khan original star trek

Who is Khan Noonien Singh from Star Trek?

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Ahsoka Season 2 is the Perfect Time for a Controversial Star Wars Character to Return

This 14-year-old episode of doctor who still breaks fans’ hearts, the future of power rangers looks disappointing based on latest reboot update.

The galaxy far, far away has Darth Vader, the Emperor, Grand Admiral Thrawn and a host of other iconic baddies. Yet, Star Trek and the galaxy right, right here isn't as focused on individual villains that way. However, if the universe created by Gene Roddenberry has a single, identifiable villain it's a 20th Century human who found himself in the future. Khan Noonien Singh is an important villain in Star Trek , and those who don't already know his story are in for an incredible adventure. The character has a long history in the nearly 60-year-old saga, and he remains important to its past and future.

Originally appearing in the Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 episode, "Space Seed," the character was conceived as a Viking-style character. Roddenberry, however, wanted to subvert the audience expectations of the 1960s by changing that background. The character was named Khan Noonien Singh, in part because Roddenberry hoped a similarly-named acquaintance from World War II would see it and seek him out. (Alas, he never did.) The character was conceived as an actor of West Asian heritage, but the only actor they could convincingly cast to play the futuristic super man was Ricardo Montalban. In 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness, Benedict Cumberbatch was cast to play Khan Noonien Singh, despite him looking more "Viking" than West Asian. While "Space Seed" is an iconic Star Trek: TOS episode, it wasn't until his return in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan written and directed by Nicholas Meyer. Not only did this revitalize the character, but the film reenergized the entire Star Trek franchise after The Motion Picture failed to spark joy in the hearts of Trekkers.

RELATED: This Star Trek: TOS Character Would Fit Perfectly In Strange New Worlds

Who Is Khan Noonien Singh In the Star Trek Canon?

The "Space Seed" episode revealed two things about the Star Trek universe. It revealed the "Eugenics Wars," which involved Khan Noonien Singh. Khan, among others, were genetically engineered to be "perfect" humans. The episode also revealed that as a result of these wars the "records" of that time were mostly lost to Starfleet. Still, Spock told Captain Kirk Kahn ascended into power in 1992 and was defeated in 1996 (30 years from the show's real-world present-day). Khan and 96 of his fellow genetic augments were put into a kind of stasis and sent off into space, where they drifted until the USS Enterprise found the vessel and awakened them. A historian on the Enterprise, Marla McGivers, was charmed by Khan and, almost, helped him take over the ship. Once Kirk and company retook the vessel, he allowed Khan, McGivers and his people to settle on Ceti Alpha V to build a new life for themselves.

In the beginning of The Wrath of Khan , Pavel Chekov (a character not added to The Original Series until Season 2) landed on what they believed was Ceti Alpha VI. They soon found Khan and what remained of his people, because the planet had "shifted" its orbit after a cataclysm. Kahn captured Chekov's ship, the USS Reliant, and used it to take possession of the Genesis Device. Created by Kirk's former partner Carol Marcus and Kirk's son David, it could take a lifeless world and make it teeming with life in hours. Khan wanted to use it as a weapon, but he also wanted to visit vengeance on Kirk. At the end of the film, he's defeated and famously quotes Moby Dick before he uses the Genesis Device to destroy his own ship. "From Hell's heart I stab at thee," he says, "for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."

In Strange New Worlds Season 2, Khan's descendant, La'an Noonien Singh , was sent back in time to the early 21st Century to stop a cataclysm. In Star Trek: Voyager , the crew was sent back to 1996, but instead of a Eugenics War-ravaged landscape, they found the dawn of the internet age. This was established as the "fault" of another time-travel accident. When La'an arrived in her past, she encountered Sera, a Romulan agent from the "Temporal Wars." She was sent back to 1992 to kill Khan in order to prevent the Federation and Starfleet from ever existing. Yet, because of the other time-shenanigans, Khan wasn't born until the 21st Century. "Time pushes back," she told La'an, implying that "canon events" aren't just limited to the Spider-Verse.

RELATED: Kevin Feige's Secret Ingredient in the MCU Came From Star Trek's 'Worst' Movie

Why Khan Noonien Singh Is So Important to Star Trek Fans and Storytellers

Khan Noonien Singh remains important to the larger Star Trek story because of what he represents about the universe's past. The Eugenics Wars, now set in the mid-21st Century also coincided with "World War III," the cataclysm from which Star Trek 's ideal future emerged. In Star Trek: First Contact , the crew of the USS Enterprise-E are sent back to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes the first warp-drive flight, causing the Vulcans to visit Earth. Khan represents the personification of the worst of humanity. Notions of superiority, violence and authoritarianism are the main impediments, Roddenberry believed, to the idyllic future humanity was capable of achieving.

His many returns, from "Space Seed" in Star Trek: The Original Series to The Wrath of Khan are a warning that these human foibles, like Star Wars ' Palpatine , will somehow return if people aren't careful. Yet, Khan didn't just help create the universe in the narrative. After The Motion Picture , fans hoped for a return to the type of storytelling Star Trek: TOS was known for. Nicholas Meyer delivered a film that felt a bit like an episode of the show on a grander scale. Yet, it also kicked off a run of four more movies that helped cement Star Trek as an enduring franchise. Fans were enamored by the film and its sequels. Even when he's not present, he influences the story. Star Trek: Picard Season 3 thematically echoed the "trilogy" that started with The Wrath of Khan through Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .

Khan is a genetically altered super man who was so cruel, violent and despotic he almost destroyed the planet. Yet, like most real-world villains, the actual Khan was charming, seemingly measured. Ricardo Montalban infused the character with gravitas and even humor, along with his impressive bare chest (which was not a prosthetic in the movie). If the heroes of Star Trek represent the best of humanity, Khan represents the worst of it. Heroes are defined by their villains, and any hero that can take out a guy like Khan Noonien Singh is an impressive one indeed.

• star trek (tv)

Star Trek's Khan Noonien Singh Originally Had A Different Name & Look

The characters of "Star Trek" have faced many iconic villains since the show's inception in 1966, but Khan Noonien Singh was one of the first. A megalomaniac intent on world domination, the antagonist was a main player in The Eugenics War. Khan and his followers were genetically augmented and enacted genocide against anyone who wasn't. 

First portrayed in "Star Trek: The Original Series" by Ricardo Montalban, repercussions of the character echoed through J.J. Abrams' reboot and  "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." But as iconic as the figure is, the origins of Khan looked quite different. Sociology professors John and Maria Jose Tenuto researched how the character of Khan began, delving into Gene Roddenberry's papers and the CBS-Paramount archives.

"He wasn't even a criminal with an empire, just a criminal," John Tenuto told Gizmodo in 2013. In the original script for "Space Seed," written by Carey Wilber, Khan wasn't Khan at all. He was an Aryan character by the name of Harold Erickson who had not been genetically modified. When Kirk and the Enterprise come across his crew, their ship, the Botany Bay, has been stranded. They plan to commandeer the Enterprise and become space pirates. A significantly lower-stakes plot than Montalban's Khan, whose intelligence and manipulations make him a serious threat to Kirk, Harold was not long for this world.

