star trek original series khan

Star Trek Is Turning Its Greatest Villain Into a “Hero”

Has the most compelling Trek origin story not yet been told?

When Khan (Ricardo Montalbán) avenged himself upon Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the USS Enterprise in The Wrath of Khan , he felt he was perfectly justified. And, interestingly, his specific reasons for being so furious with Kirk are somewhat murky. Of course, Khan wasn’t created wholly for the film, even though, generally speaking, after 1982, people tended to have seen the film before The Original Series episode, “Space Seed.”

But between “Space Seed” and The Wrath , there are two decades in which Khan goes from reformed outlaw to stark-raving outer space madman. How did he get this way? For several years, there has been talk of miniseries exploring Khan and his follower’s exile on Ceti Alpha V. In 2022, this was confirmed to be an original fiction podcast, written by Nicholas Meyer, the visionary behind The Wrath of Khan . And very recently, Meyer dropped an intriguing update on what fans can expect from the upcoming Khan miniseries, currently titled Ceti Alpha V .

Ahead of his new Sherlock Holmes novel — S herlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell — Meyer spoke to TrekMovie and revealed that the Khan podcast series is currently casting and that the project that was announced two years ago is very much “alive.”

Meyer also illuminated his approach to how Khan will be written in the new series. In the 1967 Original Series episode “Space Seed,” the crew discovers Khan, a genetically engineered tyrant from Earth’s past , preserved in suspended animation. Although passing as a noble person, Khan nonetheless is a ruthless man out of time and tries to take over the Enterprise . In the end, Kirk and the crew beat Khan and retake the ship, but instead of sending Khan to space jail, Kirk takes pity on this once-great man and leaves Khan and his followers on a harsh, uninhabited planet called Ceti Alpha V.

Kirk versus Khan in “Space Seed.”

Fast forward to The Wrath of Khan : The environment of Ceti Alpha V became nearly unlivable six months after the Enterprise dropped everybody off, which transformed Khan from a shifty idealist into a desperate survivalist. And it's in this shift that Meyer plans to reveal a new side to our perception of Khan.

“[In Ceti Alpha V ] Khan is the hero,” Meyer told TrekMovie . [In “Space Seed”] Kirk says to him, ‘You think that genetically engineered man is the measure of all things. I’ll give you a chance to prove it.’ I’ll put you on an Eden-like planet, and let’s see if you can build your own Utopia, as you claim that you’re able to do...”

Without space travel or cameos from regular Star Trek characters, it seems possible that Ceti Alpha V could be the Trek franchise version of Dune , on a slightly smaller scale; a story of how one man sees himself as the hero and becomes a villain. “By the end of the story, I wanted people to weep for this man,” Meyer said. “I hope that you understand where he’s coming from and what his destiny is and why it is.”

Ceti Alpha V is currently casting and is expected to record next year.

• Science Fiction

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 .

• August 23, 2024 | Exclusive: Watch ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Series Finale Deleted Scene From Final Season DVD/Blu-ray
• August 23, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Comes Back From STLV With Star Trek News And Paramount Merger Drama
• August 22, 2024 | Exclusive: ‘Star Trek: Khan – Ceti Alpha V’ Audio Drama Podcast Is Currently Casting
• August 21, 2024 | Paramount Extends Skydance Merger Deal Date To Consider Competing Bid [UPDATED: Skydance Responds]
• August 20, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Showrunners Talk “Crazier” Season 3, Plans To “Drive Right Into” TOS

Exclusive: ‘Star Trek: Khan – Ceti Alpha V’ Audio Drama Podcast Is Currently Casting

| August 22, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 37 comments so far

It was two years ago on Star Trek Day 2022 that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (and Star Trek VI ) director Nicholas Meyer officially announced a new audio drama titled Star Trek: Khan – Ceti Alpha V . Originally developed as a streaming TV mini-series, the project had morphed into an official Paramount podcast series set to examine what happened in the years after Captain Kirk left Khan Noonien Singh on the untamed world of Ceti Alpha V, telling the story of Khan and his followers prior to the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . We haven’t heard much about the project since then, but TrekMovie just got an exclusive update from Meyer himself.

Casting for Khan – Ceti Alpha V

Ahead of the release of his latest novel Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell next Tuesday as well as his Labor Day weekend appearance at a 70 MM screening of Star Trek II at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills (part of a TOS movies marathon), TrekMovie caught up with Meyer to talk about his history with Trek, and more. This included getting an update on Ceti Alpha V . When asked if the project is still going he was clear, “It’s alive!” He added:

“I’m thinking [recording will start] with within the next year. They’re casting.”

According to Meyer, he had written three one-hour episode scripts for a TV mini-series and those now “form the nucleus” of the audio drama podcast, which he expects will end up being nine or ten episodes in length.

Nicholas Meyer announcing Ceti Alpha V project at Star Trek Day 2022 event in Los Angeles

Khan as the hero

Meyer offered some backstory on the project as he described his approach to the story:

“It started with a suggestion by made by Alex Kurtzman. We were sitting in a deli and he said, “What ever happened to Khan on Ceti Alpha V?” And I suddenly remembered that exchange in Citizen Kane  between Kane and Boss Gettys . And Gettys says to Kane, ‘You know if it were anyone else, I’d say that what just happened to you would be a lesson. But you’re going to need more than one lesson. And you’re going to get more than one lesson.’ So this is about Khan discovering that there are more things in heaven than Ceti Alpha V than were dreamt of in his philosophy. And it’s how he copes.”

Khan is considered one of (if not the) greatest Star Trek villains. But Meyer explains how the  Star Trek: The Original Series episode that first featured the character allowed an opportunity to reframe him as a protagonist:

“[In Ceti Alpha V ] Khan is the hero. [In TOS “Space Seed”] Kirk says to him, ‘You think that genetically engineered man is the measure of all things. I’ll give you a chance to prove it.’ I’ll put you on an Eden-like planet, and let’s see if you can build your own Utopia, as you claim that you’re able to do… By the end of the story, I wanted people to weep for this man. I hope that you understand where he’s coming from and what his destiny is and why it is.”

In 2022 when the project was officially announced, executive producer Alex Kurtzman said in a statement:

“Nick made the definitive ‘Trek’ movie when he made ‘Wrath,’ and we’ve all been standing in its shadow since. Forty years have offered him a lot of perspective on these extraordinary characters and the way they’ve impacted generations of fans. Now he’s come up with something as surprising, gripping and emotional as the original, and it’s a real honor to be able to let him tell the next chapter in this story exactly the way he wants to.”

There are no details available on how Paramount plans to distribute the audio drama podcast, nor is there a release date, but this is the biggest update we have had all year.

Meyer tour for new Holmes book starts Tuesday in LA

Nicholas Meyer’s sixth Sherlock Holmes novel Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell , arrives on Tuesday, August 27. On that same day he kicks off a nationwide book tour where he will be doing readings from the book along with discussions. The first stop is Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood, CA. at 6:30 pm PT. The thirteen-stop takes him to cities across the USA, returning to LA for an event on Monday, September 30th. More details at nicholas-meyer.com .

Meyer at Labor Day weekend 70MM TOS movies marathon in Beverly Hills

Nicholas Meyer will be one of the Star Trek vets appearing during a special Star Trek screening series at the historic Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA. They will be showing the TOS era movies in Super 70MM starting on Friday, August 30st, wrapping up on Sunday, September 1st. Other luminaries lined up for the event include actresses Robin Curtis (Saavik) and Catherine Hicks (Dr. Gillian Taylor), executive producer Ralph Winter, producer Steven-Charles Jaffe and composer Cliff Eidelman. Leonard Nimoy’s son will also appear to discuss his film For the Love of Spock .

Tickets are available on the Fine Arts Theatre website, fineartstheatrebh.com and on the Fine Arts App available on Google Play Store and the Apple App store, as well as at fandango.com and  atomtickets.com. Free Parking is available at the Beverly Hills City Garage, 321 South La Cienega Boulevard.

More to come from Nick Meyer

TrekMovie had much more to talk about with Mr. Meyer so keep an eye out for more from that interview here on the site and via our All Access Star Trek podcast feed.

Keep up with news for the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

Related Articles

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Interview , Lower Decks

Podcast: All Access Geeks Out With Tawny Newsome Over ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks,’ DS9, And ‘Starfleet Academy’

Ceti Alpha V , Feature Films (TMP-NEM) , Star Trek Universe TV

Nicholas Meyer Gives Update On ‘Star Trek: Khan – Ceti Alpha V’ And Why Making It An Audio Drama Is “Perfect”

Documentary , Feature Films (TMP-NEM)

Exclusive Clip: William Shatner & Nicholas Meyer On ‘Star Trek II’ From ‘Greatest Geek Year Ever: 1982’ Docuseries

Ceti Alpha V , Podcasts

Nicholas Meyer’s ‘Star Trek: Khan – Ceti Alpha V’ Launching As Scripted Podcast

I feel no need to weep for Khan, but ok.

I dunno, IMHO the best villians are the ones you can somewhat sympathize with. Villains that are pure evil are frankly boring. I don’t personally need more Khan in my life but if I trust anyone to do it it is obv this man.

I have at least some sympathy for him because everything he went through on Ceti Alpha V was Kirk’s fault.

Someone should have been looking into Khan and his people regularly, if for no other reason than Starfleet was so paranoid about genetically engineered people that a century later, they were going to drum Bashir out just because he was one.

Agreed. Even if you don’t care about them, look in to see they aren’t creating the next army to destroy the galaxy

He’s a villain, sure, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t merit exploration as a character. Villains are interesting, moreso when they’re relatable.

I think I’m done with Khan now. Time to move on.

Same here, no interest.

