The Mirror Universe is one of star treks most intriguing concepts with its own rich and fascinating history. Introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, the Mirror Universe is used sparingly so that every appearance is an event. The Alternative reality where almost every favorite Star Trek Character is the opposite of what they are into Star TrekS Prime Universe Spans Five TV Series: TOS, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery, And Star Trek: Prodigy. The Mirror Universe is also very different from JJ Abrams’ Kelvin timeline Star Trek Movies that diverge from the prime timeline at a fixed point in the 23rd century.
The history of Star Treks mirror universe unfolds confusingly. After its unique 23 century Star Trek: Toss Episode, “Mirror, Mirror,” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Taking the story of the Mirror Universe in the 24th century. Star Trek: Enterprise Then jump back 200 years with a 22nd-century prequel tale. Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 returned to the Mirror Universe in the 23rd century, a decade earlier toss, Before it jumped to the 32nd century and filled in some details of what has become of the Mirror Universe in the last 800 years. finally, Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 updates the state of the Mirror Universe yet DS9. for clarity, Here’s what happened in the Mirror Universe chronologically From earlier first contact with the volcano to what is known about the alternate reality in the 32nd century.
How the Mirror Universe of Star Trek differs from the Prime Universe
It’s not quite a mirror.
Star Treks Mirror Universe runs parallel to the Prime Universe because both realities co-exist in the same space but in different dimensional planes. The differences between people of the Prime and Mirror Universes are primarily cultural, with Mirror counterparts tending to royalty and bigotry. However, there is also at least one distinct physical difference between the two universes: In Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) noticed that “The cosmos has lost its brilliance” In the alternate reality. Burnham didn’t just mean metaphorically; The mirror version of Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) needed eye drops due to his photosensitivity to the light in the Prime Universe.
The Federation and the Terran Empire know of each other’s existence.
in Star Treks Mirror Universe, instead of the United Federation of Planets, humanity formed the Terran Empire and successfully conquered the Alpha Quadrant in the 22nd and 23rd centuries. The Federation and the Terran Empire know of each other’s existence but suppress the information to prevent further crossovers. The Terran Empire of the Mirror Universe was ruled by an Emperor. While Federation starships are designated USS, in the Mirror Universe, Terran vessels carry the designation ISS (Imperial Starship). However, the Terran Empire collapsed by the 24th century and was overrun by their enemies, the Klingons and the Cardassians, who formed an alliance with other worlds such as Bajor.
As the Terran Empire of the Mirror Universe rose to power
The first contact of the Mirror Universe was very different
On the Earth of the Mirror Universe, history unfolds in a mostly identical fashion as in star trekS Prime Universe, except The human race embraces war and fascism as a means to solve problems. The history of Mirror Earth included nations going to war, with the strong overcoming the weak, until the key date of April 5, 2063. This was the day of first contact with the Vulcans, who landed in Baseman, Montana. After Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell) became the first person to achieve warp flight.
Cochrane immediately executed the Vulcan guest with a shotgun.
However, instead of a peaceful meeting as it was in the Prime Universe, what fans saw in Star Trek: First ContactIn the Mirror Universe, Cochrane immediately executed the Vulcan guest with a shotgun, believing it to be the first step in an alien invasion of Earth. (Cochrane’s shotgun later came to be owned by the mirror Jonathan Archer.) Cochrane’s men then raided the starship and executed the other Vulcans aboard. With Vulcan technology, the human race took the stars, establishing the Terran Empire In the next century. The Terrans conquered and enslaved many of the other races in the Alpha Quadrant, and the xenophobic human-led empire lasted for almost 300 years.
Star Trek’s 22nd Century Mirror Universe
As seen in Star Trek: Enterprise season 4
Star Trek: Enterprise‘s “In a Mirror, Darkly” revealed that in 2155, Commander Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) mutinied against his captain, Maximilian Forrest (Vaughn Armstrong), and took command of the Terran Empire’s flagship, the ISS Enterprise. Archer’s scheme involved taking the Enterprise into Tolian space to Recover the USS Defiant (NCC-1764)A Constitution-class starship that time-traveled from the 23rd-century Prime Universe to the 22nd-century Mirror Universe in the Star Trek: The Original Series Episode “The Tholian Web.”
With the Terran Empire in danger of losing a war against its many enemies, Archer’s ambition was to use the much more powerful USS Defiant of the alternate reality to stage a coup where he would become the new Terran Emperor. The Enterprise (and Captain Forrest) were destroyed by the Tholians, but Archer succeeded in commanding the Defiant. However, Archer was betrayed and killed by his mistress, Hoshi Sato (Linda Park). Sato then took command of the Defiant and completed Archer’s coup, declares herself empress.
Star Trek’s 23rd Century Mirror Universe
As seen in Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 3
After 100 years Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery Season 1’s Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) is revealed to be a Terran from the Mirror Universe. Lorca used the USS Discovery’s Spore Displacement hub drive to return to the alternate reality. However, he wanted Michael Burnham to help him stage a Coup to dethrone the Terran Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery posed as their Mirror Universe counterparts in order to survive trapped in the parallel dimension.
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In 2257, the Terran Empire was the dominant power in the Alpha Quadrant and, under Georgiou’s rule, the humans conquered the Klingons, although a band of alien races formed a rebel alliance against the Terrans. Georgiou also knew about the Prime Universe and the Federation Because she has access to the USS Defiant’s data files. But Georgiou’s biggest threat was Lorca, who almost succeeded in his coup. at the end of Star Trek: DiscoveryIn the four-part saga in the Mirror Universe, Lorca was killed and Georgiou’s reign was ended, but Michael Burnham brought the evil doppelgänger of her late Captain Georgiou back with her to the Prime Universe.
