Warning: Contains spoilers for “I Knew You Were Treble When You Walked In,” revealed in Star Trek #500!Star Trek Only dropped serious revelations about the biology of tribbles, changing the iconic species forever. Introduced in the classic Star Trek series, the Tribbles have since become one of the franchise’s most prominent alien races. Now, in the story “I knew you were treble when you walked in,” revealed in Star Trek #500, Fans experience the life of a tribble – from the creature’s perspective, offering new insights into these cute creatures.
“I knew you were treble when you walked in,” revealed In Star Trek #500, is written by Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum with art by Leonard Kirk. Set together with the events of “The Trouble with Tribbles,” Fans learn that not only do tribals possess a hive mind, but that they are also incredibly lustful creatures.. The narrator of the story, an unnamed Tribble, has developed deep feelings for Captain Kirk, and makes salutary comments about him throughout the story. The story ends shortly after Scotty beams the Tribbles aboard Koloth’s ship, where the story’s narrator finds love once again.
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The infamous story of Star Trek’s tribes, explained
The tribes are one of Star Trek Cutest – but deadliest aliens
The tribbles are undeniably one of Star Trek Cutest alien races, but they are also ecological disasters waiting to happen. Created by science fiction writer David Gerrold and first appearing in the second season episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” the Tribbles are small balls of fur. Communicating through a series of chirps and squeaks, the tribbles reproduce at a highly prodigious rate: in their first appearance, a small handful of tribbles overran a space station in a matter of days. In the same episode, Doctor McCoy notes that tribbles are “born pregnant” and eating food can speed up their reproduction.
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During “The Trouble with Tribbles” episode, another, even more fascinating fact is revealed about them: they despise Klingons. When a Tribble comes into contact with a Klingon, they become visibly agitated and their squeals approach panic levels. In “The Trouble with Tribbles,” this ability is used to avoid a Klingon saboteur and save a Federation colony from being poisoned. The episode ends with Scotty beaming that Tribbles has taken over Enterprise Aboard the Klingon’s ship, and “I Knew You Were Tribble…” shows what happened next, as the lusty Tribble sets his sights on a hapless Klingon officer.
The tribes were almost wiped out by the Klingons
Tribbles are recognized as a galactic menace
In the 24th century, the Federation and other galactic powers acknowledged that Tribbles had the potential to cause vast disruptions in ecosystems. As a result, some political entities outlawed the creatures. During the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine In the episode “Trials and Tribble-ations,” which sent Sisko and company back in time to the events of “Trouble with Tribbles,” Worf mentions that the Klingons embarked on a crusade against the Tribbles, nearly wiping them all out in the process. Despite the contraband status of the tribes, some are still glimpsed in various Star Trek Shows and movies.
In the last season of Star Trek: DiscoverySet in the 32nd century, a new type of tribble existed: one that was cute and cuddly like the originals, but did not reproduce at rapid rates.
And despite the Klingons’ best efforts, the tribbles still persist. During Star Trek: Picard’s The third season, Worf infiltrates a Section 31 facility, where he discovers the nefarious organization has bred a vicious variant of the creature – one with teeth and a charming disposition. In the last season of Star Trek: DiscoverySet in the 32nd century, a new type of tribble existed: one that was cute and cuddly like the originals, but did not reproduce at rapid rates. The people of the 32nd century truly had the best of both worlds when it came to tribbles.
Star Trek blows the lid off everything fans thought they knew about the Tribbles
These tribes are not only intelligent, but highly lustful
The revelations about the Tribbles in ‘I Knew You Were Tribble…’ upend everything fans thought they knew about the creatures. What Oswalt, Bloom and Kirk did with “I Knew You Were Tribble” was make the creatures even more interesting. Tribbles possess a hive mind, in a fashion similar to the Borg or the “Conspiracy” parasites. This hive mind allowed the tribble narrator of the story to reach out to others and “feel” what they were feeling. Tribbles are not only intelligent in their own way, but this intelligence is shared across the species.
The Tribes also appeared in an episode of Star Trek: The Animated SeriesWhich functioned as a sequel to their first appearance.
The rapid reproduction of Tribbles also takes on a new layer here, as fans learn that the species has a strong desire to reproduce. In “I Knew You Were Treble…” Oswalt, Bloom and Kirk push this to its hilarious extreme, as reproducing and eating are the only things on the creature’s mind. This almost single-minded pursuit of reproduction translates into a highly libidinous creature. It focuses first on Captain Kirk and then on the random Klingon. Tribble minces no words about his feelings for Kirk, almost invoking the slasher fiction known in Star Trek Fandom in the 1970s.
The tribes mention Star Trek Believe that space is infinite and full of wonders and terrors
Tribbles are cute, but ecological disasters
The tribes have become one of Star Trek Most popular foreign races. They embody a dichotomy: they are undeniably cute but can also destroy entire ecosystems in a short period of time. Species like the tribbles are a stark reminder that space is full of infinite wonders but also infinite terrors. “I knew you were tribble…” makes some stunning revelations about tribble biology and society, which, while not making them more dangerous, make them one of Star Trek Most fascinating species.
Star Trek #500 is now on sale from IDW Publishing.