Villains Wiki

Hi. This is Thesecret1070. I am an admin of this site. Edit as much as you wish, but one little thing... If you are going to edit a lot, then make yourself a user and login. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!!

Villains Wiki

  • Evil from the Past
  • Archenemies
  • Doctors and Scientists
  • One-Man Army
  • Evil Vs. Evil
  • Alternate Reality Villains
  • Social Darwinists
  • Sophisticated
  • Neutral Evil
  • Bio-Engineered
  • Deal Makers
  • Faux Affably Evil
  • Master Orators
  • Necessary Evil
  • Supremacists
  • Dark Messiah
  • Charismatic
  • Comic Book Villains
  • Science Fiction Villains
  • Destroyers of Innocence
  • Misanthropes
  • Corrupt Officials
  • Martial Artists
  • Crime Lords
  • Power Hungry
  • Status Dependent on Version
  • Totalitarians
  • Control Freaks
  • Supervillains

Khan Noonien Singh (Alternate Timeline)

Khan Noonien Singh , also known as John Harrison , is the main antagonist of the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness , the second installment in the Kelvin Timeline Star Trek film series.

He is an extremely intelligent and ruthless terrorist, and was the most prominent of the genetically engineered Human Augments of the late-20th century Eugenics Wars period on Earth. Considered genocidal tyrants who conquered and killed in the name of order, Khan and his kind were 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. After gaining his revenge on Admiral Marcus, he was later stopped by the crew of the USS Enterprise and returned to cryogenic sleep.

He was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch , who also played Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit film trilogy, William Ford in 12 Years a Slave , Dormammu , Sinister Strange , and Strange Supreme in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Grinch in the 2018 film of the same name and Shere Khan in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle .

  • 1.1 Background and Brainwashed by Marcus
  • 1.2 Betrayal and Stealing Transwarp Beaming Equation
  • 1.3.1 Revealing Marcus' True Nature
  • 1.4.1 Defeat
  • 2 Personality
  • 3 Powers and Abilities
  • 5 Reception
  • 6.1 Indirectly
  • 8 External Links
  • 9 Navigation

Biography [ ]

Background and brainwashed by marcus [ ].

Khan's reconstructive surgery

Khan during his facial reconstruction before his memory blocked.

This version of Khan's backstory was the same as his prime reality counterpart 's, until the destruction of Vulcan in 2258 changed the latter's future that led to the events of the movie from that point on.

Vulcan's destruction led Admiral Alexander Marcus of Section 31 to begin a plan in militarizing Starfleet, and he searched the galaxy for weapons to be used in a potential war with the Klingons. Discovering the SS Botany Bay , Marcus brought Khan out of stasis, believing his savage intellect would give him an advantage. Khan was then recruited into Starfleet under the new identity of Commander John Harrison, and tasked with designing weapons and ships for Starfleet, including the Dreadnought -class USS Vengeance .

The prequel comic Star Trek: Khan gave more insight about Khan's physical change and betrayal. Shortly after being discovered, Marcus had his appearance surgically changed to a male Caucasian and blocked his memories with the intent of convincing him that he was John Harrison, the amnesiac Starfleet researcher in London's Kelvin Memorial Archive who lost his memories in an accident during a failed mission to Qo'nos, the Klingon homeworld. As Harrison, he was 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 regains his memories.

Betrayal and Stealing Transwarp Beaming Equation [ ]

Benedict Khan

Khan as John Harrison.

Disgruntled by everything that has happened to him, Harrison tried to smuggle his crew away in experimental photon torpedoes he himself had designed, 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 Harrison replaced Harewood's Starfleet ring with a bomb. After his daughter was cured with a vial of Harrison's blood, Harewood went to work at his office in the Kelvin Memorial Archive, where he dropped the false Starfleet ring into a glass of water, igniting a bomb and destroying the facility. In the midst of the chaos, Harrison used the opportunity to inspect a salvaged terminal to gain Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott's Transwarp Beaming Equation.

Attempted Murder at Daystorm Institute [ ]

Before he set off the explosion at the archive, Harewood sent Marcus a message, explaining he had been threatened by Harrison. Marcus called a summit at the Daystrom Institute, ordering a manhunt for Harrison. During the meeting, James T. Kirk deduced that Harrison had not left Earth because he was aware that protocol would dictate that a meeting like this one would be held at that location. Harrison suddenly appeared in a Jumpship and attacked the conference, injuring many and killing Admiral Christopher Pike. Kirk disabled the Jumpship, but Harrison beamed himself away before it crashed. Later, Scott contacted Kirk and Commander Spock to inform them that Harrison had beamed himself to the one place Starfleet couldn't follow: Qo'noS. Undeterred, Kirk was granted permission by Marcus to travel to Qo'noS and fire 72 experimental photon torpedoes on Harrison's location. However, at the behest of Spock, Kirk decided to arrest Harrison and bring him back to Earth to stand trial for his crimes.

Revealing Marcus' True Nature [ ]

Khan 1

Khan on the Klingon homeworld.

While Kirk led an away team with Spock, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, and Hendorff, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, in temporary command of the USS Enterprise , transmitted a message to Harrison on Qo'noS, warning him to surrender or be destroyed by the torpedoes. Moments later, Harrison found Kirk, Spock, and Uhura being attacked by a Klingon patrol and single-handedly killed the patrol. Confronting the Starfleet officers, Harrison asked how many torpedoes the Enterprise had aboard. After Spock informed him of the count, which corresponded exactly to the number of his Botany Bay crewmembers still in stasis, Harrison surrendered to the landing party. Kirk, angry that his mentor's murderer had saved them, punched Harrison repeatedly, but was unable to render him unconscious.

Khan (Star Trek Into Darkness)

Khan on the Enterprise .

Once aboard the Enterprise , Harrison was placed in the ship's brig. Dr. Leonard McCoy took a blood sample to uncover the secret behind Harrison's superhuman strength and abilities. Harrison refused to answer Kirk's questions, instead giving him coordinates to a Spacedock near Jupiter where the Vengeance was constructed, and suggested that Kirk open one of the torpedoes. Kirk contacted an absent Scott and gave him the coordinates to investigate, while Dr. McCoy and Dr. Carol Marcus opened up a torpedo and discovered a cryogenically-frozen man within.

When Kirk and Spock confronted him with what they discovered, Khan finally explained who he was to Kirk, revealing that the torpedoes contained his fellow surviving Augments as part of a cover-up. Not long afterward, Marcus arrived aboard the Vengeance and demanded that Kirk hand over Khan. Kirk refused and ordered the Enterprise to warp back to Earth so Khan could be brought to trial. The Vengeance caught up with the Enterprise and fired on it as it arrived in Earth's solar system. Marcus then beamed up Carol and prepared to destroy the Enterprise ; fortunately for the Enterprise , Scott, who had sneaked aboard the Vengeance , deactivated its weapons.

Truce With Kirk and Betraying Enterprise Crew [ ]

Kirk and Khan then performed a space-jump to the Vengeance . Meanwhile, Spock consulted Spock Prime, his older counterpart from the prime reality, regarding whether he ever encountered Khan in the past; Spock Prime responded that he had, that Khan was dangerous, and that it had required a great sacrifice to stop him.

Aboard the Vengeance , Kirk, suspicious of Khan, told Scott to stun him once they had taken over the Vengeance 's bridge. When the three of them arrived on the bridge, Scott shot Khan while Kirk admonished Marcus for compromising the Federation. However, Khan was not easily subdued, and he attacked Scott and Kirk and broke Carol's leg before crushing her father's skull with his bare hands before her very eyes. Khan then contacted the Enterprise and ordered Spock to hand over the torpedoes or he would resume bombarding the Enterprise . Spock agreed, and Khan beamed Kirk, Scott, and Carol back aboard the Enterprise , but reneged on his deal with Spock. However, Spock, having predicted Khan's betrayal following his talk with Spock Prime, detonated the torpedoes, crippling the Vengeance . Khan cried out in anguish at the apparent loss of his crew (in actuality, Spock had earlier ordered McCoy to remove the stasis pods from the torpedoes much to Kirk's disgust due to Khan now angrier than ever).

The damage sustained caused both ships to be drawn in by Earth's gravitational pull. To prevent the Enterprise from crashing into San Francisco, Kirk sacrificed himself while re-activating the ship's warp core. Khan, on the other hand, directed the Vengeance on a crash course for Starfleet Headquarters, though the ship's computer informed him the ship would not hit its target. When the Vengeance crashed into San Francisco, Khan leaped down from the wreckage and posed as a shocked survivor.

Moments later, Spock beamed down to execute Khan and avenge Kirk's death. An exciting chase ensues, with Spock pursuing the superhuman onto automated flying barges. A climactic fight erupts between the two, which Khan gradually wins. Uhura beamed down, firing several stun shots to weaken Khan and revealed to Spock that they needed Khan alive to save Kirk (McCoy had just discovered that Khan's blood possessed regenerative properties). Spock finally knocked Khan out.

After his blood was used to revive Kirk, Khan was placed back in suspended animation with his crew and was last seen in a room frozen, where he presumably remains their for the rest of his life.

Personality [ ]

Khan is an extremely powerful, unpredictable, ruthless and brutal person who mostly enjoys terrorizing and killing people and destroying everything in his path. Also, as he is confronting and negotiating with Spock in exchange for Kirk and Marcus' daughter, he seems to have a very massive sense of manipulation. Besides being ruthless and powerful, Khan is also an extremely intelligent and brilliant individual who has vast sophistication and wisdom. Despite this Khan deeply cares for his fellow Augments and manipulated many people just to get them to safety.

Much like Khan's original timeline self, he is extremely vengeful, which provokes acts of cruelty and mass destruction; most killed in his path are innocent bystanders, or at most unknowing allies to his targets, yet he dismisses collateral damage because of his psychopathic nature, as well as callous interpretation of the ends justifying the means.

Powers and Abilities [ ]

  • Superhuman Strength : Having been engineered to be an upgraded human life form, Khan, like any Augment possesses the physical strength of a five human beings combined. He could overpower multiple Klingons and even fight Spock in hand-to-hand combat. Khan was even able to crush people's skulls by applying pressure to their heads with both of his hands.
  • Superhuman Resilience : He is also extremely durable and greater stamina than even the most rigorously trained human being. He survive Phaser Stun Settings with the bolts only dazing him for a second. He is able to resist a Vulcan Neck Pinch and even overpower Vulcans and Klingons.
  • Superhuman Speed : Khan showed incredible speed and mobility when he took down the Klingon forces single handed and when he outran Spock.
  • Healing Factor/Regenerative Blood : An Augment's blood platelets have regenerative properties, allowing him to regenerate from any injury or toxicity at a superhumanly fast and far more efficient rate compared to human being's recovery rate. His healing factor even provides him with a greatly extended lifespan or the Augment's regenerative blood can also be used as a medical tool to heal, cure or revive medical subjects via to a blood transfusion.
  • Environmental Survivability: Although not witnessed, Khan has stated that him and other Augments are able to survive in an Oxygen Deficient Atmosphere when he was threatening Spock. "Your crew requires Oxygen to survive whilst mine does not, I will target your life-support systems located behind the aft nacelle and as every one of your crew suffocates, I will walk over your cold corpses to recover my people".
  • Superhuman Intelligence : Khan has a genius-level intellect, which is superior to many human intellectuals. Despite being frozen for 300 years, when he was awoken, he was abel to immediately study, understand and assimilate all the knowledge of the 23rd century in a very short time. His advanced intellect was the key in the Federation Admiral Marcus created advanced war machines, which were designed for a war with the Klingon Empire.
  • Mental Resilience : Khan was able to resist and Break a Vulcan Mindmeld.
  • Genius Intellect: Despite being from an obsolete era, he was able to create mechanical and scientific advancements that surpassed the standard of his relative "future."
  • Master Combatant : Khan is a ferocious warrior with years of honed combat prowess, which combined with his superhuman abilities, makes him an extremely deadly foe in battle. He is extremely resourceful in battle and was able to secure weapons to go up against a battalion of Klingon soldiers to save Kirk and his crew. He was also close to defeating Spock in battle, had backup not arrived.

Reception [ ]

Cumberbatch received universal acclaim for his performance as Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness . Peter Travers of the Rolling Stone called it a "tour de force to reckon with" and his character "a villain for the ages". Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News wrote that Cumberbatch delivered "one of the best blockbuster villains in recent memory". Jonathan Romney of The Independent noted Cumberbatch's voice, saying it was "so sepulchrally resonant that it could have been synthesised from the combined timbres of Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and Alan Rickman holding an elocution contest down a well". The New York Times praised his screen presence: "He fuses Byronic charisma with an impatient, imperious intelligence that seems to raise the ambient I.Q. whenever he's on screen".

Despite his acclaimed performance, however, Cumberbatch’s casting as the character was criticized by both critics and fans alike, considering that the character had been "whitewashed into oblivion". Reason of this was due to the fact that in previous films, Khan was actually in Indian ancestry, not European (albeit, original Khan actor, the late Ricardo Montalbán, was Mexican-American, thus equally far from Indian). There have been similar accusations of whitewashing by fans and American Sikhs, with Star Trek: Voyager actor Garrett Wang tweeting "The casting of Cumberbatch was a mistake on the part of the producers. I am not being critical of the actor or his talent, just the casting". George Takei, the original Hikaru Sulu, was also disappointed with the casting, as he thought it would have been better to cast Cumberbatch not as an established villain like Khan but as a new character. On Trekmovie.com, co-producer and co-screenwriter Bob Orci addressed Khan's casting: "Basically, as we went through the casting process and we began honing in on the themes of the movie, 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". The problem was later rectified through prequel comic Star Trek: Khan which reveals details of his drastic change throughout the film which stemmed from Nero's omnicidal campaign starting from destruction of Vulcan's homeworld.

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. 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. "

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. "

The New Yorker also saw parallels between the debate to execute or arrest Khan with that of the issue of targeted killing.

Victims [ ]

  • Christopher Pike
  • Frank Abbott
  • Alexander Marcus
  • Several unnamed Starfleet officers
  • Numerous unnamed San Francisco citizens
  • Numerous unnamed Klingons
  • Numerous unnamed people

Indirectly [ ]

  • Thomas Harewood
  • James T. Kirk
  • Numerous unnamed Starfleet officers
  • This incarnation of Khan is the third main villain in a Star Trek film not to be killed, first being V'Ger and Whale Probe. Of these, he is the first who is not a probe.
  • He is the main villain of the second film in the reboot series. His Prime Reality Counterpart was the main villain of the second film and in the original series episode "Space Seed" as well.
  • While he survived, the abandonment of the Kelvin Timeline means he won't have a rematch.
  • Khan is the only main antagonist in the reboot series movies to survive, being imprisoned and placed in suspended animation.
  • The original Khan shared an animosity with Kirk, whereas the reboot version develops more of rivalry with Spock.

External Links [ ]

  • Khan Noonien Singh (Alternate Timeline) on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki

Navigation [ ]

  • 1 Sentinel Prime (Transformers One)
  • 2 Megatron (Transformers One)
  • 3 The Boiled One

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Rotten Tomatoes Newsletter

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

  • Upcoming Movies and TV shows
  • Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
  • Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

  • About Rotten Tomatoes®
  • Login/signup

star trek into darkness my name is khan

Movies in theaters

  • Opening This Week
  • Top Box Office
  • Coming Soon to Theaters
  • Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

  • Fandango at Home
  • Prime Video
  • Most Popular Streaming Movies
  • What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

  • 98% The Wild Robot Link to The Wild Robot
  • 100% Girls Will Be Girls Link to Girls Will Be Girls
  • 100% Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Link to Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

New TV Tonight

  • 100% Matlock: Season 1
  • 100% Colin from Accounts: Season 2
  • 100% Brilliant Minds: Season 1
  • 93% Nobody Wants This: Season 1
  • 75% Murder in a Small Town: Season 1
  • 75% Grotesquerie: Season 1
  • 50% Rescue: HI-Surf: Season 1
  • -- Doctor Odyssey: Season 1
  • -- Everybody Still Hates Chris: Season 1
  • -- Social Studies: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

  • 94% The Penguin: Season 1
  • 83% Agatha All Along: Season 1
  • 85% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
  • 64% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
  • 100% From: Season 3
  • 46% Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Season 2
  • Best TV Shows
  • Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

  • 93% Nobody Wants This: Season 1 Link to Nobody Wants This: Season 1
  • All-Time Lists
  • Binge Guide
  • Comics on TV
  • Five Favorite Films
  • Video Interviews
  • Weekend Box Office
  • Weekly Ketchup
  • What to Watch

All Stephen King TV Series and Miniseries Ranked

All 47 DreamWorks Animation Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

Vote in the 1994 Movies Showdown – Round 2

  • Trending on RT
  • Hispanic Heritage Month
  • TV Premiere Dates
  • Most Anticipated TV Shows
  • Movie Re-Release Calendar

Star Trek Into Darkness

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek Into Darkness with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, even if it's not as fresh as its predecessor.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

J.J. Abrams

Capt. James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto

Dr. Leonard McCoy

Zoe Saldana

Nyota Uhura

Anton Yelchin

Pavel Chekov

Movie Clips

More like this, related movie news.

Screen Rant

Star trek: how khan was changed from tos for into darkness.

4

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.

Star Trek Explains Why It Uses 'Quadrants' Despite the Universe Being Infinite

I’m glad voyager’s tom and b’elanna are no longer star trek's only successful romance, i don't care if modern star trek breaks established canon.

Here's how Star Trek changed the villainous Khan from The Original Series for Star Trek Into Darkness . As Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) told the younger Spock ( Zachary Quinto ): "Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise ever faced." Indeed, Khan ranks at the very top on the list of Star Trek villains and Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) bellowing the tyrant's name is arguably the most memorable and most imitated moment in all of Star Trek .

Portrayed by the legendary Ricardo Montalbán, Khan debuted in the Star Trek:  TOS season 1 episode "Space Seed". He was the leader of a group of genetically augmented "supermen" who ruled Earth during the Eugenics Wars of the 1990s. When the world turned on them, Khan and his followers escaped the planet and placed themselves into cryosleep as their DY100 freighter traveled across the stars, only to encounter the Starship Enterprise in 2267. Once awakened, the charming but cunning Khan wasted little time in trying to take over the ship, only to be foiled by Kirk, whom he developed a grudging respect for. Kirk's solution was to deposit Khan and his people on the uncolonized planet Ceti Alpha V, which they could make into their new home. The Enterprise's historian, Lieutenant Marla McGivers (Madelyn Rue), fell in love with Khan and she joined him on his new conquest.

Related:  Star Trek: When Did Picard Take Over From Kirk?

When producer Harve Bennett took over the Star Trek movie franchise, he watched TOS to familiarize himself with the series and he was struck by Khan, who stood out as a larger-than-life villain with a story cliffhanger worth returning to. Bennett chose Khan as the titular antagonist of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , which revealed that the planet Kirk left him on became an uninhabitable wasteland and Khan blamed Kirk for his fate and for the death of his wife Marla. Khan stole the U.S.S. Reliant and the Genesis Device, which could terraform dead planets into an Earth-like paradise. Kirk and Khan engaged in a battle of wits that had tragic consequences; Spock sacrificed his life to save the Enterprise as Khan detonated the Genesis Device, which led to his own doom. Star Trek II is widely regarded as the best Star Trek movie ; Montalbán returned to play the older, more maniacal, bare-chested conqueror, who quoted Moby-Dick as he tried to prove his superiority over Kirk.

For their sequel to their hit 2009 Star Trek reboot, director J.J. Abrams and his writers, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman , and Damon Lindelof, gravitated to Khan as the villain for Star Trek Into Darkness . While much of the movie is about Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) discovering Starfleet Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) was secretly trying to militarize Starfleet, the filmmakers grafted Khan into their story as the secret villain and chose to repeat many of the key story beats of Star Trek II .

Benedict Cumberbatch, hot from playing the title role in Sherlock , was cast as Commander John Harrison, who was later revealed to be Khan incognito. To preserve the secrecy of their "Mystery Box", Abrams and his team repeatedly denied that Khan was in Star Trek Into Darkness in the build-up to the film, which backfired when many fans and critics rejected the swerve and decried the film as a blatant remake of Star Trek II .

Cumberbatch's Khan is meant to be the same character played by Montalbán, only awoken from cryo-sleep 9 years earlier in the Kelvin Timeline . Although his version is obviously Caucasian when the character is believed to be a Sikh (while Montalbán was Mexican), Cumberbatch properly conveyed Khan's calculating malevolence; his version hews closer to the Khan in "Space Seed" than the older, crazed Khan in Star Trek II . Also, it was Admiral Marcus, not Kirk, who revived Khan; Marcus meant to exploit the genetically augmented warlord's savagery to benefit his vision of a militarized Starfleet. Since Khan is a technical genius, he built weapons for Marcus before he realized the Admiral would betray him and Khan tried to save his people from Marcus by destroying Starfleet.

Related: Star Trek's Complex Future Explained

Both versions of Khan are superhumanly strong but the key switch Star Trek Into Darkness made was Kirk dying to save the Enterprise so that Spock could defeat their adversary. In The Original Series , Kirk needed weapons against Khan but Spock, being a Vulcan, was physically a match and bested him in a fight by unleashing his own suppressed anger. Luckily, Khan's genetically altered blood possessed healing properties (something also not in  TOS ) and Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) was able to use it to resurrect Kirk. While Montalbán's Khan perished in a fiery explosion, Cumberbatch's Khan was placed back in cryo-sleep so that the villain could possibly return in  Star Trek 4 or a future sequel.

Next: Star Trek's Crazy And Brilliant Reason Why Aliens Look Human

  • SR Originals
  • Star Trek Into Darkness
  • Create account
  • Contributions

Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness ( Paramount Pictures , 2013 ) is the twelfth feature film based on the popular science fiction television series , Star Trek: The Original Series . The film takes place in an alternate time line, dealing with James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise crew hunting down rogue Federation agent John Harrison.

James T. Kirk

  • There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that's not who we are... When Christopher Pike first gave me his ship, he had me recite the Captain's Oath. Words I didn't appreciate at the time. But now I see them as a call for us to remember who we once were and who we must be again. And those words: Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Her five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

John Harrison / Khan Noonien Singh

  • You…you should have LET ME SLEEP! [crushes Admiral Marcus' skull]
  • You think your world is safe? It is an illusion, a comforting lie told to protect you. Enjoy these final moments of peace, for I have returned, to have my vengeance.
  • Chris Pine – Captain James Tiberius Kirk
  • Zachary Quinto – Commander Spock
  • Zoe Saldana – Lieutenant Nyota Uhura
  • Karl Urban – Lieutenant Commander Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
  • Simon Pegg – Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
  • John Cho – Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu
  • Benedict Cumberbatch – "John Harrison" / Khan Noonien Singh
  • Anton Yelchin – Ensign Pavel Chekov
  • Bruce Greenwood – Rear Admiral Christopher Pike
  • Peter Weller – Admiral Alexander Marcus
  • Alice Eve – Dr. Carol Marcus
  • Noel Clarke – Thomas Harewood
  • Nazneen Contractor – Rima Harewood
  • Leonard Nimoy – Spock Prime

External links

star trek into darkness my name is khan

  • Star Trek films
  • 2010s American films
  • Films based on television series
  • Films directed by J.J. Abrams
  • Films about interracial romance
  • Show Spoilers
  • Night Vision
  • Sticky Header
  • Highlight Links

star trek into darkness my name is khan

Follow TV Tropes

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

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

Khan noonien singh.

Characters in Star Trek: The Original Series - 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)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harrison.jpg

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.

star trek into darkness my name is khan

  • 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:

star trek into darkness my name is khan

  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews

Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness

  • After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.
  • When the USS Enterprise crew is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. As our space heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew. — Paramount Pictures
  • The latest mission of the USS Enterprise crew takes them into deep space to rescue an endangered species from an active volcano. However, once again Captain Kirk's reckless behavior compromises the mission and nearly gets him booted from Starfleet. Turning back to his mentor Admiral Pike, Kirk is demoted to an academy cadet and has to start over. However, when a ruthless warlord attacks Starfleet and shoots Admiral Pike in the process, Kirk takes command and takes the Enterprise deep into the neutral zone and the Klingon homeworld. Unknown to the crew, a Starfleet renegade is manipulating the Federation and the Klingons into a possible war. Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew must stop the war before all hell breaks loose. And what awaits the crew of the USS Enterprise on their forthcoming five-year mission? — Blazer346
  • The USS Enterprise is sent to Planet Nibiru to observe a pre-warp civilization. Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) attempt to save the inhabitants from an imminent volcano eruption which would wipe out the civilization. When Spock's life is jeopardized, Kirk breaks the Prime Directive, exposing the Enterprise to the planet's civilization during Spock's rescue. A number of indigenous people begin to worship the ship as it leaves. Called back to Earth, Kirk is demoted to First Officer and Admiral Christopher Pike re-assumes command of the Enterprise. In London, Starfleet agent John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) bombs a secret "Section 31" installation. In San Francisco, Pike and his first officer attend an emergency meeting of high-ranking officers at Starfleet headquarters. The meeting is attacked by a gunship piloted by Harrison, who kills Pike. Kirk destroys the gunship, but Harrison flees. With Pike dead, Admiral Alexander Marcus authorizes Kirk to hunt down Harrison, who has used trans warp beaming and fled to the Klingon home world of Kronos. Since Kronos lies deep in Klingon territory and the Federation is on the brink of war with the Klingon Empire, the Enterprise is supplied with 72 long-range prototype photon torpedoes and is ordered to fire them at Harrison's location once he is found. Thinking that the torpedoes could be dangerous to the ship, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott refuses to take them aboard and tenders his resignation (which Kirk accepts), whereupon Pavel Chekov is promoted to Chief Engineer. Admiral Marcus' daughter, scientist Carol Marcus (Alice Eve), joins the crew under a false identity. Arriving at the Klingon home world, the Enterprise's warp core malfunctions. With repairs underway, Kirk, Spock and Uhura use a previously commandeered trader ship to reach Kronos. After being detected by Klingon patrol ships, the three are forced to land. Despite Uhura's attempts to negotiate, the Klingons prepare to kill the trio. Harrison wipes out the Klingons in a show of superhuman strength and confronts the landing party, but surrenders after learning the precise number of photon torpedoes aimed at him. Returning to the Enterprise, Harrison reveals his real identity: Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically augmented superhuman, who has been in Cryo sleep for 300 years after his unsuccessful war to have his superhuman comrades rule the Earth. He advises Kirk to examine the 72 prototype torpedoes and also tells him a set of spatial coordinates. Kirk orders Leonard McCoy to examine the torpedoes, and contacts Scotty on Earth to check the coordinates. The torpedoes are found to each contain a genetically engineered human in Cryo sleep - the remaining members of Khan's colleagues. Khan explains that Admiral Marcus awakened him to use his superior intellect and savagery to develop advanced weapons for a war with the Klingons, keeping his colleagues as hostages. He also says that now Marcus wants to kill Khan to erase every trace of his association with a known war criminal. Kirk realizes that the Enterprise's warp core had been sabotaged on Admiral Marcus' orders, making the covert operation to kill Khan a one-way ticket. Scotty arrives at the coordinates and finds a secret Starfleet shipyard, which he infiltrates. The Enterprise's warp core is repaired, but the ship is soon confronted by an unregistered Federation battleship, the USS Vengeance - a massive vessel built for combat which dwarfs the Enterprise. Admiral Marcus reveals himself as the commander of the Vengeance, demanding Kirk hand over Khan. Kirk refuses, and the Enterprise warps toward Earth, to have Khan stand trial. In Earth's orbit, the Enterprise is attacked by the Vengeance. With the Enterprise severely damaged, Kirk offers to hand over Khan and the 72 bodies in Cryo sleep in exchange for the lives of his crew. Marcus refuses, beams his daughter to the Vengeance, and orders the destruction of the Enterprise-when the Vengeance suddenly suffers a complete power outage, caused by Scotty who had boarded the ship at the secret shipyard. As the Enterprise weapons are too damaged to continue the fight and knowing that Khan was the designer of the Vengeance, Kirk allies himself with Khan and boards the ship. They reunite with Scotty and take the bridge. Meanwhile, Spock contacts Spock Prime to learn of Khan's history and how to defeat him. Khan betrays Kirk and takes control of the Vengeance, killing Admiral Marcus. Khan negotiates with Spock, beaming Kirk and his boarding party back to the Enterprise in exchange for the 72 Cryo torpedoes. Khan plans to destroy the Enterprise, but Spock reveals that real - and armed - torpedoes were beamed to the Vengeance, keeping the Cryo pods on the Enterprise. The torpedoes incapacitate the Vengeance and anger Khan, who believes that his 72 colleagues have been killed. Both ships start descending towards Earth's surface. At the cost of his life, Kirk re-aligns the warp core, enabling the crew to regain control of the Enterprise. The Vengeance crashes into downtown San Francisco but does not kill Khan. Khan tries to escape in the chaos but is pursued by Spock. McCoy discovers that Khan's blood may reanimate Kirk and Uhura prevents Spock from killing Khan, capturing him instead. In the aftermath, Kirk is revived and returns to duty as Captain of the Enterprise. Khan is sealed into his Cryo pod and stored away with the rest of his crew. As the film ends, a restored Enterprise is re-christened and departs for a 5-year mission of exploration.

