and wound Sera, his would-be assassin . La'an entered Khan's room and found her infamous ancestor cowering behind his bed. When Khan asked if she was going to kill him, she looked at the gun and sat it on the desk next to the bed. La'an assured him that she would not hurt him, as she proceeded to wipe Romulan blood from his face. Curious, La'an asked if he was alone, or if there were others like him. Khan gestured to a photograph on the wall of himself and six other children. He then asked if she was going to take him away. La'an told him that it may not make sense to him, then or maybe ever, but he was where he needed to be. She walked to the entrance of the room, activated the temporal transporter device in front of Khan, and returned to her own time period.

Khan’s legacy in the altered timeline was a history of torture, genocide, and his descendants.

In an alternate timeline , which was created from the revised timeline, Sera successfully assassinated Khan by blowing up a nearby fusion reactor (also destroying Toronto ) after a Federation Department of Temporal Investigations agent was shot and failed to protect Khan. As a result, a dark future for Humanity emerged in which Earth was nearly uninhabitable, Starfleet and Federation never formed, and the Romulan Star Empire was the dominant force of the region.

This timeline was averted after Khan's descendant, La'an, encountered the temporal agent aboard the USS Enterprise who directed her to return to the past, and with the help of James Kirk , from the, now, alternate timeline. The two time traveled to the past and La'an stopped Khan's assassination and restored the timeline to as she knew it. ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

23rd century return [ ]

Khan's false identity

Khan's false ID "John Harrison"

Following the destruction of Vulcan in 2258 , Admiral Alexander Marcus of Section 31 initiated a program to militarize Starfleet and began searching the galaxy for weapons to be used in the war with the Klingon Empire that he now believed was inevitable. Soon after, he discovered the SS Botany Bay adrift.

Despite knowing Khan's history, Marcus decided to bring him out of cryogenic suspension, believing his savagery and superior intellect would be prime assets to his cause. Having his voice and physical appearance heavily altered, Khan was reawakened and recruited under the identity of Section 31 agent, "John Harrison". Marcus forced Khan into working with him by threatening to kill his fellow Augments, and set him to work designing weapons and ships for Starfleet, including the Dreadnought -class USS Vengeance .

Disgruntled, Khan tried to smuggle his crew away in advanced long-range torpedoes but was discovered and forced to flee alone. Believing Marcus had killed his crew, he coerced Section 31 agent Thomas Harewood into betraying Starfleet by offering a blood transfusion for Harewood's terminally-ill daughter . Harewood agreed, and Khan replaced his Starfleet Academy ring with a bomb .

After his daughter was cured with a vial of Khan's blood and its regenerative platelets , Harewood went to work at his office in the Kelvin Memorial Archive in London , where he dropped the false Starfleet ring into a glass of water, igniting the bomb and destroying the facility. In the midst of the chaos, Khan used the opportunity to inspect a salvaged terminal to gain the confiscated formula for transwarp beaming .

Khan piloting Federation Jumpship 208

Harrison piloting Jumpship 208

Before he set off the explosion, Harewood sent Marcus a message, explaining he had been threatened by Khan. Knowing that Marcus would call an emergency meeting in the light of the bombing, Khan rigged a combat efficient jumpship with a portable transwarp beaming device and headed to the Daystrom Conference Room . As the conference was underway, Khan appeared and laid waste to the conference, killing Admiral Pike , Captain Abbott and many other high ranking Starfleet officers. James T. Kirk disabled the jumpship , but Khan beamed himself away before it crashed. He arrived in the one place Starfleet could not go: Qo'noS , the Klingon homeworld.

Khan on Kronos

"John Harrison" reveals himself on Qo'noS

Undeterred, Kirk was granted permission by Marcus to travel to Qo'noS and fire 72 experimental photon torpedoes on Khan's location. However, at the behest of his crew, Kirk chose to defy his orders and opted to arrest Khan instead. While Kirk led an away team with Spock , Uhura , and Hendorff , acting captain Sulu transmitted a message to Khan, warning him to surrender or be destroyed by the newly designed shipboard torpedoes.

Suspecting the newly designed torpedoes were the very torpedoes he smuggled his crew into, Khan sought out the away team to confirm. Khan found Kirk, Spock, and Uhura being attacked by a Klingon patrol and single-handedly killed dozens of Klingons . Confronting the landing party , Khan asked how many torpedoes the USS Enterprise had on board. Spock informed him of the count, which corresponded exactly to the number of his former crew members which were still in stasis. Khan then surrendered to the landing party. Kirk, angry that his mentor's murderer had saved them, punched Khan repeatedly but was unable to render him unconscious.

Khan in Custody

Khan in custody

From the brig , Leonard McCoy took a blood sample to analyze the secret behind Khan's superhuman strength and abilities and injected it into a dead tribble . Khan refused to answer Kirk's questions; he instead gave him coordinates to the spacedock near Jupiter where the Vengeance was constructed, and suggested he open one of the experimental torpedoes.

Kirk gave the coordinates for the absent Montgomery Scott to investigate, while McCoy and Marcus's daughter Carol opened up a torpedo and discovered a cryogenically frozen man within and realized that he was 300 years old. Khan finally explained who he was to Kirk, and revealed that the torpedoes contained his fellow surviving Augments as part of a cover-up.

Marcus appeared in the Vengeance and demanded Kirk hand over Khan. Kirk refused, and the Enterprise warped back to Earth with the intent of putting Khan on trial, which would certainly expose Marcus in the conspiracy. As Khan predicted, Vengeance caught up in subspace and fired on the Enterprise as it arrived outside Earth.

Kirk and Khan in thruster suits

Kirk and Khan team up

Marcus beamed his daughter over to the Vengeance and prepared to destroy the Enterprise but Scott, who had snuck aboard the Vengeance at its spacedock, deactivated its weapons. Kirk and Khan donned thruster suits to fly over and commandeer the Vengeance .

Meanwhile, Spock consulted his older counterpart from another timeline regarding whether he ever encountered Khan Noonien Singh : the old Spock responded he had, that he was dangerous, and that it had required a great sacrifice to stop him. Kirk had also grown suspicious of Khan and advised Scott to stun him after they had taken over the bridge of the Vengeance .

When they arrived on the bridge, Scott stunned Khan while Kirk admonished Marcus for compromising the Federation. However, Scott's phaser stun only temporarily subdued Khan, who quickly recovered and flung himself at Scott and Kirk, overpowered them, then stomping upon Carol's leg. Khan then used his bare hands to crush Marcus's skull, extracting revenge on his once tormentor.

Khan then sat in the command chair and ordered Spock to hand over the torpedoes or he would kill Kirk and resume bombarding the Enterprise . Spock obliged, and Khan beamed Kirk, Scott and Carol back into the Enterprise 's brig, but reneged on the deal. Spock, having predicted Khan's betrayal, had ordered McCoy to remove the stasis pods and detonated the torpedoes after they were beamed over, crippling the Vengeance before she could destroy the Enterprise . Khan cried out in anguish at the apparent loss of his crew.

Khan sets Vengeance on collision course

Khan sets the Vengeance on a course with the heart of Starfleet

The damage sustained caused both ships to be drawn by Earth's gravitational pull. To prevent the ship crashing into western North America, Kirk sacrificed himself reactivating the ship's warp core . Khan, on the other hand, directed the Vengeance on a crash course for Starfleet Headquarters , though the computer could not guarantee that Khan would make it.

The Vengeance slammed into the old prison on Alcatraz Island, careened across San Francisco Bay , and then plowed into several buildings, demolishing several skyscrapers. When the Vengeance crashed into the city, Khan leapt off the bridge and posed as a shocked survivor. Spock beamed down to execute Khan and avenge Kirk's death, pursuing him onto automated flying barges. In the Enterprise 's medbay , McCoy had just examined Kirk's body when the dead tribble on his desk came back to life.

Khan in cryo tube

Khan in stasis following his defeat

The fight took the two combatants on to two automated barges. Spock had the advantage of creativity, and extensive knowledge of martial arts, but Khan had the superior advantages of superhuman strength, speed, thought and durability. Spock attempted to subdue Khan with a nerve pinch but Khan managed to overcome the pain.

As Khan attempted to use his bare hands to crush Spock's skull, Spock managed to counter it with a mind meld . Near the end of the melee, with Spock again in Khan's cranial crushing lock, Uhura beamed down and fired several stun shots to distract Khan. Spock tore a piece of metal from the barge and broke Khan's arm. Spock started repeatedly pummeling Khan, coming very close to killing him, Fortunately, Uhura revealed Khan's blood could save Kirk, and Spock just knocked him out.

After his blood was used to revive Kirk, Khan was placed back in suspended animation with his crew from the Botany Bay . ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

The geneticist Arik Soong believed Augments like Khan could be created without exhibiting his more vicious, psychopathic or megalomaniacal instincts. Soong's "children", created from Augment embryos stolen in 2134 , failed to live up to the hopes of their "father". Soong believed Khan and the Botany Bay to be nothing more than a myth, although his "children" believed differently. ( ENT : " Borderland ", " The Augments ")

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I can save her. " " What did you say? " " Your daughter, I can save her. "

" Captain, are you going to punch me again, over and over, until your arm weakens? Clearly you want to. "

" John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause. A smoke screen to conceal my true identity. My name… is Khan . "

" Why would a Starfleet Admiral ask a three-hundred year-old frozen man for help? " " Because I am better. " " At what? " " Everything. "

" Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time, and for that, he needed a warrior's mind – my mind – to design weapons and warships. " " You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold, simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect. " " He wanted to exploit my savagery! Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break a rule; how can you be expected to break bone? "

" My crew… is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do… for your family?"

" You… You should have let me sleep! "

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Bringing back Khan Noonien Singh was discussed before the release of Star Trek ; on the film's audio commentary , it is stated the filmmakers considered having a shot of the SS Botany Bay after the credits, but opted out in case they decided not to use the character. Director J.J. Abrams said, " It'll be fun to hear what Alex and Bob are thinking about Khan. The fun of this timeline is arguing that different stories, with the same characters, could be equally if not more compelling than what's been told before […] Certain people are destined to cross paths and come together, and Khan is out there… even if he doesn't have the same issues. " [1]

Co-writer Damon Lindelof said the jumping-off point for the sequel's story was deciding whether Khan would be the villain, and he, Kurtzman and Orci weighed the pros and cons of using the character. [2] Abrams commented that, in comparison to Nero from Star Trek , the writers wanted "a much more nuanced and complex villain" for Into Darkness . ( Cinefex , No. 134, p. 72) Due to the massive popularity of how Khan had been represented before, however, "there was a good year of debate," explained Alex Kurtzman, over whether to include Khan in the upcoming movie. With a laugh, Orci phrased this issue, " To Khan or not to Khan. " Kurtzman observed, " The choice to play in that sandbox is really complicated because when a character was as beloved as Khan, you really have to have a reason to do it. " [3] During the debate, Lindelof wanted to use Khan, while Orci was against this option.

The filmmakers found a compromise by developing a story that would not entail Khan, and then determining if he could be "reverse engineered" into it. [4] Stated Kurtzman, " If we could take that [tale] and then incorporate Khan into the mix in a way that felt reverent and appropriate for that story, we would do it. Without that standard, we wouldn't […] We all loved the 'Space Seed' back story, the idea that he was a man who loved his crew as his family – that was the understandable and relatable agenda. And then we built outward from there. " [5] Eventually, Orci felt " the details became too juicy to avoid. Genetic super man from a time that understood war and savagery, etc. Once we had a basic structure that did not necessarily necessitate him, we were able to tailor the script itself to details and inspirations that he brought. " [6] Lindelof added the story-line avoided " The audience [knowing] something the bridge crew did not, which was 'Whatever you do, don’t wake that dude up.' So we didn't want to put the bridge crew behind the audience in terms of what they knew about Trek . " [7]

Khan's undercover name was inspired by his name in an early draft of the script for " Space Seed ", John Ericssen. Orci said, " We shot the movie using the name Ericsenn [sic] but decided it would give it away[,] so we cheated the name Harrison into everyone's mouth! " [8] According to John Eaves , the character's production code-name was April , another character Orci said he had considered as a villain. [9] [10] Once they chose to bring Khan into their film, the screenwriters were not necessarily eager to additionally incorporate a moment when the character's name is shouted in anger, as happens in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , because they considered it vital that such a reaction be a natural and realistic one. [11]

Khan was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch . Before he was cast, Abrams approached Benicio del Toro for the role. [12] There were some complaints, particuarly from the Sikh community, over casting a white actor for a role of a Indian Sikh. [13] [14] [15] Orci said they shied away from casting an Asian actor as Khan because " it became uncomfortable for me to support demonizing anyone of color, particularly any one of middle eastern descent or anyone evoking that. One of the points of the movie is that we must be careful about the villain within US, not some other race. " He also stated the "true essence" of Khan's character was "that he was a genetically engineered superman," "not where he was from or the color of his skin." [16] In response to a question asking whether Khan's appearance was "cosmetically altered to avoid detection," Orci said that the theory was an "interesting idea. Could be." [17] Also, in answer to a question about Khan's change in features, Orci stated, " Uhm… one of his abilities is that he is a shape shifter? " [18]

Cumberbatch commented the role was "daunting because of the legacy involved and the amount of speculation about [Khan] possibly being the villain." ( Empire issue 289, p. 23) Lindelof said of writing for Cumberbatch that " when you can get [a] monologue to come out of [his] mouth, does the 'writing' even matter? I mean, seriously, I made that guy say 'Milk, milk lemonade, and this is where the fudge is made' and it scared the living shit out of me. " [19]

Cumberbatch was cast two weeks before filming. Mary L. Mastro , head of the film's hair department, wanted Khan to have black hair to contrast with the blond Kirk. She recalled, " JJ called a meeting with the creators involved in what he was going to look like and [Cumberbatch] walks into the room with super-short blond hair. My mouth dropped open, like, 'Oh, great.' " The schedule was altered slightly to give more time to determine Cumberbatch's appearance in the film. [20] The filmmakers considered giving Cumberbatch a shoulder-length wig, but Abrams felt he looked better without it. ( Star Trek Into Darkness iTunes enhanced commentary) Costume Designer Michael Kaplan wanted Khan to be "dapper," giving him " a number of very long, elegant coats. It's nice, even in the distance, to be able to recognise a character right away. He's pretty high fashion-looking. "

