| Khan Noonien Singh | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Others | Khan | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Species | Human (genetically augmented) | ||
| Gender | Male | ||
| Date of birth | Mid-20th century | ||
| Place of origin | Earth (implied to be Asian) | ||
| Relations | Unnamed wife (deceased) | ||
| Occupation | Warlord Colonist | ||
| Current status | Deceased | ||
| Cause of death | Starship exploded | ||
| Biology | |||
| Body type | Human | ||
| Height | 6' (1.83 m) | ||
| Abilities | Superhuman strength, intellect and physiological capacity | ||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Behind the scenes | |||
| Universe | Star Trek | ||
| Created by | Carey Wilber and Gene L. Coon | ||
| Performed by | Ricardo Montalbán | ||
| “ | The trip is over. The battle begins again. Only this time it's not a world we win. It's a universe. |
” |
— Khan Noonien Singh, Space Seed
| ||
Khan Noonien Singh is a genetically-augmented man who became the absolute ruler of over a quarter of the Earth from 1992 to 1996, controlling the lands that extended from Asia through the Middle East. After being deposed, he and many other genetic augments under his command left Earth in a spaceship, and remained frozen in suspended animation for over two hundred years, until being awakened in the 23rd century.
Biology[]
Due to selective breeding, Khan possesses strength, intellect and physical resilience superior to those of normal humans. According to Dr. McCoy's examinations, his heart valve action is twice as potent as normal, and his lung efficiency is fifty percent above standards. Khan himself also claims that he is five times stronger than normal humans.
History[]
As a product of artificial genetic breeding which took place in the mid-20th century by a group of scientists trying to improve the human race, Khan and his brethren proved to be extremely ambitious and dangerously cunning. In 1993, a group of these augments led several simultaneous coup d'états and managed to seize control in over forty nations. However, their arrogance and megalomania also led them to fight among themselves. Collectively, these conflicts resulted in this period of Earth's history being known as the Eugenics Wars.
Among all the augments, Khan was the most successful, as he managed to seize power over the greater part of the Asian continent and ruled for four years as a strict and fearsome dictator. Although there were no massacres under his regime - which makes him arguably better than many of his fellow tyrants - there was little to no freedom either. He was also the last of the augmented dictators to be overthrown.
While the Eugenic Wars eventually ended with the defeat of all of the augments, Khan and a group of 84 others who followed him did manage to escape Earth in a spaceship, the SS Botany Bay, launched to an unknown destination. There they remained in suspended animation until the 23rd century, when their ship was encountered by the USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk.
Disappointed to see how little mankind has changed since his own time due to having abandoned the eugenics philosophy, Khan and his men managed to take control of the Enterprise, reasoning that they could adapt to this new century and use its superior technology to not only reclaim the Earth but take over several other worlds as well. Fortunately, however, the Enterprise officer Marla McGivers - who had fallen in love with Khan and helped him take over the vessel - comes to regret her actions and betrays Khan by saving Kirk's life, allowing him to reclaim the ship.
Instead of arresting Khan and his men, Kirk decided to exile them to an uninhabited planet called Ceti Alpha V, where they could put their ambition to good use by taming the savage world and eventually starting their own society there - an idea which Khan seemed to be reasonably contented with.
Unfortunately, only five months later a devastating cosmic cataclysm resulted in the destruction of the next planet, Ceti Alpha VI, which in turn resulted in Khan's colony planet being shifted out of its orbit, causing a huge ecological disaster. Thanks to their survival skills and efficient leadership on Khan's part, the colonists survived, but only to find themselves on a deserted environment plagued by the native parasitic Ceti Eels which - due to extinction of other species - now had no option but to attack human hosts, provoking a slow and maddening death which claimed many of the colonists, including Khan's wife. Because of this incident, Khan vowed to get revenge on Captain Kirk.
Appearances[]
- Star Trek - s01e22 - "Space Seed" (1967)
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)