1351. Mirror Images, Part 2PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Mirror Images #2, IDW Comics, July 2008
CREATORS: Scott and David Tipton (writers), David Messina (artist)
STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)
PLOT: Pike is unhappy with the intel McCoy brings him and suspects him of having divided loyalties. Kirk brings a business opportunity to the captain's attention, an Orion trader that could give them contraband dilithium in exchange for a crate of phasers. Of course, this is the ship that's bringing him the Tantalus Device. Security chief Sulu watches his every move, so Kirk misdirects him. He makes a fuss about smuggled Bolian ale so that the Orion gives him three slave girls who happen to be wearing the disassembled device. The Orion ship explodes not long after, erasing any trail that might lead back to Kirk. Scotty is put in charge of reconstructing the device and secretly installing it in Kirk's quarters.
CONTINUITY: See previous issue (Mirror Universe, Pike). Apparently, Dr. Piper (The Cage) suffered an "accident" that got McCoy his position.
DIVERGENCES: The Orions are more gray than green.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Sulu's popular with the girls.
REVIEW: Mirror Kirk is real clever, which is what makes stories like this so much fun. He makes me think of Vril Dox in L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S. You want the villain to succeed because you respect his cleverness and boldness (not that there are any heroes around). Orion slave girls offer eye candy, and I'm slightly surprised they don't exhibit any pheromonal power. The story was written after Enterprise's Bound, after all, but I suppose Starfleet has overcome this with booster shots by the 23rd century (onscreen evidence supports this). I do like how loyalties are divided, with Sulu's to Pike eventually becoming a grudge against Kirk, as seen in Mirror, Mirror. I do wish more had been made of McCoy's role - bit of a cop-out from last issue's cliffhanger - and there's perhaps a missed opportunity in having an already scarred Sulu. But fun, like most Mirror stories.
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