Star Trek Officially Names Its Most Important Character (And It's Not Kirk OR Picard)

Star Trek has officially named its most important character, and it is not Kirk or Picard. In its 59 years of existence, a number of characters have left their mark on the Star Trek universe, in a variety of ways. While Captains Kirk and Picard might be the best known, Zefram Cochrane is far more important, and the franchise acknowledges this in Star Trek: Defiant #26.

Star Trek: Defiant #26 was written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Davide Tinto. The issue’s opening sequence focuses on Zefram Cochrane, roughly two years before he launched the Phoenix. Drunk and depressed, Cochrane makes his way to the Phoenix’s launch bay, where he is confronted by Lore. Cochrane is ready to scrap his work, but suddenly Lore appears to him, offering him the chance to explore the galaxy. The two shake hands, and the galaxy’s fate is sealed. A text piece reveals that Lore killed Cochrane two years later.

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The scenario Star Trek: Defiant #26 laid out in its first few pages is a dark inversion of the events of First Contact, of which Zefram Cochrane was a huge part. As detailed in that movie, Cochrane broke the warp barrier in the mid-21st century, leading to humanity’s first contact with extraterrestrials. This in turn set humanity down a brighter path, eventually leading to the founding of the United Federation of Planets. By the 23rd and 24th centuries, Zefram Cochrane was remembered as a visionary and a saint, complete with celebratory statues, much to his chagrin.

Although Zefram Cochrane is best associated with the movie Star Trek: First Contact, he actually made his debut in the Original Series. In the second season episode “Metamorphosis,” Captain Kirk and company discovered Cochrane alive and well in the 23rd century, alive nearly 100 years after he disappeared. And while First Contact made Cochrane’s significance to history abundantly clear, the seeds were sown in “Metamorphosis.” At the episode’s end, Kirk tells Cochrane there is a galaxy “waiting to sing his praises,” clueing fans in that he is a highly revered figure.

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The Borg and Lore Understood Zefram Cochrane's Importance to History

Star Trek: Defiant #26 emphasizes how important Zefram Cochrane is to the franchise. The flight of the Phoenix, and the subsequent first contact, are perhaps the most pivotal moments in human history. It marked Earth’s entry into galactic society, as well as the beginning of humanity’s evolution. Since it led to the founding of the Federation, it can also be argued that Cochrane changed the course of galactic history too. The Borg understood this, and when it came time to pick an era in human history to sabotage, they chose Earth’s first contact with aliens.

Other moments in the Star Trek franchise have reinforced Cochrane’s importance to the galaxy. The fourth season Enterprise two-parter “In a Mirror Darkly” opens with another grim mirror of First Contact: the Vulcans land and are immediately overrun by Cochrane and other humans. Although not stated out loud, it is heavily implied that this event led to the creation of the Terran Empire of Star Trek’s “Mirror Universe.” If Cochrane’s actions indeed led to the Empire’s birth, then his importance increases to a scale far beyond any other Star Trek character.

Lore has clearly learned lessons from the Borg’s attempt to change history by attacking Zefram Cochrane at the point of FIrst Contact. In addition to being an important event in human history, Earth was a virtual “sitting duck” at that moment, having just survived World War III and a breakdown in society. The Borg encountered little defense, and no doubt there were few to resist Lore as well. Star Trek: Defiant #26’s text piece reveals that Lore killed Cochrane a few years later, leading to a host of questions, namely Lore’s motivations for doing so.

Star Trek has repeatedly driven home that humans venerate Cochrane, and this may be why Lore killed him. Lore may have seen Cochrane as a threat later down the line, one that could have rallied the troops and led an uprising against the evil android. Thus, Lore took steps to snuff Cochrane out before this could happen. Lore could have also been making an example of Cochrane, showing potential dissidents what happens to those who defy his will. Lore understood Cochrane’s overall significance to humanity, and corrupted Cochrane before killing him.

Zefram Cochrane IS the Most Important Character in Star Trek History, Full Stop

Cochrane's Signficance Outweights Captain Kirk and Captain Picard

While Captains Kirk and Picard are extremely important to the development of the Star Trek universe, they do not carry the same weight as Zefram Cochrane. Two different time travelers, the Borg and Lore, attacked Cochrane on the eve of his breakthrough. Cochrane’s warp flight changed the rules of the game in the galaxy, and paved the way for the Federation. Thanks to Zefram Cochrane, species that hated each other would eventually become united under one banner. The flight of the Phoenix ensured Zefram Cochrane is Star Trek’s most important character, and the franchise is recognizing this fact.