Issue Four: Deadly Allies

Star Trek Issue 4

Last time in the pages of DC's STAR TREK...

Against direct orders from Starfleet, Admiral Kirk and company travel to the planet Organia to see why the Organians haven't interceded in an alarming declaration of war by the Klingons. Enterprise finds Organia shrouded in a mysterious black void-and the Klingons waiting for them. Enterprise and the Klingons exchange hostilities and then the Excalibans reveal themselves and warn human and Klingons alike to let the drama proceed...

Chapter four serves to bring Star Trek's first four part story arc to a resolution. This issue is heavy on the exposition (mainly for the benefit of new or more casual fans with hazy memories of the who, what and why of the original episodes of  "The Savage Curtain" and "Errand of Mercy"). There aren't many surprises here but this debut arc shows that it has respect for the Star Trek cannon, is going to give us plenty of action while not forgetting smaller character driven moments, and is willing to broaden the Star Trek canvas a bit with new and interesting characters who are integral to the overall story. Let's look a little closer..

So, those pesky Excalibans are at it again with their quest to find out once and for all which is the ultimate power in the universe: Good or Evil. This time, however, the rocky creatures with winky blinky eyes want the scale of their drama to be a little larger-like on a stage the size of the galaxy instead of just with a handful of individuals.  Only problem with that is those darn Organians stubbornly enforcing the peace.  Solution? The Excalibans pay the Organians a surprise visit and kazaam them into some sort of super stasis field before they can assume their true non-corporal shape and fight back.  Then, the Excalibans finished their attack by blanketing the Organians world in some sort of super power wet blanket.
Now free to conduct their experiments without interruption the Excalibans possess representatives from Starfleet and the Klingon Empire and stoke up their existing prejudices, misconceptions, hatreds and so on and then let individuals baser desires take its course. Well, Kirk has played this game before-literally, and this time he has a brand new plan!

Kirk convinces Kor and the other Klingons aboard his ship to join forces so that together they can stop the Excalibans destructive drama. Human and Klingon work together to outfit a shuttle to pierce the weird black field enveloping Organia and hopefully set the Organians free.

Of course, working together for sworn enemies isn't a piece of cake.  Poor Konom starts a riot when he tries to visit some of the Klingon "guests" aboard the Enterprise. Konom's actions aboard the Klingon station are now common knowledge among the Klingons and he's condemned as a traitor and outcast by Kor himself. The Klingons despise Konom as much as some of the Enterprise crew. So, Konom is firmly established as an individual without a country, so to speak. He's very isolated now and in my mind reflects how Mr. Spock must have felt in the early days of his Starfleet career.  Above we see one of the few character moments from this issue that shows Konoms plight and his budding relationship with Nancy Bryce.

Speaking of character moments-there's a very humorous one between Kirk and Kor and Dr. McCoy as seen below:

Ok, so finally Kirk frees the Organians and persuades the Excalibans that if they really want to know which is stronger good or evil that they need to get their own hands dirty and PARTICIPATE in the struggle instead of watching from the sidelines.  And who better to square off against than a race who could match their awesome powers.  Say, like...the Organians! The Excalibans mull this over for a bit and decide that Kirk has an intriguing idea. The Organians, strangely enough, seem to go with this idea as well. Perhaps its just a matter of self defense but they're quick to rise to the challenge...REALLY...rise to the challenge as both sides immediately grow to truly cosmic proportions while Organia comes apart under the forces of the two super races battling it out!  Kirk and crew get the hell outta Dodge as quick as they can.  In the Enterprise's wake the two opposing forces wink out of existence. Or, appear to do so.

Kirk is understandably glad to be rid (?) of both races, at least for the time being.  Kirk's not a man to rest in the arms of renegade super-beings and says so. The adventure is over and the Enterprise leaps into warp speed ....

End.