Star Trek: 10 Best 'I'm Dead And I Know It' Moments

J.J, Abrams' 2009 Star Trek film was a rip-roaring adventure that breathed life back into the franchise.

While it was tonally very different from what had come before, it gave youth and energy to Star Trek again, something that was badly needed. The main villain of the piece was Eric Bana's Nero, the surprisingly casual Romulan miner, struggling to deal with the grief he feels.

This film introduced the Romulan supernova that has gone on to play a huge role in Star Trek: Picard. However, here the blame is laid entirely at Spock's feet, with Nero seeing his inability to prevent the disaster as deliberate. His quest for vengeance sees him destroy Vulcan, cause the death of George Kirk, and obliterate a Starfleet armada.

However, his deeds catch up with him when the younger version of Spock crashes the Jellyfish ship into the Narada, detonating the red matter aboard, creating a black hole. Kirk, bound by protocol, offers Nero the opportunity for rescue, which the Romulan flatly refuses.

The final shot of Nero shows his eyes closing as the bright light grows to consume him. With all credit to Bana, he plays the moment like a man consumed not by the singularity, but by the pain and rage in his heart.