Summary
Star Trekis bringing back the one race that even the Borg fear–and I could not be more excited. In late 2022, IDW unveiled an ambitious reboot of their line ofStar Trekcomics, crafting a galaxy-spanning story drawing on characters from across the franchise. Many familiar faces have returned,and in a first look atStar Trek#25, one of the galaxy’s most powerful, and feared, alien races returns.
IDW shared their October solicitations withLeague of Comics Geeks, includingStar Trek#25. Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing and drawn by Liana Kangas, the issue is the first part of the new “When the Walls Fell” storyline. IDW’s solicitation reads as follows:
The android Lore has done the unthinkable: He has detonated the Orb of Destruction, unmaking the universe. After an extra-galactic tumble on the ensuing shockwave, the Theseus sinks into fluidic space. There, the crew melds in and out of a manifold of realities. Benjamin Sisko is against a godkiller once again, but this time it’s up to him alone to save reality itself!
Long timeStar Trekfans will recall that fluidic space is the home of Species 8472.
While the solicitation does not state if they will be in the issue, both variant covers show a member of Species 8472, which seems to imply they will be involved in some capacity.
Star Trek’sPowerful Species 8472, Explained
Species 8472 Are One ofStar Trek’sGreatest Loose Ends
WhenVoyagerwas hurled into the Delta Quadrant, fans knew it would not be long before the ship would encounter the Borg, who called it home. At the end ofVoyager’sthird season, in the episode “Scorpion Part One,”they finally meet the Borg–only to learn their cybernetic adversaries were on the run from another, even more fearsome alien race. These aliens, who the Borg designated Species 8472, lived in another dimension, called “fluidic space.” What separated Species 8472 from the rest was their ability to resist assimilation. As such, the Borg could not defeat them.
None of the contemporaryStar Trekshows have made use of Species 8472, and with the Borg now off the table as of the early 25th century, they may never be seen again.
Although Captain Janeway andVoyager’screw were able to assist the Borg in turning back Species 8472’s invasion, the terrifying creatures are still out there. Janeway and company would only encounter Species 8472 one more time before returning home, leaving them one of the franchise’s biggest dangling plot lines. None of the contemporaryStar Trekshows have made use of Species 8472, and with the Borg now off the table as of the early 25th century, they may never be seen again. Species 8472 were a fascinating race full of untapped potential.
Species 8472’s Return to theStar TrekUniverse Raises Big Questions
Will They Side With theTheseus?Or Destroy It?
If Species 8472 is indeed returning, it raises the question of what role they will play. Judging from the solicitation, the universe has been destroyed, and theTheseusis moving between other realities. If they have entered fluidic space, then they are now in Species 8472’s crosshairs. 8472’s last televised appearance ended with a truce, of sorts, between them and the Federation. Species 8472’s return to theStar Trekuniverse has me excited to see what role this powerful race, onefeared even by the Borg,will play in future issues.
Source:League of Comic Geeks
Star Trek #25 is on sale October 16 from IDW Publishing!
