Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek Omega!
Star Trekjust improved uponDeep Space Nine’sending, giving fans what they have always wanted along the way.Star Trek: Deep Space Nineended in 1999, and its stature has only grown among fans since.IDW’s 2022 relaunch of theirStar Trekcomics’ line was billed as a “sequel” toDeep Space Nine,and the newStar Trek Omegamakes good on this promise, delivering an emotionally satisfying finale.
Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly wroteStar Trek,while Christopher Cantwell wroteStar Trek: Defiant.
Star Trek Omega,the finale to two and a half years' worth of stories, was written by Christopher Cantwell, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and drawn by a “who’s who” ofTrekcomic artists. The one-shot shows the crews of theDefiantandTheseusas they go their separate ways. Strongly reminiscent of theDeep Space Ninefinale “What You Leave Behind,” the book brings this grand story to an end.
The final scenes of the issue, with Sisko returning to the Prophets, bring to mind the final moments ofDeep Space Nine.
Star Trek: Deep Space NineWas NotThe Next GenerationPart Two
Deep Space NineWas Unlike OtherStar TrekShows
The fourth entry in theStar Trekfranchise,Deep Space Ninewas vastly different from its predecessors. Whereas the classicStar Trekand its successorStar Trek: The Next Generationfeatured clean, sleek and high-tech starships,Deep Space Ninewas set aboard a dilapidated space station orbiting the recently liberated planet of Bajor. The station’s significance grew when the galaxy’s first stable wormhole was discovered nearby, providing unobstructed travel to the distant Gamma Quadrant. As a result,Deep Space Ninebecame an important outpost, drawing travelers from all over that corner of the galaxy.
Star Trek: Deep Space Ninebroke the franchise mold with its approach to storytelling as well. The show was initially structured similar toThe Next Generation, with some sort of dilemma for the crew to solve, yet asDeep Space Ninecontinued, it transitioned to a more serialized story model. This change can largely beattributed to the Dominion War story arc. Beginning at the end of season two, the Dominion became the show’s primary adversaries, and eventually went to war with the Federation, a conflict Starfleet nearly lost.
Star Trek: Deep Space Ninewas created by Michael Piller and Rick Berman.
Star Trek: Deep Space Ninebroke new ground in even more ways. By the timeThe Next Generationdebuted,Star Trekhad become “safe.” The Federation was almost always right in every episode ofThe Next Generation.Furthermore, theEnterprise, once they were finished, could simply warp off to their next destination, the consequences of their actions be damned. The crew ofDeep Space Ninehad no such luxury, and had to deal with the fallout of their decisions.Deep Space Ninealso subverted the idea of a benign Federation.
With a few exceptions, most ofDeep Space Nine’scast have not been seen since the show ended.
Deep Space Ninecame to a poignant and bittersweet ending 26 years ago. In the series’ finale, the Dominion War comes to an end, with the Federation and Starfleet victorious. Gul Dukat and Kai Winn, two of the show’s principal villains, received their comeuppance fromSisko and the Prophets. At the episode’s end, Sisko left Jake, Kassidy andDeep Space Ninebehind to live with the Prophets, but promised to return one day. With a few exceptions, most ofDeep Space Nine’scast have not been seen since the show ended.
IDW’s Rejuvenated Line ofStar TrekComics Took Their Cues fromDeep Space Nine
Sisko’s Quest to Save theStar TrekUniverse Ups the Ante for FutureTrekComics
After all these years,Star Trek: Deep Space Ninecontinues to exert an influence on the franchise, and nowhere was this more apparent than in IDW’s revitalized line ofTrekcomics.
After all these years,Star Trek: Deep Space Ninecontinues to exert an influence on the franchise, and nowhere was this more apparent than in IDW’s revitalized line ofTrekcomics. Launched in late 2022 with a story inStar Trek#400, this epic, multi-year storyline saw Sisko return from his sabbatical with the Prophets. Kahless II, the Klingon Emperor, began killing the galaxy’s gods, and Sisko was charged with stopping him. Starfleet gave Sisko a crew culled from various iterations of the franchise, as well as a highly advanced starship: theTheseus.
Star Trek,along with its sister titleDefiant,raised the bar for future comics by honoring the spirit ofDeep Space Nine.Star Trekworks best when it is examining some aspect of humanity, or providing social commentary.Deep Space Nineexplored the idea of life during wartime, as well as justhow realistic the Federation’s lofty ideas really are.Star TrekandDefianttook a deep look at the relationship mortals have with their gods. These gods lead to a variety of reactions, such as fear on Kahless’ part or awe and wonder in Sisko’s case.
Star Trekis also well-known for its hopeful and optimistic vision of the future, and these comics keep that spirit going as well.Deep Space Nineheld a magnifying glass up to Starfleet’s vision, and even while they were critiquing it, they were simultaneously reaffirming it.Star TrekandStar Trek: Defiantkeep Gene Roddenberry’s vision of humanity very much alive. Humanity is not a race of conquerors, Sisko once said, but a race of explorers, and the comics have taken the crew on a voyage beyond the confines of reality.
Star Trek OmegaImproves UponDeep Space Nine’sEnding
Sisko is Returning to the Prophets, But This Time Will be Much Different
Star Trek Omega, the capstone of this era ofTrekcomics, improves uponDeep Space Nine’sending. In “What You Leave Behind,” Sisko was taken to the Celestial Temple by the Prophets, but there was a definite vibe that he was going against his will. Sisko returns to the Prophets at the end ofStar Trek Omega,but his experiences fighting Kahless II and Lore have given him fresh insights into humanity, ones he plans to take to the Temple and show the Prophets. Sisko is returning to the Prophets, but now it’s on his own terms.
Jake’s reaction to losing his father inStar Trek Omegais a far cry from his response in “What You Leave Behind.” Losing his dad for the first time shattered Jake, and when fans catch up with him, he is still living onDeep Space Nine,not really going anywhere. Yet his father’s return, and the adventures they shared, have led Jake to change his mind about his dad’s destiny. Jake does not like his dad leaving again, but this time he accepts it. Sisko came back once, and he can do it again.
Star Trek Omega’sfinal scene is a recreation of “What You Leave Behind’s” finale.
“What You Leave Behind” ends with an extended sequence showingDeep Space Nine’screw scattering, giving hints of their future.Star Trek Omegadoes something similar. In fact, the whole issue features Sisko, Scotty, Spock and other participants as they begin to heal and move on. Some get happier endings than others, but everyone’s story wraps up: Kahless’ honor is restored, Lore is put back into storage,Scotty retires andT’Lir accepts their mortality.Star Trek Omega’sfinal scene is a recreation of “What You Leave Behind’s” finale.
IDW Created Something Special, in the Vein ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine
IDW’s Line ofStar TrekComics is a Testament to the Continuing Influence ofDeep Space Nine
IDW created something special withStar TrekandStar Trek: Defiant. Each of these books took inspiration fromDeep Space Nine, be it characters, locations, concepts and even individual scenes. Yet rather than being a simple retread, the comics broke new ground, telling a high-stakes, high-concept story that is unlikely to be topped in any medium anytime soon. The comics honored the spirit and verve ofDeep SpaceNine, right down to the finale, improving upon it by giving fans what they wanted.
