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Who is Khan Noonien Singh from Star Trek?

Star Trek is a 60-year saga known for its gorgeous starships and equally gorgeous heroes but Khan Noonien Singh is the series' most important villain.

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.

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Published Jun 5, 2022

Vengeance: A Tale of Two Khans

Revenge is a dish best served cold, but how did it turn out for the villainous Augment?

StarTrek.com

Khan Noonien Singh is, arguably, Star Trek ’s greatest villain. He is a complex character whose intelligence, experience and strength made him a formidable and dangerous adversary for James T. Kirk. Khan’s mythos has proved enduring for Trek fans, who’ve seen this character arise across their screens in different decades and even timelines. This character is compelling not only because his engineered intellect and strength make him a threat to Trek ’s protagonists, but because his failing is one that’s easily reflected in our own character and choices. While Khan was compelled by his drive to conquer and gain superiority over others in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “ Space Seed ,” it was his need for vengeance in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan that cemented his place in Trek lore.

On the surface, it could be argued that Khan’s complaint is not entirely without merit. He agreed to be left on a planet that, while difficult, could provide a way of life for him and his crew that would allow them to flourish, but would prevent them from exercising their militaristic and colonial ambition. As Khan recounts the story to first officer Chekov and Captain Terrell, a cosmological explosion caused planetary desolation six months after their arrival, which led to the deaths of several crew members -- including his wife. Neither Kirk nor Starfleet returned to confirm Khan’s viability or whether his planetary conditions had been altered. There is reason for this, given Starfleet’s reticence regarding genetic engineering, but it seems odd that a humanitarian organization such as the Federation would not have registered the potential harm to these people once Ceti Alpha VI had exploded. This began the process of Khan’s 15-year meditation on revenge and an obsession with seeking vengeance upon Kirk for what he’d lost.

In an essay originally published in 1625, Francis Bacon wrote that “revenge is a kind of wild justice.” If an initial wrong is an offense against law, Bacon argues that the need for revenge puts law aside altogether. This is especially the case with what he calls private revenge, which acts out of vindictive desire. Public revenge is an account of justice where a wrong committed is repaid in like manner/measure. However, Bacon prefaces both public and private by noting the harmful psychology of revenge in each instance. He writes that people meditate upon revenge in order to keep their wounds fresh, to prevent them from healing, to maintain the desire and need for retribution.

This can be easily seen in Khan’s desire for vengeance. He’d kept his wounds fresh and made retaliation his singular object of desire. What’s more, on two separate occasions his first officer warns him of this and attempts to persuade him to leave that path. When Khan first captured the Reliant and later when he successfully stole the Genesis device, Khan’s second-in-command highlights that he’s now free. He has in fact beaten Kirk and proven his superiority over the Starfleet captain. Khan responds, “He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him.” The issue is that while Khan had a starship, he was not free. He was not free from his obsession and longing for revenge. He’d meditated for so long on his wounds that he couldn’t leave them behind or live without them. Ultimately, this obsession leads to his undoing. The thirst for vengeance is never satiated and so it begins to consume itself.

It’s easy to see Khan’s desire for revenge be his own undoing; it’s often a villain’s fate. However, in the Kelvin timeline we are introduced to a troubling reversal. Here, Khan is not the only one bent on revenge. Kirk and Starfleet as a whole are at risk of succumbing to a need for vengeance and public protection. Admiral Marcus is obsessed with external threats to the Federation and is willing to sacrifice the Federation’s principles to preserve its structure. In doing so, he resuscitates Khan and holds his crew hostage to manipulate him into doing the admiral’s bidding. In response, Khan attacks Section 31 and later the command council, killing Captain Pike in the process. Khan is once more seeking revenge for his crew and attempting to gain power for his own ends. However, the loss of his mentor lures Kirk to seek revenge. It clouds his judgment and allows him to also be manipulated by Marcus. Kirk’s obsession with avenging Pike’s death and the war declared on Starfleet by Khan brings him close to sacrificing his principles and his friendships.

Here, the potential fallout of what Bacon called public revenge is also explored. A public wrong has been done, but both on a personal and institutional level, the desire for vengeance causes the implosion of the individuals obsessed with it. Kirk nearly gives up his Federation and Starfleet values, along with his friendship with Scotty, and as Spock points out, his moral foundation. Marcus gives up what the Federation stands for in his need to violently respond to the Klingons he considered aggressors. Khan’s desire for vengeance against all Federation principles and persons results in the loss of those he held most dear. Once more, revenge consumed itself.

In a diary entry written in September 1947, Gandhi wrote, “Anger breeds revenge and the spirit of revenge is today responsible for all the horrible happenings here and elsewhere… Let not future generations say that we lost the sweet bread of freedom because we could not digest it.” In the Prime Universe, Khan had gained his freedom (albeit through violent means), but his obsession with revenge prevented him from digesting that bread. In the end, for Khan, and for Marcus in the Kelvin timeline, revenge was not wild justice, but the abrogation of laws, principles and sanity. The stories of the two Khans show that it’s not just our enemies that can be consumed with a desire for revenge. We, too, must guard against its corrupting tendencies.

Timothy Harvie is Associate Professor of philosophy and ethics at St. Mary's University in Calgary, Canada.  His interests lie primarily in philosophical theology, political philosophy, environmental and animal philosophies, and ideas of the role of hope in society.  He is a lifelong Star Trek fan. http://www.stmu.ca/dr-timothy-harvie/

TOS Season 1

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The first season of Star Trek: The Original Series was produced and filmed from May 1966 to February 1967 by Desilu . It began airing in the fall season on NBC , running new episodes until the spring of 1967 , and continuing in repeats until the premiere of TOS Season 2 in the fall of 1967. In the United Kingdom, the season premiered on the ITV network on Sunday, September 6, 1981 , and ended on Sunday, March 21, 1982 .

• 1.1 First pilot
• 1.2 Season 1
• 3 Background information
• 4.2.1 Uncredited crew
• 6 External links

Episodes [ ]

First pilot [ ], season 1 [ ], summary [ ].

