'Star Trek' has fixed one of its biggest problems in the most unexpected way

With the release of the new IDW comic, Star Trek: The Last Starship, the narrative of Star Trek expands into the 32nd century and beyond, addressing key events previously unexplored in the franchise’s timeline. This comic, published on September 24, 2025, is set in the context following the cataclysm known as the Burn, which collapsed the Federation in the early 32nd century, a mysterious event that had remained as an unseen prologue in Star Trek: Discovery.

Fixing the Unfixable

In The Last Starship, readers see how the starship Sagan attempts to intervene in a peace negotiation with the Gorn, only for the dilithium in the cores of their ships to destabilize, leading the galaxy into chaos. This comic not only explores the immediate consequences of the Burn but also provides a new perspective that intensifies the fear of this cataclysmic event, connecting the dots that Discovery had left vague.

Another notable aspect is the return of Queen Borg embodied by Agnes Jurati, whose appearance adds new layers to the plot. In an unexpected twist, Jurati uses Borg technology to help the Federation while reviving the iconic Captain James T. Kirk, who had died in Star Trek Generations. This resurgence not only connects past and present events but also represents a significant canonical shift, implying that the resurrected Kirk could be a younger version of himself, reconfiguring the history of the Federation in the 31st century.

The Last Ship positions itself as a bold narrative that integrates various elements of the Star Trek canon, from Star Trek: Picard to the iconic figures of its history, underpinning the rich and vast narrative of the Trek universe, while raising questions about its future.