UPDATED: New ‘Into Darkness’ Rumor Revealed To Be Hoax (To Prove A Point)

While Alice Eve in the new trailer has grabbed a lot of attention – the biggest topic of discussion around Star Trek Into Darkness is Benedict Cumberbatch’s character John Harrison. And today the website Pop Culture Zoo says they have the real spoilers about Harrison’s true identity and more? TrekMovie has checked on their findings. Get the full Rumor Control below.  [UPDATE: PCZ admits it was hoax]

UPDATE:  Pop Culture Zoo Reveals Hoax

After TrekMovie debunked this latest rumor Joseph Dilworth of Pop Culture Zoo posted an update admitting the whole thing was "one big hoax." Dilworth admits he and a friend "conspired together to create a plausible rumor with the sole intent of seeing how far it would go." The reasoning stems from frustration the conflation of what are rumors and known facts about the movie.

It is a fair point. TrekMovie has always gone out of the way to differentiate what has been revealed officially or has been stated on the record as opposed to any reporting coming from our own sources. Those reports are always cited as officially rumor and Paramount does not comment on rumors. However, I have seen TrekMovie reports (and others) cited as confirmed facts on other sites and in other media.

However, I’m not sure this kind of rumor as performance art helps make their point. Pointing out fact from the officially unconfirmed seems straightforward enough. 

 

Original Article

 

John Harrison is Harry Mudd’s Android Son?

The website Pop Culture Zoo says they have "Exclusive Major Spoilers" for Star Trek Into Darkness, specifically on the biggest question of them all: Is Benedict Cumberbatch just John Harrison or does he have another true ID? According to Pop Culture Zoo’s "trusted source" the John Harrison’s true identity isn’t one that has been speculated before. It is actually Harry Mudd’s son. Part of the ‘proof’ is in the name Harrison ("Harry’s son"). And it gets better. Here are some of the spoilery details…

[Harrison]’s also an android, from the planet of androids that Mudd found in the Original Series episode “I, Mudd” (further linking the reboot universe to the original timeline)–he’s the new Norman.


 Harry Mudd is John Harrison’s dad?

Their report also picks up on TrekMovie’s reporting aboutof Joseph Gatt’s character being named "GATT 2000," and how he has some kind of cybernetic feature on his head. Now Pop Culture Zoo says GATT is the "#2,000 in the GATT android series." The source also claims the famed cryogenic chambers from the teaser trailer are actually "android creation machines."


 So Harrison is the new Norman android (top) and the tubes (bottom) make more Androids?

One of the elements that ties this together is the new "Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness" prequel comic series. It has been revealed in that series that Harry Mudd has a daughter, who is just as roguish as her dad. Harrison has not appeared in the comics, nor have they referred to him or to another Mudd sibling, so that is all on Pop Culture Zoo’s source.


 Mudd’s daughter is in the new Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness comics

 

Sorry, Not True

So is this real? Well just in case TrekMovie checked with our trusted sources and the verdict is: "Not True, but pretty funny."  I think perhaps someone is having a laugh with Pop Culture Zoo. I hope it wasn’t a TrekMovie.com reader that ‘sourced’ this, although in the discussion thread for the latest issue of Countdown there was a lot of speculation about "Harry’s son" = Harrison.

Of course we also checked with Vreenak and he was unequivocal. 

 

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He is obviously Khan’s cousin’s best friend’s former room mate…

My proof is that’s what I choose to believe.

And with Lindelof on the writing team – my previous sentence makes perfect sense.

Kudos to the originator of this rumor. On it’s face, it fit all the evidence so far, it refuted nothing we’ve seen, was plausible (if unlikely) and further fueled all the “who is this guy” speculation. Very inventive!

Is it April Fool’s Day already?

Wow that was absolute nonsense. I bet it was Bob Orci.
Either Bob or B4 who is still upset about the way Nemisis turned out.

Funny, but i ll just go with the “Harrison is a rogue from Starfleet Intelligence routine!

The truth is when you change some letters from “John Harrison”
Khan Noonien Singh comes out.