Cumberbatch trained one-to-one with his stunt double, Martin De Boer , learning basic martial arts. De Boer described Cumberbatch as "'very receptive to learning. I've had actors who want to be an action star but don't want to put in the work, and he was the opposite, he said, "'I want to train as much as I can.' He was very committed. Besides working with us, he was working with his personal trainer five, six days a week; he really got in shape." De Boer said that, because of Khan's strength, Cumberbatch "wanted to have more static and powerful movements. That strength changes the rules of the martial arts we use. You don't have to do five punches, you just have to use a couple of moves and he takes out the guy already." [21]

Bad Robot Productions went to great lengths to hide Khan's identity, even screening the space jump scene to the press with life sign readouts displayed as "Harrison" and Spock's lines referring to Khan overdubbed to refer to Harrison. Bryan Burk defended the strategy, stating, " Even if you don't even know who Khan is, you know that you're watching a film where for forty-five minutes or an hour of the movie you are ahead of the characters. So you're just kind of waiting for them to catch up with what you already know, that he is not who he says he is. " [22] Cumberbatch said the secrecy was fine for him, though Alice Eve did tease him, saying, " The lies, Benedict, the lies! " Recalling times when he had sneaked into screenings to see the audience's reaction to Khan revealing himself, Cumberbatch remarked that "to have that moment – that's worth any amount of subterfuge or holding back on reveals." ( Empire issue 289, p. 23)

The creative staff were ultimately very pleased with how Khan is depicted in Into Darkness . " Ultimately, I think we felt that we found a reason and a way to do it that was all of the things we needed it to be, and yet really different, " voiced Kurtzman. "I think the mistake that we could have made, that we didn't want to make, was to do a version of what Ricardo Montalban had done so brilliantly, and then fall short of that […] There are things about Khan that are very familiar, and there are things that are entirely different, and that's exactly what we wanted to do. " [23]

However, Abrams voiced regret over keeping Khan's identity a secret. " The truth is I think it probably would have been smarter just to say upfront 'This is who it is.' It was only trying to preserve the fun of it, and it might have given more time to acclimate and accept that's what the thing was, " he said. He added that hiding Khan's presence was mandated by the studio, who did not want to alienate non- Star Trek fans with the impression they had to learn about who Khan was to enjoy the film. Abrams agreed with that notion but " wonder[ed] if it would have seemed a little bit less like an attempt at deception if we had just come out with it. " [24] Responding to Burk's comment that it might have hurt the film if the audience knew Harrison was Khan before Kirk did, Abrams added "the truth is it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference in that regard." [25]

When asked if Cumberbatch could reprise the role, Lindelof replied, " To answer that question would be to determine whether or not he actually survives this movie, but if he survives this movie, we would be incredibly stupid to not use him again. " [26] As to whether Khan's blood could disrupt dramatic tension in the next film, Orci said they "figured there are so many horrible ways to die in space that no medicine could save you from that we would be okay." [27]

In the Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 411), the authors considered it possible that the red matter -created black hole caused differences in the past from the Prime Timeline. On page 414 of volume 1, this is the information on the Khan of " Space Seed " and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan :

  • Brilliant, charismatic, and extremely aggressive, Khan was a genetically engineered human who attempted to gain control of the entire planet Earth in the 1990s during the Eugenics Wars. From 1992 to 1996, Khan was absolute ruler of more than a quarter of Earth, from South Asia through the Middle East. He was the last of the tyrants to be overthrown. Khan escaped in 1996 aboard the sleeper ship S.S. Botany Bay .

On the following page, this is the information on the Khan of Star Trek: Into Darkness:

  • In the Kelvin Timeline, Khan Noonien Singh was the brilliant, ruthless leader of a group of genetically engineered humans, or Augments, who nearly conquered Earth during the 20th-century Eugenics Wars. Khan attempted to commit genocide of those whom he deemed inferior, that is, most of Earth's population. Khan and his people were condemned as criminals, placed into cryogenic sleep in cryo tubes , and exiled aboard a ship sent into space.

Apocrypha [ ]

Cumberbatch also portrayed Khan/Harrison in three "Disruptions" videos to promote the film, in which he analyzes Kirk, Spock, and Uhura's weaknesses and declares he will threaten them. [28]

According to his biography on the Star Trek movie app, "John Harrison" was born in 2228 in Dover , Great Britain , Earth to Richard and Sara Harrison. Harrison was one of nine survivors of the attack on the colony on Tarsus IV in 2246 , and both of his parents were killed in the attack. He graduated from the London School of Economics in 2250 .

After graduating, he was appointed associate researcher, Starfleet Data Archive (London), East Annex in 2255. He was tasked with collection, organization and analysis of declassified data received from Starfleet-commissioned starships and from Federation member states.

The 2013 virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals uses two cards showing Khan: #105, titled Commander J. Harrison, and card #111, titled Human Augment Khan.

Khan's reconstructive surgery

Khan, undergoing reconstructive surgery

The comic book series Star Trek: Khan begins after Khan's capture and him being brought to trial before the Federation Court and establishing his history subsequent to the divergence of the timeline but prior to his encounter with the Enterprise . The Section 31 starship USS Vanguard discovered the Botany Bay drifting in space and take custody of Khan. Quickly using their databanks to determine his identity prior to awakening him, Admiral Marcus orders that Khan's face and voice be reconstructed from their Indian origins to a more northern European origin and has his memory blocked with the intent of convincing Khan that he is John Harrison, a Starfleet researcher in London's Kelvin Memorial Archive who lost his memories in an accident during a failed mission to Qo'noS.

He is given the task of helping advise Section 31 on possible enhancements to Starfleet weapon, shield and propulsion technology (which is to be incorporated aboard the USS Vengeance ) as well as taking on a mission to destroy Praxis with the help of a portable transporter he designed and built. The mission is a success (explaining the destroyed moon seen in orbit of the Klingon homeworld in the film), but in the process, Khan rediscovers his memories of his true identity.

Discovering that his crew is being held in the London facility and forging transmissions from Marcus, Khan is able to load his crew into the long-range torpedoes with the intent of stealing a starship with them aboard, but before departing, Khan invades Marcus' home and demanded to know the truth before planning to kill him. The admiral, planning for Khan's rediscovery, has him targeted by a jumpship outside the window, forcing Khan to flee. His plan, now circumvented, forces him to coerce Thomas Harewood into destroying the London facility and set the events of the film into motion.

Star Trek: Khan also establishes that he was originally an ordinary Indian boy named Noonien Singh and was an orphan living in an impoverished New Delhi slum. In 1972, he was captured, along with other impoverished children, and taken to a research facility to be a test subject for genetic engineering experiments. In August 1985, as a young man, he escaped from the research facility, along with the other genetically engineered test subjects, and began a rebellion. He later gives himself the title of "Khan", out of admiration for historical Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan , naming himself "Khan Noonien Singh".

By the end of series however, doubt is cast about how much of the events depicted in Khan's backstory is in fact truthful. Given the fact that his backstory is mostly only conveyed through what Khan tells the Court, Kirk points out that it is entirely within Khan's best interests to paint an overall sympathetic story of himself rather than simply disclosing a factual retelling of his actual past. Khan was then placed back into stasis, with Kirk noting that despite everything, Khan had managed to get exactly what he wanted.

In the second issue of the Star Trek: Ongoing story arc The Khitomer Conflict , it was established that Khan and the other Augments were stored at a top-secret facility on an asteroid , with the location of the facility highly classified to the point that even Kirk himself didn't know where they were held.

Female Khan IDW

Khan's female counterpart

Like the rest of the characters in the parallel universe of Parallel Lives, Part 1 and Part 2 , he has a female counterpart ( β ).

Khan As A Red Lantern

Khan as a Red Lantern

Khan returned in the comic crossover mini-series Star Trek - Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds , where he serves as one of the primary antagonists. In 2262 , the Red Lantern Atrocitus needed to find a source of rage to recharge his Power Ring and his journey lead to him to discover the asteroid facility where Khan and the other Augments were locked away. He then broke into the facility and begun freeing them, including Khan. However, Khan overpowered the alien and knocked him out while also taking possession of his ring. Before he could slay his foe, he was confronted by Green Lanterns Kilowog , Guy Gardner and John Stewart . After Gardner revealed that the ring was loyal only to Atrocitus, Khan crushed the alien with his foot and he became the ring's new bearer, using his rage to easily defeat his new foes. After explaining his new appearance to his troops, Khan led his men to seize control of the USS Bryant where he once again encountered Kirk and Spock. Though Hal Jordan tried to fight Khan, the Augment managed to best him as well, but his boasting left him open to an attack from the other Lanterns and a photon torpedo barrage from the Enterprise . Defeated, Khan used his ring to recharge the Bryant and make his escape. Making his way to Qo'noS, Khan overthrew Orange Lantern Larfleeze and bargained with the Klingon High Council to aid him in attaining the power of the planet Oa and use it to conquer the Federation. Using his ring to supercharge the Klingon warships, Khan followed Kirk to Oa, only for the captain to be chosen by a Green Lantern Power Ring before the Augment could slay his foe. As the fighting intensified, the Augments were all defeated, depriving Khan of his power. Though he attempted to goad Kirk into slaying him, Kirk stuck to his morals and simply knocked Khan out and returned him to prison while Khan's ring was seized by the Enterprise crew for study.

Reception [ ]

Entertainment Weekly saw parallels between the new Khan and figures such as Osama Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein , as both men were allied with the US before turning on them. [29] Simon Pegg commented " Iraq had nothing proven to do with 9/11 , and yet Bush used that as an excuse to start a war with those people. You can always see the Klingons as like Iraq and John Harrison the proxy for Osama bin Laden. " [30]

Lindelof further acknowledged the terrorism parallels in an interview with StarTrek.com , as Khan's 72 torpedoes reminded them of the notion of 72 virgins in paradise. Lindelof responded " Of course it is a coincidence, because that is a number taken from canon. It was pointed out to us at the scripting phase – the 72 virgins – and that actually gave us pause, because we didn't want people drawing that comparison… but there it is. " [31]

The New Yorker also saw parallels between the debate to execute or arrest Khan with that of the issue of targeted killing . [32]

External link [ ]

  • Khan Noonien Singh (Kelvin timeline) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
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'Star Trek Into Darkness': Let's talk about that ending (and Benedict Cumberbatch)

Darren is a TV Critic. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFranich for opinions and recommendations.

star trek into the darkness khan

Nobody knew anything about Star Trek Into Darkness . The trailers for J.J. Abrams' reboot-prequel-sequel were filled with mind-blowing images: Spaceships falling to earth! Spock jumping across flying vehicles! Pretty red trees! But besides a boilerplate plot description that read like a Blockbuster Sequel Mad Libs—"personal score to settle," "epic chess game of life and death," "sacrifices must be made"—the actual plot of Into Darkness was shrouded in mystery. And nothing was more mysterious than the film's newest and most glamourous addition: Benedict Cumberbatch, who was playing a character named "John Harrison," the red herringest of red herring franchise names since " John Blake ." Well, now we finally know the truth. At long last, we can all finally bask in the knowledge that has been kept hidden for so long. SPOILER ALERT from here, because ladies and gentlemen, it's time to introduce: Benedict Cumberbatch.

Yes, despite a year of publicity that saw the cast of Star Trek Into Darkness obfuscate or just tell outright lies, Cumberbatch's "John Harrison" was indeed Khan Noonien Singh, the genetic superman originally played by Ricardo Montalban in the classic Trek episode "Space Seed" and the very first big screen sequel Wrath of Khan .

To be honest, all the secrecy about Cumberbatch's character seems a bit goofy in hindsight. This was essentially a new character. Cumberbatch's Khan didn't really have much in common with the original Khan—and not just because the actor's impeccable British diction and icy-cool personality is miles removed from Ricardo Montalban's Moby Dick -quoting madman. In fact, you could argue that Khan wasn't even really the main villain of Into Darkness . No, the Big Bad of Into Darkness was actually this guy:

Admiral Alexander Marcus, a high-ranking Starfleet officer, was a new addition to the Trek lore, and his role in Into Darkness radically altered the mythology of the original series even more than Abrams' first film. Apparently, after the destruction of Vulcan, Marcus sought to militarize Starfleet. In the process, he discovered Khan floating in the Botany Bay . (This happened much earlier in the rebooted Trek universe than it did in the original Trek , where Kirk and the Enterprise gang found the ship during their 5-year mission.) He brought Khan into the Starfleet fold, using his pre-utopian knowledge to build new weapons and ships.

This might not make a whole lot of sense—it'd be kind of like if the Joint Chiefs of Staff hired a Mongolian warlord to build a new fighter jet—but this twist fascinatingly altered Khan's role in the Trek universe. The original Khan's origins were rooted in mid-century concerns—he was a veteran of the "Eugenics Wars," at a time when "eugenics" conjured up images of WWII-era fascism. The new Khan was quite explicitly a Bin Laden/Hussein figure: A man who was armed by one government to fight another government , who wound up turning on his former allies. (The credits for Into Darkness actually feature a dedication to post-9/11 veterans.)

But the film went even deeper into Trek lore for its most moving scene—a sequence which directly recalled, and simultaneously flipped, the most moving scene from Wrath of Khan :

As the Enterprise fell to earth, a member of the crew had to make the ultimate sacrifice. But not just any member of the crew. Captain James T. Kirk died heroically saving his work-family from a falling spaceship. In the original Khan , of course, Spock died doing just about the same thing: Exposing himself to radiation in order to restore power to the warp drive. This time, Spock was on the other side of the glass, holding his hand up to Kirk's. As Kirk fell down dead, it fell to Spock to deliver the immortal line: " Khhhhhaaaaaannnnn! " It was awesome.