The Starfleet vessel USS Enterprise sets out on a five-year mission to explore new worlds and seek out new lifeforms in the Alpha Quadrant of the Galaxy . Under the command of Human Captain James T. Kirk and the Vulcan Spock , the Enterprise comes across many strange lifeforms in the first year of its mission – including shapeshifters , androids , and even more bizarre creatures . Elsewhere, there are run-ins with several prominent species, including the warrior race of the Klingons , the Romulan Star Empire , and the Gorn .

The rest of the crew develop close bonds on the long journey, and even as each one experiences the joys of the brave new world of space, they all experience grief and sacrifices. Amongst those who grow close as part of the senior staff are one of the ship's nurses, Christine Chapel , the ship's doctor Leonard McCoy , Kirk's yeoman Janice Rand , helmsman Hikaru Sulu and communications officer Uhura .

Background information [ ]

• Production for the initial season of Star Trek cost an average of US$190,635 per episode. (Some episodes went largely over budget, such as " The City on the Edge of Forever ", which cost $250,396, the most expensive of all episodes except the two pilots). But this figure would gradually decrease in the two seasons to come. ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story )
• Each episode was scheduled to be filmed in six days; however, many of them went over schedule, resulting in one or two extra days of shooting. When Paramount Pictures took over Desilu in mid-season 2, schedules became much more strict, and episodes had to be completed in six days (closer to five and half days actually).
• The first season of TOS was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 1967 as "Outstanding Dramatic Series" and "Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama – Leonard Nimoy ".
• The episodes " The Menagerie, Part I ", " The Menagerie, Part II ", and " The City on the Edge of Forever " won Hugo Awards as "Best Dramatic Presentation". " The Corbomite Maneuver " and " The Naked Time " were also nominated.

Credits [ ]

• Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Pike ("The Cage")
• William Shatner as Capt. Kirk ("Where No Man Has Gone Before" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Leonard Nimoy as " Mr. Spock "
• DeForest Kelley as " Dr. McCoy "
• James Doohan as " Scott "
• George Takei as " Sulu "
• Nichelle Nichols as " Uhura "
• Grace Lee Whitney as " Yeoman Rand "
• Majel Barrett as " Christine Chapel "
• See : TOS Season 1 performers
• " The Cage "
• " Mudd's Women " (story)
• " Charlie X " (story)
• " The Menagerie, Part I "
• " The Menagerie, Part II "
• " The Return of the Archons " (story)
• " Where No Man Has Gone Before "
• " The Corbomite Maneuver "
• " This Side of Paradise " (story)
• " Mudd's Women " (teleplay)
• " The Enemy Within "
• " The Man Trap "
• " The Naked Time "
• " Charlie X " (teleplay)
• " Tomorrow is Yesterday "
• " This Side of Paradise " (teleplay/story)
• " Balance of Terror "
• " The Squire of Gothos "
• " What Are Little Girls Made Of? "
• " Dagger of the Mind "
• " The Galileo Seven " (teleplay)
• " The Conscience of the King "
• " The Galileo Seven " (teleplay/story)
• " Court Martial " (teleplay/story)
• " Court Martial " (teleplay)
• " Operation -- Annihilate! "
• " Shore Leave "
• " Arena " (teleplay)
• " A Taste of Armageddon " (teleplay)
• " Space Seed " (teleplay)
• " The Devil in the Dark "
• " Errand of Mercy "
• " Arena " (story)
• " The Alternative Factor "
• " The Return of the Archons " (teleplay)
• " A Taste of Armageddon " (teleplay/story)
• " Space Seed " (teleplay/story)
• " The City on the Edge of Forever "
• " Mudd's Women "
• " Court Martial "
• " Space Seed "
• " Charlie X "
• " The Galileo Seven "
• " A Taste of Armageddon "
• " This Side of Paradise "
• Gene Roddenberry
• Gene Roddenberry ("Where No Man Has Gone Before" – "Dagger of the Mind", "The Menagerie, Part II")
• Gene L. Coon ("The Conscious of the King", "The Menagerie, Part I")
• Gene Roddenberry ("The Conscious of the King", "The Menagerie, Part I")
• Robert H. Justman ("Where No Man Has Gone Before" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• John D.F. Black ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Miri")
• Byron Haskin ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• Steven W. Carabatsos ("The Conscience of the King" – "A Taste of Armageddon") (not credited for "The Menagerie, Part II")
• D.C. Fontana ("This Side of Paradise" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Ernest Haller , ASC ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Jerry Finnerman (all episodes, except "The Menagerie, Part II")
• William E. Snyder , ASC ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• Walter M. Jefferies ("Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Mudd's Women", "The Man Trap", "The Naked Time" and "Charlie X")
• Roland M. Brooks ("The Corbomite Maneuver")
• Walter M. Jefferies
• Franz Bachelin ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• Alexander Courage
• Alexander Courage ("Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Man Trap", "The Naked Time", "Dagger of the Mind", "Miri", "The Galileo Seven" – "The Menagerie, Part II", "The Squire of Gothos" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Fred Steiner ("The Corbomite Maneuver", "Mudd's Women", "Charlie X" – "What Are Little Girls Made Of?")
• Sol Kaplan ("The Enemy Within")
• Mullendore ("The Conscience of the King")
• Gerald Fried ("Shore Leave")
• John Foley , ACE ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Robert L. Swanson ("The Corbomite Maneuver", "The Man Trap", "Balance of Terror", "The Galileo Seven", "The Menagerie, Part I")
• Bruce Schoengarth ("Mudd's Women", "The Naked Time", "Dagger of the Mind", "Court Martial", "The Squire of Gothos", "Tomorrow Is Yesterday", "A Taste of Armageddon", "Errand of Mercy")
• Fabien Tordjmann ("The Enemy Within", "Charlie X", "Miri", "Shore Leave", "Arena", "Return of the Archons", "The Devil in the Dark", "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Frank P. Keller , A.C.E. ("What Are Little Girls Made Of?", "The Conscience of the King")
• Leo Shreve ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• James D. Ballas , ACE ("The Alternative Factor", "Space Seed", "This Side of Paradise", "City on the Edge of Forever")
• Edward K. Milkis ("The Corbomite Maneuver", "The Enemy Within", "The Conscience of the King" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Robert H. Justman ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Gregg Peters (odd-numbered episodes from "The Corbomite Maneuver" through "Arena", "Return of the Archons", "A Taste of Armageddon", "The Devil in the Dark", "City on the Edge of Forever")
• Michael S. Glick (even-numbered episodes from "Mudd's Women" through "The Alternative Factor", "Charlie X", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II", "Tomorrow Is Yesterday", "Space Seed", "This Side of Paradise", "Errand of Mercy", "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Tiger Shapiro (Second Assistant Director)
• Ross Dowd ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Carl F. Biddiscombe ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "What Are Little Girls Made Of?")
• Marvin March ("Dagger of the Mind" – "Operation -- Annihilate!") (uncredited for "The Menagerie, Part II")
• Edward M. Parker ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• William Theiss ("Where No Man Has Gone Before" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Bill Heath ("Where No Man Has Gone Before" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Jack Hunsaker ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Robert H. Raff ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "The Conscience of the King", "Court Martial" – "Shore Leave")
• Jim Henrikson ("The Galileo Seven", "The Squire of Gothos" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Joseph G. Sorokin ("Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Charlie X", "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" – "The Conscience of the King", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II")
• Douglas H. Grindstaff ("Balance of Terror", "The Galileo Seven", "Court Martial", "Shore Leave" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Cam McCulloch ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Jack F. Lilly ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "The Return of the Archons", "Space Seed") (uncredited for "The Menagerie, Part II")
• Stanford G. Haughton ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• Cameron McCulloch ("A Taste of Armageddon")
• Carl W. Daniels ("This Side of Paradise" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Howard Anderson Co. ("Where No Man Has Gone Before, "The Corbomite Maneuver", "The Man Trap", "The Enemy Within" – "Charlie X", "The Menagerie, Part II")
• Westheimer Company ("Mudd's Women", "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", "Dagger of the Mind", "The Conscience of the King", "Shore Leave", "Arena", "Tomorrow Is Yesterday", "Space Seed", "This Side of Paradise", "Errand of Mercy", "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Film Effects of Hollywood ("Balance of Terror", "The Galileo Seven" – "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Squire of Gothos", "The Alternative Factor", "Return of the Archons", "A Taste of Armageddon", "The Devil in the Dark", "The City on the Edge of Forever")
• Cinema Research Corporation ("Miri")
• George A. Rutter ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Arena", "Return of the Archons" – "This Side of Paradise")
• Billy Vernon ("The Alternative Factor", "Tomorrow Is Yesterday")
• Wilbur Hatch ("Where No Man Has Gone Before – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Julian Davidson ("Where No Man Has Gone Before – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Bob Overbeck ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Jim Rugg ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Operation -- Annihilate!"; except "The Menagerie, Part II")
• Joe Lombardi ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• Irving A. Feinberg (all episodes; uncredited for "The Menagerie, Part II")
• Jack Briggs ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• George H. Merhoff (all episodes; uncredited for "The Menagerie, Part II")
• Bob Campbell ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• George Rader ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• James A. Paisley ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• Bernard A. Widin ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Robert Dawn ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Fred B. Phillips , SMA ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Hazel Keats ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Virginia Darcy , CHS ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Gertrude Reade ("The Menagerie, Part II")
• Paul McCardle ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Margaret Makau ("The Corbomite Maneuver" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Joseph D'Agosta ("The Enemy Within", "The Naked Time", "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", "The Conscience of the King")
• Glen Glenn Sound Co. ("Where No Man Has Gone Before" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")
• Norway Corporation
• Herbert F. Solow ("The Corbomite Manuever" – "Operation -- Annihilate!")