Khan became more than a villain of the week

Once Gene Coon started getting involved, the wheels started turning. The "Star Trek" writer considered the possibility that Khan should be more of a threat to Kirk. Instead of a low-level villain, he could be something much more ambitious like a warlord who ruled during the darkest parts of "Star Trek" history. As a relic from an era long since passed, he did not adhere to the rules of Starfleet and would be that much more dangerous. Coon finished his own script with these changes in mind, but the final touches came in the casting process. Up until then, Khan was still a Viking-type character who did not resemble who he became when it was time to film.

"Montalban's casting really altered the character in terms of who he became," Tenuto said, continuing: "Once they knew that Montalban was taking the role, you can see a shift in the dialogue [in the scripts] to become more romantic." This also caused the name to change from one of Scandinavian origin. Ultimately the "Star Trek" team came up with Khan Noonien Singh, in part to honor Noonien Wang, a friend of Roddenberry's. All of this came together to create a character that is arguably one of the most significant characters in the "Star Trek" canon and returned to cause moments that stunned "Star Trek" audiences .

Khan Noonien Singh (alternate reality)

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 [ ].

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 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 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 ")

This event predates the point of divergence to the alternate reality , and so does not differ from the prime universe.

23rd century return [ ]

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 , a conflict 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 .

Star Trek: Khan , Issue 5 explains Khan's face and voice were surgically modified.

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 .

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.

"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

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 finishing construction, 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 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 as ordered, 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 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 crushed the landmark 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 stasis following his defeat

The fight took the two combatants onto 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 repeatedly pummeled Khan, coming very close to killing him. Fortunately, Uhura revealed Khan's blood could save Kirk. Spock struck Khan one more time, knocking him unconscious.

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] (X) [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, 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.

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 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
• 1 Bell Riots
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

• MixLit & Mixed Race Studies
• Who’s behind the exhibit?
• Companion Course Blog
• AALR Mixed Race Initiative

Khan Noonien Singh

Source Text:  “Space Seed.” Star Trek: The Original Series . Writ. Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber. Dir. Mark Daniels. NBC. 1967.

Entry Author: Emma Baker

• Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Science Fiction

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the authors

Star Trek: The Original Series: Khan #3: To Reign in Hell Paperback – May 23, 2006

• Book 3 of 3 Star Trek: The Eugenics Wars
• Print length 384 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Star Trek
• Publication date May 23, 2006
• Dimensions 4.5 x 1.25 x 7 inches
• ISBN-10 0743457129
• ISBN-13 978-0743457125
• See all details

Similar items that ship from close to you

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Star Trek (May 23, 2006)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743457129
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743457125
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 1.25 x 7 inches
• #15,268 in Space Operas
• #15,942 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
• #24,785 in Science Fiction Adventures

About the authors

Greg Cox (born 1959) is an American writer of science fiction, including works that are media tie-ins. He lives in Oxford, Pennsylvania.

He has written numerous Star Trek novels, including The Eugenics Wars (Volume One and Two), The Q Continuum, Assignment: Eternity, and The Black Shore. His short fiction can be found in such anthologies as Star Trek: Tales of the Dominion War, Star Trek: The Amazing Stories and Star Trek: Enterprise logs. His first "Khan" novel, The Eugenics Wars: Volume One, was voted best sci-fi book of the year by the readers of Dreamwatch magazine. Cox can be found in a bonus feature on the "Director's Edition" DVD of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Gene Roddenberry

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 70% 22% 5% 2% 1% 70%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 70% 22% 5% 2% 1% 22%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 70% 22% 5% 2% 1% 5%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 70% 22% 5% 2% 1% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 70% 22% 5% 2% 1% 1%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the book a great read with compelling entertainment. They also appreciate the great end to the Khan story and the consistent, well thought out characters. Customers also praise the writing style as intricate and well spoken.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book a great read and entertaining. They also say it's well written.

"...Overall, this is definitely worth reading if you're a fan of Khan and the movie." Read more

" A great read . Effectively fills in the gaps between Space Seed and Wrath of Khan...." Read more

"...Definitely worth a read ! Enjoy!" Read more

"This is the final conclusion to The Eugenics Wars and it is a fantastic read .Greg Cox knows Khan...." Read more

Customers find the book compelling, with plenty of action, violent situations, and a plausible plot. They also say it goes deep into the back story of Khan and his people, provides a good overview of the driving force, and answers a lot of questions.

"...I'm glad I did. Greg Cox provides a realistic and exciting bridge from the TOS Episode Space Seed to the movie...." Read more

"...I admit that the book included plenty of action , uncontrollable violent situations, and a fascinating environment that held my interest...." Read more

"...written, with excellent characterization and pacing and a quite plausible plot ." Read more

"...This is just fantastic story telling and after finishing this series I am very much a fan of Greg Cox's writing...." Read more

Customers find the storyline great, with a good overview of Khan's driving force. They also say it ties up the Khan trilogy well, and provides a decent end to the series.

"...Perhaps best of all, Cox's portrayal of Khan is spot on . He even writes using Khan's haughty language...." Read more

" Great end to the Khan story . Greg Cox gave us consistent well thought out characters. He even managed to make me feel sorry for Khan at the end." Read more

"This tied up the Kahn trilogy well ...." Read more

"...Difficult to put down. Kahn is an amazing villain and Ricardo played it perfectly!!! I wish he was still alive to make a movie out of this book!!...." Read more

Customers find the writing style intricate, well-spoken, and smooth. They also appreciate the excellent characterization, pacing, and imagination.

"...In fact, I really appreciate the realism , even when it becomes a bit gory. Perhaps best of all, Cox's portrayal of Khan is spot on...." Read more

"...Mr. Cox is a very good writer and this book is very well written and compelling...." Read more

"...For others, it still might be worth a look. It's smoothly written , with excellent characterization and pacing and a quite plausible plot." Read more

"...Khan's very intricate and well spoken style are something that Cox does a fantastic job of portraying him in this conclusion of his Khan series of..." Read more

Customers find the pacing of the book fast.

"...It's smoothly written, with excellent characterization and pacing and a quite plausible plot." Read more

"Very well written and fast paced . From the moment I started reading, I had difficulty putting it down...." Read more

"...It's good, interesting and a fast read ." Read more

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Registry & Gift List
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Screen Rant

Star trek’s khan noonien singh strange new worlds & tos history explained.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

I Can't Believe Star Trek Just Brought Back This One Animated Series Species

Star trek’s future requires more patience than ever, star trek's new warp drive breaks the prime directive in a way no-one expected.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 2, episode 2, "Ad Astra per Aspera." Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has added new layers to the history of Star Trek: The Original Series' genetically enhanced tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) proving that the character still has a lasting influence on Star Trek decades after his first appearance. In "Ad Astra per Aspera" Number One (Rebecca Romijn) was put on trial for concealing the truth about her own genetic enhancements. The court case exposed the considerable prejudice that Starfleet had towards so-called Augments, rooted in their fear of the emergence of another Khan Noonien-Singh.

