Star Trek Week: The 10 Most Fun Crossover Moments From The ‘Star Trek/X-Men’ Comics

Back in 1996, Marvel re-acquired the license to make Star Trek comics (having previously held it from 1979-1982 before it went to DC Comics). They went all-in on the venture, publishing four ongoing series and a host of one-shots and miniseries, though none of the series lasted very long, as Marvel gave up the license in 1998 amidst company turmoil.

Included amongst those one-shots were two issues in which the X-Men — Marvel’s cash cow at that point — crossed over with, first, the crew of Captain Kirk’s Enterprise and then with the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew (which in turn led into the Planet X Star Trek TNG/X-Men crossover novel).

 

 

Neither of these issues are terribly memorable in terms of their craft, but to their credit, both issues clearly understand the assignment in terms of having fun and generating the kind of crossover moments fans of both properties picking up these issues want to see. Here then, are the ten best of such “crossover moments” from across the two issues.

“What Does A [Shi’ar Superman] Need With A Starship?”

 

In the opening pages of Star Trek/X-Men #1, the U.S.S. Enterprise drops into the X-Men’s reality but, of course, they’re still in space — Shi’ar space, to be exact. Which means the first being they encounter in this new reality is the leader of the Imperial Guard, Gladiator. Who proceeds to punch the Enterprise.

Two McCoys

 

By sheer coincidence, the casts of both the original Star Trek and the X-Men both include characters named “McCoy” who also happen to be doctors. Does Star Trek/X-Men #1 make a point of this? You bet it does!

Going To (Reality) Warp

 

The villains of the first crossover issue are a revived Proteus, who ends up discovering the body of former Enterprise crewmember-turned-villain Gary Mitchell, who also possesses reality warping abilities. It’s a neat way to highlight the shared similarities between the two largely disparate properties.

Spock vs. Wolverine

 

One of the fun things in crossovers is getting to see that age old fan question — “who would win in a fight?” — play out between two characters who otherwise would be unlikely to meet. To wit, Star Trek/X-Men #1 answers the question of who would win in a fight between Wolverine and Spock with … Spock! It turns out Wolverine (at least in his adamantium-less state) is susceptible to the Vulcan nerve pinch, allowing Spock to put him down with relative ease (to Wolverine’s credit, he comes back from it fairly fast).

Boldly Going Where Cyclops Has Gone Before

 

Whether played by William Shatner or Chris Pine, Captain Kirk has a reputation for being an inveterate horndog, someone who isn’t going to let his mission or interspecies complications get in the way of his time with the ladies (less so with Paul Wesley‘s portrayal so far). True to form, in Star Trek/X-Men #1, in the midst of all the cross-reality shenanigans, he hits on Jean Grey, only to be told she’s already married.

 Game Recognizes Game

 

In Star Trek/X-Men: Second Contact, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D ends up crossing into the Marvel Universe in the wake of the events of Star Trek: First Contact. Searching for parts to repair their ship, they’re led to the X-Mansion by its advanced Shi’ar technology, and before long, the two groups are drawn into a conflict by Kang the Conqueror threatening all of existence. Which means we get Worf and Wolverine going into battle side-by-side, with Worf expressing his opinion on Wolverine’ built-in Bat’leth, so to speak.

“Again It Happens…”

 

Kang’s plot involves tricking the X-Men and the Enterprise crew into screwing up history more by telling them they need to protect time by eliminating anomalies in which their two realities have bled together. This leads to one John Proudstar (aka Thunderbird) serving along Commander Benjamin Sisko at the Battle of Wolf-359. Kang wants the X-Men to save their former teammate, who dies protecting Sisko, in order to alter Sisko’s destiny. In the end, Thunderbird dies. Again.

Days Of Future Past

 

Meanwhile, the other “away team” of combined heroes end up in the “Days of Future Past” timeline, where deceased Security Officer Tasha Yar has taken the place of Rachel Summers to guide Kate Pryde’s mind back into the past. Before they learn that Kang has hoodwinked them, Tasha is almost killed, which means Deanna Troi must step in to help complete the mission and ensure the success of Kate’s mission … to avert the timeline they’re all standing in (best not to think about it too hard).

Borg Sentinels

The use of the “Days of Future Past” timeline also means we get Borg-infected Sentinels, which is basically the Proteus/Gary Mitchell mash-up of the second crossover issue.

Child Geniues

 

Kang’s plot is revealed by none other than the Traveler and his apprentice, Wesley Crusher (who was last seen leaving with the Traveler to explore his untapped cosmic abilities, this comic coming before he inexplicably showed up back in Starfleet with no explanation at the beginning of Star Trek: Nemesis). With the need to warn the two away teams to not kill the cross-reality anomalies, the two split up, with the Traveler helping the Enterprise battle Kang while Wesley does the warning. But Kitty decides to join him, which means we get a team-up of both series’ respective one-time audience surrogate characters who also happen to be super-special geniuses.