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'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds': Who Are the Gorn?

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds recently released its fourth episode, "Memento Mori," and with it, used its prequel status to return to an iconic piece of Star Trek lore dating back to 1967. This episode doesn't shy away from saying the infamous species' name, either. However, revisiting the Gorn isn't all that surprising, considering Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh ( Christina Chong ) revealed the heartbreaking backstory that found her a victim of the ruthless species, even if that wasn't quite the lore the audience was expecting based on the character's name. But fifty-five years is a long time, so if you don't remember everything about the antagonistic species, nobody would blame you. So, who are the Gorn?

The Gorn are an intelligent, bipedal, and reptilian species that are incredibly hostile and unfortunately warp-capable with technology on par with The Federation's. Thanks to Lower Decks , the assumption can be made that they have at least two genders and that marriage is a part of their reptilian culture. The species are very durable, strong, and have incredible stamina, however, this also makes them slower and less agile creatures. While the eye appearance of the reptiles' eyes varied among the species, they had razor-sharp teeth, holes on the side of their heads for ears, and claws on their hands and feet. The Gorn are carnivores.

RELATED: How ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Perfectly Balances Classic and New Trek

Until Strange New Worlds , it was assumed that the first contact with the Gorn was with Captain James T. Kirk ( William Shatner ), but we now know of at least two previous interactions. The first occurred in the 2200s when the reptilians captured a human colony ship and transferred the entire complement to a facility where they were used as live food or breeding sacks. According to the Gorn's culture, the last surviving person is jettisoned into space aboard a life raft, allowing for Lt. Noonien-Singh's survival and rescue by Una Chin-Riley ( Rebecca Romijn ). Later, the Gorn attempt to lure The USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ) into a trap, but thanks to the previous experience of Lt. Noonien-Singh, the Enterprise is able to evade capture, destroy one of the ships, and escape.

The Federation made contact with the species when they attack a colony/outpost on Cestus III, a system in what the Gorn considered their territory, in Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Arena." When USS Enterprise pursues a Gorn vessel, another alien, a Metron, transports both Kirk and the Gorn Captain to a deserted planet where the iconic fight scene takes place. Kirk eventually wins, but instead spares the Gorn. The Metron is surprised but impressed, deciding to spare The Enterprise while still sending them thousands of light-years away from that sector of space.

A Gorn was next seen on The Animated Series episode, "The Time Trap." He was seen on a ruling council of a pocket reality, implying that some of the species became separated from the whole. It's important to note that generally The Animated Series isn't included in the recognized Star Trek canon. The Gorn are also in several Lower Decks episodes. In addition to the huge marriage revelation, the series also gives fans an amazing tidbit of information: A Gorn resides on Starbase 25 and is a chef at 'Mr. Krada Leg'.

Finally, a Gorn named Slar is also used in Enterprise 's "In A Mirror Darkly, Part 2" to help contextualize the mirror universe and show how brutal and violent the alternate reality is. Slar is a slavemaster for the Tholian Assembly, leading a salvage mission of the USS Defiant (NCC-1764), a ship from the prime universe, stuck in the mirroring one. When Terrans also board the ship, Slar attempts to keep control of the ship but is killed by Captain Jonathan Archer ( Scott Bakula ) in the process. Star Trek: Discovery also shows that because of the size and might of the species, it isn't unusual for members of The Terran Empire to take their skeletal remains as trophies, as seen on Georgiou's ( Michelle Yeoh ) ISS Shenzou.

The Gorn may not have a history as complex as the Andorians or Bajorans, but the Gorn rightfully earned their place in Trek lore even just by being the first thing that comes to many people's minds when mentioning Star Trek or Captain Kirk. The inclusion of this species in La'an's backstory gives the opportunity to flesh out this species even more in Strange New Worlds , potentially providing more context for the goofy fight that aired over 5 decades ago.

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• The Gorn Hegemony is a powerful and mysterious governing body of cold-blooded reptilians with advanced technology and superior physical capabilities. They communicate through light and are difficult to track.
• In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, tensions between the Federation and the Gorn escalate when the Gorn attack a Federation colony. Captain Pike and his crew face off against Gorn forces, leaving them at a disadvantage.
• While the Gorn were initially portrayed as aggressive and territorial in their first appearance in Star Trek: TOS, later appearances and Strange New Worlds indicate the possibility for peace between the Federation and the Gorn, suggesting a potential shift in their behavior.

The Gorn made their first appearance in the iconic Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Arena," but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has introduced a whole new version of the vicious reptilians. After Starfleet learns of the existence of the Gorn in Strange New Worlds , they begin developing weapons and technology to defend against them. As the tensions between the Federation and the Gorn increase, Starfleet begins to fear that war looms on the horizon. The Gorn have proven to be a formidable opponent for the Federation, but not much is known about their lifestyle and culture.

The Strange New Worlds season 2 finale, "Hegemony," adds fuel to the fire when the Gorn attack a Federation colony on the planet Parnassus Beta. The Gorn claim that Parnassus Beta is in their territory, and they send Starfleet a communication establishing a demarcation line. Despite Starfleet's orders to remain on their side of the line, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and a landing party slip past the Gorn to rescue the survivors trapped on the planet. "Hegemony" ends with the USS Enterprise facing off against a Gorn destroyer and three Gorn hunters, leaving Captain Pike outgunned and unsure about his next moves.

Everything Known About The Gorn Hegemony's History In Star Trek

Not much is known about the Gorn, but their governing body is referred to as the Gorn Hegemony, which was known to the Orion Syndicate as early as 2154. The technology of the Gorn seems to be similar to that of Starfleet and the Gorn themselves are stronger, faster, and more resilient than humans. Neither Gorn eggs nor hatchlings appear on sensors, making them nearly impossible to track. While the Gorn's method of communication is not yet fully understood, they seem to communicate with one another using light. Because the Gorn rarely leave survivors, their earliest encounters with the Federation have gone largely unrecorded.

Related: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Gorn Explained By Legacy Effects Co-Founder

The Gorn are cold-blooded lizard-like reptiles who originated in the Beta Quadrant. They reproduce by laying eggs within a humanoid host. To maintain a steady supply of hosts, the Gorn establish breeding planets where they deposit captured humanoids to hunt for sport and to be used as incubators. Even from a young age, Gorn can spray venom that infects a host with eggs. After a host becomes infected, Gorn hatchlings will soon burst from their body, killing them instantly. Vicious and territorial, Gorn hatchlings begin competing for dominance soon after they are born.

The Gorn's First Appearance In Star Trek: TOS

In the Prime timeline, the Federation does not officially encounter the Gorn until 2267 as depicted in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Arena." When Captain Kirk and his landing party arrive on the planet Cestus III, they discover that the Federation colony there has been completely destroyed and the Gorn lie in wait. As the Enterprise pursues the Gorn ship, they enter an uncharted area of space and encounter an advanced species called the Metrons. The Metrons deposit Captain Kirk and the Gorn Captain on a planet, saying that they will destroy the ship of whichever Captain loses the fight. Kirk eventually defeats the Gorn by creating gunpowder with materials found on the planet. Because Kirk stops short of killing the Gorn Captain, the Metrons return the Gorn to his ship and praise Kirk's mercy.

Interestingly, when Kirk confronts the Gorn Captain, the Gorn maintain that they only attacked Cestus III because it was in their territory. From the Gorn's perspective, it looked as though the Federation was invading. Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) both acknowledge that the Federation may have been the one in the wrong. Not only does this suggest these particular Gorn to be less vicious than the ones in Strange New Worlds , it also suggests that peace between the Federation and the Gorn may be possible.

The Gorn's Other Star Trek Appearances

After their first appearance in Star Trek: The Original Series , the Gorn show up on several different Star Trek series. A Gorn named Slar appears in one episode of Star Trek: Enterprise , "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II," but this entire episode occurs within the Mirror Universe. Slar kills several members of the ISS Enterprise crew, before eventually being killed by the Mirror Universe version of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) . A Gorn skeleton appears in the menagerie of Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) on Star Trek: Discovery, establishing, again, that some Starfleet officers knew of the Gorn before Captain Kirk's famous encounter.

The Gorn appear briefly in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 1, episode 8, when Ensign Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) inadvertently ends up on a desert planet in the middle of a Gorn wedding ceremony. This scene is shown in a flashback as Rutherford recounts a particular day's events, so it's unclear how much of it is accurate. A couple of different Gorn can be seen on a Starbase in the background of the Lower Decks episode "An Embarrassment Of Dooplers," suggesting that relations between the Gorn and the Federation will not always be hostile.