Uncredited crew [ ]

• Darrell Anderson – Transporter Effects ("The Cage")
• John Chambers – Special Makeup Creator (for Leonard Nimoy) ("The Cage")
• Morris Chapnick – Assistant to the Producer ("The Cage")
• Jim Danforth – Prop Maker ("The Cage")
• Richard C. Datin – Model Maker ("The Cage", "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Galileo Seven", et.al. )
• Kellam de Forest ( de Forest Research ) – Researcher ("The Cage")
• Roger Duchowny – Second Assistant Director ("The Cage")
• Linwood G. Dunn – Visual Effects Cinematographer
• Pato Guzman – Production Designer ("The Cage")
• Oscar Katz – Executive in Charge of Production ("The Cage")
• Richard A. Kelley – Camera Operator ("The Cage")
• Thomas Kellogg – Production Illustrator ("The Galileo Seven")
• Reuben Klamer – Prop Maker ("Where No Man Has Gone Before")
• Harvey P. Lynn – Researcher ("The Cage")
• Bill McGovern – Clapper/Loader
• Donald R. Rode – Assistant Film Editor (also responsible for editing the episode trailers)
• Penny Romans – Choreographer (Susan Oliver's dance) ("The Cage")
• Denis Russell – Scenic Artist ("The Cage")
• Leo Shreve – Film Editor ("The Cage")
• Speed & Custom Shop ("The Galileo Seven")
• Craig Thompson – Office Manager Post-Production
• Penny Unger – Gene Roddenberry's secretary
• Charles Washburn – DGA Trainee
• Gene Winfield – Model and Set Maker ("The Galileo Seven")
• Albert Whitlock – Matte Painter ("The Cage", "Where No Man Has Gone Before")

See also [ ]

• Star Trek: The Original Series (VHS)
• TOS Season 1 Blu-ray
• TOS Season 1 DVD
• TOS Season 1 HD DVD
• TOS Season 1 performers

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• The Original Series Season 1 episode reviews  at Ex Astris Scientia
• 3 Ancient humanoid

• 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
• 277 User reviews
• 99 Critic reviews
• 16 wins & 31 nominations total

Episodes 80

Photos 1963

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• Mister Spock …

• Lieutenant Leslie …

• Nurse Chapel …

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• Yeoman Rand …

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• 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 277

• May 17, 2006

Lovable Creatures: Our Favorite Screen Pals

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• What does "TOS" mean?
• September 8, 1966 (United States)
• United States
• Star Trek: The Original Series
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• Paramount Television
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We Now Know Exactly When Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek Movie is Taking Place

Section 31 will feature at least one captain of a starship called Enterprise.

