Gates McFadden is going back to Dr. Beverly Crusher, this time as the writer. IDW Publishing has announced Star Trek: Crusher, a limited comic series written by McFadden with art by Megan Levens and colors by Charlie Kirchoff, as first reported by Variety. It is McFadden’s comic book writing debut, and the first issue is due in summer 2027.
The series tackles one of the biggest gaps in the character’s history: the roughly 20 years between the film Star Trek: Nemesis and the third season of Star Trek: Picard. That stretch matters, because Picard’s final season revealed that Crusher had a son, Jack, from a relationship with Jean-Luc Picard years earlier. How she spent those years has mostly been left to the imagination.
“It’s such an honor to return to Starfleet and expand Beverly Crusher’s storyline in a whole new way,” McFadden said. “I’ve spent years bringing the words of other great writers to life in Beverly’s shoes, so it’s inspiring and thrilling to now be the one scripting a new chapter in this fabulous character’s saga.”
IDW CEO Davidi Jonas framed the book as part of a bigger push. “IDW’s bold celebration of Star Trek’s 60th anniversary was just the beginning of our stellar plans for the iconic franchise,” he said. “There is a 20 year gap in the fan-favorite character’s story. Who better to tell it than Beverly Crusher herself?”
McFadden played Crusher in more than 150 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, appeared in all four TNG films, and returned for Picard’s third season.
The announcement keeps IDW’s Star Trek line moving during the franchise’s 60th anniversary year. IDW recently published the Star Trek: 60th Anniversary Special and a new Star Trek #1, which it says set a sales record for the franchise at the publisher, and AIPT notes that Star Trek: Zero Point #1, starring Commander Raffi Musiker, arrives October 14. For more on that relaunch, read RCG’s look at IDW’s new Star Trek #1, with Captain Seven in command.
