Summary
Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek#23!
Star Trekhas at long last unveiled the official “technobabble” term for its god-like beings. Two years ago, IDW revitalized their line ofStar Trekcomics with a “God War,” that spanned the franchise. The story explores the relationship between humanity and their gods, giving these powerful beings new layers. NowinStar Trek#23, another new wrinkle is introduced: a scientific name for the gods.
Lore’s plan to destroy the universe was likely inspired by CONTROL, Section 31’s original AI that went rogue duringStar Trek: Discovery’ssecond season.
Star Trek#23 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Megan Levens. Lore, Data’s evil brother, has crashed agathering of the gods at the Pleroma. Lore seeks to become a god himself, and sees the assembled deities as a threat to his agenda.
Shortly after arriving at the Pleroma,Lore addresses the gods as “Kardashevs.”
Star Trek’sGod War Was Just the Beginning
The God War Has Spurred Some of Starfleet’s Biggest Technological Breakthroughs
Lore christening the gods “Kardashevs” keeps with the grand themes IDW’sStar Trekline is exploring. The Klingon Emperor Kahless II launches a campaign of genocide against the universe’s god-like beings. Kahless’ actions threatened all reality, but Captain Ben Sisko and a ragtag group of Starfleet officers culled from all iterations of the franchise were successful in stopping him. Instrumental to Sisko’s victory was the mysterious Vulcan T’Lir, revealed to be the last of the Organians. T’Lir’s vast, universal knowledge allowed Sisko and his crew to create new technology capable of working on scales previously unheard of.
Usually takes the form of a Dyson Sphere
Can harness an entire universe.
Not in Kardashev’s original theory, added later
T’Lir and their crewmates used the term “Kardashev” often as they frantically worked to stop Kahless. The Kardashev Scale, named for Russian scientist Nikolai Kardashev, measures a civilization’s progress based on how efficiently they process energy. The god-like beings of theStar Trekuniverse are immensely powerful, and in T’Lir’s estimation, are a Kardashev Type 3 civilization. T’Lir also helped fashion a new warp drive system capable of entering the Pleroma. Theydubbed it the “Kardashev Drive”thanks to its ability to process tachyonic energy. The Kardashev Drive was wildly successful, potentially becoming a game-changer.
Star Trek’sTechnobabble Applies Even to the Gods
Lore Is Exploiting the Gods' Weaknesses
The introduction of a scientific name forStar Trek’sgods also humanizes these beings, showing them to be ultimately subjected to the same scientific laws and principles mortals are bound by.
Star Trekis known for “techno-babble,” and hanging the word “Kardashev” on the gods is another example of this trend. The introduction of a scientific name forStar Trek’sgods also humanizes these beings, showing them to be ultimately subjected to the same scientific laws and principles mortals are bound by. In his crusade to destroy the gods, Kahless reveals they have a serious weakness, one that Lore is now exploiting. The “Kardashevs” must now work with the same lesser beings they disdain if they wish to survive the horrors Lore is about to visit in theStar Trekuniverse.
