These Star Trek: Voyager comics would have all made memorable episodes of the TV series in their own way, joining the ranks of the best, or perhaps the worst, the show had to offer. Now that Voyager has returned with a new comic book sequel, it is worth looking back at its comic history’s highlights.
IDW Publishing’s Voyager – Homecoming comic might have divided Trek fans with its first issue, but it still has the chance to deliver a memorable addition to the franchise’s lore.
In any case, it serves as a reminder that there are some classic Voyager comic adventures, published by Marvel, Wildstorm, and IDW over the years.
“Splashdown”
Written By Laurie Sutton; Art By Terry Pallot And Al Milgrom; Published In 1998
Splashdown is arguably the best Star Trek: Voyager comic to date; if diehard fans of the series are going to go out of their way to read one Trek comic, they should make it this one. Released while the fourth season of Voyager was winding down, this story could have easily made for a memorable on-screen adventure.
The four-issue miniseries finds the Voyager crew at a low point in their mission to return home, forcing them to reckon to the fact that they might not survive the perils of the Delta Quadrant. In search of vital resources, Voyager is forced to make a planetside landing, but it very nearly doesn’t make it back into space.
Splashdown is well known in Trek fan circles for its darkly comedic ending. Without fully spoiling the moment, a seeming triumph for Chakotay is turned into a punchline, though it oddly fits into the grim, ironic tone of Voyager’s middle seasons, in which the hope of getting back to the Alpha Quadrant felt most distant.
“Dead Zone”
Written By Dan Abnett And Ian Edginton; Art By Terry Pallot; Published In 1997
“Dead Zone,” or as the cover alternatively describes it, “Battlezone,” is a one-shot comic from Marvel’s Voyager series, which ran for just over a year during the show’s time on television. Like any great Trek comic, Marvel’s Voyager was an opportunity to tell stories unrestrained by budget, and “Dead Zond” exemplifies that.
“Dead Zone” evokes the many classic Voyager episodes in which navigating the unfamiliar spatial terrain of the Delta Quadrant gets the ship and its crew into deadly peril. The issue memorably features a horde of alien warriors storming the Voyager, leading to memorable moments for much of the cast as they fight them off hand-to-hand.
“Seven’s Reckoning”
Written By Dave Baker; Art By Angel Hernández; Published In 2020-2021
Though Seven of Nine didn’t join the Voyager crew until Season Four of the show, she is as synonymous with the series as any of its main cast. Some of Voyager’s most highly-regarded later season episodes revolve around Seven’s attempt to reconcile her years as a Borg drone with her human origin and newfound independence, and “Seven’s Reckoning” fits precisely into that vein.
The series puts Seven to the test in particular, but it also serves as an extension of a classic Voyager dilemma: how beholden are Janeway and her crew to the Prime Directive, and the conventions of Starfleet space exploration, when they’re lost on the complete opposite side of the galaxy?
Voyager was always at its best when it used its premise to challenge the familiar beats of previous Star Trek stories. “Seven’s Reckoning” recognizes that. Ultimately, this insight into Voyager’s success allowed its creative team to serve up a story that manages to feel like a valuable contribution to the character’s overall trajectory in Trek lore.
“False Colors”
Written By Nathan Archer; Art By Jeffery Moy; Published In 2000
“False Colors” is a Star Trek: Voyager one-shot from Wildstorm’s brief time publishing the franchise. It starts out with what seems to be Voyager’s latest encounter with the Borg, before throwing a unique twist at readers. When Seven of Nine senses something is off about the Borg, she leads an away team over to the ship, disguised as drones to camouflage themselves.
The issue drops another surprise on readers soon after, when it is revealed that the ship’s inhabitants are also impersonating the Borg. While this could’ve been played for laughs, “False Colors” builds to a genuinely exciting action climax, solidfying it as a story that could have, and should have, been an episode of the Voyager series instead.
“Avalon Rising”
Written By Janine Ellen Young And Doselle Young; Art By David Roach; Published In 2000
“Avalon Rising” is Star Trek at its strangest, and would have potentially made for a downright surreal, or silly Voyager episode. Of course, this is why fans missed out on a live-action version of the story, but also why the comic is an obscure Trek relic that deserves more attention.
“Avalon Rising” stars the Doctor, in a tale that relies on the classic Trek trope of alien worlds which evoke past eras in human history. In this case, it is a medieval adventure, with the Doctor taking on a role akin to a bard. It might not have made the best Voyager episode, by any means, but it would have been unforgettable.
“Relicquest”
Written By Ben Raab; Art By Jesus Redondo; Published In 1997
Another story arc from the ’90s Marvel Comics Voyager series, “Relicquest” was an ambitious storyline in the vein of “Year of Hell” and “Future’s End.” It sends Janeway on a quest for a powerful Delta Quadrant artifact, while putting Voyager into conflict with some of their most memorable recurring foes, including the Kazon and the Vidiians.
Despite being just three comic book issues, the story of “Relicquest” feels like it could support a Voyager two-parter. It has a lot of moving parts, and effectively balances Voyager’s ensemble crew like the best episodes of the series. From an engaging premise, to a satisfying climax, it is a model Trek story that will leave fans of the franchise satisfied.
“Homeostasis”
Written By Howard Weinstein; Art By Jesus Redondo; Published In 1997
The overarching mission of Star Trek: Voyager was to get back to the Alpha Quadrant. Still, it was always a feel-good moment for fans when Voyager could make its mark on the Delta Quadrant, for the better. When the crew’s fight for survival also afforded them moments of heroism. “Homeostasis” is a classic example of that.
“Homeostasis” is hands down one of the best stories covering Voyager’s conflict with the Kazon, in any medium. Ultimately, not only do Janeway and her crew outwit, outmatch, and outlast their adversaries, they are able to help an alien civilization in the process. As a result, it is a Voyager story that is exactly in line with the TV show’s approach.
“Elite Force”
Written By Dan Abnett And Ian Edginton; Art By Jeffery Moy; Published In 2000
“Elite Force” is a one-shot Voyager comic based on the video game of the same name, which Star Trek fans of the early 2000s will almost certainly remember fondly. Paralleling the first mission in the game, the comic focuses on the Elite Force strike team’s mission to infiltrate a Borg Cube.
The one-shot came in advance of the release of Elite Force, the game. Sadly, by the time the game became a certified fan-favorite, Voyager had already concluded its run, meaning the characters never got the chance to integrate into the live-action series. However, they seem almost tailor-made for a live-action spin-off.
In fact, Paramount could still do an “Elite Force” show, either set in parallel to Voyager, or focusing on a different ship and its incarnation of the squad. In any case, this comic serves as a reminder that Star Trek: Voyager gave rise to one of the all-time great Trek video games, a concept the franchise could have done more with in games, comics, and more.
- Created by
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Gene Roddenberry
- First Episode Air Date
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September 8, 1966
- Cast
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William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Wil Wheaton, Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig, Cirroc Lofton, Armin Shimerman, Colm Meaney, Terry Farrell, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Jeri Ryan, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Garrett Wang, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Scott Bakula, Linda Park, John Billingsley, Anthony Montgomery, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mary Wiseman, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Oyin Oladejo, Emily Coutts, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Michelle Yeoh
- TV Show(s)
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Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
