Star Trek Reveals Its Final Kelvin Timeline Secret, And It's Something No One Saw Coming

Star Trek has one last secret to reveal about the Kelvin timeline, and it is something no fan saw coming. The Kelvin timeline breathed new life into the Star Trek franchise in 2009. Since then, there have been two other films set there, along with a slew of licensed media. The Kelvin timeline is still full of surprises, and its origins can be seen in Star Trek: Omega.

Star Trek: Omega was written by Christopher Cantwell, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and drawn by an all-star team of Star Trek artists. Spock and Geordi La Forge are examining blueprints for a highly experimental type of craft. These small starships will be capable of withstanding stellar phenomena that would destroy larger craft. Spock asks if it could withstand a black hole, but Geordi is not sure. Spock then asks if the craft has a name.

Geordi tells Spock it does not have a formal name, but is codenamed “Jellyfish.”

Star Trek's Kelvin Timeline, Explained

Star Trek Needed a Fresh Start, and the Kelvin Timeline Provided Just That

The Jellyfish should look familiar to longtime Star Trek fans, as it was Spock’s spacecraft in 2009’s reboot film. This movie, directed by JJ Abrams, established Star Trek’s “Kelvin timeline.” By the early 2000s, Star Trek was limping along, thanks to the underwhelming performance of both Nemesis and Enterprise. Paramount Pictures opted to essentially start over, creating a new timeline in which to set new adventures featuring a younger cast, not encumbered by decades of continuity. It created a dilemma: how to do a reboot while still honoring what came before?

The writers of Star Trek, Alex Kurtzman and the late Roberto Orci, decided Spock would become the focal point of the reboot. In the movie, Spock revealed that the Romulan sun was about to go supernova. Using an experimental spacecraft, Spock tried to reverse the effects of the supernova, but was unsuccessful. The Romulan sun was destroyed, and for his troubles, Spock was thrown back in time. Spock’s actions helped create a new timeline, in which Starfleet technology was more advanced, and the ships looked slicker. It would eventually be referred to as the “Kelvin timeline.”

The Jellyfish Was the First in a New Type of Starship

The Jellyfish Was Another Miracle from Geordi La Forge

Star Trek Omega brings to an end the last two and a half years of IDW Star Trek comics. The characters who played prominent roles in the books, including Spock, are maneuvered into new positions. Spock was a regular in Star Trek: Defiant, and during that book’s run, he learned of the impending Romulan supernova. Spock devoted the latter half of his life to repairing the rift between the Vulcans and the Romulans, and he saw stopping the supernova as a bridge to peace. Spock needed a different type of ship to pull it off. Enter the Jellyfish.

Much of what fans knew about the Jellyfish came from non-canon sources. It was revealed that the ship was designed by Geordi La Forge, and readers can see its beginnings in Star Trek Omega. While it was known that Geordi helped design the craft, Spock’s involvement is a new development. Geordi was largely absent from IDW’s recent Star Trek comics, but here he finally makes his presence felt. Spock praises the Jellyfish’s design, and in doing so, provides another bridge between Star Trek’s various generations. Geordi is a world-class engineer, and the Jellyfish may be his greatest achievement.

Unfortunately, the Jellyfish's First Mission Was Also a Failure

Star Trek Fans May Never See the Kelvin Timeline Again

Of course, fans know that Spock’s mission with the Jellyfish is doomed to fail. The Romulans do not know it, but their days as a major galactic power are coming to an end. Spock, who devoted his life to Vulcan/Romulan reunification, failed both races, and not only would spend his life in exile, but give birth to a completely new Star Trek timeline. The Kelvin timeline ended up saving Star Trek, and continues to be an influence on the franchise 16 years after it debuted. As fans wait for a return to the Kelvin timeline, its greatest secret has been revealed.