The Gorn's Retcons In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Aside from a few brief appearances across other shows, the Gorn do not make a major return to the Star Trek franchise until Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Strange New Worlds has given more information about the Gorn's history and biology than any other Star Trek show. Despite the fact that the official first contact with the Gorn did not occur until the events of TOS' "Arena," Strange New Worlds establishes that the Federation knew of the Gorn long before that.

In Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4, "Memento Mori," Enterprise Security Chief La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) reveals that she was the only survivor of a Gorn attack. When she was a child living on the colony ship the SS Puget Sound, Gorn invaded the ship, eventually killing everyone on board aside from La'an. After the Gorn had killed the other passengers, La'an was sent into space on a raft as part of a Gorn ritual. She was then rescued by the Federation starship USS Martin Luther King Jr.

In "Arena," it seemed as though none of the Enterprise crew members were familiar with the Gorn, but Spock (Ethan Peck) goes up against Gorn in both "All Those Who Wander" and "Hegemony." Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) also aid in the fight against Gorn. "Hegemony" introduces the young Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn), who not only builds a trap to catch Gorn, but also figures out how to sneak past their ships. All of these characters would be on the USS Enterprise in "Arena," but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can still offer an explanation for this apparent canon discrepancy.

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

Legacy Effects wizard J. Alan Scott on creating the Gorn for 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' (exclusive)

The Academy Award-winning creature designer discusses the show's Gorn-centric season finale.

Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" just wrapped up its impressive second season showcasing the intrusion of a particularly combative enemy species.

The finale episode, titled " Hegemony ," ended in an unsatisfying cliffhanger that upset some faithful fans after a brilliant season filled with entertaining episodes like "Ad Astra per Aspera," "Among the Lotus Eaters" and the historic singing and dancing chapter, " Subspace Rhapsody ."

Despite some narrative hiccups in that climax, there's no argument regarding the return of the Gorn and the reveal of the snarling, 7-foot-tall (2.1 meters) alien decked out in an ultra-cool Gigeresque spacesuit.

Related:   ' Star Trek' streaming guide: Where to watch the 'Star Trek' movies and TV shows online

The Academy Award-winning visual effects studio Legacy Effects was responsible for hatching the principal onscreen villain for "Strange New Worlds" using a clever synthesis of old-school puppetry, modern 3D fabrication, digital modeling, cutting-edge animatronics and suited-actor practical effects.

From screeching Gorn hatchlings to crawling younglings to a full-sized bipedal Gorn clad in a gothic environmental ensemble complete with an illuminated helmet, showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers chose wisely when deciding to use the angry reptilian monsters as the show's primary antagonists.

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We spoke with Legacy Effects co-founder J. Alan Scott — whose mindblowing resume includes everything from "Jurassic Park," "Galaxy Quest" and "Real Steel" to "Pacific Rim," "Avengers: Infinity War" and "The Expanse" — about the genesis of the Gorn and how his team created the terrifying cinematic magic.

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Space.com: As a Hollywood creator working in creature effects for over three decades, what inspired you about the form and function of the Gorn?

J. Alan Scott:   What's nice for us is that the reveal of what we've been developing for two seasons now is that we still haven't revealed the full creature yet, so we now have another opportunity to do that. We originally designed it for Season 1 and then they wanted to inch into it and wanted to tease and build up the expectation, which for me is a great horror trope. The anticipation and the anxiety of it is much better than the reveal. But you still have to show it.

With my roots with "Jurassic Park," when they said they wanted a horror episode — and I'm a huge horror fan and love the idea of scaring people — to take what was in broad daylight at Vasquez Rocks with the original " Star Trek " episode's Gorn, there's no scare factor there. It was great, but what would they have done if the series could have supported a horror episode?

When we were designing, they had a couple rules. They wanted to tie it back to the original as much as you can. But the idea to make it a hard-R horror movie with carnage and blood and gore was for me — couldn't have been a better ask. The trick was adding technology and figuring out where they land. Which was different from the original show that was basically just a loincloth and a bandolier. It didn't really inform what they were capable of. 

Space.com: Take us through the developmental challenges in creating a hostile alien species beyond its humble origins in "Star Trek: The Original Series."

Scott: Since they'd already explored in Season 1 that they've got space travel and warp drive technology , the trick is, How do you make a monster that's sentient and intelligent? Can you talk with it? Does it speak? And that mix of horror and technology was a long exploration that culminated in the EV suit. I'm still looking forward to see if they wear armor. Do they have weapons? Do they wear sidearms? All that's going to come later. Do they use communicators? Are they using iPads? What are they using with their hands, and how do you do that when you got this thing that's supposed to be a ravaging beast? How do they interact with each other?  

They can't be screaming raptors all the time. But raptors are a great parallel. They have a culture, and there's a society there. Now add technology to that. Now how do we design the EV suit around that whole thing? You can only screw it up. That's the problem with something as iconic as the Gorn: You're being asked to recreate something, modernize it and do it in a respectful way, but also make it exciting.

You have to be very cognizant of whether it's going to be silly. The writers and the production team guide us through all of that. I'd love to say that these were all of my ideas. They're not. It's a visualization of a team of ideas. It's a balance and a little bit of exploration that unfortunately happens in a very quick timeline. It seems like it was two seasons' worth, but you really only get two months to build it in the end, and then there's no time to go backwards and change it.

Related: The best alien invasion movies of all time

Space.com: What was discussed for lighting schemes in the zero-G fight scene?

Scott: Yes, we have to work with the lighting team and the DP [director of photography] and the director on how much we're going to reveal. We actually had to alter the design of the helmet because the lighting wasn't quite right. The fixtures team came to us, and they got new LEDs and put them in there, and we had to change that a couple of times to get the right balance. It's not something that we can anticipate here, even though we'd sent up a mockup [to Toronto]. Uplighting was great because it makes a real spooky face, but then it wasn’t really enough of the eyes so we changed the helmet so we could hide LEDs inside to illuminate the eyes more. In that dark set, it pops, and you can see the teeth and eyes and the movement in there. You see the animal inside.

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Space.com: For "Strange New Worlds" Season 3, what can fans expect with the Gorn? Will we see them flying their strange starships and firing weapons?

Scott: We haven't shot it yet, but there have been discussions, and I'm looking forward to the same thing. We've seen their entire life cycle now, discussed and designed, so I love the fact that we're just inching into it. I'm looking forward to seeing it full-body. We've seen the EV suit, but we don't know what they look like inside yet. For Season 3 Episode 1, we're anxious and waiting almost as much as everyone who watched [the finale] last night!

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 2 is streaming now on Paramount+.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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Gorn, Explained: A History of the Star Trek Aliens

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Gene Roddenberry's space opera franchise Star Trek is filled with iconic aliens: Klingons, Andorians, Romulans, Betazoids, Orions, Changelings, Vulcans, and the Borg, to name a few. Many of them have been explored in great detail through various Star Trek series and films. Still, one particularly infamous and hostile species remains relatively unknown in live-action media: The Gorn . First introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series , these reptilian humanoid aliens are best remembered from the 1967 episode "The Arena." It is one of the most notable episodes in Star Trek history, mainly due to the slow and sluggish movement of the creatures' leader and its over-the-top combat with Captain Kirk, which rendered the scene unintentionally comedic.

Update August 13, 2023: This article has been updated by Mona Bassil with additional information following the season 2 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and with information from the series Star Trek: Lower Decks.

This cemented the Gorn as one of the most memorable aliens in the Trek universe. Despite that, the franchise has typically avoided bringing them back. While it makes sense for prequel series not to include them, it is odd how later Star Trek shows, like The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , Voyager , and Prodigy, never featured the Gorn. One of the more recent series, however, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , which premiered on Paramount+ on May 5, 2022, has not only given an update on the Gorn but has also explored them in more detail and plans on making them an overarching threat for the series. Here is everything to know about the Gorn species.

Gorn History in the Star Trek Series

The Gorn are first introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Arena". They are still a mysterious species to the Federation, and Captain Kirk is forced to do battle with the Gorn leader in a fight to the death. Kirk believes the Gorn to be a violent and savage race that eradicated an entire Starfleet colony. While he has the chance to kill their captain, he spares him after he realizes that the previous attack on a Starfleet Outpost was simply an act of self-defense and that the Gorn and humans have more in common than they realize. This marks the official first encounter the United Federation of Planets has with this species.

Related: 23 Coolest Alien Characters in the Star Trek Franchise

The Gorn would later appear in an episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series , as well as on Star Trek: Enterprise , which marked the first time the creature was portrayed with GCI. In order not to mess with the continuity of the original series and the subsequent first contact with Kirk, the Gorn seen on the prequel show, Star Trek: Enterprise , is set in the Mirror Universe, an alternate universe in Star Trek where everyone is either evil or has an entirely different character.

