Star Trek Confirms One of Its Original Alien Species is Now Officially Extinct

Star Trek just revealed that a species stretching back to the Original Series is now officially extinct. In Star Trek’s three-season run, it introduced a number of fantastic alien races, ranging from the Klingons to the Talosians. Each race was indicative of how diverse and far-reaching the Star Trek universe is. However, one powerful, god-like race has seemingly met its end in Star Trek Omega.

Star Trek Omega was written by Christopher Cantwell, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by a bevy of all-star Star Trek artists. T’Lir, who in a previous arc revealed themselves to be the last of the Organians, is penning a letter to Lily Sato. T’Lir tells Lily that their people are gone, and that they are the last of their kind. Starfleet science confirms T’Lir’s suspicions.

T’Lir uses the occasion to shed their god-like powers, and live life as a mortal.

The Organians Saved Countless Lives in the Star Trek Universe, And Were Killed For It

T'Lir Was to Be the Salvation of the Organians

The Star Trek universe has no shortage of god-like races, but the Organians may have had the most impact. Introduced in the first season Star Trek episode “Errand of Mercy,” the Organians long ago evolved past the need for material bodies, and lived as beings of pure thought and energy. Appearing to both Starfleet and the Klingons as primitive and pre-industrial, the Organians used their vast powers to enforce peace upon the two parties, who were ready to go to war. In their own way, the Organians helped save the galaxy from a bloody, brutal conflict.

Yet the Klingons never forgot the Organians, and a century after the events of “Errand of Mercy,” one decided to do something about it. Kahless II, the cloned Klingon emperor, desperate to make a name for himself, began a crusade against the gods of the Star Trek universe. In Star Trek #400, fans saw Kahless (whose identity was unknown at the time) lay waste to Gary Mitchell. After that came a parade of gods who fell to Kahless, including the Crystalline Entities, and somewhere along the way, the Organians were annihilated too.

The Organians’ potential salvation came in the form of T’Lir. Appearing as a Vulcan, T’Lir was the Science Officer aboard the USS Theseus, the ship Starfleet gave Sisko to stop Kahless’ campaign of genocide. They repeatedly called themselves a “Vulcan of Starfleet,” but it was also clear they were hiding a big secret. T’Lir had scientific knowledge light years ahead of the Federation’s best minds. They helped fashion technology that took Sisko and Theseus to the Pleroma. Furthermore, T’Lir seemed to be able to sense other god-like beings, such as Q.

T'Lir is Now the Last of the Organians

T'Lir's Destiny Is Uncertain, But Holds Great Promise

T’Lir’s good intentions almost led to the destruction of the multiverse. The technology T’Lir created that helped breach the barriers between our reality and the Pleroma also allowed the evil android Lore to travel there as well. From inside the Pleroma, Lore rewrote reality in his own image, but not first before killing the remainder of the gods. Sisko, Data, Worf and the crews of the Theseus and the Defiant were able to stop Lore, and restore reality to its normal state, yet the fates of the gods Lore and Kahless murdered are still unknown.

While Star Trek Omega leaves the fates of Trelane, the Metrons and the Guardian of Forever up in the air, it is clear the Organians did not return. T’Lir searched extensively for their people, but found no trace of them. T’Lir also turned to Starfleet for help in finding them, but not even the organization’s best minds were able to find the Organians either. Yet rather than mope, T’Lir uses the occasion to become fully mortal. They note that the actions and sensations humans take for granted are new to them, and they wish to experience them all.

The Organians Extinction Shows IDW Was Serious About Their Star Trek Comics

It Is Doubtful the Organians Will Return to the Star Trek Universe

Star Trek Omega wraps up IDW’s two-year saga that began with Gary Mitchell’s death, and wraps up the stories of the important players, including T’Lir. Star Trek and Star Trek Defiant were some of the most exciting Trek comics ever made. The action was grand and cosmic in scope, but some fans expressed doubt it would have any lasting ramifications for the franchise. Yet with the extinction of the Organians, it is clear the comics did alter Star Trek lore in dark and subtle ways.