Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek Omega!
Star Trekhas one last secret to reveal about the Kelvin timeline, and it is something no fan saw coming. The Kelvin timeline breathed new life into theStar Trekfranchise in 2009. Since then, there have been two other films set there, along with a slew of licensed media.The Kelvin timeline is still full of surprises, and its origins can be seen inStar Trek: Omega.
Captain Sisko and the crew of theTheseustraveled to the Kelvin Timeline inStar Trek#26.
Star Trek: Omegawas written by Christopher Cantwell, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and drawn by an all-star team ofStar Trekartists. Spock and Geordi La Forge are examining blueprints for a highly experimental type of craft. These small starships will be capable of withstanding stellar phenomena that would destroy larger craft.Spock asks if it could withstanda black hole, but Geordi is not sure. Spock then asks if the craft has a name.
Geordi tells Spock it does not have a formal name, but is codenamed “Jellyfish.”
Star Trek’sKelvin Timeline, Explained
Star TrekNeeded a Fresh Start, and the Kelvin Timeline Provided Just That
TheJellyfishshould look familiar to longtimeStar Trekfans, as it was Spock’s spacecraft in 2009’s reboot film. This movie, directed by JJ Abrams, establishedStar Trek’s“Kelvin timeline.” By the early 2000s,Star Trekwas limping along, thanks to the underwhelming performance of bothNemesisandEnterprise.Paramount Pictures opted to essentially start over, creating a new timeline in which to set new adventures featuring a younger cast, not encumbered by decades of continuity. It created a dilemma: how to do a reboot while still honoring what came before?
July 17, 2025
Justin Lin
The writers ofStar Trek, Alex Kurtzman and the late Roberto Orci,decided Spock would become the focal pointof the reboot. In the movie, Spock revealed that the Romulan sun was about to go supernova. Using an experimental spacecraft, Spock tried to reverse the effects of the supernova, but was unsuccessful. The Romulan sun was destroyed, and for his troubles, Spock was thrown back in time. Spock’s actions helped create a new timeline, in which Starfleet technology was more advanced, and the ships looked slicker. It would eventually be referred to as the “Kelvin timeline.”
TheJellyfishWas the First in a New Type of Starship
TheJellyfishWas Another Miracle from Geordi La Forge
Star Trek Omegabrings to an end the last two and a half years of IDWStar Trekcomics. The characters who played prominent roles in the books, including Spock, are maneuvered into new positions. Spock was a regular inStar Trek: Defiant, and during that book’s run, helearned of the impending Romulan supernova. Spock devoted the latter half of his life to repairing the rift between the Vulcans and the Romulans, and he saw stopping the supernova as a bridge to peace. Spock needed a different type of ship to pull it off. Enter theJellyfish.
Spock praises theJellyfish’sdesign, and in doing so, provides another bridge betweenStar Trek’svarious generations.
Much of what fans knew about theJellyfishcame from non-canon sources. It was revealed that the ship was designed by Geordi La Forge, and readers can see its beginnings inStar Trek Omega. While it was known that Geordi helped design the craft, Spock’s involvement is a new development. Geordi was largely absent from IDW’s recentStar Trekcomics, but here he finally makes his presence felt. Spock praises theJellyfish’sdesign, and in doing so, provides another bridge betweenStar Trek’svarious generations. Geordi is a world-class engineer, and theJellyfishmay be his greatest achievement.
Unfortunately, theJellyfish’sFirst Mission Was Also a Failure
Star TrekFans May Never See the Kelvin Timeline Again
Of course, fans know that Spock’s mission with theJellyfishis doomed to fail. The Romulans do not know it, but their days as a major galactic power are coming to an end. Spock, who devoted his life to Vulcan/Romulan reunification, failed both races, and not only would spend his life in exile, but give birth to a completely newStar Trektimeline. The Kelvin timeline ended up savingStar Trek, and continues to be an influence on the franchise 16 years after it debuted. As fans wait for a return to the Kelvin timeline, its greatest secret has been revealed.
