Star Trek 1195: Hide & Seek

1195. Hide & Seek

PUBLICATION: Starfleet Academy #7, Marvel Comics, June 1997

CREATORS: Chris Cooper (writer), Chris Renaud and Andy Lanning (artists)

STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)

PLOT: Nog has been having dreams of killing Edam, so he confesses to his attempted murder. Boothby makes him realize perhaps Edam sent him the images as a cry for help. The Squad thinks the killer could actually be a changeling and track it down to the infirmary where Edam has been largely faking. He helps the Squad fight the changeling, but when pressed they escape into the holodeck where they use illusions and shifting scenery to spot it. Once in a containment field, Edam reads its plans for conquest, but before he learns to much, it commits suicide. Edam is made leader of the Omega Squad.

CONTINUITY: The Squad fights Chalnoth (Allegiance) in the holodeck. Boothby appears as do the two mysterious cloaked Jem'Hadar. The changeling in the story must be one of the four on Earth (Paradise Lost).

DIVERGENCES: Edam uses his telepathic powers to send out powerful suggestions, which is unlike any Betazoid we've ever seen. Nog receives a telepathic image from a Betazoid, which should probably be impossible given their brain compatibilities.

PANEL OF THE DAY - CSI Dominion
REVIEW: Reading more and more like a superhero book, Edam's telepathy, Matt's bionic eye, the shapeshifting villain, and holodeck "danger room" all create some interesting scenes, but is it Trek? I'll hazard a yes here. After all, I also enjoy Peter David's New Frontier novels which are powers-heavy, and so I shouldn't complain. With Decker gaining maturity, I'm not sure it's a good idea for Edam to replace Goldstein as squad leader, but I'm not against it either. It will fuel the angst I suppose. I agree with this blog's readers that this has a teen drama feel reminiscent of Claremont's X-Men and New Mutants. The links to the larger Trek continuity continue to keep the series a fun read.