Michelle Yeoh is back in the Final Frontier. As the duplicitous Mirror Universe character Philippa Georgiou, Yeoh starred in three seasons of Star Trek: Discovery , but later in 2024 she’ll return in her own movie — Section 31 . Named for the clandestine espionage organization within Starfleet, Section 31 has just been described as a “spy thriller” by a new article in Variety . We’ve also got a new image of Yeoh as Georgiou, seemingly integrating someone with some very cyberpunk-looking gear. But the big news for Trek fans is something even bigger. It seems like we finally know when exactly Section 31 will be set.

Here’s why the revelation of a very specific Starfleet captain reveals roughly where we can expect Section 31 to take place.

Section 31 will feature an Enterprise captain

Kacey Rohl in 2019. In Section 31 , she’ll be the first person to play Rachel Garrett since Tricia O’Neil originated the role in 1990’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise.”

As reported by Adam B. Vary for Variety , the character of Rachel Garrett will appear in Section 31 and be played by actress Kacey Rohl. In the larger Trek canon, Rachel Garrett is famous for being the captain of the USS Enterprise-C which was destroyed fighting the Romulans in the year 2344. At that point, Captain Garrett (as played by Tricia O'Neil) was a woman in her mid-forties. But, in Section 31 it seems we’ll be meeting “...a young Rachel Garrett.”

This one detail all but confirms that at least one aspect of the storyline for Section 31 will have to take place sometime before 2344, likely in the 2320s or 2330s. Which, believe it or not, is a largely undocumented and unexplored period of the larger Star Trek timeline.

A 24th-century TNG prequel

Captain Garrett’s time on the Enterprise-C is largely untold. But what happened before that is even hazier.

Because Section 31 features a younger version of Rachel Garrett, this means that at least part of the movie will be a full-on prequel to the era of The Next Generation . And, interestingly, this period of Trek history, from roughly the end of the TOS -era movies, to the start of TNG is a roughly 70 year-gap. The Undiscovered Country and the first part of Generations take place in 2293. The first TNG episode takes place in 2364. During this gap, a lot of Trek history happens, including the Federation’s war with the Cardassians, the finalization of peace with the Klingons, and Jean-Luc Picard’s tenure as Captain on the USS Stargazer .

But if Section 31 takes place in the 2320s, even some of those events are still in the future. If you take a hardcore deep-dive onto the ever-reliable Star Trek wiki, Memory Alpha, you’ll find that there are almost no notable events in the 2320 s at all, other than Jean-Luc Picard starting his studies at Starfleet Academy. When Georgiou was sent back in time in Discovery Season 31 by the Guardian of Forever, we were told that it would be close to a time period in which the Prime Universe and Mirror Universes had yet to fully drift apart.

Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) steps into the Guardian of Forever in Discovery Season 3.

And yet, by putting Georgiou in the early 24th century, the new movie will likely sport a lot of retro Star Trek aesthetics. We know Starfleet officers were still rocking the “monster maroon” uniforms first introduced in The Wrath of Khan, and Strange New Worlds Season 1 even gave us a taste of what a modern redesign of those uniforms might look like. Plus, if this movie is filling in the backstory of Rache Garrett, this means the show will not only be a prequel for The Next Generation but also the origin story of an underrated Enterprise captain!

As of this writing, Section 31 is a stand-alone movie starring Michelle Yeoh. But, with this cut into the timeline of Trek, one can’t help but wonder if there’s not room for even more adventures in this very specific slice of Trek history.

Section 31 is expected to hit Paramount+ in late 2024.

• Science Fiction

15 Star Trek Actors In The Mission: Impossible Franchise

• Mission: Impossible and Star Trek: The Original Series both originated with Desilu, and both franchises have shared talent in front and behind the camera.
• Iconic actors like William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Ricardo Montalban showed their range in the realm of Mission: Impossible, crafting captivating characters.
• The links between Star Trek and Mission: Impossible continues to this day in the Tom Cruise-led movie franchise.

Given their shared origins, it's no surprise that multiple actors have appeared in both the Star Trek and Mission: Impossible franchises. While Mission: Impossible is now best known as a multi-million dollar movie franchise led by Tom Cruise, it originated on TV in 1966, the same year that Star Trek: The Original Series debuted. Like Mission: Impossible , Star Trek was made possible by Lucille Ball and her production company, Desilu. While Star Trek: The Original Series was sold to NBC, and ran for three seasons, Mission: Impossible aired on CBS and clocked up seven seasons between 1966 and 1973 .

Given that Star Trek: The Original Series and Mission: Impossible were Desilu productions, there was considerable crossover of talent between both franchises. For example, before playing Rollin Hand in the first three seasons of Mission: Impossible , Martin Landau turned down playing Spock on TOS . The crossover between the Star Trek and Mission: Impossible franchises continues long into the 21st century. In 2006, J.J. Abrams made his feature debut directing Mission: Impossible III . Three years later, Abrams would direct the 2009 Star Trek reboot, bringing along M:I 3 star Simon Pegg as the Kelvin Timeline's version of Scotty.

What Simon Pegg Has Done Since Star Trek Beyond

William shatner as tommy kroll and joseph conrad, mission: impossible season 6, episode 2, "encore" & season 7, episode 6, "cocaine".

William Shatner was one of many actors who found work on Mission: Impossible after Star Trek: TOS was canceled in 1969. Shatner made two appearances in Mission: Impossible , first as aging gangster Tommy Kroll in the season 6 episode "Encore". Tommy Kroll was Shatner's most memorable M:I role, because of the high-concept plot of his episode, "Encore." To solve a decades-old murder, the Impossible Mission Force convinced Kroll that he had time traveled to the year 1937 . By watching Kroll repeat the events of decades earlier, the IMF were able to uncover new evidence to close the case.

