Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek#27!
Star Trekshares Doctor Crusher’s heartbreaking Starfleet secret that no one saw coming. Doctor Crusher is one of Starfleet’s best Chief Medical Officers, and even headed up Starfleet Medical. However, these achievements come with a tragic backstory: she lost her husband in an accident, leaving her a single mom. WhileCrusher has overcome this loss, it still haunts her, and she makes a stunning confession inStar Trek#27.
Star Trek#27 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Mike Feehan and Tess Fowler. As theTheseus’ crew struggles to hold it togetherin the wake of Lore’s destructionof the multiverse, Doctor Crusher and Captain Sisko have a discussion about their pasts. Crusher equates her late husband, Jack, with Sisko’s deceased wife, Jennifer.Crusher then confesses that after Jack’s death, she had trouble trusting Starfleet, saying “they took everything from me.”Instead, Doctor Crusher learned to lean on her friends. Crusher then relates her dilemma to Sisko’s ongoing tempestuous relationship with the Bajoran Prophets.
Doctor Crusher Has Lost A Great Deal While Serving in Starfleet
Doctor Crusher was played by actress Gates McFadden.
For six ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’sseven seasons, Doctor Crusher safeguarded the physical well-being of theEnterprise’screw. After stints on theEnterpriseas well as Starfleet Medical, Doctor Crusher signed on board theUSS Theseus, under the command of Captain Sisko. During the course of her service, Sisko promoted her toTheseus’first officer, a major career move. She was reunited, briefly,with her son Wesley at the Pleroma, the “Realm of the Gods.” Tragically, Lore destroyed the Pleroma, which created a ripple effect across space and time, destroying all creation.
Given Doctor Crusher’s extensive service record, it would seem safe to assume she is loyal to Starfleet, which makes her confession to Captain Sisko inStar Trek#27 a bit jarring.
Given Doctor Crusher’s extensive service record, it would seem safe to assume she is loyal to Starfleet, which makes her confession to Captain Sisko inStar Trek#27 a bit jarring. Her husband Jack, also a Starfleet officer, died while serving with Picard on theStargazer. It was a freak accident, and nothing could have saved him. Doctor Crusher could have walked away from Starfleet right there, but chose instead to stay. Starfleet personnel accept that risk, and death, are parts of the job, and Doctor Crusher seemingly embodied this philosophy by continuing to carry out the organization’s mission.
Losing Wesley Affected Doctor Crusher More Than Fans Thought
It Is Not Hard to Understand Why Doctor Crusher Does Not Trust Starfleet
In the years since Jack’s death, Doctor Crusher has experienced even more loss, namely her son Wesley. Following in his parents’ footsteps, Wesley enrolled at Starfleet Academy. Initially excelling in his studies, Wesley grew disillusioned with the lifestyle. Salvation for Wesley came in the form of the Travelers, a mysterious organization who safeguarded reality. Sensing something special in Wesley, the Travelers recruited him. He accepted the offer, but was forced to leave both his friends and his mother behind. When she met Wesley, she had not seen him in several years.
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When the loss of her son is coupled with her husband’s death, it becomes clearer why she does not trust Starfleet.Jack gave his life, literally and figuratively, to Starfleet. While what happened was an accident, it can be hard not to blame Starfleet for it.Star Trekhas hinted at Doctor Crusher’s years between her husband’s death and coming to theEnterprise,meaning fans did not see the immediate anguish she felt in the wake of his passing. Wesley departed her life at the end ofThe Next Generation’srun, thus leaving her feelings about it up in the air.
Doctor Crusher is a Survivor
The Pain Over Her Husband’s Death Disillusioned Doctor Crusher
Yet IDW’sStar Trekcomics have made it clear that Doctor Crusher did feel pain in the wake of Wesley’s departure, one compounded by the rules of the Travelers, which state they cannot visit family and friends. It is another loss Doctor Crusher has suffered, yet she continues to serve in Starfleet. Her confession to Sisko inStar Trek#27 gives insight into how she survived both the loss of her husband and son. It is heartbreaking to hear Doctor Crusher say she does not trust Starfleet, but her arc shows she is justified in saying so.
