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Obituary: Persis Khambatta

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PERSIS KHAMBATTA, the former Miss India and international model, created cinematic history by appearing in 1979 as the first bald film heroine, in Star Trek: the Motion Picture, the hugely successful Hollywood science fiction film.

She was selected from among thousands of aspirants to play Lt Aliea, the alien navigator of the starship USS Enterprise. The bald pate of the 29-year-old, dark- haired, vivacious beauty from Bombay was flashed across posters world- wide, making her an instant celebrity.

Four years later she starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in Night Hawks and became the first Indian to present an award at the Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles. Earlier, at the Miss World contest in Miami in the mid- 1960s, where local newspapers referred to her as the "prettiest Indian girl to be seen in the US in many years", Khambatta was offered a role in a Bond film. But she turned it down as she had promised her mother that she would return home immune to Western allurements.

Soon after, she won the best fledgling actress award for her role as a swinging Sixties Bombay woman in the avant-garde Indian film Bombay rat ki bahoon mein ("Bombay by Night", 1969) But, tiring of Bollywood's lack of professionalism, Khambatta left for London, where she became a well-known model.

She bagged her first international film role in 1975 in The Wilby Conspiracy, acting opposite Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier. In the same year, she also starred in Conduct Unbecoming, with Richard Attenborough, Michael York and Trevor Howard.

After acting in two little-known science fiction films - Warrior of the Lost World and Mega Force - in the late 1980s Khambatta returned to Bombay to work on Pride of India, a pictorial history featuring past Miss Indias since the Fifties.

Persis Khambatta was born into a middle-class Parsee home in Bombay in 1948; her tryst with fame began at the age of 14. A set of her pictures casually taken by a well-known Bombay photographer ended up as a successful campaign for a popular soap brand and eventually to Khambatta's becoming a model. She entered the Miss India contest in 1965 and won it.

She continued modelling before leaving for London and the United States for her career as international model and Hollywood star. In the United States, she used her film success to campaign hard for ethnic minority actors to play ethnic roles, which were being cornered by white men in dark make-up.

But, tiring of life in the West, she returned to Bombay in the early 1990s and, defying feminists who opposed beauty contests on the grounds that they merely flauted women as sex objects she laboriously produced Pride of India (1996), an anthology of former Miss Indias and other stunningly attractive Indian women who had participated in international beauty contests. Her book also featured Mother Teresa of Calcutta whose wrinkled face, Khambatta said, radiated beauty.

Though Khambatta complained bitterly about India, its filthiness, lack of civic sense and professionalism, she never severed her links with her beloved Bombay, always slipping back into the city and picking up the threads from her previous visit. A thorough professional and obsessively punctual, Khambatta was a private person. In her last television appearance, on a chat show five days ago, she claimed that she could have got innumerable film roles in Hollywood had she agreed to act in the nude. She also admitted to having a few affairs which, unfortunately, did not "work out" and translate into anything permanent.

Kuldip Singh

Persis Khambatta, actress and model: born Bombay October 1948; died Bombay 18 August 1998.

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Who Was the Bald Woman in the First Star Trek Movie?

If you’re a Star Trek fan, you may have noticed a bald woman in the first Star Trek movie. Who was she? Let’s find out.

The Bald Woman

In the first Star Trek movie, there is a scene where the crew of the USS Enterprise is walking through a long hallway. In that scene, we see a bald woman walking in the opposite direction. She doesn’t say anything and we never see her again.

Who Played Her?

The bald woman was played by actress Persis Khambatta. She was an Indian model and actress who appeared in several Bollywood movies before making her Hollywood debut in the Star Trek movie.

Her Character

The character that Khambatta played was Lieutenant Ilia. She was the navigator of the USS Enterprise and had an interesting backstory.

Ilia was from Delta IV, a planet where humanoid beings communicate with each other using their bodies instead of their voices. This meant that she had to learn how to communicate verbally when she joined Starfleet.

One of the most striking things about Lieutenant Ilia was her appearance. She had a completely bald head, which was unusual for women characters at that time. The decision to make her bald was deliberate and meant to symbolize Ilia’s unique background and culture.

Although Lieutenant Ilia only appeared in one Star Trek movie, she left a lasting impression on fans. Her character has been referenced in later Star Trek shows and movies, and even inspired some cosplayers to dress up as her.

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New Delhi: Best known for going bald for her role in the highly successful sci-fi film,  Star Trek: The Motion Picture  (1979), Persis Khambatta was a Mumbai-born model-turned-actor. She made waves in Hollywood and starred alongside prominent actors like Michael Caine, Michael Shatner and Sylvester Stallone.

On entering Hollywood, she once said , “Most of the actors I’ve worked with have been very helpful to me. I think it’s because I come from a foreign country and they’re very protective of me.”

Early modelling fame

Born into a middle-class Parsi family on 2 October 1948, Khambatta was raised by her mother after her father left them when she was two. “It was very hard. Our people [Parsis] stress family. I developed a sense of humor and something of a toughness of skin, but I suffered from being different,” she had said .

Scouted by a well-known Mumbai photographer at the age of 13, she landed a Rexona soap advertisement. At 17, she was named Miss India 1965 and then contested for Miss Universe title.

Khambatta gradually ventured into Bollywood, starring as a cabaret singer in K.A. Abbas’s  Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1968), which  won the National Award for cinematography. However, Khambatta felt increasingly frustrated with the industry’s lack of professionalism and left for London.

Stardom after Star Trek

Khambatta played small roles in two 1975 films — Ralph Nelson’s  The Wilby Conspiracy and Michael Anderson’s  Conduct Unbecoming  before “a dollar ninety-nine investment” skyrocketed her career. In an  interview , she revealed that wearing a bald cap that cost $1.99, during her audition with  Star Trek  creator Gene Roddenberry, helped secure her the role of Lieutenant Ilia. She is particularly well known for having shaved her head for the film.

She played the character of Lieutenant Ilia, a Deltan navigator of the USS Enterprise, who  released  sexual pheromones irresistible to humans.

A year later, she  co-starred  in the cop thriller  Night Hawks  (1981) with superstar Sylvester Stallone. Around that time, she also married actor and stuntman Cliff Taylor weeks after they met, because she  felt that “they were lovers in a past life”. They divorced two months later.

In 1980, she was the first Indian to present at the Oscars in Los Angeles. In a talk show five days before her death, she had revealed that she could have got numerous film roles had she agreed to act in the nude.

Pride of India

In 1997, Khambatta published an anthology called  Pride of India , honouring former winners of the Miss India pageant and other icons of beauty. The title of the book, according to Khambhatta, was inspired by former prime minister Indira Gandhi calling her the “pride of India”.

