Khan Noonien Singh escapes his exile on Ceti Alpha V and hunts Kirk across the Mutara Nebula.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, released in 1982 and directed by Nicholas Meyer, follows Admiral Kirk as he faces his age and his past. Kirk is now training cadets aboard the Enterprise when a scientific project called Genesis, which can transform dead worlds into living ones, draws the attention of an old enemy. Khan Noonien Singh, whom Kirk had exiled on a barren planet many years earlier, escapes with a stolen starship and seeks revenge.
The film is a duel between two commanders, with the two ships maneuvering in the Mutara Nebula where sensors fail. It carries themes of aging, regret, sacrifice and the consequences of past decisions. Kirk meets his estranged son, David Marcus, and the film brings the Vulcan Spock to a moving choice that changes the crew.
After the first film's slower pace, this sequel brought more action and character drama, and it is often regarded as one of the best entries of the franchise. It also began a story told over three films, tying the Genesis device, the death of Spock and the efforts of the crew to the next adventures in the series.