Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks #2!
Move over Star Wars! At long last, Star Trek has its own version of the iconic lightsaber–but which version is the best? Both Star Trek and Star Wars feature a number of cool weapons, be they phasers, blasters, photon torpedos–or lightsabers. The lightsaber is one of a kind in science fiction, but now they have come to the Star Trek universe–sort of, in Star Trek: Lower Decks #2.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 is written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. The “Lower Deckers” find themselves at the mercy of the Excalibans, who want Boimler and company to engage in fights for their amusement. Boimler gives a pep talk to the Excalibans, convincing them of the error of their ways. As the Excalibans prepare to return them to the Cerritos, they show the Lower Deckers what they could have had: “energy swords.” As Boimler and the rest are beamed away, Mariner rues not having an energy sword.
Star Wars' Lightsabers Are Pop Culture Sensations
It Was Only a Matter of Time Before Star Trek Created Their Own Version
The lightsaber, described in A New Hope as an “elegant weapon for a more civilized age,” is warp and woof in the Star Wars franchise. The primary weapons of the Jedi and the Sith, lightsabers, are one of Star Wars’ biggest contributions to the pop culture landscape. Over the years, variations of the standard lightsaber have been introduced, such as Darth Maul’s double-bladed model or Count Dooku’s lightsaber, which was shaped like a scimitar. Replicas of lightsabers remain popular gifts for people of all ages. George Lucas and his collaborators created something special with lightsabers.
Both The Blues Brothers and Twin Peaks have received shout-outs on Lower Decks, and now it is Star Wars’ turn.
With the lightsabers’ ubiquity in pop culture also comes parodies, and Star Trek, which is often viewed as at odds with Star Wars, gets one of its own.Star Trek: Lower Decks is the perfect venue for such a sendup. Lower Decks not only makes numerous references to other Star Trek shows, but other pop culture franchises as well. Both The Blues Brothers and Twin Peaks have received shout-outs on Lower Decks, and now it is Star Wars’ turn. Far from being mean-spirited, however, the callout is funny, and a touching tribute from one franchise to another.
For trademark reasons, Star Trek’s lightsabers cannot be called that. Instead, the Excalibans refer to them as “energy swords,” but the design is unmistakably a lightsaber. Holographic recreations of Scotty and T’Pol duel with their “energy swords.” Scotty’s resembles a traditional, single-bladed model used by most Jedi, whereas T’Pol’s looks a lot like Darth Maul’s. The energy swords are undeniably cool, and the Lower Deckers realize this. Unfortunately, they are dispatched back home before they can change their minds about not fighting.
Fans May Never See Star Trek's Lightsabers Again
Fans Will Never Know Who Had the Better Lightsabers--Star Wars or Star Trek
Another unfortunate aspect of Star Trek’s lightsaber variants is that fans will never see them again. The energy swords were created by the Excalibans, a highly advanced race capable of manifesting thoughts. As such, the energy swords are peculiar to the Excalibans. They do not have relations with Starfleet or the Federation, meaning no exchange of culture or technology. When the Excalibans sent the Lower Deckers home, they kept the knowledge of the energy swords–much to Mariner’s dismay.
Star Trek's coolest new character cannot be seen on a television show or movie, but instead in the pages of IDW's rejuvenated Star Trek comics.
The existence of Star Trek’senergy swords raises questions over whether they are better than Star Wars’ lightsabers. Unfortunately, fans may never know. Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 only provides a fleeting glimpse of the energy swords, and not enough to form a basis for comparison. It can be assumed that the energy swords are exact duplicates of the lightsaber, meaning that any fight between the two would most likely be evenly matched. This parallels the eternal pop culture debate over which franchise is the best, one for which there is no easy answer.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 is on sale now from IDW Publishing.
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