The book was “a 90s rewind of the beauty business” and also featured Mother Teresa whose wrinkled face radiated beauty,  said Khambatta.

“The earlier Indian queens were really beautiful but they lost out in the world contests because they had fuller hips. The starved, slim look is being cultivated only now,”  she added .

However, the book was unsuccessful and received scathing reviews.

“At its worst, it is an expensive repetition. Most of all, Persis, we must thank you for reminding us all about yourself,”  wrote  one critic.

In 1980, Khambatta was  severely injured  in a car crash in Germany, which left a large scar on her head. Almost a decade later, the chain-smoker  returned to Mumbai and underwent coronary bypass surgery, but eventually,  died of a massive heart attack in 1998. She was just 49.

Also read:   Ravi Chopra — the man behind the Mahabharat and Baghban

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very sad. i think she could have stayed in india. got married give up smoking and could have very well, alive and happy today.

Persis Khambatta was a wonderful creation. A modern day Mother/Nurturer- a goddess like Kali to those around her. Me included. This is a good article except for the “opinion” of a the review on her book which like her, we helped promote. The book was more in demand in the U.S. and Europe than in India . A second edition was on her mind and in the works when she died. Her death was more about FOUL PLAY than natural. Edward Lozzi & Associates Public Relations

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Persis Khambatta

Persis Khambatta was an Indian actress and former ‘ Revlon ‘ model.

She died of a suspected heart attack on the 18th of August 1998.

Most famous for playing the bald ‘Lieutenant llia’, Deltan navigator in the 1979 movie ‘ Star Trek: The Motion Picture ‘.

She became noticed after posing ‘naturally’ in a soap commercial. This led her to become a model and beauty queen contestant, winning ‘Femina Miss India’ 1965.

Early in her career she was often referred to as “The prettiest Indian girl to be seen in the United States in years”.

Bald Actress and model

October 2, 1948, Bombay, Bombay State, India

Alive or Dead

Died in 1998, age 49.

Best Known for

Bald female role in Star Trek movie in 1979. Modelling for a popular soap brand. ‘ Femina Miss India ‘ in 1965.

Height & Weight

5′ 8″ / 173 cm’s – 119 lbs / 54 kg’s

Nationality

$500,000 USD

Married or Single

Married to Cliff Taylor from 1981–1981. Married to Naren Parekh from 1986 up until her death in 1998.

Gay or Straight

Interesting facts and trivia.

Two years after her famous bald role in Star Trek, Persis played role as Shakka Holland / Shakka Kapoorwas in the 1981 movie ‘KnightHawks’ starring veteran American actor ‘Sylvester Stallone’. She had long dark hair in the movie.

Persis was the first Indian citizen to present an ‘Academy Award’. On stage at the 52nd Academy Awards with William Shatner, together they presented an Oscar for Documentary “Best Boy” (feature) to Ira Wohl, and the Oscar for Documentary (Short Subject) for “Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist” to Saul J. Turell.

Original Footage of Persis Khambatta Getting Shaved Bald for Star Trek Role

Watch Persis hold back tears as she gets all of her beautiful long hair shaved totally bald.

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Creating Lieutenant Ilia

Gene Roddenberry created the character of Ilia for the aborted second Star Trek television series Phase II . The show’s 1977 bible described the young navigator as “breathtakingly beautiful” and second in intelligence only to the ship’s Vulcan science officer. (Leonard Nimoy hadn’t been interested in reprising his role as Spock for television but was persuaded to return for The Motion Picture .)

Her smooth, slender bare head has the almost sensually quality of delicately contoured nudity, always hidden before in other women. It gives her a striking, almost “Egyptian” look, particularly when wearing a Deltan jewel-band head ornament.

The Deltans set up an interesting contrast with the Vulcans. They could not mind meld but rather sense the emotions and thoughts of others in the form of images. Whereas the Vulcans repressed their feelings, Deltans were extremely sensual:

On 114-Delta V, almost everything in life is sex-oriented; it is a part of every friendship, every social engagement, every profession. It is simply the normal way to relate with others there.

This is the origin of the “oath of celibacy” Ilia had to take before joining Starfleet.

Costume designer Bob Fletcher borrowed heavily from the Phase II bible in his own notes for The Motion Picture , which he shared with Fantastic Films and Starlog magazines in early 1980. (Links point to scanned version of the interviews by My Star Trek Scrapbook .) He described the Deltans as “poised, proud, somewhat aloof, but with a keen sense of humor.”

Achieved Earth’s technology 100 centuries ago, but then turned away from the materialism of technology toward the richer rewards of self-realization. Have learned to live each moment of life to the fullest. Unlike the Vulcans, they value and delight in emotion. A sensual race, their senses are far more sensitive than humans.

Fletcher suggested the reason Deltans make such excellent navigators is that their highly evolved intelligence can “handle the most complex spherical trigonometric complexities of space navigation as easily as a human learns simple multiplication tables.”

He also described the Deltans as great jewelry makers:

Their jewelry is sold throughout the galaxy and is very popular.

In several of the costume and makeup tests that were shot for what was then still Phase II , Persis Khambatta, the Indian actress who had been cast in the role of Ilia, can be seen wearing various pieces of jewelry.

Khambatta told Star Trek Communicator in an interview that was published in December 1998 — four months after her death from a heart attack at the age of 49 — that hundreds of actresses had tested for the role:

There were a lot of women with hair that looked really stunning, but when you remove the hair they somehow lose the look. Basically, they had asked me if I would shave my head or wear a bald cap. I said look, if you are doing a series for five years I would want to shave my hair because I would go bald with all the gum and glue from the bald cap. Besides, a bald cap would have never looked real.

She told People magazine in January 1980 ( My Star Trek Scrapbook has the original version , with pictures) that she seldom wore wigs or hats during production. “I thought I was very pretty without hair,” but — “some people must have thought I was an exhibitionist or religious fanatic.”

Khambatta’s skimpy outfit as the V’Ger-controlled Ilia probe was the actress’ idea.

“I was supposed to wear one of those same grey uniforms,” she told Star Trek Communicator .

[B]eing bald and wearing that grey starship uniform, I would have looked like a boy. I wanted to look like a sexy female.

Khambatta’s unique look was an ubiquitous part of the movie’s advertising campaign. Film critic Jordan Hoffman writes for the official Star Trek website that back in 1979, a woman with no hair was still quite a shocker:

Indeed, Khambatta’s real-life head-shave was enough of a news item that it was filmed for promotional purposes.