But then came this:

Now, listen. You could argue that Kirk was never going to stay dead. He's the star of Star Trek . And Spock certainly didn't have any trouble coming back from the great beyond. (You'll recall that, in The Search for Spock , his corpse was reanimated by the Genesis Planet and his memories were in McCoy's brain and he aged rapidly until he was the same age he was before and, well, science!) Still, the exact method by which Kirk came back to life is…well, a bit indelicate. Turns out that Khan isn't just a genetically enhanced superhuman; he's a genetically enhanced superhuman with magic resurrection blood that can cure all ailments and even bring you back from the dead, as long as you've only been dead long enough for one final climactic action scene.

This was revealed thanks to a plot point which can only be referred to as Chekhov's Tribble. (That's Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, the famous Russian playwright, not Pavel Chekov, the navigator with the funny accent.) Earlier in the film, Dr. McCoy had injected some of Khan's blood into a dead Tribble, because science. As he stared at the dead Kirk, he noticed something: The Tribble had come back to annoying life! Fortunately, human physiology and Tribble physiology are the same, because science, and Kirk was soon back to his old self. Khan, meanwhile, was frozen along with his other followers. Left unexplored: Whether the Federation would decide to mass-produce the healing elixir of Khan's Blood, thereby ensuring that nobody will ever die.

Now, there's something very interesting in this final twist. I like the idea that Kirk only survived by becoming more like Khan. The film touched on—but never quite explored—the idea that Kirk had something to learn from Khan, who referred to his fellow genetic super-soldiers as his "family" and explicitly drew a link to Kirk's relationship with the Enterprise crew. But I don't know if the movie ever quite figured out what to do with that duality. (It doesn't help matters that, by the end of Into Darkness , Khan—previously a Hannibal Lecter-ish supervillain who planned nine steps ahead of everyone—became a senseless kamikaze villain, smashing his ship into San Francisco.)

Oh, also, unless I missed something, I think Khan just destroyed most of San Francisco. He definitely took out a few skyscrapers. This is probably the worst disaster in the history of 23rd-Century Earth. But the important thing is, Kirk learned a valuable lesson about leadership, and Spock and Uhura's relationship has never been stronger.

Fellow Trek fans and moviegoers, what did you think of the final act of Star Trek Into Darkness ? Did you enjoy Benedict Cumberkhan?

Follow Darren on Twitter: @DarrenFranich

Related content:

  • 'Star Trek Into Darkness' trailer: A Deep Dive
  • 'Star Trek Into Darkness' poster: 4 surprising things
  • 'Star Trek Into Darkness': Read the official synopsis
  • 'Star Trek Into Darkness': IMAX lands first 9 minutes

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Khan Noonien Singh (Alternate Timeline)

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Khan Noonien Singh , also known as John Harrison , is the main antagonist of the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness .

He is an extremely intelligent and ruthless terrorist, and was the most prominent of the genetically engineered Human Augments of the late-20th century Eugenics Wars period on Earth. Considered genocidal tyrants who conquered and killed in the name of order, Khan and his kind were frozen in cryogenic-sleep. In the 23rd century, Khan was revived by Admiral Alexander Marcus to design weapons and ships to prepare for war against the Klingon Empire. He was given a new identity, that of John Harrison , an English Starfleet commander. Khan, however, rebelled, and after believing his crew had been killed, he began a one-man campaign against Starfleet. After gaining his revenge on Admiral Marcus, he was later stopped by the crew of the USS Enterprise and returned to cryogenic sleep.

He was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch , who also played Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit film trilogy, William Ford in 12 Years a Slave , Dormammu , Sinister Strange , and Strange Supreme in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Grinch in the 2018 film of the same name and Shere Khan in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle .

  • 1.1 Background and Brainwashed by Marcus
  • 1.2 Betrayal and Stealing Transwarp Beaming Equation
  • 1.3.1 Revealing Marcus' True Nature
  • 1.4.1 Defeat
  • 2 Personality
  • 3 Powers and Abilities
  • 5 Reception
  • 6.1 Indirectly
  • 8 External Links
  • 9 Navigation

Biography [ ]

Background and brainwashed by marcus [ ].

Khan's reconstructive surgery

Khan during his facial reconstruction before his memory blocked.

This version of Khan's backstory was the same as his prime reality counterpart 's, until the destruction of Vulcan in 2258 changed the latter's future that led to the events of the movie from that point on.

Vulcan's destruction led Admiral Alexander Marcus of Section 31 to begin a plan in militarizing Starfleet, and he searched the galaxy for weapons to be used in a potential war with the Klingons. Discovering the SS Botany Bay , Marcus brought Khan out of stasis, believing his savage intellect would give him an advantage. Khan was then recruited into Starfleet under the new identity of Commander John Harrison, and tasked with designing weapons and ships for Starfleet, including the Dreadnought -class USS Vengeance .

The prequel comic Star Trek: Khan gave more insight about Khan's physical change and betrayal. Shortly after being discovered, Marcus had his appearance surgically changed to a male Caucasian and blocked his memories with the intent of convincing him that he was John Harrison, the amnesiac Starfleet researcher in London's Kelvin Memorial Archive who lost his memories in an accident during a failed mission to Qo'nos, the Klingon homeworld. As Harrison, he was given the task of helping advise Section 31 on possible enhancements to Starfleet weapon, shield, and propulsion technology (which is to be incorporated aboard the USS Vengeance ) as well as taking on a mission to destroy Praxis with the help of a portable transporter he designed and built. The mission is a success (explaining the destroyed moon seen in orbit of the Klingon homeworld in the film) but, in the process, Khan regains his memories.

Betrayal and Stealing Transwarp Beaming Equation [ ]

Benedict Khan

Khan as John Harrison.

Disgruntled by everything that has happened to him, Harrison tried to smuggle his crew away in experimental photon torpedoes he himself had designed, but was discovered and forced to flee alone. Believing Marcus had killed his crew, he coerced Section 31 agent Thomas Harewood into betraying Starfleet by offering a blood transfusion for Harewood's terminally-ill daughter. Harewood agreed, and Harrison replaced Harewood's Starfleet ring with a bomb. After his daughter was cured with a vial of Harrison's blood, Harewood went to work at his office in the Kelvin Memorial Archive, where he dropped the false Starfleet ring into a glass of water, igniting a bomb and destroying the facility. In the midst of the chaos, Harrison used the opportunity to inspect a salvaged terminal to gain Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott's transwarp beaming equation.

Attempted Murder at Daystorm Institute [ ]

Before he set off the explosion at the archive, Harewood sent Marcus a message, explaining he had been threatened by Harrison. Marcus called a summit at the Daystrom Institute, ordering a manhunt for Harrison. During the meeting, James T. Kirk deduced that Harrison had not left Earth because he was aware that protocol would dictate that a meeting like this one would be held at that location. Harrison suddenly appeared in a jumpship and attacked the conference, injuring many and killing Admiral Christopher Pike. Kirk disabled the jumpship, but Harrison beamed himself away before it crashed. Later, Scott contacted Kirk and Commander Spock to inform them that Harrison had beamed himself to the one place Starfleet couldn't follow: Qo'noS. Undeterred, Kirk was granted permission by Marcus to travel to Qo'noS and fire 72 experimental photon torpedoes on Harrison's location. However, at the behest of Spock, Kirk decided to arrest Harrison and bring him back to Earth to stand trial for his crimes.

Revealing Marcus' True Nature [ ]

Khan 1

Khan on the Klingon homeworld.

While Kirk led an away team with Spock, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, and Hendorff, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, in temporary command of the USS Enterprise , transmitted a message to Harrison on Qo'noS, warning him to surrender or be destroyed by the torpedoes. Moments later, Harrison found Kirk, Spock, and Uhura being attacked by a Klingon patrol and single-handedly killed the patrol. Confronting the Starfleet officers, Harrison asked how many torpedoes the Enterprise had aboard. After Spock informed him of the count, which corresponded exactly to the number of his Botany Bay crewmembers still in stasis, Harrison surrendered to the landing party. Kirk, angry that his mentor's murderer had saved them, punched Harrison repeatedly, but was unable to render him unconscious.

Khan (Star Trek Into Darkness)

Khan on the Enterprise .

Once aboard the Enterprise , Harrison was placed in the ship's brig. Dr. Leonard McCoy took a blood sample to uncover the secret behind Harrison's superhuman strength and abilities. Harrison refused to answer Kirk's questions, instead giving him coordinates to a spacedock near Jupiter where the Vengeance was constructed, and suggested that Kirk open one of the torpedoes. Kirk contacted an absent Scott and gave him the coordinates to investigate, while Dr. McCoy and Dr. Carol Marcus opened up a torpedo and discovered a cryogenically-frozen man within.

When Kirk and Spock confronted him with what they discovered, Khan finally explained who he was to Kirk, revealing that the torpedoes contained his fellow surviving Augments as part of a cover-up. Not long afterward, Marcus arrived aboard the Vengeance and demanded that Kirk hand over Khan. Kirk refused and ordered the Enterprise to warp back to Earth so Khan could be brought to trial. The Vengeance caught up with the Enterprise and fired on it as it arrived in Earth's solar system. Marcus then beamed up Carol and prepared to destroy the Enterprise ; fortunately for the Enterprise , Scott, who had sneaked aboard the Vengeance , deactivated its weapons.

Truce With Kirk and Betraying Enterprise Crew [ ]

Kirk and Khan then performed a space-jump to the Vengeance . Meanwhile, Spock consulted Spock Prime, his older counterpart from the prime reality, regarding whether he ever encountered Khan in the past; Spock Prime responded that he had, that Khan was dangerous, and that it had required a great sacrifice to stop him.

Aboard the Vengeance , Kirk, suspicious of Khan, told Scott to stun him once they had taken over the Vengeance 's bridge. When the three of them arrived on the bridge, Scott shot Khan while Kirk admonished Marcus for compromising the Federation. However, Khan was not easily subdued, and he attacked Scott and Kirk and broke Carol's leg before crushing her father's skull with his bare hands before her very eyes. Khan then contacted the Enterprise and ordered Spock to hand over the torpedoes or he would resume bombarding the Enterprise . Spock agreed, and Khan beamed Kirk, Scott, and Carol back aboard the Enterprise , but reneged on his deal with Spock. However, Spock, having predicted Khan's betrayal following his talk with Spock Prime, detonated the torpedoes, crippling the Vengeance . Khan cried out in anguish at the apparent loss of his crew (in actuality, Spock had earlier ordered McCoy to remove the stasis pods from the torpedoes much to Kirk's disgust due to Khan now angrier than ever).

The damage sustained caused both ships to be drawn in by Earth's gravitational pull. To prevent the Enterprise from crashing into San Francisco, Kirk sacrificed himself while re-activating the ship's warp core. Khan, on the other hand, directed the Vengeance on a crash course for Starfleet Headquarters, though the ship's computer informed him the ship would not hit its target. When the Vengeance crashed into San Francisco, Khan leaped down from the wreckage and posed as a shocked survivor.

Moments later, Spock beamed down to execute Khan and avenge Kirk's death. An exciting chase ensues, with Spock pursuing the superhuman onto automated flying barges. A climactic fight erupts between the two, which Khan gradually wins. Uhura beamed down, firing several stun shots to weaken Khan and revealed to Spock that they needed Khan alive to save Kirk (McCoy had just discovered that Khan's blood possessed regenerative properties). Spock finally knocked Khan out.

After his blood was used to revive Kirk, Khan was placed back in suspended animation with his crew and was last seen in a room frozen, where he presumably remains their for the rest of his life.

Personality [ ]

Khan is an extremely powerful, unpredictable, ruthless and brutal person who mostly enjoys terrorizing and killing people and destroying everything in his path. Also, as he is confronting and negotiating with Spock in exchange for Kirk and Marcus' daughter, he seems to have a very massive sense of manipulation. Besides being ruthless and powerful, Khan is also an extremely intelligent and brilliant individual who has vast sophistication and wisdom. Despite this Khan deeply cares for his fellow Augments and manipulated many people just to get them to safety.

Powers and Abilities [ ]

  • Superhuman Strength : Having been engineered to be an upgraded human life form, Khan, like any Augment possesses the physical strength of a five human beings combined. He could overpower multiple Klingons and even fight Spock in hand-to-hand combat. Khan was even able to crush people's skulls by applying pressure to their heads with both of his hands.
  • Superhuman Resilience : He is also extremely durable and greater stamina than even the most rigorously trained human being. He survive Phaser Stun Settings with the bolts only dazing him for a second. He is able to resist a Vulcan Neck Pinch and even overpower Vulcans and Klingons.
  • Superhuman Speed : Khan showed incredible speed and mobility when he took down the Klingon forces single handed and when he outran Spock.
  • Healing Factor/Regenerative Blood : An Augment's blood platelets have regenerative properties, allowing him to regenerate from any injury or toxicity at a superhumanly fast and far more efficient rate compared to human being's recovery rate. His healing factor even provides him with a greatly extended lifespan or the Augment's regenerative blood can also be used as a medical tool to heal, cure or revive medical subjects via to a blood transfusion.
  • Environmental Survivability: Although not witnessed, Khan has stated that him and other Augments are able to survive in an Oxygen Deficient Atmosphere when he was threatening Spock. "Your crew requires Oxygen to survive whilst mine does not, I will target your life-support systems located behind the aft nacelle and as every one of your crew suffocates, I will walk over your cold corpses to recover my people".
  • Superhuman Intelligence : Khan has a genius-level intellect, which is superior to many human intellectuals. Despite being frozen for 300 years, when he was awoken, he was abel to immediately study, understand and assimilate all the knowledge of the 23rd century in a very short time. His advanced intellect was the key in the Federation Admiral Marcus created advanced war machines, which were designed for a war with the Klingon Empire.
  • Mental Resilience : Khan was able to resist and Break a Vulcan Mindmeld.
  • Master Combatant : Khan is a ferocious warrior with years of honed combat prowess, which combined with his superhuman abilities, makes him an extremely deadly foe in battle. He is extremely resourceful in battle and was able to secure weapons to go up against a battalion of Klingon soldiers to save Kirk and his crew. He was also close to defeating Spock in battle, had backup not arrived.

