Star Trek has had some pretty great villains, and in
many instances they have stolen the show. After all, what better way to show
how great your heroes are than to have them go up against a fantastic villain?
I earlier ranked the Top Ten movie villains from the Star Trek franchise, and
thought to myself: “How would one villain do against the other?” Obviously to
have some of the weaker villains (looking at you, Sybok!) go toe-to-toe with
the greats would be unfair, but an idea popped into my head of having two of
the all-time best go bad guy-to-bad guy would be a fun idea. So, in today’s
blog post, I decided to pit two real heavy weights against each other for the
(fictional) first time! I give you “Khan Noonien Singh vs General Chang”.
One is a genetically modified superman hell-bent on
revenge. The other is a crafty warrior that just cannot let the past of
glorious battle fall into oblivion. One can lift you up with a single hand, the
other can read your soul with a stare from his single eye. One quoted Melville,
the other Shakespeare. Both gave Kirk a run for his money, and in both cases
they lost their respective battles by the slimmest of margins. So, who was the more
villainous of these two villains? Let’s explore this further by comparing them
on various criteria.
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| Kirk's reaction to this matchup |
Category 1: Motive.
Khan blamed Kirk for the death of his wife and
people, for stranding him on Ceti Alpha V, and for forgetting to check up on
him. His desire to not only kill Kirk but to destroy him was based solely on
revenge. He was determined to see his adversary fall, and he had no lack of
resolve to accomplish it. However, in addition to settling a personal score,
Khan further complicates the matter by seeking the information on the Genesis
project. While his motivation towards this is somewhat unclear, he once was the
ruler of man and in “Space Seed” had desired to use the Enterprise to once
again place himself atop the hierarchy of the human race. It is very likely
that he was planning on using the Genesis device to allow him to once again
rule the known world. Some may argue that his attention was divided, which
would remove some of his focus. He could have taken Genesis and ruled the
galaxy, but his thirst for vengeance was insatiable, which some say led to his
downfall.
General Chang, on the other hand, was a grizzled
veteran of countless untold battles. His motivation was much more political in
nature. He did not see his battle with Kirk as a personal vendetta, but as a
means to continue the way of life that the Klingon Empire appeared ready to
abandon. Granted, he relished the opportunity to match steel against a worthy
opponent such as James T. Kirk, but that was a layer of icing on his Empirical
cake. He was driven by ideology, a warrior’s code, and a desire to embrace the
old ways. While the Klingon Chancellor was talking peace because their military
mission could no longer be afforded, Chang feared that he would become obsolete
in the new frontier. This would not do for our fearsome warrior, so his
motivation was to force the war to end all wars with the Federation.
So which motivation is more of a challenge to
overcome? Is a personal vendetta coupled with galactic domination more
dangerous than being driven by an ideological force to maintain a combative way
of life? Both reasons are, to my understanding, very dangerous to the greater
good. The motivation for both runs deep into personal territory. With an
ideological and political motivation, the aggressor may choose to back away if
facing a losing venture. Live to fight another day, as the saying goes. When it
comes to personal revenge, the adversary may not back down ever, feeling that
they have nothing to lose. That may make Khan’s motivation far more dangerous
than Chang’s, so this category goes to the Wrathful One. Point awarded: Khan
Category 2: The Plan
Khan was a genetically enhanced human, giving him
not only superior physicality but a superior intellect as well. While he
undoubtedly imagined what he would do to Kirk if and when they crossed paths
again, he had to make up his plan as he went along. He took advantage of every
opportunity that was presented to him. A starship arrives and beams down its
captain and first officer? Capture and brainwash them to get control of the
ship. A potentially devastating device that could be used as an intergalactic
weapon of mass destruction? Take it and kill all the scientists associated with
it. Khan took every single opportunity that came his way, and yet he still made
some crucial mistakes along the way. He let his guard down at the wrong times.
He treated the nebula battle as a two-dimensional game, which allowed the
Enterprise to think in 3-D and strike from below.
General Chang is a respected military commander. His
plan was meticulous, intricate, and likely benefited from months of planning.
He was also advantageous, conspiring with those to who he was enemy to. He
invested in technology that would give him an advantage. He planned the
assassination of his own Chancellor. He had an elaborate plot to frame Kirk for
the assassination and carried it out with great skill. Chang may not have had
Khan’s superior intellect, but he had instinct and experience on his side, and
he used those tools as effectively as one could. He made some key mistakes as
well, but when there was a flaw in the plan, he had something else up his
sleeve. His cockiness got the better of him, though. He made a couple of key
mistakes near the end, and paid for it dearly.
