Warning: contains spoilers for "The Final Masterpiece," appearing in Star Trek #500!The Enterprise has received a shocking redesign, making it the Star Trek universe’s ultimate warship. The Enterprise is a ship of peace and exploration–as far from a battleship as one can get. Yet in the story “The Final Masterpiece,” appearing in Star Trek #500, the evil android Lore, who is attempting to create a universe in his image, unleashes a terrifying version of the Enterprise.

“The Final Masterpiece,” appearing in Star Trek #500, was written by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Christopher Cantwell, and drawn by Davide Tinto. Lore, using the Bajoran Orb of Destruction, has destroyed the universe, and conscripted his brother Data into helping him shape a new one. They run through various permutations of the universe, and in one, the crew of the Enterprise, including Captain Picard, have been turned into Soong-model androids. The story’s conclusion sees an entire fleet of Federation starships waging war on Lore’s behalf–and they are pure nightmare fuel, with spikes and dark colors.

Lore Has Destroyed the Star Trek Universe

Lore Now Seeks the Perfect Universe--No Matter the Cost

Lore’s destruction of the universe marks the beginning of the next phase of IDW’s Star Trek line. In late 2022, IDW launched a new Star Trek title, followed several months later by Star Trek: Defiant. Together, these books raised the bar for Star Trek comics, serving as building blocks towards the epic Day of Blood. Day of Blood saw Kahless wage war against the galaxy’s gods, and a ragtag team of Star Trek characters from across the franchise came together to stop him. Among them was Lore, who betrayed everyone and struck out on his own.

The Pleroma, or the "Realm of the Gods," is the most exciting development to hit Star Trek in years. "Gods" from across the franchise reside there, as do the Travelers and the Supervisors.

Star Trek’s current storyline, “The Pleroma,” has revealed the depth of Lore’s evil, as he plans to finish what Kahless started—and take it a step further. Kahless merely sought to kill the gods. Lore wants the same, but he also wants a universe to rule. Throughout “The Final Masterpiece,” Lore tries out several incarnations, but none are to his liking. The final version, glimpsed only briefly at the end, shows what Lore is after: control and subjugation. Before he and Data make their new universe, Lore tells him to “write my name” on “every fragment of matter.”

And the result, as glimpsed at the conclusion of “The Final Masterpiece,” is chilling: the Enterprise is converted into a massive ship of war. Throughout the franchise’s history, the Enterprise has been depicted as a vanguard for discovery and tolerance. Star Trek has flirted around with the idea of battleships in Starfleet, namely the Defiant. Star Trek has also shown, in alternate universes and timelines, the Enterprise as a warship. In the third season Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” the ship was heavily armed and had no traces of scientific or exploratory personnel.

The Lore War Is Coming for the Star Trek Universe

Has Lore Already Been Victorious?

Now, as the Star Trek franchise barrels The Lore War, the Enterprise has gotten its most extreme makeover ever. Lore has reshaped the Enterprise, and seemingly all of Starfleet, into battleships. Lore is one of Star Trek’s most dangerous villains, and with access to a fleet made in his image, he will become even deadlier. Lore has visited a horrifying indignity upon his enemies aboard the Enterprise: turning them into instruments of his will. Lore has perverted the Enterprise’s mission, giving it a new purpose as a warship.

Star Trek #500 is on sale now from IDW Publishing.