@6
So does Nosirrah Nhoj

Come on, everyone knows that Cumberbatch is playing a Tribble.

#8: He’s playing a tribble? Is that a woodwind or brass instrument?

Why would anyone have believed this in the first place? By the way, my guess is that the starfleet officer who goes rouge is not Harrison at all. I believe the rouge starfleet officer is Noel Clarke, who is controled by Harrison. Harrison may not be a member of starfleet at all.

The reason Harrison is wearing the starfleet shirt is perhaps because it was given to him in the brig while incarirated on the Enterprise.

See, NOW people will all start saying, “Why would anyone believe this?” but until a few minutes ago, the response was decidedly different. :)

I still don’t think we should even be entertaining all of these villain rumors… no matter how silly they are. Can’t we just accept that he is John Harrison, a rogue Starfleet officer, and just wait for the movie to come out?

Isn’t it more fun that way? They’re called “spoilers” for a reason! Because they SPOIL the experience of watching a movie for the first time.

You should have left this rumour Anthony because it ticked all the boxes and people would have given up guessing and just believed it and THEN they would truly be surprised in the cinema :)

Unless, of course, it is true and trekmovie.com is being misled. hm

@12 Oh come now Johnny. The thrill of a mystery is trying to solve it before the end of the line is upon you.

Not guilty your honour!

I would not dare try to mislead Senator Vreenak.

Oh my goodness! Loved it though! What a throw back to TOS! Only DIE HARD fans would have caught the reference in the movie, and since they are going all mainstream with these, I doubt they would burry that much history into a character. Just my opinion, I think John Harrison will be John Harrison. He won’t end up being Khan, or any one else. He will be a character all unto himself. Now granted, my opinion and fifty cents will get you a Soda, but as a life long rabid fan, I just felt the need to throw my prediction out there. Love the site, loved this article, can not wait for the midnight Imax 3D showing of which you can bet your sweet tribble I will be at! LLAP

A Starfleet top agent… Sloan?
Harris’ son (ENT)?

Hi folks, I am the writer of that article and here is why:

http://popculturezoo.com/2013/03/star-trek-rumors-and-chinese-whispers/

A little bit of fun and a lot of proving a point. :-)

No hard feelings?

John Harrison is actually….

Han Solo’s ancestor (Harrison Ford)..prepping us for the new Star Wars movie.

17.

Forget who John Harrison is, the real mystery is where can you get a can of soda for 50 cents?

Hey well instead of a Mind Meld to fill us all in, the android could be connected to the viewscreen and show us his backstory :P

#19

Well done sir because you had me fooled for a bit :) *claps*

Like Spock said in Star Trek 6:

An interesting theory that happened to fit the facts. :P

Perhaps not Harry’s son, but there’s truth to the android part.

Too bad I would have rather believed this than Khan or Gary Mitchel.

That bit about watching the last episode of Star Trek Enterprise, for a hint about a scene after the end credits gets me.

As if anybody would want to do that! ;)

Now the last but one, and last but two are worth checking out…

…but I don’t really expect Bob Orci (or whoever else might be a harcore Trekkie among the writers) to have got Peter Weller to reprise his Terra Prime leader role.

He could well be an android. More like a Cylon from nuBSG though rather than Data. Maybe he has some form of nanoprobes in his blood that make him super, nanoprobes that also heal people (Noel Clarkes daughter) and are undetectable in a normal scan or even a transporter trace.

Nanites? Nanoprobes?

Made by Carol Marcus in her lab?

Carol Marcus knows how to shut them off? Shows McCoy the correct method to scan for them?

We will see!

John Harrison cannot be related to any characters who were ‘light’ or ‘fun’ or ultimately harmless. That means Mudd and his androids, Trelane, Cyrano Jones, Lt. Riley, Arne Darvin, et al.

If he is related to old TOS canon, and this is becoming increasingly unlikely, it is someone who has no sense of humor whatsoever, and against whom Kirk feels he must invoke vendetta.

I will assume this is because Pike is killed during Harrison’s attack.