Contribute to this page

  • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
  • Learn more about contributing

Star Trek Into Darkness

A series of terrorist attacks on Earth places Captain James T. Kirk on a mission to deal with the culprit. Nothing is as it seems, as the Starship Enterprise is entangled in covert machinations to ignite war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, with an ancient enemy in the mix. With alliances tested, relationships strained and differing motives clashing, how costly will the thirst for vengeance prove?

  • 1.1 Prologue
  • 1.2 Act One
  • 1.3 Act Two
  • 1.4 Act Three
  • 2 Memorable quotes
  • 3.1 Gathering a team
  • 3.2 Story and script
  • 3.4 Scene development
  • 3.5.1 Principal cast
  • 3.5.2 Returning guest stars
  • 3.5.3 New guest stars
  • 3.5.4 Extras
  • 3.5.5 Rehearsals and interaction
  • 3.6 Design, sets, and locations
  • 3.7 Filming
  • 3.8 Editing
  • 3.9 Music and sound
  • 3.10 Continuity
  • 4.1 Publicity and marketing
  • 4.2 Posters
  • 4.3 Box office
  • 4.4 Reception
  • 4.5 Merchandise gallery
  • 5 Awards and honors
  • 6.1.3 Second Unit
  • 6.1.4 Songs
  • 6.2.2 Stunt performers
  • 6.2.3 Stand-ins
  • 6.2.5 Production companies
  • 6.4.1 Other references
  • 6.4.2 Meta references
  • 6.4.3 Unreferenced material
  • 6.5 External links

Summary [ ]

Prologue [ ].

Nibiru village

The temple raided by Kirk and McCoy

During early 2259 , on the class M planet of Nibiru , Captain James T. Kirk is being chased away from a temple located at the base of an active volcano by native Nibirans . He is startled by an animal, and stuns it with his phaser . Behind the animal is an upset Leonard McCoy ; the beast Kirk has just stunned was to have been their "ride", leaving the two of them with no option but to flee on foot. Kirk has stolen a scroll sacred to the Nibirans.

Meanwhile, Hikaru Sulu is piloting a shuttlecraft into the volcano, with Spock and Nyota Uhura on board. Spock, protected by a copper-colored environmental suit , is preparing to detonate a cold fusion device inside the volcano that would stop a cataclysmic eruption from extinguishing life on the planet. Kirk tells them of their plight, using the communicator . Spock reminds Kirk about the Prime Directive , as the Nibirans are a primitive civilization . Kirk assures his first officer that he and Dr. McCoy were disguised; they were merely leading the natives further away from the volcano. With the shuttlecraft's thruster being choked by ash, Spock has to act fast. After a kiss from Uhura, he is lowered by cable into the volcano. During the descent, the shuttlecraft takes too much damage, and Sulu attempts to abort the drop. The cable Spock is hanging by abruptly snaps, suddenly dropping him into the volcano. Surprisingly, he survives the fall in his protective suit, and the cold fusion device is still operational. Sulu and Uhura are forced to abandon the shuttle; Uhura promises they will get Spock out.

Nibiru volcano

Harbinger of death

Satisfied they were far enough from the volcano, Kirk hangs the scroll he stole off a tree . The Nibirans cease their pursuit, allowing Kirk and McCoy to get away, jumping off a cliff into the ocean . Using miniprops and breathing apparatuses, they swim to the Enterprise and board through an airlock on the secondary hull . Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott is still not happy that they are hiding at the bottom of an ocean, complaining that the salt water may impede their ability to launch. The officers return to the bridge. Spock arms the cold fusion device , which has a three-minute timer. The volcano has a small eruption, with pyroclastic ejecta destroying the temple in which the group of Nibirans had been worshiping. Nibiru has a very strong magnetic field that was jamming their transporters ; the only way they can save Spock is by revealing themselves to fly above the volcano, which would violate the Prime Directive.

USS Enterprise resurfacing on Nibiru

The Enterprise surfaces from the sea

Kirk asks Dr. McCoy what Spock would do if Kirk were the one deploying the device; Bones replies that Spock would let him die. Spock was indeed prepared for that likelihood. The cold fusion device would freeze and kill him, along with freezing the volcano into dormancy. Before the device detonates, Spock closes his eyes and raises his arms to the sky above.

Spock in EV suit beamed aboard

" You violated the Prime Directive! "

The Nibirans are shocked when they see the Enterprise rising out of the ocean and above the volcano. Right before the cold fusion device is activated, Spock is beamed aboard the Enterprise , and they make their getaway. Kirk and McCoy join him in the transporter room . Spock is shocked that Kirk has blatantly violated the Prime Directive. Uhura tells them the cold fusion device has successfully detonated, but the crew is irked by Spock's apparent lack of gratitude as the violation of the Prime Directive will be a steep price to pay. The native Nibirans begin to worship an image of the Enterprise they have drawn in the soil , accepting it as their new deity.

Act One [ ]

The stardate is 2259.55. Back on Earth , Thomas Harewood , a Starfleet officer living in London , travels with his wife to Royal Children's Hospital , where their daughter is currently in a coma with a severe illness. After visiting her, Thomas Harewood is stopped by an individual he is unfamiliar with. The newcomer says he can save Harewood's daughter.

Pike dressing down Kirk

Pike dresses down Kirk

Meanwhile, back in San Francisco , Kirk is waking up in his apartment after a night spent with a pair of Caitian women. They are annoyed when he answers a call on his communicator from Starfleet. He and Spock are summoned to the office of Admiral Pike . Kirk is convinced they are going to be given Starfleet's first five-year mission of deep space exploration, though Spock is doubtful. When they arrive, Pike reveals that there are discrepancies between the captain's log on Nibiru, and a report Spock filed about what happened there; namely being, the former said it was "uneventful", while the latter detailed a breaking of the Prime Directive. Kirk is dismayed by Spock's apparent betrayal. After a brief argument, Pike dismisses Spock, and proceeds to dress Kirk down for his lack of humility and respect for the chair. Kirk counters that Pike convinced him to join Starfleet because of his maverick attitude. However, Starfleet Command saw it differently. The head of Starfleet Command, Admiral Alexander Marcus , has formed a tribunal that did not include Admiral Pike. The tribunal has relieved Kirk of his command, ordering him to return to Starfleet Academy . Pike tells Kirk pointedly that, one day, his reckless leadership is going to get his entire crew killed.

Kelvin Memorial Archive

The Kelvin Memorial Archive

Back in London, the unknown man extracts a vial of his own blood , and places it in a package along with a ring . The package goes to Harewood, who adds the vial's contents to his daughter's IV . As it begins to enter her bloodstream , her vitals return to normal. Harewood kisses his daughter's forehead in relief, knowing she will now be all right. Not long after, he goes to work at the Kelvin Memorial Archive , catching sight of the unknown man in the street immediately before entering, and takes a long elevator down below the archive. He goes to his workstation with a glass of water . After sending a message to Admiral Marcus, he drops the ring into the water, which quickly fizzes, then causes a massive explosion at the Kelvin Archive.

Pike and Kirk share a drink

Pike and Kirk share a drink

Kirk is drowning his sorrows at a local bar in San Francisco. He is about to talk to another woman when Admiral Pike sits between them. Kirk is surprised he has found him; the admiral simply says he knows Kirk well, recalling a bar fight with Starfleet cadets back in Iowa before Kirk enlisted. Pike reveals Starfleet gave the Enterprise back to him. Kirk suggests that keeping Spock as first officer isn't a good idea, but he's been transferred to the USS Bradbury anyway. Pike has pulled some strings, and gotten Kirk assigned to be his first officer on the Enterprise . Kirk is speechless, something Pike says is a first. He then gets a call from Starfleet. They are summoned to a meeting in the Daystrom Conference Room at Starfleet Headquarters .

Alexander Marcus at briefing

Admiral Alexander Marcus, the head of Starfleet

On their way to the conference room, Kirk meets Spock and tells him about his demotion. Spock is relieved the punishment was not more severe. Kirk is still upset that he was betrayed. Spock admits he should have warned Kirk beforehand that he would file a truthful report about the Nibiru incident. After a brief meeting with Frank Abbott , captain of the USS Bradbury , Kirk admits he'll miss Spock, though is irked when Spock is left speechless. Admiral Marcus opens the meeting. The message he received from Harewood was a confession, and informed him of who put him up to the attack: John Harrison , a Starfleet officer who has gone rogue. The officers present look over images taken of the scene after the attack, where forty-two people were killed. Kirk notices Harrison in the images with a bag, and asks Pike about it. Admiral Marcus notices their discussion and asks Kirk what the problem is. Kirk begins to express confusion as to why Harrison would target just an archive. Kirk says Harrison must have known that a terrorist attack on a Starfleet facility would result in this kind of meeting.

Clear the room

" CLEAR THE ROOM! "

Before Kirk can elaborate on his concerns, a jumpship appears outside their conference room, and opens fire, killing Captain Abbott and several other officers. The surviving officers take cover, and security personnel enter to combat the jumpship. Kirk takes up a phaser rifle from a fallen security officer and attacks it from the side to little effect. He sees the jumpship's engine intake, and gets an idea. He opens a fire hose unit, in a corridor of the building, and ties the hose around his rifle.

Chris Pike dead

Pike is killed by Harrison

As he works, Admiral Pike is fatally shot, and Spock pulls him to safety. Kirk throws the rifle and fire hose, which get sucked into the jumpship's intake. It takes the entire hose, then yanks its base out of the wall and through the engine, disabling the ship. Kirk gets a look at Harrison as he beams out of the falling jumpship. In the meeting room, Spock forms a mind meld with Pike right before he dies. Kirk then arrives, and breaks down at the death of his mentor.

Meanwhile, Harrison materializes on a completely different planet, lifts up the hood of his longcoat, and walks away.

Act Two [ ]

Kirk and Spock meet with Marcus

Kirk and Spock meet with Marcus

Kirk is recovering emotionally from the attack alone in his apartment, when he gets a call from Spock. Scott was investigating the wreckage of Harrison's jumpship, and found a portable transwarp beaming device on board. Its destination is set somewhere they normally cannot follow. Kirk and Spock head to Starfleet Headquarters, and they tell Admiral Marcus where Harrison ended up: Qo'noS , the homeworld of the Klingon Empire . Marcus was afraid this would happen. Spock notes Harrison materialized on a nominally uninhabited province of the planet, and Kirk says he is not afraid to go after him. Marcus comes clean about the true nature of Harrison and Harewood's target. They bombed a secret facility of Section 31 , Starfleet's black ops division, which was researching weapons and tactics for a potential war with the Klingons and any other species that mean to do the Federation harm. As far as he is concerned, the war with the Klingons was already beginning. He has a new variety of advanced long-range torpedoes that Kirk can use to covertly take out Harrison. He gives Kirk back command of the Enterprise , and Kirk requests Spock be reinstated as his first officer.

Carol Wallace flight suit STID

Dr. "Carol Wallace" joins the crew of the Enterprise

As they prepare to return to the Enterprise on a shuttlecraft, Spock expresses his misgivings about killing Harrison without a trial , and insists Kirk take some of the travel time to reconsider. Dr. McCoy joins them, telling Kirk he missed his check-up, which he does on the shuttlecraft. They are joined by Dr. Carol Wallace , a weapons expert who Admiral Marcus has assigned to the Enterprise as an extra science officer . Spock is alarmed by this turn of events. Kirk is just as surprised but welcomes the extra help.

When they get on board the Enterprise , Spock heads immediately to the bridge , while Kirk talks with Scott in engineering . Scott is unwilling to allow the new photon torpedoes on-board, because he cannot examine the shielded devices, and the Section 31 personnel refuse to tell him what they are fueled by and will not provide detailed schematics. He does not want to risk firing unknown weapons around the warp core ; any instability could wreck it and kill everyone on board. He is also upset that his transwarp equation was appropriated by Starfleet Command, ending up in Harrison's hands for his crime spree. When Kirk insists the torpedoes be loaded in, Scott resigns, with Keenser following suit. Before he departs, Scotty begs Kirk not to use the torpedoes.

Kirk and Uhura in turbolift

" Sometimes I want to rip the… bangs off his head. "

Kirk returns to the bridge with Uhura in a turbolift . He tells her of Scott's resignation, and his recent issues with Spock. She lets on that she and Spock have been having problems recently as well. Before they can discuss it in more detail, they arrive. Kirk promotes navigator Pavel Chekov to chief engineer , since he has been shadowing Scotty recently, and tells him to put on a red shirt and head to engineering. They depart and proceed to Qo'noS. Kirk issues an all-call with his general orders for the mission, planning to arrest John Harrison on the planet and to use the missiles only if Harrison refuses to go quietly. Spock is relieved Kirk has reconsidered Admiral Marcus' original orders, and suggests he himself could join Kirk on his mission. Spock then goes back to engineering, where he confronts Carol Wallace. The identity she presented Kirk was fake; Admiral Marcus is her father, and " Wallace " is her mother's maiden name. Her real name is Carol Marcus . He demands to know why she is really on the ship.

Before she can give her reasons and prior to the Enterprise reaching Qo'noS, the ship violently drops out of warp . Chekov has found a coolant leak in the warp core, and stopped the ship manually. They are still twenty minutes away from Qo'noS. Kirk recruits Uhura, who knows Klingon , to join him and Spock. He gives Sulu command for the first time, with orders to contact Harrison before they arrive to demand his surrender . Dr. McCoy is concerned, but Kirk is sure Sulu is up to the task. They use a vehicle they confiscated a month before, in the " Mudd Incident ". Kirk orders two other officers, including Hendorff , to remove their red shirts and change into more casual clothing ; they cannot have any obvious connection to the Federation on this mission, lest they start an interstellar war . Chekov assures Kirk he will try his best to repair the engines before they return.

Spock, Kirk and Uhura in K'normian ship

Spock and Uhura quarrel

As Kirk pilots their vehicle to Harrison's location, Sulu sends his message via a targeted com burst, giving Harrison two minutes to surrender, or he will be eliminated with new, advanced weapons. Sulu's message is assertive enough that it startles the previously skeptical Dr. McCoy, who asks the helmsman to remind him " never to piss you off. "

While flying through the atmosphere of Qo'noS, Uhura and Spock begin to argue, much to Kirk's dismay. Uhura is upset at Spock's apparent lack of feelings recently, especially after his rescue at Nibiru. She also tells Spock that Kirk is upset with him too. Though Kirk doesn't want to be dragged into it, he admits that she's right. Spock tries to assure her and Kirk that they are mistaken by his attitude. He recalls his mind meld with Admiral Pike, and how he felt Pike's final emotions before his death. They reminded him of how he felt when Vulcan was destroyed. He assures Uhura that he simply does not want that kind of despair anymore, and that his feelings for her are still as strong as ever.

Klingon patrol leader, 2259

" Why should I care about a Human killing Humans? "

Their relief is short-lived, as their ship comes under fire from a D4-class Klingon vessel, apparently on a random patrol. Without any offensive capabilities, Kirk is given access to all the ship's fuel cells to evade the patrol's fire and try to outrun it. He finds a narrow space and squeezes the ship through it, evading capture. Kirk thinks they have escaped, but Uhura suggests the Klingons may be jamming sensors. The Starfleet officers are soon surrounded by three more D4-class ships, which order them to land. Uhura tells her shipmates they will be tortured, interrogated, and killed. She insists she be allowed to try to reason with the Klingons. The trading craft lands, and Uhura leaves the vessel, confronted by about fifteen Klingon warriors in full-face armored helmets. Spock warns Kirk not to interfere, lest he incur their wrath and Uhura's. Still, Kirk gets some phasers ready, just in case. Uhura tells the Klingon patrol that she and her allies are on the planet to arrest a criminal who has put both their planets in danger. The leader of the patrol , who removes his helmet, tells her he has little concern for Humans killing Humans. Hoping to play on the Klingons' strong traditions, she counters that the criminal has no honor. Unimpressed, however, the Klingon leader grabs Uhura by her jaw and draws a knife, prepared to kill her.

Khan on Kronos

Harrison rescues the Enterprise party

Suddenly, somebody shoots down the Klingon patrol; it's Harrison, armed with a rapid-fire rifle and a larger beam cannon . The Enterprise officers attack, in a mix of phaser fire and hand-to-hand combat. Kirk has little luck physically, but is able to shoot several Klingon warriors armed with disruptors and various blade weapons, including daggers and bat'leths . Harrison proves to be incredibly adept with his phaser cannon as well as hand-to-hand. Other Klingon ships drop reinforcements, but they are killed as well. Harrison kills the last few Klingons with their own knives. He turns his cannon on Kirk, and asks how many of the advanced torpedoes he has. Spock replies after Kirk doesn't, saying they have seventy-two. Harrison immediately surrenders, unconditionally. Kirk accepts, then attempts to knock Harrison out by punching and beating him repeatedly, none of which has any effect on him whatsoever.

Kirk confronts Harrison in brig

Kirk confronts his mysterious prisoner

Harrison is returned to the Enterprise and taken to the brig . Dr. McCoy takes a blood sample, to try to figure out the prisoner's physiology. Harrison insists that he be allowed to speak with Kirk. Spock thinks he wants to get into Kirk's head, but Kirk agrees. Harrison somehow knows about the damage to the warp core, suggesting something is amiss. He tells Kirk two things. First, Harrison gives Kirk a set of coordinates: 23-17-46-11, a point near Earth. Harrison says Kirk can find some answers there. He then insists they open one of the photon torpedoes to find out exactly what is inside.

Back on Earth, Scott is at a bar in San Francisco with Keenser, upset that Keenser allowed him to go through with resigning. Kirk contacts Scotty and gives him the coordinates Harrison gave him. He admits Scott was likely right about the torpedoes, which Scott accepts as an apology, though he cuts the conversation short. Whereas Scott is in no mood to do Kirk any favors, Keenser insists they help anyway.

Khan in cryo tube

" Why is there a man in that torpedo? "

The Enterprise is still hobbled, but has enough power to go to a nearby planetoid , where they can safely examine one of the photon torpedoes. Kirk assures Chekov that the engine issues are likely not his fault. They have sent a message to Admiral Marcus with news that they have captured Harrison, but have received no reply. Spock reveals the true identity of Carol Marcus, and suggests she and Dr. McCoy can try to open a photon torpedo.

Later, on the surface of the planetoid , Marcus directs McCoy in cutting a necessary wire. The moment he does, the compartment slams shut on his arm, and the torpedo arms with a thirty-second timer. Marcus disarms it with only 2.57 seconds to spare, and it opens, revealing a cryo tube with a frozen person inside.

Khan in brig reveals identity

"My name is… KHAN."

The coordinates take Scott to Jupiter , where he finds a large shipyard . Following a sortie of similar shuttlecraft, what Scott sees in the shipyard alarms him.

Kirk and Spock listen to Khan

" My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family? "

Back on the Enterprise , Dr. McCoy examines the cryo tube. The body preserved inside is still viable, but Humans have not needed cryogenic technology since they became warp-capable . The person inside is three hundred years old. Kirk and Spock return to Harrison for answers. He says all the torpedoes contain his old crew. He reveals himself to be Khan , a genetically engineered Human . He and his crew were exiled into space at the end of the 20th century . His cryoship was found by Admiral Marcus after the destruction of Vulcan , and he alone was awoken. Marcus wanted his savagery as well as his intellect to prepare for potential war with the Klingons. He also reveals that Marcus wanted Kirk to fire those torpedoes on Qo'noS and purposely sabotaged the Enterprise 's warp core, leaving them stranded for the Klingons to find, igniting the war that Marcus desires. Kirk refuses to accept it, but condemns Khan's actions. Khan states that Marcus held his crew hostage to force him to do his bidding. He put his crew in the torpedoes in an attempt to smuggle them to safety, but they were discovered, and he was forced to escape alone. Khan says he committed his terrorist acts on the assumption that his crew had already been killed.

USS Enterprise and USS Vengeance face off

The Enterprise is confronted by the USS Vengeance

A ship approaches the Enterprise , but not from Klingon space. Kirk has Khan moved to medbay under heavy guard. The ship is an enormous unmarked Starfleet vessel, the USS Vengeance . Kirk is hailed by Admiral Marcus; he has the communication broadcast throughout the ship and recorded. He tells the admiral that engine issues had prevented him from killing "Harrison", revealing he knows the man's true identity. He also suggests Marcus knows what's going on. In turn, Marcus accuses Kirk of being affected mentally by Khan, and insists Khan be killed immediately. He then orders Kirk to turn Khan over, but the Enterprise 's transporters are down. Kirk falsely tells Marcus that Khan is in engineering, before breaking communication, and asking Chekov if they can go to warp. Chekov says they can, but the warp core is still hobbled, so it's risky. They go to warp anyway, and head to Earth.

USS Vengeance fires on the USS Enterprise

The Vengeance fires on the Enterprise …

The USS Enterprise damaged by the USS Vengeance

…with devastating results

" Well, at least we're moving again, " McCoy says in the medbay. However, Khan reminds a nearby Carol Marcus they are not safe at warp speed. She runs to the bridge, and warns Kirk that the Vengeance has the ability to engage other ships at warp speed. Indeed, the Vengeance catches up with the Enterprise , and proceeds to fire on the other ship; an initial volley from the Vengeance causes a major hull breach in engineering aboard the Enterprise , killing dozens of crew members, before a second volley cripples the Enterprise 's starboard warp nacelle , causing the craft to drop out of warp between Earth and its moon . Carol Marcus tries to contact her father, skeptical he will destroy the Enterprise if he knows she is on-board. He simply beams her aboard the Vengeance . Admiral Marcus then accuses Kirk and his crew of being in league with "Harrison" and sentences them all to death; Kirk attempts to plead for the life of the Enterprise crew, but Marcus admits that he intended to destroy the Enterprise with all hands from the very start, and cuts communications.

Before the Vengeance can destroy the Enterprise , though, the Vengeance 's systems are reset; Kirk immediately receives a transmission from Scott, who has sneaked on-board the Vengeance . It will take time for its systems to restart, so they have an opening to stop Admiral Marcus. Kirk puts Spock in command of the Enterprise . Spock is resistant to this idea, but Kirk insists the Enterprise needs somebody who "knows what they're doing" in command. Kirk heads to sickbay, and asks Khan about the Vengeance 's capabilities. It is a Dreadnought -class , twice as big, three times as fast, and far more heavily armed than the Enterprise . At the same time, McCoy injects Khan's blood into a dead tribble to examine his blood's effects. Kirk asks for Khan's help, assuring him this will be his only opportunity to save his crew.

Kirk and Khan in thruster suits

" The enemy of my enemy is my friend. "

Kirk and Khan will traverse space to board the Vengeance . The Enterprise maneuvers enough for its waste exhaust to be aligned with one of the Vengeance 's airlocks, and Scott dashes to a station where he can open it manually. Kirk and Khan don thruster-powered spacesuits and navigate the debris field, heading to the Vengeance . During the flight, Kirk's helmet is hit by a piece of debris, knocking out his heads-up display. Khan is also knocked off course, but reestablishes himself and encourages Kirk to align himself with Khan's course and enter the airlock together. Inside the Vengeance , Scott is caught by a lone security officer , but he is able to actuate the airlock, allowing Khan and Kirk in, while also blowing out the security officer.

Spock 2259 alternate reality

Spock Prime warns his younger self about Khan

Spock asks Uhura to patch him through to New Vulcan and reaches his counterpart from the prime universe , Ambassador Spock . The younger Spock asks about Khan and if his elder self encountered Khan before. Although Ambassador Spock has not wanted to alter his younger self's destiny, he makes an exception in this case. He reveals that Khan is none other than Khan Noonien Singh , the most dangerous adversary ever faced by the crew of the elder Spock's Enterprise ; Khan is, according to Ambassador Spock, brilliant, ruthless, and will not hesitate to kill every single crew member. The elder Spock recalls that he and his shipmates defeated Khan, but at a terrible cost .