William Shatner returned a year later to play Joseph Conrad, the trusted lieutenant of a cocaine smuggler, Carl Reid. In the appropriately named Mission: Impossible episode "Cocaine", the IMF convince Shatner's playboy gangster to lead them to the location of Reid's latest shipment. The ruse this time involves a machine that can create synthetic cocaine, something that the IMF correctly surmise will drive a wedge between Conrad and his employer.

Both of William Shatner's Mission: Impossible episodes were written by Harold Livingston, who would later write the script for Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

Mark Lenard as Felipe Mora, Col. Cardoza, Aristo Skora and Col. Bakram

Mission: impossible 107. "wheels", 202. "trek", 321. "nitro", 511. "the rebel".

Prolific character actor and the man who played Spock's father in Star Trek: The Original Series , Mark Lenard also played four different characters in Mission: Impossible . The most notable of these roles was Colonel Bakram in M:I season 5, episode 11, "The Rebel". The episode sees the Mission: Impossible team captured by government forces in a Latin American nation, headed by Mark Lenard's Colonel Bakram. "The Rebel" was a family reunion for the Spock and Sarek actors, as Leonard Nimoy's Paris became a nemesis to Mark Lenard's Bakram as the IMF tried to get their people out alive.

Leonard Nimoy as The Great Paris

Mission: impossible seasons 4 & 5.

Spock actor Leonard Nimoy joined the regular cast of Mission: Impossible in 1970, after NBC canceled Star Trek: The Original Series . Nimoy played The Great Paris, an actor, magician, and master of disguise, who aided the IMF's missions in Mission: Impossible seasons 4 and 5 . Paris replaced the IMF's resident master of disguise and role-play, Rollin Hand (Martin Landau). While the Great Paris' real name was never revealed, he did reveal a tragic backstory involving a love triangle between him, his magician mentor, and the mentor's assistant. Paris' talents as a magician allowed the team to infiltrate a royal palace and avert a military coup in the three-part episode "The Falcon".

In an odd coincidence, years after he took a role first offered to Martin Landau, Leonard Nimoy replaced the actor on Mission: Impossible when he left after season 3.

John Colicos as Commissioner Taal Jankowski

Mission: impossible, season 1, episode 16, "the reluctant dragon".

John Colicos played Star Trek: The Original Series ' first Klingon antagonist, debuting as Kor in 1967's "Errand of Mercy" . Earlier that year, John Colicos played Commissioner Taal Jankowski in the Mission: Impossible episode "The Reluctant Dragon". Colicos' character was a Soviet security chief who suspected rocket scientist Dr. Helmut Cherlotov (Joseph Campanella) of wishing to defect to the West. However, Cherlotov is loyal to his country, forcing Rollin to show the scientist the bleak truth about his country and how it treats its scientific community. Eventually, the IMF convince the scientist to emerge from the Iron Curtain, just as Colicos' character feared.

DS9 Brought Back (& Changed) 3 Classic TOS Klingons

Ricardo montalban as gerard sefra, mission: impossible, season 1, episode 21, "snowball in hell".

Best known as Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek , Ricardo Montalban was a prolific character actor, who also made an appearance in Mission: Impossible season 1. Montalban played Gerard Sefra, the villain-of-the-week in the episode "Snowball in Hell" . Like Khan, Gerard Sefra was a cruel tyrant, who ran a penal colony that doled out sadistic and old-fashioned punishments to its prisoners. Sera has also come into possession of cesium, an element that can be used in the construction of nuclear weapons. At the end of "Snowball in Hell", Ricardo Montalban's character is undone when his new weapon explodes in his face, not unlike the Genesis Device in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .

Paul Winfield as Klaus

Mission: impossible, season 2, episode 24, "trial by fury".

Ricardo Montalban's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan co-star, Paul Winfield appeared as Klaus in the Mission: Impossible episode "Trial by Fury" . Set in a Latin American prison, it sees Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) try to save the life of an innocent man accused of being a snitch, by revealing the true informer. Paul Winfield's Klaus is one of the hardened prisoners who wants to have Cardoza killed for passing information to the Commandante. Klaus was one of Winfield's earliest roles, and he makes a strong impression in a tense episode of Mission: Impossible that has a thorny dilemma at its core.

The prison's Commandante was played by Joseph Bernard, who played Tark in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Wolf in the Fold".

Joan Collins as Nicole Vedette

Mission: impossible, season 3, episode 22, "nicole".

In 1967's "The City on the Edge of Forever", Joan Collins played Edith Keeler, the best of Captain Kirk's love interests in Star Trek: The Original Series . Years later, Joan Collins played Nicole Vedette in Mission: Impossible , an enemy agent with whom Jim Phelps fell in love. In the episode, named after Joan Collins' character, Jim Phelps is wounded during a mission, and receives aid from Nicole, who risks her life to help an enemy. The two begin to fall in love, but Nicole is tragically killed, just like Edith Keeler in Star Trek , allowing a grieving Phelps to escape with Rollin before the enemy guards regroup.

The villain of the week in "Nicole" is General Valdas, played by Logan Ramsey, the Proconsul from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Bread and Circuses".

Michael Ansara as Ed Stoner

Mission: impossible, season 7, episode 21, "the western".

Michael Ansara played the Klingon Warrior Kang in Star Trek: The Original Series , season 3, episode 7, "Day of the Dove", later reprising the role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's "Blood Oath". Ansara had a long list of acting credits between Kang performances, including roles in the short-lived Shaft TV series, Fantasy Island , and Mission: Impossible . Playing the small role Ed Stoner, Michael Ansara was underused in the episode , essentially a gun-toting ranch manager who tries to scare Jim Phelps and Barney Collier (Greg Morris) off the land owned by the villain-of-the-week, Van Cleve (Ed Nelson).

Barry Atwater as Dr. Carlos Enero, Matthew Royce and Others

Mission: impossible, season 1, episode 13, "elena" and season 7, episode 21, "the western".

