Summary
- In Star Trek Into Darkness, Spock's decision to seek outside help to defeat Khan was necessary because the young Enterprise crew was outmatched by Khan's superior intellect and physical strength.
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds depicts the years of experience and growth that Kirk, Spock, and Uhura gain serving under Captain Pike, showing why they would be better equipped to face Khan in the future.
- The Kelvin Timeline Enterprise crew's achievement in defeating Khan is all the more impressive due to their relative inexperience, showcasing their ability to overcome obstacles and save the day.
The crew of the USS Enterprise had to cheat to beat Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness, but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds shows why asking for outside help to beat Khan was necessary. Strange New Worlds season 2 featured the historic first meeting of Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) in Star Trek's Prime Timeline, an event that happened a year earlier and much more dramatically in the Kelvin Timeline created by J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 2009. Strange New Worlds season 2 takes place in 2259/2260 while Star Trek Into Darkness happens at roughly the same time, in 2259 of the alternate reality. But both Enterprise crews are in very different places in their lives.
Star Trek Into Darkness occurs a year after James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) becomes Captain of the Enterprise following their defeat of the Romulan time traveler Nero (Eric Bana) in Star Trek 2009. The young Kirk's recklessness breaks the Prime Directive, and he is demoted to Commander to serve as First Officer of the Enterprise under Admiral Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood). But when Khan attacks Starfleet headquarters, resulting in Pike's death, Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller) reinstates Kirk's Captaincy and charges him with the mission to kill Khan. The Enterprise crew eventually learns Marcus is the true villain manipulating Khan, but the genetically engineered madman exacts revenge on Marcus and is seemingly unstoppable. A desperate Spock (Zachary Quinto) then contacts Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and asks his Prime timeline doppelganger how to beat Khan.
