_{My name is KHAN. A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. But I was condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries I slept, hoping when I awoke things would be different.  My ship was found adrift. I alone was revived.} 

This is my big problem with them calling him Khan.  Ben did a great job with the part; he made it intimidating, he made it terrifying.

But in the original series, in 45 minutes, they made Khan terrifying because SHOWED YOU WHO HE WAS.

In a two hour movie, they gave you ONE PARAGRAPH of Khan’s background.  You barely even know who or what he is.  And frankly, it doesn’t matter; it hardly has any bearing on the story the movie is telling.

In the original series, he’s not just a genetically engineered superhuman.  He was one of the greatest warlords of World War 3.  He was the 21st century’s Alexander.  The next Hitler.  He committed genocide, scrubbing anyone of ‘weak genes’ from his territory, and imposed draconian laws over the people he conquered.  

And yet in a madness of warrior supermen sweeping across the landscape (because EVERYBODY had had the same idea: let’s genetically engineer the next evolution of humanity!), while Khan was one of the most dangerous and bloody, he was also the most functional rulers.  There was a point when it looked like he might take over the entire planet and unite it by force.  

And you knew—because in 45 minutes they managed to get it across—that this was a big deal, because in Star Trek’s history the Earth was as fractious and disjointed as it is in real life.  Within 50 years—thanks in no small part to this war—the nations would begin finding ways to collaborate and unite peaceably.  But first, Khan had the vision that he could ‘save’ the world by doing it forcibly.

And the second-scariest thing about him was that when you actually met him, you realized that he might just have been able to do it.

The scariest thing about him was that when you actually met him, you could see yourself following him.

This man whom Benedict played was a scary, dangerous bastard.  But for all it mattered who he was or why he was doing what he was doing, they might as well have just named him John Harrison.  He was not Khan.