Warning: contains spoilers Star Trek: Lower Decks #2!
Move Star Wars! Finally, Star Trek has its own version of the iconic lightsaber – but which version is the best? Both Star Trek and Star Wars feature a series of cool weapons, be they phasers, blasters, photon torpedoes – or lightsabers. The lightsaber is unique in science fiction, but now they have reached the Star Trek universe – more or less, in Star Trek: Lower Decks #2.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 was written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. The “Lower Deckers” are at the mercy of the Excalibans, who want Boimler and company to get into 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 Cerritos, they show the Lower Deckers what they could have had: “energy swords.” As Boimler and the rest are transported, Mariner laments not having an energy sword.
Star Wars Lightsabers are pop culture sensations
It was just a matter of time before Star Trek Created your own version
The lightsaber, described in A New Hope as an “elegant weapon for a more civilized age,” it is a warp and weft in the Star Wars franchise. The main weapons of the Jedi and Sith, the lightsabers, are one of the Star Wars greatest contributions to the pop culture scene. Over the years, variations of the standard lightsaber were introduced, such as Darth Maul's double-bladed model or Count Dooku's lightsaber, which was shaped like a scimitar. Lightsaber replicas continue to be popular gifts for people of all ages. George Lucas and his collaborators created something special with lightsabers.
Both The blue brothers and Twin Peaks received screams Lower decksand now it is Star Wars' time.
With the ubiquity of lightsabers in pop culture also comes parodies, and Star Trekwhich is often seen as at odds with Star Warsgets one of its own. Star Trek: Lower Decks is the perfect place for such a submission. Lower decks not only makes numerous references to other Star Trek shows, but also other pop culture franchises. Both The blue brothers and Twin Peaks received screams Lower decksand now it is Star Wars' time. Far from being mean-spirited, however, the explanatory text is funny and a touching homage from one franchise to another.
For trademark reasons, Star Trek Lightsabers can't 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-blade model used by most Jedi, while T'Pol's closely resembles Darth Maul's. Energy swords are undeniably cool, and the Lower Deckers realize that. Unfortunately, they are sent back home before they can change their minds about not fighting.
Fans may never see Star Trek Lightsabers again
Fans will never know who had the best lightsabers -Star Wars or Star Trek
Another unfortunate aspect Star Trek lightsaber variants is that fans will never see them again. Energy swords were created by the Excalibans, a highly advanced race capable of manifesting thoughts. As such, energy swords are peculiar to Excalibans. They have no relations with Starfleet or the Federation, which means there is no exchange of culture or technology. When the Excalibans sent the Lower Deckers home, they retained the knowledge of energy swords – much to Mariner's dismay.
The existence of Star Trek energy swords raise questions about whether they are better than Star Wars' lightsabers. Unfortunately, fans may never know. Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 provides only a fleeting glimpse of energy swords, and not enough to form a basis for comparison. It can be assumed that energy swords are exact duplicates of the lightsaber, meaning that any fight between the two would likely be evenly matched. This is similar to the eternal pop culture debate about which franchise is the best, to which there is no easy answer.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 is on sale now from IDW Publishing.