How Strange New Worlds Redefines the Gorn

The Gorn were planned to appear in both Star Trek: Nemesis and 2009's Star Trek reboot but were scrapped for unknown reasons. In Star Trek Into Darkness , Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy makes reference to performing a C-section on a pregnant Gorn, indicating they may have encountered The Federation earlier on in this new timeline.

The next major appearance of the Gorn would be in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, where they are a recurring foe. Set ten years before the events of TOS , Strange New Worlds slightly retcons the original series. Here, the alien species are a large part of the backstory for La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), who is the sole survivor of a Gorn attack when she was a child. This marks an unofficial first encounter with the species in the series.

The USS Enterprise , under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, first encounters a Gorn ship in the episode Memento Mori . The creatures are not seen, which seems to indicate that the aliens would be a recurring unseen foe throughout the series. But they reappear later in the season, in the episode "All Those Who Wander " , where various members of the Enterprise crew, including Spock, come face to face with the aliens. Unlike in the original series, these Gorn are depicted as smaller, more agile, and more animalistic. Henry Myers, the show's executive producer, told Variety , "I think audiences would have an instinctive organ transplant rejection to the classic version of the Gorn. Audiences now are sophisticated; they expect a certain level of effects work, of verisimilitude.” He was, of course, referring to the fact that the Gorn on TOS looked like giant lizards in fake rubber suits.

Related: Star Trek: How the 3 Animated Series Stack Against Each Other

The Season 2's action-packed finale, "Hegemony", it features the species decimating a human colony at the edge of Federation space, which they believe is part of their territory. They also plant a device that prevents any starship or shuttlecraft from beaming up trapped survivors, thus demonstrating superior dampening technology. While the episode begins with Captain Pike very clearly seeing the Gorn as monsters, the episode also looks to try to build the foundation for the Gorn being seen as a more advanced species in The Original Series.

Not only do the Gorn have their own fleet of ships, the young Gorn also appear not to be killing each other for dominance like it was believed they do, but instead working together. Pike comments on how there is more for them to learn about the Gorn. Audiences will likely learn more in season 3 as the finale of season 2 ended on a cliffhanger. Pike must decide between following Starfleet orders and retreating or going to save the rest of his crew who were beamed aboard the Gorn ship, including La'an Noonien-Singh.

The Gorn on Star Trek: Lower Decks

More recently, the species also appeared on the adult animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks , a refreshingly comedic take on the Star Trek franchise that pays homage to its complicated history while cleverly poking fun at its most memorable chapters and characters. In season 1's eighth episode, "Veritas", Ensign Rutherford's cybernetic implant is in need of an update. To complete the process, the device occasionally has to shut down and reboot, causing Rutherford to suddenly collapse and wake up hours later. Consequently, he crashes on a barren planet and finds himself surrounded by the Gorn, who starts biting into him. It is a double crash because he has also interrupted a wedding celebration.

Design and Characteristics

The Gorn in the original series are a bipedal and large reptilian alien species. They are capable of space travel and seem to have their own civilization. They also appear to be an apprehensive species, as even later in the timeline of Star Trek, it is unclear if they ever joined Starfleet.

The Gorn on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are similar to the variant of the species introduced in the Kelvin timeline set Star Trek video game between the 2009 Star Trek film and 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness . They are smaller, quadrupedal aliens that have a lot in common with the Xenomorphs from the Alien film franchise , including the practice of laying parasitic eggs inside a host that burst out of the victim's chest. They also no longer seem to have the sparkly eyes shown on TOS . Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds later found an explanation for this change in size. The smaller ones are the baby versions of the species, and audiences got to see Spock and Nurse Chapel fight a proper size Gorn which matched the size of the one Captain Kirk fought.

The Gorn have evolved and acquired the ability to evade Starfleet and other electromagnetic medical sensors, possibly indicating why the species has gone so long in the franchise without being seen. They grow quickly and will not hesitate to eliminate each other in order to establish dominance and strength. Strange New World also establishes that the Gorn are susceptible to the cold. It has done more to explain the Gorn than any other piece of Star Trek media since the creature first appeared, and hopefully, additional seasons will explore its culture and variants. The season 2 finale clearly hints that Trekkies will be seeing more of the Gorn as recurring villains in season 3.

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How STRANGE NEW WORLDS Transforms the Gorn, an Old STAR TREK Enemy

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In its first season, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds reinvented one of the franchise’s oldest alien adversaries, the Gorn. They gave this classic antagonistic species an upgrade by injecting some blood from two of cinema’s most deadly extraterrestrials. We’re talking about Gorn inspired by the xenomorph from the Alien franchise and the Predator. In the season two finale of Strange New Worlds , “Hegemony,” the Gorn returned. And these aliens destroyed a Federation starship, along with most of a human colony. So how did Strange New Worlds update this alien race once thought of as a silly product of its 1960s time? First, we’ll tell you all about Star Trek ‘s Gorn and why they haven’t appeared much for five decades.

Who Are the Gorn, Star Trek ‘s Race of Reptilian Aliens, and Where Have They Been?

First appearing in the original Star Trek series episode “Arena,” the Gorn Hegemony was a warlike reptilian race who decimated a Federation outpost on the planet Cestus III. When Captain Kirk chased the enemy Gorn ship deep into space, an advanced species called the Metrons forced Kirk and the Gorn captain to fight for survival on a remote world. This fight scene, with a man in a very fake-looking alien lizard suit, became the subject of parody. It was even parodied in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey . Perhaps because of that, Star Trek has seemingly almost totally avoided the Gorn, beyond cameos and name drops across different series. The Gorn popped up briefly in CGI form on Star Trek: Enterprise in 2004 and in the 2013 Star Trek video game, for which the Gorn and William Shatner reunited for a silly promotion.

Strange New Worlds Reinvents the Gorn

But Strange New Worlds changed everything about these aliens, making the Gorn intergalactic boogymen. In the episode “Memento Mori,” we learned that La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong) had some serious PTSD based on her childhood trauma of surviving a Gorn massacre. During her childhood, the Gorn attacked and captured the SS Puget Sound, a colony ship, and left its crew on a Gorn breeding planet. The survivors, including La’an, were hunted for sport or eaten alive by their newborn hatchlings. Only a young La’an Noonien-Singh survived and told her tale to Starfleet. This was the first documented encounter with the Gorn on Star Trek , although it was not considered an official first contact. As La’an says, “Many people have seen the Gorn, but few live to tell about it.”

In “Memento Mori,” the Gorn only appeared in their Star Trek space vessels. We don’t actually see them in the reptilian flesh. Their vicious ways were only spoken of by Lt. Noonien Singh. In fact, they are described and treated as the shark in Jaws . When La’an described her childhood encounter with the Gorn and their lifeless eyes, it’s almost like hearing Quint talk about the shark that killed his crewmates on the U.S.S. Indianapolis . But in Strange New Worlds season one, episode nine, “All Those Who Wander,” we truly saw the Gorn for the first time in this Star Trek series. And they owe their newest incarnation to two classic sci-fi adversaries, the Xenomorph and the Predator.

The Gorn Become Terrifying Foes in Star Trek ‘s World

When the Enterprise responded to a distress beacon from a crashed Starfleet vessel, the U.S.S. Peregrine , they found the ship in shambles on an ice world and the crew of 99 officers dead. The logs showed that they had picked up three stranded refugees, all infected with Gorn eggs. They found a human girl (shades of Newt in Aliens ) and an unknown alien in the wreckage. Despite initial scans showing nothing unusual, the Gorn eggs were hatching inside one of the aliens.

Just like in Ridley Scott’s Alien , the hatchling busted out of the victim’s body and scampered off. Two others then emerged from the body of another victim. The four hatchlings quickly became two as they killed the others and fought for dominance. The POV shots of the Gorn hatchlings looked extremely similar to the heat signature vision of the alien hunters from the Predator franchise. Their reptilian appearance was also like the Predator, although that predates the movie, as the Gorn first appeared in 1967. Like the Xenomorph from Alien, the Gorn matured at an exponential rate, but the Enterprise crew managed to kill it before it grew to full size.

