Star Trek stories are often sci-fi tales of diverse individuals coming together to confront frightening phenomena and the vilest of villains. But what happens when the galaxy's most malicious malefactors unite behind the vicious doctrines of one charismatic individual? That question is currently being explored in IDW's Star Trek titles, where the enemy is a murderous cult known as the Red Path, led by the cloned Klingon Emperor, Kahless II and composed primarily of Klingon warriors. The Path's ranks are growing, and many of their members come from the galaxy's other great powers.
It's especially troubling that Captain Benjamin Sisko of the Starfleet ship the USS Theseus and his former colleague Captain Worf, who commands the stolen USS Defiant and a crew of renegade fugitives, don't see eye-to-eye on how best to combat the Red Path. They'll have to come to a consensus quickly because this July, the Red Path make their grand move against the galaxy in Star Trek: Day of Blood, a special issue that kicks off a crossover between IDW's Star Trek series by writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing and Star Trek: Defiant by writer Christopher Cantwell. CBR spoke with the writers about the crossover, their captains, the dynamics between the all-star crew of Star Trek characters, and the roles fan-favorite Star Trek: Lower Decks character Shaxs and Star Trek: The Next Generation's treacherous Romulan, Sela, play in the event.
CBR: The foundation of Day of Blood comes from the reveal that Kahless and his cult of Klingons, the Red Path, have targeted Star Trek's god-like entities for slaughter. Let's talk about that revelation. Jackson and Collin, what inspired it? Did you know this story would be big enough for a crossover when you first started talking about it? And Christopher, what was your reaction when you heard about this story and were asked to be part of it?
Jackson Lanzing: It began as a thought experiment. Heather Antos, our intrepid editor and the mastermind behind this era of Trek comics, had approached us with a very interesting question: "What does a comic look like if it's just called Star Trek." Collin and I had just come out of our time as head writers on Star Trek: Year Five and had really said everything we wanted to say about The Original Series. We knew from the jump that we couldn't default back to Kirk and Spock. So that meant that the Hivemind had to have a long conversation about what kinds of stories could only be told in the world of Star Trek. What was uniquely Star Trek, and how could it be expressed as purely as possible on the page?
In a surprising turn of conversation, it didn't take long to start talking about gods.
After all, from the very beginning, Star Trek has been about the subtle line between divinity and humanity. Roddenberry is the creative soul of Star Trek, but Arthur C. Clarke's supposition that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" lives at the very heart of the show. From Gary Mitchell to the Talosians, the Iconians to the Progenitors, the Founders to the Prophets, and every Crystalline Entity in-between -- Star Trek trades in the idea of confronting the ultra-powerful and seeing the fallible humanity underneath. Nothing would threaten Star Trek's core suppositions than someone who met that beautiful idea not with understanding and diplomacy but with fear and war.
Collin Kelly: As for the Day of Blood, what we'll see in this event is the eruption of toxic faith and rabid nationalism, focused into a single day of violence and terror, perpetuated by a Kahless -- the cloned leader of the Empire and secret leader of the Red Path "cult." Seeded in Year Five, the Red Path was never meant to be the inciting force for a violent revolution. It's actually meant to be a distillation of all the good that can come from self-actualization and personal introspection through the mastering of the body and mind. It's a concept that is actually quite dear to us, based in our deep and abiding love of Klingon culture. But that's the interesting thing about dogma: the intention behind the work can be manipulated by the will of a single charismatic figure.
One of the core tenets of Klingon faith is the fact that they have no Gods. They killed them. With that intention focused through Kahless, we had the perfect antagonist for Sisko. Knowing that we absolutely needed to crash Star Trek and its sister book Star Trek: Defiant into one grand event, it seemed like the perfect place to highlight Sisko's clash with a man who is very much his opposite while allowing Worf the chance to stare at the ugliest parts of his culture and do something about it.
Christopher Cantwell: I came on with the idea that Kahless II would already turn into the Big Bad of this first big chunk of both books -- that he would set out to kill the gods of the Trek universe. This was tremendously exciting to me, especially from the standpoint of the original "Kahless the Unforgettable" episode of Next Generation, when the clone of the Klingon Empire's unifying founder is reinstalled on the emperor's throne as a kind of spiritual lodestar. It was so deliciously tragic to me that this figurehead, who is dismissed more and more in Deep Space 9, might turn into a very dangerous zealot when faced with the truth of his identity and agency in an evolving galaxy. I came aboard knowing that we wanted the books to build to a crossover event, but the actual Day of Blood was first hatched over a long night at Jackson's house when the three of us discussed how Kahless would unveil his grand plan to the rest of the Klingon Empire and the Quadrants at large.
