Khan's Into Darkness Appearance change finally explained

[JD5000]

^ Ha ha, that's great. I'm sincerely thankful that we at least agree on the root, more serious issue. Semi-polite conflict is how we better ourselves, thanks to you I know have something else to ponder as I learn why I think how I think, and why other people think how they think.

 

[BigJake]

It was fun. Enjoy the rest of your evening.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Anyway...

I'm too lazy to sift through the thread, but since Khan's appearance was finally explained, do the comics also go out of their way to come up with silly explanations for why everyone's faces changed since TOS.

 

[BeatleJWOL]

do the comics also go out of their way to come up with silly explanations for why everyone's faces changed since TOS.

No, because Khan is the only character so far we've seen that existed before the Abramsverse split from the prime timeline.

 

[JarodRussell]

Anyway...

I'm too lazy to sift through the thread, but since Khan's appearance was finally explained, do the comics also go out of their way to come up with silly explanations for why everyone's faces changed since TOS.

It was never about a face change, it was about a change of ethnicy. That's why there is an explanation given for how Khan Noonien Singh became a pale Brit.

A deleted scene in the film even explained why Carol Marcus spoke with British accent while Peter Weller spoke American accent.

I wished they would have cast a white Uhura, because that actress was the “best suited for the role“ or some other explanation based on talent. Just to see the discussion.

 

[The Wormhole]

Anyway...

I'm too lazy to sift through the thread, but since Khan's appearance was finally explained, do the comics also go out of their way to come up with silly explanations for why everyone's faces changed since TOS.

Not exactly, but the difference has been acknowledged a few times. In Countdown, Nero looks up a computer file on Captain Kirk, which features a picture drawn in Shatner's likeness. In an issue of the Ongoing series, Scotty and McCoy are discussing multiple realities and universes, and during their conversation we seem them being shadowed by their Prime Universe selves, drawn in the likeness of James Doohan and DeForest Kelly.

 

[F. King Daniel]

But those are essentially easter eggs for fans. Old Spock recognized Kirk and Scotty at a glance, which means that in-universe, they look the same as their TOS counterparts.

(although I think it's fair to say that AU McCoy has been hitting the gym, and Scotty Prime likes to eat a lot more than his counterpart)

 

[Ovation]

Scotty Prime probably didn't have to endure the forced weight loss regimen of Delta Vega, though.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

do the comics also go out of their way to come up with silly explanations for why everyone's faces changed since TOS.

No, because Khan is the only character so far we've seen that existed before the Abramsverse split from the prime timeline.

Spock is older than Kirk.

 

[JarodRussell]

do the comics also go out of their way to come up with silly explanations for why everyone's faces changed since TOS.

No, because Khan is the only character so far we've seen that existed before the Abramsverse split from the prime timeline.

Spock is older than Kirk.

So there's 5 years between his birth and the first time Nero fucked things up. Big deal. Khan was completely unaffected because he was frozen hundreds of years before.

 

[BeatleJWOL]

Spock is older than Kirk.

Yeah, but also he looks the closest to the original, so there!



(this is why it should have been a clean reboot.)

 

[The Doctor]

Spock is older than Kirk.

Yeah, but also he looks the closest to the original, so there!



(this is why it should have been a clean reboot.)

It really is a model of how trying to cater to the 'fans' is a losing battle that should never even be attempted.

 

[Skywalker]

I really don't think most people care that the Abrams films weren't a clean reboot. It's not that big of an issue.

 

[The Doctor]

I really don't think most people care that the Abrams films weren't a clean reboot. It's not that big of an issue.

It was structured that way because the writers were fans and wanted to tell an unfettered story about Trek without trampling all over established Trek. This was done out of respect for Trek and its fan base.

And it was answered with vitriol, wailing and gnashing of teeth from Trek purists everywhere.

The old adage of not pleasing all of the people all of the time goes double for cult fan bases like Trek. It's better to simply ignore their requests, entreaties and feelings since the level of rage will be roughly equivalent no matter what you do.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I really don't think most people care that the Abrams films weren't a clean reboot. It's not that big of an issue.

