Warning: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek #11: Tasha Yar’s Romulan Daughter Is Even More Tragic Than Fans Thought.
IDW’s current Star Trek comics have made the most of possibilities to go further into the backstories of both fan-favorite characters and brand nemeses like Sela, Tasha Yar’s half-Romulan daughter. By the end of Star Trek #11, readers will understand how deeply ingrained Sela’s Romulan brainwashing is and how tragic of a character she truly is.
Despite their differences, Sela, Doctor Crusher, and the unnamed Orion medic are forced to work together in Star Trek #11 by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, with art by Angel Unzueta, coloring by Marissa Louise, and lettering by Clayton Cowles. This leads to a confrontation between Crusher and Sela regarding the memory of Natasha Yar.
Both Tasha Yar and Sela are among the most tragic figures in Star Trek.
One of the biggest villains of the Star Trek franchise, Sela first appeared in the fourth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and now she is at the center of IDW’s Star Trek’s God-War plot. In Star Trek issue #11, Sela, Crusher, and the Orion physician work to resuscitate the Klingon Martok, who knows the location of the necessary access codes. After arguing over what to do, Sela and Crusher end up fighting. The debate centers on Sela’s mother, Tasha Yar. Doctor Crusher claims she used to see Tasha Yar in Sela, but is deeply disappointed to realize that the resemblance is only superficial.
Instead of accepting her humanity, Sela denies it.
Tasha Yar’s storyline was one of the most dramatic and unpredictable in Star Trek canon. She was the Enterprise-D’s first security officer, and she was killed in the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the third season, as part of a new chronology, she would make a cameo appearance. The Tasha Yar in question went back in time to when she was a captive of the Romulans. Tasha caught the eye of a Romulan diplomat, who proposed marriage in exchange for her “freedom.” This coupling produced Sela.
During her eulogy for her deceased companion, Crusher says in Star Trek #11 that her words “could move mountains.” The half-Romulan responds that her mother “fell on her back to save her own.” Doctor Crusher snaps and slugs Sela across the face, telling her that Tasha sacrificed herself to save Sela’s life, not her Romulan commander father’s, when trying to smuggle Sela and herself out of a Romulan facility. The whole scope of this disaster, which has already spread to Sela, is only now becoming apparent.
Sela’s portrayal as a faithful Romulan in Star Trek: The Next Generation cemented her reputation. Tasha was unable to provide Sela with a proper moral and ethical upbringing. The God War only served to exacerbate Sela’s worst traits, which were already rooted in her Romulan indoctrination. However, Sela’s catastrophic flaw is in her attitude toward her mother. Tasha cared a lot about Sela and always looked out for her interests. But after being exposed to nothing but Romulan culture, Sela came to view her mother as a wimp and a coward. Star Trek #11 highlights how terrible Sela is while offering optimism that she would recognize her human heritage.