The shadow of Khan hovered over the proceedings in the court, as the reality of the Federation's ban on genetic enhancements became clear. In seeking to avoid the creation of another brutal warlord, Starfleet are revealed to be unwittingly condoning the persecution of species like the Illyrians, for whom genetic engineering is a part of their culture. Una's trial in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds revealed that, long after his self-imposed exile, Khan continued to assert his influence. Khan's return 8 years after Una's trial will surely only exacerbate progress in the fight against the Federation's augment ban.

RELATED: What “Ad Astra Per Aspera” Means In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Who Is Khan Noonien Singh In Star Trek

Khan Noonien Singh was one of several genetically enhanced humans who outgrew their creators to become rulers of more than forty nations on Earth. Star Trek has never confirmed for certain whether Khan was the product of selective breeding or was instead genetically engineered at a young age. Star Trek: Picard teased Project Khan , which implied that Khan was definitely created, although no further details have since been given. Khan had superior physical strength and intellect to his fellow humans and this superiority bred an ambition for world dominance in Khan and his fellow Augments.

Khan was the most prominent superhuman and ruled over a quarter of the Earth's population. Although he was described as a benevolent dictator, Khan disapproved of individuality, which stunted the financial and scientific growth of his region. Not satisfied to simply rule over their own territories, the Augments began warring with each other, leading to the devastating Eugenics Wars. Khan and 84 of his most loyal followers escaped the conflict aboard the SS Botany Bay, bound for space but without direction. They would continue to float through space for centuries until they were discovered in 2267.

What Happened When Kirk Woke Up Khan In Star Trek: TOS

In the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Space Seed", the USS Enterprise discovered the SS Botany Bay adrift in space, and Captain James T Kirk (William Shatner) woke Khan from cryogenic sleep. When Kirk and Lt. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) realized that they'd awoken a notorious tyrant, they confined Khan to quarters. However, Khan's attempted takeover of Captain Kirk's Enterprise had already begun in earnest. Khan read up on the history he'd missed and he seduced Lt. Marla McGivers (Madlyn Rhue) so that she would assist his escape. With Marla's help, Khan awoke his followers and then staged a hijacking of the Enterprise, intending to use the Federation flagship to conquer a nearby colony.

Kirk and the crew fought back, with the help of a guilty McGivers. With his dreams of conquest shattered Khan attempted to destroy the USS Enterprise by overloading the warp core, but he was foiled by Kirk. Left with the problem of how to deal with the tyrant, Kirk offered Khan the chance to " rule in hell " by taming the hostile world of Ceti Alpha V and setting up a colony there with his followers and Marla. Khan accepted Kirk's challenge, but life on Ceti Alpha V would prove to be arduous even for a genetically enhanced superman.

What Happened In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , the USS Reliant discovered Khan and his followers on what they believed to be the barren and uninhabited Ceti Alpha VI. However, the sixth planet in the system hadactually been destroyed six months after Khan and his followers were exiled to Ceti Alpha V, causing widespread ecological devastation. Khan was able to keep his followers alive, but it was hard, and he lost his wife in the process. Khan rightly hated Kirk , as neither he nor Starfleet checked in on the colony in the 15 years since they were exiled there. Presented with a Starfleet vessel, Khan hijacked the Reliant and cruelly abandoned the majority of its crew on Ceti Alpha V.

Khan then set out to steal the Genesis Device and lure Admiral James T Kirk into a final battle, luring the USS Enterprise to Regula and eventually trapping him underground. Khan felt this was a suitable punishment as he had marooned Kirk " for all eternity at the center of a dead planet. Buried alive… buried alive. " Kirk wasn't buried alive for long, and was soon back aboard the Enterprise, pursuing Khan and the stolen Genesis Device. Once again, Khan resorted to the nuclear option by intending to detonate the Genesis Device inside the Mutara Nebula, which would destroy both the Reliant and the Enterprise. Thanks to the heroic sacrifice of Spock, the Enterprise escaped the explosion, which claimed the life of Khan and his Augment supporters.

How Is Khan Related To Strange New Worlds’ La’an Noonien-Singh?

Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) is a descendant of Khan, presumably via a son or daughter that he had left behind on Earth. It's clear from "Space Seed" that the Eugenics War had torn the world apart, likely making it difficult for Khan to locate his family members before leaving on the SS Botany Bay. Beyond La'an's parents Ronu and Sa'an, and her brother Manu, not much is known about the Noonien-Singh family tree in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Tragically, La'an no longer has any family following her ordeal on the Gorn breeding planet, which makes her Khan's only known living descendant at this stage in Star Trek 's 23rd century.

Prior to her ordeal at the hands of the Gorn, La'an's childhood was difficult because of her family name, leading to playground taunts from the other children. It was confirmed in "Ad Astra per Aspera" that La'an inherited Khan's enhancements , leading her to worry about one day becoming as dangerous as her ancestor. La'an's heritage briefly put her at odds with her mentor, Commander Una Chin-Riley after she disclosed that she too was genetically enhanced. La'an's super strength and analytical mind will make her a valuable asset in the Federation's potential war with the Gorn Hegemony.

RELATED: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Sets Up A Star Trek Canon-Breaking Gorn War

Why Does The Federation Always Fear Khan In Every Star Trek Era?

Khan Noonien Singh casts a long shadow across Federation history, from Star Trek: The Original Series to Star Trek: Prodigy . Starfleet's fear of the rise of another Khan has stood in the way of the careers of budding cadet Dal R'El (Brett Gray) and has almost ended the careers of Number One in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . That fear is well-placed given the chaos that was unleashed when Khan was awoken in the 23rd century, prompting the elderly Spock to observe that the Augment was the most dangerous threat the Enterprise crew ever faced.

A good example of why Khan is still so feared is what happened when the Kelvin Timeline's Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller) discovered the SS Botany Bay in Star Trek Into Darkness . As a member of Section 31, Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) strategized a military offensive to considerably weaken the Klingon Empire, while also contributing to the construction of the new Dreadnought-class warships overseen by Marcus. Khan's super strength, his sense of superiority and his ability to single-handedly strategize a full-scale military campaign is what makes the idea of another Augment like him so terrifying across every Star Trek era and timeline.

• Star Trek: The Original Series
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

How Gene Roddenberry Tried To Sabotage Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Nicholas Meyer's 1982 film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is generally regarded as the best of the 13 extant "Star Trek" movies, at least according to any Trekkies you may ask. At the very least, "The Wrath of Khan" became the popular model on which multiple other "Star Trek" movies would be based; several "Star Trek" films feature a charismatic, revenge-bent "villain" character at its center.

At least one person, however, really hated "The Wrath of Khan" — "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry.

Roddenberry had spent the bulk of the 1970s attending "Star Trek" conventions and refining his thoughts on his creation. He and Trekkies, during the conventions, began to zero in on the pacifist, diplomatic nature of the show, coming to the conclusion that "Star Trek" isn't about dominance or military power. Instead, it redefines power as being connected to intelligence, professionalism, and one's ability to solve problems in a group. Even if the problem is a vast, cosmic mystery that the human mind can barely comprehend, "Star Trek" announced that we'd face it with open hearts.

That was the premise of 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," anyway, a film Roddenberry produced and was closely involved with. He wanted a large-scale "Star Trek" story that drew more from "2001: A Space Odyssey" than from "Star Wars."

However, "Motion Picture" was only a modest hit in 1979, and Roddenberry, despite inventing the franchise, was pushed out of the production of "The Wrath of Khan." Harve Bennett and Meyer made their own "Star Trek" animal, opting for a "swashbuckling adventure" tale wholly different from the cosmic freakout of the first movie.

Roddenberry was understandably bitter. Indeed, according to a 2020 article in CinemaBlend , Roddenberry — motivated by spite — tried to sabotage "The Wrath of Khan" by leaking vital plot details.

The Wrath of Roddenberry

"Star Trek" historian and "Inglorious Treksperts" podcast host Mark A. Altman was able to speak at length with CinemaBlend about Roddenberry's bitterness, including his attempts to deliberately spoil the plot of "The Wrath of Khan."  Recall that "The Wrath of Khan" ended with a bombshell. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) had to enter an irradiated section of the U.S.S. Enterprise's engine room to repair a vital system during a desperate mid-space battle. He was able to fix the engines and the Enterprise sailed to safety, but not before he received a lethal dose of radiation. The movie's final scenes involved loading Spock into a coffin and shooting him into space.

The fact that Spock died was, as one might imagine, a secret during the production of "The Wrath of Khan," although it wasn't so big a secret that Paramount was worried. The budget for the film was lower than "The Motion Picture," and there wasn't as much breathless hype surrounding it. Recall, also, that there wasn't yet a 24-hour news cycle, so reporters weren't sniffing around film sets as often hoping to break tiny details.

As such, when Roddenberry leaked that Spock might die, Paramount began to sweat for the first time. As Altman explained:

"The only other time [Paramount] really got worried was when Gene sorta leaked the fact that Spock was going to die. They were afraid then, 'Well if we lose the 'Star Trek' audience, then we have a problem.' You know, a lot of people were saying, 'If Spock dies, you die. If Spock isn't there, I'm not coming.' People forget, this was a very big deal, it was very vitriolic. Obviously, after the movie came out, people were very happy with the way things worked out." 

Roddenberry's sabotage didn't work.

Roddenberry's attempt at sabotage didn't work

But, golly, he tried. One might posit that someone other than Roddenberry leaked the "Wrath of Khan" script to the public, and he was merely happy to see the film be potentially spoiled. However, Altman pointed out that the script in question was indeed Roddenberry's copy. Altman even put the kibosh on rumors that Roddenberry's secretary and longtime girlfriend Susan Sackett was the real cause of the leaks:

"Some claimed it was Susan Sackett who leaked it. It was Roddenberry who leaked it [...] this is because there was a code on each of the scripts that could be traced back to whoever it was. The script that was leaked had the Roddenberry code. Susan may have been the person who actually sent it for Roddenberry, because Susan was Gene's secretary, but it was unquestionably Gene Roddenberry who did it. It's just a fact."

When "Wrath of Khan" was finally release, Roddenberry admitted — begrudgingly — that he kind of liked it, although not for the reasons most Trekkies did. Roddenberry admitted that  Ricardo Montalbán's return was the film's big saving grace , as the actor brought so much personality to Khan (a role he, of course, originated on "Star Trek: The Original Series"). Roddenberry hated a lot of the smaller details, though, and spoke out against the fact that Kirk killed a Ceti eel for no reason .

Eventually, as Paramount made several more sequels without Roddenberry, the show creator went back to TV with an idea for a new "Star Trek" show set about a century after the events of the first. By 1987, Roddenberry launched "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and history was made.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ( Paramount Pictures , 1982 ) is the second feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series . In the film, the crew of the USS Enterprise deal with a threat posed by The Original Series character Khan Noonien Singh, back from exile and out for revenge.

• 1 Khan Noonien Singh
• 2 James T. Kirk
• 4 Main cast
• 6 External links

Khan Noonien Singh

• Ah, Kirk, my old friend. Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is very cold in space.
• [last words] No. No, you can't get away. From Hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee .

James T. Kirk

• [eulogizing Spock] We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted, that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most.... [voice breaks] human.
• Director Nicholas Meyer, "'Star Trek': Nicholas Meyer explains his Roddenberry regret" Noelene Clark, LA Times : "Hero Complex", June 10, 2011.

External links

• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at StarTrek.com

• 1980s American films
• Films about revenge
• Films based on television series
• Sequel films
• Star Trek films
• Films set on fictional planets

Navigation menu

Happy Star Trek Day: Get 25 Percent Off Official Merch At Paramount Shop To Celebrate

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

PlayStation Reveals A Shapes Of Play Board Game For Its 30th Anniversary

Best star trek tabletop games in 2024, astro's nendoroid has been re-released to celebrate the launch of astro bot.

It has been 58 years since Gene Roddenberry debuted the original Star Trek show, and this year, Paramount Shop is celebrating with a nice 25 percent sale on some of the best Star Trek merch around. You can snag yourself a few Funko Pops, shirts, or accessories to show off your love of exploration and human determination.

The Shapes Of Play collection also includes a set of magnetic blocks and silicone toys you're supposed to squeeze between gaming sessions.

Among the tons of Star Trek merch on sale are a few Funko Pop figures of some of the most famous characters from across the series, including the vile Khan, Raffi Muskier, and Seven of Nine. You can also snag yourself the incredibly complicated Tridimensional Chess set, but whether you actually try to figure out how to play it is up to you. Either way, it's a very cool piece of Star Trek memorabilia to own and show off.

Funko Pop! Star Trek: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Khan

Khan is back, but this time as a tiny Funko Pop. Take Captain Kirk's most imposing enemy home with you with this special 40th anniversary Funko. The design was picked in the first Worldwide Fan Vote, polling Star Trek fans across the world to get the perfect design.

Star Trek: The Original Series Tridimensional Chess Set

Chess is already one of the most complex games around, and in the 22nd century, it was decided to up the difficulty a bit with Tridimensional chess. You get 32 pieces with this set, and the multi-tiered set that is an exact recreation of the game.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Tea Earl Grey Hot

Not everything about Star Trek is space adventures and threats to civilization. Sometimes, it is about sitting down and enjoying the simple things, like a piping hot cup of earl grey tea in your favorite mug.

All you need to do to get the items above, as well as everything else Star Trek-themed available at Paramount Shop, is add the items to your cart and enter the code STARTREKDAY at checkout. That will knock 25 percent off your total, or 25 percent off your Star Trek items if you have other stuff in your cart. The promotion is live now, but the clock is ticking. You have until the end of Star Trek Day (September 8) after which point Paramount's Star Trek merch will return to full price.

There's a lot more than the items we've detailed above available now for less at Paramount Shop , and once you're done with your Star Trek Day shopping, you can stream special hand-picked episodes from across multiple series on Paramount Plus through Amazon, Roku, and YouTube.

