1083. Just Desserts!PUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation #66, DC Comics, December 1994
CREATORS: Michael Jan Friedman (writer), Deryl Skelton (artist)
STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)
PLOT: A generation ago, a giant space-faring creature came to Utalabria and ate all their nuclear waste. Today, the planet is choking with waste again as they pray for the creature to come back. It does, but this time it attacks the very food it craves, raining radioactive dust on the planet. Crusher thinks it's allergic to its food, just like a boy in sickbay was earlier, and the ship shoots the same medicine at the creature. It works, but Picard still makes a point of slapping the Utalabrians on the wrist for depending on other people to get them out of their irresponsibility's consequences.
CONTINUITY: Worf compares the Utalabrians' waste management irresponsibility to the the Klingons' which led to the incident on Praxis (ST VI).
DIVERGENCES: Shows a Benzite in a blue shirt at the helm.
PANEL OF THE DAY - The universe hocks up a hairball.
REVIEW: I think the plot synopsis is indictment enough, but I guess I should pad things out more. The issue comes off as preachy. Not only does Picard get morally superior with the Utalabrians, but a couple pages are given over to Crusher giving a lesson on what allergies are. And with such accurate scientific information, it's odd that the rest of the story makes absolutely no sense. We're to believe the Enterprise can fire "medicine bolts" and that a young boy and a giant star-creature use the same cure? Pass.
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