| “ | Ah, Kirk, my old friend, do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish best served cold? Well... it is very cold in space! | „ |
| ~ Khan to Captain Kirk. |
Khan Noonien Singh is a villain from the TV show Star Trek and the main antagonist of the feature film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. He was portrayed by Ricardo Montalban in both the TV series and in the film.
Biography
Early History
Hailing from Northern India, he was genetically engineered to be the perfect human in the late twentieth century Earth. Khan and several others who were similarly engineered fought to take over the world in what became known as the Eugenics Wars.
Khan himself was absolute ruler of one fourth of the world from 1992 to 1996. When his bid for power failed, Khan and many of his followers put themselves into cryogenic sleep on the S.S. Botany Bay and fled into space.
Awakened in the 23rd Century and Exhile
Khan with Jim Kirk in TOS episode, "Space Seed."
In the twenty-third century, the Botany Bay was discovered drifting in space by the U.S.S. Enterprise while on its five year mission to seek out new civilizations in the galaxy. Khan was revived by the ship's historian, Marla McGivers, who wished to learn from him. She became increasingly attracted to Khan, and fell in love with him.
Khan then atempted to commandeer the Enterprise and use it to create a colony for himself and whoever would follow. He was eventually beaten by the ship's crew and its captain, James T. Kirk, and agreed to go into exile on the paradisical and unihabitated planet, Ceti Alpha V.
During his exile, the nearby Ceti Alpha VI exploded, which resulted in Ceti Alpha V's orbit being shifted which turned the planet into a desert wasteland which intern also resulted in the deaths of twenty of his followers, including McGivers. This enraged Khan, who blamed Kirk for her death.
Loss of his people, Vengeance against Kirk, and Death
Khan in Star Trek II
Some years later, the starship U.S.S Reliant arrived at Ceti Alpha V looking for a lifless planet on which to test the Genesis device, which created life from nothing. Khan managed to take control of two members from the landing party and learned of a side effect Genesis had: If used on a planet containin life, all of that life would be destroyed.
He decided to use the Genesis device as a tool in his plan of vengeance against Kirk, who had since been promoted to admiral. Khan attacked the space station Regula I and seized the Genesis device. He then confronted Kirk, who was aboard the Enterprise for a training mission, and attacked. Kirk managed to hack into the Reliant's computer and shut down its shields, then firing upon the ship and dealing heavy damage.
In their next encounter, Khan attempted to trap Kirk underground on the moon that Regula I was orbiting. This move prompted Kirk to shout, "KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNN!!!" into his transmitter. He was later safely beamed back aboard the Enterprise. Their next encounter occured within a nebula, and Kirk laid massive damage on the Reliant. Khan, in a last ditch attempt at killing Kirk, activated the Genesis device. The Genesis effect killed Khan and destroyed the Reliant, but Kirk and the Enterprise got away safely.
Legacy
New Policy on Genetic Engineering
After Khan's death, his actions left a lasting impression on how genetic engineering in the Federaion is conducted. No human on Earth wasm't allowed to genetically enhance another human in the same fashion Khan and his people were.
This was enforced around a century later when Julian Bashir, Chief Medical Officer of Deep Space Nine, was discovered to be an augment like Khan. His fahter was put in a Federation penal colony for six months. When Julian asked the Admiral if that was a bit harsh. He said no and he elbaorated in the following quote:
| “ | Two hundred years ago, we tried to improve the species through DNA resequencing. And what did we get for our troubles? The Eugenics Wars. For every Julian Bashir that can be created, there's a Khan Singh waiting in the wings — a superhuman whose ambition and thirst for power have been enhanced along with his intellect. The law against genetic engineering provided a firewall against such men. And it's my job to keep that firewall intact. | „ |
| ~ Rear Admiral Bennett, explaining to the Bashirs why there's a ban on genetic engineering. |
With the exception of Julian, every person who was discovered to be an augment was locked away in an asylum.
Transcending Realities
Jim Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise in another reality encountered a Khan Noonen Singh that was indigenous to that universe. During a battle with that Khan, Spock of the Prime Universe who was on New Vulcan helping the colonists after the incident that destroyed this homeworld had a conversation with his alternate counterpart.
| “ | "I will be brief. In your travels, did you ever encounter a man named Khan?" | „ |
| “ | "As you know, I have made a vow never to give you information that could potentially alter your destiny. Your path is yours to walk and yours alone. That being said, Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise ever faced. He is brilliant, ruthless and he will not hesitate to kill every single one of you." | „ |
| “ | "Did you defeat him?" | „ |
| “ | "At great cost, yes." | „ |
| “ | "How?" | „ |
| ~ Spock asks Spock Prime about Khan |