Games that pull you into the Star Trek universe

We hope you like the items we recommend and discuss! TheGamer has affiliate and sponsored partnerships, so we receive a share of the revenue from some of your purchases. This won’t affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

• Gene Roddenberry
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• 280 User reviews
• 99 Critic reviews
• 16 wins & 31 nominations total

Episodes 80

Photos 2016

Top cast 99+

• Captain James T. Kirk …

• Mr. Spock …

• Lieutenant Leslie …

• Nurse Chapel …

• Ensign Freeman …

• Yeoman Rand …

• Announcer …

• Beta 5 Computer …
• Security Guard …
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Stellar Photos From the "Star Trek" TV Universe

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia In the hallways of the Enterprise there are tubes marked "GNDN." These initials stand for "goes nowhere does nothing."
• Goofs The deck locations for Kirk's Quarters, Sickbay and Transporter Room vary (usually between decks 4-7) throughout the series.

Dr. McCoy : "He's dead, Jim."

• Crazy credits On some episodes, the closing credits show a still that is actually from the Star Trek blooper reel. It is a close-up of stunt man Bill Blackburn who played an android in Return to Tomorrow (1968) , removing his latex make up. In the reel, He is shown taking it off, while an off-screen voice says "You wanted show business, you got it!"
• Alternate versions In 2006, CBS went back to the archives and created HD prints of every episode of the show. In addition to the new video transfer, they re-did all of the model shots and some matte paintings using CGI effects, and re-recorded the original theme song to clean it up. These "Enhanced" versions of the episodes aired on syndication and have been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
• Connections Edited into Ben 10: Secrets (2006)
• Soundtracks Star Trek Music by Alexander Courage

User reviews 280

• May 5, 2003

Women in Science Fiction

• How do they maintain Gravity on the the U.S.S. Enterprise ? .
• All aliens on all planets speak the English language?
• What does "TOS" mean?
• September 8, 1966 (United States)
• United States
• Star Trek: The Original Series
• Backlot, Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
• Desilu Productions
• Norway Corporation
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 50 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Set Phasers to Stream: Here’s Every ‘Star Trek’ Show and Movie You Can Watch on Paramount+

By Sage Anderson

Sage Anderson

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

From low-budget romps to high-energy blockbuster films,  Star Trek  has become one of the most influential sci-fi franchises of all time. While  Trek  has decades worth of TV, film, and animated iterations that might rival  Star Wars , it also has its own unique legacy and long-time, passionate cult following (and merch ).

In the past few years, the Trek television universe has become one of the highlights of original programming on Paramount+ . Helmed by Alex Kurtzman, series like  Star Trek : Lower Decks  and  Picard  have pushed the boundaries of what can be done with the universe’s canon in their first seasons so far.

This year for Star Trek Day, with the premiere episodes of several Trek series and “Short Treks” will be available to view for free from Sept. 7-13. The episodes can be watched from Paramount+’s partner platforms Amazon, Apple and Roku, their official YouTube page, Pluto TV and the Paramount+ free content hub (U.S. only).

From the new releases like the second season of Strange New Worlds , to the old adventures of the Enterprise ,  Deep Space 9 ,  Voyager , and more, here’s how to watch Star Trek in order online.

How Can I Watch Paramount+ Free Online?

When you sign up for a Paramount+ subscription , you can actually choose between two plans to watch Paramount+ online. Pricing for Paramount+ plans include Essential (with limited commercials) for $7.99/month, or ad-free with Showtime for $12.99/month. But if you’re still not sure about committing to a full subscription, you can always stream Paramount+ for free with a 7-day free trial .

For a limited time, the streamer is also slashing the price on its annual plan by 50%, bringing the cost down to just $29.99 a year . Normally $59.99, the new Paramount+ deal gets you access to its full library of content  for just $2.50 a month . Check out the latest Paramount+ deals here .

Buy Paramount+ Free Trial

Editor’s picks

Every awful thing trump has promised to do in a second term, the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, 25 most influential creators of 2024.

What  Star Trek TV Shows Are Available on Paramount+?

Premiering on September 8, 1966 on NBC-TV,  Star Trek  brought in a new era of programming for the science fiction genre. Though it wasn’t a critical success at the time it aired, with all 79 episodes of the original series running in syndication, a devoted fan base grew. Decades later, there are eight TV series with hundreds of episodes, all currently streaming now on Paramount+ .

Here’s an updated list of all the  Star Trek shows on Paramount+. Note that this isn’t the official timeline for when these shows take place in canon — Enterprise  is actually the “earliest” Trek series—but we’ll cover that below.

• Star Trek: The Original Series  (1966-1969)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series  (1973-1974)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation  (1987-1994)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  (1993-1999)
• Star Trek: Voyager  (1995-2001)
• Star Trek: Enterprise  (2001-2005)
• Star Trek: Discovery  (2017-Present)
• Star Trek:  Short Treks  (2018-Present)
• Star Trek: Picard  (2020-Present)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks  (2020-Present)
• Star Trek: Prodigy  (2021-Present)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-Present)
• Star Trek: Section 31  (TBA)
• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy  (TBA) 

What  Star Trek Movies Are Streaming on Paramount+?

Paramount+ is the home to all the films featuring the cast of the Original Series, while many other Trek films are also hosted on other streaming services. Here are the  Star Trek movies streaming on Paramount+ right now. 

• Star Trek: The Motion Picture  (1979)
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan  (1982)
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock  (1984)
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home  (1986)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier  (1989)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country  (1991)
• Star Trek: Generations (1994)
• Star Trek: First Contact  (1996)
•   Star Trek: Insurrection  (1998)
• Star Trek: Nemesis  (2002)
• Star Trek  (2009)
• Star Trek Into Darkness  (2013)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• Building Star Trek  (2016)  —  Documentary
• Woman In Motion  (2021) — Documentary 
• Trekkies 2  (2004) — Documentary 

Taylor Fritz vs. Jannik Sinner Livestream: How to Watch the U.S. Open Men's Tennis Final Online Free

Colorado vs. nebraska livestream: here's how to watch the college football game online.

• Star Trek: The Original Series: “The Cage”
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: “Encounter at Farpoint, Part I & II”
• Star Trek: Voyager: “Caretaker, Part I & II”
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: “The Emissary, Part I & II”
• Star Trek: Enterprise: “Broken Bow Part I & II”
• Star Trek: The Animated Series: “Beyond the Farthest Star”
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: “Strange New Worlds”
• Star Trek: Lower Decks: “Second Contact”
• Star Trek: Discovery: “The Vulcan Hello”
• Star Trek: Picard: “Remembrance”
• Star Trek: Short Treks: “The Girl Who Made the Stars,” “The Trouble with Edward,” “Ask Not,” “Runaway,” and “Ephraim and Dot”

How to Watch Every Star Trek Movie and Show In Timeline Order

Figuring out chronological timeline of  Star Trek  over can be overwhelming for even the most seasoned of Trekkies. With over 50 years of mirrorverses, time traveling back and forth, alternate timelines and spin-offs, we’ve created a guide for how to watch every  Star Trek  series and film in order. We’ve organized it by Stardate instead of year of release for optimal accuracy, but note that some series like  TNG  and  DS9  run concurrently.

