There's a reason the word Darkness is featured in the title.
The latest Star Trek Into Darkness trailer is in the wild and from the looks of things, J.J. Abrams sequel finds Captain James. T. Kirk and crew meeting their toughest foe yet in the form of an imperious villain named John Harrison played by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Here are five reasons why we think this guy—who some Trekkies suggest might be a thinly veiled version of rogue Gary Mitchell from the original TV series—makes the Wrath of Khan looks like child's play.
1. "You Think Your World Is Safe. It Is An Illusion:" Such are the words of Harrison who, as the clip opens, warns of dark tidings. And as the first 30 seconds of the trailer indicate, this new Star Trek baddie is taking his cues from the plot of the latest James Bond thriller Skyfall as he plays an agent who rebels against his minders at Starfleet Command. "Your commanders have committed a crime I cannot forgive," he intones.
2. To Boldly Go Where No Terrorist Has Gone Before: Making good on his promise to wreak havoc, we learn from Kirk's commanding officer (Peter Weller of Robocop fame) that Harrison has committed some terrible crime in London. He then tasks Kirk (Chris Pine) with leading a manhunt to capture "a one-man weapon of mass destruction," as distributor Paramount summarized in a recent synopsis.
3. Phasers Set for Kill: Harrison gets the first punch in, launching a brutal helicopter attack during a Starfleet meeting and setting Kirk off on a mission to settle the score. "Starfleet is not about a vendetta, Kirk," cautions his superior. Our hero replies, "Well, maybe it should be, sir."
4. Sexy Trek: You remember the character Dr. Carol Marcus from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the brilliant scientist and mother who invents the genesis device. Well, Alice Eve plays a bombshell version of the character who, when she's not distracting Jim by wearing a bikini, takes part in this latest adventure. (OK, so this reason isn't frightening, but it couldn't be ignored.)
5. Starfleet Rebellion? No doubt, Kirk, Spock, Bones, and the rest of the gang have their hands full as the Star Trek baddie appears to have enlisted some Starfleet officers to his side in carrying out his murderous plans. "You have no idea what you've done. I will walk over your cold corpses," Harrison tells the Enterprise crew.
Should be one hell of a fight. Star Trek Into Darkness hits theaters on May 17.