Starfleet identifies a chimeric strain at the subatomic level in the Terran stem cell, which explains the Terran predisposition to royalty.
After the USS Discovery time travels to the 32nd century, Georgiou is personally debriefed by Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg). During their meeting, Kovich updated Georgiou, who knew nothing of the events seen in Star Trek Deep Space NineOn the state of the mirror universe. Kovich revealed this The The distance between the Mirror Universe and the Prime Universe has been increasing for centuriesThat has prevented crossovers. In fact, no one was jumping from any reality for 500 years. Kovich also informed Georgiou that Starfleet identified a chimeric strain at the subatomic level in the Terran stem cell, which explains the Terran predisposition to royalty.
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with Emperor Georgiou dies from crossing time and realitiesThe Guardian of Forever (Paul Guilfoyle) tests her worth. Georgiou returned to the Mirror Universe in the 23rd century, where she realized she had changed from her time with the compassionate Michael Burnham in star trekS Prime Universe. The Guardian of Forever was pleased with Georgiou’s newfound perspective and sent the Emperor back to a time when the Prime and Mirror Universes had not yet permanently diverged. Georgiou’s story will continue Star Trek: Episode 31.
Star Trek’s Mirror Universe in the 23rd century
As seen in Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 and Star Trek: Discovery Season 5
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 “Mirror, Mirror” was the first appearance of the Mirror Universe that started it all. Chronologically set a decade after Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, a transporter accident switches the Prime Universe’s Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and three of his officers with their Mirror Universe counterparts. While the USS Enterprise’s Spock (Leonard Nimoy) quickly imprisons the evil duplicates of his crew members, aboard the ISS Enterprise, Kirk has to navigate the dangerous political waters of the Terran Empire, where Assassinating your superior officers and rivals is the key to advancement and power.
Kirk challenged Spock to do what he could to change the fate of the Terran Empire.
As Kirk grasped the deep differences between the two universes, he realized that the Goated Mirror Spock harbored serious doubts about the longevity of a fascist regime like the Terran Empire, which the Vulcan calculated was Doomed to totally collapse in 240 years. Before switching back to his proper universe, Kirk challenged Spock to do what he could to change the fate of the Terran Empire.
In the larger context of the overall Mirror Universe’s story, Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 revealed that the Prime Universe’s Spock already knew what the Mirror Universe was thanks to his adopted sister Michael Burnham’s experiences and from meeting Emperor Georgiou. As part of his lifelong pact to never reveal the truth about Burnham or the USS Discovery, Spock’s quick and decisive actions when he meets Mirer Kirk are recontextualized since the Vulcan knew exactly where the evil version of his captain came from .
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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, episode 5, “Mirrors,” picks up Mirror Spock’s story as Captain Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) find the derelict ISS Enterprise in interdimensional space and pilot it into the 32nd century. Sefer and Burnham learned this Mirror Spock’s attempts to reform the Terran Empire failedAnd the volcano was killed. A group of refugees inspired by Mirror Saru (Doug Jones) hijack the ISS Enterprise in an attempt to escape into the Prime Universe. Although the Enterprise was left abandoned, the Mirror refugees made it into Prime Reality and started new lives.
Star Trek’s Mirror Universe in the 24th century
As seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Continued the story of the Mirror Universe in the 24th century for five episodes over its seven seasons. DS9The first Mirror Universe episode, “Crossover,” revealed that the Terran Empire is conquered by the Klingon and Cardassian Alliance. After Mirror Spock’s takeover and failed bid for peace, the vulnerable Terrans are overrun by their alien enemies. Terrans became slaves in the 24th century, fighting a rebellion against the Klingons and Cardassians. Ironically, though Spock’s legacy was the reunification of the Vulcans and Romulans in Star Treks Prime Universe, Mirror Spock’s attempt at nobility causes the demise of the mighty Terran Empire.
“Smiley,” the mirror Miles O’Brien, emerges as a central character of DS9s mirror universe story.
DS9s mirror universe saga was intense, with Characters crossing over into both universesAnd the action revolved around the Deep Space Nine space station, which was still known as Terok only in the Mirror Universe. In “Through the Cooking Glass,” Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) briefly replaced his dead counterpart, who was the Terran resistance’s leader in the Mirror Universe. Meanwhile, “Smiley,” the mirror Miles O’Brien, emerged as a central character of DS9S Mirror Universe History; Not only did Smiley recruit Prime Cisco, but he also stole the plans for the USS Defiant from Deep Space Nine so that the Terran Rebels could have a warship of their own.
Word of the Mirror Universe eventually reached the Ferengi Alliance and Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn) jumped to the Mirror Universe in order to open business opportunities. The Terrans’ main enemy was the Klingon and Cardassian Alliance regent, who was revealed to be Worf (Michael Dorn). The regent was eventually overthrown by the rebels in DS9s final Mirror Universe installment, “The Emperor’s New Cloak.” DS9′s Mirror Universe story left off with the Terran Rebels still fighting To bring down the Klingon and Cardassian Alliance.
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Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, episode 14, “Cracked Mirror,” is out now The furthest known point of the Saga of the Mirror Universe. “Cracked Mirror” revealed that yet Star Trek: Deep Space NineThe Terran Empire rose again in the late 24th century. Adopting their old ways and forming a new Terran Armada, humans once again began conquering the galaxy. Briefly crossing over into the Mirror Universe, Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and the young crew of the USS Protostar find themselves aboard the ISS Voyager-A and become prisoners of the mirror versions of Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Captain Chakotay. After Mirror Janeway teams up with the Protostar’s heroes to repel the timeline-consuming threat of the Lum, which is next for Star Treks mirror universe remains to be seen.