But the Enterprise crew took a heavy casualty when they fought the Gorn. The Gorn hatchling spit a type of venom onto Chief Engineer Hemmer (Bruce Horack), similar to the Dilophosaurus in Jurassic Park. But this was more than venom. La’an revealed that this is how the Gorn lay their eggs. Hemmer took his own life before allowing the Gorn to take hold of him. In the two separate episodes of season one, they did not show a full-grown Gorn.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season Two Reveals a Full-Grown Gorn

In season two’s “Hegemony,” the Gorn attack the human colony world Parnassus Beta, and decimate most of the population. Only a few survive. They also destroy the U.S.S. Cayuga . The episode shows that the Cayuga’s Captain, Marie Batel, has been infected with Gorn eggs. We finally see an adult Gorn in this episode, in a space suit no less. Unlike their Star Trek: The Original Series counterpart, this Gorn has a tail. Although Spock kills this particular Gorn, at the end of the episode, the Gorn Hegemony has the upper hand over Pike’s Enterprise , leaving us with a massive cliffhanger ending.

Of course, this sets up certain continuity issues. Technically “Arena,” the episode where Captain Kirk fights the Gorn in The Original Series , takes place about eight years after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Spock and Uhura don’t seem to know anything about the Gorn in The Original Series , which doesn’t make much sense. You’d think with their experiences in these Strange New Worlds episodes, they would have a few thoughts about this particular enemy. But it’ll be interesting to see how Strange New Worlds deals with this all of this, as we are no doubt going to see the Gorn continue to be a significant threat to Pike and his crew as the show continues to unfold.

Originally published on July 1, 2022.

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Strange New Worlds Has Established The Gorn As The Next Great Star Trek Villain

Set phasers to spoilers : This article discusses events from the season 2 finale of "Strange New Worlds."

If it seems like every generation of "Star Trek" must always contend with their own unique existential threat, that's because they do. For James T. Kirk in "The Original Series," real-world Cold War anxieties manifested themselves through the fearsome Klingon Empire and their numerous skirmishes with Starfleet as the two galactic powers constantly stood on the brink of all-out war. For Jean-Luc Picard in "The Next Generation," the horrifying Borg Collective instantly became the franchise's most iconic villain — not only as a physical threat, but one that channeled technological fears of the 21st Century by stripping away our very identities through their assimilation tactics. And for Benjamin Sisko in "Deep Space Nine," no greater threat than the Dominion would eventually land on Federation borders, bringing a darker and more paranoia-driven flavor to "Trek" that allowed for some of the most complex and nuanced storytelling the franchise has ever seen.

Despite two excellent seasons under its belt, "Strange New Worlds" is probably still a few years away from being spoken of in the same breath as these other shows ... but as of the season 2 finale, titled "Hegemony," Anson Mount's Captain Pike has come face-to-fangs with the most unexpected nemesis of them all: the lizard-like Gorn. They've been carefully threaded throughout the series as a steadily building threat and come loaded with intensely personal connections to much of the crew, from Christina Chong's Gorn attack survivor La'an Noonien Singh to Celia Rose Gooding's Uhura, still mourning the death of her mentor Hemmer (Bruce Horak) upon being infected by Gorn eggs back in season 1.

Now, they've stepped up as a series-defining big bad — and there's more to them than meets the eye.

Here today, Gorn tomorrow

At this point, Trekkies need no reminder of how the Gorn were first introduced to "Trek" — as a man in a woefully unconvincing rubber suit beating up William Shatner's Kirk at the famous Vasquez rocks in southern California in the Original Series episode "Arena." (For more casual fans, we've got the history of the Gorn covered right here! ) To say that any future installment of the franchise would have its work cut out for it in trying to reshape our conception of this particularly barbaric alien species is putting it mildly, but "Strange New Worlds" managed to crack the code — and, against all odds, make them feel genuinely scary.

The season 1 episode "All Those Who Wander" finally brought the Gorn back into the spotlight after only teasing them through La'an's traumatic backstory in previous episodes, reconfiguring them into a Xenomorph-like threat that was far deadlier than we'd ever seen before. But even as Trekkies wrapped their minds around this downright horrific take on the classic creatures, we weren't fully prepared for just how much "Strange New Worlds" would be playing the long game. The Gorn, as it turns out, would inevitably come back to threaten the entire Federation as we know it.

In the season 2 finale, the episode begins with extremely high stakes when the Cayuga, the Starfleet vessel crewed by Pike's lover Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) and Spock's love interest Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush), comes under attack by the Gorn outside of Federation space. But the scope of the conflict remains fairly limited to our immediate supporting characters ... in the early going, at least. The fraught political climate between the Federation and the Gorn soon comes into play when the latter enact a blockade of sorts, leading to the threat of all-out war .

The next great Trek villain

In the span of one hair-raisingly tense hour, "Strange New Worlds" positions the Gorn as the next major threat to Starfleet overall. After our heroes slip behind enemy lines to rescue their trapped comrades planet-side, disobeying Federation orders to maintain their side of the demarcation line and avoid the outbreak of war at all costs, their actions in surreptitiously destroying a communications jammer set up by the Gorn leads to the aliens kidnapping many of the remaining survivors (including multiple crewmembers of the Enterprise) and launching an attack on Pike's starship as the captain faces the most difficult scenario of his Starfleet career.

As with many of the greatest villains in past "Star Trek" history, the Gorn simply have to offer something we've never experienced before. Luckily, the season 2 finale includes several hints that the Gorn are much more complicated than Starfleet ever realized. On different occasions, Pike confronts evidence that the Gorn aren't quite the instinctive, low-IQ animals they had always assumed. Nurse Chapel directly observes one individual struggling to access core ship systems, while Pike and Batel can only watch in shock when a young Gorn decides not to attack — a result of perceiving the Gorn eggs already incubating inside her. Still, their tactical methods on the ground suggest a more evolved and intelligent species that is more than capable of destroying our heroes one by one while dismantling Starfleet on a galactic scale.

The Klingons represent a relentlessly brute force. The Borg symbolized advanced technology far beyond Starfleet's own. The Dominion could attack either through strength of arms or by hiding in plain sight. Now the Gorn embody all of these qualities and more. Going into season 3, it's clear the Gorn have everything they need to become the next great "Trek" villain.

Star Trek: Who Are The Gorn?

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Gorn Hegemony

• 2.1 Background information
• 2.2 Apocrypha
• 2.3 External link

History [ ]

The Orion privateer Harrad-Sar had dealings with the Hegemony prior to 2154 , but declined to elaborate to the crew of Enterprise NX-01 , merely saying "The less said about them, the better." ( ENT : " Bound ")

Unconfirmed first contact report for the Gorn, found in the personnel file of La'an Noonien Singh

In the 2230s or 2240s , the Gorn attacked and captured the SS Puget Sound , a Federation colony ship , and deposited its crew and passengers on a Gorn breeding planet to be hunted for sport or eaten alive by their hatchlings . La'an Noonien-Singh was the sole survivor of the incident, and related the story to Starfleet ; this was the first documented encounter with the Gorn, although it was not considered an official first contact . ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

In 2259 , the Gorn attacked and massacred the colony of Finibus III , and then attacked the USS Enterprise when it arrived in the system. During the subsequent battle, the Enterprise was badly damaged and lost seven crew members, but managed to destroy three Gorn hunters before evading a destroyer using the system's black hole as cover. With the Gorn confirmed to be raiding targets in Federation space, Captain Christopher Pike resolved to be more prepared for the next hostile encounter. ( SNW : " Memento Mori ")

In 2259 , Federation star charts were denoting the location of the Gorn Hegemony in the Beta Quadrant. The lettering and border outlines were colored a shade of green . ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ")

A Gorn Captain , a member of the Gorn Hegemony

Official first contact finally took place eight years later, in 2267 . This encounter with the Hegemony was also hostile, as the Gorn were claiming Cestus III – a world which was then occupied by a Federation settlement – as their own. Despite this, the two powers had resolved the conflict over Cestus III by the 2370s , when a Human settlement thrived there. ( TOS : " Arena "; DS9 : " Family Business ")

The Zhat Vash , a Romulan cabal , was said to operate in the Gorn Hegemony as of 2399 . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

The name of this government was revealed in "Bound", although there was apparently no official UFP contact with the Gorn until Kirk's era. Federation-Gorn relations were described, in the Star Trek Encyclopedia , as "cordial" during the 2370s. The name "Gorn Hegemony" had been used in non- canon books and games for years before this episode was written, however.

The Gorn Hegemony symbol first appeared in canon in PRO : " Masquerade ", but originates in the 1997 Starfleet Academy video game.

