The most incredible alien creature in theStar Trekuniverse is a total secret to fans of the TV shows and movies. For the past 59 years, theStar Trekshows and movies have featured some incredible, terrifying and awe-inspiring aliens.Yet one creature, who surpasses all of them, never appeared on-screen. Instead, it made its debut in Marvel’sStar Trek: Voyager#11, from 1997.
Star Trek: Voyager#11, the first part of the “Leviathan” story arc, was written by Laurie S. Sutton and drawn by Jesus Redondo. In the Delta Quadrant,Voyagerstumbles upon a massive, techno-organic construct they dub “Leviathan.”The ship, which is sentient, came from outside the galaxy to study ours, yet it does so in a disturbing fashion: luring ships in and “incorporating” them into its structure.
The hapless species caught by Leviathan are then herded into habitat zones.
Voyagerescaped Leviathan, and the story ends implying aconnection to the alien V’Ger, fromStar Trek: The Motion Picture.
Star TrekHas Been A Cultural Milestone On TV and in the Movies
Some ofStar Trek’sBest Stories and Characters Have Never Appeared On the Screen
Since 1966,Star Trekhas served as a cultural touchstone for generations of fans, all drawn to the fantastic worlds the show depicts, as well as the franchise’s optimistic view of the future.Beginning with the Talosians inStar Trek’sfirst episode, “The Cage,” the franchise has featured powerful alien races. These aliens, who sometimes have powers and abilities far beyond humans, have forced Captains Kirk, Sisko and Janeway to “think outside the box” in order to defeat them. Many classicStar Trekepisodes are built around this premise, and often reinforce the franchise’s ideals.
These novels and comics, while not an official part of the canon, offer additional insight into the characters and their backstories.
WhileStar Trekhas thrived on TV and theater screens, it has also inspired a large body of non-canonical work that still manages to enhance the experience for fans.The firstStar Trekcomics, published by Gold Key, appeared within a year of the show’s premiere. The firstStar Treknovels appeared around this time as well. These novels and comics, while not an official part of the canon, offer additional insight into the characters and their backstories. Paramount Pictures, despite not regarding them as official, have still taken elements from them to use in the shows and movies.
Both Uhura and Sulu’s first names originated in theStar Treknovels.
Leviathan Is the Most Awe-Inspiring Creature in theStar TrekMythos
Star TrekNever Revealed Where Leviathan Came From, Making It A Big Franchise Mystery
Leviathan, seen inStar Trek: Voyager#11 and #12, is perhaps the most awe-inspiring creature ever glimpsed in the franchise.It is massive, easily dwarfingVoyagerand any other spacecraft or starship. Leviathan is an incredibly complex creature, capable of technological feats beyond the Federation, the Klingons andmaybe even the Borg. InStar Trek: Voyager#12, as Leviathan retreats, the crew are amazed at how fast it traveled: it approached Warp 9.9 with no problems. Most Starfleet vessels can only go this fast for limited amounts of time.
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Leviathan’s origin was obscured, which only adds to its mystique. It originated from outside the galaxy, but where exactly it hailed from was never revealed. It stated its purpose was to learn and explore, but it chose a disturbing way of going about it. The fates of the people imprisoned abroad Leviathan are also a mystery.Why it was built, and who built it, will remain one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of theStar Trekfranchise, and a puzzle that will most likely never be followed up on, either on-screen or in the comics and movies.
Are V’Ger and Leviathan “Brothers?”
Star Trek: Voyager#12 forwarded an intriguing theory about Leviathan: that there was a connection to another massive, sentient alien construct: V’Ger. Seenonly inStar Trek: The Motion Picture, this entity was once a lowlyVoyagerprobe. After being lost, it discovered a planet of machines, who saw in the probe a kindred spirit. They built a massive vessel to allowVoyagerto complete its mission and return home. The movie ends with Captain Will Decker and Ilia merging into V’Ger and departing this plane of existence. However, whatever connection existed between V’Ger and Leviathan is never explained.
The connection between Leviathan and V’Ger makes sense, however, as both have similar gimmicks, only different ways of going about it. It is possible that Leviathan also hailed from the machine planet that created V’Ger. However, it does raise questions of its own, such as which came first. Another possibility, even more fascinating, is that Leviathan was an actual inhabitant of V’Ger’s machine world. V’Ger was merely a construct created by the machines, but Leviathan could potentially be one of them. If so, they may be the most powerful alien race in the entireStar Trekuniverse.
Star TrekFans Are Missing Out by Not Reading the Comics and Novels
Non-CanonStar TrekMaterial Greatly Enhances the Franchise
The “Leviathan” story arc was fun and a greatStar Trekadventure. It introduced a powerful new alien to the mythos, one with deep ties to franchise lore. While similar to V’Ger, Leviathan blazed its own path across the galaxy–and it may have even surpassed the former Earth probe. If done correctly, Leviathan could be an impressive sight on-screen and a worthy villain for Starfleet. As such, however, it only appeared in the comics, deprivingStar Trekfans of the most fantastic creature seen in the franchise.
