Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek: Defiant#22!
Star Trekgave a great gift to Worf and his family–but now it appears to have been all but forgotten. Worf and his son Alexander did not enjoy the best relationship, and it became even more fraught during theDay of Bloodcrossover event. Now, inStar Trek: Defiant#22,Worf guides Alexander on the road to restoring his honor, but the story forgets a key development in Alexander’s life.
Star Trek: Defiant#22 is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta. The story, the first part of the “No Old Warriors” arc, sees Alexander work to restore his lost honor by completing theQuvceremony. The ritual is intense, and his survival is not guaranteed. Worf is overseeing Alexander’s progression in theQuvritual. Alexander is willing to do whatever it takes to restore his honor, and get back in his father’s good graces.While this may seem to be the beginning of a new path for Alexander, he actually embarked on a different one earlier.
Worf’s Son Alexander’s Arc in theStar TrekUniverse, Explained
Alexander Was Easy Prey for Kahless and the Red Path
As mentioned before, Alexander played a pivotal role inStar Trek: Day of Blood.This crossover event, running betweenStar TrekandStar Trek:Defiant, saw Kahless II attempt to take control of the Klingon Empire. Kahless, who had already been slaughtering the gods of the universe, had a vast army of cultists ready to kill in his name–and Alexander was one of them. Kahless manipulated Alexander into fighting his father. Worf was able to make his son see the error of his ways, but Kahless intervened, killing Alexander. He was revived thanks to a Bajoran Orb.
Sons of Star Trekended on a hopeful note for Alexander, as the Federation agreed to grant him clemency–provided he served as a medic.
This could have been it for Alexander, but fate had other ideas.In the four-issuemini-seriesSons of Star Trek,Q Jr pulled Alexander, Nog and Jake Sisko into an alternate reality, in order to teach them a lesson. In this alternate universe, Alexander served in Starfleet, in the Medical division. Alexander was confused as to why he was a medic, but apparently Q Jr saw something in him that he himself did not.Sons of Star Trekended on a hopeful note for Alexander, as the Federation agreed to grant him clemency–provided he served as a medic.
Sons of Star Trekalso starred Gul Dukat, who in this reality was a great Starfleet captain.
Alexander straying into Kahless’ grip was a long time coming, and Worf bears some of the blame. From the time he was a small child, Alexander has known loss. His mother died, and he would spend the next several years bouncing between homes: first with Worf’s adopted family on Earth, and then with Worf himself on theEnterprise. Worf tried to do right by his son, but often fell short. Worf’s parenting was so bad, in fact, that it has inspired countless dark humor memes inStar Trekfan circles.
Alexander Could Have a Promising Career in Medicine
HopefullyStar TrekDoes Not Forget Alexander’s New Direction
Alexander’s new career in medicine was unexpected, but welcome, as it finally gave him a purpose.All of his life, Alexander struggled to fit in. A child of two worlds, Alexander has been torn between his human and Klingon sides, and this conflict was partially to blame for leading him to Kahless’ Red Path. Alexander’s time in the alternate universe with Jake and Nog showed him there was a better way, and while he will have to work to atone for his crimes, there is now a possibility of redemption and growth.
Star Trek Is Ready to Transform Worf’s Son Into the Franchise’s Most Exciting Klingon: Here’s How
Alexander, the son of Worf, has not had a good life in the Star Trek universe, but now he is about to become the coolest Klingon in the franchise.
While it is possible to squareSons ofStar Trekwith the events ofDefiant#22, not mentioning Alexander’s awesome character development feels like a slight.
YetStar Trek: Defiant#22 makes no mention of Alexander’s new career,and this is a shame. Alexander has been done dirty in theStar Trekuniverse, both in-universe and out. Between a largely absent father and a growing sense of isolation from both strands of his heritage, Alexander has known suffering.Practicing medicine gives Alexander a calling, one that will set him apart from his father and other Klingons. While it is possible to squareSons ofStar Trekwith the events ofDefiant#22, not mentioning Alexander’s awesome character development feels like a slight.