Barry Atwater also appeared in the Mission: Impossible episode "The Western", playing Matthew Royce, the betrayed criminal partner of Van Cleve, who gets killed in the opening minutes. Atwater had a more substantial role as the psychiatrist Dr. Carlos Enero in the season 1 episode, "Elena". Paired up with Martin Landau's Rollin, Enero has to figure out why an agent is acting so erratically, so they can avoid an international incident.

In Star Trek: The Original Series , Barry Atwater played the Excaliban projection of the legendary Vulcan, Surak in the episode "The Savage Curtain". Atwater also played three more Mission: Impossible characters between Dr. Enero and Matthew Royce. He played Premier Leon Vados in season 3's "The Play", Grand Duke Clements in season 4's "Gitano", and General Marin in season 5's "The Field".

Bruce Gray played another version of Atwater's Surak in the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes "Awakening" and "Kir'Shara".

Star Trek's 10 Best Vulcans Ranked

Arlene martel as atheda, mission: impossible, season 4, episode 20, "terror".

Another notable Vulcan to appear in Mission: Impossible is Arlene Martel, who played Spock's fiancée T'Pring in Star Trek: The Original Series . Martel played Atheda in the Mission: Impossible episode "Terror" . Atheda is the right-hand woman of El Kabir (Michael Tolan), a terrorist whom the IMF are trying to prevent from leaving prison. The episode was from Leonard Nimoy's first season as The Great Paris. Sadly for fans of Spock and T'Pring , however, Nimoy and Martel don't share much screen time in "Terror".

Brock Peters as Walter DuBruis

Mission: impossible, season 2, episode 8, "the money machine".

Before he was crooked Admiral Cartwright in the Star Trek movies, Brock Peters played crooked financier Walter DuBruis in Mission: Impossible . The IMF uses counterfeit money and DuBruis' own greed to con him into making a huge business deal. When DuBruis is discovered to be using counterfeit money, he is arrested, losing all of his investments and his freedom, saving the West African nation's economy from further damage. It's a villainous role for Peters who, while sharing something in common with Cartwright, was miles away from Joseph Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Gary Lockwood as Nicholas Varsi

Mission: impossible, season 7, episode 16, "the question".

Gary Lockwood played Kirk's friend and enemy Gary Mitchell in Star Trek: The Original Series ' second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Lockwood later appeared in the final season of Mission: Impossible as Nicholas Varsi , a notorious assassin and enemy agent who wants to defect. The IMF interrogate Varsi, but can't tell if he really wants to defect, or if it's a deception as part of his next mission. Varsi is let go, with the IMF hot on his trail as he completes his next assignment; revenge. Much like in the TOS pilot, Lockwood's suspicious character quickly charms one of the female characters as part of his mission.

George Takei as Roger Lee

Mission: impossible, season 1, episode 10, "the carriers".

Best known as Mr. Sulu in Star Trek: The Original Series , George Takei appeared as Roger Lee in "The Carriers", from Mission: Impossible season 1 . Takei's character was another member of the IMF, who made his sole appearance investigating an artificial town where enemy agents are trained to impersonate westerners. As a bacteriologist, Roger was an important addition to the team, given that the entire town was infected with a deadly plague. Presumably, Takei's commitments to Star Trek and his movie career meant that he couldn't make future appearances as Roger Lee in Mission: Impossible .

One scene from "The Carriers" redresses the corridor of the starship Enterprise to represent a subterranean corridor leading to the villain's underground laboratory.

George Takei Has A Surprising Link To Star Trek: Enterprise

John de lancie as matthew drake, mission: impossible (1988), season 1, episode 1, "the killer".

John de Lancie has the distinction of helping to reboot two Desilu shows in the late 1980s. That's because, after appearing as Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation , John de Lancie played Matthew Drake in the pilot of the 1988 Mission: Impossible revival . Drake was an international assassin who had killed Jim Phelps' successor at the IMF, forcing Phelps to come out of retirement to avenge his death. It's a typically fruity John de Lancie performance, as he's clearly relishing the chance to play a charismatic contract killer.

"The Killer" was directed by Cliff Bole, who directed 25 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , including the episode "Hide and Q".

Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn

Mission: impossible 3 to mission: impossible - dead reckoning parts 1 & 2.

Simon Pegg's Benji Dunn is J.J. Abrams' lasting impact on the Mission: Impossible franchise , as it was his movie that introduced the long-serving character. While it's hoped that Simon Pegg will return for the long-delayed Star Trek 4 , he continues to play Benji alongside Tom Cruise in the two-part Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning. Much like Scotty in Star Trek , Benji is an incredibly skilled technician in the Mission: Impossible movies, making him an invaluable member of the team. Both of Simon Pegg's characters aren't afraid to voice their frustrations with their commanders, be it Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt, or Chris Pine's Captain Kirk.

All episodes of Mission: Impossible and the movies are available to stream on Paramount Plus.

Screen Rant

Every khan family member in star trek.

Khan Noonien-Singh has long been one of Star Trek's most infamous villains, and Strange New Worlds has added to the tyrant's family tree.

• Khan Noonien Singh, Star Trek's most iconic villain, continues to impact the Star Trek universe through his descendants, including Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh.
• Khan's complex history is further explored in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, presenting a new perspective on his legacy and the struggles faced by his family.
• The genetic enhancements that made Khan powerful have mostly diminished in La'an, who serves as the security chief on the USS Enterprise, but she still carries the burden of her infamous last name.

Ricardo Montalban's Khan Noonien Singh is arguably Star Trek's most iconic villain, and Khan and his family continue to affect Star Trek stories. Khan first appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 22, "Space Seed," when Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the USS Enterprise found Khan's ship floating in space. The genetically enhanced Khan had been a powerful tyrant on Earth during the late 20th century. When Khan's reign fell and the Eugenics Wars began, he and his followers escaped on the SS Botany Bay, cryogenically freezing themselves for a long journey with no particular destination in mind.

