10 Worst Things Captain Kirk Has Ever Done

One of the most iconic villains in the franchise’s history, Ricardo Montalbán’s Khan is best remembered for the second motion picture, which bears his name. A genetic experiment turned 20th century dictator, Khan escaped earth justice and woke up from a deep freeze in the year 2267.

He comes close to taking over the enterprise, but naturally is bested by Kirk and the crew; the captain and the dictator fight, and eventually Khan is subdued. Taking pity on the man, who must be pretty discombobulated after such a snooze, Kirk drops Khan off on a harsh planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy, where he can have another shot at ruling. We’re told that Khan was a relatively reasonable dictator, but all the same he doesn’t seem like the most balanced of folks, so giving him the challenge of once again seizing control of a world seems pretty shortsighted on the captain’s part. He leaves Khan to his own devices and jets off.

This, of course, comes back to bite him, as Khan pops up some 15 years down the line as - surprise! - the dictator of a planet. An older, wiser Kirk gets the job done this time, but this was a problem very much of his own making.