Captain Picard's iconic wig moment gets referenced in the new official cover art by J.K. Woodward for Star Trek's 400th comic issue.
The announcement of the long-awaited 400th issue of the Star Trek comic series was paired with some inspiring and different cover art. One, in particular, pays homage to a hilarious running joke in the fandom: The honorable Captain Jean-Luc Picard's hairpiece.
Sir Patrick Stewart, who plays Picard, has an interesting history with the character regarding the hair. He was almost not cast as the Captain because Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry didn't think a bald Captain Picard aligned with his vision for the character. Roddenberry acquiesced, but only if Patrick Stewart would wear a wig in his audition. Stewart wore the wig and did his audition. Thankfully, he was chosen for the role and was told to forget the wig. Fans everywhere would rejoice and celebrate this decision to keep Stewart bald when a photo of Captain Picard in the truly awful wig went viral, and is called back to by Wheaton on one of the collection covers on the bottom right. The wig featured is in the style of the wig he was originally going to wear as the character.
Related: Stark Trek Unites Every Version of Spock In Inspirational Art
Now, a new variant cover by J.K. Woodward for the 400th issue of IDW's Star Trek series brings back Picard's hair piece. This 400th issue features a variety of creators, including Wil Wheaton from The Next Generation, and will feature stories of different iterations across the years of the USS Enterprise and its crew. The special issue is a collection featuring a wide variety of stories from a wide variety of creators, so, while it isn't confirmed, it could be entirely possible that one of the stories will feature a past version of Picard with a lot more hair than Trek fans are used to. Woodward previously did art for Star Trek The Next Generation: IDW 20/20 which took place long before TNG and also saw Picard with a full head of hair.
Regardless of whether the be-wigged Picard appears in issue 400 though, it's undeniably a fun nod to the fandom. The image of Picard in his deplorable wig that circulated online turned Picard with hair into a running joke for series fans. The most famous picture of Picard with hair comes from the season 5, episode 12 Violations, which features a flashback to a young Picard. Not the headshot from the audition as previously rumored. References to Captain Picard's hair are also featured in the season 6, episode 7 Rascals. In the episode, there is a transporter accident that reverts them back to children and Picard checks his scalp immediately. It's little details like this that fans of Star Trek will see in this lovingly crafted anthology that celebrates the series.
This legendary new anthology will be a must-have for any fan's Star Trek comic book collection. Wil Wheaton promises to deliver the level of detail and care expected from a project like this with not only a stacked author roster but with attention to details like Captain Jean-Luc Picard's hairpiece.
Next: Star Trek's Greatest Eras Converge as Wil Wheaton Takes Helm as Writer
Star Trek #400 will be available at local comic book stores in September and priced at $7.99.