Khan returned in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan seeking revenge, but Captain Kirk defeated him once again, though not without great personal cost. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the newest Star Trek property to feature a connection to Khan. Khan's descendant, Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh ( Christina Chong) serves on the USS Enterprise of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Because of Khan's tyrannical reign in Earth's history , everyone knows the name Noonien-Singh, and La'an sometimes struggles with the legacy of her last name. With the introduction of La'an, Strange New Worlds has expanded the Noonien-Singh family tree and provided more details about Khan's complex history.

In the alternate Kelvin timeline, Khan Noonien Singh is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. In J. J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness , Khan is recruited by the Starfleet Intelligence organization, Section 31, but later turns on them, seeking revenge on Starfleet. His plan is thwarted by Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and the crew of the USS Enterprise.

Star Trek’s Khan Noonien Singh Strange New Worlds & TOS History Explained

6 ricardo montalban & desmond sivan as khan noonien singh.

The exact circumstances surrounding Khan's birth remain unknown, but Star Trek has suggested the future tyrant was created rather than born. In the 1990s, Khan ruled a quarter of Earth's population from his power base in the Indian subcontinent. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," altered this timeline and La'an Noonien-Singh encounters the young Khan in 21st-century Toronto . At this point in history, the genetically engineered child is being held at a top-secret facility within the Noonien-Singh Institute for Cultural Advancement. As revealed in Star Trek: The Original Series , Khan will eventually become a powerful tyrant who rules over much of Earth. Although Strange New Worlds changes the timeline of these events, history still seems to follow a similar path.

When Captain Kirk and his crew happen upon Khan's ship in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Space Seed," they are familiar with his history. They bring him aboard the Enterprise anyway, only to discover that Khan has not given up his power-hungry ways. He recruits historian Lt. Marla McGivers (Madlyn Rhue), to help him take over the ship, although she eventually sides with Kirk. Kirk is ultimately able to stop Khan, but he will later regret stranding Khan and his people on Ceti Alpha V . Khan seeks revenge against Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , setting off a chain of events that results in the death of Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Khan is later killed, with the status of any children he may have had unknown.

5 Madlyn Rhue As Khan’s Wife Marla McGivers

When Khan was awoken on the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Space Seed," USS Enterprise historian Marla McGivers gave into her romantic attraction to Khan. Although McGivers initially agreed to help Khan with his plans to take over the Enterprise, she later had second thoughts, saving Captain Kirk's life and helping him retake the ship. Despite this, McGivers still would have faced a court martial if she had stayed on the Enterprise, but Kirk gave her the option to join Khan and his people on Ceti Alpha V . While Ceti Alpha V was initially habitable for humans, the neighboring planet later exploded, causing Ceti Alpha V to become barren and inhospitable. Khan and his genetically enhanced followers were able to survive, but McGivers, unfortunately, was not.

4 Christina Chong As Lieutenant La’an Noonien-Singh

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds introduced Khan's descendant, Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh, who serves the security chief of the USS Enterprise commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). As a child, La'an was bullied because she shares Khan's infamous surname, and she worries that she could become dangerous due to genetic augmentations she has inherited. Perhaps because of the time between Khan's existence and La'an, most of the enhanced genetic abilities seem to have diminished. Although La'an is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, she has not displayed any kind of superior strength or abilities .

La'an may be the last Noonien-Singh at the moment, as she lost her entire family to the Gorn when she was a child. While La'an and her family were living on a colony ship, it was attached by the Gorn, and the young La'an was the only person who survived. After she was rescued by Starfleet, she went on to attend Starfleet Academy and quickly climbed the ranks to the position of chief of security on the Enterprise. La'an has become an invaluable member of the Enterprise crew, and her knowledge of the Gorn has helped in their battles against the dangerous reptilians. La'an has a perfect Starfleet record, but she sometimes struggles to make interpersonal connections.

What’s La’an Afraid Of In Strange New Worlds? She’s Not Like Star Trek’s Khan

3 cameron roberts as manu noonien-singh.

In Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4, "Memento Mori," La'an allows Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) to mind-meld with her to learn more about the Gorn . Because of the trauma La'an had experienced, she had suppressed many of her memories from the Gorn attack. Through the mind meld, La'an remembers that her brother, Manu, had figured out that the Gorn communicated through flashes of light. This information helps the Enterprise crew trick one of the Gorn ships into firing on the other. While not much has been learned about Manu, he clearly cared deeply about his sister, ultimately sacrificing himself in order to keep La'an safe.

2 Ronu & Sa'an Noonien-Singh

Even less has been revealed about La'an's parents, Ronu and Sa'an. They were on the SS Puget Sound when the colony ship was attacked and were taken to the Gorn nursery planet with the rest of the colonists. The memories La'an revisits in "Memento Mori" suggest that she and her brother had already lost their parents by that point. Ronu, La'an's father, was a direct descendant of Khan Noonien Singh, although it's unclear whether he possessed any special abilities . La'an recalled her father once told her that "not believing you're gonna die is what gets you killed," a message La'an did not fully understand until she contemplated why she was the only survivor of the Gorn attack.

1 Young Khan’s Unidentified Family

In Strange New Worlds' " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," La'an and an alternate universe Captain James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) travel back in time to 21st century Toronto where La'an meets the young Khan. Because of various temporal conflicts , Star Trek' s original Prime timeline has been altered, with Khan now set to rise to power in the 21st century rather than the 20th. La'an saves the life of the young Khan, and then asks him if there are others like him. The boy points to a photograph on the wall showing him and six other young children.

Presumably, Khan and the other children in the photo have all been genetically enhanced, and at least some of them will grow up to be tyrants who compete for power in the devastating Eugenics Wars . It remains unclear if Khan has parents or any family beyond the other children being raised alongside him. Even decades after the character's introduction, Khan remains one of Star Trek's most complex and infamous villains, but La'an has the chance to change the legacy associated with the name Noonien-Singh.

Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are available to stream on Paramount+.

