Star Trek #1450: Assimilation2 Part 8

1450. Assimilation2 Part 8

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #8, IDW Comics, December 2012

CREATORS: Scott and David Tipton (writers), Gordon Purcell and J.K. Woodward (artists)

STARDATE: Unknown (follows previous issue).

PLOT: The Doctor, his companions, and the crew of the Enterprise-D defeat the Cybermen, restore the Borg Collective, and deal with the newly-restored threat of assimilation.

CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Borg, Cybermen). Riker has a picture of himself playing the trombone at Sisko's (Homefront, etc.). The use of gold to defeat the Cybermen started in Revenge of the Cybermen. The TARDIS communes with Data in a way that is reminiscent of The Parting of the Ways. The epilogue seems to indicate these events were at the root of the Borg's time travel experiments (First Contact).

DIVERGENCES: It seems suspect that the armored Cybermen who seem to be a combination of traditional Cybermen and Cybus-men from Pete's World would be vulnerable to gold coating their breathing apparatus.

PANEL OF THE DAY - And Stevie Wonder in the role of Geordi LaForge.

REVIEW: It's the last issue and finally there's some action. In fact, it's almost wall to wall action, making me wonder if this issue couldn't have lent a little to the previous seven. Of course there's a lot of nonsense action, like the Enterprise shooting gold dust which somehow gets into the Cyber-ship's interior atmosphere, but that's the kind of nonsense that's almost expected of Doctor Who (or is that just my opinion of the latest season showing through?). I do like the chemistry between Worf and Rory, two characters underrated by their respective crews, and that they're instrumental in the final victory. However, that's nonsense too. Worf shouldn't know that the TARDIS door can be opened safely, it should in fact be counter-intuitive for him. But the larger problem is that Amy and Rory have taken up arms against the Doctor's wishes, and there's no hint here of the ethical dilemma that poses, no consequences except beneficial ones. In fact, this issue is all about missed opportunities. The Cybermen take a special interest in Data, a being that has achieved what they haven't quite managed - true emotionlessness - but the Cyber Controller  doesn't get to address it in his tirade. Later, the TARDIS' consciousness uploads itself into Data so as not to be assimilated, and... nothing really happens beyond Data's fascination. He just acts like Data and punches the Borg known as Conduit, and never mentions it again. What a waste! How much better could the series have been if it had cut a few of those interminable briefings and moved the top of issue 8 to issue 4 and exploring some of the elements crammed into the finale. But don't worry, none of it happened. Somehow the Cybermen's destruction reset history so that their actions (and those of the Borg) never happened. Except for the characters' memory of it. And the Collective's, somehow. And by George, ours as well. No, it doesn't really make sense, but don't poke this beast with a stick. It might wake up and spawn a sequel.