Star Trek: The Next Generation: Reginald Barclay takes a turn as a super villain

When a Star Trek fan thinks of villains, not one would include Lt. Reginald Barclay from Star Trek: The Next Generation in that category.

Lt. Reginald Barclay as a super villain is laughable. Played by Dwight Schultz on Star Trek: The Next Generation, he was a shy, awkward, and lonely guy. No one could ever consider him anything other than harmless. Until now, that is. In IDW Publishing’s Star Trek: Mirror War – Data, Barclay isn’t the uncertain lieutenant waiting for his next order. Instead, the comic takes Barclay on a dark journey of revenge.

Thought still a fan of the holodeck, Mirror Universe Barclay only uses it to help him hone his ability to kill. When telling his family history to Lt. Commander Data, Barclay reveals that his ancestors lived in peace until the Klingons attacked his colony. Barclay’s father had built a shelter underneath their house where he and his family could wait out the attack, but when they came out, the townspeople accused them of collaborating with the Klingons.

One colonist in particular, Merliak, was the leader of the hunt for the Barclays and became the object of Barclay’s thirst for vengeance. He had a burning desire to clear his family’s name so he joined Starfleet to get experience with weaponry and the technology he needed to eradicate Merliak’s descendants as well.

The Mirror Universe Lt. Reginald Barclay is driven by the need for revenge.

Not only does Barclay successfully clear his family’s name, he kills Merliak’s granddaughter, Erya, an innocent victim. Though some might say he had a right to seek revenge for Merliak’s actions, taking innocent lives puts Barclay squarely in the category of a merciless killer and a villain.

While we know the Mirror Universe shows the evil side of the good guys, it’s difficult to see Barclay, who, in the Prime Universe, only wanted to help people, become a murderer in the name of justice.

Star Trek: Mirror War – Data is on sale now.