Spock versus Scott in: A World Against Itself! — "A World Against Itself" was a comic book story published by Gold Key Comics in September 1978. It was the 16th of 22 stories drawn by Alden McWilliams and the 20th of 22 stories written by Arnold Drake.
In this story, the brains of Spock and Montgomery Scott were tampered with, spurring them to take opposing sides in a civil war.
Description[]
- Two peoples inhabited the world of Bira-3, but they might as well have been 1,000 light years apart! Over a million years, they had developed without ever seeing each other! And now, having met, they were determined to destroy each other!
Summary[]
- Captain’s log, stardate 72:35.3.
- At 06:30 I briefed exec officers on "Project Bira 3"...
Warring humanoid civilizations on planet Bira III asked the Federation to mediate for peace. Spock and Montgomery Scott were chosen as envoys, Spock for the technologically advanced Stoyak and Scott for the tribal, telekinetic Garda. They beam down to a neutral location and meet Garda leader Netuya, but Stoyak aircars ambush and capture them.
Two hours later, they are taken to a Stoyak stronghold, a captured Garda pyramid, where Stoyak leader Uxorda proclaims it impossible to make peace with the Garda. Deciding the envoys are of low intelligence, he forces them into brain devices meant to augment their intellects. It heightens Scott's intuitive mathematical abilities, but does the opposite for Spock, making him brutish, and both become irrationally ruthless. Scott is ready to lead the Stoyak into battle.
That evening, Spock and Netuya escape from a prison, and in the jungle Spock knocks out a lion-like mossek, just as legendary Garda hero Ibar the Magnificent was foretold to do. Netuya proclaims Spock to be Ibar and gives him leadership of the Garda. Spock looks forward to taking vengeance on the Stoyak. Meanwhile, Scott organizes a final strike on the Garda.
- Captain's log, stardate 19:27.9...
- Still no word from Mr. Spock or Scotty... I will shortly have no recourse than to begin a search for them.
James T. Kirk and Leonard McCoy beam down to search for the missing officers as a fleet of aircars strafe the Garda. McCoy overhears Spock's voice, and Kirk sucker punches Spock to stop him. Learning what's happened, Kirk recommends that both sides avoid the bloodshed of war by letting Spock and Scott fight a trial by combat, the winner determining the outcome of the war.
The next morning, Scott and Spock wrestle in the jungle. Spock gains the upper hand and is about to kill Scott when the effects of the brain device wear off, and suddenly both officers can think clearly. As they apologize to each other, Stoyak and Garda accept peace.
References[]
Characters[]
- Cag • Dalik • Ibar the Magnificent • James T. Kirk • Knarg • Leonard McCoy • Netuya • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Uxorda
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
- Bira (Bira III)
- Referenced only
- Earth (Great Pyramid) • Hell
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Federation • 14th Combat Aircraft Division • Starfleet
Science and technology[]
- brain device • communicator • shock rod • spear • sword • transporter • viewscreen
Ranks and titles[]
- captain • colonel • commanding officer • engineer • executive officer • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • general • lieutenant • spokesman • scientist • tribesman • warrior
Other references[]
- assignment patch • axe • barbarian • baseball • blood • board game • boxing • brain • briefing room • captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2270 • city • civil war • civilization • dog • emotion • god • hell • helmet • inja • jungle legend • light year • log entry • logic • mathematics • mossek • oatmeal • pistol • planet • Prime Directive • prison • pyramid • radioactivity • races and cultures • science • second • sheep • silver • silver cup • solar system • spear • sports and games • Starfleet Boxing Championship • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • sun • telekinesis • transporter room • trial by combat • tribe • vegetation • worship
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS comic: "The Cosmic Cavemen" – Spock materialized in front of a group of cavemen to assume the role of their deity Unruho.
- TOS comic: "The Brain-Damaged Planet" – Unbalanced mental transmissions from a Giant Brain altered the thoughts of nearby humanoids, driving them temporarily mad.
- TOS episode: "Spock's Brain" – A helmeted "Great Teacher" temporarily augmented Leonard McCoy's intelligence on Sigma Draconis VI.
- TOS episode: "All Our Yesterdays" – Under the influence of time travel through the atavachron, Spock began to revert to the ways of savage Vulcans from their prehistory.
- TOS episode: "A Private Little War" – The Federation took sides in a civil war between pre-warp societies on Neural.
- TOS episode: "The Omega Glory" – USS Exeter's Captain Ronald Tracey took sides in a civil war between pre-warp societies on Omega IV.
Background[]
- The abridged reprint in Star Trek Annual 1980 cut a four-panel scene where security officers Cag and Dalik played a chess-like game for money. It also cut Spock's fight in the jungle with a mossek, which was how Netuya identified Spock as Ibar the Magnificent.
- The captured Garda city boasted two Mayan-like stepped pyramids which were 12 stories tall.
- Hikaru Sulu assumed command after Kirk beamed down to search for Spock and Scott.
- The brain devices which altered Scott and Spock were similar to the "Great Teacher" seen in TOS episode: "Spock's Brain". Why the Stoyak had such devices was not explained, nor what purpose they served in their society. Were they used to assimilate Garda prisoners, or possibly augment their own intelligence?
- While a majority of Gold Key Comics covers illustrated a scene from the story, this one depicted the launch of a shuttlecraft, which did not occur in the story. Scott's name was also misspelled.
- The span of stardates from Kirk's log in parts 1 and 2 usually indicated a passage of many years.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: #54: Sport of Knaves |
TOS comics (Gold Key) | Next story: #56: No Time Like the Past |
| Previous story: Planet of No Life |
Stories by: Arnold Drake |
Next story: Spore of the Devil |
| Chronological Order | ||
| Previous adventure: Forgotten History Chapter 4, Section 3 |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: To Err Is Vulcan |
| Previous comic: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2 Prologue, Chapter 7 & Epilogue |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Five | Next comic: To Err Is Vulcan |
Production history[]
- September 1978
- Original printing by Gold Key Comics.
- 1979
- Abridged in 13 pages in Star Trek Annual 1980. (World Distributors Limited)
Cover reproduced as a 9" x 13" embossed tin wall sign.
- 28 February 2019
- Reprinted in Graphic Novel Collection #57. (Eaglemoss)
Translations[]
- 1979
- Dutch: In the omnibus Ruimteschip Enterprise Classics Strip-Paperback #3. (De Vrijbuiter)
- 1979
- German: As "Die neuen Götter von Bira-3" in the omnibus Raumschiff Enterprise Comic Taschenbuch #3. (Condor)
- 1980
- German: As "Die neuen Götter von Bira-3" in some editions of Condor Superheiden #1: Star Trek Jahrbuch. (Condor-Verlag)
External links[]
- A World Against Itself article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- A World Against Itself article at Curt Danhauser's Guide to the Gold Key Star Trek Comics.