Star Trek 773: World Beneath the Waves

773. World Beneath the Waves

PUBLICATION: Star Trek #43, Gold Key Comics, February 1977

CREATORS: Unknown (writer), Alden McWilliams (artist)

STARDATE: 19:26.03 - Follows the last issue.

PLOT: McCoy's daughter is assigned to the Enterprise for a special mission to an underwater civilization, but there is strife between her and her estranged father. Yet, she's interested in the mystery of these gilled mutants who were once land lubbers who ran to the deepest oceans when radioactive dust came from space. Once there, they are immediately captured as untrustworthy spies from the surface. In an air cell, they find access to a cave full of people thought killed as children because they had no gills, but secreted there by the king himself as a kindness. The landing party flees the caves via a shaft to the surface where they meet an air-breathing couple who are rearing a child from the caves. That child turns out to be a prince born of the undersea king and queen, while the nice couple gave birth to a water-breather. The parents formally exchange children and a pact is made which inspires the McCoys to get to know each other.

CONTINUITY: Barbara McCoy's daughter returns, as last seen in #40. She's colored her hair since then.

DIVERGENCES: Barbara could be an entirely different character from her first appearance. Aside from hair color, she's now afraid of alien creatures, and relations between her and her father are strained in a way they weren't before.

PANEL OF THE DAY - McCoy, deadbeat father... and just a little inappropriate?
REVIEW: I want to like this story. It has a little more continuity than usual (Barbara McCoy) and I'm always up for Aquaman-style action (these people were lucky to have all that giant sea life). However, there's just too much wrong with it... Like a scene in which Scotty makes a pass at Barbara by implying he wants to spank her (she leaves him out of the landing party in retaliation). Or the confusing ending which has the underwater royal family walking and breathing on land. And well, that's just not the same sassy Barbara from Furlough to Fury that would have made a fine addition to the cast.