Khan Noonien Singh (Star Trek)

Khan Noonian Singh's photo in the USS Enterprise historical data base. The image depicts Khan as he was in the year 1996 in New Deli which was the capital of his nation during the Eugenics Wars.

In the Star Trek media franchise Noonien Singh is a genetically augmented Human from Earth who ruled a quarter of the world during a period in fictional history known as the Eugenics Wars. Loosing the war Khan and other genetically augmented Humans fled into space to settle on a new world.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Audiences where introduced to the character of Khan Noonien Singh during the episode "Space Seed". The episode establishes that Khan was a genetically enhanced Superman who from his capital of New Deli ruled a quarter of the world. Khan as a historical figure is shown to be respected by Kirk, Scotty, and McCoy on the grounds that of the superhuman tyrants of that era Khan was the best one could be living under. Kirk states their was no massacres under his rule, and Scotty states that their where no wars until Khan was attacked. Spock however points out that Khan's was still an oppressive regime with little liberties, just as was the case in each the superhuman governed states. Kirk informs Spock that he's mistaking their admiration of Khan as agreement with him when such isn't the case- one can admire a man and still disagree with his policies.

Khan was revived from stasis aboard a sleeper ship by the crew of the USS Enterprise. Learning about the time period he is now living in, Khan found it disappointing that Humanity had not progressed genetically as much as he had hoped. Worried that upon reaching a starbase Khan will be taken into custody and made to face charges regarding his rule back on Earth long ago Khan tries to capture the Enterprise - considering using it's weaponry to conquer a place where his eugenics policies can be implemented. Eventually Khan is defeated and Kirk decides that- given as Khan is brilliant but out of time with a mind whose talents would be wasted in this century- to allow Khan to have a world. An unsettled one to tame and mold. Kirk sends Khan and his augments to Alpha Ceti III with plans to have the Federation check on them in 100 years to see what has become of 'the seed they have planted'.

Star Trek II: The Wroth of Khan

It's revealed in Star Trek II that during the time on Alpha Ceti III the planet's once lush and untamed wilderness was destroyed in a stellar event. Kirk had never told Khan when he'd be checking in on them, and for years Khan expected Kirk to return but he did not. Khan's wife was killed by a local insectoid creature, most of his men starved to death, and life became a 'living hell'. When Chekov and a star fleet captain arrived thinking they where on Alpha Ceti IV they encountered Khan who sought only vengeance against Kirk for in isolation Khan believed that Kirk was fully aware due to his advanced space age equipment what was surely going to happen to Alpha Ceti III.

Taking over the federation vessel, Khan pursued Kirk and faced him in a final battle where Khan, his son, and the other surviving augments of Khan's group where killed when the ship they captured was destroyed in battle with the Enterprise.

The Eugenics Wars Novels by Greg Cox (2001-2005)

The Eugenics Wars novels by Greg Cox expands upon Khan's background by weaving it into that of Gary 7. In Greg Cox's series Khan's rule expanded to a little over half the planet by the time the war turned to his disfavor. Greg Cox maintained the 1/4th of the planet being under his governance as established in TOS by having that the other 1/4th that made a total half being vassals of Khans. In Greg's novels Khan managed to get the other augment nations to join him as clients of the Khanate during a conference at Mt. Kilimanjaro. Following this political victory Khan moved his government from New Deli to Mt. Kilimanjaro where it was based until the end of the war.

Khan in the novels is not the result of selective breeding but was grown in a lab with Gary 7 having been tasked by his alien superiors with eliminating him to avert a coming war. However, Gary 7 could not bring himself to do so and having been the result of eugenics himself Gary 7 opted to try to shape Khan into a beneficial force by intervening in his life at key moments relayed to him by a time scanning device after eliminating the scientists who would have shaped Khan into someone like 'Colonial Green' became. Khan was raised in India within the tradition of the Sikh faith. At some point however Gary 7 sought to have Khan help him, believing that such would give Khan a positive focus in life. Khan's augmented mind and strength proved useful but no matter what was done the war seemed inevitable and seeing it as such Khan opted to instead of trying to prevent it to take a role in it feeling that such was the only way to prevent the extinction of mankind.

By the end of the war, and despite the conflict with Gary 7 for having taken such an approach, Gary 7 helped Khan escape into the stars as part of him saw the augment as one would see a son.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-Present)

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds the character of La'an Noonien-Singh is a descendent of an iteration of Khan that rose to power in the twenty-first century instead of the late twentieth. This was the result of Romulan interference which averted Khan's inception in the twentieth century. The Romulans did so due to a computer predictive regarding Earth's development as part of their plan to slow it's rise into the stars down however it became apparent that 'time it's self' was fighting back and thus thirty years after 1992 Khan was created not by selective breeding but genetic engineering of a new being. The butterfly effect of this was an aggressive genocidal Khan and the eventual birth of La'an Noonien-Singh who served as security officer aboard the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike.