Star Trek Officially Brings Back Picard's Breakout Star... As a Villain

Summary Kore Soong returns as a villain in Star Trek #20, representing the cold and ruthless Aegis group.

The Travelers, introduced in The Next Generation and Picard, make an appearance in Star Trek #20.

Lanzing and Kelly bring back the mysterious Aegis group and tie them to Kore Soong in Star Trek #20.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek #20!

Kore Soong, one of the breakout stars of Star Trek: Picard, has returned to the franchise…as a villain. When fans last saw Kore, she was recruited by Wesley Crusher to join the mysterious Travelers. Now, in Star Trek #20, Sisko and the crew of the Theseus have truly gone where no one has gone before, and the Travelers–and Kore, are not happy about it.

Star Trek #20 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Megan Levens. Thanks to the efforts of T’Lir and Mister Scott, the Theseus has penetrated the Galactic Barrier, and entered the Pleroma. After adjusting to their surroundings, the ship receives a transmission. Kore Soong appears on-screen, representing the “Aegis,” or the bosses of the Travelers. Kore informs Sisko that she was once human too, but this is not a place for them. She informs them that they cannot stay, nor disseminate the technology that got them there.

Finally, she ominously declares they will be “umade.”

Kore Soong Has Ties to a Star Trek Icon

Kore's New Friends in the Travelers Are a Mysterious Group

Introduced during season two of Star Trek: Picard, and played by actress Isa Briones, Kore Soong was the clone daughter of Adam Soong. An ancestor of Noonian Soong, Data’s inventor, Adam created Kore as part of an experiment to create a perfect human. Kore was confronted with the truth of her existence, and rebelled against her father. In the Picard season two finale, “Farewell,” Kore leaves Earth, and our plane of existence. She was recruited by Wesley Crusher to join the Travelers, and she leaped at the opportunity.

The Travelers remain an enigma in the Star Trek universe. Capable of traveling through time and space, the nearest pop culture analogy would be Doctor Who’s TIme Lords. They were introduced in the first season Next Generation episode “Where No One Has Gone Before,” in which they showed a vested interest in Wesley Crusher. Later, in the seventh season episode “Journey’s End,” Wesley was recruited by the Travelers, and left behind everything he knew and loved. Season two of Picard revealed more about the Travelers, connecting them to the “Supervisors” introduced in the Original Series.

Star Trek Fans Have Met the Aegis Previously

The Aegis Are Cold and Ruthless, and It Has Rubbed Off on Kore

Lanzing and Kelly, the writers of Star Trek, used the Aegis, the Travelers and the Supervisors during their epic Year Five run. They reveal the Aegis, who remained unseen, were harsh and demanding bosses. Kore Soong is just the messenger, but the one she brings to Sisko is a grave one. She does not define what “being unmade” means, but it does not sound pleasant. In Picard’s season finale, Kore leaves to embark on a great adventure, but as seen in this issue, it has stripped her of her humanity.

Star Trek #20 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!