Summary
- Tom Paris, once an outsider on Voyager, has now become one of Starfleet’s deadliest officers thanks to his high scores in combat simulations.
- In Star Trek #13, readers learn that Tom is chosen for dangerous missions because of his impressive combat simulator performance.
- The intense and rigorous training on the holodeck has made Tom well-equipped to handle deadly missions, making him the most dangerous man in the Star Trek franchise.
Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek #13!
Star Trek’s Tom Paris has officially become one of Starfleet’s deadliest men alive. Tom Paris served for seven years at the helm of Voyager and recently returned to action during the franchise-spanning god war as a member of the Theseus’ crew. In Star Trek #13, readers learn there is a very specific, and surprising, reason Tom Paris is chosen for dangerous away missions.
Star Trek #13 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Marcus To. Captain Sisko and the Theseus have been dispatched to the Tzenkethi home world. There are rumors of an uprising, and the Theseus must investigate and de-escalate, if necessary. The ship enters orbit around the Tzenkethi moon where a Starfleet operative is stationed. Tom is ordered to beam down to make contact. He protests over the dangerous missions he is sent on, until Sascheen reminds him that he is chosen for these missions because of his high score in the combat simulator. He protests further, saying he only goes into them to blow off stress.
Tom Paris is an Unlikely Candidate for Most Dangerous Man Alive
When Star Trek: Voyager premiered in 1995, Tom Paris was the ultimate outsider aboard the ship. Born into a Starfleet family, Tom would grow disillusioned with the organization, and drift into the Maquis. He was captured on his first mission and sent to a penal colony. Captain Janeway sprung him out so that he could lead the ship on a mission to find other Maquis. This single mission turned into a seven-year journey as Voyager was sent to the distant Delta Quadrant. Tom grew as a person and an officer during the exile, and was reinstated to Starfleet, serving alongside Sisko during the god war.
What Does a Starfleet Combat Simulator Look Like?
And now, thanks to Starfleet’s combat simulators, Tom Paris has become one of the deadliest men in the galaxy. While fans do not get to see what Tom’s combat simulations look like, other Star Trek shows have given glimpses. The crew of the Cerritos partook in training exercises on the holodeck in an episode of Lower Decks, and they were depicted as being intense and rigorous. Tom Paris apparently does them on the regular, as a source of stress relief, and his high scores continually get him selected for dangerous missions, such as beaming down into the heart of hostile territory.
Tom Paris was played by actor Robert Duncan McNeil
Because of these high scores, Tom Paris is in theory one of the most dangerous officers in Starfleet. The simulations no doubt featured lots of hand-to-hand combat, as well as modules on weapons and other offensive/defensive strategies. If Paris has been taking this training as seriously as he appears to be, then he is well-equipped to handle deadly missions. He does not get a chance to demonstrate his fighting prowess in this issue, leaving readers wondering just how much of a badass he has become. Tom Paris has officially become the most dangerous man in the Star Trek franchise, and it is for a surprising reason.