It's a fascist coup. A violent one at that. And we put our characters right into the thick of it. Worf was instrumental in Kahless' rise. Now his son Alexander is in the emperor's thrall. This is what split Sisko and Worf at first in the flagship Star Trek book. Now, after five issues of his own journey in Defiant, Worf is facing an ethnic and very personal apotheosis in the form of Kahless, what it means for the Klingon identity, and how it's all crystallized in his relation to both his son and the captain's chair.
Day of Blood isn't just a battle between the Red Path and an iconic cast of Star Trek characters. It's also a clash of perspectives between Captains Sisko and Worf. What's it like for these two to be at odds with each other, given all they went through together in Star Trek Deep Space Nine?
Kelly: Part of it hurts; part of it is glorious. I won't speak for the team, but I think it's safe to say that Sisko and Worf are two of the greatest Trek characters ever created, and their friendship/mentorship creates a core at the heart of DS9 that makes it the best of the series. But Jack and I know something about being best friends and the drama that erupts when you find yourself at odds. When it comes to an event, you don't tell small stories. Emotionally, for these two men, this one is as big as it gets.
Cantwell: There is so much personally at stake for Worf and Sisko here when it comes to the very idea of their respective beings. They are both more than what they were born into. They're both loyal to creeds and codes in their lives but have a history of bucking authority. With Worf and Sisko, it reminds me of the adage of how we hate the most in others what we see in ourselves.
How do the crews of Worf and Sisko's ships feel about the ideological divide between them and their captains?
Cantwell: On the Defiant, there are no Starfleet uniforms. This is a ship of rogues. I've talked in the past about how Star Trek is this grand utopian tapestry of science fiction. But what's so wonderful about it is the layers to it. Star Trek has always had room for and fosters discussion about the rejection and failing of utopian ideals. The devil's advocate argument is alive in Star Trek as a kind of dialogue in some of its best stories and is emblematic in some of its complex and darker characters. The USS Theseus is the latest evolution of the Star Trek dream. The current crew of the stolen USS Defiant is the latest evolution of the challenge to a perfect, balanced galaxy that the Federation promises / endeavors to pursue. The dialogue continues.
Lanzing: Chris nailed it. These are two sides of the same dream, but they don't do a great job of communicating at first. There's a general reticence around the bridge of the Theseus to the renegade nature of the Defiant. After all, Worf's decision to leave them in the middle of the God City battle left the entire crew on the back foot and very nearly damned the Sol System to being eaten by an alien sun-killer! The Theseus represents the best of the best -- characters from across the Trek franchise with heroism to spare. But on the flip side, the tenacity and resilience of the Defiant crew may be exactly what's needed in a time of violent crisis. The ingenuity and optimistic imagination of the Theseus will ideally remind these renegades exactly why Starfleet is centered in these kinds of stories. It's absolutely a dialogue that's never been more clear than in Day of Blood.
The road to Day of Blood has seen new characters join your cast. The big one over in Star Trek is Shaxs from Star Trek Lower Decks. What made you want to bring him into this book and this storyline?
Lanzing: I mean, truthfully, if we did a hyper-violent Star Trek crossover and didn't include Shaxs, I'd consider it creative malpractice. He's the best and was a natural fit into Star Trek's cast after Worf's departure. Also, Mike McMahon is an old friend, so we were eager to get Lower Decks rep onto the book as quickly as possible. Turns out: Shaxs is exactly as fun to write as he is to watch, which meant that when it came to the sometimes-grim and pretty intense crossover action of Day of Blood, we had ready comic relief with gravitas to spare.
Kelly: This is a violent story. Starfleet doesn't train warriors. They train explorers who can also fight(ish). So having Shaxs on the team -- someone who not only fights but absolutely loves it -- gave us an incredible counterpoint to the cruel violence of the Day of Blood. Violence should never be celebrated, and it is absolutely the last option of any Starfleet officer, but when the shit hits the fan, Shaxs is absolutely the one you want in your corner. Just ask Commander Kira.