Apocrypha [ ]

The Star Trek: Star Charts places Gorn Hegemony space in the Beta Quadrant , in the region of Gamma Orionis and the Delta Triangle . (page 64)

In the novel Articles of the Federation , one of the characters says that the crew of the USS Enterprise convinced the Gorn to join the Federation Alliance and fight against the Dominion in the war . This is from the graphic novel " The Gorn Crisis " by Kevin J. Anderson and illustrated by Igor Kordey . But in the game manual for Star Trek: Bridge Commander , it is stated that the Gorn sided with the Dominion . The Star Trek: Destiny novel Mere Mortals by David Mack establishes that the Gorn Hegemony had an embassy to the Federation located in Berlin and its head of government was the Gorn Imperator. In A Singular Destiny , the Gorn allied themselves with the Romulan Star Empire , the Tholians , and others antagonistic towards the Federation and Klingons.

In Star Trek Online , by the early 25th century , the Klingons had conquered the Hegemony after learning that their leaders had been replaced by Species 8472 infiltrators, and absorbed the Gorn into the Empire. The storyline of the game also states that a monarch, King Slathis, was the head of the government.

In the 2013 video game Star Trek , which is set in the alternate reality , the Gorn are given an origin story as an alien race originating from another galaxy and are portrayed as expansionists. One of the races subjugated to the Gorn are the Lymax ( β ).

The twenty-fourth issue of the Star Trek: Ongoing comic book series features a group of Gorn who had rebelled and settled on the planet Parthenon 559 wanting to live in peace. But because of the previous encounter as mentioned above, the Humans who came to mine the planet reacted with hostility. Kirk resolved everything and forced the Humans off of the planet after learning more about the Gorn in the process. The issue also potentially provides another origin story for the Gorn Hegemony.

External link [ ]

• Gorn Hegemony at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

Star Trek just changed Gorn canon with an Alien -inspired twist

Writer Davy Perez gets into all the nitty-gritty details of Star Trek’s big swing at starship horror.

In the final frontier, no one can hear you scream. In the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 — “All Those Who Wander” — the crew of the Enterprise are dropped into a nail-biting starship horror story, with heavy influences from the 1979 classic Alien . Along the way, we learn a lot more about a certain alien species. Episode writer Davy Perez gave us the scoop on why these aliens are different, and what it all means for the canon of The Original Series and the future of Strange New Worlds . Spoilers ahead.

In Episode 4, “Memento Mori,” the Enterprise crew had a close encounter with the nefarious Gorn, a lizard species. No one actually saw the Gorn, but this week, while looking for survivors on the crashed USS Peregrine , our Starfleet heroes encounter horrifying Gorn babies. The big news is that these Gorn reproduce by popping out of the bodies of other lifeforms, just like the gory xenomorph chestbursters from Alien .

It’s a big change for Trek. Other than one glimpse in the Mirror Universe back in 2005 on the prequel show Enterprise , the only “adult” Gorn we’ve seen is still the classic lizard person from The Original Series episode “Arena.” So, how do these baby Gorn fit in? As with “Memento Mori,” writer Davy Perez felt that “Arena” offered a good amount of “wiggle room” in terms of what Kirk and Starfleet actually know about the Gorn.

Kirk versus the Gorn in the 1967 Star Trek episode, “Arena.”

“Kirk’s idea of the Gorn is different from what he is being told by the Metrons,” Perez tells Inverse, referring to the powerful aliens who force the two to fight . “The Gorn he’s meeting in ‘Arena,’ doesn’t sync with his expectations of them. It was a personal choice I made in my own headcanon that allowed me to have fun with the writing. Viewing it that way creates more possibilities for Gorn stories to continue.”

While the classic rubber monster suit Gorn, designed by Wah Chang in 1967, is iconic, Perez points out that it’s clear in TOS that the Gorn was a “one-off,” meaning some canon trickiness was bound to emerge. The loophole Perez points out in “Arena” is the fact that Kirk’s phrasing in the original episode is specifically vague: “Weaponless, I face the creature the Metrons called a Gorn.”

The classic episode takes place in 2267, while Strange New Worlds happens in 2259. So, if Kirk knows what Pike and the crew know, then the lizard-man Gorn doesn’t really check out with the Velociraptor meets chestburster critters in Strange New Worlds .

“Maybe Kirk has never seen them, he could even be one of those people who still doubts the stories, or maybe even he has seen them and they don’t look the same,” Perez says. “I think the safest thing to say is we have no idea what the Gorn are really like.”

Over the years, various fan theories — and material from Star Trek roleplaying games — have suggested the existence of a variety of Gorn subspecies. In “All Those Who Wander,” Dr. M’Benga discovers the Gorn are “genetic chameleons,” which is why they don’t show up on sensors. Perez points out that, even after this episode and La’an’s childhood experience with these aliens, “we quite literally don’t know very much about the Gorn at all… and that’s what makes them so hard to fight.”

The Enterprise crew investigates the crash of the USS Peregrine, echoing the crashed alien ship investigated by the crew of the Nostromo in Alien .

Outside of all the TOS canon-weeds, the obvious thrill of “All Those Who Wander” is the way in which the episode brings the flavor of Alien, and other sci-fi horror classics, to Star Trek. There’s never quite been a Trek episode like this.

“Yes, Alien was something I’ve been inspired by many times in the past, and here especially,” Perez says. “It’s hard not to draw the comparison when writing a ‘horror story in space.’ Even back when discussing Episode 4 we started talking about Alien , and not just in what we liked about it, but more how to avoid retreading it wholesale. Our story is unique and specific to Trek, similar inspirations but different in execution.”

But it’s not just Alien that Perez and the SNW team drew upon for inspiration. When Nurse Chapel is chased by the tiny Gorn we get to see the latter’s point of view, which is evocative of Predator . And Perez notes the influences run from the obvious, like John Carpenter's The Thing , to the less obvious.

“You might laugh, but Gremlins !” Perez says. “Think about it, tiny monsters that roam around wreaking havoc with these ‘rules’ that mean the difference between life and death. Baby Gorn are just more deadly Gremlins. Or more aptly put, Tribbles with teeth.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is streaming now on Paramount+.

• Science Fiction

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from comics
• Memory Beta articles sourced from novels
• Memory Beta articles sourced from episodes and movies
• Memory Beta articles sourced from video games
• Memory Beta articles sourced from Starfleet Command II
• Memory Beta articles sourced from Star Trek Online
• Memory Beta articles sourced from novelizations
• Memory Beta articles sourced from websites
• Memory Beta articles sourced from Starfleet Command
• Memory Beta articles sourced from Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates
• Memory Beta articles sourced from short stories
• Humanoid species
• Races and cultures
• Beta Quadrant races and cultures
• Reptilian races and cultures
• Klingon servitor species
• 1.1 Subsidiary species
• 1.2 Biology
• 1.3 History
• 1.4 Food and drink
• 1.5.1 Beliefs, religion and mythology
• 1.5.2 Psychology, society and interactions with others
• 2 Gallery of Gorn subspecies
• 3 Known individuals
• 4.1 Background
• 4.2.1 Appearances
• 4.2.2 References
• 4.3 External link

History and specifics [ ]

Subsidiary species [ ].

Unknown to most outsiders, the Gorn were not one but several distinct cold-blooded, reptilian species, all of whom evolved on the same homeworld . All Gorn species enjoyed an extremely long lifespan of approx. 300 years . Each species had their own language , and thus their own name for their joint homeworld Gornar.

By 2371 , Federation xenobiologists had identified two species - the Ssessekh and the Russth , and had anecdotal evidence of four others. Starfleet Intelligence analysts concluded in 2382 that Gorn society might comprise members of as many as a dozen species, all of which were thought to be humanoid , and which appeared to be of typical humanoid height and build. ( Adventures RPG module : Beta Quadrant Sourcebook )

Another species within the Hegemony were the Lath . ( TOS - The Return of the Worthy comic : " Great Expectations! ")

Among themselves, the Gorn distinguished between castes. Procreation or intercouse betweeen different castes was sacrilegious. ( TTN - Typhon Pact novel : Seize the Fire )

Biology [ ]

A Gorn skull

Gorn are a cold-blooded reptilian species with green, leathery skin and an average height of approximately 2 meters. They tend to be stronger than most humanoids. Their ears are simple holes on the sides of their skulls. Their mouths boast an impressive array of sharp, carnivorous teeth, and their hands and feet have vicious claws. Phlox stated that they had a size and bite radius similar to the now-extinct velociraptors of Earth . Like most cold-blooded lifeforms, the Gorn are known to prefer warm temperatures. ( ENT episode : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ")

Gorn are born from specialized eggs that belong to the different castes of Gorn society. Among the hardest to produce eggs were those of the military branches as their biology required specific environmental factors that were very hard to find naturally. ( TTN novel : Seize the Fire )

An average Gorn male weighs about 215 kilograms. Their leathery hides is naturally strong which serves as natural armor. Their physical strength is even greater than their appearance suggests as they possess a great deal of muscle mass. Though this is impressive among the males, the female Gorns are even more fearsome as they can average around 2.5 meters high and typically are 250 kilograms. As such, the females tend to be the stronger gender among the Gorn race. Due to this, it is not uncommon to see a large number of female marines and officers within the Gorn military.

