Chris Pine as Captain Kirk looking intense in Star Trek Beyond
By
Shaun Corley
Published 3 minutes ago
Shaun Corley is a Staff Writer for ScreenRant, a position he has held for five years. While he enjoys many types of comics and graphic novels, he has a particular interest in the licensed Star Trek titles.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Summary
Generate a summary of this story
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
Captain Kirk’s most mysterious lover has a dark history that Star Trek never revealed. An infamous “ladies man,” Kirk had many lovers during the course of his Starfleet career. His Kelvin counterpart was no different, and in issues 53 and 54 of IDW’s Star Trek, his Orion lover from the first film gets a surprisingly dark backstory.
The two-part “Reunion” arc, running in Star Trek 53 and 54, was written by Mike Johnson and drawn by Tony Shasteen.
Gaila, Kirk’s Orion girlfriend, is revealed to have defected from her homeworld with her father and brother after her mother tried to “marry” her off as a child, in order to secure an alliance.
JJ Abrams' Star Trek Movie Gave the Franchise a New Beginning
Star Trek's "Kelvin" Universe Also Introduced New Characters to the Mix
Kirk and Spock look toward the view screen as the rest of the crew watches in Star Trek 2009
JJ Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek film gave the franchise a new beginning, after the flop of Nemesis and Enterprise’s cancellation nearly killed it. Abrams, rather than attempt to sort out the mess left behind, opted to go back to the beginning, showing how Kirk took command of the Enterprise and how he first met Spock.
The movie, and its two sequels, honored the canon that came before but forged their own path. Some aspects of the characters carried over into the new timeline, particularly Captain Kirk’s womanizing tendencies. In an early scene, Kirk is revealed to be sleeping with Uhura’s Orion roommate at Starfleet Academy: Gaila.
Gaila was only in a few scenes in the movie, and thus did not get much in the way of character development. The brutal truth is she was there to be “eye candy.” The Orions, who have always been characterized as hypersexual, especially women, were an easy way to provide this “eye candy.”
Gaila, Uhura's Orion Roommate, Has One of Star Trek's Saddest Backstories
Gaila Escaped a Hellish Fate
Rachel Nichols as Gaila Orion Starfleet cadet in Star Trek 2009 Kelvin
Yet “Reunion” upends everything fans thought they knew about Gaila. The arc’s opening pages paint a grim picture of her childhood. She was groomed from childhood to be nothing more than a pawn of her mother. Her mother was quick to sell her off to a slimy, insect-like species, who intended to consummate the marriage.
Thankfully, not everyone in Gaila’s family saw it that way. “Reunion” shows the matriarchal nature of Orion society, and oddly presages Star Trek: Lower Decks’ revisions to the canon. Gaila’s father and brother push back against her mother, and the trio become refugees, fleeing to Earth and settling in San Francisco. Gaila and her brother ultimately enlist in Starfleet.
None of this backstory was present in Star Trek, and it adds a tragic, unexpected layer to the character. Yet “Reunion” is not all doom and gloom. Gaila and her refugee family genuinely love each other, and they gave up a cushy life on Orion to make a stand for what they believed in.
Gaila Smashes Stereotypes About Orion Women in the Star Trek Universe
Gaila's Skills Made Her an Asset to Starfleet
star-trek-orions-best-aliens-lower-decks-tendi-1
“Reunion” also gives justice to Gaila in other ways too. When fans see her in Star Trek, she is very much acting the role of the hypersexual Orion woman. Fans later see her in uniform, but the film gives no real indication of what she studied or what her specialty was.
The “Reunion” arc fixes this problem by showing Gaila as a highly competent officer. Not only does Gaila have a stronger moral compass than most Orions, she is also intelligent and has a great deal more agency than others in her situation. Gaila was lucky she and those she loved escaped a horrible fate.
IDW's Star Trek Comics Fleshed out the Kelvin Universe's Most Interesting Side Characters
Gaila, Keenser and Others Got Their Time to Shine
Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek's Kelvin Timeline and the poster for Star Trek Beyond
2009’s Star Trek movie introduced a number of intriguing side characters, such as Keenser, that did not get much in the way of character development. IDW’s Kelvin-set Star Trek book filled in the gaps the films left behind, and has given fans compelling stories that show just how much potential it had.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in “Reunion.” Gaila, an unassuming Orion woman and the mysterious lover of Captain Kirk, had one of Star Trek’s most tragic backstories. Her scant few minutes in the movie did not do justice to the character, and while born in a tragedy, she rose above it to become a model Starfleet officer.
-
Comics
-
Star Trek
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
12 hours ago
Hamnet: Can This Year's Best Tearjerker Strike Oscar Gold?
14 hours ago
8 Best New & Trending Shows to Watch This Week on Every Major Streaming Platform (Nov 24–30, 2025)
6 hours ago
Jingle Bell Heist Review: Netflix's Latest Rom-Com is A Holiday Caper With Surprising Twists
16 hours ago
Marvel’s Next Big Event Is a Death Sentence for Spider-Man
More from our brands
35 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows, Ranked
The Real Inspiration Behind Coraline, Explained
Invincible and Atom Eve’s Romantic Timeline, Explained
A new Star Trek: Voyager game looks like a welcome alternative to TV Trek
10 Things That Happen in Every Star Trek: The Original Series Episode
Is the 40-Year-Old 'Star Wars' Movie Nobody Has Seen Really as Bad as Everyone Says?
Will the 'Underworld' Film Franchise Move Forward Without Kate Beckinsale?
Trending Now
Fast & Furious Wanted To Cast Jamie Foxx In Major Role 4 Years Ago
Wicked: For Good Is Box Office Gold, But Can That Translate Into Oscar Wins?
The Batman Series So Offensive, It’s A Miracle It Ever Got Released
