Star Trek 805: Experiment in Vengeance!

805. Experiment in Vengeance!

PUBLICATION: Star Trek #9, Marvel Comics, December 1980

CREATORS: Martin Pasko (writer), Dave Cockrum and Frank Springer (artists)

STARDATE: 7641.8 (follows the last issue)

PLOT: Kirk has an old jilted girlfriend assigned to his ship, but his biggest problem is the mystery of the Endeavor. The ship is found drifting in space with all hands lost, but still manages to attack the Enterprise! Seems like a space madness hit the ship and is now hitting ol' 1701. Those affected want to kill Dr. Hester... Kirk's girlfriend's grandmother. She was on the team that invented the transporter and the ghosts possessing the mad crew members are her team mates who were lost in a transporter beam. Kirk gets their attention away from his ex and onto the dead old grandma in a crashed shuttle, and throws a grenade behind them. The ghosts now exorcised, Kirk's gf decides she can't work with him and leaves the ship.

CONTINUITY: An Andorian and a Rhaandarite are part of Kirk's crew. The USS Endeavor would later be mentioned in ST VI.

DIVERGENCES: The dates and circumstances for the invention of the transporter don't fit with those later given on Enterprise.

PANEL OF THE DAY - A second term? (click image to galaxy-size)
REVIEW: It's a transporter accident / ghost story... so is it better than the excruciating Daedalus? A little! But not by much. Exes coming out of the woodwork for Kirk is standard, but neither she nor their relationship is ever made interesting. It's all very contrived how she comes on board at exactly the same time her grandmother has bearing on the mission. And as far as villains explaining their plans go, the ghosts strain even that convention. And yet, it still wins over Daedalus.