1998’s Star Trek: The Untold Voyages revealed a key race from real-world UFO lore exists in its universe, and they are a galaxy-sized threat.
A classic element of UFO lore exists within the Star Trek universe, as revealed in 1998’s Star Trek: The Untold Voyages #5, which featured Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise, near the end of their second five-year mission, encountering an alien species which bore a direct resemblance to the mysterious Greys of UFO culture.
Star Trek: The Untold Voyages #5 – written by Glenn Greenberg and drawn by Michael Collins – finds the Enterprise coming into contact with a massive mothership hanging over the planet Lycos IV, abducting its people on board saucer-shaped vehicles.
Kirk, Spock and an away team beam over to the ship; the aliens make contact with Mister Spock, who explain their history, offering a Trek explanation for UFO visitations and alien abductions on Earth.
Star Trek Has Not Leaned Into UFO Lore As Much As It Could
The aliens in Untold Voyages #5 are the opposites of the Preservers, an ancient race that seeded the galaxy with intelligent life. The aliens, who Spock christens “the abductors,” travel the galaxy along the Preservers’ path. The Abductors believe the Preservers’ efforts have caused serious disruption to the balance of the galaxy, and have taken it upon themselves to undo the damage they perceive done. Kirk and Spock are able to convince the Abductors of the error of their way, and they vow to help restore the damage they, in fact, have caused. Thirty years into the franchise’s history, Untold Voyages #5 marked the first appearance of the infamous Grey aliens.
The Greys Are An Underused Part Of Star Trek Lore
Since its premiere 57 years ago, Star Trek has leaned into a number of science fiction tropes and concepts, but has largely ignored the lore and mythos that have sprung up around UFOs and alien abductions. Humanity has seen unidentified flying objects since the earliest days of the species. The modern era of UFOs kicked off shortly after the Second World War, and one of its key components are the Greys. This humanoid species, with enormous eyes, slender bodies and huge heads, are believed to be abducting humans for some unknown purpose. The elusive Greys never appeared on Star Trek – until Star Trek: The Untold Voyages #5.
Images of the Greys have become iconic across popular culture, thanks to television programs such as The X-Files and Stargate-SG1. The Greys’ appearance in this issue firmly incorporates them into the Star Trek universe, making them the dark opposite to the Preservers, an ancient race first referenced in Star Trek: The Original Series. The Greys, or the Abductors, have perverted the mission of the Preservers, and only thanks to Kirk do they realize they are wrong. The issue makes it clear these are the same Greys who abducted humans. Humans have some memory of the Greys; Doctor McCoy and other Enterprise personnel vaguely recognize the aliens, but cannot place where or why.
Star Trek: The Untold Voyages #5 shows how the Greys can be worked into the franchise. In Untold Voyages #5, the Greys are another in a long line of ancient species who traveled the galaxy before humans even evolved, putting them in the league of the aforementioned Preservers, as well as the Travelers. This addition of UFO lore to the Star Trek galaxy not only fills a gap that has historically existed in the franchise’s depiction of the cosmos, it creates some truly exciting storytelling abilities. Most of all, the Greys are a recognizable tether to Earth’s history, something that always enriches Star Trek storytelling.
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