 Khan Noonien Singh , commonly shortened to Khan , is a fictional villain in the Star Trek science fiction franchise . The character first appeared in the Star Trek : The Original Series episode " Space Seed " ( 1967 ) , and was portrayed by Ricardo Montalbán who reprised his role in the 1982 film Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan . In the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness , he is played by Benedict Cumberbatch . 
