Get ready to witness The Burn! IDW has released its first issue of the new comic series, The Last Starship. “The Federation has fallen. Hope is fading. One last starship remains to fight for the future… unless a resurrected James T. Kirk dooms it first.“
The series is written by Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, with the story set to explore the events immediately following the Burn in the 31st Century. Let’s explore the highlights from Issue 1.
WARNING – Spoilers ahead for Issue 1 of IDW’s The Last Starship.
Witness The Burn
We begin with a short log entry by Captain Delacourt Sato (relative of Hoshi Sato?) of the starship Sagan. From the comic art, it appears he has ancestors from worlds including Earth, Vulcan, Trill, and Andoria. He’s on a mission to convince the Gorn, a violent lizard-like species, to join the Federation. Sato convinces the Gorn with a compelling speech about change and evolution. But moments after they agree to join the Federation, a galaxy-wide disaster strikes – The Burn. Sato and a few of his crew manage to escape the Sagan’s destruction.
72 hours later, Sato is back on Earth, joining a conclave of the remaining Starfleet Captains to understand the Burn’s devastating impact. Most of the fleet has been destroyed, and it’s predicted that the Federation will fall within a year. Sato refuses to accept this, declaring a new ship should be built to show the galaxy the Federation survives. This ship will not rely on dilithium – instead, it will use banned transwarp technology, so they don’t risk another Burn. The Borg Queen (aka Agnes Jurati from Star Trek: Picard) proposes a trade. Starfleet receives the transwarp technology needed in return for access to a specific specimen on Daystrom Station.
The deal is done, and Starfleet builds the Omega. Sato is in the Captain’s chair, and Jurati operates the transwarp drive. They set course for Daystrom Station, where Jurati’s specimen is revealed – the corpse of Captain James T. Kirk. The Borg Queen rebuilds his body and restores his mind, essentially bringing the 23rd Century Captain back to life. Or has she? Time will tell. But there’s more trouble ahead, as Issue 1 ends with a Klingon attack on a Federation station….
New Ground, Same Trek
It’s great to have some new media exploring a time period in Star Trek history we are not familiar with. We’ve heard about The Burn and seen the repercussions through series 3-5 of Star Trek: Discovery. But in Issue 1 of The Last Starship, we get to witness The Burn happening in the moment. The shock from the scale of destruction and death in those few minutes is balanced by the unimaginable grief for countless souls.
Despite being set in a relatively new time period, the story explores staple themes that are prevalent throughout the franchise. Loss and grief, compounded by the galaxy-wide impact of The Burn and the connotation of the word “Last” in the comic title. Unity and cooperation, as witnessed in Sato’s endeavour to bring the Gorn into the Federation. This is also seen in Jurati’s description of her Borg Cooperative, in contrast to the infamous Borg villain of old. Time, which is touched on by the resurrection of a 23rd-century Captain. And the return of Jurati, a character originally from the 25th Century.
Time appears to be one of the driving themes in the setup of The Last Starship. By the end of Issue 1, we have characters spanning three different centuries aboard the Omega. Even the comic’s title suggests the importance of time, with the words “Last” and “Starship” partly merged. This could represent the convergence of characters past and present, having to work together to survive.
Issue Preview
What’s In Store For The Omega?
Issue 1 of The Last Starship sets the tone and pace of the story to come. We understand the stakes, with the future of the Federation hanging in the balance. Old enemies may resurface to take advantage of a weakened Starfleet. The Klingons are a perfect example of this, as we witness an attack on a Starfleet station at the end of Issue 1.
But what could be in store for the Omega and her crew? Having a Borg in charge of engineering is sure to ruffle feathers and create some drama. Then there’s the complexities of having a long-dead Starfleet legend aboard. And the philosophical questions surrounding Kirk’s resurrection are sure to be explored. Is this actually James Kirk, or is he something new, and does his reanimation come with ulterior motives?
This first Issue has successfully immersed me in the 31st Century whilst hooking me to the start of their series-wide story. I’m eager to learn what happens next. We’ll have to wait to find out, but in the near future, Star Trek Online players will have the chance to obtain the Omega as a playable ship. This could help fill the gap between Issues 1 and 2.
Coming up in ‘The Last Starship’
Issue #2: In the wake of the cataclysm known as the Burn, the dream of a united Federation stands on the brink of extinction. The only thing holding the Galaxy back from chaos is Captain Sato and the crew of the Borg-enhanced Omega—a ship fueled by transwarp technology and fraught with distrust.
No one on board trusts the Borg…and Captain Sato trusts their mysterious new passenger, bearing the face and name of James T. Kirk, even less. This so-called Kirk speaks of a dark future, but Sato refuses to be guided by fear or prophecy.
When a distress call from the Klingon Empire pierces the silence—urgent, cryptic, and unexpected—Sato doesn’t hesitate. Whatever the risk, he will answer. Because if Starfleet’s legacy is to survive, it won’t be through retreat. It’ll be through action.
Release Date: November 19, 2025
Issue #3: The U.S.S. Omega launches into battle! Its adversary? A chaotic Klingon cult whose bloodred path is focused purely on obliterating the remaining vestiges of Starfleet. What’s left of the Federation is falling apart by the moment. Captain Sato, who once dreamed of uniting the galaxy, is now living his worst nightmare.
He was raised in a time of peace…but no progress comes without a fight. While the Klingons might be his enemies after centuries of peace, he has Kirk as his ally…and no one knows how to defeat a Klingon better than the Federation’s greatest hero.
Release Date: December 17, 2025
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