Desperate their elaborate backstory, Deltans were seldom seen in Star Trek again. But they were reinvented. The Next Generation introduced the empathetic Betazoids, which were based on the Deltans. The character of Deanna Troi, and her history with First Officer Will Riker, was based on Ilia and her relationship with Will Decker.

It was always a shame that the Deltans were not used in subsequent productions of Trek (big screen or small).

Thank you for this insightful report on this pivotal actor/actress (politically correct wasn’t “in” then) to the Trek universe and her character’s link to Star Trek: The Next Generation . The movie demonstrated some of our frst concerns over AI and is still relevant today. Her dedication to her role and her craft was important. May Pariss Khambatta NEVER be forgotten!

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Star Trek to Success: Persis Khambatta, the First Indian Woman to Stamp a Mark in Hollywood

She made hearts flutter as a fierce and breathtaking Deltan Starfleet officer on board the ‘USS Enterprise’, in the first instalment of the iconic American sci-fi film series - Star Trek.

L ong before modern-day actresses took to the international stage, it was a Mumbai born and bred, former Miss India who blazed the trail for Indian actors to venture into Hollywood.

She made hearts flutter as a fierce and breathtaking Deltan Starfleet officer on board the ‘USS Enterprise’, in the first instalment of the iconic American sci-fi film series – Star Trek.

This Parsi woman was none other than the ethereal, Persis Khambatta!

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In her role of the humanoid navigator Ilia for Star Trek, she challenged conventional beauty norms by rocking a bald look. Yes, and that too at a time when women with long tresses were considered the epitome of beauty, she shaved her head for the role and commanded limelight not just in India but in the international arena too.

And yet, Persis is lost in the pages that narrate stories of the most unrivalled Indian actresses of their times.

This is her story.

Persis was a child born in free India to a Parsi couple in the maximum city on 2 October 1948. She was only two years old when her father walked away from the family.

Her tryst with fame began at the age of 13. A well-known erstwhile Bombay photographer captured her in a set of candid pictures which were used for a successful campaign by popular soap brand Rexona. These marked her baby steps into the world of modelling.

At the tender age of 17, she walked the ramp for the celebrated Femina Miss India pageant which was in its second year. She wowed the judges and ardent viewers and emerged its winner.

The young beauty also moved on to become the third Indian woman to participate in the Miss Universe pageant in 1965. All of this while dressed in last-minute off-the-rack clothes!

With her newly-gained fame in India , she modelled for big names like the national carrier Air India, cosmetics brand－Revlon, and famous clothing line, Garden Vareli.

She made her Bollywood debut with K A Abbas’ avant-garde 1968 film Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein in the role of a cabaret dancer, Lilly, crooning the title track. Soon, she left for London to continue with her modelling career in Britain.

Her first brush with Hollywood came in 1975 when she played small roles in Conduct Unbecoming with Richard Attenborough, Michael York, and Trevor Howard and The Wilby Conspiracy opposite Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier.

And yet, the break that catapulted her into fame came in the form of Lieutenant Ilia－the daunting character in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . She was then 29 years old. The truth of the matter is that Persis was initially signed to play the role for five years, as the intention was to create a new Star Trek television series. And though it meant she lost five years of work, she admitted that she was thrilled that the project became a movie instead, citing a greater impact on her career. The rest, as they say, is history.

It was the love, admiration, and respect that she had garnered through her work in the film that led her to become the first Indian to present an award at the Oscars in Los Angeles in 1980.

She also starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in Night Hawks the same year and later appeared in lesser-known science fiction films like Warrior of the Lost World and Mega Force . Though her acting career had begun a downward spiral, Persis never lost sight of the bigger goal.

Back in the US, she leveraged her Star Trek success to campaign for actors from ethnic minority to play ethnic roles, than having white people play roles with bronzed skin.

Painful challenges came in the form of a grave car crash in Germany, which left a huge scar on her head in 1980 and a coronary bypass surgery in 1983. In 1985, she returned to Bombay and appeared in a Hindi television series Shingora and a few cameos in Hollywood television series such as Mike Hammer and MacGyver .

In the 90s when different feminist schools of thought opposed the beauty contests that flaunted women as sex objects, she wrote and published a pictorial anthropology of former Miss India’s and Indian women who had participated in international beauty contests.

Persis’ last role was in the 1993 pilot episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman .

Five years later, she was rushed to the Marine Hospital in South Bombay when she complained of chest pains. On 18 August 1998, she suffered a heart attack and passed away at the age of 49.

To honour her legacy, the Persis Khambatta Memorial Award was instituted in 1999.

With a scholarship and trophy depicting her in her role in Star Trek, the award is given annually to the top graduating student of the National Institute of Fashion Technology . It was designed and funded by Sanjeev Chowdhury, former Vice-Consul of Canada at the Canadian Consulate in Mumbai, who was Persis’ best friend and the last to dine with her before her death.

With Persis’ passing, India lost a gem. And though she may have gone in flesh, the true force of nature and fierce spirit that she embodied will continue to inspire women for years to come!

Rest in peace, Dear Lieutenant Ilia. May you continue to shine in the vast universe with your bright light.

You May Also Like: Smashing Stereotypes: At 14, She Was India’s Youngest Female Dhol Player!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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Star Trek: The Motion Picture