As we look at the plans these two masterminds laid
out, it is time to decide which was the most cunning and devious. Khan was
thinking on his feet most of the time while Chang’s plot was well scripted.
Chang had the advantage of technology and co-conspirators, while Khan had a
ship full of devoted followers and a ruthless aggression that is unmatched. In
the end, however, I must concede that Chang gets the edge here. Perhaps Khan
could have fared better in this round had he been given more time and
resources, but the Klingon wins this part. Point
awarded: General Chang.
Category 3 – Execution
Here we will look at the execution of their plan.
How close they came to success and what their fatal mistakes were. Chang had an
excellent and convoluted plan, and every detail was meticulously made. He set
up Kirk perfectly as the man to take the blame for the assassination of
Chancellor Gorkon. He had co-conspirators among Starfleet, the Klingon Empire,
and even the Romulans. The master plan was executed with brilliance and came
very close to succeeding. His errors were few, but costly. He had to rely on
many others to complete their portion of the plan. He had hoped that the trial
would have resulted in the execution of Kirk and McCoy, but instead they were
sentenced to life on the penal colony Rura Penthe. The warden there was to have
disposed of them quickly, but he failed. Valeris failed in her part on the
Enterprise and gave Kirk the information he needed to defeat Chang. Even during
the battle at Khitomer, the Enterprise looked as if it was going to fall to
Chang’s advanced Bird of Prey that could fire when cloaked, but Sulu and the
Excelsior arrived to draw their fire. This is where Chang made a tactical
error. He was unaware that Spock and McCoy were working at arming a torpedo
that could track them while cloaked, so when Excelsior arrived on the scene
Chang turned his attention to the newest threat. In hindsight, I can’t fault
his logic, but if he had ended the Enterprise then and there instead of
gloating with Shakespearean quotes, he likely would have won the day with the
Federation President dead and with him all hopes of peace. So while so many
unforeseen outcomes were met with good backup plans, ultimately things changed
too much for him, and it was not to be.
Khan was a man with nothing to lose. Vengeance was
his driving force. His people were loyal to him, and nothing they did was
anything less than perfect obedience. When an opportunity arose, he seized it
and squeezed everything he could from it. His plan was being made up along the
way, but he met every setback with renewed determination to destroy the man he
hated most. His mistakes in the execution of the plan arose from his
inexperience in starship warfare and his ego. He too took the opportunity to
gloat to Kirk after the initial attack that crippled the Enterprise, and that
allowed Kirk a chance to use the command prefix codes to cause Khan’s ship to
drop its shields. In the nebula, Khan demonstrated two dimensional strategy in
navigating the gas clouds. Most of all, however, his pride got in the way. Each
time he had Kirk beaten, he couldn’t resist taunting his adversary. He had to
do more than win, he had to make sure Kirk knew about it. He could have killed
Kirk on several occasions, but instead let Kirk live a little longer just to
satisfy is insatiable desire for revenge. He had the Genesis device and its
research and could have left Kirk where he was multiple times. He could have
regrouped, used the device as leverage against the entire quadrant, and been
supreme ruler again, but no. He had to make Kirk suffer as much as he had. That
cost him his life.
So, both mighty foes made some crucial errors. Whose
error was the most devastating? I think if roles were reversed, Chang might
have been successful where Khan had failed. He would have taken Genesis and
regrouped, or at least finished Kirk off sooner. Khan likely would have failed
in Chang’s spot, needing to further punish Kirk again and again. This one goes
to the Klingon as well. Point awarded:
General Chang.
Category 4 – The Cost
Chang brought the Klingon’s and the Federation to
the brink of all-out war that likely would have destroyed one or both parties.
He played on the inherent suspicions of both parties. His prototype vessel was
set to wreak havoc across the quadrant. He had almost destroyed the Enterprise
under Kirk’s final command, and may have been able to take down Excelsior as
well. Imagine if he had successfully destroyed the two most respected Starfleet
vessels in one battle. Perhaps the war would not have started, but instead it
would be the Federation that would be surrendering. Instead, both ships were
banged up but in functional. The peace accords were saved, and if Kirk was able
to put aside his hatred of Klingons, then a lasting peace was definitely
possible. The cost of Chang’s actions was high, but could have been worse.
