Star Trek: 8 Things You Didn't Know About The Eugenics Wars
Everything you need to know about the wars that gave us Khaaaan!
The often mentioned, but never depicted, Eugenics Wars became an important part of Star Trek canon in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode Space Seed. According to this episode, in the 1990s, the notorious Khan Noonien Singh and several other genetically engineered humans known as Augments rose to power as dictators over large portions of Earth. These tyrants were eventually overthrown after four years of bloody struggle.
As important as they are, Star Trek writers have been vague about the exact nature of the conflict, such as when and where the wars took place, and who was involved.
However, the pilot episode of the latest Star Trek series, Strange New Worlds, did provide a tantalizing historical summary putting the Eugenics Wars into their proper context. Just as World War I set the stage for the even more devastating World War II, the Eugenics Wars served as a prelude to a series of ever-escalating conflicts culminating in World War III. They also shaped society for many centuries afterward. Here are eight things you didn’t know about the Eugenics Wars.
8. The Augments Were Created In The 1950s
Just as the first atomic bombs were created to bring a swift end to World War II, the Augments were created with the best of intentions. Geneticists created them during the Cold War era in the hope that the so-called supermen would lead humanity into an era of peace after centuries of war.
They were so wrong. Along with their superior physical and mental capabilities, the Augments were arrogant and aggressive. Their creators were unable to correct these character flaws due to the limited capabilities of genetic science at the time. As one of their creators succinctly put it, "superior ability breeds superior ambition." That scientist would pay for his own arrogance and ambition when he was killed by his own creations.
By the time the Augments were grown, they were ready to put their superior abilities to use. However, they were more interested in conquering Humanity than leading them into an era of peace. Khan came to power in 1992 and eventually conquered ¼ of the world’s population. The next year, his fellow supermen took control of over 40 nations.