Star Trek 781: Destination Annihilation

781. Destination Annihilation

PUBLICATION: Star Trek #51, Gold Key Comics, March 1978

CREATORS: George Kashdan (writer), Alden McWilliams (artist)

STARDATE: 26:04.4 - Follows issue #38 (Season 3).

PLOT: On its way to an indefinite patrol of a warring system, the Enterprise comes across a planet spewing junk. Investigating, Kirk finds old acquaintance Prof. Osric Whipple, a screw-up scientists who reversed the polarity on his electromagnet by mistake. Kirk saves him from the authorities who are none too pleased and brings him along on his next mission to the twin worlds of Arima and Mazda. These have been in a religious war since they shared the same planet back in the stone age, and both are expecting their god to show up at this time. Well, Whipple turns a tricorder into a transporter and mistakenly winds up on one god's throne, then on the other, which plunges the planets into war. Later, when he attempts to create a force field between fleets, he gets turned into a radio wave and winds up telling both sides to stop fighting. Believing he is their god, they quickly hammer out a treaty and get to stay in the Federation.

CONTINUITY: None.

DIVERGENCES: Well, I sincerely doubt the Federation would have accepted two warring worlds.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Don't fall asleep at Kirk'n'Spock's party.
REVIEW: What the hell!? Though essentially a comedy story with a "nutty professor" type, it's not so much funny as it is silly, especially the level of coincidence and weird science on show. Perhaps at home in a quaint Silver Age Superman comic, but this was made in 1978 when they really should have known better. McWilliams may be showing off his weaknesses in this one, in particular, design. His costumes are horrendous and his original spaceships based on objects he has around the house (it's war between the footrests and the ballpoint pens). Even his Enterprise, usually dynamic, looks rough and unfinished. Deadline problems? A big piece of fluff.