Some ofStar Trek’sbiggest icons, including Picard, Janeway and T’Pol have come together…as villains? The aforementioned characters are some of the franchise’s most popular, and now, in a first look atStar Trek: Lower Decks#2, the young lieutenants of theCerritoscome face to face with holographic variants of their heroes.Yet in a twist, these Starfleet legends are out to kill them.
Both Ryan North and Derek Charm have worked on other IDWStar Trek: Lower Deckscomics.
IDW shared their solicitations for December and January, includingStar Trek: Lower Decks#2. The book will be written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm, and the solicitation reads as follows:
Mariner, T’Lyn, Rutherford, and Tendi have beamed off the mysterious USS Bonaventure and onto an equally mysterious surface of an unknown world, significantly raising the statistical likelihood of death and injury! Finally, the crew is up to their necks in adventure. There’s the senior staff’s safety to confirm, a weird planet to escape, and an alien race that wishes to learn more about mentorship… through a battle royale! Enter Jadzia Dax, Montgomery Scott, Kathyrn Janeway, T’Pol, and Jean-Luc Picard as the mentors and the Lower Deckers as the mentees. May the best student live!
The replicas of Picard, Janeway, T’Pol are described in the solicitation as “mentors” to Boimler, Mariner and company.
However,Star Trek: Lower Decks#2’s cover, by Charm, paints a more hostile picture, as the mentors and the mentees have an intense stare-down.
Star Trek: Lower DecksReinforces Everything Great About the Franchise–While Subverting It At the Same Time
Star Trek: Lower DecksIs For Fans, By Fans
Star Trek: Lower Decksis a love letter to the franchise, albeit one that regularly skewers its tropes, and Charm’s cover to issue two embodies this approach. While the solicitation does not make it clear how the “mentors” are created, given that some of them are long dead, it stands to reason they are replicas, or simulacra of the original.Star Trek, particularly the Original Series, featured alien races who, through various means, could create powerful illusions. This trope can trace its roots all the way back to “The Cage,”Star Trek’soriginal pilot.
Derek Charm’s cover ofStar Trek: Lower Decks#2 not only sends up some ofTrek’smore goofy concepts, but also pays loving tribute to them. Every episode ofStar Trek: Lower Decksis loaded with deep cut references from acrossTrek’s58-year history. Casual viewers need not be concerned with these Easter Eggs, but for long-time fans, they can greatly enhance the episode. EveryStar Trekshow has been referenced, evenStar Trek: EnterpriseandThe Animated Series, which are often viewed as the “black sheep” of the franchise.
T’Pol’s Appearance Is a Historic Occasion forStar TrekComics
T’Pol Was As Crucial to the Founding of the Federation as Jonathan Archer
Vulcans and humans had been living together more or less peacefully since first contact, but tensions still ran high. T’Pol helped bridge the gap between the two species, and in the process, helped lay the groundwork for the Federation.
Of particular note to fans is that Charm included T’Pol on the cover ofStar Trek: Lower Decks#2. The Science Officer aboard Captain Jonathan Archer’sEnterprise, T’Pol, played an important role in strengthening human-Vulcan relations. Originally assigned toEnterpriseto watch the upstart humans, T’Pol came to appreciate them and all their quirks and flaws. Vulcans and humans had been living together more or less peacefully since first contact, but tensions still ran high. T’Pol helped bridge the gap between the two species, and in the process, helped lay the groundwork for the Federation.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s Tagline Just Got an Awesome New In-Universe Explanation
In Star Trek #24, Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s epic tagline, “the human adventure is just beginning,” gets an epic new meaning courtesy of T’Lir.
Star Trek: Enterprisewas controversial in its day, but fandom has, much like T’Pol with humans, come to embrace it–warts and all. LaterTrekshows and moviesrevealed the enormous legacy of Captain Archerand his crew. However, the crew ofEnterprise, including T’Pol, have been given short shrift in comics.Enterprisehas only made one comic book appearance, in an anthology series released to coincide withStar Trek’s50th anniversary. However, T’Pol’s inclusion on the cover alongside other franchise icons, such as Picard and Janeway, raises the hopeEnterprisecould return in comic form.
Will T’Pol (andEnterprise)Ever Grace a Comic Book?
EnterpriseFans Will Have Little Time to Celebrate T’Pol’s Return
While fans wait for the day when Archer and T’Pol will grace comic book pages, the Vulcan’s villainous appearance on the cover ofStar Trek: Lower Decks#2 is a nice tie-over. Placing T’Pol alongsideStarfleet legends such as Scottyand Jadzia Dax continues the lionization ofEnterprise. The crew of theCerritosalso idolize T’Pol, and for good reason. However, they will not have the time to celebrate with their heroes, as T’Pol, Picard and a gaggle of otherStar Trekicons try to kill them.
Star Trek: Lower Decks#2 is on sale December 18 from IDW Publishing!