Act Three [ ]

Kirk, Scott, and Khan on the Vengeance

Kirk, Scott, and Khan head to the bridge of the Vengeance

On the bridge of the Vengeance , Admiral Marcus confronts Carol, who simply slaps him, and expresses her shame for being his daughter. Khan, Kirk and Scott head toward the bridge on foot, with Khan navigating them through the engine compartments where weapons cannot be safely used. They succeed in one fistfight with Vengeance crew. Khan jumps ahead of them briefly. Kirk tells Scott to stun Khan the moment they secure the bridge. Spock orders all his medical and engineering personnel to the weapons bay, and asks Dr. McCoy to work on arming the torpedoes. Right when the Vengeance 's weapons come back online, Kirk and his crew make it to the bridge, and stun everyone except Admiral Marcus and Carol. Scott then stuns Khan as ordered. Kirk places Admiral Marcus under arrest, and orders him out of the chair, not wanting to take him by force in front of his daughter. However, Khan is not as stunned as they had hoped – he gets up and attacks Scott and Kirk. He then breaks Carol's leg, and crushes Admiral Marcus' skull, prompting a horrified scream from Carol.

USS Vengeance detonating

The Vengeance detonating

Khan hails the Enterprise , and orders Spock to give him the photon torpedoes. Spock refuses, but Khan says he can get them himself, without Spock's help, by disabling the Enterprise 's life support system and waiting for the Enterprise crew to suffocate before retrieving the torpedoes himself. Since his crew is frozen, they don't need the air anyway. Spock complies, and assists Khan in locating the torpedoes. He beams them safely aboard, then beams Kirk, Scott, and Carol Marcus onto the Enterprise , before attacking it again. However, unbeknownst to him, Spock had the photon torpedoes armed before beaming them to the Vengeance . They explode, hopelessly disabling the ship and leaving Khan anguished over the apparent loss of his crew. Dr. McCoy then tells Kirk that Spock had the cryo tubes removed, and they are now safely in medbay.

USS Enterprise falling to Earth

The Enterprise begins to spiral down to Earth

At that point, the engines go completely down, and main power fails, with backup power severely crippled. With the ship having been station-keeping over Earth, it promptly begins to fall toward the planet. Spock orders all personnel to abandon ship, but the crew refuses, willing to go down with him. Kirk and Scott make their way to engineering, a difficult trip with the ship tumbling and artificial gravity systems failing. While there, they end up hanging from the walkways when the ship is upside down, but are saved by Chekov. When they reach the warp core, they find the injectors broken. Kirk decides to fix the warp core himself, but the chamber containing it is loaded with lethal radiation. The captain overrides objections Scott voices by knocking him out with a punch, then enters the warp core chamber. Kirk manages to knock the dislocated side of an injector back into place, and the warp core consequently fires back up, simultaneously exposing Kirk to the radiation. The ship enters Earth's atmosphere, but stops falling just below a layer of clouds, and stabilizes with multiple thrusters firing.

Kirk's hand on glass, Spock salutes

"I'm scared, Spock…"

Spock screaming Khan

"Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!"

The Enterprise 's systems gradually come back online. When he regains consciousness, Scotty calls Spock urgently to engineering. Spock goes to the door to the chamber, which Kirk is lying against. They cannot open the chamber until it is decontaminated. Spock tells Kirk he saved the ship. Kirk commends Spock's action of using what Khan wanted against him; Spock replies that it's what the captain would have done. Kirk offers that sacrificing himself to save the crew is what Spock would have done . Knowing he's going to die, Kirk tells Spock he's scared, and asks him how he is able to not feel. Spock, himself in tears, admits he doesn't know, and is failing to hold back his emotions. Kirk then begins to tell Spock why he saved his life on Nibiru, but Spock knows – "because you are my friend." After saying that, he sheds a tear. Kirk reaches out to Spock as the Vulcan presses his hand against the partition in the salute of his world . Kirk then succumbs to radiation poisoning and dies. In Spock, all the rage and hate felt towards the man he now blames for his friend's death erupts to the surface in a primal scream of Khan's name.

Khan sets Vengeance on collision course

" Set destination: STARFLEET HEADQUARTERS! "

USS Vengeance crashes into San Francisco

The Vengeance crashing into San Francisco

The Vengeance falls past the Enterprise , out of control. Khan, now bent on revenge for his crew, targets his ship on a suicide run at Starfleet Headquarters . The Vengeance crushes Alcatraz , skims across San Francisco Bay , and plows through the city, leveling everything in its path. Spock, returning to the bridge, orders Sulu and Chekov to find Khan, believing him to be capable of surviving the crash. Sensors locate him, but there is too much interference to beam him up to the Enterprise . Instead, Spock elects to beam down to Earth and take Khan out. After a chase through the chaos that has now engulfed the heart of Starfleet, Spock catches up with Khan on top of a moving garbage barge . Khan quickly relieves Spock of his phaser, leaving the two to struggle hand-to-hand.

In the Enterprise 's medbay, Kirk's body lies in an open body bag, surrounded by Dr. McCoy, Carol Marcus, Scott, and other crew members who are all saddened by the loss of their friend and captain who has just given his life to save their lives. McCoy notices the dead tribble he tested Khan's blood on is slowly regaining its life signs. Realizing the effects of the genetically enhanced blood, he orders one of Khan's people removed from its cryo tube, reanimated, and held in a medically induced coma. He freezes Kirk to preserve his brain function, but he doesn't have any more of Khan's blood – he needs Khan back alive.

Spock neckpinches Khan

Spock proves to be Khan's physical equal

Spock continues to fight with Khan in an evenly matched battle. Khan tries to jump to another garbage barge, but the Vulcan follows, proving physically to be Khan's equal. The crew cannot make contact with him, so Uhura beams to the transport vehicle. As the battle intensifies and Khan becomes dangerously close to killing Spock, she opens fire on Khan with a phaser set to stun. Although it has little to no effect on him, it serves to distract Khan enough for Spock to turn the tide. He breaks Khan's arm and starts to beat on him in a rage. Uhura screams for Spock not to kill Khan, that they need him to save Kirk. Upon realizing that Kirk can be saved, Spock regains his emotional control and finishes Khan with an uppercut, knocking him out.

Khan is returned to stasis

Two weeks later, Kirk wakes up in a hospital bed in San Francisco. Dr. McCoy has created a serum from Khan's blood to revive the captain. Kirk thanks Spock for saving his life. In turn, Spock expresses gratitude that Jim is alive. Elsewhere, Khan has been returned to his cryo tube, and he and his crew lay frozen in a darkened room.

Kirk and Spock embark on five year mission

The five-year mission begins

Nearly a year after the events, Kirk addresses a gathering at the rechristening ceremony for the USS Enterprise , which has been rebuilt. He says that Starfleet should not let enemies pull them away from their true mission of exploration. Soon after, Kirk returns to the Enterprise , where all is in order to begin their five-year mission in deep space. He relieves Sulu from the captain's chair ; Sulu admits he finds the power of command to be addictive. Dr. McCoy is dismayed by the length of their mission. Scott, who has returned to his post as chief engineer with Keenser, reports the engines are "purring like a kitten" and that the vessel is ready for a long journey. Kirk welcomes Carol Marcus aboard as part of their crew and family. Spock expresses his trust in Kirk's "good judgment" on where to begin their exploration. With that, Kirk orders Sulu to take the ship out.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" If Spock were here, and I were there, what would he do? " " He'd let you die. "

" Oh, come on Spock. They saw us. Big deal. "

" Tell me more about this volcano. The data says it was highly volatile and if it were to erupt it would wipe out the planet. " " Let's hope it doesn't, sir. " " Something tells me it won't. "

" Had the mission gone according to plan, Admiral, the indigenous species would never have been aware of our interference. " " That's a technicality. " " I am Vulcan, sir, we embrace technicality. " " Are you giving me attitude, Spock? " " I am expressing multiple attitudes simultaneously. To which are you referring? "

" Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass you are? " " I think so, sir. " " So tell what you did wrong. What's the lesson to be learned here? " " Never trust a Vulcan. "

" You think the rules don't apply to you, because you disagree with them. "

" You don't respect the chair . You know why? Because you're not ready for it. "

" That was an epic beating. " " No, it wasn't. " " You had napkins hanging out of your nose. Did you not? " " Yeah, that was a good fight. "

" What did you tell him? " " The truth. That I believe in you . That if anybody deserves a second chance, it's Jim Kirk. " " I don't know what to say. " " That IS a first… it's gonna be OK, son. "

" You got something to say Kirk, say it. Tomorrow's too late. "

" All-out war with the Klingons is inevitable, Mr. Kirk. If you ask me, it's already begun. Since we first learned of their existence, the Klingon Empire has conquered and occupied two planets that we know of, fired on our ships half a dozen times. They are coming our way. "

" Jim, for the love of God, do not use those torpedoes. "

" Wait, are you guys… are you guys fighting? " " I'd rather not talk about it, sir. " " Oh, my God! What is that even like? "

" Ears burning? "

" Go put on a red shirt . "

" Alright, let's go get this son of a bitch. Kirk out. "

" Mr. Chekov, did you break my ship? "

" Jim, you're not actually going down there are you? You don't rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat-tire. "

" Jim, wait, you just sat that man down a high-stakes poker game with no cards and told him to bluff. Now Sulu's a good man, but he is no captain. " " For the next two hours he is. And enough with the metaphors, all right? That's an order. "

" Attention John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise . A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will unleash the entire payload of advanced long-range torpedoes currently locked on to your location. You have two minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal to do so will result in your obliteration. If you test me, you will fail. " " Mr. Sulu… remind me never to piss you off. "

" We’re outnumbered, outgunned. There’s no way we survive if we attack first. You brought me here because I speak Klingon. Then let me speak Klingon. "

" I am here to help you. With respect, there is a criminal hiding in these ruins. He has killed many of our people. " " Why should I care about a Human killing Humans? " " Because you care about honor. And this man has none. "

" Let me explain what's happening here. You are a criminal! I watched you murder innocent men and women; I was authorized to end you! And the only reason why you are still alive is because I am allowing it; so shut… your…mouth! " " Captain, are you going to punch me again over and over till your arm weakens? Clearly you want to so tell me: why did you allow me to live? "

" 23-17-46-11, coordinates not far from Earth . If you want to know why I did what I did, go and take a look. " " Give me one reason why I should listen to you " " I can give you 72 . And they're on board your ship, captain. They have been all along. "

" Well now, if it isn't Captain James Tiberius… 'Perfect Hair.' Did you hear that? I called him 'Perfect Hair!' Ha!'"

" What, you don't think I can remember four numbers? (chuckling) You of little faith! … What was the third one? "

"' 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. "

" We both know who it is. "

" Per Starfleet regulations I'm planning on returning… Khan… to Earth to stand trial. " " Well… shit… you talked to him… "

" Sir, my crew was just following my orders. I take full responsibility for my actions but they were mine and they were mine alone. If I transmit Khan's location to you now, all I ask is that you spare them. Please, sir. I'll do anything you want. Just let them live. " " That's a hell of an apology. But if it's any consolation, I was never gonna spare your crew. Fire when… "

" I'm sorry… "

" You're a miracle worker! "

" It’s not easy! Will ya give me two seconds, ya mad bastard! "

" Mr. Spock. " " Mr. Spock. "

" I will be brief. In your travels, did you ever encounter a man named Khan? " " As you know, I have made a vow never to give you information that could potentially alter your destiny. Your path is yours to walk and yours alone. That being said, Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise ever faced. He is brilliant, ruthless and he will not hesitate to kill every single one of you. " " Did you defeat him? " " At great cost , yes. " " How? "

" The minute we get to the bridge, drop him. " " What, stun him? Khan? I thought he was helping us! " " I'm pretty sure we're helping him . "

" You… you should have let me sleep! "

" You betrayed us! " " Oh, you are smart, Mr. Spock. "

" Your crew requires oxygen to survive, mine does not. I will target your life support systems located behind the aft nacelle and after every single person aboard your ship suffocates, I will walk over your cold corpses to recover my people. Now… shall we begin? "

" Well Kirk, it seems apt to return you to your crew. After all… no ship should go down without her captain ! "

" The ship's dead, sir! She's gone! " " No, she's not! "

" I'm scared, Spock. Help me not be. How do you choose not to feel? " " I do not know. Right now, I am failing. " " I want you to know why I couldn't let you die… why I went back for you… " " Because you are my friend. "

" KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!! "

" Go get him. "

" Spock, stop! STOP! He's our only chance to save Kirk! "

" Oh, don't be so melodramatic. You were barely dead. "

" Tell me are you feeling, homicidal , power -mad, despotic ? " " No more than usual. "

" You saved my life. " " Uhura and I had something to do with it, too, you know. "

" It's hard to get out of it once you've had a taste, isn't that right Mr. Sulu? " " "Captain" does have a nice ring to it. Chair's all yours, sir. "

" Scotty, how's our core? " " Purring like a kitten, captain. She's ready for a long journey. "

" Five years in space … God help me! "

" Where should we go? " " As a mission of this duration has never been attempted, I defer to your good judgement, captain. "

Background information [ ]

Gathering a team [ ].

The prospect of working on this film along with J.J. Abrams , Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman , and Bryan Burk originally drew Damon Lindelof to the project. " The idea of doing this job with anyone other than J.J., Bob, Alex and Bryan was not appealing to me, " Lindelof admitted. " It's what made me carve out the time necessary to do this movie. " Once each of the five cleared their schedules, they began working on this sequel film. The team grew from that point on, Abrams later explaining, " Everyone, with very few exceptions, came back for the sequel. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 72 & 14)

Scene development [ ]

A shot depicting Scott reacting in surprise to a view of a Nibiran fish was invented "just to reinforce the idea you're underwater," Visual Effects Supervisor Roger Guyett mentioned. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

The story line involving the Harewood family evolved from the writers being interested in triggering Human emotions in the audience shortly after the movie starts. " We discussed wanting to have something that was an emotional opening, " observed J.J. Abrams. " And so the idea was to try and find ways to make Human drama, a family with a sick child, not trite, but to make it something that was surprising and to an end […] It ended up being not only a sort of unexpected way in to meet our bad guy, but also a critical setup for the end of the movie. So, this little girl, who you meet at the beginning, who is unconscious and dying, and these wildly depressed parents, who are so sad, end up really being kind of the setup for our bad guy in the film. " ("Introducing the Villain", "Featurettes", Star Trek: The Compendium Blu-ray special features)

Owing to the significance of establishing the connection between Kirk and Pike, the film's first scene that features them, in which Pike reprimands Kirk, was heavily rewritten. " There were many incarnations of that scene, " Maryann Brandon recalled. In the scene's original version, Pike himself took the Enterprise away from Kirk and then tried to be fatherly to him. This was rewritten, so that Pike relays orders from Starfleet to reassign Kirk off the ship and then implies he is unable to do anything to circumvent those instructions. The rewrite only happened after the creative personnel struck upon the thought of writing a new scene, set in a bar, later in the plot. They realized they had to split Pike's actions of firstly relaying news to Kirk that he was to be transferred off the vessel and secondly being fatherly to Kirk into two separate scenes, with the bar scene serving the latter purpose. Admiral Marcus was deliberately referenced in the debriefing scene, in order to establish the character at a relatively early point in the film. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features) The reason Kirk is judged as not being ready for captaincy, an opinion expressed directly by Pike in this scene (as well as indirectly by Admiral Marcus), was that the writers were inspired by fans repeatedly criticizing Kirk as having become captain terribly quickly in the previous film. ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 024)

A scripted scene straight after the one in which Pike scolds Kirk featured the introduction of Carol Marcus, with Kirk meeting her for the first time. J.J. Abrams and the film's writers, with some convincing by Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey, decided the scene wasn't necessary and took it out. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

The only reason the bar scene featuring Pike and Kirk was set in a bar was to remind the audience that the two officers first met in a bar, in the film Star Trek . Having Pike console Kirk in the bar scene additionally served to make Pike's death more emotionally affecting. Mary Jo Markey stated, " As a group, we weren't feeling very much about Pike's death, when it happened, and came to feel that part of the problem with it was that there was never a point in the movie where we were really on Pike's side, and this scene was kind of designed to make you feel like, 'I really care about Pike. And I remember what a great guy he is, and what a great influence he's been on Kirk, and how he's really the guy that changed Kirk's life. He's a true father figure to him.' " Maryann Brandon agreed, " We deliberately had Admiral Pike say, 'I believe in you,' so that, you know, when he gets killed, really Kirk is alone. And we really needed Kirk to go to a dark place, so that you would believe that he would risk the life of his crew to […] go into Klingon space and take revenge. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features) In Maryann Brandon's opinion, the addition of the bar scene made "a huge difference in the film." ("Unlocking the Cut", "Featurettes", Star Trek: The Compendium Blu-ray special features)

In the first scene that Admiral Marcus appears in, a speech delivered by him was rewritten several times. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features) As for the rationale behind the death of Admiral Pike, later in that sequence, Bruce Greenwood recalled something J.J. Abrams once told him; " He said, 'We felt the relationship was so strong that we decided to hang Kirk's quest on the end of that relationship.' " ( Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 , p. 21)

An initial shot of Khan on Kronos was originally not written into the film, nor was an immediately subsequent scene in which a reflective Kirk, sitting in a room at Starfleet Headquarters, answers a call from Spock. " We didn't have a moment where Kirk just lost all hope, and we felt we needed it right before he gets called to action, " Maryann Brandon remembered. There was some debate over who the caller should be. It was originally Scott before it changed to Spock. However, a scene immediately thereafter, in which Kirk is told that "Harrison" used a portable transwarp beaming device to escape, then had to be rewritten so that it's Scott who gives him that news. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

A later scene – wherein Kirk and Spock notify Admiral Marcus that "Harrison" has fled to Kronos, Marcus tells them that Starfleet is on the verge of war with the Klingons, and he finally then sends them to kill "Harrison" – was worked on a lot and was added to with some additional dialogue. " It was a question just of what it was gonna be, exactly, " Maryann Brandon recollected, " and how to show Kirk's drive for revenge without making him seem like he was only about revenge and that his feelings about Pike had been entirely pushed to the side. It was just a balancing act to try to keep all those things. We ended up writing some new dialogue that's placed on a shot that, for the most part, it was a matter of sort of shading performance and cutting some of the scene out. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

The shuttlecraft journey that takes Kirk, Spock, and Carol Marcus to the Enterprise was rewritten a few times. Objections voiced by Spock to Kirk, regarding their mission, were reworked. " Although this stuff was in the original scene, " stated Maryann Brandon, " they were more implied and referred to than just boldly stated [in the way they ended up being] […] But I think it was really important, because it's where, again, […] we're really making clear what the themes are of the film, this idea of personal goals versus universal goals, and universal principles versus taking things into your own hands and deciding that your principles are the ones that are important. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

Some new dialogue might have been created for the scene showing Sulu, in command of the Enterprise , transmitting threats to "Harrison". " The dialogue, I think, was essentially the same. I mean, we might have given him a few new lines in there, " reckoned Mary Jo Markey. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

More definite is that the journey to Kronos in a K'normian trading ship was revised. Mary Jo Markey and Maryann Brandon felt the original scene didn't work so well for Uhura and Kirk, being less informative for them as well as the audience, regarding Spock's emotional well being. " It became a scene that was really designed to help Uhura more fully understand Spock, and then, you know, of course by extension to help us [the audience] understand Spock better, " commented Markey. " And we ended up feeling that it needed to be more about a much deeper understanding of Spock's emotional make-up, or unemotional make-up, or whatever it is exactly that a Vulcan has, where he talks about the experience of seeing his whole planet die and the existential experience of that, and how it has made him feel even more committed to the Vulcan way. " New dialogue was written for the revised version of this scene. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

J.J. Abrams was determined to include the battle sequence between the Starfleet landing party and the Klingons. " The idea of an action sequence that is harrowing, exciting, and scary, involving Klingons and our characters, was too delicious to pass up, " he remarked. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 17)

A subsequent scene in which Khan, held in the Enterprise 's brig, tells Kirk and Spock about his past, revealing his name for the first time, was a result of the desire to include, in the film, exposition regarding Khan. The writers knew the line " My name is Khan " was not only a significant line in the film, but also that, if the production staff were able to get that moment right, it would elicit a mix of reactions from the audience, such as gasps, applause, and boos. A line from this scene – in which Khan asks Kirk, " Is there anything you wouldn't do for your family? " – was inspired by the motive of trying to make Khan relatable. ("The Enemy of My Enemy", "Featurettes", Star Trek: The Compendium Blu-ray special features)

Having Khan, essentially a murderous prisoner, assist Kirk was intended to be a way to make viewers feel uncertain about the character, as the writers knew the audience would have preconceived ideas about him. Despite Khan's villainy, the writers were fascinated by the idea of Kirk having no option but to partner with Khan, who Alex Kurtzman likened to Hannibal Lecter . " That was the fun of it for us; just moving right in to what the audience's expectations were with Khan, because those expectations were our expectations, " explained Kurtzman, " and if we can get ourselves to feel, to be asking those questions and to be unsure of the outcome, which was the whole point of creating an alternative timeline, then I felt we were making the right choices. " Roberto Orci added, " That's for fans. If you're not a fan, it doesn't matter; you're just watching a story of, 'Can I trust this man or can't I?', and that works on its own. But for fans, using Khan gives it a whole other layer, and we thought it was not just a homage to The Wrath of Khan , but also something for fans to play with, as evidenced by the fact that we are fans and this just tickled us. " ( SciFiNow , issue 84, pp. 042 & 043)

Devising how to quickly and covertly transfer Kirk and Khan from the Enterprise to the Vengeance turned out to be an enjoyable challenge. " So, that was one of the most, sort of, fun puzzles to put together in the movie, because we always loved the notion of their having to secretly get onto the [ Vengeance ], " J.J. Abrams explained. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

Damon Lindelof suggested that, in the resultant sequence depicting Kirk and Khan traveling through space from the Enterprise to the Vengeance , the glass in Kirk's helmet would get struck by a piece of debris. Originally, Kirk was imagined as not using a guidance system in his helmet, though this idea was altered, as was much of the sequence. " The ship-to-ship sequence […] was a constantly evolving sequence, " remarked J.J. Abrams. " There were many iterations of it […] It felt like we needed to add some elements of tension […] [and] the story needed to be a little bit more complicated. " For instance, new dialogue was written for the start of a shot in which Spock warns Kirk that there is a debris field between the two craft. The newly added dialogue allowed for the scene to be moved from during the flight to just before it. Another added concept was the idea of Sulu advising Kirk to use the compass display in his helmet. The creative team also tried to add drama to the sequence by having Kirk's guidance system break due to a bit of debris, an idea influenced by Lindelof's earlier suggestion of having the glass break. Uhura wasn't as featured in the original version of this sequence as she ended up being, as Abrams decided to focus more time on the character in these shots. He added the story point of her struggling to contact Scott. " I just knew it was crazy not to have her be a part of it, " he admitted. Kirk was originally to have been less clearly put in jeopardy. " The new idea being that if Khan gets hit and is seemingly taken out, and then Kirk's helmet goes dead, he'd be screwed, that there would be no way for him to get to the ship. And then when Khan returns and ends up helping him out, there's this weird thing that we're going for, which is what would happen if your life was in the hands of your worst enemy? And that question of, 'How do I deal with that, and do I trust him if he ends up saving my life?' It's what we were trying to add to the sequence. " Other late additions to the sequence included such moments as Spock asking Sulu if they had lost Khan, and Sulu replying with uncertainty due to the debris, as well as Sulu later advising Spock that Kirk wasn't going to make it to the Vengeance safely. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

The conclusion of "the ship-to-ship sequence," where a Vengeance security guard gets blown out an airlock that Kirk and Khan fly through to gain access to the ship, was thought up by J.J. Abrams. " We were actually location scouting, and we're at a restaurant, and I remember I just doodled this idea on a napkin, " he recalled. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

The writers had Spock Prime make a cameo appearance, midway through the sequence in which Khan and Kirk collaborate, as a reminder to the audience that Khan is incontrovertibly evil and untrustworthy. The writers intended for the scene to lead the audience into questioning, even more, how the alternate reality version of Khan would turn out. Alex Kurtzman referred to this scene by saying, " The bomb is symbolically put under the table. " ( SciFiNow , issue 84, pp. 042-043)

The idea of Khan commandeering the Vengeance was thought up as a way of heightening the jeopardy which the protagonists were put in. As Alex Kurtzman expressed it, " The last thing you would want would be for a ship like that to fall into the hands of someone like Khan. " ("Vengeance is Coming", "Featurettes", Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

Roberto Orci conceived the line in which McCoy refers to the members of Khan's genetically altered, cryogenically frozen crew as "Human Popsicles." Remembered Damon Lindelof, " When he first pitched it, we all got quite a laugh. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

According to Damon Lindelof, the writers had the Enterprise fall towards Earth in order to demonstrate that gravity "can be very dangerous." A section of the Enterprise 's bridge was depicted cracking, during the ship's fall, because J.J. Abrams "loves it when the hull cracks," in Lindelof's words. Later in the sequence, Chekov was tasked with running up a flight of stairs and switching a manual override, which Lindelof referred to as "some doodad," because the writing team felt they needed to give all members of the Enterprise 's senior staff something practical to do. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

Kirk sacrificing his own life in order to save the Enterprise and, in his final moments, speaking with Spock while they are on either side of a glass window was written as an homage to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . It was inspired by the compulsion that the writers felt to acknowledge how the Enterprise crew had previously defeated Khan. Although referencing The Wrath of Khan in such a way was thought to be risky, the writers decided to make a big effort to do so. There was consequently a lot of discussion about Kirk going into the warp core area where he saves the ship but receives a lethal dose of radiation. " We talked a lot about the climb and wanting to make it sort of excruciating, " recollected Damon Lindelof, " and the idea that a character is sacrificing his own life for his crew, et cetera, to make it as dramatic as possible. " Thus, there was also deliberation over what obstacles Kirk had to overcome in the area. " One of the things we talked about was how can we illustrate the idea that there's lots of radiation here? " continued Lindelof. " We talked about the idea that there were sort of like heat waves that Kirk was going through, et cetera, et cetera […] I think we had no less than fifty meetings about how we could visually describe what was wrong with the core and how Kirk was gonna set it right. And then it was just simply like, 'Oh, he's just gonna kick the thing so it lines up with the other thing.' But it took about fifty meetings to get to that point. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

