Star Trek is one of the few science fiction universes that has endured as long and had as much of an impact on others. But over the years, the ultimate frontier has not only inspired new franchises; it has also met them. Star Trek crossovers show exactly how big its cultural orbit is, from comic book universes colliding with TV moments that fans love that connect unexpected worlds.
Star Trek meets the X-Men
Star Trek/X-Men was one of the strangest and most fun mashups in comic book history that fans saw in the late 1990s. Set during the five year mission of TOS, the comic brought together Captain Kirk's crew on the USS Enterprise with Marvel's mutants for a mission that made sense in both worlds.
Plus, Spock and Wolverine clashed in a way that only a Vulcan and a mutant berserker could. It may sound crazy, but the ultimate result was a wonderful mix of fan service and lore. This 1996 crossover is worth reading just to see Spock nerve pinch Wolverine, not to mention the mutant's reaction.
The idea was so popular that members of the X-Men would also meet the crew of Captain Picard’s Enterprise-E two years later in Star Trek: The Next Generation/X-Men — Second Contact (1998). This time Wolverine gets roughed up by Data instead of Spock, which again makes the comic worth reading all on its own.
Second Contact continued in Michael Jan Friedman's follow-up book that same year called Star Trek: The Next Generation/X-Men: Planet X. These two stories took the crossover even further by having the X-Men meet Picard's TNG crew during the time following Star Trek: First Contact.
Picard's calm, logical way of leading, together with mutants like Storm and Colossus — who also finds out just how strong Data is in Second Contact — gave us a more nuanced view of coexistence and discrimination, which are difficulties that both universes deal with.
The Green Lantern Corps joins the Federation
How could Trekkies not enjoy Spock sporting a White Lantern ring?
IDW’s Star Trek/Green Lantern comic books series The Spectrum War (2015) and its follow-up Stranger Worlds (2016-2017) brought the emotion-fueled Lantern rings to the 23rd century.
Witnessing the Enterprise crew wield different-colored power rings, especially seeing talented officers debate the ethics of such weapons, fit well within the series’ moral framework. The story layered DC’s cosmic mythology into Trek’s interstellar politics, making it one of the most thoughtful franchise crossovers in recent memory.
Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation
The 2012 crossover comic mini-series Assimilation² from IDW brought together the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), companions Amy and Rory, Jean-Luc Picard, and the crew of the Enterprise-D when the Borg and the Cybermen joined forces.
For fans who haven't read Assimilation², the TARDIS showed up in the holodeck, which was an intriguing and ingenuous way to introduce Doctor Who to those Trekkies unfamiliar with the iconic sci-fi character.
The pairing in this crossover felt natural because both shows raise philosophical questions about identity, technology, and the boundaries of sentience. Plus, it was satisfying for both Trekkies and Whovians to see the Cybermen/Borg alliance fail spectacularly.
One of the biggest treats in Assimilation² is the TOS flashback. In those pages, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Scotty, and Dr. McCoy meet the Fourth Doctor, who was portrayed by Tom Baker, and they team up against the original Cybermen.
Star Trek and Planet of the Apes
Yes, you read that right. Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive (2014-2015) mini-series, also from IDW, sent Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise through a dimensional portal into the dystopian ape future.
The story used the Prime Directive as a clever thematic bridge, exploring moral interference and science run amok, core concerns of both franchises. Spock’s dry reaction to intelligent apes remains one of the crossover’s highlights.
Plus, Trekkies knew they were going to be in for a good time right away as Sulu and Uhura were both disguised as Klingons at the beginning of the story.
Could the Force and Federation Ever Meet?
For years, fans have wanted to see the best sci-fi event ever: a crossover between Star Wars and Star Trek. Actors from both franchises, like Patrick Stewart and Mark Hamill, have speculated and even talked about it during campaigns and interviews.
Comic books, fan films, and YouTube mashups keep the fantasy going. Even official material has winked at a possible connection: Marvel’s Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #11 subtly referenced the Gorn’s iconic “Arena” fight by having Bossk hurl a boulder mid-battle.
Bossk was one of the bounty hunters Darth Vader met with in The Empire Strikes Back to track down the whereabouts of the Millennium Falcon. Boba Fett was the one who led Vader to Han Solo and company, but it's impossible to miss Bossk because he looks so similar to a Gorn.
Corporate politics make a formal crossover improbable, but the idea is still quite intriguing. Picture Captain Picard chatting to Luke Skywalker about the Force's morals, or Spock looking at midi-chlorians merely to prove the Jedi wrong.
A meeting between Star Trek and Star Wars would be a huge pop culture event that people from across the galaxy could enjoy. It might be about a shared purpose of peace or a misunderstanding that puts phasers against lightsabers.
These collaborations show that Star Trek can survive with almost any fictional setting without losing its essence. Each crossover, whether it's moral philosophy, humor, or sci-fi adventures, underlines Trek's main point: it's always worth the trip to explore odd new worlds, ideas, or even brand collaborations.
Which Star Trek crossovers are your favorites? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.