Project Genesis (Star Trek)
This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. |
In the Star Trek fictional universe, Project Genesis is a process of rapidly terraforming worlds to make them capable of supporting life. Project Genesis is introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), and the "Genesis Planet" created by a "Genesis Device" appear in The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).
Depiction
Project Genesis uses a proto-matter energy matrix to rearrange matter at the subatomic level into life-giving matter of equal mass. The Genesis Project is headed by Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch). Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) steals and activates the Genesis material, leading to the creation of the Genesis Planet. Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) casket lands on the planet's surface, resurrecting him. Dr. David Marcus (Merritt Butrick) hypothesizes that the use of proto-matter in the Genesis matrix makes the planet to be unstable; it destroys itself at the end of Star Trek III. In Pocket Books' Genesis Wave series, aliens trick Marcus into creating a Genesis matrix that sends a Genesis wave across the galaxy, killing billions and destroying many planets.