• When an alien spacecraft of enormous power is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk resumes command of the overhauled USS Enterprise in order to intercept it.
• A massive alien spacecraft of enormous power destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers as it makes its way towards Federation space. Admiral James T. Kirk is ordered to take command of the USS Enterprise for the first time since her historic five-year mission. The Epsilon IX space station alerts the Federation, but they are also destroyed by the alien spacecraft. The only starship in range is the Enterprise, after undergoing a major overhaul in drydock orbiting Earth. Kirk rounds up the rest of his crew, and acquires some new members, and sets off to intercept the alien spacecraft. However, it has been three years since Kirk last went into deep space--is he up to the task of saving Earth? — Colin Tinto <[email protected]>
• The dazzling, refurbished USS Enterprise soars proudly once again in this ultimate space adventure. When a massive alien spacecraft destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly-transformed USS Enterprise to take command. William Shatner is joined by Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , and the cast from the acclaimed "Star Trek" television series. The alien spacecraft of enormous power enters Federation space and neutralizes everything in its path. The entire crew mobilizes at warp speed to stop the alien intruder from its relentless flight toward Earth. — Robert Lynch <[email protected]>
• In 2273, a Starfleet monitoring station, Epsilon Nine, detects an alien force, hidden in a massive cloud of energy, moving through space towards Earth. The cloud destroys three of the Klingon Empire's new K'I'Inga-class warships and the monitoring station on route. On Earth, the star ship Enterprise is undergoing a major refit; her former commanding officer, James T. Kirk (William Shatner), has been promoted to Admiral and works in San Francisco as Chief of Starfleet Operations. Starfleet dispatches Enterprise to investigate the cloud entity as the ship is the only one in intercept range, requiring her new systems to be tested in transit. Kirk takes command of the ship citing his experience, angering Captain Willard Decker (Stephen Collins), who had been overseeing the refit as its new commanding officer. Testing of Enterprise's new systems goes poorly; two officers, including the science officer, are killed by a malfunctioning transporter, and improperly calibrated engines almost destroy the ship. Kirk's unfamiliarity with the new systems of the Enterprise increases the tension between him and first officer Decker. Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy) arrives as a replacement science officer, explaining that while on his home world undergoing a ritual to purge all emotion, he felt a consciousness that he believes emanates from the cloud. Other officers are Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), the chief medical officer. Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), the Enterprise's chief engineer. Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig), the Enterprise's weapons officer. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), the communications officer. Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), the Enterprise's helmsman Enterprise intercepts the energy cloud and is attacked by an alien vessel within. But this time, Spock is able to discern that the alien vessel has been trying to communicate with the Enterprise. Spock fixes the Linguacode and transmission frequencies of their reception and the attacks on the Enterprise stop. A probe appears on the bridge, attacks Spock and abducts the navigator, Ilia (Persis Khambatta). She is replaced by a robotic replica, another probe sent by "V'Ger" to study the crew. Decker is distraught over the loss of Ilia, with whom he had a romantic history. He becomes troubled as he attempts to extract information from the doppelganger, which has Ilia's memories and feelings buried within. Spock takes a spacewalk to the alien vessel's interior and attempts a telepathic mind meld with it. In doing so, he learns that the vessel is V'Ger itself, a living machine. Shortly thereafter V'Ger transmit a signal in simple binary code on radio and asks for the creator. When it receives no response, it fires probes into the atmosphere that Enterprise calculates will rid the planet of mankind. Ilia the robot tells Kirk that V'Ger has calculated that the Carbon lifeforms infest the creator's planet as it infests the Enterprise and hence needs to be eliminated to stop interfering with the creator's work. Spock suggests that V'Ger is a child and asks Kirk to treat it as such. Kirk tells Ilia the robot why the creator has not responded but won't reveal that to V'Ger. V'Ger has a huge power surge (in the manner of throwing a tantrum). Kirk holds and says to Ilia robot that he will only reveal the information to V'Ger directly. As such, the Enterprise is pulled towards the V'Ger's central brain complex. At the center of the massive ship, V'Ger is revealed to be Voyager 6, a 20th-century Earth space probe believed lost. The damaged probe was found by an alien race of living machines that interpreted its programming as instructions to learn all that can be learned and return that information to its creator. The machines upgraded the probe to fulfill its mission, and on its journey the probe gathered so much knowledge that it achieved consciousness. Spock realizes that V'Ger lacks the ability to give itself a focus other than its original mission; having learned what it could on its journey home, it finds its existence empty and without purpose. Before transmitting all its information, V'Ger insists that the Creator come in person to finish the sequence. Realizing that the machine wants to merge with its creator, Decker offers himself to V'Ger; he merges with the Ilia probe and V'Ger, creating a new form of life that disappears into another dimension. With Earth saved, Kirk directs Enterprise out to space for future missions.

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Published Dec 12, 2023

Bjo Trimble: The Woman Who Saved Star Trek

Looking back on the Trimbles' letter writing campaign.

Getty Images / StarTrek.com

As we close out another great year in the Star Trek universe, we're taking some time to recognize that there might have been nothing to celebrate, or certainly a whole less less, were it not for the efforts of Bjo and John Trimble.

Longtime fans surely know the story, but newer fans may not, and it’s time to re-tell the tale and pass it on for a new generation. We can't think of a better time as this week marks the 55th anniversary of their letter writing campaign.

For the record, when NBC seemed to be on the verge of axing Star Trek after a low-rated second season, the Trimbles devised a grassroots letter-writing campaign that saved the show and resulted in a third season. Though the network dropped Star Trek after its lackluster third year, enough episodes had been shot for the show to enter syndication. And, it was during its syndicated run that Star Trek emerged as such a phenomenon that it was resurrected as an animated series and, in 1979, a big-budget feature .

StarTrek.com

From there, the franchise grew and grew, spanning from Star Trek: The Next Generation and all the subsequent shows to Star Trek (2009) , and everything in between. So, truly, you might not be reading this now, and might not be on the boards debating the merits of this Star Trek book or that Trek game had the Trimbles not stepped up to the plate back in 1968.

To mark the 55th anniversary of their campaign, StarTrek.com is revisiting our extensive interview with Bjo Trimble, conducted over email a few years ago, in which she talked about her life, love of sci-fi, the legendary letter writing campaign, and more!

StarTrek.com: To many people, you are the "woman who saved Star Trek ." Obviously, somewhere along the line, you developed a keen interest in sci-fi. How did you discover it? What did/do you appreciate most about the genre? Were you more a fan of sci-fi prose or sci-fi film/TV?

Bjo Trimble: I’d always loved fairy tales, where everything worked out happily ever after. So it was an easy step into fantasy when I could find books. Since that was a subject that librarians deplored, there was not much fantasy available except Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars series.

I was introduced to science fiction about 1946 or so, when I was being a brat about having to stay in bed to recover from flu. We lived in a trailer park where everything was parked pretty close, so noise carried. One of our neighbors was the Swedish Angel, a professional wrestler. His wife read sci-fi, and one day, [she] brought me a big stack of Astounding Science Fiction to shut me up. I had no idea what a robot or an alien was, or how a rocket ship worked, or that we ever hoped to get off this planet to visit strange new worlds. The stories were so exciting that I couldn’t give up on them, though I had to re-read them several times to figure out what was going on.

When I tried to find sci-fi in libraries, I discovered that it was the one thing that librarians deplored above fantasy! Then I found that drug stores sold sci-fi magazines. There were only 3 genres back then — fantasy, science fiction, and a sort of combination. I’d not have gone to any sci-fi movies then because all the family went to see were westerns and Disney films. There was nothing on TV for those who owned a blurry little black and white set that qualified as sci-fi.

StarTrek.com: Your involvement in sci-fi conventions and societies started well before Star Trek . How did that come about? And give us a sense of what you were involved in early on.

