Star Trek 1416: Ruling in Hell Part 3

1416. Ruling in Hell Part 3

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Khan - Ruling in Hell #3, IDW Comics, November 2010

CREATORS: Scott and David Tipton (writers), Fabio Mantovani (artist)

STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)

PLOT: As conditions on Ceti Alpha V continue to deteriorate, Khan and his men build what will become their last shelter. Joaquim discovers that the mysterious illness affecting some of them is caused by parasites that make the victim susceptible to suggestion - the Ceti eel. Khan captures a mother Ceti eel and puts it in a tank. Tamas and his followers continue to plot against Khan, and kidnap Marla McGivers, infecting her with a Ceti eel. She is sent to assassinate Khan, but fails and later dies. While Khan is so distracted, they steal the colony's power generator. Khan declares war against them.

CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Khan, Botany Bay, Marla McGivers, Ceti Alpha V, Joaquim, Ceti eels). Khan catches the mother Ceti eel seen in ST II. A Ceti eel claims Marla McGivers' life (The Wrath of Khan).

DIVERGENCES: None.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Where THAT went.
REVIEW: Moving inexorably towards Star Trek II, the comic tells us just how Marla McGivers died and continues to build Khan as a "heroic" character by making that death more than just a random parasite infection. The creative team allows the tragedy to unfold in many silent panels, squeezing the ideas for all they're worth. The art is more than up to the task of creating this harsh world, filling out the obscured desert seen on screen. Next issue's climax promises to be a huge conflict in which Khan can once again prove himself as a super-intelligent strategist and I can't wait.

Comments

Shlomo Ben Hungstien said…
ya know the whole civil war within Kahn's tribe and the asassination attempt was something i never saw coming when i first heard about this series. those were some good concepts the writers came up with. although at the same time i don't know why tamas is so bent out of shape at Kahn. it's not like he's come up with any ideas of his own for their predicament. but i guess it's just in their nature to be like that. "superior ability breeds superior ambition". by the way i came up with some cool TRON variant art on the ROM blog you might dig.
December 19, 2010 at 12:47 PM
De said…
As far as divergences go, this differs from Greg Cox's novel slightly. The novel had McGivers infected by a Ceti eel in a cave after conditions on the surface became unbearable. While there was also conflict within Khan's settlement, the details differ quite a bit: there was no Manchurian Candidate plot and no all-out war.
December 19, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Siskoid said…
David: I saw it! Nice! If I didn't comment, it's that I'm not really a Tron fan.

De: I'm never surprised when comics and novels disagree.
December 19, 2010 at 3:15 PM
Shlomo Ben Hungstien said…
that's cool Siskoid. words of praise are welcomed anywhere. i think you'll like my next posting better it has nothing to do with TRON. i'm not really to big on all these Star Wars and Star trek novelizations. however, once in a while one comes along that seems worth reading. this Greg Cox one sounds like it might be worth having a look at. there was one that i read a while back called The Battle of Betazed. it's a story arc from the Dominion Wars that takes place sometime after Betazed was captured and occupied. the Federation undertakes a covert mission on Betazed in order to find a Betazoid prisoner who's like this ultra powerful psycotic telepath in order to drive the Dominion from betazed.
December 20, 2010 at 3:47 AM
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