Reception [ ]

Cumberbatch received universal acclaim for his performance as Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness . Peter Travers of the Rolling Stone called it a "tour de force to reckon with" and his character "a villain for the ages". Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News wrote that Cumberbatch delivered "one of the best blockbuster villains in recent memory". Jonathan Romney of The Independent noted Cumberbatch's voice, saying it was "so sepulchrally resonant that it could have been synthesised from the combined timbres of Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and Alan Rickman holding an elocution contest down a well". The New York Times praised his screen presence: "He fuses Byronic charisma with an impatient, imperious intelligence that seems to raise the ambient I.Q. whenever he's on screen".

Despite his acclaimed performance, however, Cumberbatch’s casting as the character was criticized by both critics and fans alike, considering that the character had been "whitewashed into oblivion". Reason of this was due to the fact that in previous films, Khan was actually in Indian ancestry, not European. There have been similar accusations of whitewashing by fans and American Sikhs, with Star Trek: Voyager actor Garrett Wang tweeting "The casting of Cumberbatch was a mistake on the part of the producers. I am not being critical of the actor or his talent, just the casting". George Takei, the original Hikaru Sulu, was also disappointed with the casting, as he thought it would have been better to cast Cumberbatch not as an established villain like Khan but as a new character. On Trekmovie.com, co-producer and co-screenwriter Bob Orci addressed Khan's casting: "Basically, as we went through the casting process and we began honing in on the themes of the movie, it became uncomfortable for me to support demonizing anyone of color, particularly any one of Middle Eastern descent or anyone evoking that. One of the points of the movie is that we must be careful about the villain within US, not some other race". The problem was later rectified through prequel comic Star Trek: Khan which reveals details of his drastic change throughout the film which stemmed from Nero's omnicidal campaign starting from destruction of Vulcan's homeworld.

Entertainment Weekly saw parallels between the new Khan and figures such as Osama Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein, as both men were allied with the US before turning on them. Simon Pegg commented " Iraq had nothing proven to do with 9/11, and yet Bush used that as an excuse to start a war with those people. You can always see the Klingons as like Iraq and John Harrison the proxy for Osama bin Laden. "

Lindelof further acknowledged the terrorism parallels in an interview with StarTrek.com, as Khan's 72 torpedoes reminded them of the notion of 72 virgins in paradise. Lindelof responded " Of course it is a coincidence, because that is a number taken from canon. It was pointed out to us at the scripting phase – the 72 virgins – and that actually gave us pause, because we didn't want people drawing that comparison... but there it is. "

The New Yorker also saw parallels between the debate to execute or arrest Khan with that of the issue of targeted killing.

Victims [ ]

  • Christopher Pike
  • Frank Abbott
  • Alexander Marcus
  • Several unnamed Starfleet officers
  • Numerous unnamed San Francisco citizens
  • Numerous unnamed Klingons
  • Numerous unnamed people

Indirectly [ ]

  • Thomas Harewood
  • James T. Kirk
  • Numerous unnamed Starfleet officers
  • This incarnation of Khan is the third main villain in a Star Trek film not to be killed, first being V'Ger and Whale Probe. Of these, he is the first who is not a probe.
  • He is the main villain of the second film in the reboot series. His Prime Reality Counterpart was the main villain of the second film and in the original series episode "Space Seed" as well.

External Links [ ]

  • Khan Noonien Singh (Alternate Timeline) on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki

Navigation [ ]

  • 1 Chameleon (Kung Fu Panda)

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Star Trek Into Darkness

2013, Sci-fi/Adventure, 2h 12m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, even if it's not as fresh as its predecessor. Read critic reviews

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Star trek into darkness videos, star trek into darkness   photos.

The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act of terrorism within its own organization destroys most of Starfleet and what it represents, leaving Earth in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) leads his people (Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoë Saldana) on a mission to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction, thereby propelling all of them into an epic game of life and death.

Rating: PG-13 (Intense Seq. of Sci-Fi Violenc|Intense Seq. of Sci-Fi Action)

Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Original Language: English

Director: J.J. Abrams

Producer: J.J. Abrams , Bryan Burk , Damon Lindelof , Alex Kurtzman , Roberto Orci

Writer: Alex Kurtzman , Roberto Orci , Damon Lindelof

Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 2013  wide

Release Date (Streaming): May 14, 2015

Box Office (Gross USA): $228.8M

Runtime: 2h 12m

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Production Co: Bad Robot

Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Datasat

View the collection: Star Trek

Cast & Crew

Capt. James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto

Dr. Leonard McCoy

Zoe Saldana

Nyota Uhura

Anton Yelchin

Pavel Chekov

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

Hikaru Sulu

Benedict Cumberbatch

John Harrison

Carol Marcus

Bruce Greenwood

Christopher Pike

Peter Weller

Admiral Marcus

J.J. Abrams

Alex Kurtzman

Screenwriter

Roberto Orci

Damon Lindelof

Jeffrey Chernov

Executive Producer

Dana Goldberg

Paul Schwake

David Ellison

Michael Giacchino

Original Music

Cinematographer

Scott Chambliss

Production Design

Maryann Brandon

Film Editing

Mary Jo Markey

Michael Kaplan

Costume Design

Ramsey Avery

Supervising Art Direction

News & Interviews for Star Trek Into Darkness

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Critic Reviews for Star Trek Into Darkness

Audience reviews for star trek into darkness.

While it may rehash some elements from other films in the franchise, Star Trek Into Darkness is still a worthy and very fun installment with a powerhouse villain performance and staying as visually stunning as usual.

star trek into the darkness khan

I really love the direction that this new "Star Trek" franchise is going. It's not the normal exploration drama anymore, but it's more an action piece. And it's a very good one. I really love this movie. If you take away all the previous movies, this is probably better than the first one, because it really does a lot more than the first one and it does go to new planets, for example Kronos which was a treat to see. The acting is great, especially from Cumberbatch who gives a great performance as the main villain. He gives a scary performance as well as a really emotional and lovable performance. One of the reasons, however, why we need to look at the other movies like canon, is because of a scene featuring Leonard Nimoy. And that's where the movie haults for me. This movie is a soft reboot of the great "The Wrath of Khan," and when the movie tries to be that masterpiece, it really feels sloppy for me. I didn't like the fact that Cumberbatch turned out to be Khan and that they wanted to give the character a little twist. The fact that his blood can bring people back from the dead is the most ridiculous thing that anyone has ever done in a movie and that took me out of the movie and really had a big impact on my final thoughts. But, I still ended up liking the movie very much and, while I can't say that it's better than the first one, I can say that it is definitely a worthy follow-up and a great addition to this new franchise.

Though it feels much more like a Star Wars film than anything Star Trek has ever done, 'Into Darkness' succeeds in most of the areas in sets out to, even if it wasn't the general direction most Trekkies wanted the series to go after a brilliant reboot in 2009. Most of the scrutiny from the film comes from its handling of the character, Spock, and the unnecessary hiding of him for the entire marketing campaign. While the ladder is a fair criticism, it doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the film. Though I can understand a particular third act plot choice that felt like a forced homage to 1982's The Wrath of Khan, this rendition of Khan is still well realized. Most of the credit there should go to the relentless performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. Not as flashy nor as memorable as Ricardo Montalban's Khan, Cumberbatch is far more brutal and deceptive. Even on repeat viewing, I found myself captivated by every scene with Khan, especially those which also involved Kirk and/or Spock. There's something about the dialogue between them that feels vintage good vs evil while also presenting such a tremendous amount of gravitas as well. J.J. Abrams is a genius filmmaker, but I don't think he gets enough credit for what he did with both his Trek films. The series was nearly dead before he came aboard and revamped and refreshed the entire idea of what a Trek film is. Even if it deviates from lore, 'Into Darkness' is a really well made film. The effects have never been better and the way Abrams seamlessly takes us from a CGI or green screen landscape into an integral one on one dialogue battle is very impressive. Though not every key emotional moment feels earned in the third act, it's nice seeing all of the actors start to come into their own as the respected crew members of the Enterprise. Scotty has never been better, Sulu gets more than enough time to shine, Quinto brought a new layer to Spock not seen in 2009, and Chris Pine feels much more like an heir apparent to William Shatner than he did in the first entry. To me, it was much easier to care about the characters this time around. With all this said, there's plenty that I wish the film did differently. The Khan reveal and 3rd act mishandle of the infamous moment are just some of the mishaps that could have been fixed. Or even the entire subplot with the Admirals daughter, but I digress. 'Into Darkness' is a far better film than it probably has a right to be with a fun and exciting direction from Abrams and lively performances from the good and bad side of the coin. +Cumberbatch +Abrams directing style +Great dialogue between Kirk, Khan, and Spock -3rd act mishaps 8.2/10

Before the reboot of Star Trek I hadn't really paid much attention to the Star Trek universe and was excited to see what all the fuzz was about, although trekkies might disagree with this being a good starting point.. I loved it, so I've been looking forward to a sequel ever since the last one. WELL, it has arrived and it KICKED some serious ASS. Star Trek Into Darkness is what modern action filmmaking has evolved into. The movie was fantastic and I absolutely loved it but the script felt dumbed down and JJ did his best with what he was given. The visuals were gorgeous and the score was just amazing through the whole movie. I'm glad they managed to give most of the characters more personality and a moment to grow and develop. Having mentioned that, it's worth to note that Benedict Cumberbatch stole the show with his acting as the ruthless villain and I wouldn't hesitate to give him the title of villain of the year, even if it's still May. (although many people might disagree) Overall I would say this is THE movie of the summer. It brought to the table a great story, outstanding acting, out-of-this world visuals (pun intended) and spotless directing with some lens glare. As I've seen, this is a hit or miss for a lot of people and honestly it's all up to you!

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The Character  Quotes

  • Character Quotes
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Khan Quotes in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Khan quotes:.

James T. Kirk : I watched you open fire in a room full of unarmed Starfleet officers. You killed them in cold blood.

Khan : Marcus took my crew from me!

James T. Kirk : You are a murderer!

Khan : He used my friends to control me. I tried to smuggle them to safety by concealing them in the very weapons I have designed. But I was discovered. I had no choice but to escape alone. And when I did, I had every reason to suspect that Marcus had killed every single one of the people I hold most dear. So I responded in kind. My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?

Khan : I'm going to make this very simple for you.

Spock : Captain!

Khan : Your crew for my crew.

Spock : You betrayed us.

Khan : Oh, you are smart, Mr. Spock.

James T. Kirk : Spock, don't...

[ Khan knocks him down ]

Khan : Mr. Spock, give me my crew.

Spock : What will you do when you get them?

Khan : Continue the work we were doing before we were banished.

Spock : Which as I understand it involves the mass-genocide of any being you find to be less than superior.

Khan : Shall I destroy you, Mr. Spock? Or will you give me what I want?

Spock : We have no transporter capabilities.

Khan : Fortunately, mine are perfectly functioning. Drop your shields.

Spock : If I do so I have no guarantee that you will not destroy the Enterprise.

Khan : Well, let's play this out logically then, Mr. Spock. Firstly, I will kill your captain to demonstrate my resolve, then if yours holds I will have no choice but to kill you and your entire crew.

Spock : If you destroy our ship, you will also destroy your own people.

Khan : Your crew requires oxygen to survive, mine does not. I will target your life support systems located behind the aft nacelle. And after every single person aboard your ship suffocates, I will walk over your cold corpses to recover my people. Now, shall we begin?

Spock : ...Lower shields.

Khan : A wise choice, Mr. Spock. I see all 72 torpedoes are still in their tubes. If they're not mine, Commander, I will know it.

Spock : Vulcans do not lie. The torpedoes are yours.

Khan : Thank you, Mr. Spock.

Spock : I have fulfilled your terms. Now fulfill mine.

Khan : Well Kirk, it seems apt to return you to your crew. After all, no ship should go down without her captain.

[ from trailer ]

Khan : Mr. Spock. The mind of the Enterprise. The fearless genius who ensures a calm force of intelligence guides their every mission. But look deeper and you will see an outsider who does not belong, a man of two worlds. This tears him apart, the constant battle between what he thinks and what he feels. What does he do? Does he follow his head, embracing logic and the path of reason? Or does he follow his heart, knowing the emotions he cannot control may destroy him? I will help him decide...

James T. Kirk : Why would a Starfleet admiral ask a three-hundred-year-old frozen man for help?

Khan : Because I am better.

James T. Kirk : At what?

Khan : Everything. Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time, and for that, he needed a warrior's mind - my mind - to design weapons and warships.

Spock : You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold, simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect...

Khan : He wanted to exploit my savagery! Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break a rule - how can you be expected to break bone? Marcus used me to design weapons. I helped him realize his vision of a militarized Starfleet. He sent you to use those weapons, to fire my torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet, and then he purposely crippled your ship in enemy space, leading to one inevitable outcome: the Klingons would come searching for whoever was responsible, and you would have no chance of escape. Marcus would finally have the war he talked about, the war he always wanted.

James T. Kirk : Why is there a man in that torpedo?

Khan : There are men and women in all those torpedoes, Captain. I put them there.

James T. Kirk : Who the hell are you?

Khan : A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries we slept, hoping when we awoke things would be different. But as a result of the destruction of Vulcan your Starfleet begun to aggressively search distant quadrants of space. My ship was found adrift. I alone was revived.

James T. Kirk : I looked up John Harrison. Until a year ago he didn't exist.

Khan : John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause, a smokescreen to conceal my true identity. My name is... KHAN.

Khan : You think you world is safe? It is an illusion. A comforting lie told to protect you. Enjoy these final moments of peace. For I have returned to have my vengeance. So, shall we begin?

Khan : My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?

Khan : Your are a pawn, Kirk. You can't even guarantee the safety of your own crew. Now, shall we begin?

Khan : [ to Carol ] If you think you are safe at warp, you're wrong.

Khan : Darkness is coming.

Khan : I can save her.

Thomas Harewood : What did you say?

Khan : Your daughter. I can save her.

Thomas Harewood : Who are you?

