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With over a decade spent at GameRant and ScreenRant, Andrew has made himself known as an outspoken fan and critic of film, television, video games, comics, and more.
The Star Trek universe is about to make history, reaching across time and reality to deliver a story only its science-fiction future could make possible. Sending one of the Enterprise’s most influential crew members back to the Civil Rights movement, delivering an unforgettable new episode no fan of the original series would’ve thought possible.
Star Trek Will Rewrite History, Sending Uhura Back To The 1960s Classic Trek Episode Meets The Civil Rights Movement in New Comic Series
Screen Rant is pleased to offer fans an exclusive first look at the coming Star Trek: Deviations – Threads of Destiny, a one-shot from IDW and writer Stephanie Williams (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest) and artist Greg Maldonado (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds). The original Star Trek episode “The City on the Edge of Forever” wrestled with the nuclear tragedies that would lead to the better, braver future of Starfleet. But in this new “what if?” story, Lieutenant Uhura heads back to the heart of the Civil Rights movement in 1963.
This special one-shot features Lieutenant Nyota Uhura. In the 23rd century, she explores far-flung star systems with her crew on the Enterprise as part of her mission to communicate and build bridges with life found across the Galaxy. But in the 20th century, humankind was working to build understanding among themselves, with African Americans on Earth championing the Civil Rights Movement and using their voices and acts of protest to end racial segregation and discrimination. Now, by way of the Guardian of Forever, Uhura is yanked back through time to 1963. There, she’ll join all those fighting for equality and justice and reconnect to why her work as a communications officer is perhaps the most important work of all.
It’s still unclear just where Uhura’s story will take the character, but considering how Dr. Martin Luther King convinced Nichelle Nichols to remain on the TV series, this full-circle story has potential to be an unforgettable one.
This New Star Trek Story Has A Powerful Message, From The Heart of The Franchise The Legacy of Progress Comes Full-Circle With ‘Threads of Destiny’
The first preview pages confirm the alternate-history nature of this Deviations tale, re-imagining the strange time dilations of “The City on the Edge of Forever” controlled by the Guardian of Forever (or simply “Carl”). Welcoming the same away team into a ‘museum’ of humanity’s history, Lieutenant Uhura is pulled centuries back in time in this version.
Finding her way into a community of African Americans preparing to march against segregation and fight for equal rights, writer Stephanie Williams reminds fans why this version of the story is a perfect one to be told within the original Star Trek universe:
“Star Trek has always been about using the future to comment on the present. With Threads of Destiny, we’re honoring that the utopian future of Star Trek didn’t just happen. It was built on the shoulders of those who fought for it. By sending Uhura back to 1963, we bring things full circle. The fight for equality and justice isn’t just history. It’s an ongoing mission, whether in the Civil Rights era or the 23rd century. This story is also a tribute to Nichelle Nichols’ legacy. Her decision to stay on the show after Martin Luther King Jr. told her she was ‘our image of where we’re going’ opened doors for generations of Black women, from Whoopi Goldberg to Mae Jemison to Zoe Saldaña to Celia Rose Gooding.
“In times like these, when hopelessness can feel overwhelming, when we’re watching attacks on private citizens by the state, voting rights, the dismantling of civil rights protections, book bans, and efforts to erase our history, I hope readers walk away inspired, understanding that we all have a place in the fight against those who are adamant about causing harm. When it comes to revolutions, everyone has a role to play.”
The opportunity to give Lieutenant Uhura a voice within the Civil Rights movement of 1963 is almost too good to be true, considering the original series only hit airwaves in 1966. At the time, it may not have been possible to explicitly comment on the March on Washington, or Dr. King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. And certainly not in the same way that Threads of Destiny will be able to, given the 60+ years of progress and struggle which followed.
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Star Trek’s vision of a united future, and the divided world in which it was created, have been linked from the very beginning. After all, as Dr. King spoke of a dream in which “little black boys and little white boys and girls will be able to join hands as sisters and brothers,” the crew of the USS Enterprise would show that dream made manifest. Looking ahead was powerful enough, but with Threads of Destiny now allowing Nichols’ character to look back, it’s a moment no Trek fan will want to miss.
Fans can call their local comic book shop to reserve their own copy of Star Trek: Deviations – Threads of Destiny before the full issue arrives on February 25, 2026 from IDW Publishing.
Star Trek Created by Gene Roddenberry First Film Star Trek: The Motion Picture First TV Show Star Trek: The Original Series First Episode Air Date September 8, 1966 Cast William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Wil Wheaton, Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig, Cirroc Lofton, Armin Shimerman, Colm Meaney, Terry Farrell, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Jeri Ryan, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Garrett Wang, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Scott Bakula, Linda Park, John Billingsley, Anthony Montgomery, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mary Wiseman, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Oyin Oladejo, Emily Coutts, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Michelle Yeoh TV Show(s) Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Star Trek is one of pop culture’s biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.
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