Due to their high degree of muscle, the Gorn tend not to be as dexterous as Humans , however, this did not mean they were slow witted. ( ST video game : Starfleet Command II: Empires at War )

In addition, they were also a cold-blooded species which meant that they were not picked up on infrared scopes. ( TOS novel : Catalyst of Sorrows )

Gorn cells regenerate at an amazing rate. The Gorn laser scalpel has a biograft spray option that would assist the regeneration and the closing of wounds. ( ST - Alien Spotlight comic : " Alien Spotlight: The Gorn ")

Those of the technical castes have multiple stomachs. ( TTN novel : Seize the Fire )

History [ ]

A Gorn male in the mirror universe.

The Gorn race was actually three species who were genetically identical and lived on three separate worlds. After they achieved space travel, the three Gorn races discovered one another and learnt of their similarity whereupon it was discovered, through fossil records, that none of their planets was their races true homeworld. Seeing the similarity, the three races joined one another in a single political unit. ( ST video game : Starfleet Command II: Empires at War )

The Gorn achieved interstellar travel at least millions of years ago . 500 million years ago, they visited the planet Cenotaph in the Lotora star group . ( TOS - Unlimited comic : " Dying of the Light ")

According to findings of the Federation Science Council , the Kassae II and Kassae IV worlds received interstellar visitors 15,000 years ago, and that the civilization there may be ancestors of the Gorn and Saurian species. Following an attack on the ruins by Gorn rebels in 2409 , Admiral Jorel Quinn considered whether the Kassae system had been home to a proto-Gorn culture. ( STO - Klingon War mission : " Researcher Rescue ")

Early in their history, the Gorn had hostile encounters with the Paravian and Romulan Star Empire . ( ST video game : Starfleet Command II: Empires at War )

The Gorn made first contact with the Federation in 2267 when a Gorn vessel attacked a Human colony on Cestus III interpreting the colonization as in invasion into Gorn Space. The vessel was pursued by the USS Enterprise until the Metrons , a non-corporeal species intervened and eventually awarded the planet to the Federation. ( TOS episode & Star Trek 2 novelization : Arena )

A period of strained but generally peaceful relations followed. ( TOS - Fortunes of War novel : Dreadnought! ; TOS comic : " Dying of the Light "; ST video game : Starfleet Command II: Empires at War )

In 2319 the Gorn attended a trade summit that took place on Helaspont Station . ( ST - The Lost Era novel : One Constant Star )

In 2374 , after decades of peaceful relations with the Federation, the Gorn government was toppled by a coup d'etat , and a new offensive was launched against Cestus III. A halt to these hostilities was negotiated by the crew of the USS Enterprise -E , who also managed to persuade the Gorn to join the Federation Alliance in the war against the Dominion . ( TNG comic : " The Gorn Crisis ")

At some point during the 2380s the Gorn government and military became heavily infiltrated by Species 8472 . Acting against orders, in 2384 a Gorn starship attacked the IKS Quv in the neutral space between the Hegemony and the Klingon Empire , killing 207 Klingons and capturing others. When the Gorn refused to hand over their prisoners, Chancellor Martok broke off diplomatic relations, expelled their diplomats and ordered Klingon Defense Force ships to the border. ( ST website : The Path to 2409 )

War broke out in 2386 when the Klingons attacked and captured Gila IV , a Gorn colony. Over the next three years hostilities quieted as the Federation attempted to mediate between the two powers, but the negotiations failed and in 2389 captured the Gamma Orionis system from them. King Slathis hired the Nausicaans to help them fight. Despite this, the Gorn were slowly driven back, and Gornar eventually fell in 2403 . Slathis agreed to swear fealty to the Empire and was given a non-voting seat on the High Council . ( ST website : The Path to 2409 )

Gorn soldiers in 2410 .

In their capacity as a client state, the Gorn took part in the Federation-Klingon War of 2405-2410 on the side of the Klingon Empire. By 2409 , however, some Gorn rebelled against their overlords, staging attacks on Klingon starbases . Another group of Gorn settled in with the Orion Syndicate on Nimbus III . ( ST video game : Star Trek Online )

Food and drink [ ]

Culture [ ], beliefs, religion and mythology [ ].

Gorn mythology states that the founders of their species consists of the Mistress of Fertility S'Yahazah and a figure known as the "Great Father" . Emphasis would be placed on the Great Egg Bringer S'Yahazah for she saved the young Gorn eggs from being devoured by their father. The Great Father would be banished into space and never be worshiped again.

Among Gorn, there exists a scale coloration which is blue-yellowish. These Gorn are believed to be protected by the Mistress of Fertility for they are nobles and spiritually pure. Those hereditary families that have a large number of blue-yellow scaled Gorn are considered blessed with a symbol of Gorn strength. ( ST video game : Starfleet Command )

Ussegssirr was a concept of manifest destiny, one of the basic tenets of the Gorn philosophy. It combined with Gessegrissgir to form the base line of Gorn honor. ( FASA RPG module : Demand of Honor )

Psychology, society and interactions with others [ ]

The Gorn race are known to be somewhat xenophobic due to the initial encounters they made with other races. Gorn starships are created to reflect the attitude of the Gorn race which is straight forward and to the point. ( ST video game : Starfleet Command II: Empires at War )

What little contact the Federation had with this reptilian race lead most to think of it as an aggressive species, dominated by warriors. Further observation both reinforced and contradicted this. Individual Gorn exhibit aggressive, assertive and determined behavior. They seem set in their ways, and it's difficult to get them to deviate from their planned courses of action. While interaction between Humans and Gorn remains limited, they now work together on Cestus III,and Federation xenologists hotly debate what they observe.

Some individual Gorn get the creeps when around some mammals like Humans . ( ST - Alien Spotlight comic : " Alien Spotlight: The Gorn ")

No one denies that getting between a Gorn and his objective can prove hazardous to one's health. When on a mission, be it battling an arch-foe or slaughtering cattle for food, the Gorn pursue their goals with a single-mindedness second to none. Anything that tries to interfere with their duty is ignored, brushed aside, moved out of the way or destroyed. Humans on Cestus III contend that such actions rarely interfere with life there and that the Gorn have proven themselves considerate neighbors. Thanks to the Metrons; Humans and Gorn have never had problems communicating. As a result, they managed to coexist on Cestus III after the Gorn made restitution for the settlers they killed during an early misunderstanding. Since then, the Gorn remained on their part of the world, and physical conflict between the races rarely occurs.

No Human believes the Gorn suddenly became pacifistic, however, instead they seem to have taken a long time to make up their minds, almost ignoring a situation until they decide what they consider the best course of action. A Gorn does little until he believes he knows the right course - and then he lets nothing stand in his way. First contact with the Gorn came after they discovered a Human encroachment into what they saw as their space. Following a long debate, the Gorn leadership decided to exterminate the new threat. The Gorn sent to carry out this decision devoted themselves wholeheartedly to this endeavor, only stopping when an outside force made it impossible to continue. This sums up much of Gorn behavior: Don't act until you're sure that you're right, and then let nothing stop you. ( Decipher RPG module : Aliens )

Some humanoids underestimate Gorn because of an opinion that reptiles are somehow less evolved than mammals. This would be unwise; the Gorn are at least as intelligent as humans. ( TOS episode : " Arena ")

According to Orion privateer Harrad-Sar in 2154 , the Gorn "brew the finest Meridor in the five systems." ( ENT episode : " Bound ")

There exist certain groups within the Hegemony which include King's Fleet Guard , Guardians Errant and the Defenders of the Egg . ( ST video game : Starfleet Command )

Executions on Gorn starships are carried out by spacing. ( TTN novel : Seize the Fire )

Gallery of Gorn subspecies [ ]

Known individuals [ ]

Appendices [ ], background [ ].

The novellization of the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode The Time Trap names the Gorn "Gorin" instead.Other Alien species names, such as the Kzinti ("Berikazin"), Tellarite ("Tellarine") and Andorians ("Edoan") names were altered as well for reasons unknown.

