Warning! Spoilers ahead for Star Wars #20!
A new Star Trek: Generations.
Aside from Generations' obvious epic appeal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard interacting with Captain James T. Kirk, the film is best known for the introduction of the Nexus, an extra-dimensional heaven-like realm where anyone who enters can create any experience they want, whether it's a recreation of an actual moment in time or something from their dreams. Luke Skywalker finds himself in a milder version of the Nexus from Generations upon his arrival to the planet Gazian, a living organism powered by the Force in Star Wars #20 by writer Charles Soule, artist Marco Castiello, colorist Rachelle Rosenberg and letterer Clayton Cowles.
Upon landing on Gazian, Luke falls through the planet's surface and suddenly finds himself talking with an ancient Jedi named Elzar Mann. Apparently, Mann died long ago. He's actually speaking to an "imprint" of Mann that the Living Vergence created based on who he was when Mann first arrived centuries earlier. When Luke eventually decides to leave, Mann reveals that a part of him will always remain, which the Vergence proves with an imprint of Luke appearing in front of the young Jedi. This is exactly what can happen whenever someone enters the Nexus in Star Trek. When Jean-Luc Picard accidentally gets swept inside, he somehow finds his ship's enigmatic bartender and personal confidant Guinan in his own dream world. But it's not really her. Guinan had once lived in the Nexus but was ripped from it long ago. To help explain who she is to Picard, she describes herself "as an echo of the person you know ... a part of herself she left behind."
Since the Nexus is personalized for every person who enters there, Guinan's echo shows Picard that he can "visit" anywhere at any point in time even though it's not real. Luke experiences a similar phenomenon in the Vergence. During his conversation with Mann, the young Jedi notices that their surroundings change based on the topic of discussion. Although Mann doesn't explain the phenomenon, he seems to affirm Luke's comment that these changing environments aren't part of a Force vision. But it's obvious they aren't actually visiting these places either. It's therefore assumed that it has something to do with the imprints that the Vergence can make. Regardless, it's similar to how those in Star Trek's Nexus can visit certain moments in time without really going to the actual place.
Star Wars, however, doesn't go as far as Star Trek did with the Nexus. Aside from the Nexus being a massive energy ribbon that travels through space rather than a planet, "time has no meaning" in the Nexus, which always poses complications. As a result, those inside the Nexus can visit other inhabitants who arrived there at any time - even millions of years ago - and those people they meet will feel as though they just arrived a few moments ago. That's how Jean-Luc Picard meets Kirk even though the latter captain was sucked inside decades earlier. Similarly, people inside the Nexus who wish to leave can reenter reality anywhere and at any moment. This is how Picard is able to go back in time to save the day. It's possible that the Vergence can create its own time anomalies. But since Luke's visit there is brief, he doesn't have more time to explore. It's possible that Mann's imprint also doesn't know, either. Regardless, Star Wars' Vergence shares many similarities with Star Trek's Nexus but doesn't go as far - yet.
