Summary
Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek#19!
TheStar Trekuniverse is full of species that strike fear into the hearts of Federation citizens, but the most feared of all will blow fans’ minds.Species like the Borgor the Jem’Hadar are scary and feared throughout the galaxy. Yet inStar Trek#19, as T’Lir,the last of the Organians, reflects on their life, they reveal another species is an even bigger potential threat.
≈Prior to incorporating as a Vulcan, T’Lir lived on Organia. They recall a conversation with their father, who shed light on the status of the universe’s god-like beings. Their father tells them that if they want a bright future, they must remain hidden. He goes on to explain that the galaxy is full of life, many of which have gods.
Theyconclude their exile is necessary, as these lower life forms fear the gods.
Star Trek’s Day of BloodExplored What The Gods Mean to the Galaxy
Not All of the Gods Were Friendly
In 2022, IDW gave their line ofStar Trekcomics a shot in the arm with the landmarkStar Trek#400, which seeded the god war storyline. This story, which culminated in theDay of Bloodcrossover event, saw Kahless, the Klingon Emperor, launch a genocidal campaign against the gods. In quick succession, Kahless killed all but one of the Organians, Gary Mitchell and the Crystalline Entities. The book has used this war as a way to explore what it means to be a god–and what it means to be an adherent.
God-like beings have been a part of theStar Trekfabric since its inception. Theaforementioned Gary Mitchell first appearedin the show’s second pilot, establishing a precedent that would stretch across multiple shows and movies. InStar Trek’s58-year history, fans have met the likes of the Metrons, the Q, Trelane, Charlie X and many others. Each one of these possessed fantastic powers beyond mortals, and not all of them were friendly either. For instance, Trelane toyed with the crew of theEnterprise,and was only defeated when more of his species showed up to take him back home.
The Gods Have Good Reasons for Avoiding Mortals
The Gods ofStar TrekInspire Fear In the Hearts of the Galaxy
Entities like Trelane ensured demagogues like Kahless would take up arms against them, seemingly confirming T’Lir’s father’s observation. Lesser beings fear that which they do not understand, and the gods, being so far beyond them, are the ultimate unknown–and thus targets of fear. The Organians understood this, and took steps to hide their existence. They initially appeared to Kirk and company as pre-industrial peasants, which undermined their great power. Other god-like beings in theStar Trekuniverse take similar approaches when dealing with mortals, and given the fear and mistrust, it may be a rational course of action.
