
Overview
See production notesIn 2259, Captain James T. Kirk is removed from command of the starship USS Enterprise for violating the Prime Directive by revealing the ship to the primitive inhabitants of the planet Nibiru to save them, and Spock, from a cataclysmic volcanic eruption. Admiral Christopher Pike is reinstated as commanding officer, and Kirk is demoted to first officer. Spock is transferred to another ship. Shortly after, Starfleet officer Thomas Harewood, sent by Commander John Harrison, bombs a Section 31 installation in London. During an emergency meeting on the situation, Harrison uses a ship to ambush and kill Pike and other senior officers, before transporting to Kronos, the homeworld of the hostile Klingons. Admiral Alexander Marcus reinstates Kirk and Spock to the Enterprise with orders to kill Harrison using a new long-range stealth torpedo. Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott objects to allowing untested torpedoes on board without knowing their specifications; when he is overruled, he resigns. Kirk assigns Pavel Chekov to replace Scotty. En route to Kronos, Enterprise's warp capabilities become disabled. Kirk decides to arrest Harrison instead of killing him and leads a team with Spock and Uhura to the planet, where Klingon patrols ambush them. Harrison appears and kills the Klingons single-handedly but surrenders when he learns there are precisely 72 torpedoes on board Enterprise. Dr. Leonard McCoy and Marcus's daughter, Dr. Carol Marcus, open a torpedo at Harrison's urging, revealing the torpedoes contain cryonically frozen humans. Harrison is taken to Enterprise's brig, where he reveals his true identity as Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically engineered superhuman who was awoken by Admiral Marcus from centuries of sleep and forced to develop advanced weapons after Marcus threatened to kill his 72-member crew, whom Khan smuggled into the torpedoes in a previous attempt to liberate them. Khan reveals that Marcus sabotaged Enterprise's warp drive, intending for the Klingons to destroy the ship after it fired on Kronos, sparking a war with the Klingon Empire. Khan also gives Kirk a set of coordinates, which Kirk asks Scott to investigate. Scott discovers the coordinates lead to a covert Starfleet facility. Enterprise is intercepted by a much larger Starfleet warship, USS Vengeance, commanded by Admiral Marcus. Marcus demands that Kirk deliver Khan, but Enterprise flees to Earth to expose him. After Vengeance disables Enterprise near the Moon, Carol reveals her presence aboard Enterprise to stop the attack. Marcus forcibly transports Carol to Vengeance before ordering Enterprise's destruction. Vengeance loses power after being sabotaged by Scott, who infiltrated the ship. With transporters down, Kirk and Khan, with the latter's knowledge of the warship's design, space-jump to Vengeance. Meanwhile, Spock contacts his future self on New Vulcan, who tells him of his own encounter with Khan and warns that he cannot be trusted. After fighting their way to the bridge, Khan overpowers Kirk, Scott, and Carol, kills Marcus, and takes control of Vengeance. Khan demands Spock return his frozen crew in exchange for the Enterprise officers, to which Spock complies. When Khan starts shooting at Enterprise, Spock detonates the warheads, crippling the ship but having had McCoy surreptitiously remove Khan's frozen crew from the torpedoes beforehand. Both starships are caught in Earth's gravity and plummet toward the surface. Kirk enters Enterprise's radioactive reactor chamber to realign the warp core, sacrificing himself to save the ship. Khan crashes Vengeance into San Francisco in an attempt to destroy Starfleet headquarters, while McCoy discovers that Khan's blood has regenerative properties that may save Kirk. A vengeful Spock pursues Khan through the city, and the two engage in hand-to-hand combat. As Spock prepares to kill Khan, Uhura beams down and stops him, revealing that he is their only chance to save Kirk. Khan's blood revives Kirk, and Khan is sealed in his cryogenic pod and stored with his compatriots. One year later, Kirk speaks at Enterprise's re-dedication ceremony. The Enterprise crew embarks on a five-year-long exploratory mission.
Plot from Star Trek Into DarknessCC BY-SA 4.0
- Countries
- United States
- Original language
- English
Cast
See all creditsGallery
Did you know
Followed by: Star Trek Beyond
Follows: Star Trek
Followed by: Star Trek Beyond
Follows: Star Trek
Quotes
See all quotesSpock: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Kirk: Spock, we're talking about your life!
Star Trek Into Darkness, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kirk: Why is there a man in that torpedo? John Harrison: There are men and women in all those torpedoes, Captain. I put them there. Kirk: Who the hell are you? John Harrison: A remnant of the time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. We were condemned as criminals; forced into exile. For centuries we slept, hoping when we awoke things would be different. But as a result of the destruction of Vulcan, your Starfleet began to aggressively search distant quadrants of space; my ship was found adrift, I, alone, was revived. Kirk: I looked up John Harrison. Until a year ago, he didn't exist. John Harrison: John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause. A smokescreen to conceal my true identity. My name is...Khan. Kirk: Why would a Starfleet admiral ask a 300-year-old frozen man for help? Khan: Because I am ... better. Kirk: At what? Khan: Everything. Alexander Marcus
Star Trek Into Darkness, CC BY-SA 4.0
Spock Prime: Mr. Spock. Spock: Mr. Spock. I will be brief. In your travels, did you ever encounter a man named Khan? Spock Prime: As you know, I have made a vow never to give you information that could potentially alter your destiny. Your path is yours to walk, and yours alone. That being said, Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise ever faced. He is brilliant, ruthless, and he will not hesitate to kill every single one of you. Spock: Did you defeat him? Spock Prime: At great cost, yes. Spock: How?
Star Trek Into Darkness, CC BY-SA 4.0
Khan: I'm going to make this very simple for you. Your crew for my crew. Spock: You betrayed us. Khan: Oh, you are smart, Mr. Spock. Kirk: Spock, don't- Khan: [beats Kirk to the floor] Mr. Spock, give me my crew. Spock: What will you do when you get them? Khan: Continue the work we were doing before we were banished. Spock: Which, as I would understand it, involves the mass genocide of any being you find to be less than superior. Khan: Shall I destroy you, Mr. Spock? Or will you give me what I want? Spock: We have no transporter capabilities. Khan: Fortunately, mine are perfectly functional. Drop your shields. Spock: If I do so, I have no guarantee that you will not destroy the Enterprise. Khan: Well, let's play this out logically then, Mr. Spock. Firstly, I will kill your captain to demonstrate my resolve. Then, if yours holds, I will have no choice but to kill you and your entire crew. Spock: If you destroy our ship, you will also destroy your own people. Khan: Your crew requires oxy
Star Trek Into Darkness, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kirk: How's our ship? Spock: Out of danger. Kirk: Good... Spock: You saved the crew. Kirk: You used what he wanted against him. That's a nice move. Spock: It is what you would have done. Kirk: And this... this is what you would have done. It was only logical. I'm scared, Spock. Help me not be. How do you choose not to feel? Spock: I do not know. [tears fall] Right now, I am failing. Kirk: I want you to know why I couldn't let you die... why I went back for you...[Scotty looks on mournfully] Spock: Because you are my friend. [Kirk places his hand against the glass and gives the Vulcan Salute as he dies] KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!
Star Trek Into Darkness, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ratings
More like this
Where to watch
Where to watch is coming soon
Discuss
Discussion is coming soon
