Changes: A Small Matter of Faith

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A Small Matter of Faith was the 56th and last issue of DC Comics' first series of comics based on The Original Series. It was the last of ten stories written by Martin Pasko and the fourth of five stories illustrated by Gray Morrow. It was published by DC Comics in 1988.

Description

The regular crew gets a break and Martin Pasko and Grey Morrow serve up a mission from Kirk's first five-year tour of duty aboard the Enterprise. This time, the crew gets mixed up with a flock of religious zealots and the ideological debates aboard the ship will make for some interesting reading.

Summary

Log entries

Captain's log, stardate 3547.2: This appears to have been our week for medical emergencies. Due to subspace interference from Berthold radiation, I have been unable to contact Starfleet Command for authorization to respond to a priority one distress call from Dr. Pitkin of the Starfleet Veterans' Hospital on Lavinius V — received two solar days ago. Thus, on my own authority, we have diverted from our present assignment in the Beta Aurigae system, and are now in standard orbit over Lavinius V. I am confident my decision poses no threat to the 19 crewmen beamed aboard two solar days ago — casualties from the USS Defiant, disabled during a routine patrol. I must note for the record that, as expected, Dr. McCoy has taken vigorous exception to my decision.

Captain's log, stardate 3549.8: En route to the planet Calydon, we are encountering an ion storm. I am apprehensive about how it will affect our efforts to regain control of the Enterprise…

Captain's log, stardate 3550.1: Despite the storm and En-Lai's increasing agitation, we have reached Calydon. I have beamed down to the surface to prepare for the incredible event we now believe will take place there.

Captain's log, supplemental: We are leaving Calydon with the reverend En-Lai's newly cured followers in custody. They must stand trial for their part in the commandeering of the Enterprise. But, as they were instrumental in verifying the existence of the Calydonian healing beings, a discovery of great import to the Federation, I am making a formal recommendation to Starfleet Command that clemency be considered.

References

Characters

Locations

Institutions

Starfleet Veterans' Hospital

Referenced only: Sanctuary of Fátima • Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes

Outposts and stations

Referenced only: Starbase 27

Planets and planetoids

Calydon • Lavinius V

Referenced only: Daran V • Earth • Elba II • Kazar

Stars and systems

Referenced only: Alpha Centauri • Beta Aurigae

Races and cultures

Alpha Centauran • Calydon species • Human • Lavinian • Vulcan

States and organizations

Starfleet • United Federation of Planets

Science and classification

baffle plate • biobed • communications • conn • coordinates • disruptor • hospital • hypnosis • hypospray • library computer • life-support wheelchair • medical tricorder • medicine • phaser • shield • stasis • stun • subspace • technology • tri-ox compound • universal translator • warp engine

Ranks and titles

admiral • captain • chaplain • doctor • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • lieutenant • preacher • prospector • rank • reverend • Starfleet ranks • trader

Other references

assignment patch • asylum • beam • Berthold radiation • Board of Inquiry • book • bridge • briefing room • captain's log • chapel • church • civilization • distress call • engineering • galaxy • gas • gravitational field • groundhog • homeworld • hospital • hour • hull • hull breach • ion storm • lifeform • logic • matter • mugato • outpost • parsec • planet • priority one • quadrant • quarters • radiation • radiation poisoning • sandovalyn • sickbay • star system • starbase • Starfleet regulations • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • stasis • stasis weapon • technology • transporter room • warp factor (warp eight) • year

Chronology

circa 1960s: Lady of Calydon first appeared on Calydon, healing a shipwrecked pilot
23rd century

As a youth, abandoned En-Lai was rescued by a trader on uncharted planet
En-Lai served as a chaplain aboard the USS Hood
En-Lai developed mysterious healing abilities while the Hood was in the Calydon system

2267: En-Lai commandeered the USS Enterprise for a trip to the Calydon system

Appendices

Related media

TOS movie & novelization: The Final Frontier – The USS Enterprise was commandeered by Sybok for a pilgrimage to Sha Ka Ree within the Great Barrier.
TOS episode & Star Trek 5 novelization: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield – After 50,000 years of pursuit, Bele commandeered the Enterprise to take his nemesis Lokai back to their home planet Cheron V.
TOS episode & Star Trek 6 novelization: By Any Other Name – A Kelvan invasion force led by Rojan commandeered the Enterprise for a trip to the Andromeda Galaxy.

Background

At this point in the series, the Paramount Pictures licensing approval for comics was being made stricter. As a result, it was not known at the time of this issue's publication that the series would be canceled for retooling.
One detail of this story that may have proven contentious to the studio was the use of a religious plot-line, since dealing with belief (and God) was rare for Star Trek. This also crossed into story territory covered in TOS movie: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, which was in production at the time.
In both this story and the film, the USS Enterprise was lured by a transmission, commandeered by a religious zealot with unusual healing abilities and a group of his followers, forced on a pilgrimage, taken through a spacial phenomenon, and orbited a planet with religious significance. After some initial resistance, Kirk and Spock acquiesced to the takeover. On the planet, the zealot discovered a different entity than he expected and was killed during the encounter.
This story takes place after TOS episode: "Shore Leave", when Barrows was an Enterprise yeoman, but before TOS episode: "The Tholian Web", when the Defiant was subsequently lost.
This issue was the first time cover artist Jerome K. Moore inked his own work. ("A Small Matter of Faith" article at Jerome K. Moore's blog)
McCoy stated that his father was a preacher who never forgave him for going into medicine. A different account stated that David Andrew McCoy had himself been a doctor, in SNW short story: "Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer". Leonard's statement that his dying father refused medical treatment somewhat contradicted information from another source that his father's pyrrhoneuritis was incurable at the time, in TOS movie & novelization: The Final Frontier.

Images

Connections

Timeline

Published Order
Previous comic: #55: Finnegan's Wake! Who Killed Captain Kirk?	Star Trek: The Original Series (DC Comics, Series One)	Next comic: final issue
Previous story: Taking Shape	Stories by: Martin Pasko	Next story: final work
Chronological Order
Previous adventure: Communications Breakdown	Memory Beta Chronology	Next adventure: Wolf in the Fold

External links

A Small Matter of Faith article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
A Small Matter of Faith article at Jerome K. Moore's blog.

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-'''A Small Matter of Faith''' was the 56th and last issue of [[DC Comics]]' [[star Trek (DC volume 1)|first series]] of [[comic]]s based on ''{{sT|The Original Series}}''. It was the last of ten stories written by [[Martin Pasko]] and the fourth of five stories illustrated by [[Gray Morrow]]. It published by [[DC Comics]] in [[1988]].
+'''A Small Matter of Faith''' was the 56th and last issue of [[DC Comics]]' [[star Trek (DC volume 1)|first series]] of [[comic]]s based on ''{{sT|The Original Series}}''. It was the last of ten stories written by [[Martin Pasko]] and the fourth of five stories illustrated by [[Gray Morrow]]. It was published by [[DC Comics]] in [[1988]].
 ==Description==

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki