The genetically-engineered superhuman Khan Noonien Singh first entered the Star Trek universe in the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Space Seed”, originally a one-off villain that presented a formidable challenge for the crew of the Enterprise. Khan, and the episode itself, proved so popular that he reappeared, and continues to appear, directly or indirectly in almost all the Star Trek franchise’s movie and television properties. The question is, how does an antagonist who first appeared 55-years ago stand above other threats to the Federation?
Episode 22 of Star Trek: The Original Series’ Season 1, “Space Seed” introduced actor Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh, one of the first human villains in the series. Rescued by the Enterprise from the 200-year-old derelict ship SS Botany Bay, Khan is wakened from suspended animation. Despite Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) research that identifies Khan as a product of selective breeding, an augmented human who had helped conquer a third of the Earth in the Eugenics Wars of the 1990s, the rest of the command crew are captivated by their guest. His true nature is revealed when he coerces Lieutenant Marla McGyvers (Madlyn Rhue) into helping him waken the rest of his crew aboard the Botany Bay and take over control of the Enterprise. Kirk (William Shatner) eventually takes Khan out, regaining control of the Enterprise. He holds a hearing to judge the fate of Khan and his followers, but in a shocking turn he drops all charges, unwilling to see their potential wasted. He offers Khan a choice: join society as a commoner, or settle on the uninhabited, fertile planet Ceti Alpha V. Opting for the latter, Khan, his crew, and Lieutenant McGyvers are transported to the planet.
Nothing that happens in the episode is believable without Montalban. He infuses Khan with a depth over and above that of a standard villain. He is charming and mysterious, selling his enchantment of the Enterprise crew with more than mere words. He is sly and intelligent, with Montalban’s voice invoking a soothing tone atop a hint of malice. You believe Khan is more than a mere man, and you sense an air of authority about him.
And when Khan was brought back for 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Montalban gave the performance of his life, hearkening back to the qualities he brought from “Space Seed” and more. Ceti Alpha V had been rendered uninhabitable due to a cataclysmic event on Ceti Alpha VI, taking the lives of many, including his wife. This Khan was outraged over the loss of his wife, furious that no one thought to check on their welfare, but still calculating, taking control of the USS Reliant and plotting his vengeance on Kirk in cold detail. His thirst for vengeance, and his rage at being thwarted by Kirk, would lead to his death. In bringing Khan back, Star Trek II single-handedly rescued the Star Trek movie franchise that started off with the disappointing Star Trek: The Motion Picturedelivered a fan-favorite entry that to this day tops many lists as the best of the Star Trek films, and brought, “It is very cold … in space” and “KHAAAAAAN!” to the movie-quote lexicon. Whoever did not know Khan from his first appearance certainly knew, and flat-out loved, Khan now.
But, now he was dead. Short of turning the character into some sort of Federation Freddy Krueger, this great rival of Kirk and the crew was inaccessible. The successful reboot of the franchise with 2009’s Star Trek led to hopeful speculation the character would be revived in the follow-up Star Trek: Into Darknessand he was, but actor Benedict Cumberbatch is no Montalban. Apart from the controversial whitewashing of Khan, Cumberbatch just did not have the same draw, the same charisma that was brought to the villain by Montalban, disappointing the fan base.
Yet Khan is now so iconic, his legacy withstood the setback of Darkness to open up story possibilities and pique interest in other Star Trek properties, with the mere mention of his name laying a foundation of exposition going in. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has a character named La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), security officer, and the name alone has stirred up postulations on how the two are connected. Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard ended with Dr. Adam Soong (Brent Spiner) revealing a file labeled “Project Khan”, leading to even more hypotheses, and a subdued hope that maybe this opens the door for an actual encounter between Khan – maybe a clone or other similar augmented warlord – and Picard (Patrick Stewart).
The Star Trek universe is filled with a deep history of enemies that have risen to challenge Starfleet. The Klingon Empire, first introduced in the original series episode “Errand of Mercy” and a continual presence throughout Trek history. The Borg, who entered the franchise in Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation (and the antagonists in Star Trek: First Contactarguably the best of the TNG films). Gul Skrain G. Dukat (Marc Alaimo), the Cardassian that plagued Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It’s easy, though, to make aliens the enemy. There’s already an inherent distrust of the unknown, so the mere suggestion that an alien is anything less than noble and honest makes for a quick trip down that rabbit hole. Additionally, time and time again the villains of the franchise are shown to be allies of the Federation when faced with a common threat, or become full-fledged members of Starfleet at some point in the franchise. Worf (Michael Dorn), the Klingon Chief Security Officer on board the USS Enterprise-D, or former Borg drone Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) all come to mind.
Khan, however, stands alone. His humanness is relatable. His charisma draws you in. His thirst for vengeance a cause for fear. Khan is irredeemable, but you believe in his desire to better the situation for those in his care. He continues to impact the world of Star Trek because Trek needs him to. Khan’s history is a known history, and anything that touches on that history is guaranteed to capture the imagination of even the most casual of Trekkers in a way that others simply can not.
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