As Star Trek heads towards a reset thanks to The Lore War, one of its most iconic ships will be making a return. IDW’s line of Star Trek comics have been building towards The Lore War, a massive, universe-shaking crossover that sees the evil android rewrite reality in his image, and now, in a first look at Star Trek: Defiant #26, one of the franchise’s most important ships returns.
Star Trek: Defiant writer Christopher Cantwell has also had runs on Iron Man and Doctor Doom for Marvel, and is currently writing Challengers of the Unknown for DC.
IDW’s April solicitations included a first look at Star Trek: Defiant #26, which will be written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Davide Tinto. The issue is part two of The Lore War, crossing over with the flagship Star Trek title, and its solicitation reads as follows:
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Star Trek: Defiant #26 (2025) |
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Release Date: |
April 16, 2025 |
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Writers: |
Christopher Cantwell |
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Artists: |
Davide Tinto |
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Cover Artist: |
Malachi Ward |
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Variant Covers: |
JK Wooward & JJ Lendl |
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On one side of the war, Worf, Shaxs, Alexander, and others who once valued honor above all have now been designed by the malevolent android Lore to uphold his dictatorial rule; on the other side, a rebel Maquis fleet, Kahless II, Beverly, Sisko, and all those who know the truth behind their current reality endeavor to tear it down with what little resources they have. But not everything is as hopeless as it seems: There are allies hidden in the unlikeliest of places and assets — like the famous U.S.S. Phoenix — that escape even the all-seeing positronic eye of Lore. |
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The name of the ship mentioned in the solicitation, the Phoenix, should resonate with Star Trek fans: it was the name of humanity’s first warp-capable ship, as seen in the movie First Contact. Now, it has become the first line of resistance against Lore.
Lore, Data’s Evil Brother, Has Destroyed the Star Trek Universe
Lore Has Created a Twisted Version of the Multiverse
In 2022, IDW rejuvenated their line of Star Trek comics, crafting a massive, years-long story that is now culminating in The Lore War. To help stop Kahless II from killing the universe’s gods, Worf and Spock reassemble Lore and recruit him to the cause. Being Lore, however, he quickly turned on them. Now, armed with fantastic technology, capable of slaughtering those previously thought unkillable, Lore set his sights on finishing Kahless’ mission, and in Star Trek #24, he did just that: destroying the Pleroma and thus the entire universe.
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Lore was not content to simply end the universe, he also wanted one for himself, one he could control. Using one of the Bajoran Orbs, Lore has created a reality where once honorable warriors like Shaxs and Worf have been corrupted, and the Enterprise has been transformed into a ship of war. Only Captain Sisko and a select few know the truth about what Lore has done, and they set out to “awaken” the others. They will be fighting an uphill battle to be sure, but they have picked the right name for their ship.
The Phoenix’s Role in Star Trek History, Explained
The Phoenix May Be the Most Important Ship in Star Trek History
While there have been other ships in the Star Trek universe called the Phoenix, it is the version built by Zefram Cochrane and launched in 2063 that is the most important. It was, as mentioned earlier, Earth’s first ship capable of traveling faster than light. Originally built to make Cochrane richer, it instead helped usher in a new era for humanity. The ship’s successful test flight, as documented in Star Trek: First Contact, attracted the attention of the Vulcans. They initiate first contact with humans, leading, eventually, to a United Earth and the United Federation of Planets.
The dawning warp era, ushered in by the Phoenix, saw humanity finally deal with issues that had been plaguing them for thousands of years.
The name Phoenix carries with it grand and historical connotations in the Star Trek universe. At the time of its launch, humanity had just begun to rebuild from a destructive World War, and much of the planet was still in darkness. The dawning warp era, ushered in by the Phoenix, saw humanity finally deal with issues that had been plaguing them for thousands of years. The Phoenix’s launch signaled a new era for humanity, one built on the ideas of progress, freedom and inclusion.
The Phoenix Will Resist Lore’s Evil Ways
Once Again, a Ship Named Phoenix Will Save Humanity
And now, with The Lore War on the horizon, the name Phoenix has a new meaning: it becomes a point of resistance against Lore’s tyranny. Zefram Cochrane’s Phoenix was legendary in its own way, for helping restore humanity and Earth after its darkest hour. Captain Picard was in awe of the ship when he saw it in First Contact. In Lore’s blasphemous new reality, the name Phoenix still carries a hopeful meaning, and may be the key to restoring both the Federation and the entire Star Trek universe.
Star Trek: Defiant #26 is on sale April 16 from IDW Publishing!
