Did Star Trek Already Forget About the Best Gift It Gave Worf's Family?

Star Trek gave a great gift to Worf and his family–but now it appears to have been all but forgotten. Worf and his son Alexander did not enjoy the best relationship, and it became even more fraught during the Day of Blood crossover event. Now, in Star Trek: Defiant #22, Worf guides Alexander on the road to restoring his honor, but the story forgets a key development in Alexander’s life.

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Star Trek: Defiant #22 is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta. The story, the first part of the “No Old Warriors” arc, sees Alexander work to restore his lost honor by completing the Quv ceremony. The ritual is intense, and his survival is not guaranteed. Worf is overseeing Alexander’s progression in the Quv ritual. Alexander is willing to do whatever it takes to restore his honor, and get back in his father’s good graces. While this may seem to be the beginning of a new path for Alexander, he actually embarked on a different one earlier.

Worf's Son Alexander's Arc in the Star Trek Universe, Explained

Alexander Was Easy Prey for Kahless and the Red Path

As mentioned before, Alexander played a pivotal role in Star Trek: Day of Blood. This crossover event, running between Star Trek and Star Trek:Defiant, saw Kahless II attempt to take control of the Klingon Empire. Kahless, who had already been slaughtering the gods of the universe, had a vast army of cultists ready to kill in his name–and Alexander was one of them. Kahless manipulated Alexander into fighting his father. Worf was able to make his son see the error of his ways, but Kahless intervened, killing Alexander. He was revived thanks to a Bajoran Orb.

This could have been it for Alexander, but fate had other ideas. In the four-issue mini-series Sons of Star Trek, Q Jr pulled Alexander, Nog and Jake Sisko into an alternate reality, in order to teach them a lesson. In this alternate universe, Alexander served in Starfleet, in the Medical division. Alexander was confused as to why he was a medic, but apparently Q Jr saw something in him that he himself did not. Sons of Star Trek ended on a hopeful note for Alexander, as the Federation agreed to grant him clemency–provided he served as a medic.

Alexander straying into Kahless’ grip was a long time coming, and Worf bears some of the blame. From the time he was a small child, Alexander has known loss. His mother died, and he would spend the next several years bouncing between homes: first with Worf’s adopted family on Earth, and then with Worf himself on the Enterprise. Worf tried to do right by his son, but often fell short. Worf’s parenting was so bad, in fact, that it has inspired countless dark humor memes in Star Trek fan circles.

Alexander Could Have a Promising Career in Medicine

Hopefully Star Trek Does Not Forget Alexander's New Direction

Alexander’s new career in medicine was unexpected, but welcome, as it finally gave him a purpose. All of his life, Alexander struggled to fit in. A child of two worlds, Alexander has been torn between his human and Klingon sides, and this conflict was partially to blame for leading him to Kahless’ Red Path. Alexander’s time in the alternate universe with Jake and Nog showed him there was a better way, and while he will have to work to atone for his crimes, there is now a possibility of redemption and growth.

Yet Star Trek: Defiant #22 makes no mention of Alexander’s new career, and this is a shame. Alexander has been done dirty in the Star Trek universe, both in-universe and out. Between a largely absent father and a growing sense of isolation from both strands of his heritage, Alexander has known suffering. Practicing medicine gives Alexander a calling, one that will set him apart from his father and other Klingons. While it is possible to square Sons of Star Trek with the events of Defiant #22, not mentioning Alexander’s awesome character development feels like a slight.