Bjo Trimble: My first convention was Chicon II in 1952, when I was a WAVE at USNTC Great Lakes. I was in the hospital with an infected ear when I saw a small blurb in Astounding Science Fiction about a convention that Labor Day weekend in Chicago. So I wrangled a 3-day pass, Radar O’Reilly style, and took off. I was technically AWOL, but nobody caught up with the paperwork until I’d returned.

At the convention, I met a bunch of other excited SF fans, including this bespectacled young man who had just sold his first short story. He decided he liked me and proposed on the spot. I said thank you, but no. His friends assured me that Harlan Ellison really meant marriage, and I assured them that I really meant no. I also met Robert Bloch, Wily Ley, August Derleth and several other writers at that wonderful convention. I was hooked on science fiction fandom!

Since I was an artist and cartoonist, fan editors quickly engaged me in the wonderful world of fanzines, where I drew many covers and interior illos for fan publications. I have also done an occasional professional illustration, too. Later on, John and I organized and directed the World Science Fiction Art Show at Worldcons for many years. That show is still going strong.

StarTrek.com: Somehow, John doesn't receive as much attention as he deserves. How did the two of you meet? When did it become apparent that you shared a love of sci-fi and fighting for things you believed in?

Bjo Trimble: John and I met under Forrest J. Ackerman’s baby grand piano. Forry was holding a very large, crowded party, and there was no place to sit. A group of fans snaffled some chips and crawled under the piano, where people wouldn’t step on us. John was in the Air Force, so he and I traded Stupid Office Stories and discovered we liked each other a lot. We knew right away that we both liked the same kind of science fiction, but discovered our willingness to fight for things as we went along. At first it was little things — city block zoning that was unfair to less wealthy home-owners, schools that needed voter support, things like that. By the time we devised the Save Star Trek letter-writing campaign, we were both in sync about what we wanted to do.

StarTrek.com: What's it meant to you to have John by your side for so long?

Bjo Trimble: It took awhile for us to decide to marry, but it’s lasted for 51 years this July, so we must be doing something right! It has meant everything to me to have John by my side because he is my closest friend. We don’t do well when we are separated for very long.

"Mudd's Women"

StarTrek.com: OK, how and when did Star Trek enter into your life?

Bjo Trimble: John and I were going to Tricon in Cleveland, 1966, to set up the Art Show. A friend was to handle a Futuristic Fashion Show, but she got appendicitis and that project went to me. At the convention, the con-com told me they had promised this Big Hollywood TV Producer that he could put three of his costumes in my fashion show, but since we were already so tight for time, I said no. None of us had any idea what show he was talking about; he was premiering three episodes at Tricon, but it had not yet been aired.

A little later, this big handsome man jollied me into putting his costumes in the show — two from " Mudd’s Women " and one from " What Are Little Girls Made Of? " The upshot was that we made friends with Gene [Roddenberry], and afterward visited the Star Trek set fairly often when we all returned to California. Gene was thrilled that the fans liked his show since everyone in Hollywood was betting it would not last very long. In fact, there was a small letter campaign organized by Harlan Ellison and other science fiction writers when Star Trek was threatened at the end of the first season. Their main push was to save the only TV show that actually bought scripts from writers who knew the subject, so not many fans were involved. Details are hazy on just what happened, but NBC at least did not cancel the show, so it must have worked.

The whole Save Star Trek campaign was John’s fault. We had visited the Trek set, about when word sifted down that the show would be canceled at the end of the second season. So we watched actors do their stuff beautifully in front of the camera, then slump off looking depressed. On our way home, John said, "There ought to be something we could do about this!” Now, he’d been married to me long enough to know better. By the time we got back home, we’d mapped out a basic plan of action. So we called Gene Roddenberry to see if he was OK with this idea. Gene had just told his staff that it would be wonderful if there was just some way to reach to fans and get their support. So things began to happen. But all the news at that time was about Women’s Lib and "the little housewife speaking up," so the news media had little interest in a businessman. Reporters focused on me instead of John. To my sorrow, John has seldom gotten even the fan credit he so well deserves for his part in making the Star Trek we know now a reality for all of fandom.

StarTrek.com: What is it that you appreciated most about the original Star Trek series?

Bjo Trimble: The grown-up approach to the stories, instead of the standard "there’s an ugly alien, let’s kill it!" story that was so common. Star Trek presented the ugly alien as a loving mother, an amazing twist. We also liked the sense of wonder presented in an adult manner, plus the three-dimensional characters.

StarTrek.com: Many of us knew the Star Trek Concordance as our only real Trek reference guide for many, many years. What do you remember most of assembling the book and the reaction to it at the time?

Bjo Trimble: The Concordance started with a young lady taking copious notes on episodes as they were viewed. I started helping her. When she had shoeboxes full of 3x5 index cards, I suggested that we put together a sort of encyclopedia fanzine. But it began to take too long and she lost interest. When we finally produced the Concordance fanzine, I was foolish in giving the young lady all the writing credit, which was not entirely true. For subsequent publications of the book, she had no input at all. John and I produced the first fan-published edition on an offset press in our basement. If you purchased a copy and happened to be in town, you had to come to our house to collate your own book! One of the reasons for the delay was Gene Roddenberry’s removal from his own show for the third season. The new producer did not like Trek fans and refused to let me have any access to scripts. Then President Eisenhower died before the final episode was shown; it did not air until the opening of the late re-run season. So we had to wait until then to make notes on that final episode, then print a third-season supplement.

The fan reaction was about the same as anything that happens Trek -wise today — some fans loved the Concordance , others hated it and nitpicked it to death. Some of their criticism was valid, but a lot of it was simple jealousy that they had not thought of the idea. Subsequently, several worked on their own version, but Mike Okuda was the only one who ever gave us credit for our pioneering research into the subject.

StarTrek.com: Let's get more into to saving Star Trek . Take our younger readers back to what was happening with the show, with NBC, etc., and what you and John did to help alter the course of Star Trek and entertainment history.

Bjo Trimble: Back when only three networks controlled almost all of TVland, NBC had a stranglehold on every word that was said, every action that happened, on the TV shows they aired. An NBC censor was on hand to read all the scripts and go over all the costumes with a beady eye. For some reason, the Empty Suits at the Top were convinced that one glimpse of a belly-button would totally ruin the morals of American Youth. Considering what’s on the Internet today, it sounds positively Victorian.

