4. Khan's Presence
As seen in the trailers, it was evident that Cumberbatch's character was capable of being quite a threat the young members of the Enterprise had not encountered. While his motives are unknown at first, Khan displays what makes him so menacing through his continuous acts of carnage that allows other characters such as Kirk and Spock to question how and if they can triumph over such an adversary. In Star Trek Into Darkness, Khan is the kind of villain that forces his adversaries to be reactionary and feel that they are not in control of what may happen as a result of his actions. Khan causes characters like Kirk and Spock to question themselves and make choices that they would not envision doing. Khan pushes characters such as Kirk and Spock to be the heroes that they are through the sacrifices they are forced to make to protect others.