Lanzing: So while we were breaking the story, it became clear that Shaxs was going to be spending most of it in action. And because we've got a lot of characters to service in Day of Blood, we started joking that what we really needed for Shaxs was a one-shot called "Shaxs' Best Day," where he was just fighting Klingons and having the time of his life for thirty pages.
It started as a joke, and then I just kept making the joke over and over. The next thing we knew, Heather Antos had greenlit Day of Blood: Shaxs' Best Day by Ryan Freakin' North.
Cantwell: Yes, while breaking the story in the room, we would repeatedly say, "And meanwhile, Shaxs is just having the best day of his life." By the time we left the offices, Heather was hatching a plan to bring Ryan in to actually do it. I cannot wait for folks to see what they've cooked up in that one-shot. We've gotten to expand Shaxs' legacy, but then also have Ryan and the team play Shaxs' very best major melodies that fans love so much about that character.
Sela has been lingering in the background of Star Trek Defiant, but if upcoming covers are any indication she's about to make her presence known in a big way. What can you tell us about her role in Day of Blood?
Cantwell: I am a huge fan of Tasha Yar and Sela and the binary star that is those two characters. Tasha was so incredibly fearless in the first season of Next Generation and then abruptly gone in a way where it cemented her as this character imbued with grief and loss. She is the first member of the Enterprise-D that is gone too soon. Her death almost made her more fascinating because we barely got a chance to know her. What we got afterward was this warped and lingering shadow in the form of her Romulan daughter, who came about due to an alternate dimension's version of Tasha again dying tragically (albeit this time much more heroically). Sela is sinister and twisted and underhanded in ways that do not compute, given who her mother is, and they're played by the same actress, Denise Crosby, which is brilliant (and she is brilliant!).
What we learn in Issues #4 and #5 of Defiant is that the Red Path is expanding beyond Klingons. Its message of zealotry is breaking ethnic boundaries into other species. Romulans are now involved. If Kahless was meant to be a spiritual unifier, Worf and the Klingons have gotten more than they've bargained for. His dangerous ideas and sway are spreading through the galaxy to include anyone who will listen. Now that Romulans are involved, Sela -- ever the opportunist -- sees a way once again to make a name for herself, only this time it might involve allying with Worf instead of trying to kill him.
Lanzing: I got nothing to add except that I recently got to meet Denise on the WGA strike line, and we had a fantastic conversation about the comics. She seems genuinely plugged in and excited that Sela's getting some time to shine.
Part of the joy of crossovers is the chance to write characters you don't normally get to write and the chance to explore character dynamics. So what are some characters you don't normally get to write that you're especially enjoying writing? Who are some of your favorite characters to bounce off of each other?
Kelly: I'll put this out there: I have had a crush on B'elanna Torres since Voyager first aired. She's angry, complicated, and messy. It doesn't hurt that her husband is basically me in an officer's uniform. So writing the two of them together -- both with secrets, both stressed to their limits, both in absolute crisis -- was incredible. A marriage is never without conflict, but its strength comes from how those conflicts resolve. I think the Paris/Torres relationship is one of the strongest Trek has.
Lanzing: I love X, Chris' new Orion doctor. Her energy gives every scene the dark flip side of what Lily Sato gives on Star Trek -- a kind of sarcastic, loose, modern storytelling tone that would completely elude a character like Data or Sela. Who doesn't want to write Lore and Data?!? Some of my favorite beats in the entire line are between those two in this run.
Cantwell: My favorite interplay on the page is between Worf and Spock. Worf has all the hallmarks of a hot-blooded Klingon, and Spock is the zenith of the logical Vulcan. But both come from divided pasts. Spock is half-human. Worf was raised by humans. Worf has demonstrated exceptional insight in his past that would surprise many, and Spock has been pretty damn rash at times. Both have histories of bold insubordination. They're more alike than they might realize. Writing them as the captain / first officer relationship for my book has been an incredible anchor point. I could write the two of them talking to each other for hours. I have Collin and Jackson to thank for that because they first dreamed up that pairing, then handed me the keys.
In Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant, Kahless and the Red Path have been operating in the shadows, but in Day of Blood, it looks like they step out of them in a big way. What are they after when this story begins? How big a threat have they become to the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the galaxy's other great powers?
Cantwell: The curtain drops here, yeah. It's part of Kahless' plan. You don't reveal your grand fascist plans for a takeover unless you are absolutely ready. Kahless is ready. He has incredibly dangerous weapons at his disposal that make anyone facing him the underdog. He has legions of followers, more than even our respective crews realize. Faith, as they say, seems to be currently on his side. If he succeeds, it means Klingon civil war. It means the greatest threat the Federation and other empires in the quadrants have faced since the Dominion and the Borg. Kahless is out to take it all, and he has a lot of momentum by the time the Day of Blood arrives.
Kelly: Folks who have read our entry into the Star Trek: Aliens series --where we specifically essay the story of Kahless and what began his legend -- will know the utter respect we have for the man and his contribution to the Klingon Empire and their ethos -- a simpler time when problems could be solved by a bat'leth, and a single man could fight the power so good that he literally starts an entire culture. That "simpler time" is what the followers of the Red Path hunger for, a return to Klingon greatness. But rarely, if ever, are such intentions the path to righteousness. Kahless is about to show a very different side to Klingon honor.
Lanzing: Kahless is more than a villain. He's a direct reflection of Sisko and Worf's problems as leaders and men. They are complicated fathers; Kahless is father to all Klingons but has no son of his own. They are men of faith; Kahless is a man who demands the faith center himself. They are captains, given authority by others; Kahless is an Emperor, given authority by himself. And to top it all off, he has Worf's son under his sway. This is a personal fight for our heroes, not just an ideological one. Worf and Sisko have skin in the game.
Finally, the solicits for the Day of Blood books suggest you'll be keeping your artistic collaborators busy with explosive scenes of on-the-ground and outer-space action. What are some of the sequences that artists Ramon Rosanas and Angel Unzueta have done that you're especially excited for readers to see?
Kelly: Oh lord. How do you pick a favorite? Honestly, the chance to see Angel bring the crew of the Theseus to life was a joy in and of itself. But I will say [that] there is a DPS in our Alpha issue, drawn by Roman when the Day of Blood actually kicks off… and I will be making an offer on the original art. Is it violent? Absolutely. Is it also rad as hell? TEN THOUSAND PERCENT.
Lanzing: There is a sequence with Shaxs that must be seen to be believed. That's all I'm gonna say for now, but just you wait.
Cantwell: Angel, my brother-in-arms since Iron Man, has pulled up some Data / Lore team-up stuff and some Worf vs. Alexander stuff that delivers both in terms of those high benchmark characters and the medium of comics. Ramon is rendering scope I've never seen in Star Trek comics, and I've loved me some Star Trek comics for over thirty years. Ramon is out here building worlds. Bloody ones.
Lanzing: This entire comics line is a labor of love. Licensed comics can be a really challenging place to take huge swings and tell amazing stories, but what Heather, Vanessa Real, and the folks at IDW have assembled with the current Star Trek era is pretty awe-inspiring, especially from where Christopher, Collin, and I are privileged to sit. That's what Star Trek should be, right? Awe-inspiring, optimistic, dangerous, thoughtful, and filled with characters who show the best (and sometimes, yes, the worst) of what humanity can be. Day of Blood isn't just about Klingons and gods and (extremely awesome) sword fights. It's about how we respond when fascism rises with sudden ferocity, how we learn to forgive those we love, and how we turn destruction into something positive. It's about us.
Cantwell: Jackson really captures it. Licensed comics come with a lot of restrictions at times, and it's hard to take things you love and turn them into toil that must serve many commercial masters. But Star Trek has not felt like that for one moment at IDW. I've been on for almost a year. The freedom, trust, and encouragement have been a blessing. I think because the door has been opened so wide for us, we have been able to widely open the door to readers, especially new ones. There is something for everyone here. The best thing about Star Trek is that any person can find a place to tap in and find themselves, find the stories and characters that speak to them specifically. I think Star Trek and IDW have created a very rich new vein in this comic universe. Heck, I wish it had been around when I was in fourth grade.
Kelly: This is a story that has been brewing in the back of our minds for almost a decade, when writing a Star Trek story was an impossible dream, let alone one that could shake the Federation itself. But now, our blades are sharp, our intention is honed, and our honor is on the line. The whole last year of storytelling has brought us here, and we're just getting started.