Summary

• The Orions' pheromone advantage is neutralized in Star Trek Annual 2024, explaining their diminished role in the universe.
• A surprising twist reveals the Orions as a matricial society with women secreting mind control pheromones.
• Star Trek Annual 2024 clarifies why Starfleet personnel post-Captain Archer are immune to Orion pheromones.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek Annual 2024!

The Orions are one of the most feared races in the Star Trek universe, but by the 24th century, their greatest strength has been taken from them. For many years, the Orions were a Star Trek enigma: often mentioned, but never seen. Star Trek: Enterprise changed this, revealing a good deal about their culture, but as seen in Star Trek Annual 2024, the Orions' biggest advantage has been neutralized.

Star Trek Annual 2024 was written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Rachael Stott. Data, accompanied by Geordi La Forge and Chief O’Brien, travels to the Orion homeworld, seeking clues to the whereabouts of the missing Lore. The trio go to the Pleasure Quarter on the planet, to the stronghold of crime lord Madam Vivo.

The three prepare to enter, but before Geordi and O’Brien go in, they inject themselves with a compound that neutralizes Orion pheromones.

The Orions Are Vastly Underused in the Star Trek Universe

Star Trek: Enterprise Finally Utilized Them--But in a Problematic Way

Despite getting in on the ground floor, the Orions were mostly mentioned throughout the show’s run, with a surgically altered member appearing in the classic Star Trek episode “Journey to Babel.”

The Orions may not be as popular as the Klingons or the Borg, but they have been a part of the Star Trek franchise since the very beginning. An Orion “slave girl” appeared in Captain Pike’s vision in “The Cage,” the very first episode of the show. Despite getting in on the ground floor, the Orions were mostly mentioned throughout the show’s run, with a surgically altered member appearing in the classic Star Trek episode “Journey to Babel.” The Orions rated mentions on Deep Space Nine before making their grand entrance in Enterprise’s fourth season.

During that season, the episode “Bound” seemingly blew the lid off everything fans thought they knew about the Orions. Long considered to be a male-dominated culture, the Orions are in fact matricial, and the women secrete pheromones capable of mind control. Essentially, the slave girl bit was just an act. While this may have seemed to be empowering, fans felt it problematic. When the Orions returned in both JJ Abrams’ 2009 reboot and newer Trek shows, this development was ignored. Lower Decks retooled this concept further, removing many of its problematic elements.

The Orions' Biggest Asset Is No More

It Explains How the Orions Became Minor Players

No in-universe reason was given as to why Starfleet personnel in the days since Captain Archer have been able to resist Orion pheromones, but Star Trek Annual 2024 clears this up. “Bound” revealed certain species, such as the Vulcans, are immune to the pheromones, and it stands to reason this helped Starfleet find a workaround. This also explains how Orions, such as D’Vana Tendi, were able to serve in Starfleet. Finally, it goes a long way to explaining how the Orions became minor players in the Star Trek universe, as their greatest asset was taken from them.

Star Trek Annual 2024 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!