It was structured that way because the writers were fans and wanted to tell an unfettered story about Trek without trampling all over established Trek. This was done out of respect for Trek and its fan base.

And it was answered with vitriol, wailing and gnashing of teeth from Trek purists everywhere.

The old adage of not pleasing all of the people all of the time goes double for cult fan bases like Trek. It's better to simply ignore their requests, entreaties and feelings since the level of rage will be roughly equivalent no matter what you do.

Yes there was a vocal outcry (still ongoing on Facebook, five years later...), but I think the silent majority are fine with what was done. I for one think the way the new and old are linked is very clever, and opens up a ton of fun story possibilities both for the new movies and the novels set in the Primeline.

Look at something like Smallville or Man of Steel, neither set in the classic movie or comic continuities, yet both plagued with similar complaints from fanboys whenever they deviated from the old. A "clean slate" Trek would have (and one day will) face the same.

 

[Pauln6]

Anyway...

I'm too lazy to sift through the thread, but since Khan's appearance was finally explained, do the comics also go out of their way to come up with silly explanations for why everyone's faces changed since TOS.

It was never about a face change, it was about a change of ethnicy. That's why there is an explanation given for how Khan Noonien Singh became a pale Brit.

They came up with a plausible explanation for Khan's change of ethnicity in the comic but let's see if they can do the same for Lt Zahra. Possibly something along the lines that she was the best drawing for the role?

 

[BigJake]

And it was answered with vitriol, wailing and gnashing of teeth from Trek purists everywhere.

I think this is putting it a tad melodramatically. No faction is without its nutters, but there are perfectly valid criticisms to be had of both instalments of NuTrek and it's more than a little lazy to try to dismiss it all as "vitriol, wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Besides, AFAICS a great many of the Trek "purists" by and large went out of their way to give NuTrek a fair shake, especially on the release of ST09 and to a great extent still today. Maybe too far, actually; some of them seem to have since become exactly the kind of irrational, rage-a-holic fanatics as partisans of NuTrek that they routinely complain about its detractors supposedly being.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Besides, AFAICS a great many of the Trek "purists" by and large went out of their way to give NuTrek a fair shake, especially on the release of ST09 and to a great extent still today.

I really wanted to like 09. I was so happy we were finally getting a reboot. I was especially happy we weren't getting another TNG crap-tacular (and I'm a TNG fan) and really happy we weren't getting the "Star Trek: The Beginning" or any other pointless spinoff no one cares about. I gave 09 a chance, it just wasn't my cup of Earl Grey.

I eagerly await the next reboot.

 

[The Doctor]

And it was answered with vitriol, wailing and gnashing of teeth from Trek purists everywhere.

I think this is putting it a tad melodramatically. No faction is without its nutters, but there are perfectly valid criticisms to be had of both instalments of NuTrek and it's more than a little lazy to try to dismiss it all as "vitriol, wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Nah. I'm underselling it. The only fan reaction worse than the ridiculous display of whinging that Abrams Trek got was the complete meltdown displayed by fans of oldBSG when RDM actually made something out of their Star Wars knockoff.

Besides, AFAICS a great many of the Trek "purists" by and large went out of their way to give NuTrek a fair shake, especially on the release of ST09 and to a great extent still today. Maybe too far, actually; some of them seem to have since become exactly the kind of irrational, rage-a-holic fanatics as partisans of NuTrek that they routinely complain about its detractors supposedly being.

You're funny and, I have to assume, being intentionally obtuse. Even the most casual perusal of the entire TrekBBS would tell a far different tale about the discourse about Abrams' Trek.

 

[BigJake]

^ Who's being "intentionally obtuse"? Whatever epic battles may have been joined on TrekBBS, one has to assume you're aware there is a world and even Trek fandom beyond it.

And the most typical cross-section of reaction to ST09 that we saw out there in that world was like this: immense amounts of gushing from most fans with one or two occasional holdouts, and generally positive reviews even from people who claimed to have hated the idea of reboot. So, no, I think you are vastly over-selling (and perhaps considerably over-sensitive to) whatever "display of whinging" there was as a proportion of the actual fan response.

And don't be so hard on OldBSG fans. Both of those guys are great.