Star Trek just gave CONTROL, the central villain from Discovery’s second season, a wild, god-killing legacy. CONTROL came horrifyingly close to destroying all life in the galaxy, and would have succeeded if not for the crew of Discovery. CONTROL may be gone, but as revealed in Star Trek #23, its legacy of evil carries on, inspiring Lore to undertake a crusade to destroy the universe.
Star Trek #23 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Megan Levens. Under orders from Section 31, Ensign Sato detonates a device in the Pleroma, the realm of Star Trek’s gods. T’Lir, the last of the Organians, appears to Sato. They tell Sato her orders came from an artificial intelligence “bent on genocide.” T’Lir informs Sato of the “CONTROL Incident,” in which Section 31’s AI went rogue and tried to eliminate all organic life. T’Lir informs her the matter was covered up, but nothing “stays secret forever.”
CONTROL Nearly Destroyed the Federation
CONTROL Is Unlike Any Other Star Trek Villain
Whether Lore was really inspired by CONTROL is irrelevant, as his mission threatens the entire Star Trek universe. Prior, the Klingon Emperor Kahless launched his own mission against the gods, which was thwarted by Captains Ben Sisko and Worf. In the aftermath, Lore takes charge of the remnants of Kahless’ Red Path, converting them into his lethal army. Lore seeks to fulfill Kahless’ nihilistic ambitions by killing the gods himself. While Lore consolidated his power, Ensign Sato seemingly threw her lot in with Section 31, who gave her a device to use when she reached the Pleroma.
Thus far, the Star Trek creative team has remained mum on what connection exists between Section 31 and Lore, but there is precedent for the shadowy organization’s actions. The struggle against Section 31’s CONTROL AI formed the basis of Star Trek: Discovery’s second season. While the season ends with it destroyed, and a vow from Section 31’s head, Ash Tyler, never to rebuild it, somehow CONTROL’s legacy lives on. During Day of Blood, Lore encounters a mysterious intelligence in space that charges him with his new mission. This could have been the remnants of CONTROL, lying dormant for a century.
Did Section 31 Honor Their Promise to Dismantle CONTROL?
CONTROL Has Received a Serious Upgrade
Section 31 is a shady and sinister organization, and it is always possible they went back on their promise not to rebuild CONTROL. Section 31 could also have reinstated it after Ash Tyler left the organization. Regardless, CONTROL may be active once again, and this time it has expanded its scope: it is no longer content to wipe out organic life in the Star Trek universe, and instead wishes to annihilate all creation. After defeating CONTROL, Discovery is whisked to the future, taking with them all the knowledge of how to defeat the evil, god-killing machine.