Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek: Lower Decks#1!
Star Trekhas confirmed Badgey’s fate after his ascension, and it is extremely dark.Star Trek: Lower Decks’Badgey, a murderous, rogue AI created by Rutherford, has become one of the show’s most memorable characters. DuringLower Decks’fourth season, Badgey “ascended” to another plane of existence.While this could have been the end of his story,Star Trek: Lower Decks#1 confirms there is still reason to be afraid.
Badgey extols the virtue of his new existence, saying the only thing that brings him more joy is: “peeling faces off sentient beings like bananas.”
Star Trek: Lower Decks#1 is written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. The issue opens with a text piece, written by Badgey. He brings readers up to speed on what he has been doing since achieving godhood: spying on Rutherford, Boimler, Tendiand Beckett Mariner. Badgey seems to still take an interest in them.Fans hoping Badgey’s ascension would let him see the light are in for a disappointment.Badgey extols the virtue of his new existence, saying the only thing that brings him more joy is: “peeling faces off sentient beings like bananas.”
Badgey’s DarkStar TrekOrigin Explained
Badgey Was a Parody Of A Much-Despised Piece of Pop Culture
Star Trek: Lower Decks’ takes a unique approach to the franchise, and Badgey is one of the best examples of it.Lower Decks’deftly mixes deep-cut Easter Eggs with an irreverent, comedic tone. Badgey was modeled after Clippy, Microsoft Office’s virtual assistant, as well as Towelie fromSouth Park.Designed by Rutherford to help in training Starfleet officers, Badgey, who was made to resemble a Starfleet communications badge, went rogue and tried to kill not only his creator but the crew of theCerritosas well. Badgey was a hit with fans, who grabbed toys based on the character.
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“The Stars at Night”
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Badgey was so popular he returned for more episodes, and each time he came close to achieving his objective of killing Rutherford. In his final appearance, in the fourth season episode “A Few Badgeys More,” the program achieved godhood. Ascending to another plane of existence, Badgey decided to become a god. It might have seemed that Badgey had worked through his “daddy issues”, and was ready to become something good. Rutherford built Badgey to be a helper, and godhood could allow him to finally be that.
A variant cover by Chris Fenoglio forStar Trek: Lower Decks#1 features Badgey alongside the show’s other loveable but deadly character: Moopsy.
Badgey’s Ascenion Just Made Him Worse
Starfleet Needs to Be Ready for Badgey’s Return
Yet as seen in the opening ofStar Trek: Lower Decks#1, Badgey has not learned his lesson at all.Badgey still takes an interest in the lives of theCerritos’crew, but his intentions towards them are unclear. Badgey had a sadistic streak several parsecs wide, and inLower Decks’first issue, it becomes clear he has not outgrown it. Badgey reminiscences, a little too fondly, about ripping people’s faces off. Godhood did nothing for Badgey other than give him free rein to indulge his dark whims.
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And it is for this reason that Rutherford and the crew of theCerritosshould still be afraid of Badgey, maybe even more so now.
And it is for this reason that Rutherford and the crew of theCerritosshould still be afraid of Badgey, maybe even more so now.If Badgey is still truly preoccupied with thoughts of murder and death, his new status as a god gives him the ability to carry these concerns out on a scale undreamed of.Furthermore, Badgey is not only a grave threat to theCerritos,but Starfleet and the galaxyin general. Badgey’s ascension has created one of the most powerful threats to theStar Trekuniverse, a dark god that cannot be stopped.
Star Trek: Lower Decks#1 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!
