1161. The Looking Glass WarPUBLICATION: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Annual #1, Malibu Comics, January 1995
CREATORS: Mike W. Barr (writer), Leonard Kirk and Rob Davis (artists)
STARDATE: 48511.1 (between Life Support and Heart of Stone)
PLOT: A second Defiant comes rushing out of the Wormhole piloted by the Curzon Dax of another reality. There, a treaty between the Dominion and Federation was broken and a war ignited by the unacceptable murder of Odo. Curzon has used the Wormhole to scour various timelines for another version of Odo to both investigate his own murder and set things right with the Dominion. Sisko won't let Odo interfere with another dimension, so Curzon kidnaps the changeling and heads back. The crew follows, help their counterparts escape Dominion clutches and with Odo's help, make the Jem'Hadar end their holy war. Odo further discovers that alt-Kira is responsible for the other Odo's death, fearful that a Dominion-Federation alliance would prove a threat to Bajor. That Kira falls into Jem'Hadar hands as the Defiant returns home.
CONTINUITY: Curzon Dax appears in the flesh for the first time since Emissary. In his timeline, he negotiated a treaty with the Dominion, but they still attacked (Founder Leader has a cameo). He has visited other timelines, one where the Borg won at Wolf 359 (The Best of Both Worlds) and another which may be the Mirror Universe (Crossover). Eddington is commander of Curzon's DS9 after Sisko is captured. T'Rul (The Search) serves aboard the station. The crew return to the (alt) Callinon VII (The Search). The alt-version of the young Jem'Hadar found by Odo in The Abandoned appears.
DIVERGENCES: It's a different universe, so it's possible, but I should mention Jem'Hadar using viewscreens, contradicted in A Time to Stand. They also seem not to be commanded by Vorta. Callinon is spelled Calanon. Dax creates a mighty fine gas weapon that disables Jem'Hadar. Pity she seems to forget all about it afterward.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Twice as unappreciated.
REVIEW: Mike Barr writes a fun alternate universe story that, for once, doesn't hinge on the tired Mirror Universe, with Leonard Kirk providing some nice costume, ship and alien designs (though his Jem'Hadar are a little rough). There are some nice recurring characters in there, used without the worry of interfering with the show (all from the alternate universe, after all). If the Dominion hasn't been used before in the comics, it might be because Paramount put a "hands off" sign on them because of the comic story arc(s), so a cool compromise. The characters are universally well used, and the action is something you would have liked to see on screen. A good annual, then.
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