NBC figured Gene Roddenberry for a loose cannon – and they were right. Gene was as iconoclastic as he could possibly get away with, and he suffered a fair amount of slings and arrows due to his unrelenting envelope-pushing. NBC was also convinced that Star Trek was watched only by drooling idiot 12-year olds with no buying power. They managed to ignore the fact that people such as Isaac Asimov, a multiple PhD, and a multitude of other intellectuals enjoyed the show. So, of course, the Suits were always looking for reasons to cancel shows they didn’t trust to be raging successes. They used faulty Neilson Rating numbers to “prove” that Star Trek was failing badly, and decided to cancel it. Fans decided to take action, and we did it very well, thank you very much! So well that NBC came on, in prime time, and made a voice-over announcement that Star Trek was not canceled… so please stop writing letters.

This was all accomplished before the Internet. Only the very rich had computers; many big corporations farmed their computer work out. We mimeographed newsletters and mailed them out to addresses we got from SF conventions, book dealers, and even some ST fan mail that Gene helped us obtain from the fan mail service that Paramount contracted with. The newsletters had guidelines for letters, and asked each person to write a letter and then pass the information along to at least 10 people, asking them to write a letter and pass the information on as well. Thus was the Rule of Ten born.

There is another weird anomaly of the TV biz — in the 1960s, any show that did not have three seasons was never re-run! So with three seasons of TOS in the can, it could go into re-runs. It is claimed that ST has never been out of syndication somewhere in the world in all these years. Saving TOS meant another series, then another, and so on. Then the movies, and more movies.

StarTrek.com: Millions of fans, of course, are forever appreciative of your efforts. What did Gene Roddenberry say to you? What have the TOS cast members said to you over the years?

Bjo Trimble: Gene and most of the TOS cast members all thanked us, with the exception of a couple of people who at that time did not much care for fans and found it annoying to admit that we had anything to do with their success. Desilu never acknowledged our existence, and neither had Paramount. Anytime we get to go to a premiere or party at Paramount, it’s due to someone in the ranks remembering us. As for the millions of appreciative fans, I suspect most of them have no idea who we are; all they see are a couple of Olde Pharts with nothing new or interesting to tell them. StarTrek.com: One personal highlight for you must have been that day you were an extra, along with other fans, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . What was that day like?

Bjo Trimble: We were both invited to be in The Motion Picture , but John had to work. He has been very sorry to be so conscientious, since he was out of that job the next year. It was a real thrill to see all the excited fans and to meet the unfailingly polite and patient director, Robert Wise. Many fans framed their paychecks, throwing the Paramount accounting department into a real tizzy. I cashed my check; we had two small children to care for. The fans had a wonderful time on the recreation deck, playing with the games that were subsequently removed as not being useful to the plot. The professional extras were not particularly amused, but then, fans weren’t worrying about where our next job and next paycheck was coming from in the film industry.

We did so well that the planned two days of shooting was crammed into one long day. We are all in white, tan, or pale gray uniforms. So what did they serve us for lunch? BBQ chicken and watermelon! Most of the fans on the set enjoyed the organized chaos of being in a movie. There was one heart-stopping moment when an alien mask went missing, but it was found in the hands of a fan who was trying to find out where to give it back.

StarTrek.com: You wrote On The Good Ship Enterprise . What did it mean to you to recount your 15 years of involvement with Star Trek in book form? Any stories you couldn't tell then that you can now? And is the book still in print?

Bjo Trimble: I had lots of fun writing those stories – all of them true. It meant a lot to be able to share fun stories with fans. Oh, yes, there were stories I could not tell then that I could tell now! We’re not the kind who likes to tell or hint at scurrilous back-stage goings-on; we leave that for the gossips. We enjoy seeing fans laugh at the fun things that we can share about our days on the sets, and our interactions with the actors and other members of the show. The book is no longer in print, but a very nice fan is helping get it updated and put online as an ebook.

StarTrek.com: You also helped lead the charge to have the first U.S. shuttle called Enterprise . Take us through that experience.

Bjo Trimble: A couple of other fans actually started this project, but for some reason, they could not finish it, and asked us to take it over. We thought it was a good idea to make the public really aware of the space program by using a popular name for the first shuttle, and we took it on. This was quite a scramble because there was a hard deadline for getting the job done. Remember, this was back before home computers, so it was all done with typewriters and telephones.

When we knew the shuttle was truly going to be named Enterprise , all the official TV Trek people were invited out to Edwards Air Force Base on the California desert to see the roll-out. Except for the Trimbles, of course. However, science fiction authors Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven insisted that we be invited to the reception and roll-out. John attended the reception, but he had to go back to work on roll-out day. I was given a Press Pass, since nobody could figure out what else to do with me. It was a huge thrill to know that Star Trek fandom had been such a big part in making this important step into near space, at least.

StarTrek.com: Post-TOS, how closely or not did you follow TNG, DS9, Voyager , Enterprise , the TNG features and, of course, the recent J.J. Abrams film?

Bjo Trimble: Very closely, and with great interest. We enjoyed TNG very much, really liked DS9 – which is still one of our favorite series – watched most of Voyager but didn’t get into it as much, and frankly thought that Enterprise was not even close to being Trek. We felt bad for those actors, who worked so hard against a tidal flow of bad decisions and unworkable scripts. Of the movies, some have been fairly good, some really horrid. The Powers That Be are convinced that they should never use anyone familiar with Trek for scripts, directing or any of those little production details. They say that what’s really needed is to get non- Trek writers and directors to “appeal to the non- Trek audience.” Which, of course, has assured that both Trekkers and non-Trekkers stayed away in droves.

Of course, we are always asked what we think of the J.J. Abrams film. We think he did pretty well, though we’re a tad tired of bald, tattooed villains in long leather coats. We understand that comic book characters and loud music is considered necessary pandering to the kids. Still, there is some lovely character development that we’d love to see in future movies – if we ever do see a second movie before the actors are ready for retirement! What we liked most about the Abrams film is that is opened up the entire Trek time plane into several other dimensions. Fans were upset about changes in canon, such as Uhura kissing Spock. Well, in the Trek -time we’re most used to, they never got together. In this alternate time, they did. We suggest that the fans trying to wrap their mind around this read a whole lot more time-travel sci-fi!

StarTrek.com: Fans still try to save favorite endangered shows — Roswell is an example, so is Jericho , and so was Enterprise . How different a mission would you say that is at this point, with Hollywood more business-driven than ever and the Internet in many ways usurping snail mail?