Despite the fact Kirk's climb inside the warp core chamber was obviously intended to be concurrent with the Enterprise free-falling towards Earth, the writers opted for Kirk's movements in the chamber not to reflect the turbulent motions of the vessel. " I do think that one of the things that we talked about, " Damon Lindelof stated, " was making sure that Kirk's travel here was fixed, that, at this point, he couldn't be spinning and sort of bonking around, even though the Enterprise was, and that's one of those little cheats that you do, filmically, to get past it. " Lindelof accounted for this by saying, " Kirk is, you know, fixed in a gravitational field, here. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

The scene in which Kirk dies was deliberately concocted to feature resonances with canon. Not only was it obviously meant to reference Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , but it was also "in service of" what Damon Lindelof referred to as "the most, sort of, resonant aspect" of both the alternate reality version of Star Trek and the "prime" version, which was "the love story and friendship between Kirk and Spock." ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) & Star Trek: The Compendium special features) While writing the scene, the creative team even reused lines of dialogue from The Wrath of Khan , such as the question, " Ship, out of danger? " Commented Roberto Orci, " It feels dumb not to use the lines that apply specifically to that scenario, so instead of saying 'I'm trying to save the ship, did it work or not?' we said, 'Hey man, let's just pay homage to it and use Star Trek ' […] So sure, we debated it, and sure it was something to think about. " ( SciFiNow , issue 84, p. 042) The scene also underwent some revision, Bryan Burk noting, " [It] took a while to kind of find its rhythm and really work for us emotionally. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

According to Damon Lindelof, the climax of this movie always highlighted a confrontation between Khan and Spock, with the stakes being Kirk's life. However, there originally would have been a simultaneous subplot about a Klingon fleet heading to Earth, " only to be turned around via diplomatic intervention by Uhura, " Lindelof said. " We dropped it pretty early on, as it didn’t feel intimate, cool, or earned. " [37]

In fact, the climax was originally far different from what it became. " The original idea of the third act didn't have us landing on Earth, " explained Executive Producer Jeffrey Chernov . " J.J. said, 'Now this really excites me.' " ("Brawl by the Bay", "Featurettes", Star Trek: The Compendium special features) J.J. Abrams had the Vengeance , as it crash-lands on Earth, destroying Alcatraz as an in-joke ; he used this moment to reference the fact his production company, Bad Robot Productions , previously had a TV series called Alcatraz which had ended up being cancelled. " So, I destroyed Alcatraz, even though I love it, " he conceded. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

The climactic chase sequence, with Spock pursuing Khan through the streets of San Francisco, was inspired by a shot from the film Star Trek , showing a group of shuttles leave the city. Because the footage provoked J.J. Abrams into becoming extremely interested in seeing what it would be like in the city, this film's chase sequence was put together. " The fight was originally conceived as a fight between two guys on a street, essentially, " recalled Abrams. " To make it into a fight on the garbage barge traveling through the city upped the stakes of the whole thing. It gave the thing a kind of an energy that it wouldn't have had otherwise. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

Whether to have the chase involve one or two garbage barges was the subject of considerable debate. It was finally decided that, although only one barge was necessary, two would be more exciting. " It just felt like a fun way to add another layer of, sort of, Saturday-morning-serial-now-what-ness to it, " J.J. Abrams remarked. ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

The creative team chose to factor Uhura into the end of the garbage-barge sequence. " One of the ideas that I thought, you know, was sort of fun was, how do you end the sequence? " J.J. Abrams related. " We wanted to give Uhura something great […] The idea [was] of giving her a beat that was really tough, and badass, and saving the day. There was always something Barbarella about this moment too, the way she sort of shows up wearing that uniform. " ("enhanced commentary", Star Trek Into Darkness (digital) and Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

Having Khan be returned to cryogenic freeze, alive, in the final moments of the film was done as a conclusion that was meant to be internally consistent with the rest of the plot; the writers felt this story point was "the logical and moral conclusion of the movie" and meant for Khan to be put on trial thereafter, rather than be immediately executed. The writers have been less forthcoming about whether they actually kept Khan alive as a convenient way to resolve any future narratives, Roberto Orci stating only that this "could be." ( SciFiNow , issue 84, p. 044)

Cast and characters [ ]

Principal cast [ ].

All the major actors in the first film – namely, those portraying the command officers of the USS Enterprise ( John Cho , Simon Pegg , Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Zoë Saldana , Karl Urban , and Anton Yelchin ) – returned for the long-awaited sequel. [38] " I think we were waiting for a homerun script, and J.J. was undecided, " explained Sulu actor John Cho. " Scheduling was tight, and it didn't really get settled until J.J. decided he could do it […] It's a longer layover than most [sequels], considering the first one did so well, and that there was sequel talk instantly. We were wondering about the second picture almost as soon as we were finished with the first, so it seemed like a long time. But in the meantime, everyone did different things. Life happened. Children were born. It felt like a long time, but when we got back to set it felt like it was an afternoon at best, because we all got right back into things. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 110)

Kirk actor Chris Pine observed it was important to make this film "as good as the first one" and ensure it lived up to the expectations of the viewers. He was aware of those expectations being higher than when the previous movie had been made. ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 022) As a result, Pine thought this film was slightly more nerve-wracking and therefore difficult than its immediate predecessor. As for how he followed the film's development, Pine recalled, " There were a couple years when [J.J. Abrams] went off and did other things. I would hear trickles through the information grapevine, through [writers] Damon (Lindelof) or Alex (Kurtzman), what they were thinking about for the second one. But I knew nothing until I got to read the script, under lock and key, in one of the producer's offices. " Pine felt that, once he was handed the movie's screenplay, he completely understood what it required of him. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 23 & 21)

Chris Pine was impressed by the amount of variety in this film. He remarked that the facet which initially struck him about the film was " The sheer scale of it, " and went on to comment, " It's really exciting, because in any great epic story, you want it to go from A-Z and back again, and this has so many different colors. It has the excitement, it has moments of levity, it has the romance. A big, steaming apple pie of all sorts of great things. " Pine admitted that, having seen the completed movie, what surprised him most was " probably that this film manages to fulfill people's expectations of what a tent-pole summer movie should be, which in the past five years has become quite a feat in terms of spectacle. There are certain things we had to do to satisfy a modern audience's craving for that. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 23)

Chris Pine was consequently wowed by the action sequences in this film. " There's a lot of destruction, and a lot of explosions […] I think we hit it out of the park, " he remarked. " The action sequences are spectacular. People can expect to see something fantastic. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 23)

Chris Pine also pointed out that the creators of the film "married" the action sequences with " what people love about Star Trek , which are complex, Human dramas. I think we have that going for us. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 23) He elaborated, " This film deals with really archetypal, huge things about growing up, and life and death, so the characters go on an extraordinary journey. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 028) Pine said, too, that he believed the maturing of the characters "makes for an interesting story" and that he was hopeful the "friendship," "bond," and "love" between the cast members, which was genuine, came across on screen. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 23)

Chris Pine additionally approved of this film as a sequel. Regarding how it measured up to the previous film, he noted, " I'd say the threat is even greater in this one. The force [the crew] are met with is much more frightening. " [39] He said further, " There's been a lot of talk about the darkness of it, which is there, but the levity from the first one is certainly there, too. I would say the scope, in terms of the visuals and the action beats, and also the characters' journeys, are much, much bigger than the first film. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 028)

Spock actor Zachary Quinto felt likewise; differences between this film and its predecessor were apparent to him as early as when he first read the script for this movie. " It was very clear to me from the beginning that it was a bigger story, there was more at stake, and there was more action, " he expressed. " You could tell from the get-go it was just bigger […] This movie has everybody in different situations and scenarios, on their own, in a way that the first movie didn't. We're all scattered and spread out in different places, yet all working together. We're not such a unified front, and we have to break into factions to get things done […] We do spend a fair amount of time together for the big action set pieces [though]. " Quinto felt certain parts of the film were personally more enjoyable than others. " There are some huge sequences that he [Spock] is a part of, that were really exciting and challenging for me, " he recalled. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 39) As another highlight of the film, Quinto cited the scene in which – on the way through Kronos' atmosphere – Spock concludes an argument with Uhura by expressing how he feels about death, Quinto describing it as "a really nice moment." ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 027) He was also happy the cast were able to modify the script, describing this process as "great" and "exciting." ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 39)

McCoy actor Karl Urban enthused, " All of the characters are really pushed to the very limit in this film, and the relationships are strained and fractured. To me, that's always the mark of a great Star Trek series or film, when these characters who love each other – sometimes hate each other – have to work together to overcome a common adversary. " ( Empire , issue 287, p. 92) Urban also felt the common Star Trek dynamic of Kirk having to find the middle ground between Spock, representing logic, and McCoy, representing humanism, "definitely comes into play here." ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 027)

Scott actor Simon Pegg appreciated the opportunity this film gave him and the other main cast members to once again collaborate. " Having kind of eased into the roles, and all got to know each other as actors, and become friends, it was actually something we all really relished and were excited about doing, " Pegg related. " It was like a school reunion […] so to get to do it […] was a great joy […] It's most fun when we're all together, cause it's a very familiar environment. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 80 & 82)

Simon Pegg first read the script of this movie while he was with a friend in New York, shortly before Christmas 2011. " I said [to the friend], 'Listen, I'm going to quickly go up to my room. I've got the script, I might read the first couple of pages, then I'll come down and we'll go Christmas shopping.' About five minutes later, I rang him and said I'm not coming down, " Pegg explained, laughing. " 'cause I was so gripped by the script. I remember literally leaping up and down in my hotel room at certain plot twists and revelations that were just so exciting, and so cool. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 83) Pegg also recalled squealing in delight as he read through the screenplay. ( Empire , issue 287, p. 92)

Clearly, Simon Pegg considered this "a great story." ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 83) He mused, " It's a modern take on terrorism, in a way […] It's not dark in the sense that it's po-faced; it still has the lightness of the first film. It just kicks off and doesn't stop for the whole movie. " ( Empire , issue 287, p. 92) Pegg commented further, " The story goes all over the place. It hits the ground running; it starts fast-paced and doesn't stop through the whole thing. I think it will be joyously exhausting to watch, but at the heart of it, it's a very Human story about looking after the people you love […] and this is among all the pyrotechnics, and I'm sure all the groundbreaking special effects. At the very heart of it, it's something far more Human, which is a testament to the writers. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 028)

In fact, Simon Pegg related his satisfaction with the script directly to Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. " I wrote to them after I read the script, because there are bits in there that I really got, " Pegg reasoned, " I could see what they were doing, and there were really smart little touches that I wanted them to know that I'd got […] It's a hell of a task they've got on their hands. They've got to juggle a lot of things – they've got to please fans and entertain the uninitiated – but I think this film has all that. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 83)

Simon Pegg suspected the "very Human story" at the center of this film would "resonate with the audience." ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 028) Contemplating more about how viewers might react to the movie, he offered, " There are so many rewards in it if you're a fan of Star Trek . You could watch this movie completely uninitiated and be thrilled by it, you don't need prior knowledge, but if you do have that prior knowledge then it's like it unlocks a whole other dimension of connection with Star Trek that you'll feel very privileged to have. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 83)

Witnessing this film come to fruition delighted Simon Pegg. " To get to shoot that, and see what J.J. came up with, the amazing work that's done by costume and props and makeup – it was all really exciting, " he reminisced. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 83)

Simon Pegg considered levity to be essential to the scene in which Scotty needs to open an airlock door and does a lot of running. " If there wasn't some lightheartedness, it would probably be quite uncomfortable to watch, " Pegg reckoned, " as there's a lot riding on that moment. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 82)

Chekov actor Anton Yelchin opined, " Even though it's been four years between films, you can quickly see why. You see all of the work that's been put into it, you see the complexity of the relationships; building on what was discovered in the first one, which makes it that much more interesting. You get much more insight into these people, and then the world that you're in, the scope and the scale of the film is that much bigger. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 023)

During the extended interim which preceded the making of this film, Sulu actor John Cho was, in his own words, "preparing myself to be pleasantly surprised when I read it." He was not disappointed. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 110) " I […] felt pretty confident about the script – by the time we started shooting it was in amazing shape, and the story was really fascinating. To me, the story does what all great sequels do, which is to bring back things and then complicate and darken them, " Cho mused. " I was just really excited about telling that story […] You can almost feel sorry for Sulu and all of the characters because they have to mature so quickly. They feel like children who had to take care of the house in mum and dad's absence or something. It's the crises that are so enormous, and they're so young and have had to shoulder so much. To me it feels like all the characters in this one are prematurely-mature. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, pp. 22 & 26) He also remarked, " I felt like the themes they were trying to tackle really spoke to me. The movie is so much about morality; what the nature of good and evil is. How does that change when one grows older and is more experienced? It's tapping into the grey areas of life. As a comparison, […] the second movie is an older person [than the first film], a legitimate man, and life seems cloudier and sloppy, so decisions are harder to make. I thought that was wholly the appropriate tone for a second film. It was really fascinating to me, because in some ways you expect an interesting plot, thrilling action, and fun, but going deeper in that fashion is not necessarily expected. I thought, thematically, it was ambitious. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 111)

Uhura actress Zoë Saldana appreciated the way the film portrays Uhura's relationship with Spock being tested, enthusing, " The way it happens in this movie is one of those great twists that you love JJ for. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 027) Of the main characters in general, Saldana additionally stated, " I guess because we were going back to a familiar environment, where we knew each other, and had been through it already, we didn't waste time breaking ice. It was already melted […] It definitely felt more intense. There was a great deal of suspense and uncertainty, not as actors but for our characters. There's such an attack and infiltration into Starfleet, it makes us question how safe we really are. " Concerning the cast members who portrayed those protagonists, Saldana noted, " For this experience with Star Trek , we were very fortunate […] We're so excited to be there, and we shared that mood with each other. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 45)

Their interaction with J.J. Abrams was largely enjoyable for the main cast members. Chris Pine remarked, " There is a great amount of pressure to live up to expectations and to do justice to these characters and what was done before. But I think because of J.J.'s great skill in casting – and this goes for the newest members [of the cast] […] – it becomes so easy so quickly, and you enjoy each other's company, that you enjoy the day of work. " John Cho reflected, " I would say J.J. was a little bit more intimate with us as people this time […] I think he was more comfortable with us as people, and we were more comfortable with one another in general. You spend enough time together, I guess… " ( Empire , issue 287, pp. 90 & 91) Cho also felt he wasn't overwhelmed by expectations, mainly because of Abrams shouldering the responsibility. " I never sweated it, " related Cho. " I realised that we would have to meet certain expectations or exceed them, but I didn't emotionally sweat it, so to speak, because I felt very confident in our captain. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 022) Simon Pegg agreed that part of what made doing the film "a great joy" was getting to collaborate with Abrams. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 80) The cast found Abrams' unpredictability and the amount of freedom he was allowed to make modifications in the production, which was a high degree of independence, to be impressive but daunting. " So even though it's scary for us to work with him, in some ways it's also a real opportunity, " stated Zachary Quinto. ( Empire , issue 287, p. 90) For example, the cast found Abrams was willing to allow them a lot of input. " I think a lot of us had a couple observations and notes, and J.J. was really open and encouraging for us to speak up, because we incarnated these characters in the first installment, " pondered Zoë Saldana. " Coming back to it, there were remnants of our characters in us, so if something felt unnatural or a little off, we definitely voiced it, and J.J. definitely considered it. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 45) Both the cast and their director also felt it was important to maintain humor in the script. " It was something in this new incarnation that we all talked with J.J. about, the use of levity and the fact that, as dark as some of our stuff is in this new film, we always have time to smile and make people laugh, " noted Chris Pine. It was also Abrams who gave the cast members the film's script. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 20 & 21)

One of the ways J.J. Abrams' erraticness affected the cast was in lines given to Uhura. Zoë Saldana explained, " He writes these mouthfuls of dialogue, and it's hard for me because Spanish is my first language. So there were moments, at least once a day, where we'd have to cut and he was like, 'Zoe, it's not traject-ory. It's traj-ECT-ory,' or, 'That was great, but this next take, say it all 30 per cent faster.' " Saldana laughed, then concluded, " It was a trip. " ( Empire , issue 287, p. 92)

Returning guest stars [ ]

Like Chris Pine, Bruce Greenwood could hardly wait, prior to this movie entering production, to be reunited with the Star Trek cast and crew who had worked on the previous film. In this movie, Greenwood reprised his role as Admiral Christopher Pike . He referred to the movie's script as "good." [40] Having initially hoped this film would continue the evolution of the relationship between Pike and Kirk, Greenwood was glad it does. He was also intrigued by the movie's depiction of Kirk maturing; Greenwood remarked that – because the film depicts, at least in his viewpoint, Kirk facing "a major existential crisis" – the film was more interesting for himself as an actor as well as "hopefully, for the audience." ( SciFiNow , issue 80, pp. 024 & 026)

Leonard Nimoy initially expressed that he did not expect to return as the original Spock in this movie, even going so far as to state, " I definitely will not be in Star Trek 2," and, " I think I can be definitive about the fact that I will not be in it. " ( SFX , issue #200, p. 68) However, alongside the Khan report, it was confirmed that he would indeed be returning for the sequel. [41] [42] Concerning how J.J. Abrams asked him to appear for his cameo in this film, Nimoy remembered, " He just said, 'Would you come in for a couple of days and do me a favor.' " Even though the actor had turned down an invite to make a cameo appearance in Star Trek Generations because he felt what had been written for him to play in that film was too general, Nimoy was convinced that this movie was sufficiently specific about the inclusion of Spock that he was willing to participate. Addressing why he had claimed not to be in the film, Nimoy, who was very pleased that the truth of his involvement was kept secret, initially said, " I was asked time and time again if I was in the movie, and I managed to avoid answering without lying. " He laughed, but was then reminded that he had flat-out denied being in the film and replied, " Maybe I was confused. Of course, speaking, if you’ll pardon me, logically, I wouldn’t know if I was in the movie until I saw the movie. " Nimoy enthused about the film itself, " It’s hard not to enjoy this movie. There’s so much of a thrill ride happening. The relationships between the characters are terrific. The actors are all wonderful. " [43] His cameo here marked Nimoy's final appearance as Spock and his final role overall prior to his death in February 2015 .

With the announcement of the sequel, fans once again began a campaign to bring Christopher Doohan back to the Enterprise , stating that the Enterprise needed a Doohan . Christopher Doohan did indeed receive a role in this film, appearing as a Transport Officer. Chris noted on his twitter page, @chrisdoohan, that he would not have got the part without the help of Simon Pegg and thanked fans on their Facebook page. [44]

New guest stars [ ]

On 4 November 2011 , Variety reported that Academy Award-winning actor Benicio del Toro was expected to be offered the role of the villain in the sequel. [45]

On 30 November 2011, it was announced that Alice Eve had been selected for a lead role in the film. [46] She suspected one reason she was chosen to play Carol Marcus was that Eve "naturally speaks very fast," which matched the fact J.J. Abrams has a "very quick" mind, Eve noting, " Certainly in this one it's the universe racing against the clock. " ( Empire , issue 287, p. 92) She found the experience of reading the film's screenplay for the first time was extremely pleasant. " I went and read the script at Bad Robot, and it was really a privilege to be able to read it from beginning to end [without interruption] […] It became very clear what the story was in my head, because I read it in one sitting, " Eve reminisced. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 54)

On 2 December 2011 , Latino Review reported that Benicio del Toro would play Khan Noonien Singh , a report which Abrams said was "not true." [47] As was revealed merely days later, del Toro's deal had actually fallen through on 30 November 2011, "after parties couldn't come to terms over monetary issues", so he was no longer due to appear in the film. [48]

On 5 December 2011, Peter Weller was announced as having joined the cast in an unknown role. [49] Weller had previously played John Frederick Paxton on Star Trek: Enterprise .

Two days later , it was reported that the absence of an actor to play the film's main antagonist and the fact the movie was intended to enter production the next month meant J.J. Abrams and Paramount were hurrying to find a suitable actor who could portray the villain and commit to a six-month shoot, between January and June 2012 . Simultaneously reported was that Edgar Ramirez and Jordi Molla were possible replacements being considered by the film's casting team, with Ramirez as the front-runner. He was expected to test for the role via Skype either later that day or early the following day , as Abrams wanted to decide whether to cast him before the forthcoming weekend. [50]

It was in the Christmas holidays of 2011 when actor Benedict Cumberbatch recorded and submitted an audition video, on an iPhone he owned, showing himself performing two or three scenes, after which, on the evening of New Years Day, he received a call to say the part was his if he wanted it. Though Cumberbatch accepted, he was yet to see a full script of the movie. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 24 & 26) The movie's screenplay did appeal to him, though. It, along with the opportunity to work with J.J. Abrams, primarily motivated Cumberbatch into agreeing to appear in this production, though he had seen the previous film as well. ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 023) " It's very beautifully crafted, " he critiqued of this movie, " so you have a proper, character-driven drama that happens to have all the lure and excitement of Star Trek added with the amazing possibilities of modern film-making […] [It's] a big film but based on a very detailed, good script, with good ideas […] I think it's going to be really thrilling. I can't wait to see it. I think I'm as eager as any fan of the first film is to see how it all comes together. It's going to be a real treat. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 27 & 29) On 4 January 2012 , Variety announced Cumberbatch would be playing the villain. [51] Regarding how Cumberbatch interpreted the part, Alex Kurtzman opined, " He brought a whole new life to it. " With a laugh, Roberto Orci added, " He was so good that we didn't have to change much. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 171 , pp. 32 & 33)

Also on 4 January 2012, Variety reported British actor Noel Clarke would be joining the cast as a family man with a wife and young daughter. [52] Two days later, Entertainment Weekly announced that Nazneen Contractor would be playing the wife of Clarke's character.

Khan in brig

Benedict Cumberbatch as "John Harrison"

On 30 April 2012 , it was reported that Benedict Cumberbatch's role in the film was that of Khan Noonien Singh . [53] [54] Simon Pegg shot down this report, though, calling it "a myth." [55] Karl Urban stated, " He's awesome, he's a great addition, and I think his Gary Mitchell is going to be exemplary. " [56] However, he later said, " I did that interview after a 22-hour flight from New Zealand. I literally hopped off the plane into the interview. " [57] Roberto Orci reiterated Urban's latter statement, while confirming Cumberbatch and Alice Eve's characters had appeared in Star Trek canon. [58] When interviewed himself, Cumberbatch continued the secrecy by merely pointing to a promotional image and stating he played "that person there." ( The One Show BBC One, broadcast 24th August, 2012) On 10 December 2012 , StarTrek.com released a photo featuring Cumberbatch's character in a holding cell , with Spock and Kirk looking on from the other side. The site also reported that Cumberbatch's character was named "John Harrison", in apparent contrast to Orci's earlier comment that his character had previously appeared in Star Trek canon. [59]

Also on 10 December 2012, it was reported by TrekMovie.com that Alice Eve's character would be Carol Marcus. [60] She later remembered, " It was great for me to step on the bridge. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 023)

Michael Dorn was contacted for a role during the start of filming, and was asked to play "an officer – a soldier." Eventually, it was decided that "they didn't want to mix the old with the new": Dorn had appeared in some of the previous Star Trek films and television series, playing Worf and his grandfather . [61]

Following press screenings of the film's first thirty-eight minutes in Brazil, it was confirmed – on 7 March 2013 – that Peter Weller would appear in the film as Admiral Marcus. [62] [63] The real identity of Benedict Cumberbatch's character was revealed in late April 2013 . [64]

The scene where Kirk delivers a speech features some real-life war veterans, from a non-profit organization called The Mission Continues , which tries to help soldiers return to life after having been deployed. " When the sequel was being planned, " recalled Katie McGrath, J.J. Abrams' wife, " we thought about how to make it meaningful beyond the experience of doing it all together again. We were thinking about the themes of the film and what would resonate. And also maybe help alleviate the sort of values of the Starfleet cadets… of sacrifice, bravery and friendship. " Eric Greitens , who works as the company's CEO and makes a cameo appearance in the film himself, referred to the group cameo as " A real thrill. And it was meaningful, too. " One of the veterans who appears, Adam McCann , had been hit by a bomb exactly seven years, to the day, before participating in the scene. ( Empire , issue 287, p. 91)

On Thursday 2 February 2012 and Tuesday 7 February 2012, Headquarters Casting , owned by Carla Lewis , sought background performers for the Star Trek sequel. According to a relevant casting note, they were searching for " attractive / refined / upscale or exotic talent ages 35-55 who are well postured / athletic to thin. Men should be in good shape, ladies must not be overly busty or curvy. The wardrobe is fitted so we need performers who are in great shape and/or on the thin side. Seeking a wide array of different ethnicities for this group, including ethnically ambiguous talent. The work date(s) are TBD, but could be numerous depending on the scene you are selected for. Would require at least one wardrobe fitting. We are submitting additional photos and the photos MUST be current and representative of how you look NOW. Some of the spots that will be picture picked will be quite featured. This is background work and we are seeking both SAG & Non-Union talent. It's possible that non-union performers may need to work SAG (depending on the work day(s) they are ultimately fit for and the number of performers working that day). " The open call was held at 3108 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, California 91505. [65]

Rehearsals and interaction [ ]

When the cast of this movie began rehearsals, Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't present (as he was not yet cast) but Alice Eve was. She was pleased Simon Pegg was there, because they were already familiar with each other. " Simon […] made me feel very comfortable, not that everyone else wasn't equally welcoming, " she remarked. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 55)

On the contrary, Alice Eve referred to the way the cast and crew treated her as "incredibly welcoming and gracious." ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 023) She explained at length, " The people behind this film were all so incredible that there was no awkwardness. Everyone knew the reason they were there, and they had clear directives for fulfilling them, and it became a very collaborative process, like building a village. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 55)

Likewise, Benedict Cumberbatch relayed that the principal actors "were so respectful" of the fact that he had joined the film's cast as the main villain. " There was only one occasion where I had the discipline to pull away from their camraderie, and sit away in a corner and brood, darkly, because I had too much fun with them, " he conceded, thinking back to the making of the film. " I had so much fun with them, I hope that doesn't reflect in the film, because otherwise I'll be useless, " he laughed. Moments later, Cumberbatch said, " To work with them was just a real kick. A real kick. " After commenting positively on each of those performers, he concluded, " We had so much fun hanging out together in LA, it was genuinely a really joyous experience. I spent all my time just laughing. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 27)