• Star Trek: Enterprise  (2151-2161)
• Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 and 2  (2255-)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2255-) 
• Star Trek: The Original Series  (2265-2269)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series  (2269-2270)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture  (2273)
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan  (2285)
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock  (2285)
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home  (2286/1986)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ( 2287)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country  (2293)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation  (2364-2370)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  (2369-2375)
• Star Trek Generations  (2371)
• Star Trek: Voyager  (2371-2378)
• Star Trek: First Contact  (2373/2063)
• Star Trek: Insurrection  (2375)
• Star Trek: Nemesis  (2379)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks  (2380)
• Star Trek: Picard  (2399-)
• Star Trek: Discovery Season 3  (3155?)
• Star Trek: Short Treks  (2239-3300 Prime Timeline)

The Growing List of Republicans Who Have Endorsed Kamala Harris

Cedric bixler-zavala slams linkin park's emily armstrong over alleged danny masterson support, kendrick lamar to headline super bowl halftime show in 2025, the mormon swinging moms got a reality show. these swingers have thoughts.

• Star Trek  (2258 Kelvin Timeline)
• Star Trek Into Darkness  (2259 Kelvin Timeline)
• Star Trek Beyond  (2263 Kelvin Timeline)

Every Star Trek Series Coming To Paramount+ This Year (And Beyond)

• Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 (2024)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 (2024) 
• Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 (2024) 
• Star Trek: Lower Decks  Season 5 (October 2024)
• Star Trek: Section 31  (TBA)
• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy  (TBA)

Taylor Fritz vs. Jannik Sinner Livestream: How to Watch the U.S. Open Men's Tennis Final Online Free

• 2024 U.S. OPEN FINAL
• By Tim Chan

Colorado vs. Nebraska Livestream: Here's How to Watch the College Football Game Online

• By John Lonsdale

It’s Not Too Late to Get Tickets to the U.S. Open — If You Know Where to Look

Tennessee vs. nc state livestream: how to watch the football game online.

• football livestream
• By Oscar Hartzog

Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas Livestream: How to Watch the Football Game Online

Most popular, linkin park selects emily armstrong from rock band dead sara as new singer, reveals tour and album 'from zero', demi moore fuels speculation that she doesn't approve of channing tatum's plans to remake ghost, planes targeting trump fly over college football stadiums, telling voters to sack project 2025 (exclusive), navarro, pegula highlight billionaire parents at u.s. open, you might also like, selena gomez pitched ‘only murders’ creators for mabel to be the killer: ‘you never know’, princess charlene of monaco shows monégasque pride in red drop-shoulder jumpsuit at monaco’s annual traditional picnic with twins, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, ‘mother, mother’ review: a slow burn somali drama defies expectations with a complex study of familial ties, cowboys’ prescott signs record contract worth $60m per year.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

​​Star Trek: The Vulcan Nerve Pinch, Explained

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Star Trek Fans Debate Who Deserves Credit For Defeating Khan

Star trek: how discovery changed the way we see spock, 15 spock memes only true star trek fans will understand, quick links, what is the vulcan nerve pinch, notable uses of the vulcan nerve pinch in star trek, is anyone immune to a vulcan nerve pinch, is the vulcan nerve pinch based on a real-life technique, key takeaways.

• Spock first introduced the Vulcan nerve pinch in Star Trek: The Original Series and it's been used over 60 times since.
• While Spock's originator Leonard Nimoy invented the ability, there's no set in-universe explanation about how it works so effectively.
• The nerve pinch is not exclusive to Vulcans but is difficult to learn and not effective against every opponent.

Star Trek has served up many distinctive races, but the definitive alien character will always be Spock. Leonard Nimoy established a relatable non-human character on TV like never before, setting many characteristics that have pushed the Vulcan species into pop culture. Everyone knows the traits that mark Vulcans out — pointy ears, eyebrows, logic, and mind melds. But there’s also a particularly effective technique to subdue enemies.

It didn’t take long for Spock to introduce the Vulcan nerve pinch to the show — a skill that arguably became more ubiquitous in the broader franchise than the race that created it. While Spock has popped up more iterations of Star Trek than any other character, the technique he first demonstrated has appeared in every series and most films.

Star Trek: 5 Impressive Things Spock Did Before Joining The USS Enterprise

Spock is one of the Star Trek franchise's most iconic characters. His successes go beyond just his time with the USS Enterprise.

Simply put, the nerve pinch is a technique by which Vulcans and some non-Vulcans can induce unconsciousness by pinching a pressure point at the base of the neck. It’s a highly effective stealth technique — while not guaranteed, a nerve pinch will often render a victim unconscious before they can cry out, without causing them any serious harm.

Spock first demonstrated the nerve pinch in the first season of the Original Series . “The Enemy Within” saw a transporter accident create an evil ‘negative’ Kirk, who at one point is subdued with a nerve pinch by the Enterprise’s first officer. It quickly became a staple and has subsequently appeared in the franchise over 60 times.

Star Trek: Spock's Best Friends, Ranked

Not even Spock's Vulcan side can stop this Star Trek character from having truly great friends.

The technique is not exclusive to Vulcans. Characters like Borg Seven of Nine and Changeling Odo have successfully used the nerve pinch. However, it's notoriously difficult to teach. Spock couldn’t pass the skill on to James T. Kirk, and Dr McCoy was terrible at it when possessed by Spock’s katra In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . Captain Jonathan Archer proved to be inexplicably proficient at it in the Enterprise episode “Kir'Shara,” while Jean-Luc Picard seemed to learn it following his intense mind meld with Spock’s father Sarek.

In Star Trek lore the technique is regarded as a quintessential part of being a Vulcan. Outside the franchise, it’s quickly spread into pop culture, earning references in Spaceballs , The O.C. , and a playful Audi advert called ' Leonard Nimoy vs. Zachary Quinto .’

Star Trek: What Is Spock's Biggest Flaw?

Even Star Trek’s most rational minds like Spock must grapple with the inherent chaos imperfection.

While mostly reserved for humanoids, the nerve pinch was effective on non-humanoids. In The Animated Series episode “Yesteryear,” Spock successfully nerve-pinched a horse. In Star Trek: Voyager , Tuvok could also use the technique on a member of Species 8472, albeit in the guise of a human.

Spock is clearly a master of the technique, even employing a two-handed version to knock out an Andorian and a Tellarite in “Whom Gods Destroy.” Probably the most famous use of the nerve pinch came in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home when Spock used it to knock out a punk playing loud music on a San Francisco bus, earning a round of applause from his fellow passengers.

Star Trek fans love the villain Khan and his eventual defeat, but which principal cast member is responsible for stopping the foe's wrath?

The Vulcan nerve pinch has proved widely effective against humanoid life forms across the galaxy, although there were exceptions. The Vians of Minara were notably immune, as evidenced during the Original Series . While Cardassians and Ferengi have shown resistance to Vulcan mind melds, both species were susceptible to the nerve pinch.

Humans were highly susceptible, although highly-tuned individuals have proved immune. During “Assignment: Earth” the flawlessly conditioned human Gary Seven resisted the Vulcan nerve pinch. Similarly, Khan Noonien Singh felt severe pain but could withstand the technique when subjected to Spock’s attempt in Star Trek Into Darkness .

For better or for worse, Star Trek: Discovery has thrown a wrench in how fans see First Officer Spock. Let's explore this portrayal's cultural impact!