Bjo Trimble: This is a new world and has many new ways to do things. Hollywood can double-check on fan demographics faster than we can get a project together, even with the speed of the Internet. That, and a growing cynicism about selling TV time, makes it harder to create a really good push to save a show. The Rule of Ten still works, but now you can pop it into the Rule of One Thousand with the click of a computer button! Fans have forgotten the major credo of getting a studio’s or network’s attention — hit them in the bank account! Don’t just email the people responsible for canceling the show; their minds are made up. Write or email all those sponsors, big and small, who paid out for TV time for advertising. They don’t like to hear that you are unhappy with them; they want people to like them, and like their product. There are ways to do it, too. No threats, no rage, just polite requests. Be nice. Thank them for sponsoring your favorite show; businesses like to be thanked. But point out that if the show goes off the air, you will not be watching their interesting commercials. And besides, you are unhappy, and unhappy people don’t buy products. This works.

StarTrek.com: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with longtime fans and newcomers, too? Bjo Trimble: Be kind. Be nice to each other. Be welcoming to newbies; they are the future of fandom, whatever you are a fan of. We hope that all of you are inspired to be a part of the future we may never see, inspired by a little TV show conceived by a far-seeing 20th Century writer and humanist. We are pleased to know that we have been a part of making sure it happened. We envy you the future, and wish we could come along on all of your new voyages of creativity and imagination.

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This article, which has been edited for length and clarity, was originally published on August 31, 2011.

• Behind The Scenes

Den of Geek

Picard Season 3 Calls Back to Star Trek: The Motion Picture in One Unexpected Way

Deltans have popped up several times since we first met Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but Picard gives us a unique update on the elusive race.

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This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.

Only two episodes in, it’s clear that season three of Star Trek: Picard has a lot more on its mind than just bringing back the crew from The Next Generation . Already, we’ve seen callbacks to not only Deep Space Nine and Enterprise but to the movies starring The Original Series cast, including the boatswain’s whistle from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and a surprise twist very reminiscent of The Wrath of Khan .

So it’s no surprise that the series would give some love to the first movie in the franchise. Released in 1979, after the success of Star Wars convinced studio execs that Gene Rodenberry’s long in gestation TOS follow-up should be a movie instead of the TV series Star Trek: Phase II , Star Trek: The Motion Picture remains a controversial entry in the franchise . For some, it’s a pure distillation of what the series did best, humanist exploration and a celebration of the wonder of discovery. For others, it’s “the motionless picture,” a plodding and indulgent embrace of the series’ worst impulses.

Whatever your thoughts on the movie, most agree that it had some memorable imagery, and not just the oh-so-comfy space pajamas worn by the Enterprise crew. The movie featured Persis Khambatta as Ilia, a Deltan Starfleet officer who becomes the vessel of the V’Ger probe. With her bald head and shifting mannerisms, from warm and open to cold and machine-like, Ilia/V’Ger was a standout from the film.

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So strong is the shadow cast by Ilia that when Lt. T’Veen was spied on the bridge of the new USS Titan in Star Trek: Picard , her bald head immediately brought to mind the Deltans, despite her clearly Vulcan features. T’Veen’s actor Stephanie Czajkowski told Cinemablend that the similarity is no accident. In fact, Czajkowski envisioned her science officer as a Vulcan who also had a Deltan lineage.

Starting from the position that a bald Vulcan would be interesting, Czajkowski wondered, “What happens if she has a little Deltan in her? What does that do in terms of scientific acuity?” Where logic drives Vulcans, Deltans embrace sensuality (which is why they swear a vow of celibacy when joining Starfleet, to avoid distracting others). The combination makes T’Veen an interesting character. “[I]f you throw a little Deltan spice [into a Vulcan], their senses are really on high alert all the way through,” explained Czajkowski. “But also, they can process information so much faster than a human can. So I think, for all of those reasons, she was very, very, much wanted.”

As far as showrunner Terry Matalas, the unique backstory Czajkowski formed for her character totally works. Says Czajkowski, “I was like, ‘Hey, I have a feeling when this comes out and people see this head it’s going to be striking. What’s the story? I think it’s this, are you cool with that?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, dude, yeah, I’m fine.’ So we said she’s a quarter Deltan. Her grandma’s Deltan.”

T’Veen isn’t the first Deltan (or partial Deltan) we’ve seen since 1979. Members of the race have served as crewmen on Federation ships in several of the movies, and season two of Picard began with Soji and Jurarti meeting with Deltans. But they’ve been largely underutilized, perhaps because planned storylines for Ilia’s character in Star Trek: Phase II were given to Deanna Troi, with Betazoids taking the place of Deltans.

But if indeed Picard season 3 isn’t the final frontier for these characters, maybe we’ll get to see more of T’Veen and her Deltan relations in the future. The series is airing now on Paramount+.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

Joanne Linville

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Joanne Linville ( 15 January 1928 – 20 June 2021 ; age 93) was an actress who played the Romulan commander in the Star Trek: The Original Series third season episode " The Enterprise Incident ".

She filmed her scenes on Wednesday 19 June 1968 , and between Monday 24 June 1968 and Wednesday 26 June 1968 at Desilu Stage 9 and Paramount Stage 3 .

Linville was the first actress to play a female Romulan in the Star Trek franchise, and it may be this role for which she is most well-known. For the Star Trek: The Next Generation sixth season episode " Face Of The Enemy ", writer Naren Shankar suggested that Linville reprise her role as the Romulan commander, but she was unavailable. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 270)

Linville began acting on television in the 1950s, appearing on several popular anthology series such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents , Kraft Television Theatre , and One Step Beyond . Perhaps her earliest was a 1954 episode of Studio One co-starring fellow Original Series guest performer David Opatoshu . She went on to make three more appearances on Studio One (including one with Fritz Weaver ), and even had a recurring role on the show. Another early appearance for Linville was a 1956 episode of The Kaiser Aluminum Hour entitled "Gwyneth", in which Linville played the title character. This episode also marked the first of several times Linville would work with her future Star Trek co-star William Shatner . She and Shatner next appeared together in a 1958 episode of The United States Steel Hour and then in a 1961 episode of The Defenders – both times playing husband and wife – before working together on Star Trek . She also worked with Leonard Nimoy prior to Star Trek , co-starring together (with Paul Carr ) in a 1962 episode of the drama Sam Benedict .

In 1959, Linville co-starred with the man who played the first Romulan commander seen on Star Trek , Mark Lenard , on a DuPont Show of the Month production of Don Quixote . In 1961, she starred as a Civil War widow unaware of the fact that she's dead in the episode of The Twilight Zone entitled "The Passerby", co-starring with fellow Original Series guest stars James Gregory and Rex Holman . She also guest-starred with Celia Lovsky in an episode of Gunsmoke that same year.