The principal actors were happy to make new friends, too. " I didn't get to work this time around with people I enjoyed [last time], " Zachary Quinto observed. " I didn't get to spend much time with Simon Pegg, or even with Chris Pine this time […] But what I lost with the familiar, I gained in working with Benedict [Cumberbatch], which was significant. We got along really well, and I liked working with him. " Karl Urban enthusiastically noted, " I loved watching Chris and Benedict when they were doing scenes together, because the sparks would literally fly. " Pegg enjoyed collaborating with Pine. " We spent a lot of time working on this, " noted Pegg, " and we had a hoot […] Welcoming Alice Eve and Benedict Cumberbatch was great [too], because we wanted them to feel as welcome as we did. " John Cho likewise enjoyed getting to know Cumberbatch, whose performance impressed him, and Eve. In reference to the latter performer, Cho related, " It kept the set lively to have to get to know another person. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 41, 56, 82, 111) Pine was wowed by the work of both Cumberbatch and Eve in this film. Concerning the interaction between Kirk and Carol Marcus, Pine stated, " When there's a beautiful blonde woman around, there's always the potential for love, and we know the story there. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 023) During their breaks from filming, the cast often played word-based board game Words with Friends . ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 83 & 115)

Design, sets, and locations [ ]

Sony Stage 15 set blueprint

A blueprint for the Enterprise sets in this film

Following the release of Super 8 , it was announced, in September 2011, that J.J. Abrams would direct this film. [66] He had quite a good idea of how he wanted this film to look. Production Designer Scott Chambliss reported about Abrams' design specifications, " On Star Trek Into Darkness he had pretty strong thoughts about more complete concepts of what he wanted than I was accustomed to. " ( Empire , issue 287, p. 96) On the other hand, the film's creation was obviously reliant on a team effort, Abrams himself remarking, " I think we all felt we have to outdo ourselves not with scale, or bombast, or pyrotechnics, but to maintain the thing we did last time. Despite it being called Star Trek , it had to be real. You had to feel it. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 14)

J.J. Abrams felt green screen was "obviously" necessary in this film. However, he explained, " One of the things we've continued from the first movie is the idea of finding locations or building sets whenever we could to create a world that isn't synthetic or sterile, but feels very, very real. " Dan Mindel agreed, " What we brought to this one was the fact that we went outside more. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 026)

For the Enterprise in this film, the creative team attempted to preserve a look of newness and cleanliness while also giving the vessel a sense of scale. " We wanted to show the audience far more of the ship and to give it more depth, " noted J.J. Abrams. ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 026) Due to the fact that permanent sets used for NCIS: Los Angeles were on Paramount Stages 8 and 9 , this movie was instead scheduled to film at Sony Studios in Culver City. Sony Stage 15 , which was the largest stage at Sony and was larger than the Paramount stages, enabled the filmmakers to build interconnected interiors for the Enterprise , similar to the original television show. ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 26; [67] ) This time, filming locations chosen to represent Enterprise interiors included not only Budweiser Brewery , which had been used for ship interiors in the previous movie, but also National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. ( SciFiNow , p. 026; [68] [69] )

For the garbage barge scenes, a green screen set was built in Marina del Rey , California, along Jefferson Blvd. and near Grosvenor Blvd. [70] Also, Hawaii was considered for "jungle scenes" set on Nibiru but a location in Southern California was chosen instead. [71] This was clearly a reuse of the set in Marina del Rey, complete with red prop trees. [72] The set of the Nibiran volcano also made use of a large green screen. [73] Other filming locations included Dodger Stadium , Long Beach City Hall , MCAS Tustin , and Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park [74] as well as Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. [75] For Leonard Nimoy 's cameo, the offices of Bad Robot were selected. [76] (X) Dan Mindel observed that the variety of locations used to film the movie "gave the huge scope it has now." ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 026)

Iceland was picked for the filming of some visual effects shots. J.J. Abrams had considered filming Delta Vega exterior sequences in Iceland for the previous film. [77]

Designer Neville Page said that, if there were Klingons , he would have to explore a rationale for their appearance, such as their long hair, and give their species a varied look, perhaps with different races. [78]

Industrial Light & Magic began working on visual effects in November 2011, starting with shots of outer space that would not require live-action elements. [79]

The making of this film required both Benedict Cumberbatch and Zachary Quinto to do some training. Both cast members enjoyed their training routine, which involved wire work for both the two actors. Quinto's training – which was with a stunt trainer, "for a couple months before shooting" – also included sprinting, and Cumberbatch remarked that his own routine was "for these choreographed fight scenes, stunts, […] and all sorts of fun and games." ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 29 & 39)

Filming [ ]

On 23 November 2011, it was reported that this sequel would be shot in 3D for a 17 May 2013 release. [80] J.J. Abrams later clarified the film would be shot in 2D and converted into 3D during post-production. [81] He also opted to shoot the film in a hybrid mix of IMAX and Panavision anamorphic 35mm. [82] Choosing to present the film with 3D and IMAX was not a decision Abrams took lightly, as his priority was to always try to keep things in the movie authentic, regardless of the story being fantastical. The choice Abrams made was influenced by him looking closely at modern films which used the two formats. Bryan Burk stated, " We hope that the combination of the IMAX and 3D will be unlike anything audiences have seen. " [83]

As for his decision to use IMAX in particular, J.J. Abrams was inspired by having worked with Director Brad Bird on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , one of only a few recent blockbuster films which had employed IMAX. " But I'd yet to see a space adventure presented in this way, " Abrams noted. The deal was nonetheless clinched for him after Christopher Nolan kindly screened for Abrams the section of The Dark Knight Rises that uses IMAX. " Watching that incredible footage, " he related, " it made me realize if we had an opportunity to shoot some of this movie in IMAX, we'd be crazy not to. " [84] According to A-camera 1st AC Serge Nofield, one of the challenges of moving between the two formats was working in the different aspect ratios. " In an effort to bridge that difference, we didn't use the entire [1.43:1] IMAX negative – we masked it to achieve a ratio of 1.66:1, " he says. " When viewed in an IMAX theater, the movie will shift from 2.40:1 to 1.66:1. " [85]

This was the first official 3D Star Trek production and the first 3D film that Bad Robot Productions worked on. Regarding the choice of using 3D for this film, Damon Lindelof expressed, " It did not impact the writing of the script […] All of us were a little bit cynical about doing the movie in 3D […] So the 3D decision was more along the lines of like 'are we going to screw up Trek by doing this movie in 3D or is Trek ready for 3D?' Hopefully it is the latter. " J.J. Abrams and his allies were persuaded to convert the film to 3D after watching converted footage of a scene in Star Trek where the USS Enterprise arrives at Vulcan . [86] Bryan Burk later noted, " When we looked at what Star Trek is all about – epic battles, sweeping planet vistas and nail-biting action – we thought, if Star Trek isn't worthy of 3D, then what movie is? The bottom line for us was that if we were going to embrace 3D for the first time, we wanted to make it special and different […] We knew if we did this, we wanted to really go for it. " The production staff settled on the premise that simply adding 3D to the mix wouldn't be enough – it had to be used to bring more impact to the storytelling or heighten the realism of worlds which didn't exist in reality. [87]

As reported by TrekMovie, shooting of the sequel started on 12 January 2012 . [88] The first footage to be shot was on the set of the Enterprise 's bridge. " I was angry at J.J. for throwing us on to what can be a difficult set, " Chris Pine laughed. ( Empire , issue 287, p. 90) The set indeed proved troublesome, when Alice Eve initially stepped onto it. " I fell on my bum the very first time, which is a testament to how clean and shiny they kept the floors, " she reckoned. ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 023) On 14 January 2012, Paramount officially announced principal photography had begun. [89]

As the filming got under way, some results of the decision to shoot much of the film in IMAX proved clear to the filmmakers, giving them some mind-boggling logistical challenges. [90] " The idea of throwing the IMAX cameras around was a huge challenge, " Cinematographer Dan Mindel recollected. " J.J. stood by his commitment to use that system, but we couldn't operate the cameras the way we do normally. " The time needed for shooting in IMAX was especially hard, as IMAX cameras take a very long time to reload and run out of film extremely quickly, which caused frustration for J.J. Abrams. " So the biggest challenge for me, " continued Mindel, " was just to keep all that going and have him not lose interest in or be disappointed in the decision he made to use the system. " ( Empire , issue 287, p. 87) Abrams himself remembered, " It became a rule that when the action was outdoors, we shot using IMAX, and when we were indoors, we used anamorphic 35. " [91]

After each angle was shot, the actors had to move out of the camera's perspective, then a pass was filmed with a 3D camera which replicated the original camera moves, to help the 3D conversion process. [92] This was a new technique, which J.J. Abrams described as involving "multiple virtual cameras to push the perspective and depth in certain ways, towards how people see in 3D." The new method allowed people who didn't enjoy or perceive 3D to "get it," Abrams counting himself as one of those individuals. " That's not to say the 2D experience wasn't the primary focus, " he clarified. " All I wanted to do was make sure I made a movie that was working in 2D, but [that] if you see it in 3D you get a little more bang for your buck. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , pp. 15 & 17) For the conversion process, the team brought in stereographer Corey Turner , who had worked on some of the biggest 3D films of the past few years, and then encouraged him to keep pushing the boundaries of visible depth and immersive detail on screen. " The process was both extremely laborious and more precise than we ever imagined, " explained Bryan Burk. " Along with Corey, we literally went through the film frame by frame, pushing every aspect of the 3D that was possible – really making objects feel as if they are coming out from the screen. We would routinely say to Corey 'let's push it further' and he would say, 'this is as far as anyone could possibly go' and we would say 'Go further! Go further!' and then he would. " [93] Damon Lindelof was a supporter of using 3D for this film. In hindsight, he suspected, " I don’t think this is going to hurt the movie. If people want to see it in 3D, they will get their money’s worth […] Based on the dailies that I have seen, I think JJ pulled it off. " [94]

In the final week of January 2012, ( citation needed • edit ) NASA astronaut and engineer Gregory Chamitoff visited the Enterprise bridge set while the Star Trek sequel was in production. He inspected some of the stations on the bridge, sat in the command chair, was announced as a "guest of honor" by J.J. Abrams, and gave a speech to the shooting company. In his speech, he commended them by saying, " You know, what you guys are doing here, it's not just an incredible, spectacular movie […] but it's also inspiring a whole new generation of kids. " ( Star Trek: Secrets of the Universe )

Recalling one example when IMAX was employed, J.J. Abrams noted, " We used it for the volcanic planet Nibiru. " [95] For the filming of the scenes in which the Enterprise is underwater, Dan Mindel softened the lights on the set of the Enterprise , making the ship's interior look "more subdued, cooler or bluer in color," as phrased by Mindel. ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 026)

Another usage of IMAX was for footage in the Qo'noS scenes. [96] [97] Filmmaker Edgar Wright visited the Qo'noS set and got to direct a shot for the movie. [98]

Filming the scene in which Scott runs through a long open area aboard the Vengeance was grueling for Simon Pegg. " I remember that day very clearly, " he explained, " 'cause I'd just eaten and I rocked up on set and J.J. said 'You've got to run 100 meters, really fast' […] I'd been hanging around all day on set, it was a nice shoot, I'd had a big dinner, then they say, 'OK Simon, you're up,' and I had to do this sprint. And I did it as fast as I could. I mean, I really went for it. I did the first take and everyone clapped, because I ran like I hadn't run since I was a kid. It was amazing. And then J.J. said, 'Can we do it again?' and I said, 'Yeah! No problem!' By the third take, I was, like, 'No.' So I went back to my trailer. " There, Pegg finally threw up. " Fortunately, my trailer was a simple stumble away, " he concluded. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 82)

J.J. Abrams came up with a method of shooting the sequence in which the Enterprise falls toward Earth. " JJ got very interested in the idea that if you move the camera in certain ways and if people behaved in certain ways, " reported Roger Guyett , " it would really feel like everything on the ship had wrapped around upside down, and he was right. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 026)

IMAX was used "especially at the end where there's […] [a] chase through San Francisco," stated J.J. Abrams. [99]

As evidenced by photographs which were leaked online, the scene in which Spock and Khan jump from one garbage barge onto another was filmed on the garbage barge green-screen set on 23 February 2012 . [100]

Alice Eve visited a filming location where she was astounded by seeing Benedict Cumberbatch, who had been a friend of hers for almost nine or ten years beforehand, do some wire work. " I saw him flying through the air! " she exclaimed. " It was just amazing to see that. It was staggering to see your friend working in that way, with all these people around. It was dusk as well, in this weird location and I was thinking this is crazy. " Eve later cited this experience as one of her fondest memories of the shoot. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 55)

The volcano sequence was first rehearsed by a stunt double. In front of the set's green screen, Zachary Quinto was then rigged to a pair of wires, lifted to a height of ten stories high, then dropped at a high rate of speed as if he was falling. [101]

As reported by Go for Location on 17 April 2012 , the Star Trek sequel filmed exterior and interior scenes all week in Downtown Los Angeles, especially Bunker Hill and the historic core areas [102] [103] and at Flower and Olympic. [104]

On Friday 20 April 2012, production filmed at 710 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles (7:00 am – 10:00 pm). [105] The day after , the cast and crew conducted more filming in Los Angeles. Between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm, they shot footage in the Grand Ave. crosswalk, between Cal Plaza and Wells Fargo Plaza, as well as at 350 S. Grand Ave., and at 333 S. Grand Ave. Between 7:00 am and 10:00 pm on that same day, the cast and crew filmed at 710 S. Grand Ave., 650 S. Spring St., and 523 W. 6th St. as well as returning to capture some more footage at 710 S. Grand Ave. The shooting company did even more filming at the latter address on the next day, 22 April 2012. During these dates, base camp was set up at Grand and 8th Ave. [106]

According to a crew member, the production would, after the Los Angeles shoot wrapped, head to the San Francisco area for the final week of filming. According to On Location Vacations, there was a radio casting call in San Francisco for a big motion picture and shooting was scheduled to start there on 1 May 2012 . [107] As reported by On Location Vacations just a few days later, some location filming was done at the National Ignition Facility, prior to the filming in San Francisco. [108] [109] The production unit was also scheduled to film in Pleasanton . [110]

After Leonard Nimoy drove himself to the offices of Bad Robot Productions, his cameo scene was shot there, directed by J.J. Abrams. [111]

J.J. Abrams discovered that, by attempting to push the limits of what he and the rest of the film's crew were capable of, this movie turned out to be, by far, his hardest directorial effort yet. " I think part of it was the scope of it. The scale of the movie was pretty huge, " he offered. " I think that it was also about trying to take what we did before and embrace the things that worked, and try some things that we hadn't done. Part of it was realizing there are always things [in the original] that I look at and wish I had done this or that. It's a little bit of a second chance to try and do some things that didn't quite work the way I wanted them to, and then do some things I didn't get a chance to do before. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 15) However, Abrams was typically hyperactive during the shoot. " He'd doodle a cartoon, and then turn it into a 3D printable graphic, he'd come up with an idea for Nickelodeon – this is just in the breaks between set-ups, with the IMAX being changed over, " Benedict Cumberbatch reported. " He'd beatbox, he'd play music that was comically fitting for the moment of the day. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 27)

Simon Pegg and Zachary Quinto tweeted that filming (of principal photography) wrapped on 8 May 2012. [112] The reason why Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci had advocated not rushing the making of this film was that Star Trek would naturally require intensive post-production, more so than Super 8 . [113] Following the wrap of the movie's principal photography, second unit filming began with the film's Iceland shoot. This marked the first time a Star Trek movie shot outside the United States. [114]

Editing [ ]

One shot of the Enterprise , reminiscent of the initial view of the original Enterprise in first episode " The Cage ", was planned but scrapped. Sean Hargreaves explained, " There was a shot where they were going to tilt up and the whole top [of the bridge] was going to open up […] It was very complicated mechanics, it was beautiful, and it was nixed; they didn't end up doing it, but I've always loved that. " [115]

In an October 2012 interview on the talk show Conan , J.J. Abrams stated that this film was in the editing process. [116] He was still involved in editing and tweaking the movie in late March 2013 . ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 172 , p. 6)

Khan shower

Khan in a shower

Responding to criticism that the scene in the Enterprise shuttlecraft in which Kirk catches a glimpse of Carol Marcus in her underwear could be viewed as sexist, J.J. Abrams revealed – during an interview on Conan on 23 May 2013 – a segment of a deleted scene from the film in which Khan is seen taking a shower. [117]

Carol Marcus is highlighted in a deleted scene explaining that her parents had separated, thus leaving Carol to be raised by her mother alone in England . The scene thereby addresses why Carol has a different accent from her prime-reality counterpart. [118] The explanatory deleted scene is the only one involving Carol Marcus. [119]

Several deleted, expanded and alternate scenes appear exclusively through the film's Xbox SmartGlass second-screen app . [120] An alternate cut of the scene where Kirk loses his command was the version in which Pike personally demotes him and takes control of the Enterprise , immediately relegating Kirk to first officer. The opening scene at Nibiru originally ended with Kirk recording a captain's log entry on the bridge, untruthfully stating that the crew never set foot on the planet's surface and that the mission was "uneventful." In the deleted scene, Kirk stated in his log:

The scene where Thomas Harewood sits as his station at the Kelvin Memorial Archive originally included a video chat in which Harewood explains to Admiral Marcus, " He [Harrison] said you'd know why he did this, " right before activating the explosive device disguised as his Starfleet Academy ring . The sequence where Harrison fires upon several Starfleet officers from a jumpship was recut: in the earlier version, Kirk witnesses Pike get shot and is by his side as Pike dies; Harrison swoops back to the scene and resumes fire, prompting Kirk to take down the ship.

Uhura's exchange with the Klingons originally involved her lying to them by stating that she was seeking out a lone Klingon who was her lover and had stolen from her. Uhura's ruse is interrupted when Kirk decides to exit the K'normian ship and attack the warriors with his crew members. The ensuing fight halts when two Klingons hold Kirk to the ground and put a rifle to his head. As Kirk's crew comes out from behind cover, the Klingon commander shouts an order and a redshirt is shot in the chest. The commander also orders Kirk to be killed, but the Klingons are shot by Harrison as he appears.

Rima and Lucille Harewood

Kirk meeting the Harewoods

The scene where Scotty approaches the secret hangar containing the Vengeance included a sequence where he bluffs his way in by stating he was delivering "hull plating and the coffee cells for the food synthesizers." The end of the film originally contained a scene at the commemoration ceremony, where Kirk speaks with Rima Harewood and her daughter Lucille , the latter of whom appears to have been restored to good health.

Music and sound [ ]

Michael Giacchino confirmed he would return to compose the film's music score before filming began. [121] " One of the things I spent a lot of time thinking about on this was […] the villain, Khan […] To be able to have music that represents the wrong side of someone's decisions, but also represents sort of the buried goodness in what they want to do. " ("The Sound of Music (and FX)", "Featurettes", Star Trek: The Compendium special features) Elaborated Giacchino, " It wasn't about writing based on what the character wanted or the things he's doing; it's more about his past and the way his brain works. I found him to be very interesting, especially because it's Benedict […] I kept looking at him and saying, 'What is he thinking right now?' For me, the music was exploring that idea and the fact that what is going on is based on something that happened a while ago. Again, going to the emotional side of things is what I do. He gave me tons to play with. Hopefully, I came up with something more than just bad guy music for him. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 029) Giacchino composed new themes for not only Khan, but also Admiral Marcus, and the Klingons, as well as a more "personal" arrangement of Kirk's theme. The Klingon music incorporates Klingonese lyrics that were sung by a choir and were written by music editor Alex Levy . [122]

Matching the pace and scope of the film wasn't always easy for Michael Giacchino. " There was a point where I said, 'I'm not sure where to go now because the film has reached such heights of drama that I'm like, 'I did that and the next scene is even bigger,' " he laughed. " How do I keep jumping that hurdle each time? That was the architecture of the score, looking at it and going, 'You need to get big in the middle of the movie, but you don't want to get too big, because you know there's going to be something bigger later.' For me, it was about focusing on each character's storyline and making sure that when I'm writing for them it's appropriate, and not just me saying, 'I want to write a big piece of music' […] Hopefully, the steady ramp up for the audience is exactly that: a steady ramping up to an emotional climax. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 029)

Michael Giacchino also incorporated a theme from the TV show in this film: " I had just finished writing and shut off my computer and said I'm done done. I went downstairs and went on Twitter and someone tweeted to me 'Can you please use one of the themes from one of the old series in the new movie'… and I thought 'OK, OK' and so I went back upstairs and there was one I always particularly loved… so that will be there for you to find. " [123] The theme in particular is the "fight to the death" music from TOS : " Amok Time ", which can be heard during the climactic fight between Spock and Khan. " Amok Time " composer Gerald Fried is acknowledged in the credits for the track titled "Ritual".

At one point, a music cue that Michael Giacchino wrote for one scene had to be changed in order to account for the fact that the relevant scene had recently been edited differently. Whereas the cue may have worked perfectly well during the previous week, it had to be altered to fit with the new edit. Giacchino decided to rewrite the cue on the next morning, unsure how successful it would turn out. Even while played by an orchestra, the score was still evolving, in the concerted attempts to improve the film. ("The Sound of Music (and FX)", "Featurettes", Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

On another occasion, Orchestrator/Conductor Tim Simonec instructed all musicians who were holding a note at bar twenty-nine in one of the cues to hold the same note for another three bars. ("The Sound of Music (and FX)", "Featurettes", Star Trek: The Compendium special features)

Depending on where the film was screened, a different song was played in the scene showing Scott and Keenser at a San Francisco bar. For example, the UK edition of the film used " The Rage That's In Us All ", by Bo Bruce , while the Australian version was " The Dark Collide " by Penelope Austin . [124]

Business Wire announced that Star Trek Into Darkness would be released with Dolby Atmos " to deliver a more natural and realistic soundtrack that moves sound around and above audiences, transporting them into the outer regions of the universe. " [125] [126]

Continuity [ ]

  • The writers of this film have stated it is set roughly six months to a year after the preceding film, Star Trek . Added Roberto Orci, " The idea is they've had at least a tour of duty or two, and every minute of exploring space is like five minutes of regular time here on boring Earth. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 171 , p. 33)
  • In this film, Admiral Pike – last seen in a wheelchair at the end of the film Star Trek , after his ordeal with Nero – is shown to have regained his ability to walk and is represented using a cane.
  • Star Trek Into Darkness continued to use the same stardate system devised by the screenwriters for the film Star Trek . According to Roberto Orci , in that system, stardate 2259.55 would be February 24, 2259. [127]
  • Admiral Marcus' model collection includes the Ares V , the Phoenix , the USS Enterprise XCV 330 , Enterprise NX-01 , the USS Kelvin , and the Vengeance .
  • Spock tells McCoy that " The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. " Spock Prime tells Kirk this in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .
  • Admiral Marcus reveals that the Kelvin Memorial Archive was really a base of Section 31 , the Starfleet Black Ops division that existed as early as 2151, when a young Malcolm Reed was recruited by them. Section 31 was first introduced during the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , but Section 31 agent Luther Sloan claimed that the organization had existed as a secret black ops division of Starfleet Intelligence since the founding of Starfleet. The prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise later established that this did not simply mean the beginning of the "Federation Starfleet", but the foundation of the predecessor United Earth Starfleet, which later grew into the Federation Starfleet after that organization's creation.
  • En route to Kronos (Qo'noS), Spock pronounces Uhura's first name, Nyota, differently than he does in the previous film.
  • Chekov, established as a "whiz kid" at the age of seventeen in the film Star Trek , continues to demonstrate his proficiency by learning enough about engineering systems to be Kirk's choice to replace Scott as chief engineer.
  • The dialogue in the scene where Kirk dies in the radiation chamber uses some verbatim quotes from a very similar scene in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . In that film, it is Spock, rather than Kirk, who sacrifices his life, exposing himself to radiation in a chamber of engineering in order to save the Enterprise .
  • Likewise, when calling Spock down to engineering after Kirk's sacrifice, some of Scott's dialogue, such as " You better get down here, better hurry, " " You'll flood the whole compartment, " and more, is verbatim dialogue spoken by McCoy in a very similar scene in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .
  • The number of torpedoes containing Khan's old crew, seventy-two, is the same number of Augments that survived with Khan nearly three centuries of suspended animation when Kirk discovers the SS Botany Bay in TOS : " Space Seed ".
  • Starfleet Command meets in the Daystrom Conference Room . Richard Daystrom was introduced in TOS : " The Ultimate Computer " and mentioned in other Star Trek episodes as well.
  • Christine Chapel is mentioned by name as one of Kirk's former conquests, having purportedly told Carol Marcus all about him. In this film, she has apparently transferred and is now working as a nurse. The Prime Universe variant of Chapel appears as a recurring character in TOS and Star Trek: The Animated Series as well as in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .
  • In the previous film, it was revealed that Uhura speaks "all three dialects" of Romulan; in this film, it is revealed that she also speaks Klingon.
  • The Klingon homeworld, Kronos (Qo'noS), features the remains of the exploded moon Praxis in its orbit. This is a homage to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , in which the Klingon moon Praxis was destroyed by over-mining and insufficient safety procedures.
  • The Klingon leader seen in the film has cranial ridges, despite the appearance of Klingons in Star Trek: The Original Series era; the Klingons appearing in the series Star Trek: Discovery , set in roughly the same era , also have cranial ridges. This suggests that not all Klingons were afflicted by the Klingon augment virus . ( ENT : " Affliction ")
  • While Admiral Marcus was preparing for war with the Klingons, the Star Trek: Discovery shows that indeed a Federation-Klingon War has already happened in the prime universe. Ironically, this war doesn't seem to have happened in the alternate reality.
  • "Cupcake" – Security Officer Hendorff – who Kirk met in the bar fight in Iowa , is still serving aboard the Enterprise and accompanies Kirk to Qo'noS.
  • At one point in this movie, Khan is referred to as having sought refuge on Qo'noS in the Ketha Province . As established in DS9 : " Once More Unto the Breach ", the Ketha lowlands , in the "Prime" reality, were the birthplace of Chancellor Martok .
  • The Vengeance destroys Alcatraz as it crashes to Earth. In VOY : " Endgame ", a future version of Kathryn Janeway from the year 2404 told her past self, in 2378 , that one could see Alcatraz from USS Voyager 's ready room on a clear day, because Voyager was a museum located on the Presidio in that timeline.
  • In this film, McCoy refers to Khan as a superman. In "Space Seed", Spock refers to Khan and his people as supermen.
  • As Kirk wakes from his coma near the end of this film, he can hear his mother and father speaking about him moments after his birth. This dialogue was reused from the film Star Trek .
  • At the San Francisco bar, among the other drinks on Scott's table is a Budweiser. Uhura orders a Budweiser Classic in the previous film, and both this movie and the previous one used a Budweiser plant for scenes in engineering.
  • McCoy uses his medical skills to assist Carol Marcus in performing "surgery" on a torpedo, something his prime universe counterpart assists Spock with in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .
  • Scott sabotages the Starfleet prototype USS Vengeance to help save the Enterprise . His prime universe counterpart likewise sabotages the prototype USS Excelsior to help the Enterprise escape in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .
  • In San Francisco, trolley cars are shown to still be in use. The Star Trek settings they appear in date from as early as 1986, in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .
  • In the film's London scenes, the "London Eye," a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames, built in 1999 , is clearly visible and still in use.
  • Among the pedestrians in San Francisco is an Orion woman .
  • Pike tells Kirk that Starfleet Command returned the captaincy of the Enterprise to him by saying, " They gave her back to me, " which is also what Kirk tells Scott when he regains command of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Motion Picture .
  • The Enterprise spiraling down to Earth with the engines off-line is reminiscent of TOS : " The Naked Time ", where the prime-universe Enterprise spirals down to Psi 2000 after its engines are turned off.
  • The effect of fading the screen to black but then having sounds become audible was previously used in ENT : " A Night in Sickbay " and " Regeneration ".
  • Risking one's life to save the Enterprise is something not only that Kirk does here but also that his prime counterpart does in Star Trek Generations .
  • This is the first Star Trek film to use the 2012-present Paramount Pictures logo.

