Page 1 states that the Federation was established in 2161.
This was originally stated in the ST-TNG episode "The
Outcast". Page 3 mentions the holiday of Federation Day.
This was also first mentioned in "The
Outcast".
Page 2 reveals that Sulu is attempting to become part of Red Squad at the
Academy, which admits only the most elite cadets...the best
of the best of the best. Red Squad was first revealed in the
ST-DS9 episode "Homefront".
On page 4, Chekov and Kirk are running through the Muir
Woods during Academy training. The
Muir Woods are part of the Muir Woods National Monument
north of San Francisco and part of the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
This issue tells a different version of the first meeting
between Kirk and Chekov than the one presented in
The
Gemini Agent.
On page 6, David asks Sulu if he double checked the sarium
levels on the shuttlecraft. This is presumably a reference
to sarium krellide, a material used in power cells, as
mentioned in the ST-TNG episode "In Theory".
On page 7, Sulu remarks to David, "I'm not gonna be one of
those guys who gets stuck behind the helm for ten years."
This is a reference to Sulu's position in the original
timeline, where he remained the helmsman of the Enterprise
for 10+ years during the events of the original series, the
animated series, and films I-V.
This issue reveals that Chekov is hooked on chess.
Chekov has a poster in his Academy dorm room that reads
"Keep Calm and Play Chess". This is a play on a British
government propaganda poster of WWII produced by the
Ministry of Information, "Keep Calm and Carry On." The
poster was never displayed publicly during the war and was
largely unknown until 2000. Since then, it has become fairly
well-known, with numerous satirical versions produced as
posters and t-shirts, including the
"Keep Calm and Play Chess" one seen here.
On page 9, Chekov reveals to Kirk a prank he plans to play on Cadet McKenna by teleporting a swarm of Belzodian
fleas onto the stage when she steps up to receive the
Admiral's Award. McKenna is revealed as a female, Amy
McKenna, and at the end of the issue she is said to be the
sister of the male McKenna who was originally assigned as
helmsman of the Enterprise before catching lungworm
and being replaced by Cadet Sulu as stated in
"The Vengeance of Nero"
(here Sulu tells Chekov that both brother and sister have
come down with lungworm). The admiral referred to appears to
be Admiral Barnett, head of Starfleet Academy, as revealed
in The
Gemini Agent and seen portrayed by Tyler Perry in
"The Vengeance of Nero".
"Belzodian fleas" appears to be a misspelling of "Belzoidian
fleas", which Q compared humans to in the ST:TNG episode "Deja
Q".
The last two pages of the issue take place during the events
of
"The Vengeance of Nero",
when Sulu and Chekov meet for the first time as they take
their positions at the helm of the Enterprise.