Appearances and references [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• TOS episode : " Arena "
• SNW episode : " All Those Who Wander "
• ENT episode : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II "
• ST video game : Starfleet Command
• ST video game : Starfleet Command II: Empires at War
• ST video game : Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates
• TNG novel : Requiem
• TNG - Cold Equations novel : Silent Weapons
• TNG comic : " The Gorn Crisis "
• DS9 novel : Highest Score
• DS9 short story : " Where I Fell Before My Enemy "
• DS9 comic : " Star Trek: Ferengi "
• ST - Typhon Pact novel : Seize the Fire
• ST - Typhon Pact novel : Rough Beasts of Empire
• ST - Typhon Pact novel : Plagues of Night
• ST - Typhon Pact novel : Raise the Dawn
• ST - The Fall novel : Revelation and Dust

References [ ]

• FASA RPG module : Demand of Honor

External link [ ]

• Gorn article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 3 Intrepid class

• June 21, 2024 | Podcast: ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Co-EP Aaron Waltke Joins All Access To Talk Season 2
• June 20, 2024 | Watch: First ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2 Trailer Reveals New Classified Mission And A Time Paradox
• June 19, 2024 | First Ships Revealed For New Star Trek Starship Collection Of Die-Cast Models Launching This Fall
• June 18, 2024 | Exclusive First Look At September Star Trek Comics From IDW
• June 18, 2024 | Review: The EXO-6 ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ 1:6 Geordi Figure Is A Sight To See

Exclusive First Look At September Star Trek Comics From IDW

| June 18, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 8 comments so far

This Thursday Publishing releases their catalog for comics coming in September 2024, and TrekMovie has an exclusive first look at the Star Trek comics. This includes the sixth and final issue of the “Pleroma” arc for the ongoing Star Trek series and the third issue of the new “Stars of Home” arc for the Defiant series. There are also a number of collections coming out in the more affordable trade paperback format.

Star Trek #24 – on sale September 18

Writers: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing / Artist: Megan Levans

Welcome to the Pleroma, a place outside time and space where god-level species have gathered to discuss the fate of the universe! It’s up to Captain Sisko and his valiant crew of the U.S.S. Theseus to persuade the gods to allow them to help repair Kahless’ unraveling of space-time-but will they listen to mere mortals responsible for their prophesied undoing?

Cover A by Megan Levens

Cover B by Malachi Ward

RI Cover by J.J. Lendl

Star Trek: Defiant #19 – on sale September 25

Writer: Christopher Cantwell / Artist: Angel Unzueta

Miles O’Brien and his trusty holo-helm set course for the planet Antara as Romulan forces prepare to besiege the population with Worf, B’Elanna, and Ro among them. A menacing Romulan blockade stands between him and his friends, but as he braces to brave the Romulans alone, matters are further complicated when an old friend—none other than  Dr. Julian Bashir —delivers an urgent message from Section 31. Meanwhile, on Romulus, Commander Sela and Spock uncover a dark secret that General Revo is willing to kill to keep secret…

Cover A by Angel Unzueta

Cover B by Justin Mason

RI cover by Declan Shalvey

NEW COLLECTIONS

Star trek vol. 1: godshock – on sale september 10.

Now In Paperback!  192 pages / Price: $19.99 USD

Deep Space Nine  captain Benjamin Sisko returns in a new ongoing series featuring fan-favorite characters from across the  Star Trek  universe. Now available as a softcover with a new cover! Stardate 2378: A bold new era of  Star Trek  begins! Three years ago, Benjamin Sisko made a courageous sacrifice that left him trapped in the dimension of the mysterious Prophets; now he’s returned to his home universe—with powerful, godlike abilities. But his omnipotence is failing when he needs it most. Someone is killing the gods, and Sisko and the motley crew of the  U.S.S. Theseus  will have to travel to the deepest parts of space to stop them. Star Trek: Year Five  lead writers Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly  (Batman Beyond, Captain America)  and artists Ramon Rosanas, Oleg Chudakov, Joe Eisma, and Erik Tamayo present a new ship, a new mission, and a lot of old friends! Sisko is joined by Commanders Data and Worf, and Dr. Beverly Crusher, of  Star Trek: The Next Generation;  Lt. Tom Paris, of  Star Trek: Voyager;  Captain Montgomery Scott, of  Star Trek;  and Ben’s son, Jake. But there are new faces as well, to surprise established fans while showing new readers the ropes. Collects the prequel short story “A Perfect System” from  Star Trek  #400 and issues #1–6 of the ongoing series.

STAR TREK VOL. 2: THE RED PATH – On sale September 10

Now In Paperback!  152 pages / Price: $19.99 USD

The second arc of the critically acclaimed  Star Trek  flagship comic series continues with Benjamin Sisko’s quest to stop celestial genocide! Now available in gorgeous softcover format with new cover. Sisko returns to Deep Space 9, and it’s the family reunion we’ve all been waiting for—or is it? As Sisko reckons with the sins of his past, the Theseus travels to a mysterious corner of Cardassian space to uncover the secrets of the Prophets…and learn how far the Red Path have infiltrated the galaxy! In the follow up to  Star Trek, Vol. 1: Godshock,  Volume 2 collects  Star Trek  issues #7–10 and the  2023 Star Trek Annual  by writers Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing  (Star Trek: Year Five)  with artists Mike Feehan and Rachael Stott.

STAR TREK LIBRARY COLLECTION VOL. 3 – On sale Oct 1

328 pages / Price: $29.99 USD  

The  Star Trek Library Collection  is a comprehensive line of books that will collect every  Star Trek  miniseries published by IDW! In Volume 3, read a selection of the  Alien Spotlight  one-shots and the entirety of the  Star Trek: Year Four  series. First, two series set during the fourth year of the  U.S.S. Enterprise ’s five-year mission! In  Star Trek: Year Four  the  Enterprise  encounters a strange series of planets, arranged to look like a strand of DNA floating through space. The crew can’t help but explore once Spock realizes that the desolate structure once supported more than 800 billion beings in the past. By  David Tischman, Leonard O’Grady, Steve Conley, Gordon Purcell,  and  Joe & Rob Sharp.  In a sequel to “The Enterprise Incident,”  The Enterprise Experiment  details the Federation’s experiments with a Romulan cloaking device, by  D.C. Fontana, Derek Chester,  and  Gordon Purcell. Also collected are two one-shots featuring Vulcans and the Gorn! A Starfleet starship arrives at a planet on the brink of its own destruction. A once peaceful society is now savage and warlike linking itself to the turmoiled past of the Vulcans, by  James Patrick  and  Josep Maria Beloy.  Then, after their shuttlecraft crash-lands on an uncharted planet, Captain Terrell and Commander Chekov calculate that their odds of survival are somewhat decreased when they find themselves facing off against an army of Gorn warriors, by  Scott & David Tipton  and  David Messina.

Find Star Trek comics at your local comic book store or online at TFAW . Or pick up individual digital editions at Amazon/comiXology .

Keep up with all the Star Trek comics news, previews and reviews in  TrekMovie’s comics category .

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Does IDW have limits on what it can or can’t do with the Star Trek line? I think it might be interesting to see someone do the Next Generation of the Kelvin Universe. I’m guessing with the changes to the original crew…that there would definitely be changes to the TNG Kelvin

IDW has already shown the DS9 crew in the Kelvin timeline, so I would think they could probably do TNG, too.

That picture of Data is BEYOND creepy

Haha, yeah. I keep doing a bit of a jumpscare every time I check the site.

Love it, that’s why I clicked on the article. And I thought maybe is Lore ..

Same! I’ve always been interested in these comics, but haven’t had a good chance to take the leap yet what with life being so busy already. That cover, though, makes me want to dive right in.

I love it. Very anime.

i need them to just collect all of these into one giant volume in story order. I can’t keep up w/ the different threads – though I want to

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Published Feb 25, 2013

Meet The Gorns: Commander and Sentinel

Are you ready for your Monday Gorns? Well, ready or not, they’re coming your way. Each Monday for the next several weeks, the developers of STAR TREK The Video Game will preview Gorn characters that will be featured in the game. Today’s Gorns are the Gorn Commander and Gorn Sentinal.

The Commander is the leader of the Gorn “race” that has invaded New Vulcan. The Commander is ruthless; he engages in torture and takes great pleasure from seeing “lower species” suffer, including pitting them against other Gorn – and each other – for his amusement. At almost 10 feet tall, the Commander is the largest and most imposing of the Gorn seen in STAR TREK The Video Game .

The Sentinel is in the same Gorn class as the Gorn Commander. The Sentinel is one of the largest, strongest and most vicious of the Gorn. Their weapon of choice is the Arc Driver, the most powerful handheld weapon that the Gorn use; its primary fire is a bold of energy that disintegrates all organic matter. Sentinels are visually imposing, towering over all other Gorn except the Commander, as they stand upright at slightly more than nine feet high. They are highly intelligent and strategic and, as one of the elite Gorn, the Sentinels are among the masterminds of the plot players will encounter in STAR TREK The Video Game.

