After 23 Years, Star Trek Is Finally Giving Captain Janeway the Ending She Deserves

After 23 years, Star Trek is finally giving Captain Janeway and Voyager the ending they have always deserved. IDW will soon release Star Trek: Voyager: Homecoming to commemorate the show’s 30th anniversary, telling the story of one last adventure before returning home, and it gives Janeway and the crew the send-off they did not get.

In a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the creators behind Star Trek: Voyager: Homecoming, Susan and Tilly Bridges and Angel Hernandez, discussed the series further. Tilly had this to say:

We really loved the finale of the show. But you spend seven years with these characters who want to get home, and you don't get the catharsis of seeing them reunite with their families. So we thought, wouldn't it be cool if we could actually see that?

Tilly also had to say about a potential adversary for Janeway and the crew of Voyager in Homecoming:

But this is Voyager, so nothing ever, ever goes the way they hoped. Or to plan. So there's going to be some problems that they have to deal with first... Maybe 8,472 of them.

Species 8472 has not been seen on-screen since Voyager ended.

Star Trek: Voyager Took the Star Trek Franchise Where It Had Never Gone Before

Voyager's Crew Have Appeared In Other Star Trek Productions

Star Trek: Voyager, the fifth entry in the franchise, took one of its central concepts: boldly going where no one has gone before, and took it to its extreme. Voyager was marooned in the distant Delta Quadrant for seven years, its crew fighting to return home while maintaining Starfleet’s lofty ideals.

Star Trek: Voyager ran for seven seasons, ending its run in May 2001. From there, Voyager’s crew have appeared in various other Star Trek projects: Janeway made a cameo in Nemesis, and had a regular role in Prodigy. Tom Paris appeared on Lower Decks and an older Tuvok on Picard. Likewise, Seven of Nine was a regular on Picard.

Voyager Fans Were Denied a Proper Ending for Janeway and the Crew

Voyager's Return Could Have Had Serious Ramifications for the Federation

Voyager’s finale, titled “Endgame,” saw the crew return to the Alpha Quadrant. The episode’s final scene is Voyager being escorted back to Earth by a fleet of starships, before fading to black. “Endgame’s” ending felt rushed, and left a great many dangling story lines, particularly the crew’s reunions with their families.

Furthermore, fans never got to see the fallout from Voyager’s return to Earth. While in the Delta Quadrant, Voyager acquired technology and knowledge that could tip the balance of power in their sector of the galaxy. Seeing the crew’s reaction to events that happened while they were gone, such as the Dominion War, could have made for compelling television.

As noted earlier, a number of Voyager alumni have appeared elsewhere in the Star Trek franchise, but how they got to those positions has never been revealed. For instance, why Seven of Nine joined the Fenris Rangers was never revealed, nor did the franchise explore Seven's time with them. Homecoming can fix that.

Voyager Made a Lot of Enemies in the Delta Quadrant, But Few Are as Scary as Species 8472

Despite Being Good Villains, Species 8472 Was Never Seen Again

Voyager traversed the Delta Quadrant, making many allies and even more enemies. Voyager ran afoul of the Kazon on their first day in the Quadrant, and the adversaries only multiplied from there: the Viidians, the Hirogen, the Krenim, the Voth, the Borg and Species 8472. The last race was of particular note, as the Borg could not assimilate them.

Of all the enemies Janeway and Voyager made in the Delta Quadrant, Species 8472 might be the worst. 8472 hails from another dimension called “Fluidic Space.” As noted in “Scorpion,” the Borg attempted to assimilate Species 8472, leading to the latter declaring war. Species 8472 tore through the Borg, forcing them to ally themselves with Janeway.

Yet despite their great power and cool gimmick, Species 8472 has been criminally underused. They made only a handful of appearances on Voyager after their debut, and were left behind soon after. A great deal about them was left unknown, and fans have been clamoring for their return ever since.

Homecoming Will Give Voyager, and Janeway, a Proper Send-Off

Homecoming Will Show Just How Bad Species 8472 Can Be

Between Species 8472’s disappearance and the lack of follow-up to Voyager’s return, the show left a lot up in the air, but Homecoming will rectify that. The Bridges were mum at Comic-Con on exactly how Species 8472 will factor into Homecoming, but the hints fans got say they will be the primary villains.

The creative team behind Homecoming have a massive task ahead of them: to not only give Janeway and Voyager’s crew a fitting end, but show Species 8472 as a legitimate threat to the Star Trek universe. Fans have been waiting patiently for 23 years for this moment, and IDW is making it happen.

Star Trek: Voyager: Homecoming #1 is on sale September 3 from IDW Publishing!