Release [ ]

The film premiered at the George Street Event Cinema in Sydney, Australia on 23 April 2013. Additional premieres took place in Moscow (25 April), Berlin (29 April), and London (2 May), before wide release in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK on 9 May. It premiered in Los Angeles on 14 May, [128] before its release in the Philippines and North America on 16 May. [129] IMAX 3D preview screenings in North America took place on 15 May. [130] Paramount announced that the film would join its World War Z in a one-week-only "Ultimate Double Feature" from 30 August to 5 September. [131]

Publicity and marketing [ ]

Star Trek Into Darkness Early Promo

Early promotional image before finalized title or release date

Bad Robot Productions made efforts to keep the story of this film secret until its release, for the benefit of the audience. Fan interest in this film, though, meant it was difficult for Bad Robot to keep hiding the plot. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 171 , p. 6)

At the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, Roberto Orci hinted at changes to the Enterprise design and the opening credits. [132] He commented upon commencement of filming that the engineering designs had been altered. [133]

Several photographs from behind-the-scenes appeared on the web on 24 February 2012, showing Zoë Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch and Zachary Quinto. [134] Another batch of photos were leaked on 29 February, featuring Saldana with Chris Pine. [135] Yet more behind-the-scenes pictures were posted online on 1 March 2012. Those photos depicted stunt work being done on the garbage barge set, involving the characters of Spock and Khan. [136] On 16 April 2012, a new photo from the filming went online, showing Zachary Quinto filming the volcano sequence. [137]

Spock in Volcano Suit, silhouette

The first image officially released from the film

In an October 2012 interview on the talk show Conan , J.J. Abrams debuted a three-frame clip of Spock in the Nibiran volcano. [138]

IDW Publishing solicited a four-issue prequel comic book to the film, titled Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness . Like the previous film's comic book prequel, Star Trek: Countdown , it was written by Mike Johnson and drawn by David Messina . Johnson also wrote the ongoing comic book and said the first , fourth , and twelfth issues contained hints of events in the film. " They are more retroactive, in the sense that after you see the movie you can go back and see where things were set up. Some are very direct; others are more thematic. " [139] [140]

Hasbro released Kre-O and Fighter Pods toys to promote the film. Mattel released three new Hot Wheels Star Trek Into Darkness starship models, and Quantum Mechanix announced plans to release a number of prop replicas based on historical flight models that were seen in Admiral Marcus' office. [141]

A video game, Star Trek , was released before this film. Its story and development cycle were independent of the films, but its release was delayed to promote Star Trek Into Darkness .

Alan Dean Foster wrote the novelization of this film.

The movie's soundtrack was released by Varèse Sarabande Records .

The first nine minutes of this film were shown before IMAX 3D screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on 14 December 2012. [142] The first trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness was shown before non-IMAX screenings of An Unexpected Journey . [143]

While showing scenes from this film at CinemaCon on 15 April 2013, members of the cast and crew expressed discomfort at promoting the film just hours after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings . Chris Pine acknowledged the parallels between the film's plot and the real world; " Terrorism is a huge part of our lives, and we all know the effects of that. " [144] Before the film's Australian premiere, J.J. Abrams commented the parallels were " horrible and unfortunate and heartbreaking […] but I would argue that it is also one of the reasons we go to the movies – to look at our lives, to ask questions about things we are trying to figure out, to find ways to make some sense of these things. " [145]

Posters [ ]

Teaser poster

Box office [ ]

Within hours of tickets going on sale in the UK on 9 April 2013, the London IMAX 's website crashed due to heavy traffic. [146] Following its opening in the UK, Australia, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Austria, and German speaking Switzerland, Star Trek Into Darkness set international records for the series with a gross of approximately $31.7 million. [147] Reports indicated ticket sales were seventy percent higher than for the last film. [148]

After tickets to the US IMAX previews sold out, the film's wide release was moved up a day from its initial 17 May date. [149] The film grossed US$81.1 million over its four-day opening, lower than Paramount's expected $100 million, but the film also already outgrossed its predecessor in markets such as Russia, Taiwan, and Mexico. [150] The film's North American opening (three-day) weekend was actually less than the US$75 million opening of the first film, while attendance by audiences under the age of twenty-five dropped ten percent to twenty-five percent. [151] The film dropped to third place during the subsequent four-day Memorial Day weekend, but grossed US$47 million. [152]

The film has grossed a total of US$458.7 million worldwide, with a domestic gross of US$228.7 million, which places it as the eleventh highest-grossing film in North America for 2013; and $231.3 million internationally, ranking it in fourteenth place worldwide, and making it the highest-grossing film of the Star Trek franchise. [153] The film was less successful than its predecessor in North America but exceeded it in other countries such as Russia and China, overall bringing the worldwide total to a larger amount than the first film a month after its release. [154] [155] Forbes argued that Star Trek Into Darkness ' disappointing performance in North America was due to J.J. Abrams' refusal to spoil that John Harrison was Khan, so Paramount was " forced to craft a generic campaign based around Benedict Cumberbatch as 'Generic Bad Guy', so the excitement never took hold […] It made fans and general moviegoers less excited about Star Trek 2 than they were four, three, or even two years ago. " [156]

Bryan Burk was extremely pleased with the film's international gross. " More than anything else, what I liked about the second film, and it sounds crass, but our box office doubled internationally [from the previous movie], " he stated, " which was really telling because people were starting to see [ Trek ] and not be afraid of it in the rest of the world. " ( SFX , issue 270, p. 71)

Reception [ ]

Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were ultimately happy with this film, Kurtzman stating, " We feel, for the most part, that we accomplished everything we really wanted to. " ( SciFiNow , issue 84, p. 040)

J.J. Abrams was likewise pleased with how the film turned out. " This movie goes further than the first movie in every way, " he enthused. " There are volcanic planets, wild spaceship chases and massive effects, but there is also a more nuanced story […] The action and the scale are light years ahead. Bringing IMAX and 3D technology in gives audiences yet another level of excitement and fun to be had. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 023)

Dan Mindel was pleased with the look of this film after working on it as cinematographer. " We walked away with a really great-looking film, " he remarked, " which was necessary in order to top the first one. " ( Empire , issue 287, pp. 87-90)

Early reactions to this film were positive. The day after the end of a two-week international tour promoting this film to the world's media, Bryan Burk divulged, " I'm excited for everyone to jump onboard with this film […] From the Star Trek fans who have seen it, they all seem significantly more invested than ever, " Burk laughed. " It's funny. As I've been going around, preaching that this movie is now more accessible to non- Star Trek fans, the second they come out, I'm hearing from them it feels like it was made more for Star Trek fans, so I think it will be significantly rewarding for Trek fans. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 171 , p. 6)

This film has an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 7.5/10. [157] The film has a "generally favorable" score of 72/100 on Metacritic. [158]

Among cinema goers, the film earned an "A" rating from those polled by CinemaScore. [159] The year after its release, a poll to find the 301 greatest movies of all time by Empire readers ranked the film at #245. [160]

On his twitter account, former Star Trek showrunner Rick Berman reviewed the film, saying, " Very exciting, great production and VFX. Fabulous acting. But is it a Star Trek film ? Maybe. Only time will tell. " He also contemplated how Gene Roddenberry might have reacted to the film, commenting, " At its soul, is it a movie that Gene would have given his blessings to? He very well might have. I really don't know. " [161]

Brannon Braga opined, "Into Darkness was slightly less successful [than the previous film] in that I was pining for the allegory. It was feeling like a Star Trek flavored action movie. " ( SFX , issue 270, p. 68)

LeVar Burton critiqued this film by saying, " At the end of the movie, I really care about what happens to the characters… but I’m pretty much missing Gene Roddenberry in J.J.’s interpretation… and at the end of the day, that’s just not OK for me. " [162]

Jonathan Frakes is disappointed that, despite visiting the set of this film, he wasn't permitted to participate in the making of it. Nevertheless, he approved of this movie. ( SFX , issue 270, p. 63)

Wil Wheaton wrote a positive review of this film on his blog. He summarized his opinion of the film by stating, " I loved it. I think it's my favorite Star Trek movie ever, and I can't wait to see what this crew does next. " [163]

Malcolm Reed actor Dominic Keating stated, " I went to see Into Darkness on a date and the girl I took was a Star Trek fan. Right at the end, where Spock is beating up on Benedict Cumberbatch, this little kid’s voice came screaming out from a couple of rows behind me: 'Way to go, Spock!' I turn around and it’s this kid who must have been about eight years old, and I thought to myself, 'Would you look at that. Fifty years on and they’re bringing it still. Isn’t that amazing?' " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 40)

The Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer commented on the film's role reversal of a pivotal scene in that film that " You have to be flattered that somebody wants to sort of try and make your movie again. But the difference […] between a rip-off and an homage is that you are supposed to add something. " [164]

Despite the fact this film turned out to be successful both with critics and at the box office, some fans were disappointed with the movie, finding it too similar to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Abrams conceded, "We got in trouble on the second Star Trek film with some of the fans: there were too many nods to The Wrath of Khan . I'll cop to that." [165] Hollywood legend and intended Star Trek XIV writer Quentin Tarantino sided with the disenchanted fans at a later point in time, when he, a Star Trek: The Original Series fan himself, emphatically stated in a 22 July 2019 interview given to MTV's Happy Sad Confused podcast, " No, Benedict Cumberbatch, or whatever his name is, is not Khan, alright? Khan is Khan . " [166]

Tarantino and the critical fans were not alone in their assessment; despite the (cautiously) favorable reception expressed by the above quoted former Star Trek cast and crew, other former Star Trek production staffers (and Original Series fans) had already taken a slightly dimmer view on the alternate reality film franchise as well, after they had taken stock pursuant the release of Into Darkness . Doug Drexler has in 2013 put it as follows, " Technically they are beautiful… the work is stunning… however… and I hope no one will hold this against me… I did not enjoy the last two films, and honest…I really wanted to… but for me, Star Trek has to have a philosophical, humanist bend to it… always making a point, or asking a question. It should be introspective, and self examining. That's the Roddenberry factor. The new films are devoid of Gene Roddenberry , and at the end of the day, I'm not ok with that. " [167] (X)

In this Drexler was joined by former VAM Producer Roger Lay, Jr. who had stated in the same year, " Well, it’s not my Star Trek. It’s definitely not my Star Trek, it’s very different. What I love about Star Trek, sometimes it’s not really there, you know? I think they’re fun, popcorn movies… " [168] His former VAM colleague Robert Meyer Burnett was even more outspoken in his opinion when he declared in a 2017 podcast (at 00:27:00 into the interview) that he hated the alternate reality Star Trek films "to the core of my existence" for the very same reasons, even though he conceded that the films were beautifully made. [169]

Believing they had made this film sufficiently different from the earlier one, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman responded by insisting that this film is not a remake and that at no point during the lead-up to it's release did they refer to it as a remake. Kurtzman remarked, " You certainly can't fault us for not taking the time to consider our choice [of whether to include Khan] – some people may disagree with the choices that we made, but we did not go into it blindly […] And people seem to like it, which is the most gratifying thing, because we made it for people. " Added Orci, " I think for some fans their preconceived notions prevented them from evaluating the fact that the movie is actually worthy on its own, and that's why they're having a slight dissonance with people who didn't know Star Trek very well and obviously had a great reaction to it. " The recycled dialogue used in this film was perhaps most disconcerting for some fans, to which Orci responded, " Put yourself in that situation [of having to write lines for the scene in question] and try and rewrite good stuff – we'd be equally harassed for, 'Oh, they tried to rewrite that scene and failed!' " Laughing, Orci likened this dilemma to the Kobayashi Maru scenario . Another debate in the fan community was about whether Khan would still have suddenly gone on the offensive if Kirk hadn't had Scott stun him once those three characters have secured the Vengeance . ( SciFiNow , issue 84, pp. 040, 041 & 042)

Merchandise gallery [ ]

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness

Awards and honors [ ]

Star Trek Into Darkness received the following awards and honors.

Links and references [ ]

Credits [ ].

John Cho Benedict Cumberbatch Alice Eve Bruce Greenwood Simon Pegg Chris Pine Zachary Quinto Zoë Saldana Karl Urban Peter Weller Anton Yelchin

Paramount Pictures And Skydance Productions Present

A Bad Robot Production

A J.J. Abrams Film

Leonard Nimoy

  • Kirk – Chris Pine
  • Spock – Zachary Quinto
  • Uhura – Zoë Saldana
  • Bones – Karl Urban
  • Scotty – Simon Pegg
  • Sulu – John Cho
  • Khan – Benedict Cumberbatch
  • Chekov – Anton Yelchin
  • Pike – Bruce Greenwood
  • Marcus – Peter Weller
  • Carol – Alice Eve
  • Thomas Harewood – Noel Clarke
  • Rima Harewood – Nazneen Contractor
  • Ensign Brackett – Amanda Foreman
  • Lieutenant Chapin – Jay Scully
  • Ensign Froman – Jonathan H. Dixon
  • Navigation Officer Darwin – Aisha Hinds
  • Science Officer 0718 – Joseph Gatt
  • Lead Nibiran – Jeremy Raymond
  • Nibiran – Tony Guma
  • Madeline – Kimberly Broumand
  • Sean Blakemore ( Klingon 1 )
  • Nick E. Tarabay ( Klingon 2 )
  • Captain Abbott – Beau Billingslea
  • Keenser – Deep Roy
  • Lucille Harewood – Anjini Taneja Azhar
  • Doctor – Jack Laufer
  • Katie Cockrell ( Girl 1 )
  • Kellie Cockrell ( Girl 2 )
  • Cupcake – Jason Matthew Smith
  • George Kirk – Chris Hemsworth
  • Winona Kirk – Jennifer Morrison
  • USS Enterprise Shuttle Ensign – Seth Ayott
  • Torpedo Security – Marco Sanchez
  • Uniformed Mercenary – Lee Reherman
  • Scott Lawrence ( USS Vengeance Officer 1 )
  • Usman Ally ( USS Vengeance Officer 2 )
  • Nolan North ( USS Vengeance Bridge Officer 1 )
  • James Hiroyuki Liao ( USS Vengeance Bridge Officer 2 )
  • USS Vengeance Ensign – Rob Moran
  • Berit Francis ( Starfleet Admiral 1 )
  • Akiva Goldsman ( Starfleet Admiral 2 )
  • Benjamin P. Binswanger ( Starfleet Admiral 3 )
  • Transport Officer – Christopher Doohan
  • Andy Demetrio ( USS Enterprise Bridge Crew 1 )
  • Gianna Simone ( USS Enterprise Bridge Crew 2 )
  • Rene Rosado ( USS Enterprise Bridge Crew 3 )
  • Jacquelynn King ( USS Enterprise Bridge Crew 4 )
  • Long Tran ( USS Enterprise Bridge Crew 5 )
  • Ningning Deng ( USS Enterprise Bridge Crew 6 )
  • Jodi Johnston ( USS Enterprise Bridge Crew 7 )
  • Lady V – Colleen Harris
  • USS Enterprise Security – Jeffrey Chase
  • USS Enterprise Nurse – Monisola Akiwowo
  • Shuttle Pilot – Paul K. Daniel
  • USS Enterprise Red Shirt – Ser'Darius Blain
  • Moto – Heather Langenkamp
  • USS Enterprise Crew – David C. Waite
  • Bar Girl – Melissa Paulo
  • San Francisco Woman – Cynthia Addai-Robinson
  • San Francisco Bar Patron – Drew Grey
  • USS Vengeance Security – Douglas Weng
  • Charlie Haugk ( San Francisco Resident 1 )
  • Max Chernov ( San Francisco Resident 2 )
  • Marc Primiani ( San Francisco Resident 3 )
  • Jesper A. Inglis ( San Francisco Resident 4 )
  • Jacob Rhodes ( Nibiru Child 1 )
  • Kentucky Rhodes ( Nibiru Child 2 )
  • Shaku – Anthony Wilson
  • Eric Greitens ( Starfleet Ceremonial Guard 1 )
  • Melissa Steinman ( Starfleet Ceremonial Guard 2 )
  • Adam McCann ( Starfleet Ceremonial Guard 3 )
  • Jon Orvasky ( Starfleet Ceremonial Guard 4 )
  • Gerald W. Abrams ( Starfleet Memorial Admiral 1 )
  • James H. McGrath, Jr. ( Starfleet Memorial Admiral 2 )

Second Unit [ ]

Uncredited [ ].

  • D.A. as Enterprise security officer
  • Henry Abrams as San Francisco resident
  • Kraisit Agnew as Nikicha Tomser
  • Tom Archdeacon as Ensign Spyke
  • Alexandra Aristy as Starfleet HQ staff #2
  • Noah Arrue as visitor
  • Melissa Baldridge as Enterprise operations division officer
  • Susana Basanty
  • Paris Benjamin as Enterprise crew engineer
  • Larry Blackman as Enterprise bridge crewmember
  • Bill Blair as Chelsea civilian
  • Francesca Brighty as 7 News reporter
  • Jon Lee Brody as Enterprise security officer
  • David Anthony Buglione as USS Enterprise medical staff
  • Frank Cermak, Jr. as Starfleet officer
  • Mitch Clark as Nibiran
  • Alonzo Montrelle Cook
  • Geryh Hurricane Curtis as Starfleet instructor
  • Mike Dalager as Enterprise security officer
  • Daphney Dameraux as Starfleet memorial attendee
  • D'Anna Dettore as "First in Command, Cadet, Civilian"
  • MaryAnn DiPietro as Starfleet office worker
  • Gerald Donaldson as admiral
  • Jaycie Dotin as Enterprise shuttle crewmember
  • Chol Eddy as Enterprise engineer
  • April Marie Eden as Orion Enterprise crewmember
  • Diana Emuge as engineer
  • Chris Fabregas as Enterprise security officer
  • LaRaine Fisher as Chelsea civilian
  • Leni Ford as Cosmoe
  • Misty Franklin
  • Gary-7 as Nibiran elder
  • Douglas Gawoski as shuttle crewman
  • Aurelien Gaya as ship engineer
  • Michael Giacchino as 2 News weatherman
  • Jonathon Grant
  • Virginia Hankins as Enterprise crewmember
  • Mark Alexander Herz as Enterprise security officer
  • Ellen Ho as Starfleet cadet
  • G. Malcolm Houston as Starfleet Admiral
  • Ryan T. Husk as Starfleet officer
  • Coy Jandreau as Nibiran
  • Britanni Johnson as NYU Nurse
  • Mike Kalinowski as Starfleet officer
  • Robert Kane as San Francisco resident
  • Elly Kaye as Starfleet officer
  • Jamal Kazak as USS Vengeance security officer
  • Germany Kent as Starfleet captain
  • Hina Khan as cadet
  • Dave Kim as Starfleet Enlisted Soldier
  • Ariel D. King as Starfleet civilian
  • Kasia Kowalczyk as alien Enterprise engineer
  • Richard Kuhr as Enterprise crew engineer
  • Shaun Kyser as security guard
  • Bryan Lee as Starfleet cadet
  • Xuelian Lei as San Francisco resident
  • Andrew Maiorano as Starfleet HQ staff #3
  • Brent McGee as Enterprise crew engineer
  • Teebone Mitchell as Starfleet Headquarters officer
  • Peet Montzingo as bar patron #2
  • Chris Morris
  • Hiram A. Murray as bar patron
  • Morocco Nevlin / Reggie Melvin as civilian
  • Westley Nguyen as civilian
  • Brendan Norman as Enterprise crew engineer
  • Celeste Octavia as nurse
  • Jen Oda as female Ayt
  • Laura Parker as Enterprise crewmember
  • Salomon Passariello as medical technician
  • Amy Pham ( unconfirmed )
  • Preston Queen as bar patron #3
  • David Rodriguez as Enterprise crewmember
  • Ana Franchesca Rousseau as Enterprise crewmember
  • Tristin Rupp
  • Joel Shock as security officer
  • Michael T. Stewart as Starfleet officer
  • Thomas W. Stewart as Enterprise crew engineer
  • Nora Sullivan as Enterprise science officer
  • Vijay Suzuki as red shirt/mechanic
  • Nilayana Sy as Starfleet officer
  • Tala Tereze as waitress
  • Perry Thackeray as Nibiran
  • John Tomkins
  • Fawn Tran as civilian
  • Xavier Truesdell as Enterprise crewmember
  • Julee Vadnais as Orion civilian
  • Kyle Valle as Starfleet civilian
  • Vincent van Hinte as male Ayt
  • David Whitaker as Starfleet officer
  • David C. White as USS Enterprise crew
  • Ali Williams
  • Sue Wishengrad as Captain
  • Stacey Woods as "Intergalactic Woman"
  • Felicity Wren as Starfleet officer
  • Kerry Wynnyk as Enterprise crewmember
  • Alien bar patron
  • Alien Enterprise crewmember
  • Enterprise command division officer
  • Enterprise operations division officer
  • Enterprise nurse
  • Female Starfleet memorial attendee
  • Five USS Vengeance security officers
  • Male Starfleet memorial attendee
  • Nibiran baby
  • Six Starfleet officers
  • Starfleet officer
  • Ten bar patrons
  • Three ceremonial guards
  • Three Royal Children's Hospital staff members
  • Two Enterprise medical staff members
  • Two Enterprise security officers

Stunt performers [ ]

  • John Ashker – stunts
  • Maryellen Aviano – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • Krista Bell – stunts
  • Jennifer Caputo – stunts
  • Ilram Choi – stunt actor: Chelsea civilian
  • Brian Christensen – stunt rigger
  • Doug Coleman – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • Eugene Collier – stunt double: Beau Billingslea
  • Tim Connolly – stunt double: Karl Urban
  • George Cottle – utility stunts: ND Enterprise crew
  • Brycen Counts – stunts
  • Sam Creed – stunts
  • Jahnel Curfman – stunts
  • Max Daniels – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • Eddie Davenport – stunt actor: USS Vengeance security officer
  • Mark DeAlessandro – stunt actor: Frantic Pedestrian
  • Steve DeCastro – utility stunts
  • Cory DeMeyers – stunts
  • Kevin Derr – stunts
  • Shauna Duggins – stunts
  • Wade Eastwood – utility stunts: ND Enterprise crew
  • Katie Eischen – utility stunts
  • Robert C. Escobar – stunts
  • Marie Fink – stunt double: Berit Francis
  • Mark Ginther – stunt rigger/utility stunts
  • Jessica Harbeck – stunts
  • Zedric Harris – stunts
  • Nick Hermz – stunts
  • Jermaine Holt – stunt actor: Klingon
  • Antal Kalik – stunt double: Lee Reherman
  • Zero Kazama as USS Vengeance Bridge Officer
  • Matthew S. Kennedy – stunts
  • Bobby C. King – stunts: ND crewmember
  • Henry Kingi, Jr. – stunts
  • Hiro Koda – stunts
  • Kim Robert Koscki – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • Cheryl Lewis – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • Michael Li – stunts
  • Brian Machleit – stunts
  • Tara Macken – stunts: Enterprise science crewmember
  • Tom McComas – stunts
  • Cassandra McCormick – stunt double: Alice Eve and utility stunts: Starfleet crewmember
  • Rene Mousseux – stunts
  • Caryn Mower – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • Michael Mukatis – stunts
  • Eric Norris – stunts
  • Lin Oeding – stunts
  • Eddie Perez – stunts
  • J.J. Perry – stunts
  • Peewee Piemonte – utility stunts
  • Denney Pierce – stunts
  • Mark Rayner – stunts
  • Kevin Reid – stunt double: Benedict Cumberbatch
  • Simon Rhee – stunt actor: USS Vengeance security officer
  • Larry Rippenkroeger – stunts
  • Jimmy N. Roberts – stunts
  • Tracey Ruggiero – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • Todd Schneider – stunts
  • Courtney Schwartz – stunts
  • Ray Siegle – stunts
  • Caine Sinclair – stunt double: Anton Yelchin
  • Paul Sklar – stunt double: Peter Weller
  • Scott Sproule – utility stunts
  • Aaron Toney – stunts
  • Frank Torres – stunt rigger / utility stunts
  • Tierre Turner – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • April Weeden Washington – stunts
  • Kofi Yiadom – utility stunts: Starfleet official
  • Merritt Yohnka – stunt double: Bruce Greenwood
  • Omid Zader – stunt actor: Meter Maid

Stand-ins [ ]