Khan : Your commanders have committed a crime I cannot forgive. None of you are safe. Have I got your attention now?

Khan : Set destination: Starfleet Headquarters!

James T. Kirk : Tell me everything you know about that ship.

Khan : Dreadnought class. Two times the size, three times the speed. Advanced weaponry. Modified for a minimal crew. Unlike most Federation vessels, it's built solely for combat.

James T. Kirk : I will do everything I can to make you answer for what you did. But right now I need your help.

James T. Kirk : Let me explain what's happening here: you are a criminal! I watched you murder innocent men and women! I was authorized to *end* you! And the only reason why you are still alive is because I am allowing it. So *shut your mouth*!

Khan : Captain, are you going to punch me again, over and over, until your arm weakens... clearly you want to. So tell me, why did you allow me to live?

James T. Kirk : We all make mistakes.

Khan : I surrendered to you because, despite your attempt to convince me otherwise, you seem to have a conscience, Mr. Kirk. If you did not, then it would be impossible for me to convince you of the truth. 23174611. Coordinates not far from Earth. If you want to know why I did what I did, go and take a look.

James T. Kirk : Give me one reason why I should listen to you.

Khan : I can give you 72. And they're on board your ship, Captain. They have been, all along.

Khan : [ to Marcus ] You should have let me sleep!

[ crushes his skull ]

[ Terrell disobeys Khan's order to kill Kirk, who taunts Khan over the communicator ]

Kirk : Khan, you bloodsucker! You're going to have to do your own dirty work now! Do you hear me? Do you?

Khan : Kirk? Kirk, you're still alive, my old friend?

Kirk : Still, "old friend"! You've managed to kill just about everyone else, but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target!

Khan : Perhaps I no longer need to try, Admiral.

David Marcus : Oh, no! Let go! He can't take it...!

[ Khan beams the Genesis device away ]

Kirk : Khan... Khan, you've got Genesis, but you don't have me. You were going to kill me, Khan. You're going to have to come down here. You're going to have to come down here!

Khan : I've done far worse than kill you. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her; marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet... buried alive! Buried alive...!

Kirk : KHAAANNNN!

Khan : [ quoting from Melville's Moby Dick ] To the last, I will grapple with thee... from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!

Joachim : We're all with you, sir. But, consider this. We are free. We have a ship, and the means to go where we will. We have escaped permanent exile on Ceti Alpha V. You have defeated the plans of Admiral Kirk. You do not need to defeat him again.

Khan : [ paraphrase from Melville's Moby Dick ] He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him! I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round perdition's flames before I give him up!

Joachim : They're still running with shields down.

Khan : Of course! We are one big, happy fleet! Ah, Kirk, my old friend, do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold?

Khan : It is very cold in space!

Kirk : [ hailing Khan ] This is Admiral Kirk. We tried it once your way, Khan, are you game for a rematch? Khan, I'm laughing at the "superior intellect."

Khan : Full impulse power!

Joachim : No, sir! You have Genesis! You can have whatever...

Khan : [ grabs Joachim in anger ] FULL POWER! DAMN YOU!

Khan : Captain, Captain, Captain... save your strength. These people have sworn to live and die at my command two hundred years before you were born. Do you mean he never told you the tale? To amuse your Captain, no? Never told you how the Enterprise picked up the Botany Bay, lost in space from the year 1996 with myself and the ship's company in cryogenic freeze?

Capt. Terrell : I never even met Admiral Kirk.

Khan : 'Admiral?' 'Admiral!' 'Admiral'... Never told you how 'Admiral' Kirk sent seventy of us into exile in this barren sandheap with only the contents of these cargo bays to sustain us?

Chekov : You lie! On Ceti Alpha Five there was life! A fair chance...

Khan : [ shouts ] THIS IS CETI ALPHA FIVE! Ceti Alpha Six exploded six months after we were left here. The shock shifted the orbit of this planet and everything was laid waste. 'Admiral' Kirk never bothered to check on our progress. It was only the fact of my genetically-engineered intellect that allowed us to survive. On Earth, two hundred years ago, I was a prince with power over millions...

Chekov : Captain Kirk was your host. You repaid his hospitality by trying to steal his ship and murder him!

[ Khan, about to put Ceti Eels in Terrell and Chekov's ears ]

Khan : You see, their young enter through the ears and wrap themselves around the cerebral cortex. This has the effect of rendering the victim extremely susceptible to suggestion. Later, as they grow, follows madness and death.

Chekov : Khan, listen to me...

Khan : These are pets, of course. Not quite domesticated.

Khan : [ holds the dying Joachim ] Joachim?

Joachim : Yours... is... superior...

Khan : I shall avenge you.

Khan : Let them eat static.

Joachim : [ Enterprise is running with shields down ] They still haven't raised their shields.

Khan : Raise ours.

[ Joachim raises shields ]

Spock : Their shields are going up.

Khan : Lock phasers on target.

Joachim : [ looks at targeting computer ] Locking phasers on target.

Spock : They're locking phasers.

Kirk : Raise shields!

Khan : Fire!

[ Joachim fires phasers ]

Khan : Surely, I have made my meaning plain. I mean to avenge myself upon you, Admiral. I deprived your ship of power, and when I swing around, I mean to deprive you of your life.

[ Kirk remotely commands Reliant's shields to drop ]

Joachim : Our shields are dropping.

Khan : Then raise them!

Joachim : [ pounds fists on console ] I can't!

Khan : The override. Where's the override?

[ Khan discovers the Enterprise and realizes it isn't as badly damaged as he thought ]

Khan : There she is! There she is! Ah... not so wounded as we were led to believe. So much the better!

Captain Terrell : Sir, I demand...

Khan : You are in a position to demand *nothing*. I, on the other hand, am in a position to *grant* nothing.

Kirk : Khan!

Khan : You still remember, Admiral. I cannot help but be touched. I, of course, remember you.

Kirk : Khan, how do I know you'll keep your word?

Khan : Oh, I've given you no word to keep, Admiral. In my judgment, you simply have no alternative.

Khan : I know you. You are the brother... How perfect. I will send you to hell... to join your brother!

Jake Donahue : I've been there... for 10 years! AAAHHHH!

Khan : Mr. Fletcher, I have Sophie here for you.

Alex Fletcher : Well, that sounds like fun. Who is she?

Khan : She says she's here to do your plants.

Alex Fletcher : No, tell her Jane does my plants.

Khan : She says it will only take five minutes and this is a good time for her.

Alex Fletcher : It seems she cannot be stopped. Send her up.

Khan : You are very successful.

Jake Gittes : Oh, I can't complain.

Khan : Does that mean you are happy?

Jake Gittes : Who can answer that question off the top of their head?

Khan : Anyone who's happy.

Browse more character quotes from Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

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Den of Geek

Why Star Trek Needs to Forget Section 31

Modern Star Trek writers sure love Section 31. But they really shouldn't focus so much on Starfleet's cynical shadow.

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Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Georgiou in Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 3

In 1966, Gene Roddenberry and his co-creators gave the world Star Trek , an adventure series that imagined humanity overcoming its racist and sexist and class divisions, which inaugurated a new age of exploration. Corny? Sure. Imperfect? Of course. But that fundamental optimism remains a key aspect of Star Trek , presenting a challenge to those future creators tasked with keeping the franchise alive beyond the years of its birth.

That doesn’t mean the optimism can’t be challenged or re-contextualized. Indeed, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did exactly that, and many put that series at the top of their franchise rankings. But Deep Space Nine also introduced Section 31, a black ops organization within Starfleet and the darkest alternative to Star Trek optimism this side of the Terran Empire.

Sadly, later Trek creators have jumped onto the Section 31 concept, resulting in darker, much more pessimistic (and paranoid) stories that forget the best parts of great Star Trek adventures.

The Secret Origin of Section 31

Starfleet has always had its offshoot divisions, such as the Exploratory Division or Stellar Imaging Division, both commemorated on starship plaques. But Section 31 operates differently as an independent division that’s almost totally unknown to the rest of Starfleet.

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Section 31 first reared its head in the Deep Space Nine season six episode “Inquisition,” written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle and directed by Michael Dorn . Posing as Starfleet Internal Affairs, Luther Sloan attempts to recruit Bashir into Section 31, first by charging the Doctor with passing secrets to the Dominion and later by blackmailing him with evidence of his augments.

Played by character actor great William Sadler, Sloan became a regular feature in the final two seasons of Deep Space Nine , as did Section 31. The organization made sense in that series as the farthest limit that Starfleet would go to protect its vaunted ideals during a time of war. Even if the actual mechanics didn’t make sense (seriously, no one noticed or remembered these guys walking around Federation ships?), it worked on a thematic level for the show. Yes, Sisko could live with moral compromises in pursuit of protecting the rest of the Federation, but Section 31 showed both the extreme end and the limit for him.

In other words, Section 31 played a specific role within the specific circumstances of Deep Space Nine . The show put Starfleet in a totally new situation, pitting humanity against an enemy unlike any other. Showrunner Ira Steven Behr and the writers put Starfleet and Federation principles to the test. Although Sisko and his crew fell short of that test time and again, Section 31 stood as a reminder of what Starfleet would become if they ultimately failed.

That function is most pronounced in the resolution to the Dominion War. In the final episodes of DS9 , Bashir discovers that the virus killing the Founders came from Section 31. Sloan had his team develop the virus and inject it into Odo while the Changeling was in Starfleet Medical care. When Odo joined the remaining Changelings in the Great Link, he spread the virus to them.

To hear Sloan tell it, the virus plot was necessary, as Starfleet and the Federation would be destroyed by the Dominion. When they fell, all their ideals would die with them. Sloan saw himself as an ironic hero, one who protects Starfleet and the Federation by violating its principles.

So devoted to this concept was Sloan that he committed suicide before Bashir could find a way to cure the virus. Rather than accepting defeat, Bashir maintained that most important of Federation ideals. He kept hope. He and Chief O’Brien worked tirelessly to find a cure, saving not only their friend Odo but what was left of the Changelings in the Great Link.

In short, DS9 showed Starfleet rejecting Section 31 and all it stood for. The series did not bring on Section 31 for cool action and edgy stories, but to reinforce the importance of Starfleet ideals. If only the rest of Trek did the same.

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Star Trek (Deeper) Into Darkness

Things didn’t get too far out of hand, at first.

To retroactively explain the difference between Klingons on The Original Series and Klingons on The Next Generation , the Enterprise two-parter “Affliction” and “Divergence” had a reason to bring back Section 31. In this story, the secret division kidnaps Doctor Phlox to heal the augment virus (which is why the TOS Klingons look different) and gain an edge over Starfleet’s rival empire.

Again, no one necessarily needed an explanation (and the weird Discovery Klingons threw that all out the window anyway), but if you’re going to explain it, then Section 31 makes sense. Plus, the episode reveals Malcolm Reed’s association with the organization, which helped flesh out his character a bit more — something that anyone who wasn’t Archer, T’Pol, or Trip desperately needed. We can even accept Section 31 Harris showing up in later episodes to sabotage the proto-Federation.

The true problems with Section 31 became clear in the J. J. Abrams reboot movies. The 2009 Star Trek gets by with a breathless pace and glossy filmmaking, ensuring that everyone is having too much fun to get upset about the many shortcomings in the script by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman .

But the wrongheaded 2013 sequel Star Trek Into Darkness positioned Section 31 as the movie’s big bad. Not only is Section 31 head Admiral Marcus the movie’s ultimate villain but the Kelvin Universe Khan Noonien Singh is a Section 31 agent, operating under the name John Harrison. The organization allowed Abrams and returning Orci and Kurtzman, now joined by Damon Lindelof , to indulge in the darker side of Trek , leaving behind the shiny optimism of the TOS -era they claimed to adapt.

Disastrous as Star Trek Into Darkness was, Kurtzman carried those ideals into his tenure as franchise head. For all of its wonderful weirdness, Star Trek: Discovery also really leaned into being dark and edgy in its first two, weaker seasons, focusing on the Mirror Universe for season one and then Section 31 in season two. Heck, it combined the two by making deposed Terran Emperor Philippa Georgiou into a Section 31 agent in the Prime Universe.

After the Discovery shoots into the future for its third season, Section 31 gets left behind (but not the secret forces undermining the Federation). But the division has popped in other new Trek shows since, albeit as a joke on Lower Decks . Even the largely upbeat third season of Picard could not resist invoking Section 31 in its DS9 callbacks, using Changelings who suffered the division’s experimentations during the Dominion War as secondary antagonists.

Still, despite the beauty of having Michelle Yeoh in the Star Trek universe, the prospect of a Section 31 movie starring her Georgiou seems more like a threat than a promise.

The Limits of Section 31

Section 31 defenders will insist that because the division has been involved in some good stories, which justifies the increased attention over the years. Indeed, the story of Trek is, in many ways, the story of exploring initially underserved aspects of the universe, whether it be characters such as Data and Seven of Nine or the Federation itself. Heck, the holodeck/holosuite episodes or the musical episode of Strange New Worlds are all extensions of the Earth-like planets that the Enterprise visited for budget reasons in TOS .

However, those worthy off-shoots worked because they lent themselves to the type of storytelling that Trek does best: fundamentally optimistic, about people overcoming their fear and prejudice to work together. As most time-travel episodes demonstrate, the optimism of Trek stands contrary to our current skeptical age. Darker, more grounded stories have more immediacy and can be more powerful, which is why Battlestar Galactica outdid Enterprise in the 2000s.

But as the world gets worse and the ideals of peace-seeking, community, and overcoming xenophobia become harder to see, Trek optimism grows all the more important. For all of his flaws, Roddenberry’s initial vision of humanity working together still resonates and is even more necessary today.

To be clear, I’m not saying that Section 31 should never come up again. However, it does present a temptation to Trek writers who can’t do the hard work of telling good stories in an optimistic future. Section 31 allows them to fall back on easy tropes about secrets and conflict, which work great in other settings, but undermine Trek .

Writers need to put Section 31 on the shelf for a while and explore other aspects of the universe, aspects that give us the hope we so desperately need today. And when they bring back the division, it should be used like it was in Deep Space Nine , as a limit that we cannot reach, a warning against the compromises we’re so often tempted to make.

