Star Trek 822: Mortal Gods

822. Mortal Gods

PUBLICATION: Star Trek #5, DC Comics, June 1984

CREATORS: Mike W. Barr (writer), Tom Sutton and Sal Amendola (artists)

STARDATE: 8163.5 (follows the last issue)

PLOT: The Enterprise searches for the survivors of the USS Valor, destroyed in the recent Klingon conflict. Only an old student of Kirk's, Captain Philip Hodges, survived, landing on a primitive planet of rat-men, stopping their war, curing some diseases, marrying a hot rat-girl and passing himself off as a god. He won't be dissuaded to leave either. But factions are conspiring to get the war started again, and one of the generals kidnaps him. A conflict erupts with our heroes in the middle, but as they are about to rescue Hodges, his rat-wife barges in and gets badly hurt - McCoy operates. In the end, the Enterprise arranges for Hodges to give a farewell speech and beams him up in divine ascension to be with his wife. No harm, no foul, right?

CONTINUITY: Mentions the Richter scale of culture (Errand of Mercy).

DIVERGENCES: The Enterprise broadcasts a massive hologram into the planet's sky.

PANEL OF THE DAY - With a guy like Sulu, it's better to check first.
REVIEW: A classic "Kirk breaks the Prime Directive but laughs it off" story, and though those tend to dry fans crazy, it kinda works because it's Cowboy Kirk. Fast-moving, dynamic and even includes a couple jokes for the Trekkies (the above Sulu scene and a bit with Saavik). Bearclaw seems to be a Young Chakotay prototype, raised in the American Indian "culture" and skilled in tracking like a Numenorean Ranger. We all know how much I loved Chakotay (not at all), so I hope Bearclaw does better. The art under Amendola's inks is a lot rougher and not as strong as previous issues (plus, there's a weird sideways panel). But overall, I'd say everything is weaker compared to the first four issues.

Comments

De said…
According to Bearclaw's Who's Who entry, he's Apache. Not sure if that was ever mentioned in the comics.
Siskoid said…
Either way, that's a damn sight better than Chakotay's generic Native stereotype.

Why COULDN'T they specify a tribe exactly?
De said…
My guess is that the producers didn't want to offend anybody if they somehow got something wrong in portraying a specific tribe.

Personally, I think it's just as offensive as not specifying and cherry-picking customs and traditions (or making them up) for TV.