  • Ryan Babbs – stand-in for Simon Pegg
  • Caleb Grant – stand-in for Benedict Cumberbatch
  • James Henderson – stand-in for Chris Pine
  • Jessica Hickam
  • Peter Jang – stand-in for John Cho
  • Linden King
  • Brandon Stacy – stand-in and photo double for Zachary Quinto
  • Michael T. Stewart – stand-in for Zachary Quinto
  • Wilson Wang – stand-in for John Cho
  • Evan Wecksell – photo double
  • Robert Werner – photo double for Anton Yelchin
  • Nico Abondolo – Musician: Double bass
  • Eri Adachi – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Brian Adler – Digital & Visual Effects Executive Producer: Gentle Giant Studios
  • Rose Adler – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Beatriz Aguilar – Intern/Production Assistant
  • Daniil Alikov – Texture Artist: ILM Singapore
  • Nicole Alkire – Hair Stylist
  • Patrick L. Almanza – Stereoscopic Compositor/Painter
  • Tom Altobello – Property Assistant
  • Miriam Alvarez – Stereo Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Michael Amato – Stereoscopic Artist
  • John Amorelli – Rigging Draftsman
  • Pedro Andrade – Digital Compositor
  • Tor Andreassen – Digital Compositor
  • Tovonaina Andriamampionona – Stereoscopic Roto Artist: Stereo D
  • Beverley Joy Ang – Assistant Technical Director
  • Dave Anglin – Second Unit Camera Production Assistant
  • Carlos Anguiano – Pipeline Developer: Pixomondo
  • Jason Apperson – Additional Electrician
  • Erick Aragon – Rotoscope Artist
  • Ian Armstrong – Stereoscopic Depth Artist
  • Shelly Armstrong – Location Coordinator/Assistant Location Manager
  • Aitor Arroyo – Nuke Artist: Pixomondo
  • Gustaf Aspegren – Electronic Prop Assistant
  • Florian Ast – Compositing Intern: Pixomondo
  • Lauren Astore – Coordinator: Digital Caliber Inc.
  • Alan Au – Art Director
  • Ando Avila – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Arin Babaian – Personal Trainer: Alice Eve , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg
  • Paul A. Baccam – Stereoscopic Rotoscope Artist
  • Joseph Bailey – Digital Compositor: ILM
  • Justin Ball – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • James Ballard – Compositor
  • Frank Willis Balzer – Special Effects Assistant
  • Gretchen Bangs – Stereoscopic Roto Artist: Stereo D
  • Zheng Bao – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Jennifer Barnes – Musician: Alto
  • K.C. Barnes – Senior Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • David Baronoff – Associate Producer
  • Fernando Barrios – Rigging Grip
  • Jose F. Barrios – Rigging Grip Foreman
  • Vatsche Barsoumian – Vocal: Bass
  • Steven Barthen – CG Intern: Pixomondo
  • Brandon Bartlett – Division CG Supervisor: Pixomondo
  • Mark Battle – Finaling Artist: Stereo D
  • Chris Basso – Generator Operator/Driver, Production Van Operator
  • Fritz Beck – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Julian Beeston – Utility Sound
  • Harald Belker – Concept Designer
  • Todd Bennett – Plasterer
  • Frank Berbert – Digital Compositor: ILM
  • Carina Berlin – 2nd Unit Art Department Assistant
  • Jeff Berrington – Special Effects Welder
  • Maxime Besner – Stereo Compositor
  • James Betteridge – Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • Michael Binczek – Special Effects Model Maker Gang Boss
  • Adam Binder – Production Assistant
  • Brian Bishop – Rigging Grip
  • Anton Bitzer – Compositor
  • Edward Blackford – Rotoscope Artist
  • Bill Blair – Digital Double Lead
  • Margaret Blakemore – Production Assistant
  • Neale Blase – Driver
  • Chris Bleth – Musician: Clarinet
  • Daniel Blöcher – CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Ioan Boieriu – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Jason Bomstein – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Konstantin Borchert – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Cris Borgnine – Visual Effects Rigging Supervisor
  • Chloe Bostian – Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Frankie Bourne – Production Assistant
  • Cindy Bourquin – Musician: Alto
  • Jason Bowers – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Taylor Boyd – Key Assistant Location Manager
  • Chris Bramante – Production Assistant
  • Troy Bridenstine – Driver
  • Maxwell Britton – Set Dresser
  • Laura N. Brooks – Production Assistant
  • Matt Brooks – 3D Database Developer
  • Michael Broom – Conceptual Designer
  • Belinda Broughton – Musician: Viola
  • Elisabeth Brown – Sculptor/Model Builder
  • Darlene Brumfield – Hair Stylist
  • Dorothy Bulac – Specialty Costumer
  • Jonathan Burdeshaw – Sculptor
  • Aaron Burnitt – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • Alex E. Burns – Driver: Day Player
  • Chris Burr – Rigging Electrician
  • Daniela Cabrera – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Moises Flores Cabrera – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Adam Camacho – Grip
  • Sue Campbell – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Kevin A. Canamar – Supervising Set Medic
  • Nicholas Canavan – Stereoscopic Rotoscope Artist: Stereo D
  • Jay Cannavo – Splinter Unit Production Assistant
  • Jake Capistron – Eclipse Technician
  • Roberto Cappannelli – Sound Re-Recording Mixer
  • Deborah Carlson – FX Technical Director: ILM
  • Clint Carney – Concept Artist/Prop Maker
  • Steve Casa – Visual Effects Photographer
  • Kyle Cascadden – IT Trainee: Pixomondo
  • Laura Caulfield – Production Legal
  • Snata Chakraborty – Stereo Roto Artist
  • Steven Chapman – Lidar Technician
  • Matt Chase – Craft Service Assistant
  • Peter Chase – Craft Service
  • Zhongwei Chen – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Cheng Cheng – Rotoscope/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Tagui Chilyan – Stereo Production Assistant: Stereo D
  • Christopher Chinea – Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • Paul Churchill – Digital Artist: ILM
  • Joseph Civitate – Senior 3D Generalist
  • Sam Claitor – Compositing Trainee: Pixomondo
  • Darrell Claunch – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Art Clever – Special Effects Welding Foreman
  • James Clowater – Stereo Artist
  • Michael Coady – Driver
  • David Cohen – Mold Shop Supervisor
  • Joshua E. Cohen – Visual Effects Artist
  • Brian R. Cole – Sculptor
  • Diane Collins – Script Supervisor
  • Gus Comegys – Visual Effects Prep Colorist
  • Kit Conners – Production Assistant
  • Steve Constancio – Specialty Costumer
  • Elliot Contreras – Senior Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Jeremiah Cooke – Special Effects Hydraulic Foreman
  • Elissa Cordero – Stereoscopic Animator
  • Matt Cordero – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Jack Cornelius – Set Dresser
  • Matt Corrigan – Special Effects Artist
  • Trent Cotner – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Daniel Cotroneo – 2nd Unit Lighting Technician
  • Glenn Cotter – Digital Artist: ILM
  • Erik Coutts – Transportation department
  • David Cowles – Stereoscopic On-Line Editor
  • Maurice Cox – Senior Stereoscopic Compositor
  • David Crane – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Thomas Crow – 3D Artist: Stereo D
  • Davide Curletti – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Brian G. Curtis – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Xu Dai – Rotoscope/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Adam Dale – Aerial Director of Photography
  • David Dame – Digital Artist
  • Nicholas Daniels – Compositor
  • John Daro – Senior Digital Intermediate Colorist: FotoKem
  • Brad Darrow – Team Leader
  • Gilbert Dawson-Kesson – CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Curtis Decker – Special Effects Machinist
  • Gabe de Kelaita – Set Production Assistant
  • Alfonso De La Torre – Concept Designer
  • Brian Deming – Key Assistant Location Manager
  • Michelle Denering – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Mark DeSimone – ADR Mixer
  • Rustin Devendorf – Stereoscopic Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Leslie Devlin – Makeup Artist
  • Harish Devnani – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Amit Dhawal – Visual Effects Artist
  • Allison Dillard – Production Safety Director
  • Matt DiNardo – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Doris Ding – Rotoscope/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Lucas di Rago – Digital Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Matt DiSarro – Special Effects Technician
  • Gus Djuro – Senior Stereoscopic Compositor
  • George Doering – Musician
  • Maren Dolzmann – Visual Effects Coordinator: Pixomondo
  • Hugo Dominguez – Rotoscope/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Don Domino – Rigging Grip
  • Sebastian Domula – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Christopher Dooly – Specialty Costumes
  • Andrea Dopaso – Illustrator
  • Dennis Drozdowski – Special Effects Technician
  • Pierre Drolet – Concept Designer/Modeler: Pixomondo (pre-production)
  • Mayur Duchakke – Render Wrangler
  • John Dutcher – Confidentially Production Assistant
  • Gregory M. Edgar – Property Assistant/Assistant Property Master
  • Glen Eisner – Makeup Sculptor
  • Nino Ellington – Technical Assistant
  • Daniel Emmerich – CG Intern: Pixomondo
  • James England – Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Rob Engle – Stereoscopic Consultant
  • Juan Antonio Espigares Enriquez – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Bryan T. Evans – Matchmove Artist
  • Garrett Eves – Depth Artist
  • Benjamin Ey – Division Visual Effects Producer: Pixomondo
  • Maeve Eydmann – Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Paul Faeldo – Stereo Compositor: Stereo D
  • Devin Fairbairn – Layout Artist: ILM
  • Hsuanyi Fang – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Salina Farkas – Accounting: Pixomondo
  • Junaid Farooq – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Dean Faulder – Animator/Modeler: Pixomondo
  • Ryan Faulkner – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Phylicia Feldman – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Robin Pierce Ferber – Stereoscopic Conversion Artist
  • Mariano Fernandez – Metal Shop Foreman
  • Lauren Fernandez-Morrell – Stereo Artist
  • Francesco Ferrara – Painter
  • Giovanni Ferrara – Paint Foreman
  • Judith Ferrer – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Mark Ferrer – Stereoscopic Roto Artist: Stereo D
  • Dawn Fidrick – Stereoscopic Rotoscope Artist: Stereo D
  • Claire Finbow – Assistant to Simon Pegg
  • Chad Finnerty – Visual Effects Supervisor Consultant/Animator: Pixomondo
  • Felix Fissel – IT Manager: Pixomondo
  • Bridgette Foo – Digital Artist: ILM
  • Brian Fortune – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Lucia Foster Found – Aerial Operations Coordinator
  • Clayton Fowler – Grip
  • Elizabeth Frank – Set Costumer
  • Layne Friedman – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Josh Friz – 2nd Unit Second Assistant Camera Operator
  • Maxi Fröhlich – Compositing Intern: Pixomondo
  • Christopher Fulmer – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • Doug Gagan – Special Effects Technician
  • Patrick Gagné – Visual Effects: Modeling and Texturing
  • Stephen A. Gall – Stereo Rotoscope Artist
  • Rick Gamez – Prop Fabricator
  • Matthaeus Gamroth – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Liwei Gao – CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Mark Garbarino – Special Makeup Effects Artist: Kasia Kowalczyk
  • Adam Garnier – Stereoscopic Compositor: Digital Caliber Inc.
  • Edgar Garrido – Roto Artist
  • Lynn Garrido – Prop Electronics Technician
  • Meredith Garrison – VFX Production Assistant: Stereo D
  • Mark Gasbarro – Musician: Pianist
  • Nancy Gassner-Clayton – Score Vocalist
  • Michael Geiger – Vocal: Bass
  • Mike Gerzevitz – Electrician: Fixtures
  • Jackson Gichuki – Stereoscopic Rotoscope Artist
  • Adrien Saint Girons – Lead Lighting Technical Director
  • Jan Glöckner – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Paolo Gnoni – CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Christian Godzik – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Daniel Goertz – Pipeline Technical Director: Pixomondo
  • Harris Goldman – Musician: Viola
  • Matt Goldstein – Splinter Unit Set Production Assistant
  • Jerardo Gomez – Electrician
  • Antoine Goncalves – ENV/DMP: ILM Singapore
  • Edgar Gonzalez – Rotoscope Artist
  • Azzard Gordon – Digital Artist: ILM Singapore
  • Russell Gorsky – Sound Effects Designer
  • Joanna N. Goslicka – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Björn Gottwald – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • A.B. Govardhan – Matchmove Supervisor: Botvfx
  • Matthew Gowan – Production Assistant
  • Kirk Gravatt – Visual Effects Artist
  • Connie Grayson Criswell – Contact Lens Technician/Wig Maker
  • Renee Greathouse – Production Assistant
  • Elysia Greening – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Jerry Gregoricka – Rigging Electrician
  • Ashley Gressen – Additional Production Assistant
  • Monica Griffin Lee – Session Singer
  • Peter N. Griffith – Property Assistant
  • Quinn Grove – Rigging Grip
  • Nathan Grubbs – Stereo Compositor
  • Jonny Gu – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Pascal Guillemard – Fixtures Technician
  • Phaneedra Gullapalli – Pipeline Developer: Pixomondo
  • Benson Guo – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Mansi Gupta – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Sandie Hall – Vocal: Soprano
  • Tyler Halle – Stereo Compositor
  • Thierry Hamel – Lead Matchmove and Environment TD: Pixomondo
  • Ramón Hamilton – Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • John H. Han – CG Supervisor
  • Josh Handley – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Aisling Harbert – Stereoscopic Lead Artist: Stereo D
  • Rich Hardy Jr. – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Karen Harper – Off-Camera Singer
  • Walter S. Harrah – Vocal: Tenor
  • Jeffrey J. Hart – Additional Set Production Assistant
  • Samantha Hatch – Additional Set Production Assistant
  • Ayana Haviv – Ensemble Singer/Vocalist
  • Dustin Hayes – Depth Artist
  • Alex Heffner – Stereoscopic Lead Artist
  • David Heimerl – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Árni Björn Helgason – Unit Production Manager: Iceland
  • Kelly Valentine Hendry – Casting Search
  • Namjin Heo – Digital Compositor
  • Andrea Hernandez – Division Lead Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Daniel A. Hernandez – Video Assist
  • Veronica Hernandez – Rotoscope Artist: Stereo D
  • Jordan Heskett – Stereoscopic Painter/Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Brent Heyning – Effects Engineer: Interior Engineering for Enterprise and Spacecraft
  • Nicholas Hiegel – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Jason Hindman – Fixtures Technician
  • Isaac Hingley – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Sebastian Hirsch – Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Ngoc Ho – Production Assistant
  • Martin Höhnle – Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Chris Holly – Confidentially Production Assistant
  • Brian Holmes – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • Matt R. Hopkins – Prop Fabricator
  • Paul Hormis – Pipeline Technical Director: Pixomondo
  • Scott Hosfeld – Musician
  • Craig Hosking – Aerial Coordinator/Pilot
  • Craig Houston – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Gábor Hoványi – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Xiaoyong Hu – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Gary Huang – Render Wrangler: Pixomondo
  • Xiandeng Huang – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Natapon Huangsakuncharoen – Creature Technical Director: ILM Singapore
  • Ryan Huestis – Production Assistant: ILM
  • Paul Huston – Digital Matte Artist
  • Ali Ingham – Senior Visual Effects Production Coordinator: Pixomondo
  • Florian Jackl – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • Robert Jackson – 2D Division Lead Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Sean D. Jackson – Set Dresser
  • Ryan Jacoby – Mold Shop
  • Andrea Jamiel – Render Wrangler: Pixomondo
  • Anine Jan – Stereo Compositor: Stereo D
  • Srinivas Janapati – Production Coordinator
  • Jeffrey Jasper – Technical Lead: New Deal Studios
  • Jaime Jasso – Lead Digital Matte Artist
  • Whan Je – i/o Coordinator: Pixomondo
  • Henry Jefferson – Compositing Artist: Pixomondo
  • Victor Jenkins – Casting Search
  • Leo Jia – Animator/Modeler: Pixomondo
  • Bess Johnson – Camera Production Assistant
  • Erik Johnson – Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Jeremy Jones – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Nikolce Jovanovski – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Soyeon Olivia Jung – Rotoscope/Paint Artist/STereo Compositor: Pixomondo
  • YeYoung Jung – Animator/Modeler: Pixomondo
  • Greg Junovich – ADR Mixer
  • Bruce Jurgens – Visual Effects Executive Producer: Legion Entertainment
  • Corey Just – Stereoscopic Depth Artist
  • Aleks Justesen – Depth Artist
  • Jordan C. Kadovitz – Computer Video Playback: Rigger
  • Christian Kalata – CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Sandro Kath – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Prateek Kaushal – Stereoscopic Supervisor: Stereo D
  • Michael Kelem – Aerial Director of Photography
  • Pete Kelley – Special Effects Technician
  • James Kells – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Clark Kelly – Sculptor
  • Kolby Kember – Lighting and Shading Artist: Pixomondo
  • Rolf John Keppler – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Douglas Kieffer – Set Lighting Technician
  • Jin Yong Kim – Layout & Matchmove Artist
  • Jun Young Kim – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Ted Moowon Kim – Hard Surface Modeler & Texturer: ILM Singapore
  • Vedat Kiyici – ADR Mixer
  • Dag Kjetsa – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Thomas Kleylein – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Lena Amanda Koch – Visual Effects Assistant/Visual Effects Coordinator
  • Kristofer Kody – Stereo Compositor
  • Alexander Köhl – Digital Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Christian Korneck – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • Justin Kosnikowski – Digital Artist
  • Gumby Kounthong – Extras Casting
  • Kyle D. Krajewski – ADR Recordist
  • Sebastian Kral – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • David Krause – VP of Technology: Stereoscopic Conversion
  • Denis Kravtsov – Pipeline Developer: Pixomondo
  • Eryn Krueger Mekash – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Lon Krung – Modeling and Texturing CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Norman Krüsmann – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Nitesh Kumar – Stereo Roto Artist: Stereo D
  • David Ladish – Set Dresser
  • Steven Ladish – Set Dresser
  • Dave Lajoie – Production Tools
  • Heather Langenkamp – Makeup Artist
  • Ruben Languren – Production Assistant
  • Michael Lankes – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Don Lanning – Makeup Designer
  • Chris Larsen – Set Dresser
  • Daniel Lawson – Production Assistant
  • Thang Le – Concept Artist: ILM
  • Julius Lechner – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Jonathan B. Lee – Stereo Production Assistant
  • Kenji Lee – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Melissa Lee – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • SeungJoo Lee – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Stephen Lefebvre – Visual Effects Artist
  • Erik Lehmann – Texturing Artist: Pixomondo
  • Ellexa Lemarie – Production Assistant
  • Chris Lentz – Animation Supervisor: Singapore
  • C.J. LePage – i/o: Pixomondo
  • Jenny Leupold – CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Mark LeVang – Musician
  • Carla Lewis – Extras Casting
  • Wenkang Li – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Zhunan Li – Visual Effects Coordinator: Pixomondo
  • Jeff Lin – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Kai Lin – Animator/Modeler: Pixomondo
  • YuanJing Lin – Assistant Technical Director
  • Lisardo Liriano – Visual Effects Artist: Stereo D
  • Benjamin Liu – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Heng Liu – Animator/Modeler: Pixomondo
  • Sunyan Liu – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Adam Lo – Rotoscope Artist: Stereo D
  • Veronica Lorenz – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Son Lu – Stereoscopic Lead
  • Doug Luberts – Production and Technical Support: ILM
  • Jacob Lundmark – Roto/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Rob Lutz – Stereoscopic Compositor/Painter
  • Lap Van Luu – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • Chenchen Ma – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Zijun Ma – Roto/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Frank Macchia – Music Preparation
  • Ali Magee – Makeup Department Production Assistant
  • Michael C. Magno – Set Dresser
  • Pravin Mahtani – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Uwe Majer – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Carson Majors – Stereoscopic Compositor/Painter
  • Yael Majors – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Lee Philip Malin – Confidentiality Administrator
  • Roy Vincent Mann – Lead Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Fredrik Mannerfelt – Digital Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Charana Mapatuna – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Pavan Maradia – Technical Assistant: Stereo D
  • Artur Margiv – Compositor
  • Jose Marin – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Chulev Marko – Modeler/Texture Artist: ILM
  • Jeff Markwith – Set Designer
  • Andrew Marquez – Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • Karl J. Martin – Set Designer
  • Geordie Martinez – Creature Technical Director: ILM
  • Emily Mason – Stereoscopic Assistant Editor
  • Dale Matasovsky – Stereo Compositor
  • Joe Matke – Hair Stylist
  • Colin Mayo – Lighting Technician
  • Richard F. Mays – Digital Set Designer
  • Kindra McCall – Depth Artist
  • BJ McDonnell – 2nd Unit Additional Camera Operator
  • Edward McDonough – Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Elizabeth McKinney – Stereoscopic Compositor: Digital Caliber Inc.
  • David McMahon – Digital Compositor
  • Christian McWilliams – Location Scout
  • Jackie Medel – Production Assistant
  • Shantel Medina – Finaling Artist
  • Natalie Meffert – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Mike Mekash – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Kevin Melia – Stereoscopic Roto Artist
  • Lau E.H. Melvin – Visual Effects Technical Assistant
  • Mariscela Beatriz Mendez – 2nd Unit Lighting Technician
  • Cris Mertens – Stereoscopic Assistant Editor: Stereo D
  • Jason W. Mesias – Production Assistant
  • Felix Messerschmitt – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Steven Messing – Concept Designer/Digital Matte Painter
  • Aaron Meyer – Music Preparation
  • Philip Meyer – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Sebastian Meyer – Concept Artist
  • Thomas Middleton – Digital Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Karolis Mikalauskas – Depth Artist
  • Michael Milano – Stereoscopic Depth Artist
  • Brandon Miletta – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Becca Miller – Specialty Costumer
  • Michael Miller – ADR Mixer
  • Julie Minasian – Score Vocalist
  • Ed Mirassou – Prop Maker
  • Bart Mixon – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Tobias Moenninger – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • Andrew Moffett – Previs Artist
  • Sidhartha Mohanty – Production Assistant
  • Robert Molholm – Color Science/Imaging R&D
  • Michael John Mollo – Electronic Music Programming
  • Jacki Moonves – 2nd Unit Camera Production Assistant
  • Declan Moran – Stereo Compositor: Stereo D
  • Joey Moran – Rigging Electrician
  • Pat Moreira – Layour Artist: ILM
  • Christopher Morente – Greensman
  • Immanuel Morris – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Shaun Morris – Production Assistant
  • Erich A. Muller – Costumer
  • Sven Müller – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Alexa Müller-Heyn – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Andrew Mumford – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Carson Murdy – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Brian Murphy – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Daniel P. Murphy – Construction Metal Fabricator
  • Michael Murphy – Head of Quality Control: Stereo D
  • Alex Murtaza – Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Emmi Nakagawa – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Mohan Narayanaswamy – Quality Manager
  • Harindranath Narendran – Finaling Artist
  • Hector Navarro – Depth Artist
  • Ned Neidhardt – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Christopher Allen Nelson – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Rachel Elizabeth Nelson – Silicone Technician
  • Zack Neuman – Production Assistant
  • Christine Neumann – Animator/Modeler: Pixomondo
  • Beauxregard Neylon – ADR Mixer
  • Sheau Horng Ng – Digital Artist: ILM
  • Giang T. Nguyen – Animator/Modeler: Pixomondo
  • Kristin Nietzig – Division Accounting: Pixomondo
  • Philip Nussbaumer – Division Lead Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Timothy Oakley – Prop Fabricator
  • David O'Brien – Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • Fedor Odegov – Pipeline TD Post Production: Pixomondo
  • Viktorija Ogureckaja – Visual Effects Global Production Manager: Pixomondo
  • Marc Okrand – Klingon language consultant
  • William J. Olsen – Production Assistant
  • Osni Omena – 3D Artist/Maya Generalist
  • Woon Chi Ong – Compositor: ILM Singapore
  • Akira Orikasa – Visual Effects Artist: ILM
  • Maria E. Ortiz – Paramount Pictures Consultant
  • Nick Ostrovsky – Rigging Electrician
  • Sam Page – Set Designer
  • Jordan Paley – Key Production Assistant: Reshoots
  • Ken Palkow – Prop Fabricator
  • Alexander Panov – Art Department
  • John F.K. Parenteau – VFX Executive Producer: Pixomondo
  • Steve Parsons – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Dana Passarella – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Jim Passon – Color Timer
  • Phil Pastuhov – Aerial Director of Photography
  • Yogesh Pathak – Senior Stereo Roto Annotation Artist
  • Cristina Patterson Ceret – Contact Len Designer/Painter
  • Lucas Paul – Set Production Assistant
  • Bethany Pederson Onstad – Visual Effects Artist: Pixomondo
  • Lyndsey Pendley – Stereoscopic Paint Artist
  • Daniel Perez – Stereoscopic/Roto Artist
  • Diego Perez – Depth Artist
  • Samuel Perez – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Michael Peter – Senior Texture/Lookdev Artist: ILM Singapore
  • Betsy Peters – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Binoy Peters – Senior Production Coordinator
  • Kiana Petersen – Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Morten Petersen – Lighting Technician
  • Hieu Phan – Roto/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • David Philogene – Compositor
  • Sara Philpott – Set Decoration Buyer
  • Teddy Phuthanhdanh – Motion Capture Assistant
  • Philip Pickford – Aerial Unit
  • Tom Piedmont – Finaling Artist
  • Johannes Pink – Pipeline Technical Director: Pixomondo
  • David Pinkus – Second Assistant Director: Aerial Unit UK
  • Jerome Platteaux – Digital Artist
  • Leszek Plichta – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Erik Ploneda – Stereoscopic Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Jason Pomerantz – Production Manager: IMAX
  • Steven Porch – Specialty Costumer
  • Nestor Prado – Digital Artist
  • Roger Prater – Greens Gang Boss
  • Margaret Prentice – Special Makeup Effects Artist: Kimberly Arland
  • Eleonora Principi – Rotoscope/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Daniel Profus – i/o: Pixomondo
  • Edward J. Protiva – Set Dresser
  • Steve Prouty – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Zhennan Quan – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Andy Quinn – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Melissa Quintas – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Sean Raffel – Animator/Modeler: Pixomondo
  • Jack Rametta – ADR Mixer
  • Antonio Ramos – Digital Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Dan Randall – Foley Recordist
  • Brody Ratsoy – ADR Engineer
  • Salahuddin Razul – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • William Reges – Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • Sebastian Reichhold – FX Trainee: Pixomondo
  • Mick Reid – Stereo Compositor
  • Ari Reisner – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Johannes Retter – Compositing Intern: Pixomondo
  • Gerard Retulla – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereoscopic Conversion
  • Todd Rex – Set Sculptor
  • Aaron Richards – Set Lighting Fixtures Technician
  • Grover Richardson – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Jason Richardson – Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Caliber Inc.
  • Bruce Richter – Construction Carpenter
  • Caroline Riess – Human Resources: Pixomondo
  • Guy Riessen – Digital Matte Painter: Atomic Fiction
  • Raj Rihal – Concept Illustrator
  • Mike Rim – Stereoscopic Compositor: Digital Caliber Inc.
  • Agustin Rios – Visual Effects Artist
  • Rick Rische – Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Duncan Rochfort – Visual Effects Editor: Pixomondo
  • Arturo Rodriguez – Stereoscopic Depth Artist
  • Raymond Rodriguez – Stereoscopic Rotoscope Artist
  • Katherine Rodtsbrooks – Stereoscopic Conversion Lead: Stereo D
  • Rob S. Rogers – Stereoscopic Depth Artist
  • Carlos J. Rosario – Digital Artist
  • Vincent Robert Rosas – Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • Marcus O. Roth – Division Visual Effects Producer: Pixomondo
  • Anne Marie Rothfuss – Stereoscopic Rotoscope Artist: Stereo D
  • Ryan Roundy – Special Effects Office Supervisor
  • Rachel Rubenstein – Stereoscopic Roto Artist: Stereo D
  • Ryan Rubi – Creature Technical Director: ILM
  • Joel A. Ruiz – Rigging Electrician
  • Maury Ruiz – Concept Artist
  • Robert Ruiz – Assistant Camera Operator
  • Alexander Rumpf – Roto/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Shaun Russell – Sculptor
  • Matt Ryan – Set Production Assistant
  • Toshihiro Sakamaki – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Juan Ignacio Salgado – Division Lead Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Chris Samp – Set Painter Gang Boss
  • Cara Samuels – Visual Effects Coordinator: Pixomondo
  • Mike Sanders – Digital Supervisor
  • German Sandoval – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Lukas Sarralde – Stereo Compositor
  • Stephen Saunders – Rigging Electric
  • Geoff Sayer – Digital Compositor: ILM
  • Kai Schadwinkel – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Sebastian Schäfer – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Bill Schaeffer – Digital Compositor
  • Andrea Schermoly – Assistant Choreographer
  • Katja Schmidt – Division Accounting: Pixomondo
  • Roman Schmidt – Division CG Supervisor: Pixomondo
  • Silam Schmidt – Global Talent Manager: Pixomondo
  • Skylar Schmidt – Set Dresser
  • Ric Schnupp – ADR Recordist
  • John Schratz – CG Artist
  • Brian Schultz – Digital Compositor
  • Karie Schwabl – Production Assistant: Pixomondo
  • Diane Schwebs – Human Resources: Pixomondo
  • Kino Scialabba – Designer: Legion Entertainment/Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Anselm Seherr-Thoss – Visual Effects Artist
  • Benjamin Seide – Division Visual Effects Supervisor: Pixomondo
  • Dongjin Seo – Texture Painter/Look Development Artist: ILM Singapore
  • Jack Serino – Grip
  • Alex Sessing – Greens Foreman
  • Daniel Sessoms – NextLab Operator
  • Nick Sewatsky – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Julie Shack – Set Costumer
  • Shruti Shankar – Depth Artist
  • V. Gouri Shankar Rao – Stereo Prep Supervisor
  • Amit Sharma – Compositor: ILM Singapore
  • Mark Sheffield – Sound Re-Recording Mixer
  • Varghese Sherin – Stereoscopic Supervisor: Stereo D
  • Marcos Shih – 3D Matte Painter/Concept Artist: Pixomondo
  • Emmanuel Shiu – Concept Designer
  • Brooke Shoemaker – Casting Assistant
  • Jason Shulman – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Jason Shupe – Flying Camera Operator
  • Isaac A. Silva – Model Maker Gangboss
  • Marcus Silvera – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Alexandra Simmes – Motion Graphics Artist: Pixomondo
  • Stacey Simmons – Production Technology Manager: Stereo D
  • Pankaj Kumar Singh – Technical Operations Lead: Stereoscopic Conversion
  • Miro Skandera – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Sven Skoczylas – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Ryan Slawson – Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Brett C. Smith – Set Decoration Buyer
  • Cameron Smith – Fixtures Technician
  • Corey Smith – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Dane Allan Smith – Visual Effects Producer 3D Scanning: Giant Studios
  • Tammy Smith – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Wee Lian Soh – Visual Effects Artist
  • Simia Song – Rotoscope/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Roger Sparwasser – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Casey Spiegel – Paramount Pictures Executive Assistant
  • Mark Spindler – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Christopher Stack – i/o Manager: Pixomondo
  • Ivory Stanton – Textile Artist
  • Michael Stark – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Joe Steel – Digital Imaging Technician: Aerial Unit UK
  • Rachel Steele – Extras Casting Assistant
  • Andrea R. Stephens – Department Manager: Deluxe 3D
  • Andy Stephens – Aerial Operations Manager
  • G. Allen Stewart – Stereoscopic Compositor/Stereoscopic Painter
  • John Stillman – Digital Compositor: ILM
  • Tracy Stockwell – Plasterer
  • Paul Stoll – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Rainer Stolle – Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • George Streicher – Post Production Assistant
  • Brent Studler – Electrician
  • Frederick George Stuhrberg – 3D scanning
  • Vladan Subotic – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Haidong Sun – CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Jenna Sunde – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Kamalakar Suryavanshi – Stereo Compositor
  • Jason Sutton – Hydrascope Operator
  • David Swift – Digital Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Ronald Tacsion – Stereoscopic Depth Artist
  • Marc Tantin – Special Effects Technician
  • Brandon Taylor – Compositor
  • Randy R. Tecson – Stereoscopic Rotoscope Artist: Stereo D
  • Mike Tehrani – ADR Recordist
  • Michael Teixeira – Production Assistant
  • Nicholas Tey Kai Guan – Modeler: ILM
  • Michael Thalmann – Head of IT: Pixomondo
  • Kim Thio – Paramedic: Camera Test
  • Cale Thomas – Painter: Film Illusions
  • Jason Thomas – Stereo Compositor
  • Brian Thomason – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Kevin Tiesiera – Fixtures Technician
  • Eric Timm – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Paul Tirone – ADR Recordist
  • Robert Tobin – Senior Depth Artist
  • Derek Tracy – Stereoscopic Compositor
  • Duc Minh Tran – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Mark Victor Trappett – Render Technical Assistant
  • Michael T. Travers – 2nd Unit Best Boy Grip
  • Daniel Trebac – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Chris Treichel – Stereo Production: Stereo D
  • Tom Truscott – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Denis Trutanic – Senior Layout Artist: ILM
  • Ervin Tuazon – Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • Robert Tucker – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Ryan Tudhope – Senior Staff: Atomic Fiction
  • Corey Turner – Executive Stereographer: Paramount Pictures
  • Trey Turner – ADR Recordist/Assistant Sound Editor
  • Jason Ullrich – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Claudius Urban – Senior Animator: Pixomondo
  • Reuben Uy – Assistant Technical Director
  • Dirk Valk – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Tom van Dorp – Digital Compositor
  • Jeremy Vanneman – Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Valentina Vee – Post Production Intern
  • David Vegezzi – Interface Art Designer: OOOii
  • Ricardo Velez – Rotoscope Artist: Stereo D
  • Aurelio x. Vera Jr. – Visual Effects Producer: Digital Caliber Inc.
  • Anthony Vlastas – Production Staff
  • Garrett Vosburg – Greensman
  • Ghanshyam Waghela – Finaling Artist: Stereo D
  • Adam Walker – Lead Assets Artist: ILM Singapore
  • Dan Wallin – Music Score Engineer
  • Juliane Walther – Motion Graphics Trainee: Pixomondo
  • Bill Wang – Visual Effects Coordinator: Pixomondo
  • Cuiling Wang – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Huida Wang – Matte Painter: Pixomondo
  • Hui Sophie Wang – Pipeline Intern: Pixomondo
  • Pablo Wang – Stereo Compositor 3D Version
  • Steven Wang – CG Artist: Pixomondo
  • Alexander Ware – Depth Artist
  • Natsuko Watanabe – Finaling Compositor: Stereo D
  • John Watkins – Digital Effects Supervisor: Pixomondo
  • Anastasia Watson – Stereoscopic Artist: Stereo D
  • Kaifeng Wei – Rotoscope/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Henry Weickert – Pipeline Technical Director: Pixomondo
  • Claudia Weingärtner – Accounting: Pixomondo
  • Phil Weisgerber – CNC Operations
  • Shannon M.E. Weiss – A.C.E. Intern
  • Jay Wejebe – Makeup Artist
  • Florian Werzinski – Lighting Artist: Pixomondo
  • Kelly Wescott – Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Jon Wesström – Roto/Paint Artist: Pixomondo
  • Jack White – Food Stylist
  • Faith Whitehead – Depth Artist
  • Kenneth H. Wiatrak – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Ryan M. Wilson – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Steve Winsett – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Dean Winton – Driver
  • Patrick Wolf – Head of Pipeline: Pixomondo
  • Sascha Wolf – i/o: Pixomondo
  • Marc Wolff – Aerial Coordinator
  • Lonni Wong – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Jamie Wood – Lead Compositor: ILM Singapore
  • Leah Woodworth – Extras Casting Assistant
  • Brian Woronec – Fixtures Technician
  • Carol Wu – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • David Wu – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Peter M. Wu – Stereoscopic Depth Artist: Stereo D
  • Runlin Xiong – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Tou Yeng Xiong – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Umashanker Yadav – Stereo Roto Artist: Stereo D
  • Tolga Yalkir – Systems Administrator: Pixomondo
  • Zhao Yang – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • She Fong Yap – Production Assistant: ILM Singapore
  • Seda Yilmaz – Coordination Trainee: Pixomondo
  • Ben Ying – Visual Effects Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Long Yinghan – Digital Artist
  • Kei Yoneoka – FX Artist: Pixomondo
  • Kodai Yoshizawa – Special Makeup Effects Sculptor: Kasia Kowalczyk
  • Walter Yuan – Stereoscopic Compositor: Stereo D
  • Elana Zaklis – Stereoscopic Artist
  • Jose Zamora – Hair Stylist
  • Alessandro Zanforlin – Nuke Compositor: ILM Singapore
  • David Zbriger – Technical Manager of Global Production: ILM
  • Aiping Zhang – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Zhuotao Zhang – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Zihao Zhang – Matchmove Artist: Pixomondo
  • Bin Zheng – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Carol Zhou – Animator: Pixomondo
  • Jianghong Zhu – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Huajing Zhuo – Compositor: Pixomondo
  • Xinguo Zou – Compositor: Pixomondo

