750. The Mummies of Heitius VIIPUBLICATION: Star Trek #21, Gold Key Comics, May 1973
CREATORS: Unknown (writer), Alberto Giolitti (artist)
STARDATE: 30:26.5 - Follows issue #16 (Season 3).
PLOT: The Enterprise must deliver an alien mummy to a research center, but that mummy turns out to be a robotic cyborg that takes over the ship and tries to make it cross into Romulan space, thinking it was bringing its people to a new, fresh world. Our heroes narrowly avoid a battle with the Romulans, while back on Heitius VII, Spock and McCoy fight more mummies and learn their secret history.
CONTINUITY: The similarities between the mummies and the Borg are impressive - zombie-like cyborgs with personal force fields and a desire to convert others into mummies. The Romulans' treaty with the Klingons is mentioned.
DIVERGENCES: Chekov is referred to as a security officer, which he wasn't yet. But then, this is a series that frequently uses Scotty as the resident muscle. The Romulans have a sallow complexion and normal-shaped ears (except the commander). Their ship looks nothing like any design from the show (inside or outside).
PANEL OF THE DAY - Those are Romulans?
REVIEW: Two things strike the reader here. First, it's amazing how close to the Borg the mummies are, enough to make you wonder if they had anything to do with the Borg's genesis (or if they were just also inspired by the Cybermen). Second, there's a fine, completely silent sequence with the mummy rising from the dead and walking the halls of the ship, very rare in this books. Nice and atmospheric. Otherwise, there's just not much to it. Lots of firing phasers at mummies, and an aborted outer space battle.
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