The nerve pinch is entirely fictional. Behind the scenes, it was Nimoy who invented the move. While the script suggested that Spock knock out the Kirk duplicate in “The Enemy Within” the actor, with his quick and brilliant grasp of the character, sought a more dignified maneuver that befitted the Vulcan. In the 1992 VHS documentary 25 Year Mission Tour , Nimoy credited William Shatner with finally persuading the episode’s director, Leo Penn, that the nerve pinch was the right move.

Despite inventing it, Nimoy’s preferred explanation for the technique hasn’t held up in Star Trek Lore. Despite the creator suggesting it connects to Vulcan telepathy, it has been successfully deployed by artificial lifeforms like The Next Generation ’s Data and Voyager ’s holographic Doctor.

Spock is one of the most beloved characters in Star Trek. Here's a look at some amazing memes only true fans will understand.

Another authoritative source offered a simple solution in The Making of Star Trek . Published in 1968, when the Original Series was still on air, Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry’s book suggested that the ‘Spock pinch’ temporarily blocked blood and nerve responses heading to the brain. For a more scientific explanation, the EMH is on hand — the holographic Doctor described the pinch as rupturing nerve fibers in the trapezius neck bundle during the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Cathexis."

Part of the nerve pinch’s appeal lies in the lack of a full in-universe explanation. But despite being as impossible to learn in reality as it is challenging to master in-universe, it remains a perfect gift for young Star Trek fans nearly six decades after it first appeared. It’s a distinctive character trait, non-fatal, and ideal for roleplaying without any props. It’s no wonder the timeless technique has remained such a recognizable part of Star Trek .

Star Trek: The Original Series

• September 8, 2024 | Watch Tendi’s Action-Packed Return In ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Season 5 Clip
• September 6, 2024 | First Wave From New Star Trek Starships Die Cast Collection Revealed; Pre-Orders Open Today
• September 6, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Star Trek And Robert Hewitt Wolfe Revisit The Sept. 2024 Bell Riots Of DS9’s “Past Tense”
• September 5, 2024 | Interview: Elias Toufexis Talks Breen Backstory And Not Playing L’ak As A Villain In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
• September 5, 2024 | Data’s Evil Twin Turns Evil God In ‘Star Trek: Lore War’ Comics Crossover Event Coming In 2025

Podcast: All Access Star Trek And Robert Hewitt Wolfe Revisit The Sept. 2024 Bell Riots Of DS9’s “Past Tense”

| September 6, 2024 | By: All Access Star Trek Pod Team 20 comments so far

[Interview begins at 25:07]

Anthony and Laurie start with the news that the Skydance/Paramount merger is moving forward. They share the sad news that  Deep Space Nine ‘s James Darren has died and talk about his eclectic career, then shift to discuss the plans for Star Trek Day this year, which are are all about charity campaigns. Production has begun on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, actor Sam Richardson drops a tidbit about his role on Section 31 , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez namedrops Janeway (and gets thanked by Kate Mulgrew), Nicholas Meyer talks The Wrath of Khan ad Elias Toufexis talks L’ak on Star Trek: Discovery. 

Then they get into this week’s interview, where writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe talks about his original pitch (at TNG) for  DS9 ‘s “Past Tense,” the inspiration for the Bell Riots and the society they took place in, the shot they couldn’t get, the current Star Trek shows, and more. They wrap up with Gene Roddenberry cosplaying in 1966 and memories of Leonard Nimoy from Tom Selleck and Ted Danson.

Edgar Bronfman Drops 11th-Hour Bid For Paramount; Skydance Merger Set To Complete In Early 2025

‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ Actor James Darren Has Passed Away

Paramount Invites Fans To ‘Take The Chair’ And Join Charity Campaign Celebrating Star Trek Day 2024

Star Trek Day promo running on Paramount plus and YouTube

Production Begins For ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’

Sam Richardson Drops Tidbit About His ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Character

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Talks Inspiration Of ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ And Captain Janeway; Kate Mulgrew Responds

Interview: Nicholas Meyer On Why ‘The Wrath Of Khan’ Endures And His “Toxic” Memos With Gene Roddenberry

Interview: Elias Toufexis Talks Breen Backstory And Not Playing L’ak As A Villain In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

Review: ‘The Art Of Glenn Hetrick’s Alchemy Studios’ Reveals The Makeup Magic Of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

Interview: Author Derek Tyler Attico On Exploring Star Trek’s Utopia In ‘The Autobiography Of Benjamin Sisko’

See Things From The Tribbles Point Of View In Preview Of IDW’s Special ‘Star Trek #500’ Anthology

Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery – The Final Season’ On Blu-ray Comes To A Satisfying Conclusion

‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ Getting A 45th Anniversary Steelbook 4K Blu-ray Release

The Barnum effect

The Irrational

Avery Brooks’ flying car commercial

This 1995 ‘Star Trek’ episode predicted a 2024 San Francisco crisis with uncanny accuracy [ SF Chronicle ]

Robert Hewitt Wolfe’s donation suggestions tweet

Hollywood Food Coalition

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank

Anthony: Gene Roddenberry wore a Romulan costume to a costume ball at a sci-fi convention in September 1966

Laurie: Ted Danson and Tom Selleck talking about Leonard Nimoy on Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast

Let us know what you think of the episode in the comments, and should you be so inclined,  please review us on Apple .

Subscribe to our podcasts

The  All Access Star Trek  podcast has joined the long-running  Shuttle Pod  as part of the TrekMovie.com Podcast Network. If you already subscribe to  The Shuttle Pod , your subscription will now include both shows from the TrekMovie Network. If you prefer, you can sign up for only the  Shuttle Pod  or  All Access Star Trek  using the links below.

Keep up with everything to do with the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

Related Articles

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Discovery , Live-Action Trek Comedy , Lower Decks , Section 31 , Star Trek: Prodigy , Starfleet Academy , STLV , Strange New Worlds

Podcast: All Access Comes Back From STLV With Star Trek News And Paramount Merger Drama

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Celebrity , Interview , Star Trek: Prodigy , TNG , VOY

Podcast: All Access Talks To Kate Mulgrew And Wil Wheaton About Janeway, Wesley, And ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’

Starfleet Academy

‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Adds Final Cadet To Cast As Production Start Nears

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Discovery , Live-Action Trek Comedy , Lower Decks , Section 31 , Shuttle Pod , Star Trek 4 , Star Trek: Legacy , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Prodigy , Starfleet Academy , STLV , Strange New Worlds , Trek Franchise

Podcast: Star Trek Status Report In 2024 Live From STLV

I have only one question for Robert Hewitt Wolfe: When does he resume writing or start producing a Star Trek show again? I am starting a GoFundMe right now if it’s just a question of money.

“That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.”

I know, unfortunately. He probably has no incentive to go back. And the current leadership probably doesn’t even want anyone from the old brass. I am surprised they got Johnathan Frakes back. He is not the one to criticize anyone, but I remember he made some remarks about the Discovery show runners (first or second season) lamenting that they thought they know everything better.

The current leadership does not seem to want anyone of the original authors (from the Bermann-Bragga era) back. They discarded the fans asking for “Star Trek: Legacy” (suddenly above Kurtzman’s paygrade though they were able to listen to the fans to start with ST:SNW) by T. Matalas, now Matalas is going to work in MCU. This is a Star Trek of a new era, sadly, less to my taste.

