Star Trek's Genesis Device was a revolutionary and dangerous technology introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and a second version of Genesis appeared in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Created by Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch) and her son, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick) at space station Regula I in 2285, Genesis was intended to solve problems involving overpopulation and food supply in the United Federation of Planets, but it was turned into a weapon by Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán).
The Genesis Device was the MacGuffin of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and its influence was felt in the succeeding films, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage. Genesis was the first technology that turned into a deadly weapon in the Star Trek movies; the thelaron weapon used by Praetor Shinzon (Tom Hardy) in Star Trek: Nemesis and the swarm in Star Trek Beyond were all attempts to replicate what the Genesis Device was in Star Trek II. However, Genesis was originally meant as a way to help the Federation, although Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) prophetically warned of the dangers of Genesis as soon as he learned of the device's existence in Star Trek II.
The Genesis Device In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
The Genesis Device's purpose was to transform dead moons or planets into a living world ready for colonization. Genesis utilized terraforming that turned previously uninhabitable planets into Class M worlds that replicated Earth-like conditions. After successful stage I tests on space station Regula I, Carol and David Marcus tested Genesis stage II on the Regula planetoid. Beneath the surface of Regula, the Marcuses used Genesis to create a habitat of plants and animal life. However, if Genesis was activated where life already existed, it would wipe out that life in favor of its new matrix.
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Khan Noonien Singh and his followers stole the Genesis Device as part of his plan to exact revenge on Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner). After a pitched battle between Kirk's USS Enterprise and Khan's hijacked USS Reliant in the Mutara Nebula, a desperate Khan detonated the Genesis Device to destroy Kirk. At the cost of his life, Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) repaired the damaged Enterprise warp core, allowing his starship to escape. The Genesis explosion destroyed Khan's ship, but the live-giving matrix formed a new planet in the Mutara sector, which was dubbed the Genesis Planet.
The Genesis Planet In Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
The Genesis Planet immediately became controversial, and it was made a forbidden zone until the Federation Council could determine what to do about it. The USS Grissom, with Kirk's son David Marcus aboard, was dispatched to study the Genesis Planet. Beaming down to the surface, David and Lt. Saavik (Robin Curtis) learned that Spock's body, which was launched from the Enterprise in a photon torpedo, landed safely on the Genesis Planet. Further, the planet's energies not only resurrected Spock but accelerated the Vulcan's aging. In fact, the entire planet was unstable and aging rapidly. David confessed he used protomatter in the Genesis matrix, which resulted in its dangerous instability.
Klingons led by Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) sought the secrets of the Genesis Planet while Admiral Kirk stole the USS Enterprise on a mission to find Spock and reunite him with his katra, i.e. his Vulcan soul. All parties converged on the dying Genesis Planet, where Kruge killed David, and Kirk retaliated by killing the Klingon leader. The former crew of the Starship Enterprise, along with Spock and Saavik, then escaped the Genesis Planet, which exploded. On Vulcan, Spock was reunited with his katra and completed his resurrection. However, Kirk ultimately faced charges for his crimes of stealing the Enterprise and traveling to the Genesis Planet.
The Genesis II Device In Star Trek: Picard Season 3
A second Genesis Device appeared in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Labeled Genesis II, the technology looks identical to the original Genesis Device. Genesis II is stored in Daystrom Station's vault where Section 31 keeps the Federation's most top-secret technology and artifacts. Among Daystrom Station's other secrets are the corpses of Captain James T. Kirk and Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), which was stolen by Changelings along with a portal-making weapon, Shinzon's thelaron weapon, and a genetically modified Attack Tribble.
The existence of the Genesis II Device means that at some point after David Marcus' death, someone recreated the 23rd-century Genesis technology. It's unclear what happened to Dr. Carol Marcus after Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan so perhaps she was able to perfect the faulty Genesis matrix before the second device was impounded by Section 31. The catastrophe of the Genesis Planet likely resulted in the Federation never attempting to achieve what Dr. Marcus originally designed Genesis to do: solve overpopulation and the food crisis by terraforming planets. The Genesis II Device's existence is a secret in the 25th century, and it likely remains so despite some Starfleet Officers like Captain Worf (Michael Dorn), Captain William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) learning of it in Star Trek: Picard season 3.