Star Trek 790: To Err Is Vulcan

790. To Err Is Vulcan

PUBLICATION: Star Trek #59, Gold Key Comics, January 1979

CREATORS: Arnold Drake (writer), Alden McWilliams (artist)

STARDATE: 9126.1 - Follows the last issue.

PLOT: The Enterprise visits a utopian planet that has achieved lasting peace with its former warring colonies. There, the landing party gets a guided tour of key facilities by a beautiful scientist. Twice, Spock goes crazy and tries to avert a disaster, once by shutting down a power station and then by alerting the planet to a tornado at the weather center. Both times, he only later notices he made a mistake and some number or arrow was reversed. Kirk sends him back to the ship in shame. At a peace parade, war planes and tanks that have been converted into agricultural vehicles are revealed to still be operational for war and Spock is apprehended. Seems like the president wanted to invade the colonies once again, but Spock, who had been framed exactly because he could see through the plot, sabotaged the tanks, the power station and the weather reports.

CONTINUITY: Spock refers to violent Vulcan history.

DIVERGENCES: Scottie is not the proper spelling of Mr. Scott's nickname.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Sexy out of context fun
REVIEW: It occurs to me that Kashdan often begins his stories at some social function, which makes Kirk rather the party crasher. But something always goes wrong. In this case, it's not a bad story, with plenty of cultural details thrown in for color, or even as red herrings (the poison honey, for example). The art is a bit sloppy, with our beautiful (and she knows it) scientist losing her forehead jewel midway through a conversation. Indeed, I haven't exactly had cause to praise the art since McWilliams came on.