She went on to appear on such shows as Ben Casey , I Spy , The Fugitive (in an episode playing the wife of James Daly with Arch Whiting ), Bonanza (playing the daughter of Jeff Corey 's character), two episodes of Hawaii Five-O (including the two-part episode "Once Upon a Time" with Vince Howard , William Schallert , and Bill Zuckert ), Kojak (with Malachi Throne ), The Streets of San Francisco , CHiPs (with Robert Pine ), Charlie's Angels (with Bill Zuckert), and Mrs. Columbo (starring Kate Mulgrew in the title role). She also co-starred with both Fritz Weaver and Jason Wingreen in one episode of two different shows: The F.B.I. in 1969 (having previously appeared in an episode with William Smithers ) and Barnaby Jones in 1970 (on which she had previously appeared with Richard Derr ). Lee Meriwether was a regular on the latter series. The FBI episode with Linville and Fritz Weaver also featured Barry Atwater .

Linville's career also included small roles in a few feature films, most notably as Burt Lancaster's wife in the 1973 action thriller Scorpio , which also featured fellow Trek veterans John Colicos , James B. Sikking , William Smithers, and Celeste Yarnall . Other films in which she appeared include 1976's A Star Is Born and Gable and Lombard and 1982's The Seduction (starring Michael Sarrazin and Kevin Brophy ). Her earliest film, however, was the Academy Award-nominated 1958 drama The Goddess .

Additionally, Linville had roles in a number of made-for-TV movies, including 1970's House on Greenapple Road , in which she played the wife of the character played by William Windom . Tim O'Connor , Paul Fix , Ned Romero , Peter Mark Richman (billed as Mark Richman), and Ena Hartman were also in this film. She also appeared in Lou Antonio 's TV movie The Critical List in 1978. During the 1980s, Linville made two appearances on the soap opera Dynasty (starring Joan Collins and Lee Bergere ), an episode of L.A. Law (starring Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake ), and the 1989 TV movie From the Dead of Night (with Merritt Butrick ) before retiring from acting.

Linville was married from 1962 until 1973 to director Mark Rydell, and it was only for a supporting role in his 2001 TV biopic on James Dean that she briefly came out of retirement. She and Rydell had two children together – actors Amy and Christopher Rydell , the latter of whom has appeared on Star Trek: Enterprise . Amy Rydell later reprised her mother's role as the Romulan Commander for the fan series Star Trek Continues two-part finale, "To Boldly Go". Linville herself participated in the fan audio drama "Starship Excelsior" for the 50th anniversary special, "Tomorrow's Excelsior", reprising her role as the Romulan Commander.

Linville passed away on 20 June 2021 at the age of 93. [1]

External links [ ]

• JoanneLinville.com (X) – former official site
• Joanne Linville at the Internet Movie Database
• Joanne Linville at Wikipedia
• Joanne Linville at TriviaTribute.com
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Screen Rant

Wonder woman’s new battle-ready armor is what she deserved in dark knights of steel.

Wonder Woman's new costume for DC's Absolute Power event is the battle-ready armor the Amazon Princess deserved in Tom Taylor's Dark Knights of Steel.

• Wonder Woman's new knight-worthy armor in Absolute Power solidifies her status as a true warrior princess.
• Scheduled for release on July 3, 2024, Absolute Power #1 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora sets up an epic battle that will shape the DC Universe.
• Dan Mora's variant cover for Absolute Power teases new costumes for Justice League members, including Wonder Woman, in an upcoming summer event.

Wonder Woman’s teased costume for DC’s blockbuster summer event, Absolute Power , delivers the knight-worthy armor she deserved in Tom Taylor’s medieval Elseworlds series, Dark Knights of Steel . This new attire propels Diana Prince beyond mere badassery, cementing her status as a true warrior princess while simultaneously being one of her best looks to date.

Scheduled for release on July 3, 2024, Absolute Power #1 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora heralds an epic battle between the Trinity of Evil—Amanda Waller, Failsafe, and Brainiac Queen—and DC's mightiest heroes. This battle looms as one of DC's most consequential events yet, since it will decide the fate of all metahumans in the DC Universe.

Fortunately, these cherished heroes are in for some much-needed upgrades, as Dan Mora's variant cover for the issue teases new costumes for seven Justice League members , including Wonder Woman , who will be donning distinctly knightly attire.

The Purple Gloves Return To Canon: Batman's High-Tech Armor Stays True to His Original Costume

Wonder woman gets new knight-worthy armor ahead of absolute power.

In Mora’s variant cover for Absolute Power #1, Wonder Woman is depicted donning formidable armor. The ensemble features a sleek, form-fitting black bodysuit as its base, layered with various protective armor pieces , including imposing shoulder pauldrons, a crimson and golden breastplate, a star-spangled fauld, and heavily armored thigh-high boots. Complementing this defensive array are Diana’s signature accessories: a shield, a longsword, and her iconic golden tiara adorned with a crimson star. The overall design exudes a knightly aura, perfectly befitting the Amazonian warrior princess and enhancing her already formidable presence.

While it remains uncertain whether fans will witness this new costume beyond Mora’s variant cover, the likelihood is high, given that Mora serves as the lead artist on the Absolute Power title . Therefore, this variant cover likely offers a sneak peek at the character designs that these Justice League members will adopt in the upcoming summer crisis . Anticipation runs rampant to witness these costumes in action within the narrative, and with Mora at the helm, these designs are poised to become even more intricate and polished.

Wonder Woman’s New Absolute Power Costume is the Armor She Deserved in Dark Knights of Steel

Another striking aspect of Mora’s Wonder Woman costume redesign is its alignment with the type of armor Diana deserved in Taylor’s Dark Knights of Steel . In the Elseworlds series, Wonder Woman's attire was somewhat underwhelming, featuring a predominantly cloth-based aesthetic rather than the armored look befitting a warrior princess. However, it's worth noting that Diana's appearance in the Elseworlds series wasn't necessarily bad, but it lacked the knightly appearance that some fans anticipated. With Mora’s design, fans now have the best of both worlds: two distinct yet equally impressive costume interpretations for Wonder Woman .

Absolute Power #1 will be released on July 3, 2024, from DC Comics!

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is the superhero identity of Diana, Princess of the Amazons. Created on the island of Themyscira, Wonder Woman is a super-powered demi-goddess with extreme physical strength who utilizes magical gifts (like her famous Lasso of Truth) to defeat her foes. As mighty as her fellow heroes Superman and the Justice League, Wonder Woman is unmatched in her compassion and virtue.