I’m done with other people messing with Khan who isn’t Nicholas Meyer, but Meyer gets a free pass from me, considering he’s the man who made Khan famous in the first place. This is arguably the first actually-Khan story since 1982.

As usual he is misremembering stuff, the planet was no paradise, it was deliberately chosen as a challenge by kirk, one khan relates to Marla as a challenge just to stay alive.

I wouldn’t have called it a paradise per se but it certainly wasn’t meant to be the barely livable desert hell it turned into. That happened because Ceti Alpha VI exploded in space and knocked V off of it’s original orbit.

Thanks so much for this update and coverage, looking forward to the podcasts and the new Sherlock Holmes book. The Super Star Trek Series sounds fantastic!

I want to be excited about this. I genuinely want to. Nicholas Meyer is extremely talented and he gave us the three best movies, II, IV, and VI. And yet, I can’t muster much enthusiasm. Khan’s story on Ceti Alpha V has been extensively explored in the novels and in the comics, so there’s really no need to retread that ground. Ricardo Montalban was mesmerizing in his two performances, but there’s just not much to the character; Khan is one-dimensional and not very good at what he does. After two episodes and two movies, spanning two TV shows and two realities, what more is there to say about a guy who claims to be superior but has been beaten four out of four times he’s tried to prove it (the Eugenics Wars, Space Seed, TWOK, and STID)? Khan just isn’t that formidable a villain, as he has repeatedly proven. Like certain celebrity politicians and nepo baby businessmen who claim to be geniuses and winners, he’s repeatedly proven himself to be a failed leader and a fascist loser.

This story could very well be about how a narcissistic strongman can lead people to ruin, or further ruin. In that context, it could be interesting. Not sure how I would “weep” for such a person, though.

We shall see. I mean, hear.

So, Khan is, TRUMP, now?

No, Khan has better hair.

But really it could apply to any number of strongman leaders throughout history and across the world currently.

No Khan is not that awful.

HA! Right?!?!?

No, that would just degrade Trek as a whole.

I tried posting a reply here three times last night and twice again this morning and in each instance, it just hung up and refused to post. But when I post the word test as an experiment, it goes through no problem.

Have to figure there are certain words or groups of words that this system won’t allow to be posted (and I’m NOT talking cuss words.) If true, then apparently there are house rules limiting free speech here that I don’t think I’ve encountered anywhere before.

Is this AI in action?

You could say the same of historically evil figures like Napolean and Hitler. OBV they were pure evil but it would be hard to argue they weren’t effectrive leaders. It’s really easy to cater to the worst forms in hate in a society and twist that and bend it to your will. That’s pretty much exactly who Khan is, minus all the genetic engineering stuff.

I know this isn’t the movies or tv or streaming but I wonder if this is going to be considered canon. No, it really doesn’t matter but I am still curious if Kurtzman will choose to build off of this story i a future project.

Good question. But would this still be considered canon if this Khan came from 1996 and not whenever baby Khan showed up in SNW timeline?

Or maybe it just proves SNW is not part of the prime timeline anymore?

I’m so confused. 😂

LOL me too buddy!

Wondering if they’re going to cast a Montalban sound-alike or go in a different direction.

Wish they would give Nicholas Meyer a Trek series. I bet SNW would have improved over Season 1 vs. jumped the shark had they had him in the show runner chair. He got Trek the nautical exploration action/adventure on the frontier better than even 90s “prophet” Roddenbery. Above all he seemed to make the actions of a single starship bridge crew and the Enterprise feel like a capital ship. Everything after ST VI feels like starships are a dime a dozen that rush each other like jet fighters that last 2 seconds in combat while starfleet command is right there on speed dial.

Season 2 did improve over Season 1’s spectacular debut. Loved every episode! Blush emoji.

AUDIO WHAT?? I love Meyer’s first two Sherlock Holmes novels, and the two or three Star Treks they were involved in. But the latest Sherlock novel is about fake news and ends with fake news in the afterword, very strange and very disappointing.

What Star Trek novels was Meyer involved with?

None, though his late assistant used cut material from TUC as a basis for his abysmal trek novel.

One of the greatest western films of all time, one that Meyer almost certainly saw as a teen, revolves around fake news. John Ford’s THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE revolves around myth vs truth and ends with the very cynical ‘print the legend.’

I haven’t read his Holmes stuff (not a fan of Holmes at all to be honest), but he did write CONFESSIONS OF A HOMING PIGEON, which I thought was a fantastic novel when it came out the year before TWOK (plus it hinted at what we’d see in that film, thematically.) Probably read it ten times since. Also, his THE LOVE STORY STORY on the making of that film was clever and personal, as he made his obvious fascination with Allie McGraw as a significant element as much as the making of the film itself.

I don’t really care about this but will listen to it. Maybe after this they can finally move on from Khan and look forward again from the 25th to the 32nd century. Lots and lots and lots of new stories and characters to tell between this time period.

And we’re already getting one Space Hitler movie with Adolf and Section 31 I don’t think we need another one with Khan. But hopefully it will be good at least.

okay….I know this is a me problem only most likely but – I had to re-read a few times to realize that the headline was saying they are hiring actors, not that the show was released.

Since it uses the term and is about a podcast, saying that it’s now ‘casting’ was confusing. Again….time for coffee.. D:

It’ll be a radio drama mini-series released directly to the public, like a podcast.

While I feel Khan’s story has been told (and re-told) on screen in 2 movies and countless novels, I am curious because:

1) Nick Meyer took all the pieces of Star Trek II that people had assembled and combined it all and rewrote it, adding his own work in a very short time and gave us the best Trek movie EVER in ST2:TWOK.

2) Nick Meyer wrote EVERYTHING in Star Trek IV in the 20th century.

3) Nick co-wrote ST6:TUC.

Nick is responsible for so much of the look/feel/traditions that are familiar in all Trek.

Nick and Harve saved Trek.

So I trust him to give us a good story.

And then, YES, it’s time to move on from Khan!

Can we not use terrible AI generated images for this? The thumbnail is terrible as well as the main image

What? That is from one of the early poster concepts by Bob Peak from the 1980s. And the type treatment added on top comes from Paramount plus when they announced the podcast.

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Jul 16, 2013

Khan Was Almost... Harald Ericsson

StarTrek.com

For the past five years, we have had the happy privilege of being able to study the archives of both writer/director Nicholas Meyer at the University of Iowa and those of Star Trek creator and visionary Gene Roddenberry at UCLA. Our research is inspired by what we consider an axiom of Mr. Meyer that “art thrives on limitations.” Limitations, be they of budget, time, censorship, technology, or perhaps self, can foster creativity in artists and filmmakers. There is likely no better example of this than Star Trek which was produced during the 1960s on both shoestring budgets and hampered timeframes.Our research has so far specifically focused on Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and “ Space Seed ” for various reasons. First, TWOK is our favorite Trek film, and arguably the most important in the franchise. When it opened June 4, 1982, it had the possibility of reinvigorating the franchise if successful, or ending it, if a failure. Luckily, it was the former, opening with the biggest box office weekend gross in history to that point. Second, we have always admired Nicholas Meyer’s work, including his historic The Day After and his delightful Sherlock Holmes/Sigmund Freud pastiche The Seven Percent Solution . Third, Ricardo Montalban’s performances, both in “Space Seed” and TWOK , are nothing short of remarkable. Mostly, though, we wanted to learn and then share with fellow fans how this episode and film were made, and to celebrate all the artists, in front of and behind the camera, who created these amazing entertainments.For the next few Jefferies Tubes , we will shine a light on the secrets of “Space Seed” and what we learned from the various drafts, memos, budgets and production information of the Gene Roddenberry Archives and interviews we conducted with some of the artists who made the episode. We wish to thank CBS/Paramount, who granted us permission to study these archives, and it is our hope that the next time we all watch “Space Seed” the names on the credits will have more meaning. Star Trek thrived despite, or maybe because, of the limitations of the 1960s television world. PREPRODUCTION: The Script Part I The story of Khan Noonien Singh begins before Star Trek ever premiered.Khan was actually born Harald Ericsson in an 18-page outline dated August 29, 1966 by journalist turned television writer Carey Wilber. Wilber is familiar to genre fans for his work on Lost in Space and had written for such TV classics as Bonanza .Titled “Space Seed,” this imaginative outline was submitted to producers Gene Roddenberry, Gene Coon, and Robert Justman for consideration as a possible episode a week before “ The Man Trap ” ever started the Star Trek legacy on Thursday, September 8, 1966. The outline began with an interesting question: “What would happen if a man of our age could be transported five hundred years into the future?” According to the outline, by the 1990s, humanity would be dealing with serious war and population problems and had resorted to the creation of space argosies that would transport criminals off planet to create more room for others. This is a world where “penalties are no weapon against despair.” This futuristic solution was rooted in the historical tradition of 18th century England, which sometimes gave prisoners choices of death or transportation to colonies.

One such space ark was the Botany Bay. “She lifted earth in 2096 A.D. Her destination was CETI II. On board were one hundred transported criminals, male and female alike, a volunteer crew of six. Once the Botany Bay passed out of the solar system, this crew would join the passengers in a hibernation which would last fifteen hundred years.” Among the prisoners is a man named Harald Ericsson, a criminal with a “magnificent” body.However, something goes wrong 500 years into the future when the ship comes across the path of the U.S.S. Enterprise, and its automated weapon systems go online for the first time in five centuries. Interestingly, had the episode included this information it would have answered the question as to when in history the Star Trek series took place relative to the 1960s. Producer Gene Coon, responsible mainly for the writing staff and scripts, wrote a memo on September 2, 1966 to Wilber with suggestions and changes. One of his notes is that the creators of Trek did not want to reveal the actual time frame of the show. He writes, “As I mentioned to you, we have never determined the exact period in which this series is taking place. It could be a thousand years in the future, or as little as a hundred.” Of course, eventually, the time period would be specified as the 23rd Century.This was all backstory to the actual start of the episode as originally envisioned and would not have been shown, but rather revealed with dialog. The actual episode would have started with Sulu (who does appear in the actual episode) detecting a strange ship. Reading the outline is like reading an alternative version of “Space Seed” as some of the themes and characters are the same, and yet so much is different.

For example, the episode would have a different kind of Spock. It must be remembered that Wilber, and indeed, the world, had not yet seen Spock in action when he was writing the outline. He had only the writer’s bible with descriptions of the characters to guide him. The episode opened with Second Communications Officer Marla McGivers being teased about her fascination with the past by Janice Rand. Both McGivers’ role on the ship would be changed, and by the time “Space Seed” was filmed, Rand was no longer a character on the show.As Sulu has the conn, Captain Kirk is playing chess with Spock as McCoy watches. We learn that Spock defeated Captain Kirk by cheating (he tied the computer to his plays), which is discovered by McCoy. Spock is “mildly embarrassed.” Of course, the Spock we know would neither cheat, nor need to, and Gene Coon, who is much more familiar with how Spock was developing than Wilber would have been, in that same September 2nd memo tells Wilber that the chess scene must go.

Later, when the character of Ericsson is beginning to be suspected of being more than he lets on, Spock suggests the use some of his “peculiar methods” of the mind to get him to talk. Kirk reminds him that is illegal. While this seems again out of character, Spock will do almost exactly the same thing in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country when needing information from Valeris.Most amazing is that Spock has what amounts to the Force! In the outline, when everyone else suspects that Kirk has died while being keelhauled (more on that next article!), Spock feels that Kirk is alive through an almost spiritual and psychic connection.During the next months, we will explore more of the making of “Space Seed,” including revealing the important changes to the character of Khan that occurred because of Joseph D’Agosta’s idea to cast Ricardo Montalban as the villain and the amazing role Gene Roddenberry had in saving the script at the last minute. SPECIAL THANKS: Nicholas Meyer, The University of Iowa, CBS/Paramount, UCLA, and StarTrekHistory.com

______________________________

Maria Jose and John Tenuto are both sociology professors at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, specializing in popular culture and subculture studies. The Tenutos have conducted extensive research on the history of Star Trek , and have presented at venues such as Creation Conventions and the St. Louis Science Center. They have written for the official Star Trek Magazine and their extensive collection of Star Trek items has been featured in SFX Magazine . Their theory about the “20-Year Nostalgia Cycle” and research on Star Trek fans has been featured on WGN News, BBC Radio, and in the documentary The Force Among Us . They recently researched all known paperwork from the making of the classic episode "Space Seed" and are excited to be sharing some previously unreported information about Khan's first adventure with fellow fans. Contact the Tenutos at [email protected] or [email protected].

Get Updates By Email

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/StarTrekTheOriginalSeriesKhanNoonienSingh

Star Trek: The Original Series - Khan Noonien Singh » Characters

Khan noonien singh.

Played by: Ricardo Montalbán , Desmond Sivan (child, Strange New Worlds )

Dubbed in french by: françois chaumette (star trek ii), dubbed in brazilian portuguese by: darcy pedrosa, appearances: star trek: the original series | star trek ii: the wrath of khan | star trek: strange new worlds.

Khan: Khan is my name. Kirk: Khan, nothing else? Khan: Khan.

A 20th-century genetically-engineered tyrant who ruled a quarter of the world in the 1990s. As his fellow "supermen" (or Augments) were overthrown, Khan and roughly 80 of his followers launched themselves into space in cryogenic sleep before being found by Kirk. With his weakness being his ambition, Khan then tried to seize control of the Enterprise with the help of Marla McGivers , the Enterprise ship historian whom he managed to seduce. It failed thanks to the crew's opposition and an attack of conscience from McGivers . Kirk then exiled Khan, his followers, and Marla to a remote but hospitable planet as an act of mercy, giving them the chance to build a new society. Unfortunately, not long afterwards, the planet suffered a catastrophic ecological disaster and, being completely forgotten by Kirk, Khan grew vengeful toward the man who cast judgement on him...

    open/close all folders 

• Adaptational Goal Change : Downplayed with his Kelvin timeline self in Star Trek Into Darkness . In Star Trek: The Original Series , Khan is a former Super-Soldier dictator who attempts to hijack the Enterprise to resume his campaign of terror in the episode "Space Seed", and later seeks revenge on Kirk for abandoning him on Ceti Alpha V in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . In the new timeline while Khan is still a former super-soldier dictator, he's discovered by Admiral Alexander Marcus and forced to design high-tech weaponry with his crew held captive, and this divergence means that his immediate concerns are getting his crew back and getting revenge on Marcus, with any sort of plans of world conquest on the backburner.
• Affably Evil : In his first appearance, Khan's pretty charming, polite, and a bit of a rogue, just like Kirk. However, come Wrath of Khan and Khan is just losing it.
• Alas, Poor Villain : At the end of Wrath of Khan , he's lost everything, including his beloved wife as well as his people, along with any hope of being able to establish a society for them. As he's left to die in the exploding Reliant , he remains Defiant to the End , reciting dialogue from Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick before the Reliant explodes. All that potential he had as a superhuman was essentially wasted out of a desire for control and revenge.
• Ambiguously Brown : He's a genetically-augmented human from some point in the late 20th century. Culturally, he's a North Indian Sikh, but as he is also a genetically-engineered human, his DNA could contain many different genetic traits (his Mexican accent, however, is difficult to explain - especially after the effects of various Temporal Wars caused his birth to be bumped a half century later ... and to Canada ).
• Anti-Villain : Cruel and immoral his actions may be, he wants a society that he and his people can thrive in, no matter how many others have to suffer for it.
• Arch-Enemy : More than a hundred years later , Spock would credit him as being "the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise ever faced."
• Ascended Extra : Goes from a random Villain of the Week to the main antagonist of The Wrath of Khan and one of the franchise's most iconic villains.
• A tie-in comic to Star Trek Into Darkness addresses Trek 's Alternate History directly, starting with Khan nuking Washington, D.C. in 1992 .
• The final episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 implies and the first episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds confirms that under the Alex Kurtzman production umbrella the Eugenics Wars are being moved from the 1990's to the 2030's, with the implication that the 1990's is when the technology to create Khan was developed. This could be explained as Spock getting the dates wrong due to incomplete records, if it weren't for one line from The Wrath of Khan in which Khan himself states he departed Earth in 1996.
• The third episode of Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds untangles the thread by revealing that Khan is responsible for bringing humanity to a dark age, which ultimately brings humanity to eventually form the Federation and Starfleet. Khan himself is the target of a temporal war to prevent this from occuring, which only succeeds in delaying his rise from the 1990's to the 2030's. His failure to rise culminates in humanity failing to progress beyond their own Solar System, having failed to ally with other species such as the Vulcans who are eventually wiped out in a war with the Romulans.
• Bread and Circuses : His ruling style back when he was a dictator over a fourth of Earth, at least compared to his competitors, which was enough to give him a legacy as "the best of tyrants." Notably, there were no massacres under his rule, and he didn't involve himself in the Eugenics Wars until after his territory was attacked. On the other hand, the people under his rule were reduced to subjects with few freedoms.
• Breakout Villain : Originally just a Villain of the Week . Ever since Wrath of Khan , he's arguably the most highly-regarded villain in the entire franchise.
• Character Catchphrase : He has a particular way of saying "Admiral" he develops once he learns Kirk has gotten a promotion. At least one interpretation is Khan thinking Kirk got that for dumping him on Ceti Alpha V (because why wouldn't it be about Khan?), and raging jealousy that that's what he got while Khan got the shaft.
• Classic Villain : Khan represents a nice combo of Pride and Wrath .
• Control Freak : Khan demands absolute obedience from everything. While some of his followers can object, none of them will sway him from his course.
• Damned by Faint Praise : He is seen as "the best of tyrants" in regards to the Eugenic Wars.
• Dramatically Missing the Point : A fan of Moby-Dick , Khan sees himself as Captain Ahab and Kirk as his White Whale. Khan seemed to have forgotten how Ahab's quest for vengeance ended. Not just self destruction - he understands and accepts that - but that Ahab didn't even get a chance to make sure he succeeded.
• The Dreaded : Even a century after his death, Starfleet is still terrified of him. It's outright said that the main reason the Federation still has a No Transhumanism Allowed policy in the Star Trek: Prodigy era is because they're scared of a new Khan rising from the ashes. His reputation even extends into a new timeline: When young Spock asks for information about Khan, Spock breaks his own oath not to tell him about the future to warn him about how dangerous Khan is, outright saying that he's the most dangerous enemy the Enterprise ever faced.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones : While he started manipulating Marla McGivers to betray Starfleet as a tool to escape, he came to passionately love her after she joined him in exile. He forgave her betrayal of him to her old crew, and she ruled as his queen. Her death on Ceti Alpha V - more than that of his other loyal followers - is what drives the man who once conquered a quarter of Earth.
• Evil Overlord : Back in the day, anyway. He tries to give it another go in "Space Seed" but is thwarted and offered the opportunity of becoming one to an abandoned planet. But when the planet unexpectedly suffers a catastrophe that devastates him and his followers , he settles on a simpler motive.
• Joachim begs Khan to ignore Kirk and exploit Genesis. Khan shoves him aside and orders the Reliant to follow the Enterprise into the Nebula.
• A Father to His Men : He saw his fellow super humans as a family, to the point where he vowed to avenge Joachim when he died following a crippling blast on the Reliant .
• Faux Affably Evil : Becomes one in The Wrath Of Khan , blinded by his desire to get revenge on Kirk. That doesn't undermine his intelligence, though.
• Genius Bruiser : A Superhuman with immensely powerful physical and mental capabilities.
• Glass Cannon : Has the physical strength to bend a phaser in half with his bare hands and effortlessly lift a spacesuit-wearing Chekov with one arm, but gets taken down by Kirk with a pipe.
• Greater-Scope Villain : Arguably his interactions with the Enterprise are much smaller in significance compared to how much his role as a 20th Century Dictator defines and causes the creation of the Federation.
• Heinousness Retcon : In Space Seed , and to a lesser extent Wrath of Khan , Khan is introduced as a 20th century dictator, but otherwise fairly little is made of him. It's in fact noted that he's only one of several dictators active at the time - if the strongest of them. He's otherwise unremarkable and obscure enough that unraveling his identity is a huge chunk of the episode, and the crew need a briefing to explain who the man was. Scotty, and later Kirk even confesses having a degree of admiration for the man as "the Best of Tyrants". Bones even mentions in slight defense of Khan that "there were no massacres" in his rule, though Spock immediately states, "and as little freedom", painting the picture of a dictatorial and egotistical ruler, but one that controlled with an iron fist in a velvet glove and minimized violence inside his empire even as he tried to expand it. Later series would characterize Khan as basically Trek's version of Hitler ( with Captain Picard alluding to both of them in the same breath ). A man whose name is a byword for evil and death, and whose actions are so despicable, the Federation centuries later is still sort of processing the trauma of them, and has laws on the books to stop a man like him from ever being made. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds even had admirals admit that these laws are draconian and discriminatory but humans are still so sensitive about what Khan did that repealing them is unthinkable.
• Hero Killer : He was directly responsible for Spock's death in the second movie. Hard to fit the trope more plainly when you've done that .
• Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act : His descendant La'an Noonien-Singh has to save his life as a child in 2022, not just so she will be born but also as Romulans had sent an agent back in time to kill him. It turns out that without the Eugenics Wars to make humanity want to be better, whilst humanity will still reach space they will become the isolationist United Earth Fleet an easier smaller target amongst many rather than the alliance that is the Federation.
• In Love with the Mark : He started off manipulating Marla, but quickly came to genuinely love her.
• Karma Houdini : He was this In-Universe for his crimes during the Eugenics Wars. While all the other superhumans were implied to have been killed or imprisoned, Khan managed to escape on the Botany Bay . Even when he's later released by the Enterprise crew, there's no serious talk of putting him on trial and he's eventually given a whole planet of his own to rule. Then Ceti Alpha VI exploded , depriving Khan of his beloved wife and sentencing him to a hellish existence on a Death World .
• Know-Nothing Know-It-All : Khan will be the first to point to his intelligence and superiority, but he's got a complete blind spot when it come to stuff from the 23rd century. His is best seen in Wrath of Khan When he gloats over how he perceives Kirk to be helpless, unaware that the Enterprise can just lower Reliant's shields and he doesn't know where the override command is. Similarly Spock notes that Khan is inexperienced in space combat and fails to consider that it's 3 dimensional space.
• Morality Pet : His possible son Joachim, who he genuinely loves and cares about.
• Motive Decay : He was one of the major players of the Eugenics Wars, seeking to take over the world and as much of space as possible. He fails and goes into cryosleep but upon being awoken tries to do it again. But the nightmare on Ceti Alpha makes him reassess and settle for trying to create a society where he and his people can thrive, but by the time of The Wrath of Khan , all he wants is revenge against Kirk.
• Mr. Fanservice : He's almost always wearing an outfit that displays his muscular chest and great physique.
• My God, What Have I Done? : Khan's final moments include one of these with the death of Joachim, who may very possibly be his biological son and almost certainly is his adopted son. Realizing he got him killed doesn't deter him from further actions, though.
• Navel-Deep Neckline : A Rare Male Example , his pecs are well displayed. Real Life Writes the Plot as shown below; Montalban was ripped in real life.
• No Shirt, Long Jacket : In the movie (though the jacket is quite damaged), to show off Montalban's great shape.
• No Transhumanism Allowed : In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , it's explained that Khan is the reason the Federation prohibits genetic modification or engineering.
• Photographic Memory : Implied to be one of his genetically engineered gifts, and stated explicitly in the novelization of Wrath of Khan and the expanded universe's "Khan trilogy". He tells Chekov he never forgets a face, and even after 15 years he still seems to have the Enterprise 's technical specifications committed to memory, given that he still has perfect knowledge of the ship's weak points.
• Pride : He has oodles of it.
• Reasonable Authority Figure : At least to his fellow superhumans. His interactions with Joachim in Wrath of Khan show that his followers are comfortable enough with him to give him critical feedback without any hesitancy, although in the end his own authority is absolute.
• Vaguely justified in that Khan and Singh are both overwhelmingly common Indian names, however.
• Revenge Before Reason : He will do anything to kill Kirk, no matter how self-destructive. Even when Kirk is clearly baiting him into an obvious trap, Khan seems physically incapable of resisting the urge to roar into it, so fervent is his hatred. Khan: No... you won't get away. From Hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee...
• Revenge Myopia : Khan ignores Chekov's observation that he attacked Kirk after the latter had taken in him and his crew.
• Rule of Symbolism : Much of the conflict between Kirk and Khan plays out like Paradise Lost , with Kirk as God and Khan as Lucifer . Khan even lampshades this in "Space Seed." In The Wrath of Khan , he has two copies of Paradise Lost on his bookshelf (one which included Paradise Regained ).
• Sanity Slippage : By the time of The Wrath of Khan , he’s lost it thanks to being stranded on Ceti Alpha V and the death of his wife and most of his followers.
• Sealed Evil in a Can : He and his cryogenically-frozen followers, in the episode " Space Seed ." And again in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , when he's abandoned on Ceti Alpha V (which the crew of the Reliant mistake for Ceti Alpha VI after a natural disaster alters its orbit and destroys its environment).
• Sequel Adaptation Iconic Villain : Star Trek: The Motion Picture had the crew of the Enterprise confront V'ger as the antagonist. Wrath of Khan brought Khan back and more dangerous than ever.
• Silver Fox : For a man who was stranded on a nightmare planet for two decades, Khan still managed to age pretty damn well, and he clearly knows it. Check out them pecs, for one.
• Skilled, but Naive : Other than his pride and ambition, one of Khan's greatest weaknesses is that, despite his incredible intellect, all his knowledge and experience is that of a 20th century man, and he lacks the decades of experience in space that Kirk has. This shows when he's unable to quickly find the Reliant 's command console override despite having memorized Starfleet's standard starship technical specifications, and when he fails to consider that space is three-dimensional during starship combat. Spock: He's intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking.
• Soft-Spoken Sadist : In Wrath , at least regarding Kirk and all collateral damage. Khan: I've done far worse than kill you. I've hurt you... and I wish to go on hurting you.
• Stalker with a Crush : Meyer confirmed that the Foe Romance Subtext between Khan and Kirk was intentional, and Khan twists Moby Dick lines to “he tasks me, he tasks me and I shall have him.”
• Star-Crossed Lovers : He and his wife, a crewman on the Enterprise who suffered from Heel–Face Revolving Door Syndrome.
• Suddenly Shouting : "This is Ceti Alpha Five!!
• Why Khan wants Project Genesis. With his homeworld destroyed and his people dwindling in numbers, he feels that terraforming a planet is the only way to ensure his and his people's continued existence.
• In "Space Seed", Khan makes it clear he believes that he would have been the eventual victor of the Eugenics Wars if things had gone differently (" One man would have ruled eventually. As Rome under Caesar, think of its accomplishments!")
• The Bad Guy Wins : Yes, Khan is killed by the end of The Wrath of Khan , but what happens after that? Spock — Kirk's closest friend — dies painfully as a result of radiation poisoning in his efforts to repair Enterprise enough to escape the Genesis Device detonation . Then as a result of his quest to bring his friend back from the dead , Kirk loses not only his beloved Enterprise but also his son. Ultimately, Khan has done far worse to Kirk than kill him — he hurt him.
• Took a Level in Jerkass : Khan becomes far more ruthless and unhinged in The Wrath of Khan , thanks to his Sanity Slippage and single-minded vendetta against Kirk.
• Tragic Keepsake : Khan wears a Starfleet emblem on a chain around his neck, strongly implied to have been part of Marla McGiver's uniform. note  It's also a continuity problem: The insignia is similar to the belt buckle worn as part of the movie uniforms, however was not actually present on the uniform McGivers would have worn.
• Tragic Villain : Downplayed. Khan has all the hallmarks of a tragic character, having suffered a great loss that drives him to committing evil, but while he is sympathetic, he was a ruthless dictator even before this. The only thing it really changed was how evil he was, causing him to go from Affably Evil to a spiteful, unhinged demagogue.
• Trouble from the Past : He perfectly embodies both the modern age's charismatic daring and its prideful ambition, transported through time almost 300 years to menace the utopian future of the 23rd century, which he comes to believe is ill-prepared to resist himself and his crew of supermen. Kirk ultimately proves him wrong on that account.
• Ungrateful Bastard : Kirk and company find a stasis ship just in the nick of time, as Khan's own capsule is about to fail, revive him and his followers, and treat him with frankly undue courtesy given who he is— so Khan decides to steal his ship. Then Khan resents Kirk leaving him and his people on Ceti Alpha V, even though that was more lenient than taking him back to Earth, where he would have been prosecuted as a war criminal.
• Justifies his quest to Take Over the World as an attempt to unify humanity during a time of war.
• Subverted by the movie, in which it becomes abundantly clear he isn't as interested in conquering as he is in killing one man over a grudge.
• Wicked Cultured : His Final Speech comes from Moby-Dick , he mentions Paradise Lost before Kirk exiles him, and the Botany Bay appears to have other classic books. Part of his obsession with Moby-Dick in particular seems to be because Khan was stuck on Ceti Alpha V with only a handful of books to read, leading him to read them over and over again.
• Young Conqueror : Both Expanded Universe versions of his Origin Story (the 2001 novels by Greg Cox and the 2014 comic book tying in to Star Trek Into Darkness ) place him as being either in his early or late 20's during the Eugenics Wars. The novels indicate that faster-than-normal maturation is part of his genetic modifications.

Commander John Harrison/Khan Noonien Singh (Kelvin Timeline)

Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch

Dubbed in french by: pierre tissot, dubbed in brazilian portuguese by: ronaldo júlio, appearances: star trek into darkness.

Starfleet's top agent, before a perceived betrayal by his superiors sent him on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against the entire Federation command structure.

• The Ace : As Harrison himself claims, he is simply "better" at everything . Justified, as he is genetically designed to be so.
• Adaptational Jerkass : The original Khan was in no way a nice person, but he was Affably Evil , at least in "Space Seed", and had an entertainingly hammy persona. This one is far more cold blooded and stoic.
• Adaptational Villainy : As seen above, in Space Seed Khan had committed no massacres in his reign. Here Spock accuses him of planning to commit mass genocide on any being he deems "less than superior".
• Aesop Amnesia : Openly vows to resume "the work" he and his crew had done prior to banishment. Despite having failed in his despotism in the Eugenics Wars, he still hopes to start right over.
• He also has a spinoff comic. See Villain Episode .
• Alternate History : The Villain Episode tie-in comics tackle the Failed Future Forecast issues around the Eugenics Wars head on... by showing Khan nuking Washington D.C. and Moscow... in 1992 .
• The Antichrist : He's not supernatural, of course, but the tie-in comics use a fair share of "The Beast of Revelations" imagery when describing his rise to power during the Eugenics Wars.
• Arch-Enemy : For Kirk, much like Nero for Spock in the last film . And well, himself for Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .
• Boasts about his superhuman abilities. Harrison: I am better. Kirk: At what? Harrison: Everything. note  In the novelization , the tone of voice he says this with isn't that of a boast, but a simple statement of fact by a man who knows that it's true.
• Boasts about how he's going to end you. Harrison: I will walk over your cold corpses.
• Badass Longcoat : Sports a black trenchcoat with a hood. He even steals one off a chair towards the end of the film to replace it. Presumably, this was to help disguise him to some extent.
• Benevolent Boss : Zig-zagged between this and Bad Boss . While he does seem to truly care for his crew, he was also a ruthless tyrant and war criminal 300 years prior. Harrison: My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?
• Berserk Button : Threatening his crew or implying that they're dead is a seriously bad idea. Admiral Marcus found that one out the hard way.
• Big Bad : A Starfleet agent with superhuman abilities turned terrorist. He's really Khan Noonien Singh, an infamous war criminal working for Starfleet under an assumed identity.
• Big Bad Ensemble : Serves as Into Darkness 's main antagonist, alongside Admiral Marcus . Towards the climax, however, Khan kills Marcus , establishing himself as the sole Big Bad .
• Big "NO!" : He yells "No" when he thinks that his crew has been killed after the torpedoes explode on his ship.
• Bio-Augmentation : Genetically engineered for superhuman strength, endurance and intelligence.
• Bullying a Dragon : Nice job trying to force a 300-year-old superman stronger, smarter and more ruthless than you to do your dirty work by threatening to kill his crew (which is essentially his family), Marcus .
• Byronic Hero : A Villainous example. He fits the bill in a few ways: Brooding, charismatic, sympathetic and physically attractive but also incredibly vengeful, prideful and was once an Evil Overlord back in the day.
• Canon Character All Along : This is one of Into Darkness 's main twists. John Harrison is revealed to be none other than Kirk's Arch-Enemy Khan Noonien Singh.
• Canon Foreigner : Subverted. He's actually Khan Noonien Singh.
• The Chessmaster : Most of the events of Into Darkness are the result of Harrison's planning and manipulations.
• Chewing the Scenery : While there is some mugging during "annoyed/angry exposition" , when he gets furious, Evil Is Hammy gets into full force. You should have let me SLEEP!
• Commanding Coolness : Harrison's falsified rank in Starfleet was Commander.
• Cool Starship : The USS Vengeance , a jet black Federation dreadnought that Harrison helped design and later steals after killing Admiral Marcus .
• Creepy Monotone : Making him even more scary. And a complete inversion of Ricardo Montalban's hammy original. Benedict Cumberbatch 's performance just drives the whole thing home since you really can't watch him like this without shuddering at least once.
• Dark Is Evil : Dresses exclusively in black clothing. Benedict Cumberbatch also dyed his hair black for this film again. Also, the Vengeance , a pitch-black monster of a warship, was his design, and he takes command of it near the climax of the film.
• After Kirk's utterly ineffective beatdown on Kronos, Harrison contemptuously repeats Uhura's invocation of Kirk's rank. Harrison : Captain .
• During his conversation with Spock after Harrison hijacks control of the Vengeance . Spock : You betrayed us . Harrison : Oh, you are smart , Mr. Spock.
• Death Seeker : When he thinks his crew is dead, Khan has shades of this when he attempts to ram The Vengeance into Starfleet Headquarters. Harrison : SET DESTINATION: STARFLEET HEADQUARTERS! Vengeance's computer system : Engines compromised. Cannot guarantee destination. Confirm order. Harrison : Confirm.
• Despair Event Horizon : He crosses it when he believes his beloved crew to have been killed. After that, Khan stops caring if he lives or dies, setting the Vengeance on a suicide run to Starfleet Headquarters.
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu : As he notes, Starfleet really should have kept him asleep .
• Dragon-in-Chief : Marcus forced him to help design the USS Vengeance for Starfleet but he is a much more direct threat to the heroes than the Admiral and only serves him to save his crew, and Harrison shows himself to be the more competent villain when he kills Marcus to commandeer the Vengeance .
• The Dreaded : Spock Prime's encounters with Harrison/Khan's prime universe counterpart are enough to convince him to give Spock information about him, despite his previous pledge to let Spock walk his own path.
• Driven to Villainy : Subverted. While his present motivations are to get back at Starfleet for Admiral Marcus for holding his family hostage, Khan was a war criminal before being frozen, and was specifically defrosted for both his intellect and his willingness to use it aggressively .
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette : He has dark hair, retains his actor's pale complexion and serves as a contrast to Kirk and Admiral Marcus .
• Emperor Scientist : In the tie-in comics it's indicated that this was his ruling style after he accomplished his initial conquests.
• Empowered Badass Normal : Being a bio-engineered super-human, he's a Nigh-Invulnerable One-Man Army Evil Brit in a Badass Longcoat . Not even an extremely angry Vulcan on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge was enough to stop him without help.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones : Wants to save his former crew who were on board the SS Botany Bay . Harrison: Is there anything you would not do for your family?
• Evil Brit : Retains the accent of his actor, the British Benedict Cumberbatch .
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good : His terrorist attacks are motivated by his suspicions that Starfleet has already killed his crew, mainly because that's exactly what he would have done in their place. Later, after the torpedo incident, he again assumes that his enemies have killed off his crew and decides to make the Vengeance 's name very literal. One gets the impression that Khan just can't wrap his head around other people not being as murderous and willing to kill for convenience as him.
• While Harrison/Khan displays similar mannerisms to that of Spock in his initial appearance, the differences in their character increasingly become apparent following The Reveal . Khan actually goes so far as to distinguish himself from Spock by pointing out that he indulges and takes pride in his savagery while Spock suppresses such emotions. Harrison: Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break a rule. How could you be expected to break bone ?
• Evil Is Hammy : Even when he's not raising his voice, he is full of Cold Ham with the way he overenunciates his words.
• Evil Is Not a Toy : Starfleet really shouldn't have tried to manipulate or threaten him.
• Evil Is Petty : Being shunned after helping Marcus with his warmongering plans is as bad for him as the fact the admiral kept his "family" hostage.
• Evil Overlord : Ruled over a quarter of Earth centuries ago.
• Evil Sounds Deep : Benedict Cumberbatch plays the character with a deep baritone voice.
• Fantastic Racism : He finds being at the beck and call of the genetically "inferior" humiliating.
• Face–Heel Turn : He went from a decorated member of Starfleet to a terrorist trying to destroy it. Only not; the John Harrison identity was created for him when he was thawed, and the closest he came to working for Starfleet was his unwilling stint making weapons for Admiral Marcus.
• Fallen Hero : Subverted. He was a bad guy long before his falsified past.
• Fatal Flaw : Pride . While his original timeline version was more defined by the It's Personal nature of Wrath pushing him to obsessively pursue Kirk in Revenge Before Reason , here, his condescending contempt for Kirk’s crew manifests as arrogance bordering on blindness— in particular, he seems incapable of conceiving that Spock could have the cunning to match him even briefly, or meet Khan’s savagery with his own. The first costs him his ship, and the second leads to a brutal fist fight with the half-Vulcan that is more than even Khan could have predicted.
• A Father to His Men : He genuinely cares about his crew and will do anything to protect them. Harrison : My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?
• Faux Affably Evil : Though Harrison genuinely cares for his crew, the politeness he demonstrates towards Kirk and others is relatively fake. Once his nominal allies have outlived their usefulness , he'll have no hesitation about killing them.
• First-Name Basis : Upon the revelation of his true identity, he's addressed solely as "Khan". Only Spock Prime even mentions the rest of his name.
• Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke : Harrison is a One-Man Army created through genetic manipulation. It turns out to be the first hint of his true identity.
• Genius Bruiser : He's incredibly intelligent ( within a year, he learned enough about 23rd century technology to design advanced weaponry, as well as the nigh-unstoppable USS Vengeance ) and extremely strong (enough so to crush a man's skull with his bare hands ).
• Guns Akimbo : For the shootout with the Klingons, he wields a phaser rifle in one hand and a Chainsaw-Grip BFG in the other.
• Hannibal Lecture : Delivers several speeches while captured over the heroes' shortcomings.
• Healing Factor : Heavily implied but not seen. Harrison's blood allows his cells to heal at an astonishing rate, which he uses to heal a sick girl in the beginning in exchange for a favor. Later, Bones revives a dead tribble with it, and then uses it to save Kirk .
• The Heavy : Harrison's actions are what set off and move along the plot of Into Darkness .
• Heel–Face Brainwashing : The tie-in comics show that after they found the Botany Bay , Section 31 gave Khan extensive plastic surgery, a memory wipe, and a fake life history in an attempt to turn him into John Harrison, Hero of the Federation . After he finds out what was done to him, he's understandably pissed.
• Hero Killer : This guy has killed a whole bunch of Starfleet officers, including Pike . Near the end of Into Darkness , Khan's attack on the Enterprise manages to kill Kirk himself, although the crew do manage to save their captain.
• Human Popsicle : Was cryogenically frozen for about 250 years. He ends the film this way, too .
• Icy Blue Eyes : Which serves to highlight his cold, calculating personality.
• Implacable Man : Over the course of the film, Harrison withstands a ( completely ineffective ) beating from Kirk, stunning shots from a phaser, an explosion that cripples the Vengeance , and the Vengeance crashing into San Francisco, all of which barely slows him down. Exaggerated during his fight with Spock, where he forces his way through a Vulcan nerve pinch and takes roughly a dozen stun shots from Uhura's phaser without going down. Ultimately, it takes Spock beating him nearly to death to subdue Khan .
• In a Single Bound : The first time we see him, he jumps an enormous distance into battle and lands perfectly.
• In Spite of a Nail : No matter the universe, Khan and Kirk will always end up at each other's throats.
• Ironic Echo : He does underestimate Spock somewhat, telling him that intellect alone is useless in a fight and that Spock "can't even break a rule. How would [he] be expected to break bone ?" Guess what, Spock manages to do exactly that just fine to him in a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown at the climax of the film.
• Taunts Kirk as he destroys the Enterprise. Harrison: No ship should go down without her captain.
• Taunts Admiral Marcus as he crushes his skull. Harrison: YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME SLEEP.
• Taunts Kirk while securely imprisoned. Harrison: Captain, are you going to punch me again, over and over and over , until your arm weakens? Clearly you want to.
• Karmic Death : Marcus was planning one of these for Harrison when you take into account that he was to be killed by the torpedoes he designed, which also contained his crew. Luckily, Kirk didn't go through with that plan and opted to arrest him. Even better, Harrison surrenders himself the moment he finds out about the number of the torpedoes.
• Kick the Dog : Right before he kills Admiral Marcus , he stomps on Carol's leg hard enough to break it.
• Knight of Cerebus : If you thought Nero was nasty, he pales compared to this guy.
• Kubrick Stare : Harrison occasionally tilts his head down and to the right and then angrily stares up to look more threatening.
• Late-Arrival Spoiler : Subsequent release materials, his Villain Episode comic mini-series, and even the DVD/Blu-ray cases of Into Darkness make no secret of the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch's character is, in fact, Khan.
• Leitmotif : Besides the main theme, Khan's theme is the most noticeable leitmotif in the movie. It's oddly heroic, which makes sense when you look at the movie's symbolism and realize he's not so much meant to be Osama Bin Laden as he is meant to be Leonidas .
• Lightning Bruiser : The thing that stands out most about his fighting style is just how damn fast he is. The second thing is how strong he is, to the point that he can carry a cannon with one hand or squash people's skulls like melons. The third thing is how he can withstand multiple punches and phaser stuns without slowing down.
• Love Makes You Evil : Played with. He was certainly evil before, but his actions in Into Darkness are driven almost entirely by his love for his crew.
• One-Man Army : Harrison is a "one-man weapon of mass destruction" who takes on entire Klingon security teams by himself. Admiral Marcus : For reasons unknown, John Harrison has just declared a one-man war against Starfleet.
• Manipulative Bastard : He cures Thomas Harewood's comatose daughter to manipulate him into suicide-bombing a Starfleet records office. This in turn causes most of the Starfleet officers to gather in one place, where he promptly tries killing most of them.
• Manly Tears : When he talks about his crew during his capture on-board the Enterprise , tears are seen streaming down his face while he looks away from Kirk and Spock the entire time.
• Meaningful Re Name : The Villain Episode tie-in comics reveal that his birth name was Noonien Singh; he named himself Khan after completing his conquest of the Middle East and Central Asia.
• Mirror Character : As he points out to Kirk, both of them would do anything to protect their respective crews .
• Moral Myopia : Genuinely cares for his former crew and is distraught and furious when he thinks they've been harmed, and while his actions toward Starfleet and the Enterprise crew may possibly be justified, in his mind they were unlawfully kidnapping him for justified actions, his other actions make it clear that he barely considers the rest of the genetically inferior population to even be people. In fact, Spock mentions that Khan was accused of practicing eugenics in Earth's past.
• More Dakka : His attack on the meeting at Starfleet Headquarters basically consists of him shooting the crap out of his target. He doesn't exactly skimp on bullets when it comes to fighting the Klingons, either.
• Downplayed. When Kirk confronts him over his massacre of Starfleet officers, he indignantly protests that Marcus was holding his crew hostage. In his eyes, they weren't innocent civilians, as Kirk claims, but military personnel that Khan believes killed his defenseless crew, so he sees it as a case of Pay Evil unto Evil .
• He also claims that he was labeled a criminal and exiled from Earth, ignoring his actions as a tyrant.
• When he threatens to kill everyone on the Enterprise if Spock does not return his crew, he says he "will have no choice" but to do it if Spock defies him. However, it was Kirk and Scotty who double-crossed him by having him stunned once they had taken the Vengeance , so in Khan's eyes, the crew is not entirely innocent and have proven untrustworthy, which is solidified when Spock double crosses him again by arming the torpedoes.
• Takes a huge pounding over the course of the movie, and only ever shows a few scratches.
• Faked being stunned by a phaser shot at point blank range .
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown : He delivers a pretty vicious one to Spock during the finale of Into Darkness . Once Uhura arrives and Spock manages to recover, Khan finds himself on the receiving end.
• No-Sell : Takes a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown from Kirk, and only registers some mild annoyance. He also manages to shrug off the Vulcan nerve pinch, albeit with some pain, but considering most beings crumple after being subjected to it...
• Not So Stoic : At three points of Into Darkness : he sheds a tear as he reveals his story to Kirk and Spock, dissolves into sheer rage while beating Kirk and killing Admiral Marcus, and loses it completely during his Villainous Breakdown .
• Older Is Better : When Kirk wonders what possible value a man who's been frozen for the past 250 years could be to the leader of Starfleet, Harrison implies that he was awakened to help militarize Starfleet because as a conqueror from the savage 20th century he has a better understanding of combat and warfare than the more peaceful, evolved humans of the 23rd century. His 20th century genetic enhancements also make him far stronger and smarter than any 23rd century human.
• One-Man Army : Takes out an entire squad of Klingon commandos and several of their gunships by himself, wielding an assault rifle and a beam cannon .
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business : Inverted: the only scene in which he is not menacing is pure comedy, with him giving Kirk a shocked look at Kirk's casual reply to their imminent space jump.
• Papa Wolf : He's completely bent on recovering and protecting the rest of his people, and his Roaring Rampage of Revenge is mostly because he thinks they're all dead ( twice ) . He even refers to them as his family— see Even Evil Has Loved Ones .
• The Paragon Always Rebels : Harrison was Starfleet's best agent before he rebelled. Subverted, however. While he could be considered a "paragon" in the sense of his physical and mental abilities, Khan was never truly a Starfleet agent (or if he was, it wasn't by choice); that position, like the entire identity of "John Harrison", was nothing but a lie fabricated by Section 31.
• Depending on how you look at it, using his blood to cure Lucille Harewood of her illness could count at this. Granted, Harrison was most likely manipulating her father's desperation to get him to agree to carry out a terrorist attack for him, but even so, he could have found someone easier to coerce.
• Also, his saving Uhura from the Klingons by attacking before they kill her. She was distracting them from him while alive, but her death itself would have been just as good. And sure, it was probably in his favor to keep all of the Starfleet officers alive, since a MORE pissed-off Kirk might have been less receptive to what he had to say, but it's not like Harrison needed a communications officer alive to carry out his plans.
• Poisonous Captive : The Enterprise crew manage to shut Harrison in the brig, only to receive a withering Hannibal Lecture from him.
• Pride : His defining character trait is his certainty in his own superiority. The hell of it? He's not even wrong. This is a man so ridiculously good at literally everything that he nearly single-handedly designed an entire militarized sub-Starfleet and then nearly destroyed the entire Starfleet / Federation edifice on his own , with no help from anyone else.
• Race Lift : He goes from being played by the brown-faced make-up-wearing , Mexican Ricardo Montalban to the white-skinned, British Benedict Cumberbatch. And Khan is meant to be Indian, which neither men are. The tie-in comics detailing his youth and origins reveal that he is really Indian. It's shown that Admiral Marcus gave him extensive plastic surgery along with a memory wipe in an attempt to recruit him as a Section 31 super-operative.
• Really 700 Years Old : The guy's been in cryo for 300 years.
• Retired Monster : He wanted to be this... but they wouldn't let him sleep.
• The Reveal : His true identity is Khan Noonien Singh, of Space Seed and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , a genetically modified superhuman who had been awoken after centuries of cryosleep by Admiral Marcus and forced to develop advanced weapons.
• The Rival : While he shares several traits with Spock, he and Kirk's relationship has a somewhat competitive edge to it. What did you expect? It's Kirk vs. Khan the remake. They also have a pretty clear understanding of each other, and both are cunning enough to prepare for their inevitable betrayal during an Enemy Mine . And without his revenge hard on from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Khan proves the victor, because he is "better."
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge : Is out to take revenge on the entire Federation for what he believed was the murder of his beloved crew .
• Rogue Agent : Was Starfleet's best agent before a perceived betrayal by his superiors sent him on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against the entire Federation. It's a cover story for his work at Section 31 and his true identity.
• Rogues' Gallery Transplant : Khan, in a change up from the original chain of events, ends up with Spock as his primary adversary in this film. He lacks the grudge that defined him from being marooned by Kirk in the prime-timeline, and ends up spending more time in an Enemy Mine with Kirk than he does fighting him, since without that glaring flaw of It's Personal with Kirk, he can make wiser decisions around him. Kirk still seems to gain his respect as a Worthy Opponent with a similar care for his crew, but this movie might be called Wrath of Spock once Kirk's Almost Dead .
• Sealed Evil in a Can : A former Evil Overlord accused of war crimes, cryogenically frozen for centuries in a derelict ship... until Starfleet Intelligence found him. He ends the film this way, too.
• Self-Serving Memory : Khan described himself and his followers as being meant to "lead others to peace in a world at war" before being branded as criminals and forced into exile. While it's likely that this genuinely is how Khan sees himself, he conveniently leaves out the minor detail that he and his crew were war criminals who did everything in their power to take over the world. This is quite similar to the scene in Space Seed where Khan gives another romanticized description of the Eugenics Wars, stating that he and the other supermen "offered the world order" and an attempt to unify humanity.

• Shrouded in Myth : His reputation as Starfleet's top agent precedes him. In his past life, he was also an infamous superhuman tyrant, who was so feared that by the 24th century of the origin timeline his name was apparently on par with Hitler's as shorthand for ultimate evil.
• Smug Super : Harrison is well aware of his superhuman abilities and makes no effort at false modesty. Harrison: I am better. Kirk: At what? Harrison: Everything .
• The Social Darwinist : Implied. Spock says that he intends to destroy those he deems inferior. Khan doesn't confirm it, but he doesn't deny, either. The tie-in comics show that Khan genuinely saw himself as humanity's savior and that (unlike some of the other Augment rulers) he explicitly wanted to rule, not destroy. However, the methods he employed to achieve his goal (including nuking Washington D.C. and Moscow) would certainly justify humanity recording in their history that he was an Omnicidal Maniac .
• Spared by the Adaptation : Khan notably died at the end of his outing in The Wrath of Khan , but was simply put back on ice in Into Darkness — definitely a kinder fate.
• The Spock : To Admiral Marcus's Kirk . Cold, calculating, and brilliant.
• The Spook : He worked for Section 31 before the film started.
• The Stoic : He's usually very calm and calculating.
• Superhuman Transfusion : Being injected with Harrison's bio-augmented blood temporarily grants others his Healing Factor .
• Super-Toughness : Barely even flinches when Kirk tries beating on him as hard as he can. Also, nothing seems to be able to incapacitate him for more than a few moments. It takes a Vulcan nerve pinch, a dozen or so point-blank stun phaser hits, a vicious Tap on the Head , then an arm-break, all in rapid succession to finally stun him enough for Spock to get the upper hand.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute : Shares a number of character traits with Khan Noonien Singh from Space Seed and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . That's because he is Khan.
• Tom the Dark Lord : "John Harrison" isn't an impressive name for a villain. Subverted, as it's actually an alias disguising his true identity as A Villain Named Khan .
• Tragic Villain : To an extent. See Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds .
• Transhuman : Harrison has gained superhuman abilities thanks to a little genetic engineering , including a decent Healing Factor , Super-Intelligence , Super-Strength and Super-Toughness .
• The Unfettered : Khan would do anything for his crew, and after believing them dead, would do anything to avenge them.
• Villain Episode : Like Nero, he stars in a comic book mini-series exploring his background. The Race Lift issue is brought up on the very first page, with Kirk pointing out at his trial that "Harrison" looks nothing like the very Indian Khan.
• Villain Respect : As expected from Khan, he gains some genuine, if condescending, admiration of Kirk, especially during their Enemy Mine , and even seems intrigued by Kirk’s reference to his adventure in the preceding film. However, without the It's Personal nature of their feud in the original timeline, Khan is more of a No-Nonsense Nemesis towards Kirk here, and wastes no time in incapacitating him without any fanfare when their alliance is done.
• Villainous Breakdown : After believing that his crew had been killed, Khan seems to decide "screw it all" and sets the fatally damaged Vengeance on a collision course with San Francisco. The breakdown continues during his fight with Spock. Any emotional control he'd had before is gone , and he brutally pummels Spock in sheer, undiluted rage.
• Hell, most of the DVD's, Blu-Rays, and even a few digital services outright state who he is.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist : Believes he's ultimately doing what's best for humanity, regardless of what they think.
• Wham Line : "My name is Khan."
• Wicked Cultured : Harrison is pretty well spoken for a madman and even paraphrases Moby-Dick (a book that Khan loved in the Prime timeline) at one point when he beams Kirk, Carol and Scotty off of the Vengeance and back onto the Enterprise . Harrison : No ship should go down without her captain .
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds : He may be a bit of an asshole, as well as a ruthless killing machine, not to mention an Evil Overlord at one point, but he's been frozen for 250 years, then turned into a killing machine by the Federation, then tried saving his crew only for Admiral Marcus to take them away from him once again. It's a bit hard not to feel sorry for him.
• Would Hit a Girl : Breaks one of Carol Marcus' legs.
• Your Head A-Splode : He can do this with his bare hands and seems to reserve it for people who have really pissed him off. Just ask Admiral Marcus . He also tries to do the same to Spock during their fight and would have succeeded if Uhura hadn't beamed down.
• Star Trek: The Original Series - Spock
• Characters/Star Trek
• Star Trek: The Animated Series

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Image Fixer
• New Articles
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

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 constructed, and suggested he open one of the experimental torpedoes.

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

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

Kirk and Khan 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
• 2 Bell Riots
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

• 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

Customers who bought this item also bought

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
• #17,224 in Space Operas
• #19,115 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
• #27,674 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

Strange New Worlds Fixes J.J. Abrams' Khan Mistake

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.

Will Gecko Moria Be In One Piece’s Final Saga?

10 disappointing flash villains arrowverse fans wish they could forget, norman osborn looms over spidey in your friendly neighborhood spider-man fan art.

The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," now streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek 's most famous villains aren't the Klingons, the Romulans or the Borg. Rather, it's a single human individual: Khan Noonien Singh. Strange New Worlds brings the character back again and, in doing so, fixes the most egregious mistake made in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness . Young actor Desmond Sivan takes on the role last played, inexplicably, by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Sivan, previously heard as a voice actor in kids' shows like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood , is an actor of color like the person originally cast for the role. Khan made his debut back in 1967 on Star Trek: The Original Series , played by Ricardo Montalbán. He most famously reprised the role for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , which cemented his status as the nemesis of the original USS Enterprise crew. He became such an iconic villain that when the sequel to J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek was announced, fans already expected Khan to make an appearance. However, rather than cast an actor of color, Benedict Cumberbatch took on the role. Perhaps this was done to help facilitate the equally inexplicable misdirection in the marketing to hide Khan's inclusion. Yet, a franchise singularly responsible for diversifying TV casts in its day, whitewashing the most famous villain is its greatest unforced error. Strange New Worlds corrects this mistake by bringing in Sivan, a talented actor who steals his scene, to play the character as a child.

RELATED: Star Trek Fans Would Hate The Voyage Home if It Were Released Today

Cumberbatch's Khan Is Unforgivable Given Star Trek's Commitment to Diversity

Perhaps the most important guidance Gene Roddenberry left for future Star Trek storytellers was the aspirational motto of "infinite diversity in infinite combinations." It's known that characters like Nichelle Nichols's Uhura and George Takei's Sulu advanced representation on network TV in the 1960s. However, Roddenberry's commitment to diversity went beyond that cast. The background characters frequently featured women and actors of color at a time when the only roles were housewives and stereotypes, respectively. Khan Noonien Singh is clearly a South-East Asian name, but Star Trek cast Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán. However, this was still a subtle, representational coup.

Montalbán was a known actor, though he was mostly relegated to guest spots as "the Latin lover." This was, in part, because Montalbán was incredibly fit. These physical qualities are what led to his casting in the role of a character described as superhuman . In the original script for "Space Seed," the villain was a Nordic man first named "John Ericksen" (perhaps where Into Darkness got "John Harrison" from). This changed in subsequent drafts to Khan Noonien Singh, allegedly named after a long-lost friend of Roddenberry's from World War II named Kim Noonien Singh (or Wang, Roddenberry's accounts differ). Roddenberry wanted to stick a finger in the eye of then-contemporary expectations by clearly establishing that the genetically perfect man was not white.

Into Darkness briefly explains away the phenomenally bad casting by saying a corrupt Starfleet officer used sci-fi surgical procedures to change the character's appearance. That adds an altogether different problematic layer to the choice of a character who amounted to an "angrier Doctor Strange." Montalbán imbued Khan with a sinister charm that belied a hidden, cunning intellect. He is the reason Star Trek fans adore Khan, which has nothing to do with his heritage. Rather, looking past real-world prejudices allowed Roddenberry to find the perfect actor for the role.

RELATED: Paul Wesley's Jim Kirk Is Strange New Worlds' Biggest Risk

Strange New Worlds Found a Brilliant Way to Bring Back Khan

Like the actor who originated the role, there is nothing about Desmond Sivan's heritage that makes his character shine. For the first time, Star Trek fans get to see the world's greatest villain as they never have before. Yes, he's the youngest version of the character, but he's also the only Khan that's ever been afraid. Into Darkness tried to retell Khan's story, but Strange New Worlds is, instead, building on it. This episode makes it clear that time travel changed the canon of Star Trek , noting that Khan's rise to power was supposed to happen in the 1990s. Would Strange New Worlds dare try to "change" Khan Noonien Singh?

Sivan's scene with Christina Chong, playing his far-future descendant La'an Noonien Singh , is a standout in an episode full of great scenes. The young actor nonverbally establishes young Khan is afraid but also shows hints of his cunning nature and intellect. When he asks her, almost too sweetly, if she is there to kill him, viewers get the sense he already knows the answer. What's most interesting is that when Khan asks La'an if she's there to take him away from the Noonien Singh Institute, it sounds almost hopeful. It leaves viewers wondering if Khan is a prisoner being molded into a villain. Conversely, his creators could know what they've created, and the already-evil Khan yearns for escape so he can get to conquering.

Star Trek doesn't need another Khan story. Examining his origins and the roles nature and nurture played in his heel turn is already a fresh approach to one. If the storytellers revisit the character in future episodes, Sivan should return to the role. Again, this is not because he's an actor of color but because inclusive casting is how to find "the best actor" for the role. The Original Series proved it with Montalbán, one of his generation's greatest. Strange New Worlds corrects the mistake Star Trek Into Darkness made when its filmmakers forgot that important, fundamental lesson.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ .

Source: RedshirtsAlwaysDie.com , Reddit.com

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

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

Episodes 80

Photos 2015

Top cast 99+

• Captain James T. Kirk …

• Mister 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 279

• May 16, 2006

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.

‘I Loved It’: Christopher Lloyd Shares Why It Was So Enjoyable Playing Star Trek III: The Search For Spock’s Main Villain

Good ol' Kruge.

Before he played Doc Brown opposite Michael J. Fox ’s Marty McFly in the Back to the Future movies ( a role first offered to Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh ), Christopher Lloyd left his stamp on the science fiction genre on an established franchise. The Taxi star was cast to play Kruge, the main villain in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , which you can stream with a Paramount+ subscription . 40 years after its release in theaters, Lloyd reflected on why he enjoyed playing the Klingon baddie so much.

In an interview with Variety tied to him being nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his guest performance in Hacks (which those with a Max subscription can stream), Lloyd discussed other major milestones in his career, including taking part in the third Star Trek movie. Here’s what the actor had to say about his time on The Search for Spock , which was directed by Leonard Nimoy :

I’d come to the Paramount Studio at four in the morning to get that makeup put on — the way it built up my forehead — and then the costume. How can you not feel like you’re the character when you do all that? I loved it. I tried to find what is it about this guy that I could relate to an audience whereby they will feel something about themselves in this guy — even if it’s somebody you don’t want at your dinner table, you know? It doesn’t change his undesirable traits, but I want the audience to feel they’re not engaged with somebody off a different planet. They’re engaged with somebody they can talk to.

So in addition to feeling that Kruge was a compelling villain, Christopher Lloyd also had a blast getting to wear the makeup and prosthetics that transformed him into Kruge. Although Klingons with ridged foreheads were previously seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , The Search for Spock made that aspect of their appearance less pronounced. Star Trek III is one of just two movies in this film series where a Klingon character is the chief antagonist, the other being Christopher Plummer’s Chang in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

Of course, Kruge has gone down in Star Trek history as being responsible for the death of David Marcus, James Kirk’s son, and instigating the events that led to the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) being destroyed when its self-destruct sequence was activated. This all happened as a result of the Klingon looking to obtain Genesis, which was used at the end of The Wrath of Khan, and utilize the terraforming device as a weapon for the Klingon empire. Fortunately, he wasn’t successful in achieving this goal, and Kirk brought Kruge’s reign of terror to an end when he kicked him off a cliff while they were fighting.

Be sure to see where we placed The Search for Spock in our ranking of the Star Trek movies . Looking ahead, the Paramount+-exclusive movie Section 31 will arrive on the streaming platform in early 2025, and there’s also a Star Trek origins movie that’s expected to hit theaters later on the 2025 release schedule .

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Connoisseur of Marvel, DC, Star Wars, John Wick, MonsterVerse and Doctor Who lore, Adam is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He started working for the site back in late 2014 writing exclusively comic book movie and TV-related articles, and along with branching out into other genres, he also made the jump to editing. Along with his writing and editing duties, as well as interviewing creative talent from time to time, he also oversees the assignment of movie-related features. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Journalism, and he’s been sourced numerous times on Wikipedia. He's aware he looks like Harry Potter and Clark Kent.

The History Of The Alien Franchise’s Great Female Leads, From Ripley To Rain

Things Might Not Be So Copacetic With Timothèe Chalamet And Kylie Jenner's Relationship If These Over-The-Top Rumors Hold Any Weight

The Super Sneaky Trick Twisters Used To Make Anthony Ramos Look Really Good At Science

Most Popular

• 2 Jeff Probst Explained How They're Choosing Survivor Season 50's Contestants, And It Sounds Deeply Stressful
• 3 Captain America 4’s Harrison Ford Gives On Brand Explanation For Joining The MCU
• 4 The History Of The Alien Franchise’s Great Female Leads, From Ripley To Rain
• 5 The Acolyte Star Posts Honest Reaction To The Show’s Cancellation, But Leaves The Door Open To ‘Changes In The Future’

Screen Rant

Why saavik cried at spock's star trek death despite being a vulcan.

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.

Every Star Trek Movie In Chronological Order

Star trek’s next show can fix 2 of tng & discovery’s biggest klingon problems , star trek's prequel movie means enterprise's original premise can finally happen.

• Lieutenant Saavik's tears for Spock in Star Trek II were due to her deleted half-Romulan heritage.
• In Star Trek III, Robin Curtis played a cooler, more logical Saavik under Leonard Nimoy's guidance.
• Kirstie Alley's Saavik was more emotional, showing traces of her deleted Romulan ancestry.

Why does the Vulcan Lieutenant Saavik (Kirstie Alley) cry over the death of Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ? Directed by Nicholas Meyer, the second film starring the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series introduced Lt. Saavik as the protégé of Spock . Saavik serves on the bridge of the USS Enterprise during the conflict that resulted when Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) steals the planet-creating Genesis Device.

Lieutenant Saavik learned a great deal from Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , but she taught the Starfleet legend a thing or two as well. Kirk realized Saavik was right about quoting regulations when Khan's stolen USS Reliant caught Jim "with my pants down" and disabled the Starship Enterprise. Throughout Star Trek II , Saavik conferred with Spock, even marveling that Kirk was "so human." But for a Vulcan, it's Saavik who displayed the very human emotion of grief as she openly wept over Spock when the Vulcan Science Officer sacrificed his life to stop Khan.

Lt. Saavik is the first female Vulcan character whose name doesn't start with a T-apostrophe like T'Pring and T'Pau.

With 13 entries in the Star Trek movie series from 1979-2006, there are a couple of ways to watch the films chronologically.

Why Kirstie Alley’s Lt. Saavik Cried At Spock’s Death In Star Trek II

It's not logical..

Lieutenant Saavik's very un-Vulcan like crying over the death of Spock at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is because of her deleted backstory. Lt. Saavik was originally conceived to be half-Vulcan and half-Romulan . The screenplay for Star Trek II describes Saavik's shared heritage, which was meant to echo Spock's own half-human and half-Vulcan duality:

" Lt. Saavik is young and beautiful. She is half Vulcan and half Romulan. In appearance, she is Vulcan with pointed ears, but her skin is fair and she has none of the expressionless facial immobility of a Vulcan. "

Romulans don't suppress their emotions as their Vulcan cousins do, and Lt. Saavik showed her grief upon Spock's heroic and tragic death. However, since Star Trek II never stated Saavik's ancestry on-screen (a line from Spock explaining her dual heritage to Kirk was cut from the film), Saavik is presented as a full Vulcan. Yet Saavik's original intention as a half-Romulan remains with her crying and mourning Spock.

Leonard Nimoy Made Saavik More Vulcan In Star Trek III

Robin curtis' saavik learned from nimoy.

As the director of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Leonard Nimoy's approach to Lt. Saavik differed greatly from Nicholas Meyer's in Star Trek II . Kirstie Alley didn't reprise Saavik in Star Trek III due to a pay dispute, and Robin Curtis was cast to play Saavik in the sequel that resurrected Spock. Leonard Nimoy personally coached Robin Curtis on how to portray a Vulcan, and this is why Robin's version of Lt. Saavik is cooler and more logical and Kirstie Alley's more tempestuous Saavik.

Kirstie Alley passed away in December 2022 at the age of 71.

Under Leonard Nimoy's guidance , Robin Curtis' Lt. Saavik displayed no outward emotion as a Vulcan. When David Marcus (Merritt Butrick) was murdered by Klingons, Saavik reacted properly as a Vulcan, and she didn't cry over David despite the close relationship they shared in Star Trek III. While it's canonically the same character in both Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Robin Curtis' Lt. Saavik doesn't display the traces of her deleted Romulan heritage that Kirstie Alley's Lt. Saavik did.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Not available