▁cheap ly . ▁Ben nett ▁also ▁h ired ▁Michael ▁Minor ▁as ▁art ▁director ▁to ▁shape ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁ ▁Ben nett ▁wrote ▁his ▁first ▁film ▁treatment ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁In ▁his ▁version , ▁entitled ▁The ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁Gener ations , ▁Kirk ▁investig ates ▁a ▁re bell ion ▁on ▁a ▁distant ▁world ▁and ▁disco vers ▁that ▁his ▁son ▁is ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁reb els . ▁Khan ▁is ▁the ▁master mind ▁behind ▁the ▁plot , ▁and ▁Kirk ▁and ▁son ▁join ▁forces ▁to ▁defeat ▁the ▁t yr ant . ▁Ben nett ▁then ▁h ired ▁Jack ▁B . ▁S ow ards , ▁an ▁av id ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁fan , ▁to ▁turn ▁his ▁outline ▁into ▁a ▁film - able ▁script . ▁S ow ards ▁wrote ▁an ▁initial ▁script ▁before ▁a ▁writer ' s ▁strike ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁S ow ards ' ▁draft , ▁The ▁Om ega ▁Sy nd rome , ▁involved ▁the ▁the ft ▁of ▁the ▁Federation ' s ▁ult imate ▁weapon , ▁the ▁" Omega ▁system ". ▁S ow ards ▁was ▁concerned ▁that ▁his ▁weapon ▁was ▁too ▁negative , ▁and ▁Ben nett ▁wanted ▁something ▁more ▁u pl ifting ▁" and ▁as ▁fundamental ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 3 rd ▁century ▁as ▁recom bin ant ▁DNA ▁is ▁in ▁our ▁time ", ▁Minor ▁re called . ▁Minor ▁suggested ▁to ▁Ben nett ▁that ▁the ▁device ▁be ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁terra form ing ▁tool ▁instead . ▁At ▁the ▁story ▁conference ▁the ▁next ▁day , ▁Ben nett ▁h