Star Trek 1233: Origins

1233. Origins

PUBLICATION: Starfleet Academy #15, Marvel Comics, February 1998

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

STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)

PLOT: Nog and Yoshi follow the trail of their presumed dead friends to a planetoid on the edge of the Neutral Zone where Omega Squad has been captured by sleeper agent T'Priell/Selke. The cadets and Zund find T'Priell's tomb and learn from an equally captive archaeologist that she was a Vulcan youth on an archaeology trip who combined forces with him and two other Romulans, Selke and Tal Shiar agent Terek. Together they discovered a portal to the builders of that temple, whose last three survivors were immediately captured by Terek. T'Priell gave her life to destroy the portal rather than see the Romulans get a hold of that technology. She left her katra in her friend Selke, who was then brainwashed by the Tal Shiar to make use of that katra as an undercover agent meant to rise through Starfleet's ranks. Though she has failed in that mission, she has brought back Betazed's most powerful telepath for study. With the help of the last remaining alien from beyond the portal and a member of Spock's movement who has a ship waiting, the Squad free the recently captured Nog and Yoshi and head for Edam's location. He's been tortured and probed - they fear he is dead...

CONTINUITY: The concept of the katra was introduced in The Search for Spock. Omega Squad gets help from a member of the Reunification movement (Unification).

DIVERGENCES: None.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Low-tech dying.
REVIEW: An issue that is packed to the gills not only with action and revelations, but with character development as well. There's the way Zund is mysteriously able to navigate the labyrinth of the temple. What's that all about? T'Priell/Selke is at war with herself, in the same way Spock/McCoy was, and we can see her become unhinged as she tortures former flame Edam, crying even as she cackles with evil laughter. Cooper contrasts the moment with scenes from Selke's abusive relationship with her mentor/lover/brainwasher. Terek is a proper villain both on the personal front (beats on his girlfriend) and on humanoid rights (vivisected two of the last survivors of the planet). This series has gone from fun to exciting, and I'll be sorry to see it wrapped up in a few days.