Production companies [ ]

  • Avon Studio Transport – Vehicle Rentals
  • BT Industrial Supply – Expendables
  • B2FX – Special Effects Makeup Company
  • CBS Studios – Star Trek and related marks and logos are trademarks of
  • Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc. – Camera Dollies, Camera Cranes, Hydrascope Telescoping Crane Arms, Stabilized Remote Camera Systems
  • Codex Digital – Digital Recording Equipment
  • Digital Caliber Inc. – Special Effects Company (Stereoscopic Clean-up)
  • Digital Media Services – Digital marketing asset management
  • Direct Tools & Fasteners – Expendables
  • Dolby Laboratories – Sound Mix
  • Flying Pictures – Aerial Filming Services
  • Giant Studios – 3D Scanning Special Effects Company
  • Headquarters Casting – Background Talent Casting
  • K/O Paper Products
  • Legion Entertainment – Post Production Company
  • Monster Picture Crane – Stunt Rigging Crane
  • Movie Movers – Cast, Hair and Makeup Trailers
  • New Deal Studios – Special Visual Effects Company
  • Pictorvision – Eclipse Aerial Camera System
  • POP Sound – ADR Recording
  • Road Rebel – Production Travel
  • Saga Film – Production Services
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (soundtrack)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (DVD)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (Blu-ray)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (Blu-ray 3D)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (4K Ultra HD)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (iTunes)

References [ ]

208 ; 2259 ; 2 News ; 7 News ; advanced long-range torpedo ; AF ; aircar ; Air Defense Team ; airlock ; Alcatraz ; Alpha Quadrant ; ambulance shuttle ; Andoria Prime ; Angel Island ; antimatter missile ; applied physics ; Applied Sciences Division ; Arabic ; Ares V ; arms dealer ; Armstrong -type ( starships ); artificial gravity ; ash cloud ; attending physician ; auxiliary power ; away team ; Ayt ; BA-36 ; bangs ; bank ; bathing suit ; Bay Area Rapid Transit ; beach ; bearing ; Beastie Boys ; bedside manner ; Beta Quadrant ; Biddeford , USS ; black hole ; block 27 ; blockade formation ; body bag ; " Body Movin' "; bone ; boolean gun ; bowing ; Bradbury , USS ; brig ; bus ; cable car ; Caitian ; car ; Federation cargo shuttle ( cargo shuttles ); Celsius ; Chapel, Christine ; CNN ; coconut lotion ; cold fusion ; coma ; combat ability ; Confederacy of Surak ; Coridan system ; corn ; Cormier, Roy ; corpse ; Corridor 67 ; C-section ; cryo tube ; CT ; Cyrillic alphabet ; D4-class ; DB-5 ; damage ; damage report ; dawn ; Daystrom Conference Room ; deadly force ; decontamination ; defection ; defibrillator ; Delta Team ; diburnium ; display compass ; dive ; Dock Command ; docking clamp ; doctorate ; dog ; dozen ; Dreadnought -class ; dynamite ; Enterprise NX-01 ; earrings ; " Ears (are) burning "; Earth Sector 2 ; Earth Sector 45 ; Earth Sector 49 ; engineering staff ; Enterprise (OV-101) ; Enterprise (XCV 330), USS ; emergency lockdown ; ETA ; evacuation shuttle ; evacuation shuttle bay ; " Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven "; extractor ; eye wash ; ferry ; fiberoptic cable ; fire hose ; first aid kit ; Fisherman's Wharf ; five-year mission ; Flood and Waters Subsiding ; forgery ; forklift ; fracture ; fuel cell ; Galorndon Core ; garbage barge ; Gemini capsule ; genocide ; goggles ; Golden Gate Bridge ; Gorn ; Gorn octuplets ; grid 09 ; Grubeco ; hole generator ; hospital gown ; hovercar ; hull ; ice cube ; indigenous species ( indigenous lifeform ); information ; internal manual override system ; isoton ; Io ; Io Facility ; Ito, Stephanie ; jumpship ; Jupiter ; Kelvin Memorial Archive ; Kelvin Memorial Archive personnel ; Kelvin , USS ; Ketha Province ; King, Albert ; kill zone ; kilometer ; kitten ; Klingon ; Klingon language ; K'normian ; K'normian trading ship ; knowledge ; KPMG ; Kronos ; Level 3-B ; life support center ; life support system ; lift cable ; London ; London Eye ; love song ; Luna ; magnetic field ; manager ; manhunt ; manual override ; Mayflower -type ; M-class ; melodrama ; medical staff ; Menk ; metaphor ; metaphysic shield ; meter maid ; military shuttle ; missing man formation ; mooring ; morality ; Mudd Incident ; multidimensional radar ; murder ; murderer ; nail polish ; Nelson's Column ; Neutral Zone ; New Vulcan ; Newton -type ( starships ); Nibiran ; Nibiran language ; Nibiru ; Nibiru fish ; Nibiru riding animal ; Nibiru tree creature ; name-calling ; Noah's Sacrifice and His Drunkenness ; NX Alpha ; NX-class ; Octuplets ; Office of Special Plans ; Orion ; Orion Union ; osmium ; outer frontier ; oxygen ; oyster ; payload bay ; payload bay doors ; PCAP-SYS ; Perfect Hair ; " Perspective Study of Mazzocchio "; phaser rifle ; Phoenix ; piercing ; planetoid ( unnamed ); platelet ; pointy ; poker ; popsicle ; portable transwarp beaming device ; Port of San Francisco ; Port of San Francisco bar ; powerwall ; Praxis ; Prime Directive ; prince ; projection component ; proverb ; proximate coupling beam ; proximity alert ; proximity detonation ; public record ; Qo'noS system ; quad 68 ; quadrant ; quadrant commander ; radiation poisoning ; rapping ; red cross symbol ; rescue shuttle ; resignation ; Rigel Beta ; robot ; Royal Children's Hospital ; rules of engagement ; rust ; salt water ; San Francisco Bay ; San Francisco Ferry Building ; San Francisco Metropolitan Area ; science officer ; seasickness ; search vehicle ; seat belt ; Second Street ; Sect 7XT ; Section 31 ; sector ; Sector 001 ; Sector 31 ; Sector 34 ; Sector 45 ; Sector 56 ; Sector 70 ; Sector 89 ; sector block ; senior staff ; seniority ; sentient being ; serum ; sheep ; Sherman's Planet ; shot glass ; Shuttle 1 ; Shuttle 7 ; signature ; skeleton crew ; Sol system ; space region observer ; specifications ; Spirit of St. Louis ; square meter ; stabilizer ; Starbase 1 ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Engineering ; Starfleet General Orders ; St Paul's Cathedral ; stuffed animal ; stun setting ; subject ; Sue Bierman Park ; suffocation ; superman ; Surak ; Takayama ; Takayama -type shuttlecraft ( Scott's shuttle , unnamed 2 , 3 , and 4 ); technicality ; The Gateway ; Theater Commander ; thruster ; torpedo technician ; traffic light ; tram ; transfer ; transfusion ; transwarp beaming ; transwarp equation ; transwarp network ; trash exhaust ; tribble ; tribunal ; Turner, Corey ; type 2 phaser ; type 3 phaser ; UFP News ; unrest ; V-2 rocket ; VD ; VH-5 ; Vengeance , USS ; volcano ; Vostok 1 ; Vulcan ; mind meld ; war criminal ; warp core ; Warrant ; weapons bay ; web ; welding team ; Westminster Quarters ; Wright Flyer ; workbee ; wormhole ; X-15

Other references [ ]

  • Kelvin Memorial Archive Directory: Cindy Jones Bar and Grill ; CJ's Coffee House ; Jorge's Steakhouse ; Luby's Pub & Grille ; Monte's Spanish Tapas & Bar ; Rudy's Sub Shop ; Simm's Pizza
  • Starfleet Headquarters Directory: Bailey's Pub & Grill ; Hamburger Hemlet ; Jaleo Spanish Tapas & Bar ; King Street Blues ; Kora Restaurant ; McCormick & Schmick's ; Morton's The Steakhouse
  • Powerwalls: B'omar ; chancellor ; Galorndon Core ; inbox ; Khitomer ; Pachangara, Magustav Organian peace treaty ; Risa Hedony ; Sherman's Planet ; weatherman ; weather report
  • Kirk's medical status : blood pressure ; Boyce, Phil ; BPM ; HR ; name ; patient ; temperature
  • Lucille Harewood's medical status' : blood pressure; critical care ; genetic material ; height ; inbox; pulse rate; temperature; weight

Meta references [ ]

Unreferenced material [ ], external links [ ].

  • Star Trek Into Darkness at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • Star Trek into Darkness at Wikipedia
  • Star Trek Into Darkness at the Internet Movie Database
  • 2 Daniels (Crewman)
  • 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)

Star Trek home

  • More to Explore
  • Series & Movies

Published Jul 15, 2013

Khan Revealed in Mini-Series

star trek into darkness my name is khan

IDW Publishing, on Wednesday, will kick off a five-issue miniseries – titled STAR TREK: Khan – revealing the back story of the enigmatic Star Trek Into Darkness villain. The saga will follow Khan Noonien Singh from his earliest days through his rise to power during the Eugenics Wars, building to his escape from Earth aboard the Botany Bay and his pivotal interactions with Admiral Marcus and Section 31.

star trek into darkness my name is khan

“Much like the way the Star Trek: Countdown comic book and our follow-up Nero miniseries helped flesh out that character after the first Star Trek movie,” says Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief, “Khan will add dimension and depth to this new iteration of one of the most classic villains in all of Star Trek lore.”

STAR TREK: Khan #1 is written by Mike Johnson and overseen by STID co-writer and co-producer Roberto Orci. Claudia Balboni is handling the art, while Paul Shipper has rendered the cover. KHAN #1 runs 32 pages and will cost $3.99.

star trek into darkness my name is khan

For additional details, contact your local comic book retailer or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you. And keep an eye on StarTrek.com for further news about IDW's upcoming Star Trek comic books.

Get Updates By Email

IMAGES

  1. Star Trek Into Darkness My name is khan scene

    star trek into darkness my name is khan

  2. Star Trek Into Darkness (5/10) Movie CLIP

    star trek into darkness my name is khan

  3. Star Trek Into Darkness (HD CLIP)

    star trek into darkness my name is khan

  4. Star Trek Into Darkness

    star trek into darkness my name is khan

  5. Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness

    star trek into darkness my name is khan

  6. Star Trek Into Darkness

    star trek into darkness my name is khan

VIDEO

  1. ► Star Trek Into Darkness ◄ Khan ● E.T

  2. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

  3. Star Trek Into Darkness part

  4. Khan Featurette

  5. What's Wrong With STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS

  6. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

COMMENTS

  1. Star Trek Into Darkness (5/10) Movie CLIP

    Star Trek Into Darkness movie clips: http://j.mp/1Zat84SBUY THE MOVIE: http://j.mp/1TUL2JlDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESC...

  2. Star Trek Into Darkness (HD CLIP)

    The man formerly known as John Harrison has a secret to tell. If you liked this clip, and want to see more clips featuring Benedict, please be sure to like, ...

  3. "My Name Is Khan" Scene

    Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) IMAX - "My Name Is Khan" SceneFilm description: The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act of terrorism wit...

  4. Star Trek Into Darkness: Official Clip

    The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act of terrorism within its own organization destroys most of Starfleet and what it represents, leaving Earth in a state of crisis. With a ...

  5. Star Trek Into Darkness

    Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. [4] It is the 12th installment in the Star Trek franchise and the sequel to the 2009 film Star Trek, as the second in a rebooted film series. It features Chris Pine reprising his role as Captain James T. Kirk, with Zachary Quinto, Simon ...

  6. Khan Noonien Singh

    Khan Noonien Singh is a fictional character in the Star Trek science fiction franchise who first appeared as the main antagonist in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Space Seed" (1967), and was portrayed by Ricardo Montalbán, who reprised his role in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.In the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness, he is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch.

  7. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    Star Trek Into Darkness: Directed by J.J. Abrams. With Leonard Nimoy, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana. After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable ...

  8. Khan Noonien Singh

    Khan Noonien Singh (or simply Khan) was an extremely intelligent and dangerous superhuman. He was the most prominent of the genetically-engineered Human Augments of the Eugenics Wars period on Earth. Khan was considered, by the USS Enterprise command crew, over three centuries later, to have been "the best" of them. Reappearing with a cadre of Augment followers in the 23rd century, Khan became ...

  9. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    Khan : A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries we slept, hoping when we awoke things would be different.

  10. Khan Noonien Singh (Alternate Timeline)

    Khan Noonien Singh, also known as John Harrison, is the main antagonist of the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness, the second installment in the Kelvin Timeline Star Trek film series. He is an extremely intelligent and ruthless terrorist, and was the most prominent of the genetically engineered Human Augments of the late-20th century Eugenics Wars period on Earth. Considered genocidal tyrants ...

  11. 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 ...

  12. Star Trek Into Darkness

    As requested by a few users.

  13. Star Trek Into Darkness

    With a personal score to settle, Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) leads his people (Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoë Saldana) on a mission to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction, thereby ...

  14. Star Trek: How Khan Was Changed From TOS For Into Darkness

    Here's how Star Trek changed the villainous Khan from The Original Series for Star Trek Into Darkness.As Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) told the younger Spock (Zachary Quinto): "Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise ever faced."Indeed, Khan ranks at the very top on the list of Star Trek villains and Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) bellowing the tyrant's name is ...

  15. Star Trek Into Darkness

    Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount Pictures, 2013) is the twelfth feature film based on the popular science fiction television series, Star Trek: The Original Series. The film takes place in an alternate time line, dealing with James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise crew hunting down rogue Federation agent John Harrison. Directed by J. J. Abrams.

  16. Star Trek: The Original Series

    : In both Star Trek Into Darkness and his debut episode Space Seed, each set in different continuities, Khan Noonien Singh is established to be a genetically / eugenically engineered übermensch despot from the late 20th / early 21st century - the most prominent of several, in fact - who ruled various nations across the globe and who partook in ...

  17. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    In London, Starfleet agent John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) bombs a secret "Section 31" installation. In San Francisco, Pike and his first officer attend an emergency meeting of high-ranking officers at Starfleet headquarters. The meeting is attacked by a gunship piloted by Harrison, who kills Pike. Kirk destroys the gunship, but Harrison ...

  18. Star Trek Into Darkness My name is khan scene

    About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright ...

  19. Star Trek Into Darkness

    Beyond the darkness, lies greatness. A series of terrorist attacks on Earth places Captain James T. Kirk on a mission to deal with the culprit. Nothing is as it seems, as the Starship Enterprise is entangled in covert machinations to ignite war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, with an ancient enemy in the mix. With alliances tested, relationships strained and differing motives ...

  20. Khan Revealed in Mini-Series

    IDW Publishing, on Wednesday, will kick off a five-issue miniseries - titled STAR TREK: Khan - revealing the back story of the enigmatic Star Trek Into Darkness villain. The saga will follow Khan Noonien Singh from his earliest days through his rise to power during the Eugenics Wars, building to his escape from Earth aboard the Botany Bay and his pivotal interactions with Admiral Marcus ...

  21. Star Trek Into Darkness

    Star Trek Into Darkness - My Name Is Khan, enjoy, like, and SUBSCRIBE!!!!! comment if you want any other movie clip of this movie!!! ***NO COPYRIGHT INFRIN...

  22. Why didn't Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) receive more ...

    Pretty sure Khan is a Pakistani name, not Indian. ... Are you saying there is no non white people in 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' ? Excellent twisting of what I said, good job on being willfully ignorant. White people have had room and conitnue to have room in MAJORITY OF MEDIA. Changing one character of a group that barely has ANY representation ...

  23. Star Trek Into Darkness

    With Khan in the brig, Kirk wants to know how Khan single-handedly took a squad of Klingons so Bones draws a blood sample. While in the brig Khan begins to p...