Khan, meanwhile, brought Kirk to the brink of
defeat. He caused the death of Captain Terrell, murdered some of the
Federation’s brightest scientific minds on Regula I. Untold numbers of Kirk’s
training crew were killed during the battle, bright potential snuffed out in
the darknessof space. The Enterprise was crippled, and would have been
destroyed by Khan’s activation of the Genesis device had it not been for Spock’s
heroic sacrifice. The cost of Khan’s actions hit Kirk harder than almost
anything else in his life. Perhaps, in his own way, Khan did deal Kirk a most
devastating blow, because to save the ship, Kirk had to lose his closest
friend. That crippled Kirk emotionally. A mighty sting to his soul.
So which villain extracted the heavier cost? Perhaps
Chang’s destruction brought the Federation and Klingon Empire to the brink of
war, but his defeat solidified their alliance. When the Undiscovered Country
ended, there was a sense of celebration. Khan brought Kirk to his knees like he
had never been before. The cost to Kirk was more personal, and more severe. At
the end of Wrath of Khan, there was a more subdued sense of victory. It was a
victory to have survived, and as Kirk himself said, they paid for it with their
most precious blood. Spock himself remarked that to defeat Khan required great
cost. The emotional toll that Khan took outweighs the damage that Chang
inflicted. Point awarded: Khan Singh.
Category 5 – Presence
Looking at the overall presence of each villain, we
will see how they stack up in the sheer effect they have just by appearing to
their adversaries. This will include the look, the charisma, and intimidation
factor.
Chang is one of the coolest looking foes the
Enterprise had ever come across. Where most Klingons appeared to be simple
variations of the standard long hair, moustaches, and goatees, Chang makes his
own mark. He is bald, grizzled, and cold. He presents himself with an air of
power and importance. One of the most effective aspects of his presence is his
eye patch. While not the first one-eyed character to have appeared, he is the
first to have his eye patch bolted to his skull. Now that is Klingon style intimidation!
That is only a part of his presence, however. You might be impressed upon first
seeing him, but wait until he speaks. He is articulate, versed in literary
classics and diplomacy, and has a razor sharp wit. As he speaks his eloquent
dialogue, you can’t help but feel that he is sizing you up as a potential
adversary in the battlefield. While you are distracted by his missing eye, his
good one is delicately dissecting your abilities. His mere presence demands
immediate respect, and only a fool would dare do otherwise.
Similarly, Khan also instills a sense of awe and
respect upon those he encounters. His presence involves a healthy dose of dread
as well. Recall the expressions of both Chekhov and Kirk when the first lay
eyes upon Khan in Star Trek II. You can almost see their guts doing swan dives
into despair. It is true, and must be considered, that both of these men had a
difficult run-in with Khan before, which definitely will impact their reaction.
Khan is also articulate and no stranger to the classic works of literature, but
he is much less flamboyant in his delivery. He speaks with the coldness of
steel, the edge of a knife, and the forcefulness we expect from a coming storm.
He also allows his actions to back up his words. While Chang challenges with
his words, Khan will lift you off your feet to prove a point. His can vary his
emotions with the expert agility of an artist, using his calmness to inflict
terror as he approaches you with a helmet containing a Ceti eel. He exudes a
coolness that is imposing and terrifying. He also has an impressive look to
him. When I see him, he reminds me of a mighty lion; strong, fierce, and
deadly.
So who has the more ominous presence? Both look
dangerous, both speak with intelligence and power, and both give you ample
reason to approach them with caution. Each has their own unique style and
charisma, and each will have you be on yellow alert. In the end, there are a
couple of deciding factors. First, Chang is quite the performer, playing one
role while secretly concealing another. He instills caution because you know he
is hiding something. Khan, meanwhile, is deliberate and cold. When he speaks,
every word is measured and calculated. When he reveals himself, you are scared
beyond what you have ever felt before. And when he is angry, you are silenced
for fear of your life. I would never want to encounter either of these warriors
in a dark alley at midnight, but I give the ever slightest advantage to the genetically
superior Khan. Point awarded: Khan Singh
Results:
Khan (3 points) vs CHANG (2 points). Winner: Khan Noonien Singh.
In full disclosure, I have always thought that Khan
was one of Trek’s most impressive villains. With this new idea of pitting
legendary villains in a head-to-head comparison, I thought that Khan would easily
win against anyone else. I selected Chang as the most qualified candidate to
give Khan some competition, but expected Khan to win easily. As I examined
Chang more closely, I found that he was a far better opponent than I had
originally perceived. So while Khan wins in the end, Chang has honored himself
the way any Klingon warrior would desire. He won more points than I expected,
and the decisions that went Khan’s way were not as easy to make as I had
thought. So no matter which side of the debate you are on with this one, your
pick is definitely a great choice. Do you agree or disagree with my choice? Let me know in the comment section.
