WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 2, episode 2, "Ad Astra per Aspera."Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has added new layers to the history of Star Trek: The Original Series' genetically enhanced tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) proving that the character still has a lasting influence on Star Trek decades after his first appearance. In "Ad Astra per Aspera" Number One (Rebecca Romijn) was put on trial for concealing the truth about her own genetic enhancements. The court case exposed the considerable prejudice that Starfleet had towards so-called Augments, rooted in their fear of the emergence of another Khan Noonien-Singh.
The shadow of Khan hovered over the proceedings in the court, as the reality of the Federation's ban on genetic enhancements became clear. In seeking to avoid the creation of another brutal warlord, Starfleet are revealed to be unwittingly condoning the persecution of species like the Illyrians, for whom genetic engineering is a part of their culture. Una's trial in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds revealed that, long after his self-imposed exile, Khan continued to assert his influence. Khan's return 8 years after Una's trial will surely only exacerbate progress in the fight against the Federation's augment ban.