Only then can Section 31 fit within the hopeful, unlikely, but oh-so-needed world of Star Trek .

Star Trek: Section 31, a streaming movie starring Michelle Yeoh, is currently in production and is set to release on Paramount+.

Joe George

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

ScreenRant

Star Trek & Sherlock Holmes: 10 Callbacks To The Famous Detective

  • Star Trek pays homage to Sherlock Holmes through characters, references, storylines, and actors across various series and movies.
  • Notable actors like Christopher Lloyd, Christopher Plummer, and Leonard Nimoy have portrayed both Star Trek and Sherlock Holmes roles.
  • Episodes like "Conspiracy" in The Next Generation and "Elementary, Dear Data" incorporate Sherlock Holmes themes and quotes.

There's no shortage of references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes. in Star Trek . First appearing in "A Study in Scarlet" in 1887, Holmes is considered a master of forensic deduction and logical reasoning, and clues to his works have since appeared in several of the Star Trek franchise's series and movies . From Star Trek 's actors taking on the role of the literary logician to Holmes' arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty threatening the security of the Starship Enterprise and its crew, Star Trek has a wealth of Sherlock Holmes references.

Spanning the breadth of Star Trek's multiverse timeline , including J.J. Abrams' alternative Kelvin universe, references to Sherlock Holmes are long-standing and peppered throughout the franchise's shows and movies, particularly within the setting of Star Trek: The Original Series and The Next Generation . Across various formats - including television, movies, stageplays, books, and audio series - the overlap between the two works is fascinating and rich. As Star Trek 's heroes and villains balance First Contacts and exploration of the stars with solving curious mysteries as the violin-playing, magnifying glass-wielding, and deer-stalker-wearing detective, here's a list of 10 callbacks to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective in Star Trek .

How To Watch All Star Trek TV Shows In Timeline Order

The uss sherlock holmes, star trek: the next generation, season 1, episode 25, "conspiracy".

In the disturbing Star Trek: The Next Generation season one episode "Conspiracy," Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is alerted to a possible insidious conspiracy within the highest levels of Starfleet. Assigned to review Starfleet's directives over the previous six months, Data (Brent Spiner) looks at a series of ship listings and mission orders - including one for the USS Sherlock Holmes, registry number NCC-221B . It's a fast, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, but it's a clear nod to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's successful detective and his London, UK home at 221B Baker Street. Later, Star Trek: The Next Generation 's parasitic alien threat is exposed, and further catastrophe is averted.

Christopher Lloyd As Sherlock Holmes On Stage

Lloyd also played the villainous klingon, commander kruge, in star trek iii: the search for spock.

The versatile Christopher Lloyd appeared in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock in 1984, starring as the nefarious Klingon, Commander Kruge. Responsible for the violent death of Kirk's son, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick) , Kruge later perishes himself in a fight with Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) on the volatile and already-combusting Genesis planet. Christopher Lloyd later starred in an adaptation of William Gillette's stage play Sherlock Holmes, appearing in the title role as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's logical detective . The play ran for 13 performances and starred Clark Gesner as Dr. John Watson, with several of Lloyd's family members also appearing in other roles.

Christopher Plummer in Murder by Decree

The actor also played general chang in star trek vi: the undiscovered country.

Christopher Plummer successfully straddled Star Trek: The Original Series and the realm of Sherlock Holmes with a significant role in both works. Plummer took on the role of Conan Doyle's master detective, Sherlock Holmes, in the 1979 mystery thriller movie "Murder by Decree." Well received, the film earned rave reviews and multiple awards. In 1991, Plummer played the duplicitous Klingon, General Chang, in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Several other notable connections to the Star Trek franchise include how General Chang inspired Star Trek: Discovery' s Klingons and his daughter Amanda Plummer in Star Trek: Picard season three, starring as the antagonistic Vadic.

Star Trek References In Sherlock

Benedict cumberbatch and martin freeman star as sherlock holmes and dr. john watson.

The acclaimed British television series Sherlock referenced Star Trek across several episodes . In Sherlock season 2, episode 2, "The Hounds of Baskerville," a frustrated Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) addresses Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and says, " Yeah, alright, Spock, just... take it easy ." In Sherlock season 2, episode 3, "The Reichenbach Fall," Watson's eulogy to Holmes is reminiscent of Admiral James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) for Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Significantly, Spock and Sherlock are both later returned to life.

You were the best man, the most human... human being that I've ever known.
Of my friend, I can only say this: Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human.

Additionally, the 2016 Sherlock Special "The Abominable Bride" parallels ideas within Nicholas Meyer's novel "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution" with themes of heavy drug use and psychology.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

The seven-per-cent solution by nicholas meyer, star trek vi: the undiscovered country's co-writer and director was a big sherlock holmes fan.

Director Nicholas Meyer authored the best-selling Sherlock Holmes 1974 novel "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution." Meyer is best known for his films, especially writing and directing Star Trek movies. "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution's" story references Holmes' drug addiction and plays with themes of psychology. Meyer later adapted his book into a screenplay for the 1976 movie The Seven-Per-Cent-Solution , and wrote four more Sherlock Holmes novels. Meyer directed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) , co-wrote Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), and later co-wrote and directed Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), weaving subtle references to the early detective into the later script.

Spock's Interesting Ancestry

Spock quotes sherlock holmes star trek vi: the undiscovered country & star trek (2009).

An important Sherlock Holmes quote from "The Sign Of Four" is referenced in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered County and Star Trek (2009). In the former, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) investigates the origin of a deployed torpedo, explaining that " An ancestor of mine maintained that when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. " This comment also suggests an ancestral connection between Spock and either Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Sherlock Holmes himself. In Star Trek (2009), Spock (Zachary Quinto) repeats the same Sherlockian sentiment as the young USS Enterprise crew learns their universe has diverged from its original course.

How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?

Spock and Sherlock Holmes share several character traits, including a bias towards logic and rationality.

Moriarty Takes Over The USS Enterprise-D

Star trek: the next generation, season 6, episode 12, "ship in a bottle".

"Ship in a Bottle" returns to an earlier Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, continuing the story from TNG season 2's "Elementary, Dear Data." When a holodeck inspection inadvertently triggers the previously deactivated Professor James Moriarty (Daniel Davis) , the problematic character plots to escape the confinement of the holodeck and seizes control of the ship. Using the holodeck's technology to create a ruse, a fractal-esque simulation within a simulation, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise crew divert Moriarty and his companion, Countess Regina Barthalomew (Stephanie Beacham), to regain control of the ship. Moriarty and the Countess set out into the stars, believing themselves to have escaped into reality.

Professor James Moriarty (Daniel Davis) also cameos in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Leonard Nimoy As Spock And Sherlock Holmes

The star trek star played the logical detective on-stage in 1976.

Leonard Nimoy boasts a fascinating range of Sherlock Holmes-related projects. Before reprising Spock for Star Trek 's first six feature films, and again in 2009 and 2013 as (Prime) Ambassador Spock, Leonard Nimoy appeared as Sherlock Holmes in the educational short "The Interior Motive" in 1975. In 1976, Nimoy starred in a production of William Gillette's "Sherlock Holmes," and narrated the 1978 documentary, "In Search of... Sherlock Holmes." Alongside Star Trek: The Next Generation actor John de Lancie, Nimoy set up a project converting science-fiction audiobooks into radio plays, casting Star Trek actors, including Roxann Dawson, Ethan Phillips, and Armin Shimerman in Doyle's "The Lost World."

Star Trek: The Original Series Cast & Character Guide

Benedict cumberbatch in sherlock, the star also appeared as khan noonien-singh in star trek into darkness.

Benedict Cumberbatch found great success in BBC's Sherlock , starring as a modern-day London-based Sherlock Holmes alongside Martin Freeman as Doctor John H. Watson. Sherlock aired between 2010 and 2017. In Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013, Cumberbatch took on the role of the franchise's most infamous villain . Starring in a role originated by the iconic Ricardo Montalban, Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan Noonien Singh schemed for vengeance against Starfleet and Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller). Initially going by the alias John Harrison, Cumberbatch's Khan found a complex enemy-ally balance with an emotionally wrought Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) .

Data Is Sherlock Holmes

Star trek: the next generation, season 2, episode 3, "elementary, dear data".

Star Trek: The Next Generation made several Sherlock Holmes references in its first season , with TNG episode 7, "Lonely Among Us," initiating Lieutenant Commander Data's interest in Sherlock Holmes . Data's research into Doyle's famous fictional detective led to several somewhat paraphrased Holmes quotes, such as " It's elementary, my dear Riker ," and Data played Sherlock in the holodeck in TNG season 2's "Elementary, Dear Data." Data himself is perhaps the greatest symbol of Star Trek 's overall reverence for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country are available to stream on Max.

Cast LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis

Release Date September 28, 1987

Star Trek (2009)

Cast Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg

Release Date May 7, 2009

Star Trek Into Darkness

Cast Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Cho

Release Date May 16, 2013

Cast Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Graves

Release Date August 8, 2010

Star Trek & Sherlock Holmes: 10 Callbacks To The Famous Detective

What Star Trek Looks Like Before Special Effects

Star Trek Beyond Visual Effects VFX

"Star Trek" is one of the most iconic and enduring science fiction franchises of all time, following the adventures of Starfleet in the far-future as they explore space, the final frontier. To bring strange new worlds and civilizations to life, "Star Trek" leans heavily into visual effects, many of them cutting edge for technology available at the time. These special effects did everything from showcasing the starship Enterprise to making the ship's memorable transporter look seamlessly functional. Simply put, "Star Trek" wouldn't be what it is without its meticulously realized visual effects.

It takes a whole team and a whole process to bring these futuristic sights to the screen and these behind-the-scenes photographs offer a look at how it was all made. From extensive use of models and bluescreen to modern digital projection, "Star Trek" uses every visual effect trick in the book to thrill audiences. Here is what "Star Trek" looks like before all the special effects magic.

Khan gets his own space ride

One of the most notable episodes from "Star Trek: The Original Series" is "Space Seed" from the first season. The episode introduces genetic superhuman Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), who went on to become the primary antagonist in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in 1982. Khan and his fellow superhumans are exiled from Earth on an automated freighter, the Botany Bay, encountered centuries later by the Enterprise. After finding the ship in deep space, the Enterprise docks alongside it to investigate the wayward starship for themselves.

American Cinematographer recalled the lengths the production went to capture the deep space adventures of the Enterprise, using a number of different effects. Like the Enterprise, the Botany Bay had its own scale model constructed, a technique used since the series' second episode "Charlie X." Both ships were filmed together against a blue screen, with the starry background added to the shot in post-production. This method demonstrates the scale of the Enterprise, compared to the much smaller freighter.

The Enterprise takes flight again

A full decade after the cancellation of "The Original Series," fans were treated to the return of the Enterprise and its crew with 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." A special reverence was taken in bringing the Enterprise to the big screen, including a sequence of Kirk and Scotty touring the outside of the hull in a shuttlecraft. After reuniting on board, the Enterprise sets out to confront V'Ger, a cloud-like entity headed towards Earth destroying all in its path. Like many visual effects of the era, the Enterprise's recommissioned voyage is a mix of practical and digital effects.

The behind-the-scenes documentary "Sense of Scale" depicts the painstaking attention to detail and work that went into creating the Enterprise model for "The Motion Picture." A photo from the documentary by Piercefilm Productions reveals the sheer size of the Enterprise model during production on the 1979 movie. Crew members around the model assemble plates, which will be used to impose the Enterprise in space in post-production. Back and literally bigger than ever, the Enterprise's cinematic debut used the best in contemporary special effects technology to impress audiences.

The Klingons strike in Star Trek III

Leonard Nimoy took the helm of 1984's "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," pitting the Enterprise against the Klingons. The longtime "Star Trek" enemies make their grand entrance in the film as their Bird of Prey decloaks while searching for information on the Genesis Project. The sight is one of the more impressive moments in the film, firmly reestablishing the Klingons as a genuine threat. For help developing the visual effects for "The Search for Spock," Nimoy turned to "Star Wars" effects company Industrial Light & Magic .

Nimoy approached ILM early during production on "Star Trek III," creating scale models for the Bird of Prey and Starfleet's orbital space station, Spacedock. A behind-the-scenes photo from the production shows VFX supervisor Ken Ralston working with ILM for shots involving the Bird of Prey. Impressed by their work on "Star Trek III," Nimoy collaborated with ILM when he resumed his directorial duties for "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."

Spock joins Kirk at Yellowstone

The first time Captain Kirk and his friends are seen in 1989's "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," they aren't on an interplanetary mission, but enjoying a much-needed vacation. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy decide to go on a camping trip at Yellowstone, with Kirk going on a free solo climb of El Capitan. Spock interrupts his climb, rapidly catching up with the aid of hover boots, to question why his friend would indulge in such a dangerous activity. While long shots were filmed on location at El Capitan, the close-up shots involving actors William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were not.

This behind-the-scenes picture  from the special edition DVD release of the movie shows Nimoy standing comfortably on a platform, with a fiberglass composite of El Capitan's face positioned next to him and Shatner. Yosemite and its sweeping vista is seen in the background, with the production taking advantage of the on-location filming. Having the actual landscape in frame helps lend the illusion that Kirk and Spock are actually by Yosemite as Kirk makes his daring climb.

The Borg Queen makes her entrance

One of the most sinister antagonists in all of "Star Trek" is the Borg Queen, introduced in 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact." After the Borg Collective infiltrates the Enterprise, turning its engineering bay into a makeshift headquarters, the Queen reveals herself to Data. As the Queen delivers her opening monologue, the upper half of her torso is lowered onto a waiting body. Seamlessly executed, the Queen attaches to her lower half and walks to Data in a single take, without missing a beat.

A behind-the-scenes photo from Paramount Pictures  shows "First Contact" director Jonathan Frakes on set with actor Alice Krige in her Borg make-up. The robotic torso is fixed to the floor while Krige's lower half is covered by bluescreen material to facilitate the illusion of it initially being missing. Though Krige moves normally during filming, post-production creates the effect of her affixing to her body and walking. The resulting scene is one of the most visually impressive moments in "Star Trek" history, with a variety of tricks used to bring it all together.

