Plot

The official Paramount plot synopsis for “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” is the following: As Adm. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Capt. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) monitor trainees at Starfleet Academy, another vessel from the United Federation of Planets is about to try out the planet-creating Genesis Device in a seemingly deserted portion of space. In the process, two of Kirk’s officers are captured by Khan (Ricardo Montalban), an enemy Kirk thought he’d never see again. Once more, Kirk takes the Enterprise’s helm, where he meets Khan’s ship in an intergalactic showdown.

The budget was set at $11.5 million and would not go over. Nicholas Meyer, best known for the 1979 Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen-starrer “Time After Time,” was set to direct, with James Horner — later composer for “Titanic” and “Avatar,” among numerous others — scoring the film.

As a trivia note: Meyer claimed to have not yet seen a single episode of “Star Trek.” He came in “disrespecting” what had come before — his word — and worked with the creative team as a screenwriter, along with Jack B. Sowards, to start fresh.

The original cast of the series returned once again, with the additions of newcomer Kirstie Alley as Vulcan Science Officer Lt. Saavik, making her film debut, Bibi Besch as Kirk’s old flame Dr. Carol Marcus, and Merritt Butrick as their son, from whom Kirk was estranged.

But it would be “Fantasy Island’s” Ricardo Montalban, who would go down in the annals as one of the screen’s all-time great villains. Oozing charisma, quoting “Moby Dick” and having somehow built his chest to near-prime Schwarzenegger proportions (he was 61 when the film was shot), Montalban’s 1982 Khan came across as more threatening than ever.

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” opens in the year 2285. An aging Admiral Kirk oversees a simulation testing Captain Spock’s newest trainees, led by Lieutenant Saavik. They fail the Kobayashi Maru test, which is exposed as a “no-win scenario.”

Meantime, Commander Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Captain Clark Terrell (Paul Winfield) beam down from the Starship Reliant to evaluate what they believe is a lifeless planet, Ceti Alpha VI. If all checks out as planned, Ceti Alpha VI will become the future location to test the Genesis Device, a technology designed to reanimate dead matter and form new living worlds. Upon landing on the planet, however, they are captured by the Khan, who Kirk had exiled 15 years prior to Ceti Alpha V.

The genetic superman has been biding his time to wreak vengeance on his old foe. In fact, Ceti Alpha VI was a neighboring planet that had exploded upon the arrival of he and his crew, devastating Ceti Alpha V. Chekov and Terrell had, in fact, beamed down to the wrong planet.

Khan blames Kirk for the death of his wife. Learning of the Genesis Device, he attacks space station Regula I where the device is being developed by Carol and David. They then overtake the Reliant.

Kirk assumes command of Enterprise following a distress call from Regula I, and what ensues is a game of cat-and-mouse between Kirk and Khan … and the reunion of a family that never was.

Ultimately, Khan is mortally wounded and the Enterprise is powerless in space. Khan, however, has garnered control of the Genesis Device, the effects from which the Enterprise cannot escape due to its close vicinity and the loss of warp drive during combat. Khan manages to activate the device, and Spock takes it upon himself to repair power by entering the crippled engine room that is flooded with radiation.

He is warned by McCoy that he cannot enter, as he will die if he does due to the radiation.

Spock renders McCoy unconscious with a Vulcan neck pinch, then gives him the Vulcan mind-meld, telling him to “remember.” Warp drive is regained, the Enterprise escapes as the Reliant blows up, and Kirk realizes from glancing at Spock’s empty chair what had occurred.

SPOILER ALERT: Mr. Spock dies, as Nimoy wanted … only to come back in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” … as Nimoy wanted. Until his return in that next film, though, the death is heroic and maybe one of the finest and most emotional such scenes put on film to that time …

Kirk makes his way to the engine room, but Scotty holds him back from entering the flooded compartment.

Spock: “Don’t grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh — “ Kirk: “The needs of the few.” Spock: “Or the one.”

Here’s the clip:

Though as I said Spock’s death scene is one of the finest, Leonard Nimoy changed his mind towards the end of filming “The Wrath of Khan.” He decided he did not want to give up the character of Spock after all, which was a condition of his return. The scene with the mind meld was added late in the production, as was the shot of the coffin on the new planet.

Thankfully, Spock had an out, as fan outrage was reaching a fever pitch prior to the film’s release due to the rumors of the Vulcan’s death.