Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek#25!
Captain Benjamin Sisko is an exemplary judge of character, and he has explained why Tom Paris should beStar Trek’snext captain. Tom Paris flewVoyagerthrough the treacherous Delta Quadrant, finding himself along the way. Tom Paris’s arc in theStar Trekuniverse has taken him from one extreme to the next, and inStar Trek#25,Sisko makes the case for Paris becoming a captain one day.
Tom Paris was not actor Robert Duncan McNeil’s firstStar Trekrole. He played Cadet Nic Locarno in the fifth seasonStar Trek: The Next Generationepisode “The First Duty.” When developingVoyager, the writers considered using Locarno, but the character was rewritten to be Tom Paris.
Star Trek#25 was written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Liana Kangas. During an attack by Species 8472, Sisko is knocked unconscious, and Tom Paris, being the most senior officer on the bridge, must take command. Thanks to some brilliant, out of the box thinking on his part, Paris is able to lead theTheseusto safety. After regaining consciousness,Sisko praises Paris’ actions, saying he: “took a violent situation and produced a scientific outcome.” Sisko then explains what Paris did was “Starfleet Captaincy 101.”
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Tom Paris was crucial toVoyager’sseven-year trek across the Delta Quadrant and, likewise, he has proven essential to theTheseus’mission. Paris signed on to pilot theTheseus, under the command of Benjamin Sisko. Originally dispatched by Starfleet to learn who was slaughtering the universe’s gods, theTheseushas since helped negotiate peacewith the brutal Tzenkethias well as survive the destruction of the universe at Lore’s hands. Tom Paris played important roles in these missions, all while balancing being a family man. Tom’s wife, B’Elanna Torres, is a member of the crew of theDefiant, under the command of Worf.
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Tom’s latest assignment continues his incredible personal journey through theStar Trekuniverse. When fans first met Tom Paris, he was serving time in a Federation penal colony for his actions as a member of the Maquis. Captain Janeway sprung Paris from prison in exchange for his help bringing in his former comrades. Paris agrees, but the mission went awry whenVoyagerwas pulled by the alien entity known as “the Caretaker” to the Delta Quadrant–75,000 light years from home. During the trip home, Tom came into his own, as both an officer and a human being.
While On theTheseus, Tom Paris Has Seen Sights That Rival Anything He Saw in the Delta Quadrant
Tom Paris Has Handled It All Well, Proving He Has What It Takes to Be a Leader
Tom Paris’ mission on theTheseushas, in many ways, been even deadlier than his sojourn in the Delta Quadrant. Since signing on, Tom has faced not only the aforementioned Tzenkethi, but also a violent Klingon uprising duringDay of Blood. All of these events were trifles next to theTheseus’trip to the Pleroma. Tom truly went where “no one has gone before” when heflew the ship to the Pleroma, or “the realm of the gods.” Tom bore witness to the end of theStar Trekuniverse when Lore detonated the Bajoran Orb of Destruction.
Sisko has proven himself one of Starfleet’s best captains, and here is a case of talent recognizing talent.
As theTheseusclung to dear life in Fluidic Space in the wake of Lore’s actions, Tom Paris rose to the occasion, keeping the crew safe until Captain Sisko could return–and earned praise from the captain himself. Sisko has proven himself one of Starfleet’s best captains, and here is a case of talent recognizing talent. While only time will tell if Sisko’s judgment will pay off, Tom Paris has proven he has the skills, both personal and professional, to be one ofStar Trek’sgreatest captains.
