Wil Wheaton has penned a Star Trek comic around his Star Trek: Picard appearance.
Warning: This post contains spoilers for “A Matter of Choice,” appearing in Star Trek #400!
Wil Wheaton made a surprise return to the Star Trek family when he appeared in the season two finale of Star Trek: Picard. Returning not as Wesley Crusher but a Traveler, Wesley was there to recruit Dr. Adam Soong’s daughter, Kore, and show her a new path in life. The scene was brief, and though we know Kore did decide to go with Wesley, not much was known about why Wesley chose her or why he had to choose anyone at all. Until now.
According to Screenrant, Wheaton, along with Joe Eisma, and DC Alonso, wrote the newest Star Trek comic story “A Matter of Choice,” included in the Star Trek #400, which is on sale both digitally and in print now, and it establishes a backstory for Wesley’s appearance.
Wil Wheaton perfectly sets up the need for Wesley’s return and why it was so important.
Though a Traveler’s lifespan has never been discussed, it was easy to assume they were immortal, much like Q, but Wheaton corrects that assumption in the comic. Though it’s against Traveler rules to visit people from their past, Wesley goes to the former Captain Picard and tells him that his lifespan will come to an end in 150 years. He thinks he’s found a replacement, but he isn’t sure if he should travel back and recruit her as failing could mean the end of all creation.
So Wesley came back to seek counsel from Picard who advises him to uitlize the lessons he learned aboard the Enterprise while trying not to overthink things. In the end, as we all know, Wesley decides to take the risk. And the story ends only a few moments before Wesley’s appearance on Picard.
The story is a perfect addition to this part of the Star Trek timeline which hasn’t gotten much attention until now. And it also sets up a great idea for a new series, one in which Isa Briones, who portrayed Kore Soong, has already expressed interest in. So we’ll see if this could ultimately become a new type of Star Trek series.
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