Unless we’re dealing with the Talosians, or some such, it still boils down to some version of Khan. I mean, Carol Marcus and the hands-on-glass scene. How many nods can you have to TWOK in one film?

Not Khan.

I wasn’t fooled and I said so at the time.

Special K will not be going away.

Well, about 20 seconds after I read it the first thought that popped into my head was that it was a synopisis for either BSG, maybe Terminator.

There are a few posters here that are really quick to post links to other sites, and they don’t always bother to read the material first. Most everyone who commented on the PCZ story saw through it pretty quick.

I’m inclined to think it’s Adm. Marcus who dies, and it’s nothing but a hunch.

What if John Harrison just ends up being John Harrison with enhanced abilities?

Awww man, I love Vreenak

it is clear who John Harriso really is .
He is Garth April Khanitchell!

SPOILER ALERT

“What if John Harrison just ends up being John Harrison with enhanced abilities?”
________

That is what a video which has been leaked, of late, reveals.
We already knew John Harrison was an excellent cook.

Now we find out he has other talents.

Be warned ; in the scene you are about to see, he seems to have aged ( just a little bit ; his sexiness is, of course, still intact).
This, to me, give credence to what I will refer to as the “April theory”.

….Besides, he appears to have shaved his hair. Or something.
This (film) has “Heart of Darkness/ Apocalypse Now” written all over it. So to speak.

The sequel will be “dark”, disturbing….EPIC.
Just check this out:

(link if authorized, here):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28DfvvfZLi0

Well, that was just ridiculous.

Who in their right mind would buy that load of gabble??

HA HA – Nelson Muntz

Umm, funny, I guess. Made me go “huh.”

Or he is just John Harrison a Section 31 agent gone rouge? Admiral Marcus did say he is one of their best agents not officer.

Is anyone else starting to think Harrison is the Abrams’ universe equivalent of a Section 31 agent?

10. The sane reason everybody was convinced he was Gary Mitchell, Hary Seven and Khan based on zero evidence (yes, yes, Khan had dark hair) and rumours. Again, it still could be anyone — but rumours are rumours.

It’s like the people who claim they used Jessica Fletcher-like deductive reasoning to figure put that Eve was Carol Marcus, and that reasoning was prettu much: ‘Marcus was blonde, Eve is Blonde.” Sure, as it tirns out, she’s Marcus (the obvious choice) but a guess is a guess.

Those tubes aren’t coffins. Who puts windows in coffins? And why are the windows all frosty?

Cryo tubes.

Who you trying to fool? It was no hoax lol your source failed and Anthony proved it within a few hours lol saying it was a hoax is just to save face ;)

This hoax was quite cleverly thought out! It makes (at least in my opinion) even more sense than the “Harrison is Khan” theory…

I don’t spell too well on iPhones.

It was fun to read and I’m dum enuff to think it plausible-but-silly. Best bet in my mind from watching official trailers is Harrison is a rogue Section 31 agent that’s been augmented (maybe as an experiment). It’ll be interesting to see what the cryotube-looking thingies are all about.

@42

Maybe that scene is supposedly on Delta Vega in another part of the Budweiser brewery..

@42 dmduncan: I believe the scene where the ” Cryotubes ” are shown is indeed the Botany Bay! I also believe that ” John Harrison ” is a alias to Khan! People will see this movie because it presents a new story even if Khan himself has a new story! I also do believe that Admiral Alex Marcus has more to do with the motives of the Botany Bay! Think about it the Origional Enterprise under the command of Captain Alex Marcus ( previously Robert April ) may be responsible for all this mess!

Oh, you could say they were poking fun at the people that will cling to any theory that isn’t. I think the truth is they were trying to draw a lot of attention to their site.

This whole secrecy thing is a little strange and annoying for me. We have always had great literature that has been adapted to plays and later films. Just because I know the plot does not mean I won’t want to see it played out visually. Yes, some secrets are good to keep. I ‘m glad I did not know the twist in Psycho the first time I saw it. But knowing some or even all of the details does not necessarily ruin it for me. Sitting in a darkened theater experiencing the drama is what gives me that emotional connection.