The Eagles Have Landed

The Eagles Have Landed was a Star Trek: The Original Series comic strip published in 1969. It was the seventh story arc in the UK comic strips series, released in four parts within issues of Joe 90: Top Secret. This was the seventh of 11 stories painted by Harry E. Lindfield. In this story, Kirk's compassion led him to rescue a group of prisoners.

Publisher's description

 * Teaser summary, 23 August, 1969
 * When a disobedient crew member blasts at a gigantic "eagle" out in space, Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise discovers that the bird is really a strange space ship. He goes to its rescue in a space bug…

Summary
While exploring a new region of space, Spock spotted what looked like a huge living eagle, which suddenly dive-bombed the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). Ship's phasers disabled the unusual vessel. Kirk, David Bailey and at least four others piloted Space Rescue Bug 5 through a gap in the damaged hull to offer assistance, but their ship was seized by grapplers operated by Agonites. Enterprise fired at the space eagle to keep the Agonites busy while Kirk's team detached the grapplers. Bailey spotted a crowd of humanoid refugees. As the space bug carried a full load of them back to the Enterprise, grateful Takku from Womata explained how they'd been taken by evil Agonites — who soon returned with reinforcements. Spock launched three armed space bugs to help fight off the Agonites and rescue everyone else. The refugees were brought to a nearby class M planet and provided with provisions and weapons.


 * Captain's log, stardate 24:12.17 - orbiting planetary body. Establishing a home for Agonite prisoners...

As the Enterprise orbited the planet, a dozen space eagles arrived in formation. Hopelessly outnumbered, Kirk signaled for a truce to confer and met with Roggaf of Agoni. Kirk soon learned that Agoni was a galactic police base, and these prisoners were actually convicted criminals. To make up for his interference, Kirk offered to recapture the criminals. Although Takku resisted and was killed, the rest were rounded up peacefully.

Characters

 * David Bailey • James T. Kirk • Roggaf • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Takku • Willis

Starships and vehicles

 * Space eagles • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) ( heavy cruiser) • Pursuit 1 • Pursuit 3 • Pursuit 4 • Pursuit 7 • Space Rescue Bug 5 (space bugs)

Locations

 * Galaxy T-21 • unnamed planet

Agoni • Womata

Races and cultures

 * Agonite • Human • Vulcan • Womatan

States and organizations

 * Agoni police force

Science and technology

 * computer • drill • environmental suit • grappler • gun • laser-ray • magnetism • phaser • rifle • weapon

Ranks and titles

 * captain • crewman • criminal • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • guard • gunner • helmsman • navigator • policeman • prisoner • radioman • scout • skipper • slave • Starfleet ranks

Other references

 * bird • bird of prey • bridge • call sign • diplomacy • devil • eagle • galaxy • nova • orbit • peace • planet • police • prison • shuttle bay • slavery • space • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • starship • truce • war

Chronology

 * The presence of Bailey on the Enterprise places this story early in the year 2266, before the events of "The Corbomite Maneuver".

Production history

 * This story was published in two-page sections over eight consecutive weeks in Joe 90: Top Secret magazine.


 * August 1969
 * 16 August, pages 1-2 published in Joe 90: Top Secret #31.
 * 23 August, pages 3-4 published in Joe 90: Top Secret #32.
 * 30 August, pages 5-6 published in Joe 90: Top Secret #33.
 * September 1969
 * 6 September, pages 7-8 published in Joe 90: Top Secret #34.
 * April 2016 : Reprinted in the omnibus The Classic UK Comics, Volume 1 (IDW Publishing)
 * 11 May 2017 : Reprinted in the omnibus Graphic Novel Collection #10 (Eaglemoss)

Background

 * The story was not printed with a title, but it was given one (The Eagles Have Landed) for its reprinting in the omnibus The Classic UK Comics, Volume 1. A month before this story was published, humans first landed on the moon. The title was a nod to a statement broadcast by Apollo 11 when their lunar module "Eagle" first touched down at Tranquility Base on Luna in July 1969.
 * Due to the writer being unfamiliar with Star Trek, phaser gun crews acted out of the ordinary. They opened "gun ports", equipment not found on starships but common to Earth's seagoing military vessels. A crewman disobeyed orders and fired the ship's phasers. Crews later fired at least four shots from point-blank range at a stationary, disabled vessel and missed the section they were told to aim for.
 * Despite the previous story arc debuting the Galileo shuttlecraft, in this story the starship's auxiliary vehicles were still referred to as space wagons and space bugs. These ships were now depicted resembling class F shuttlecraft.
 * This was the last of seven appearances by David Bailey in the weekly comic strips, though he would also appear in "Target: Zargot", a story published in Joe 90: Top Secret Annual.
 * It was not stated whether the Agoni police force was a mercenary force or worked for an interstellar state.
 * Kirk similarly asked Kruge for a truce to confer in.

Related stories

 * – David Bailey coordinated training drills with phaser gun crews.
 * – Featured a phaser gun crew and facility.