808. ...Like a Woman Scorned!PUBLICATION: Star Trek #11, Marvel Comics, February 1981
CREATORS: Martin Pasko (writer), Joe Brozowski and Tom Palmer (artists)
STARDATE: 7935.6 (follows the last issue)
PLOT: Evacuating a colony threatened by radiation, the Enterprise takes on board a cult leader and his assistant, one of Scotty's jilted exes. Soon, while the cult leader starts subverting the crew with his message of freedom from military oaths, strange creatures from Scottish folklore start attacking Scotty and anyone around him. When the "svengali" takes over the bridge, he reveals he and the girl are psionically trained (though with different talents - he hypnotizes and she brings figments of your imagination to life), but Kirk fights off the hypnotic effects while Spock and McCoy sedate the girl.
CONTINUITY: Scotty's ex jealously rants against Mira Romaine (The Lights of Zetar) and Carolyn Palamas (Who Mourns for Adonais?). Drexler II, the hijacking destination in this story, may be the same as Drexler Outpost from where the Hansens left the Federation, as told in The Gift (i.e. would have been named after Doug Drexler as well).
DIVERGENCES: None.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Jumping James Kirk!
REVIEW: Martin Pasko (the "regular" writer) has a penchant for throwing in science fantasy elements that make for unusual comic book images (not unlike the Animated Series), but you're never quite sure if they work in the Star Trek context (much like the television episodes that make use of such). Here, though the Lock Ness monster attacking the ship is patently ridiculous, there's at least a science fiction premise behind it. The story rolls along fairly well, even if there's not much of a mystery (not with that title, at any rate), and we miss the emotional closure of the personal subplot. The art is strong on expressions and likenesses, but a little awkward on the action poses.
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