Summary
- Lore reaches godhood by brutally murdering Charlie X in
Star Trek
#23, signaling a shift in power within the universe. - The Original Series villain, Charlie X, meets a tragic end at the hands of Lore, a dark and evil new god in
Star Trek. - Lore’s actions in
Star Trek
#23 not only establish him as a god, but also bring a sense of danger and uncertainty to the franchise.
Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek #23!
Star Trek just elevated Lore to godhood, as the android brutally murders a “god” from the Original Series. Although the franchise’s “God War” has ended, the universe is still not safe, as Lore, Data’s evil brother, is seeking to obtain godhood for himself. In Star Trek #23, Lore attacks the Pleroma, the “Realm of the Gods” in a grand fashion, slaughtering a powerful being first met by Captain Kirk.
Actor Robert Walker Jr played Charlie X on the first season of
Star Trek.
Star Trek #23 was written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Megan Levens. Lore has tracked Sisko and the crew of the Theseus to the Pleroma. The assembled gods are less than thrilled to see him, and one in particular, Charlie X, rages against Lore. He admonishes Lore, calling him a “bad robot” and that he cannot just barge in and disrespect them.
Lore retorts by telling Charlie to address him by his name—right before burning the young god alive.
Charlie X’s Star Trek Origin, Explained
Charlie X Was A Petulant, God-Like Brat
The Star Trek universe is chock-full of powerful beings, some of whom could be viewed as “gods,” and Charlie X, introduced in the episode of the same name during the Original Series’ first season, is one of the most dangerous. A normal human boy who was raised by an ancient and mysterious race, Charlie possessed all of that species’ power, and none of their maturity. Charlie was a menace to the Enterprise and the Federation, and the episode ended with his adopted people coming to take him home. Charlie X has not been seen since.
The Charlie X fans met in the first season of Star Trek was a whiny and petulant little child, and viewers could not help but to loathe but also feel a modicum of pity for him. Like most teenagers, Charlie tested boundaries, but was capable of punishing anyone who pushed back. In one chilling scene, Charlie removes the faces of people laughing at him, and another, makes unwanted advances at Yeoman Rand, who rejects him and is punished. When Charlie’s race returned to him, viewers in 1966 felt relief, and hoped to never see him again.
Charlie X Could Have Grown and Progessed, But Lore Had Other Ideas
Charlie’s Death Announces A Dark New God in the Star Trek Universe
Yet Charlie returned during Star Trek’s most recent story arc: “The Pleroma,” and showed signs of progress. However, gods age much differently than mortals, and Charlie still had a ways to go. Unfortunately, Charlie will never be able to develop further as Lore uses the Orb of Destruction to fry the teenage god alive. It was a power move on Lore’s part: he was not only punishing someone he saw as insolent, but also announcing that a dark and evil god had arisen in the Star Trek universe.
Star Trek #23 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!
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Star Trek #23 (2024) |
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