The Star Trek reboot's innovative outdoor shoot

When filmmaker J.J. Abrams resurrected "Star Trek ," starting with an eponymous reboot film in 2009, this new take on the franchise had a decidedly more action-oriented approach. One of the biggest set pieces in the 2009 movie has Kirk and Sulu skydiving from a shuttlecraft above Vulcan onto a Romulan mining platform blasting into the planet. While the precariously hanging platform, Kirk and Sulu fight the Romulans operating it before destroying it in a desperate bid to save Vulcan. Rather than being filmed inside of a studio, the sequence was filmed outside, albeit far from being shot on-location.

Footage from an Industrial Light & Magic "Star Trek" featurette shows production of the mining platform scene, which reveals that it was shot in a parking lot. This exterior approach gave the scene the natural feeling that the actors were outside while still in a tightly controlled environment. The skies above Vulcan and, of course, the massive mining laser, were added digitally in post-production, with greenscreen on the ground to facilitate this. This approach paid off, with "Star Trek" earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects for its hard work.

The Klingon home world is a digital construction

One of the biggest action set pieces in "Star Trek Into Darkness" involves a covert mission to recover the villainous Khan (now played by Benedict Cumberbatch) on the Klingon home world of Kronos. The Klingons themselves are heavily redesigned from past "Star Trek" appearances, introduced moments before Khan massacres them in a prolonged gunfight. The battle is set in a rocky region of Kronos, with ash atmospherically falling around the combatants before Khan surrenders himself to Kirk and his landing party. Of course, none of the background on Kronos is actually real.

While the costumed actors are on set for the Kronos sequence, the landscape around them was created and superimposed around them via blue screen, as revealed in a VFX reel from Pixomondo . Lights around the set help make the Klingons appear more intimidating, lending a subtle shadow effect. With so much of "Star Trek Into Darkness" set in Starfleet locations, Kronos is among the most visually striking places in the movie. And though the entire sequence feels like it's shot on a soundstage, how much of it never physically existed is a bit surprising.

Star Trek Into Darkness digitally creates another planet

To take down Khan in "Star Trek Into Darkness," Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller) has the Enterprise loaded with specially designed torpedoes. Suspicious about this secret weapon, Hank McCoy (Karl Urban) and Doctor Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) defuse and disassemble one of the torpedoes on a remote planet. A brief but tense scene in the movie, things nearly turn explosive when the torpedo's failsafe program is accidentally triggered until it is successfully disarmed. Though the landscape resembles any number of Hollywood productions filmed in expansive exteriors like Iceland, it was digitally constructed.

Like Kronos, the planet where McCoy and Marcus carry out their dangerous investigation was largely created in post-production. Actors Karl Urban and Alice Eve stand on set in costume, with the ground and torpedo prop also physically on set. However, as revealed in a behind-the-scenes photo from Atomic Fiction , the background was created through green screen behind the actors. In comparison to its predecessor, so much of "Star Trek Into Darkness" takes place outdoors, with the production digitally creating distinct environments for the story to unfold in.

Star Trek Beyond puts Jaylah into focus

Whereas much of the action in "Star Trek Into Darkness" takes place on the Enterprise, its sequel "Star Trek Beyond" takes place on solid, if unfamiliar, ground. The 2016 movie opens with the Enterprise lured into a trap on the faraway planet Altamid where it crashes on the surface. As the crew faces the villainous Krall, they are joined by the formidable scavenger Jaylah, who has her own violent history with Krall. Taking refuge in the wreckage of the lost Starfleet vessel the USS Franklin, Jaylah is prepared to deal with any enemies with extreme prejudice.

Like many of the planetary environments in "Star Trek Into Darkness," Altamid is similarly largely created from special effects magic. A behind-the-scenes photo from Rodeo FX depicts actor Sofia Boutella in full costume and makeup as Jaylah taking aim with a sniper rifle. Though the wreckage of the Franklin is a physical presence on set, the mountainous background was created through a green screen behind the actor. Like 2009's "Star Trek," the Altamid exteriors were filmed outdoors, to give the movie a natural lighting to help accentuate the illusion.

The USS Discovery's window to the galaxy

The start of this new wave of "Star Trek" programming on Paramount+ began with the prequel series "Star Trek: Discovery" in 2017. Initially set before the events of "The Original Series," the second season of "Discovery" ended with the crew whisked away to the 32nd century. Many episodes feature intense sequences set in the USS Discovery's bridge, with the crew peering out the ship's viewscreen at incoming threats. Like similar viewscreens in the franchise's numerous starships, the Discovery's viewscreen, of course, isn't functional at all.

In a scene from the fourth season of "Discovery," the bridge crew is seen peering out at a strange starship from their viewscreen. The behind-the-scenes photo, courtesy of  OutpostVFX , the visual effects studio behind much of the special effects magic in "Discovery" reveals the entire screen and wall to be a greenscreen. "Discovery" completely reinvigorated "Star Trek" 50 years after the franchise launched after a big part of that is the significant upgrade in visual effects.

The Romulan double agent stands revealed

The first season of "Star Trek: Picard" revolves around two tragedies: The destruction of Romulus and an artificial intelligence attack carried out on Mars. In the years since Jean-Luc Picard's retirement after the Mars incident, the remnants of the Romulan Empire infiltrate the upper echelons of Starfleet. One of the early twists is that high-ranking Starfleet officer Commodore Oh is secretly in league with the Romulans. After revealing her true colors, Oh leads a rebuilt Romulan armada to confront Starfleet from her own starship.

While "Picard" does feature a healthy amount of practical sets and on-location filming, the interior of Oh's Romulan ship isn't one of them. This behind-the-scenes image  from Paramount reveals that the inside of the Romulan is entirely blue screen, with the interior added in post-production. Actor Tamlyn Tomita, in costume, is filmed in front of the screen, with a boom mic capturing her dialog. Given that the scenes inside the Romulan ship aren't extensive, creating digitally rather than dressing an entire set is certainly a cost-effective decision.

Captain Pike's crew braves the elements

The 2022 prequel series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" follows the adventures of Kirk's predecessor on the Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). In the first season's finale, Pike and a small landing party investigate a crashed starship on an icy planet. The small ensemble beams a safe distance away from the starship, which is balanced precariously at the edge of a rocky cliff seen in the horizon. These landscape shots, like many seen throughout the series, are part of a relatively new visual effects technique popularized by "Star Wars."

"The Mandalorian" uses a facility, known as StageCraft, that projects a digital background on a limited set, offering a more immersive experience for actors than a bluescreen. "Strange New Worlds" uses a similar technique for its landscapes, employing a wall of LED screens on set. The behind-the-scenes photo (via American Cinematographer ) reveals the cast and crew on set filming a scene from the finale as the landing party approaches the wreckage. Featuring a mix of physical set and digital background projected in real-time, "Strange New Worlds" continues the franchise's tradition of using cutting-edge visual effects.

Every Star Trek Movie, Ranked by Box Office

Live long, and prosper at the box office!

Science fiction has been integral in pushing the boundaries of storytelling forward since the inception of cinema, and the 1950s certainly saw a revival of interest in the genre. However, the debut of Star Trek changed the course of the science fiction genre forever , and continues to influence the way that the genre operates today. Gene Roddenberry ’s classic adventure series included many great episodes centering on the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk ( William Shatner ), Commander Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ), and the rest of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew that would become household names in the subsequent decades.

While the franchise is most often associated with the many television shows in its continuity , the Star Trek film franchise became a blockbuster saga in its own right . With films centered on the original cast, the new characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation , and a rebooted version of the franchise in the “Kelvin Timeline,” the Star Trek film saga is fascinating because of its three unique eras, each of which has both incredible highs and notorious failures. Here is every Star Trek movie, ranked by its global box office gross.

13 ‘Star Trek: Nemesis’ (2002)

Worldwide gross: $67,336,470.

It’s really not all that surprising that Star Trek: Nemesis became the lowest grossing film in the Star Trek series thus far , as enthusiasm for the franchise had dwindled by the time that the fourth film starring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation hit theaters. Regarded as a resounding creative failure that failed to give the characters a proper sendoff, Star Trek: Nemesis brought in a measly global box office total of less than $68 million when it hit theaters in December 2002.

While the films starring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation never reached the popularity of their counterparts in the original series, Star Trek: Nemesis wasn’t even successful in satisfying fans of the show . The baffling decision to include Tom Hardy as Shinzon, the villainous clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ), felt like a desperate move by Paramount Pictures to inject some momentum into a franchise that was on its way out.

Star Trek: Nemesis

Watch on Max

12 ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’ (1989)

Worldwide gross: $70,200,000.

While Leonard Nimoy proved himself to be a terrific filmmaker with his contributions to the Star Trek film franchise, the same could not be said of William Shatner. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was Shatner’s directorial debut, and became the lowest grossing film starring the cast of the original series . With a global box office gross of just over $70 million , Star Trek V: The Final Frontier marked a significant downward spiral for the saga based on the rapturous reception that the previous few installments in the series had received.

While the franchise itself was actually on an upward swing, as Star Trek: The Next Generation had premiered to great success two years prior, the poor box office performance of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is representative of its complete creative failures . Regarded as one of the worst in the series, the film failed to get viewers engaged in seeing it multiple times.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

11 ‘star trek iii: the search for spock’ (1984), worldwide gross: $87,000,000.

Although the classic “odd/even” rule among Star Trek fans indicates that the odd-numbered films are the weakest, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is easily one of the most underrated films in the series . Capitalizing on the success of the previous entry, which had ended on a massive cliffhanger revolving around Spock’s fate, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock reached an impressive worldwide box office gross of $87 million .

While the film gave the series one of its best villains in Christopher Lloyd ’s Klingon warrior Kruge, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock may not have appealed to viewers outside the niche fanbase . The film is largely reliant on references to both the previous films and the original series, and may have struggled connecting with viewers that were stepping into the franchise for the first time.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

10 ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)

Worldwide gross: $95,800,000.

Often regarded as the best and most emotional installment in the entire saga, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was a box office hit that set the franchise up for future success . While its predecessor had ditched the action-adventure tone of the original series for a more artistic approach, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan felt like a return to form for the franchise. Its gross of over $95 million at the global box office is impressive considering that the original Star Trek show had been off the air for over a decade.

While fans of the franchise appreciated the more mature direction the film took, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan may have struggled to connect with younger viewers due to its dark tone . With significantly more violence and several major character deaths, it’s easily the most intense entry in the entire franchise.

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan

9 ‘star trek vi: the undiscovered country’ (1991), worldwide gross: $96,888,996.

While it failed to reach the financial highs of some of its predecessors, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country served as a perfect sendoff for the cast of the original series . Ostensibly marketed as the “final adventure” for Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the classic U.S.S. Enterprise crew, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country grossed over $96 million at the global box office .

While it was hardly one of the biggest blockbusters in the saga, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country helped redeem the series after the disastrous performance by Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . By incorporating a memorable new antagonist in Christopher Plummer ’s General Chang and reflecting on the era, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ushered out the first iteration of the franchise, giving room for the series to evolve in its future installments.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

8 ‘star trek: insurrection’ (1998), worldwide gross: $117,800,000.

While the show itself produced countless great episodes , the films starring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation never occupied the same place with audiences that the original series cast had. While Star Trek: Insurrection performed surprisingly well at the box office considering the highly negative reviews, the film underperformed in comparison to its two direct predecessors, grossing a little over $117 million at the global box office.

The main issue was that the films starring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation never felt like “events,” as the series itself had only just wrapped up a few years prior. Considering audiences were used to seeing these characters on television, there was less enthusiasm behind seeing them on the big screen for what ostensibly felt like a two-part episode of the series. A lack of action and odd physical comedy certainly didn’t help Star Trek: Insurrection endear itself to fans of the show.

Star Trek: Insurrection

7 ‘star trek generations’ (1994), worldwide gross: $120,000,000.

As the first of the films starring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation to hit theaters, Star Trek Generations generated a lot of enthusiasm based on the popularity of the show. While the original Star Trek series was canceled after three seasons, Star Trek: The Next Generation was a major television hit that earned multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and generated enthusiasm for its memorable cast of characters . While Star Trek Generations generally failed to live up to the hype, it nonetheless succeeded in grossing $120 million at the global box office .

In addition to seeing the beloved characters hit the big screen for the first time, Star Trek Generations got a boost in popularity thanks to an appearance by Captain Kirk . Shatner’s appearance in the film was enough to generate interest from audiences who had seen the character in previous films.

Star Trek: Generations

6 ‘star trek iv: the voyage home’ (1986), worldwide gross: $133,000,000.

While many franchises begin to run out of creative juice by the time they reach their fourth installment , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home outperformed its predecessors by adding more comedy and heart to the series . Although it continued the storyline introduced in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home brought the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to San Francisco for an adventure that felt like a typical 1980s comedy. With a greater appeal to non- Star Trek fans than previous entries, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home grossed $133 million at the global box office .

While it certainly pleased fans of the franchise with its references to the past, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is best remembered for its important message. The film’s pro-environmentalist themes have given it much more longevity than other entries in the series.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

5 ‘star trek: the motion picture’ (1979), worldwide gross: $139,000,000.

The science fiction genre was completely re-energized by the success of Star Wars in 1977, inspiring other studios to quickly release new films within the genre by the time that the decade concluded. While it had been over a decade since the original series had been canceled, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a box office smash hit that revitalized interest in the franchise. Earning a global box office total of $139 million , Star Trek: The Motion Picture became one of 1979’s top grossers.

The success of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is somewhat surprising considering how offbeat and cerebral the film was . Opting for a nuanced approach to sci-fi similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was certainly an interesting first entry in the series due to its vast tonal and aesthetic differences with its sequels.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

4 ‘star trek: first contact’ (1996), worldwide gross: $150,000,000.

