Unveiling the Enigmatic Past of Star Trek's Khan Noonien Singh and the Fascinating World of TOS

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 2, episode 2, "Ad Astra per Aspera." Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has shed new light on the historical impact of Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), the genetically enhanced tyrant from Star Trek: The Original Series. "Ad Astra per Aspera" reveals that Khan's presence still holds great significance in the Star Trek universe, even decades after his initial appearance. In this episode, Number One (Rebecca Romijn) faces a trial for concealing her own genetic enhancements. The court case unveils the deep-rooted prejudice within Starfleet towards "Augments" like Khan, resulting from their fear of another Khan-like figure emerging.

The court proceedings are overshadowed by Khan's influence, highlighting the Federation's strict ban on genetic enhancements. By aiming to prevent the rise of another ruthless warlord, Starfleet inadvertently supports the persecution of species such as the Illyrians, whose culture includes genetic engineering. Una's trial in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds demonstrates that even after his self-imposed exile, Khan's power continues to reverberate. With Khan's return eight years later, it is inevitable that progress in challenging the Federation's augment ban will face further obstacles.

Who Is Khan Noonien Singh In Star Trek

Content: Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically enhanced human, rose to power and became a ruler of more than forty nations on Earth. The origin of Khan's genetic enhancements, whether through selective breeding or genetic engineering in his youth, remains uncertain in Star Trek. However, the mention of Project Khan in Star Trek: Picard suggests that he was indeed artificially created, although no further information has been provided. Khan possessed superior physical strength and intelligence compared to ordinary humans, which fueled his ambition for global dominance and influenced his fellow Augments.

As the most prominent superhuman, Khan governed a significant portion of Earth's population, but his regime hindered financial and scientific progress due to his disapproval of individuality. The Augments, not content with ruling their own territories, engaged in conflicts with each other, leading to the devastating Eugenics Wars. Khan and 84 loyal followers managed to escape the war by boarding the SS Botany Bay, a spacecraft without a specific destination. They would drift through space for centuries until their discovery in 2267.

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

In the Star Trek episode "Space Seed," the USS Enterprise encounters the SS Botany Bay floating in space. Captain Kirk wakes up Khan from cryogenic sleep, only to realize that Khan is a dangerous tyrant. In an attempt to take over the Enterprise, Khan seduces Lt. Marla McGivers and uses her assistance. With Marla's help, Khan awakens his followers and hijacks the Enterprise, planning to conquer a nearby colony.

Kirk and his crew fight back, aided by the remorseful McGivers. Khan's dreams of conquest are shattered, and he tries to destroy the Enterprise by overloading the warp core. However, Kirk thwarts his plan. Now faced with the dilemma of dealing with Khan, Kirk offers him the opportunity to establish a colony on the harsh world of Ceti Alpha V with his followers and Marla, allowing Khan to "rule in hell." Khan accepts the challenge, but life on Ceti Alpha V proves to be challenging even for a genetically enhanced superman.

What Happened In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Khan and his followers were discovered by the USS Reliant on what they believed to be the uninhabited Ceti Alpha VI. However, it was revealed that the planet had actually been destroyed months after Khan's exile to Ceti Alpha V, resulting in severe ecological damage. Khan managed to keep his followers alive, although it was a difficult task, and he tragically lost his wife in the process. Khan harbored deep resentment towards Kirk and Starfleet for not checking on their colony in the fifteen years since their exile. When presented with a Starfleet ship, Khan seized control of the Reliant and heartlessly left most of its crew behind on Ceti Alpha V.

Subsequently, Khan plotted to acquire the Genesis Device and entice Admiral James T Kirk into a final confrontation. He successfully lured the USS Enterprise to Regula, eventually trapping Kirk underground. Khan believed this punishment was fitting, as he had marooned Kirk "for all eternity at the center of a dead planet. Buried alive… buried alive." However, Kirk was not trapped for long and managed to return to the Enterprise, pursuing Khan and the stolen Genesis Device. Once again, Khan resorted to extreme measures by planning to detonate the Genesis Device within the Mutara Nebula, which would result in the destruction of both the Reliant and the Enterprise. Fortunately, through the heroic sacrifice of Spock, the Enterprise evaded the explosion, resulting in the demise of Khan and his augment followers.

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

Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh, portrayed by Christina Chong, is believed to be a direct descendant of Khan, most likely through a son or daughter he had on Earth. The events of the Eugenics War, which wreaked havoc globally, likely made it challenging for Khan to locate his family members before departing on the SS Botany Bay. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, little is known about the Noonien-Singh family tree except for La'an's parents, Ronu and Sa'an, and her brother, Manu. Unfortunately, following her ordeal on the Gorn breeding planet, La'an is now bereft of any family, making her Khan's sole known living descendant in the 23rd century of the Star Trek universe.

Before enduring her traumatic experience with the Gorn, La'an faced difficulties in her childhood due to her family name, subjecting her to teasing from other children on the playground. In "Ad Astra per Aspera," it was confirmed that La'an possesses Khan's enhancements, which in turn caused her to worry about potentially becoming as dangerous as her infamous ancestor. La'an briefly clashed with her mentor, Commander Una Chin-Riley, upon revealing that she too possessed genetic enhancements. With her exceptional strength and analytical mind, La'an will prove to be a valuable asset in the Federation's potential conflict with the Gorn Hegemony.

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

Khan Noonien Singh's presence looms large in Federation history, stretching from Star Trek: The Original Series to Star Trek: Prodigy. Starfleet's apprehension about the emergence of a new Khan has hindered the potential of young cadet Dal R'El (Brett Gray) and jeopardized the careers of Number One in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This trepidation is well-founded, considering the havoc unleashed upon awakening Khan in the 23rd century. Aging Spock aptly noted that the Augment posed the greatest threat ever encountered by the Enterprise crew.

A prime illustration of the lasting fear surrounding Khan lies in the events following Admiral Alexander Marcus' (Peter Weller) discovery of the SS Botany Bay in the Kelvin Timeline in Star Trek Into Darkness. As a member of Section 31, Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) devised a military strategy to significantly weaken the Klingon Empire. Moreover, he played a role in the creation of the formidable Dreadnought-class warships under Marcus' supervision. Khan's unparalleled strength, unwavering belief in his superiority, and ability to orchestrate an entire military campaign single-handedly instill terror across all Star Trek eras and timelines.