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As my Star Trek character commanded the weight of a starship, I was hours away from becoming a father

The lines between fiction and reality collided when i welcomed my child into the world.

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This First Person column is the experience of Patrick Kwok-Choon, who was born and raised in Montreal. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ .

I was on the set of Star Trek: Discovery and my character Gen Rhys had been thrust into the captain's chair, burdened with making life-and-death decisions for himself and his crew.

I can't believe this was happening to me.

It was a milestone for my character — the first time as acting captain on the Starship Discovery — but also an important moment for me as a lifelong fan of the franchise.

Sitting in that chair, I couldn't help but think of the iconic performances by Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew and Avery Brooks. The weight of their legacy was palpable, and being part of that tradition felt incredibly significant.

But my real concern wasn't the scene; it was the crisis unfolding at home.

At 3 a.m., my wife went into labour. When her contractions increased, we called our midwife at 9 a.m. Despite the unpredictability of childbirth, she assured me, based on her extensive experience, that it was OK for me to go to work. She mentioned that while it's not guaranteed, deliveries typically occur at night, offering me some peace of mind.

I was contractually obligated to go into work that day and my wife reassured me that her contractions were only uncomfortable, not painful. She insisted I go.

With a heavy heart, I asked my neighbour to watch over my wife and to call me if there was any emergency. I would come home immediately, regardless of the consequences.

When I arrived at work, my castmates greeted me with joy. The higher-ups were quickly informed and a production head came down to assure me that everything was being done to expedite my departure. The shooting schedule was rearranged so all my scenes would be filmed first. I immediately called my wife to share the news.

As I spoke with her, another production head approached, offering congratulations and reiterating the plan. But he added, "If things get too crazy at home and we haven't finished, just bail." I told him my wife felt we were still in the early phases of labour, and we should still have time. He leaned in, gave me a hug, and whispered in my ear, "Just bail."

All hands on deck

I was at a loss for words — studios aren't obligated to accommodate actors in such situations. I've heard terrible stories of actors unable to attend births, weddings and even funerals due to rigid shooting schedules. Yet here, amid the bustling set of a multimillion-dollar shoot, this person was giving me permission to prioritize my family. It was a heartfelt gesture that I'll never forget.

Returning to the chair, it felt like an actual "all hands on deck" moment straight out of Star Trek. Each department rallied together with precision and urgency, and I could feel their support willing me forward. Together, we navigated the challenges of the day, ensuring I could fulfill my duty as both actor and father-to-be.

After what felt like an eternity, the first assistant director called out, "That's a wrap on Patrick. He's free to leave."

I leaped out of my chair and shouted, "I'm going to have a baby!" to the applause of the cast and crew.

At this point, I had been at work for nine hours and it was 8 p.m. I rocketed out of that studio at warp speed. When I got home, my wife's contractions had reached the point where the midwife advised it was time to go to the hospital. I couldn't believe my luck. Despite the chaos of the day, I had made it just in time for the delivery.

Five hours later, as I held my newborn in my arms, I was overwhelmed with a sense of relief and profound joy. The juxtaposition of the day's events felt surreal — acting out life-and-death stakes on set only to experience the miracle of life in reality.

My child is now 20 months old. Just this weekend, I had the luxury of taking my child out for a morning stroll, pushing them for what felt like an eternity on the swings, and sitting in silence together on a park bench as I watched them slowly gobble up a muffin, basking in the absolute wonder of this little miracle. A gift. My gift.

I am miles away from the fearful day on set and have come safely to the other side of things – just as I'm light-years from my youth when I feared becoming a parent because, in my naive mind, it meant getting trapped into something or sacrificing my career, time and energy.

But I think most parents would agree: what you gain is absolutely priceless. No longer do I find myself consumed with work or clinging desperately to career aspirations. I have reshaped my understanding of what's really important to me and my life is immensely richer for it.

The day I spent in the captain's chair on Discovery will forever be etched in my memory, not just for the professional milestone it represented but for the personal journey it paralleled. The lines between fiction and reality blurred, the weight of commanding a starship colliding with the anticipation of welcoming new life into the world.

It was a stark reminder of the beautiful, unpredictable nature of life, where our most significant moments often unfold in the most unexpected ways.

Do you have a compelling personal story that can bring understanding or help others? We want to hear from you. Here's  more info on how to pitch to us .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Freelance contributor

Patrick Kwok-Choon was born and raised in Montreal. He is best known for the five seasons he spent on the hit CBS/Paramount+ show Star Trek: Discovery.

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Michael Dorn Thought 1 Star Trek: TNG Episode Made Worf "A Murderer"

• Worf's dilemma in Star Trek: TNG shows his struggle to balance Klingon heritage with Starfleet duties.
• Michael Dorn questioned Worf's decision, feeling it made him seem more alien and less human.
• Worf's refusal to save a Romulan makes him appear less bound by human morals, adding depth to his character.

Michael Dorn questioned Lt. Worf's decision in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , as Dorn was worried that fans would think the Klingon was a murderer. As the only Klingon in Starfleet at the time, Worf was often torn between his desire to embrace Klingon culture and his duties as a Starfleet officer. After the death of his biological parents at the Khitomer Massacre, Worf was raised by humans on Earth. Because of this, he already felt somewhat disconnected from Klingon culture, but this TNG episode emphasized that Worf was not human.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 7 , "The Enemy," the USS Enterprise-D intercepts a distress call, which leads them to a crashed Romulan ship on a storm-ridden planet. When they find a survivor named Patahk (Steven Rankin), they quickly transport him to sickbay. Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) determines that Patahk needs a blood transfusion and that Worf is the only suitable donor. Having lost his parents to the Romulans, Worf refuses to help, despite pleas from Crusher and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).

25 Best Star Trek: TNG Episodes Of All Time

Star Trek: The Next Generation produced some of the best and most beloved science fiction television of all time. Here is TNG's best of the best.

Why Michael Dorn Thought Star Trek: TNG's "The Enemy" Made Worf "A Murderer"

In worf's defense, patahk does say: "i would rather die than pollute my body with klingon filth".

As Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Enemy" progresses, it seems to be building to the moment when Worf has a change of heart and saves the Romulan at the last minute. Except that he doesn't. Worf holds firm and Patahk dies, further complicating Picard's discussions with Romulan Commander Tomalak (Andreas Katsulas). According to Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, Michael Dorn had some reservations when he read this moment in the script. Read his quote below:

I called the producers and said I didn't agree. I thought [giving blood] was the honorable thing to do. I thought people would look at [Worf] as a murderer. The producers felt that Worf was getting to be too Humanjust a guy with a big head. When the opportunity came for them to show that Worf was not Human, that he is not bound by the same morals as we are, they felt it was a wonderful opportunity.

Worf has the ability to save Patahk, but he lets him die anyway. This decision feels directly opposed to everything Captain Picard (and, by extension, Star Trek ) stands for, but it still feels in character for Worf. Patahk's death almost causes a battle between the Enterprise and Tomalak's warbird, which could have potentially led to a war. Worf's decision does not look great for him, but it also helps audiences remember that he doesn't think the same way humans do.

Was Worf Too Human & Not Klingon Enough On Star Trek: TNG?

Worf has always struggled to reconcile his klingon heritage with his more human tendencies..

For most of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, Worf was little more than a background character. After the death of Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) , however, Worf stepped up to become Security Chief and got a lot more to do every week. Still, TNG wasn't always sure what to do with Worf, and they sometimes forgot he wasn't human. His supposed Klingon strength was not always consistent, as bad guys took Worf down with surprising regularity. It wasn't until TNG season 3 and beyond that the show began to reveal more about Klingon culture and explore Worf's relationship to his people.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the ultimate celebration of humanity and reflects Gene Roddenberry's humanist views better than any other Trek series.

As he was raised by humans on Earth, Worf felt like an outsider among his own people. It makes sense that he would act more human than most Klingons, and his journey on TNG largely reflects that. This was thanks in large part to Star Trek writer Ronald D. Moore , who became known for his Klingon-related episodes and went on to write for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . It was on DS9 that Worf truly came into his own, more fully embracing his Klingon side, but episodes like Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Enemy" showed hints of Worf's alienness among the mostly human crew of the USS Enterprise-D.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden

Release Date September 28, 1987

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

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Star Trek: Prodigy  will stream on Netflix globally (excluding-Canada, Nordics, CEE, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Belarus, and Mainland China) and is available on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Central and Eastern Europe and season 1 will be available in Canada on CTV.ca and the CTV App.

We’ll be back with more coverage of  Star Trek: Prodigy’s return as the Season 2 premiere date approaches!

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