Didja Know?

 

This two-part story is based on the televised pilot episode of the original Star Trek (although it was the third episode broadcast, on September 22, 1966).

 

There were two different ST-TNG novels set in the original timeline and featuring the character Q, in which the galactic barrier is explained in conflicting ways. In Q-Zone, Q set up the barrier to prevent a being called O from re-entering the galaxy; both Gary Mitchell and Dr. Dehner were possessed by a part of O, granting them their godlike powers. In Q-Squared, the barrier is explained as containing the essence of Q after a confrontation with Trelane; Q first attempted to escape by attaching himself to a Valiant crewmember, but the attempt ultimately failed. He escaped successfully after attaching to both Mitchell and Dehner in the Star Trek episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before".

 

This issue is quite a letdown as a conclusion to the story in comparison to the original episode. It lacks the impact of the TV episode and suffers for the lack of the Dr. Elizabeth Dehner character to add a compassionate angle to the attainment of godlike power as opposed to Mitchell's more demonic mental transformation.

 

Didja Notice?  

 

The cover of this issue features the photo likeness of actor Gary Lockwood in his role as Lt. Gary Mitchell in the original series episode of "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Notice though, that his uniform tunic has been replaced from the classic one of the episode (with turtle-neck collar) to the current movie version.
"Modern" Gary Mitchell	"Classic" Gary Mitchell

 

The cover features a background schematic of a modern Enterprise shuttlecraft. But the advertisement for this issue that appeared at the end of issue #1 depicts the classic series shuttlecraft!
"Modern" shuttlecraft schematic	"Classic" shuttlecraft schematic
Star Trek #2 cover	Star Trek #2 advertisement

 

This story opens on stardate 1313.1. How can that be, when "Where No Man Has Gone Before" Part 1 began on 2258.56?? The answer is that this stardate comes from the original episode. Possibly writer Mike Johnson originally used the stardates from the episode before they were changed editorially to match the new stardate system from the rebooted timeline and this reference simply got overlooked.

 

Page 4 reveals that the mineral processing facility on Delta Vega is called Dse-Grissom.

 

On page 5, Mitchell reminds Kirk that he, Kirk, was once stranded on another Delta Vega by Spock, just as Kirk is about to strand him on this one. The other Delta Vega appeared in "The Vengeance of Nero".

 

On page 8, Mitchell kills Kelso by forcing him to shoot himself in the head with his phaser. In the original episode, Mitchell uses telekinesis to wrap a loose electrical cable around his throat, strangling him.

 

On page 12, Mitchell offers Kirk a Kaferian apple, as he does to Dr. Dehner in the original episode.

 

In the original episode, Mitchell's hair gets greyer as the power consumes his human form. Here, there is no obvious grayness.

 

On page 21, Mitchell and Kelso are given burials in space inside what appear to be photon torpedo tubes, just as was Spock in the original timeline in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. 

 

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