1102. Split InfinitiesPUBLICATION: Star Trek Annual #6, DC Comics, 1995
CREATORS: Howard Weinstein (writer), Ken Save and Sam de la Rosa (artists)
STARDATE: 8812.1 (last chronological TOS story in DC Comics, so after issue #72); TNG events occur between All Good Things and issue #71
PLOT: As the Enterprise-A's crew worries about possible advances in Romulan cloaking technology, Gary Seven appears on the bridge to warn them that Spock is in danger. Devidians immediately appear and apparently kill him, then kidnap Spock. Spock finds himself with a Romulan diplomat, Captain Harriman of the Enterprise-B and later Data inside a forcefield. The Enterprise-A is visited by Exana and her cat Nova, agents for the Aegis just like Gary Seven. She explains that they are fighting the Devidians who want to rid themselves of Federation interference by removing certain people from history. Everything seems to point to crucial interactions between the Federation and the Romulans. In the TNG era, history is already changing in subtle ways and the Enterprise-D is also dealing with Romulan affairs when Data is kidnapped. In two eras, two Enterprises fly off to Devidia...
CONTINUITY: Gary Seven appears sans Isis (Assignment: Earth). Chronologically, he last appeared in issue #50. The Devidians appeared in Time's Arrow. Spock and Data are timeknapped along with Tellius, the primary negotiator of the Treaty of Algeron first mentioned in The Neutral Zone, and Captain John Harriman of the Enterprise-B (Generations) who apparently played a part in the Tomed Incident (The Neutral Zone, The Pegasus, the novel Serpents Among the Ruins). In the alternate TNG timeline created by the Devidians, Sybok (The Final Frontier) has taken Spock's place in history (in particular the events of Unification). Guinan can feel this isn't right (as similar awareness in Yesterday's Enterprise).
DIVERGENCES: The comic incorrectly places the Treaty of Algeron 100 years before the TOS movie era, when it should actually be signed a few years after it, ni response to the Tomed Incident (The Pegasus).
PANEL OF THE DAY - Wanna let us into the universal translator's secret?
REVIEW: Connecting the two Star Trek ongoing series in their last Annuals is a fun idea, and the continuity-heavy script is actually worthy. You've got Romulans, time travel, a parallel world (more subtle than most, which is cool), and two of your favorite crews about to meet up. I also like that Harriman is being given a better reputation by these events. His lame duck participation in Generations has always stuck out as a stain on the legacy of the Enterprise. I'm not sure I'm as pleased by Gary Seven's quick death, but with time travel involved, I'm not sure it's permanent. In any case, he's immediately replaced by someone just like him. Sadly, Save can't draw cats very well. But a very strong start to this crossover, with a strong grasp of Star Trek history.
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