While Star Trek Generations has been a modest financial hit and earned mixed reviews from hardcore fans of the series, Star Trek: First Contact became the most successful film starring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation . With its global box office total of $150 million , the film clearly managed to satisfy both fans of the series and appeal to broader audiences.

While the storyline involving James Cromwell as the scientist Zefram Cochrane spoke of more optimistic elements of the series, Star Trek: First Contact was an action film first and foremost . By pitting Picard and his crew against the villainous Borg aliens, Star Trek: First Contact was easily the most intense entry in the series since Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Considering the boom in popularity of action cinema in the 1990s, it's unsurprising that Star Trek: First Contact ’s action-heavy tone yielded it great success.

Star Trek: First Contact

3 ‘star trek beyond’ (2016), worldwide gross: $335,673,708.

Despite a box office total of over $335 million at the global box office, Star Trek Beyond was a significant financial failure that put the future of the franchise in serious jeopardy. Despite a massive budget of $185 million and a strong marketing campaign, Star Trek Beyond grossed over $100 million less than its predecessor. Star Trek Beyond ’s underperformance is disappointing considering how thoughtful, heartfelt, and entertaining the film is in comparison to more recent iterations of the franchise.

Star Trek Beyond ’s financial underperformance has stalled work on another sequel, as a fourth entry in the “Kelvin timeline” series has been stuck in development hell for nearly a decade. Given how radically the cinematic marketplace has changed in the years since the film’s release, the Star Trek franchise will need a bold reinvention to once again rank among the industry’s most valuable franchises.

Star Trek Beyond

Watch on Paramount Plus

2 ‘Star Trek’ (2009)

Worldwide gross: $386,839,614.

The Star Trek franchise was considered dead in the early 21st century, as the failure of the film series involving the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast and the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise suggested a grim future for the series. However, Paramount Pictures decided to hire Lost innovator J.J. Abrams to retool the series and effectively reboot it. 2009’s Star Trek managed to introduce the franchise to a new generation , earning an impressive global box office total of over $386 million .

While the insertion of more action certainly didn’t hurt, the Star Trek reboot succeeded because of the appeal of its new cast . Chris Pine ’s brilliant reinvention of Captain Kirk managed to endear itself to a younger generation of viewers in the same way that Shatner’s work had for previous generations. It provided a comeback for the series and was a critical hit, earning the franchise its first Academy Award for Best Makeup.

1 ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ (2013)

Worldwide gross: $467,381,584.

While the way in which it retooled elements of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan remains divisive among fans of the series, Star Trek Into Darkness was an unprecedented box office juggernaut that easily became the biggest film in the entire series. While the franchise has certainly produced some commercial hits, Star Trek Into Darkness ’ amazing global box office gross of over $467 million placed it as one of the highest grossing films of 2013.

It’s difficult to imagine the Star Trek franchise ever reaching the financial heights of Star Trek Into Darkness ever again, as the saga has stuck to its television roots in recent years. While the announcement of the Michelle Yeoh -led film Star Trek: Section 31 certainly has potential, it will take a significant marketing push to earn the same enthusiasm that Star Trek Into Darkness generated over a decade ago.

Star Trek Into Darkness

NEXT: Every Jurassic Park Movie, Ranked by Box Office

Screen Rant

Star trek: ds9 remade wrath of khan as a romantic tragedy.

Deep Space Nine combined terraforming technology, a doomed romance, and a heroic sacrifice to give Sisko a very different take on The Wrath of Khan.

  • Star Trek: DS9 creatively reimagined Wrath of Khan with a romantic twist, showcasing themes of sacrifice and love in a unique way.
  • The episode "Second Sight" gives Commander Sisko a new romance and a heroic sacrifice, drawing parallels with Wrath of Khan's impact.
  • DS9 writers cleverly tied in themes of sacrifice and love from Wrath of Khan without simply copying the iconic film's plot.

One episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2 effectively remade Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as a romantic tragedy. DS9 has a reputation of being one of the darkest Star Trek shows given how it tackled moral gray areas, and depicted the Federation at war with the Dominion. So retooling the incredibly dark Wrath of Khan for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's characters feels like an obvious move. However, what always made DS9 so brilliant was that the show's writers never went for the most obvious approach to telling new types of Star Trek story.

While Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did reference one of the best Star Trek movies , it didn't depict Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) against an implacable enemy. Sisko and Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) would become arch-nemeses later in DS9 , but the show's homage to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan didn't pit the two enemies against each other. Instead, it gave Commander Sisko a new romance, which ended in a heroic sacrifice that had a very similar impact to the end of Wrath of Khan .

Star Trek’s Eugenics Wars & 3 Khan Timelines Explained

Wrath of khan got a romantic remake in star trek: ds9.

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 9, "Second Sight", Sisko falls in love for the first time since he lost his wife Jennifer (Felecia M. Bell) during the Battle of Wolf 359. However, there's a twist, as Fenna (Salli Elise Richardson) the woman he's fallen in love with, is revealed to be a psychic projection from the unconscious mind of a woman called Nidell. However, projecting Fenna caused Nidell a great deal of mental and physical strain, putting her life at risk. The revelations about Fenna and Sisko's romance force Nidell's husband, Seyetik (Richard Kiley) to reevaluate his marriage .

Seyetik and Sisko aren't Star Trek arch-rivals like Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban). Instead, the two men realize that they have to put aside their own interests so that Nidell can live. Nidell's species mate for life, so the only way she can be free is if Seyetik dies. Deciding to let his wife go, Seyetik flies a shuttle into the dead sun, triggering a cascade and reigniting it, not unlike Khan exploding the Genesis Device in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . The scientist's sacrifice draws parallels not just with Khan, but with the heroic sacrifice of Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) too.

Khan Noonien Singh would later play an indirect part in the story of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) when it was revealed that he too had been genetically enhanced.

Star Trek: DS9 Had Its Own Genesis Device

"Second Sight" was co-written by Mark Gehred-O'Connell, Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt-Wolfe. While the episode is obviously a romantic melodrama, the inclusion of terraforming technology and the core idea of bringing life back to the universe draws clear links with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Discussing the episode in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , Hewitt-Wolfe revealed that the links between "Second Sight" and The Wrath of Khan were deliberate :

[On Seyetik's technology in the episode] "It was established Federation terraforming technology. Of course, the Genesis device didn't work, but obviously Seyetik's work is built upon the research of previous scientists. And it was a nice way to reference the movie."

"Second Sight" proved that there are interesting ways to explore the impressive number of themes contained within Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan without ripping the movie off wholesale. In "Second Sight", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine teased out the themes of sacrifice, love, and through the bombastic but penitent Seyetik touched on the hubris and arrogance of wanting to play God. It was a testament to the enduring legacy of one of the greatest Star Trek movies ever made.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is streaming now on Max.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are streaming now on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

IMAGES

  1. Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness

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  2. New Star Trek Into Darkness 'Khan' Poster

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  3. Star Trek Into Darkness Picture 11

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  4. Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan in star trek into darkness

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  5. Star Trek Into Darkness (5/10) Movie CLIP

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  6. Star Trek Khan Wallpapers

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VIDEO

  1. Star Trek Into Madness Sparta Remix

  2. Star Trek Into Darkness Khan: ET

  3. Star Trek II: The Anti-Star-Trek-Star-Trek

  4. Star Trek Into Darkness

  5. Star Trek Into Darkness: Spock vs Khan (TOS Style Re-score and Edit)

  6. Star Trek Into Darkness: Kirk saves the Enterprise (The Wrath of Khan Style Re-score)

COMMENTS

  1. Khan Noonien Singh (alternate reality)

    (Star Trek Into Darkness) He was the product of a selective breeding or genetic engineering program called Project Khan, based on the eugenic philosophy that held improving the capabilities of a man improved the entire Human race. Augments produced by the program possessed physical strength and analytical capabilities considerably superior to ...

  2. Khan Noonien Singh

    Khan Noonien Singh is a fictional character in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, who first appeared as the main antagonist in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Space Seed" (1967), and was portrayed by Ricardo Montalbán, who reprised his role in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.In the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness, he is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch.

  3. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    Khan : A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries we slept, hoping when we awoke things would be different.

  4. Star Trek Into Darkness (5/10) Movie CLIP

    Star Trek Into Darkness movie clips: http://j.mp/1Zat84SBUY THE MOVIE: http://j.mp/1TUL2JlDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESC...

  5. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    Star Trek Into Darkness: Directed by J.J. Abrams. With Leonard Nimoy, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana. After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable ...

  6. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.

  7. Star Trek: How Khan Was Change From TOS For Into Darkness

    Here's how Star Trek changed the villainous Khan from The Original Series for Star Trek Into Darkness.As Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) told the younger Spock (Zachary Quinto): "Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise ever faced."Indeed, Khan ranks at the very top on the list of Star Trek villains and Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) bellowing the tyrant's name is ...

  8. 'Star Trek Into Darkness': Let's talk about that ending (and Benedict

    Darren Franich. Published on May 18, 2013. Nobody knew anything about Star Trek Into Darkness. The trailers for J.J. Abrams' reboot-prequel-sequel were filled with mind-blowing images: Spaceships ...

  9. Star Trek Into Darkness Ending & Problems Explained

    The ending of Star Trek Into Darkness was an action-packed but bewildering spectacle that played like a funhouse mirror version of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan where the roles of Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) were strangely reversed. After Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) killed Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller), he took over the USS Vengeance and threatened to ...

  10. Khan vs Klingons

    Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) IMAX - Khan vs Klingons - Kronos Battle SceneFilm description: The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act o...

  11. Khan Noonien Singh (Alternate Timeline)

    Khan Noonien Singh, also known as John Harrison, is the main antagonist of the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness. He is an extremely intelligent and ruthless terrorist, and was the most prominent of the genetically engineered Human Augments of the late-20th century Eugenics Wars period on Earth. Considered genocidal tyrants who conquered and killed in the name of order, Khan and his kind were ...

  12. Star Trek Into Darkness

    While Kirk is arguing with Admiral Marcus, Khan awakens after getting stunned and beats the hell out of Kirk and Scotty, cripples Dr.Marcus, KILLS Admiral Ma...

  13. Star Trek Into Darkness Imposter Theory Fixes Abrams' Hated Khan Twist

    Star Trek Into Darkness' Khan twist was hugely unpopular upon release in 2013.The reasons include the casting of a white actor to play the role of a character who is canonically from South Asia, as well as the way Abrams' movie blatantly recycled an established plot thread from The Original Series and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.However, while it seemingly made use of a fan-favorite ...

  14. Star Trek Into Darkness

    Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the Star Trek franchise and the sequel to the 2009 film Star Trek, as the second in a rebooted film series. It features Chris Pine reprising his role as Captain James T. Kirk, with Zachary Quinto, Simon ...

  15. Star Trek Into Darkness

    Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, ... Star Trek Into Darkness: Official Clip - Spock vs. Khan.

  16. 100+ Khan Quotes in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    James T. Kirk: I watched you open fire in a room full of unarmed Starfleet officers. You killed them in cold blood. Khan: Marcus took my crew from me! James T. Kirk: You are a murderer! Khan: He used my friends to control me. I tried to smuggle them to safety by concealing them in the very weapons I have designed. But I was discovered.

  17. Star Trek Into Darkness

    With the Vengeance in the hands of Khan and on the verge of destroying the Enterprise, torpedoes sent by Spock detonate and cripples the Vengeance right befo...

  18. Wikipedia Star Trek Into Darkness debate

    Debate. Director J. J. Abrams planned to release the film Star Trek Into Darkness in April 2013. Its title did not contain a colon after "Star Trek", such as in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and eight other Star Trek films. The "I" was to be capitalized in Abrams's April release, but Wikipedia's manual of style stipulates that prepositions ...

  19. J.J. Abrams: Star Trek Into Darkness Had Too Many Wrath of Khan Nods

    Star Trek Into Darkness was a somewhat polarizing film when it was released in 2013. It was the sequel to a very refreshing and inventive Star Trek reboot from 2009, so expectations were on an all-time high for the follow up. Unfortunately, director J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof just delivered the same thing from the reboot, only goofier and with ...

  20. Why Star Trek Needs to Forget Section 31

    Star Trek (Deeper) Into Darkness. ... Not only is Section 31 head Admiral Marcus the movie's ultimate villain but the Kelvin Universe Khan Noonien Singh is a Section 31 agent, operating under ...

  21. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) attempt to save the inhabitants from an imminent volcano eruption which would wipe out the civilization. When Spock's life is jeopardized, Kirk breaks the Prime Directive, exposing the Enterprise to the planet's civilization during Spock's rescue. A number of indigenous people begin ...

  22. Star Trek & Sherlock Holmes: 10 Callbacks To The Famous Detective

    The star also appeared as Khan Noonien-Singh in Star Trek Into Darkness. ... In Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013, Cumberbatch took on the role of the franchise's most infamous villain.

  23. What Star Trek Looks Like Before Special Effects

    To take down Khan in "Star Trek Into Darkness," Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller) has the Enterprise loaded with specially designed torpedoes. Suspicious about this secret weapon ...

  24. Star Trek Into Darkness

    Kirk and Khan space jump from the Enterprise across a field of debris in an attempt to board the Vengeance and take it over. Kirk introduces Scotty to Khan a...

  25. Every Star Trek Movie, Ranked by Box Office

    Worldwide gross: $467,381,584. Image via LucasFilm. While the way in which it retooled elements of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan remains divisive among fans of the series, Star Trek Into ...

  26. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    Having survived the crash, Khan tries to escape in the chaos, but is pursued by an enraged Spock, whom had been with Kirk in his final moments. Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy discovers that Khan's blood may revive Kirk from his death. At the last possible moment, Uhura prevents Spock from killing Khan, and he is taken captive.

  27. Star Trek: DS9 Remade Wrath of Khan As A Romantic Tragedy

    One episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2 effectively remade Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as a romantic tragedy. DS9 has a reputation of being one of the darkest Star Trek shows given how it tackled moral gray areas, and depicted the Federation at war with the Dominion.So retooling the incredibly dark Wrath of Khan for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's characters feels like an obvious move.