Yes, “Star Trek” [brand] can be [extended – at least by its name/title – to] anything. But if “Science-Fiction” becomes rather a “(Ridicule) Fantasy-Fiction” disregarding or heavily-bending the canon (because they are supposed to be in the prime-universe with established canon, hence it should be treated with respect, right?), is it still “Star Trek”?

“Fantasy-Fiction” examples: 1) Extremely large interior of Enterprise in ST:Shorts episode where Spock and Una got stuck in the turbolift (the episode was a nice character piece but the interior totally broke my suspension of disbelief). 2) Rather recent preview of ST:SNW – transformation to Vulcans (incl. a sudden off-screen hairstyle change?) affecting their behavior towards seemingly more logical. This is really strange since Vulcans are trained to master their emotions, e.g. ST:VOY Tuvok recalling his childhood in one of the episodes – it required a training to make him master his emotions. Or perhaps, they were just mocking Spock and I just did not get it from the preview. 3) ST:PIC, the magic piece of technology the heroes were given on Nepenthe, never to be heard of again [or did I miss it?] because it was just a plot-device to allow writers to make their heroes depart by magically repairing the damaged ship.

Effectively basing the portrayal of the new Spock [E. Peck] on Sheldon Cooper… oh my.

ST:PIC, the magic piece of technology the heroes were given on Nepenthe

If you disliked that, blame VOY; it was a piece of technology acquired by the Borg from a Delta quadrant species.

The whole business of tptb steering well clear of proven and exemplary trek writers reminds me of the old adage about a certain group of desert dweller males who sought companionship only with virgins.. because this group of guys dreaded being compared and judged above all else.

I am not against steering from proven and exemplary trek writers provided that the new ones have enough understanding [of the “landscape”, its history and its internal (though still fictional) rules] and respect for the intellectual property [Star Trek] they work with. Many things that I have seen in post-Enterprise era indicate that at least one of the two is very often missing, IMHO.

Yes would love for an amazing talent like Robert Hewitt Wolfe to be back on this show again. Unfortunately I think his talents would be wasted since so much of NuTrek doesn’t feel anywhere near the level of the type of stories this franchise was writing 30 years ago.

I’m sure he can still write great stories but he would probably have to run the show itself like Matalas ultimately did. That’s probably the only way we would get a quality show. I don’t trust anyone who made SNW, Picard and definitely not Discovery.

Now it’s constant slapstick comedy, generic villains, treating the canon as rubbage, endless melodrama or badly written plots with everyone feeling like they are still in university.

Are you guys getting mixed between the trajector tech on the Borg ship (first seen in “Prime Factors””) and that magic wand repair device they used on La Sirena as a Deus Ex Machina?

The most unrealistic thing about Star Trek is the idea that San Fransisco would even allow entire districts of low-income housing.

The Tenderloin? The on-ramps to 101?

But is this now retconned like the Kahn rise to power in SNW? This is the ridiculousness of trying to tie near 60 years of show lore into the actual real world.🤦‍♂️

Actually I don’t think it’s reconned in the new shows because we saw a sanctuary district in Picard season 2 a few weeks before the Bell riots were supposed to happen IIRC when that crew time traveled to 2024. Also remember in that same season, Dr. Soong was shown in the last episode having a folder dealing with the Khan program. I think that’s suppose to directly tie in to what we saw with baby Khan showing up in SNW because those episodes are only a year or two apart IIRC and Soong is somehow tied to the eugenics project in the 2020s. And since Akiva Goldsman was the show runners on both shows, it looks like both the new Khan timeline and the Bell Riots just happened together.

And finally, Mariner references the Bell Riots to Boimler when they traveled back in time to the 23rd century on the Enterprise and that’s after when La’an and Kirk time traveled back to Earth; so it’s very much still part of the new timeline. But yeah a lot of time traveling going on lol.

Reference was made to deep sea mining being mentioned in “Past Tense” as a prediction that hasn’t happened.

Deep sea mining is about to become a real thing, and marine biologists and conservationists are concerned about it.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/09/massive-underwater-eruption-may-preview-deep-sea-mining-destruction/

I tear up every time i rewatch when Bill smitrovitch gets shot. My only complaint is that the interiors don’t look rundown enough

Great interview with Wolfe!

I actually remember when DS9 was airing and there were rumors of the upcoming season of an episode that involved Sisko being homeless in Earth’s past. It’s easily one of my favorite Star Trek episodes today and a reason I love the time travel stories so much. I was hoping Picard season 2 had a bigger tie with this episode since that show literally traveled to 2024 as well but I digress. But I learned a great deal about this episode and now can’t wait when they discuss it on the Delta Flyers.

He also gave an interview with Trek culture about the episode this week too. That one was also good but this one did a deeper dive into the episode and more details on how it got made. But he made an interesting side note about DS9 in the other interview that although the show is much more popular today than when it aired, he said in terms of streaming views out of TNG, DS9 and VOY, DS9 is still the least watched out of the three; again according to him. He also suggested that’s why with modern Trek shows we are seeing much more TNG and VOY characters showing up because those shows still get watched more and it’s probably a business decision. And I also think TNG and VOY are much easier shows for new fans to watch as their first show being more episodic and another reason they get more views. DS9 is a show you probably have to know a bit more about the universe to care about it in the beginning. But since DS9 is my personal favorite, I want to see more of those characters show up in time obviously.

It also sounds like Lower Decks is his favorite new show; which makes me like him even more! :)

But great interview. And lastly you mentioned the new Star Trek day video they released on YouTube and that they didn’t include Prodigy again. Actually there is a scene of the show in the video this year. And it’s nice that they remember the Kelvin movies are actually a thing as well. I think last year was the first time those movies were including in these videos too,

Anyway great podcast!

Thanks so much! It means a lot to know you listened to and enjoyed the whole thing.

Yes, always. I love listening to them all. And thinking about Past Tense, it’s kind of crazy to know an episode like that happened in the show’s third season and the series wasn’t even halfway over yet. In fact it was really just getting started before the Dominion War really ramped things up. It just tells you the brilliance we were getting with this show and its stories so early on. I guess that’s why I love it so much.

I do like the modern Trek shows and defend them as much as I criticize them, but I do admit we don’t get many of these types of deep stories anymore; and certainly not at the frequency we got them in the TOS and Berman era of Star Trek.

Agreed. And I was also marvelling at how “Past Tense” was a third season episode. Very ambitious so early on, and it’s always been one of my favorites.

Although a long-time Trekkie, it took me a while to accept DS9. My thought was that Trek is “the voyages of the starship Enterprise” (which, contrary to some purists of 1987, allowed for TNG), and DS9 was not that. (Nor, ironically, was ST IV, except as a bridge between Enterprises, and of course that movie is my favorite and the first I saw and a big part of what got me into Trek.)

The first full episode I saw was Past Tense Part II. That hooked me. I watched every episode after that, and of course went back and watched all the previous ones, and DS9 remains my favorite series of all of Trek. I don’t think I’ve missed one Trek episode since then.

So, thanks.