After 59 Years, Star Trek Officially Retires an Original Series Icon: "I've Done All I Can"

After almost six decades, the Star Trek franchise has officially retired one of its most iconic heroes. In its modern stories, Star Trek has shown a fondness for jumping around the timeline, offering opportunities to see the untold stories of its most beloved characters. Now, with a heartwarming reunion, the story of one of those characters has been brought to a close.

Star Trek Officially Retires Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

The Original Series Icon Ends a Record-Setting Starfleet Career

The historic moment comes in today's Star Trek: Omega, which concludes the 'Lore War' event, where Data's psychopathic brother took control of reality. In the aftermath, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott finally announces his retirement, reuniting with Nyota Uhura and offering Starfleet some parting words.

First introduced in 1966's 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' - the third episode of the original series - Scotty was played by James Doohan (and also Simon Pegg, in the big-screen Kelvin timeline), and has starred in over 80 television episodes and six movies in Star Trek canon, as well as a variety of spin-off media. While Doohan sadly died in 2005, his likeness has been used in comic stories and even on TV, utilizing archival footage. Now, however, Doohan's character finally says goodbye to fans.

In Star Trek: Omega, Scotty retires from Starfleet, having become the organization's longest-serving human. He finally returns to Earth, landing in the Kutui Province, where he is reunited with both Earth and Nyota Uhura. Scotty is lost for words upon seeing his old friend, but Uhura simply asks, "What took you so long, Monty?" and the two share an embrace. The moment is particularly significant because, in Star Trek #13, Scotty noted that he hasn't returned to Earth in 70 years, professing he's had no desire to do so. As he embraces the end of his career, that has clearly changed, with Scotty running his hands through the grass and saying, "Hello, Old Girl. I missed the smell o' you."

Scotty Has Earned His Retirement After a Battle to Save the Gods

Scotty Showcased Some Incredible New Inventions Before Saying Goodbye

Scotty has been one of the main characters of IDW's Star Trek series, joining Benjamin Sisko's crew to try and prevent the slaughter of the galaxy's godlike entities. Scotty has lived up to his 'Miracle Worker' nickname, upgrading the Theseus to become Starfleet's fastest ship and co-inventing "Proto-Warp" speed. Scotty made it possible for the ship to enter the realm of the gods and helped protect it from threats including Q and Klingon extremist Kahless. Scotty even got to say goodbye to Captain Kirk after encountering a group of sentient holograms based on Starfleet legends. Now, after achieving so much, he finally returns home.

While Scotty and Uhura's reunion is heartwarming, Scotty's final words are given in a message to Starfleet. There, he officially retires, stating, "It has been my honor. It has been my privilege. But I've done all I can. It's time to go home." Scotty issues his recommendation for the next captain of the USS Theseus (which isn't revealed) and states that he's done all he can with the legendary ship, adding, "Let's see what the next generation does with her."It's a fitting send-off for a beloved character, and one that honors his long history with the franchise while still embracing his sense of optimism for the future and those who will come after. Star Trek has a varied history of character send-offs, from Captain Kirk's anticlimactic death to the well-received TNG finale. In this case, Star Trek has done Scotty proud, reuniting with old friends and reflecting on a staggering career, while still looking towards the future.