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Review: The EXO-6 ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ 1:6 Odo Figure Is The Shape of Things To Come

| April 9, 2024 | By: Jeff Bond 7 comments so far

Constable Odo 1/6 Scale Action Figure

Manufacturer: EXO-6 Price: $215 Grade: A+

Way back in the no-man’s land between the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan , when it briefly looked like there might be no more Star Trek movies and there hadn’t been a new Star Trek TV show since the 1973 animated series, I had a weird dream one night that there was a new Star Trek series on the air and one of the actors in it was René Auberjonois. At the time I knew Auberjonois from his performances in the 1976 King Kong remake and The Eyes of Laura Mars (where he did an uncanny impression of Lloyd Bridges using only his face).

What I didn’t imagine was that Auberjonois would indeed appear in a new Star Trek show a decade or so later—but his face would be covered by a thick layer of latex makeup and he would be playing an alien shapeshifter named Odo. Like Spock, Data, and later characters like Seven of Nine and Saru, Odo was part of the Star Trek formula that dictated an alien “other” character was always needed to provide an outsider perspective on humanity. A holdover from the Cardassian’s shepherding of their space station Terok Nor, Odo retained his job as a security officer to become Deep Space Nine’s “constable”—a sheriff who keeps a close eye on the denizens that live on and visit DS9, particularly his arch nemesis, the Ferengi Quark. Odo can use his shapeshifting abilities to impersonate other beings or even disguise himself as inanimate objects—all a boon to his work maintaining law and order on the station.

René Auberjonois as Constable Odo in a Deep Space Nine publicity photo (Paramount)

Odo’s origins were initially mysterious, even to himself (in one first season episode after chasing what he’d thought to be a clue to his background, a lonely Odo gazes out into space from a runabout and ponders, “Home…where is it?”). Eventually, he discovers that he’s part of the race of the Founders, dangerous “changelings” and founders of the Dominion, a warlike confederation of races that threatens the Federation. Odo consequently finds himself torn between loyalty to his friends on DS9 and the race that gave birth to him. Auberjonois, a reliable and effective character actor, gave Odo a gruff, no-nonsense personality that set him off from DS9’s mix of hotheads, pious clerics, and very human Starfleet officers. He figured in some tremendous storylines, although I wish the show hadn’t gone in the direction of putting him and Major Kira—two of the strongest characters in the series—in a standard romance that ultimately weakened both of them.

René Auberjonois as Constable Odo in “What You Left Behind” (Paramount)

EXO-6 Odo Figure

EXO-6’s Deep Space Nine line of 12” action figures has been absolutely stellar in its quality, and Odo might just be the best release yet. One might think that capturing Odo’s deliberately featureless prosthetic makeup would be a breeze, but it actually seems more like a trap as the proportions of the character’s face come off as deliberately vague and confusing due to the makeup. Sculptor Dean Tolliver pulls off the assignment flawlessly, from Odo’s prim, downturned mouth to his piercing, deep-set eyes.

EXO-6 DS9 Odo figure

One big challenge to these characters is hair—it has to be molded into the one-piece head sculpt which often gives the entire character a plastic, doll-like sheen. Odo’s hair even in the series has an uncanny, sleek appearance that lends itself well to this kind of reproduction—there’s a very fine seam bisecting the head, something you can catch with careful examination on this and some other EXO figures, but it mostly disappears within the hair sculpture, and that’s really the only minor flaw (if you can call it that) in the figure.

Odo’s clothes are of drab and utilitarian Bajoran make, almost allowing him to disappear among the brown and bronze arches of the space station’s promenade, and the figure captures the cut of the uniform, its Bajoran insignia, belt and boots perfectly.

If you watch the series, you know that Odo doesn’t roll with standard Starfleet weaponry—he’s his own weapon, with the ability to turn his arms into whiplike tendrils or any other shape that might come in handy to subdue a scofflaw. Odo comes with the standard Starfleet PADD and a tricorder, but this figure boasts two more-character-based accessories that really set this release off and required a larger-than-normal collectors box. One accessory is Odo’s “bucket”—a metallic container that the shapeless being relaxes inside in liquid form after a hard day’s crime-fighting. EXO also includes a spectacular clear vinyl sculpture of Odo in mid-transformation, congealing upwards from a puddle on the floor, his arms folded and his distinctive features starting to take shape.

Bucket and shape-shifting accessories for EXO-6 DS9 Odo figure

These accessories make Odo’s display footprint about twice the size of a normal EXO-6 figure, but it’s worth it, especially since at $215 he’s in line with most of the other DS9 figure price points.

Odo was released today and is available now at EX0-6.com .  This is another spectacular figure release from EXO-6 and since they tend to sell out quickly, you’d be well advised to order ASAP.

The Odo figure is part of EXO-6’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine collection. Quark and Sisko have already sold out. The Kira figure [ see TrekMovie’s review ] is still available. Dr. Julian Bashir is next in line , but the pre-order period has already sold out.

Upcoming EXO-6 Dr. Bashir figure

A closer look at Odo

Jeff Bond is a freelance writer and book author who’s addicted to plastic models and action figures. You can catch up with him on  Facebook  and  Instagram  where he posts model works in progress, and takes commissions. His latest Star Trek book is  Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Art and Visual Effects .

Find more Star Trek merchandise news and reviews at TrekMovie.com .

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Star Trek Merch: TOS Art Poster, EXO Ensign Ro, “Subspace Rhapsody” On Vinyl, And More

Incredible detail, the greatest representation….

Finally, an EXO sculpt that actually looks like the character.

Kind of funny that it’s the one with a deliberately featureless messed up face.

Wow. I sold my TMP Kirk and Spock due to the poor likenesses.

But this actually looks really good. Maybe….

Gotta admit, this IS a good one! 🫤 If only I had the bars of latinum… 😒💸

This looks absolutely fabulous!! 😍

Well done. These are so well done. Not surprised they keep selling out.

I sure hope Hiya Toys can give us a diverse range of Star Trek figures drawing from the entire legacy of Star Trek like Exo-6 is doing here. Playmates has certainly dropped the ball but I still have faith that a good quality line could be a success. I hope unlike Playmates, Hiya will take fan’s comments and input into consideration like Exo-6 is also doing. We fans like feeling like we have some say in the thought process of creating a line and being appreciated by the teams responsible for developing products like this and Playmates just took all our patronage for granted.