Captives in Space was a Star Trek: The Original Series comic strip published in 1970. It was the third of 11 annual stories in the UK comic strips series, and was printed along with the comic strip "Planet of Rejects" and short story "Gateway to the Future" in TV21 Annual 1971.
Publisher's description
- Omnibus teaser
- The Enterprise visits Skur, a world inhabited by sentient felinoids and humanoid beasts. When Scotty's bigoted rudeness offends planetary leader Zeldon, the landing party is thrown in a zoo.
Summary
Kirk beams down with Spock and Montgomery Scott for a diplomatic visit to the planet Skur. As they near a city, they think they see a farmer, but it is actually a caveman with only an animal's intelligence. Using their translator communicator, they speak with Ambassador Meng, a felinoid — who is as surprised by the landing party's resemblance to his world's humanoid beasts as they are. Scott is particularly disturbed by it.
Relations are strained when Meng introduces the Starfleet representatives to his father, supreme head Zeldon. At a banquet, Scott rudely comments on Skurian table manners. Deeply offended, Zeldon locks the men in a zoo and orders the destruction of the Enterprise.
Kirk effects a quick jailbreak and lets some captive beasts loose as a distraction. When Meng and armed guards pursue, Kirk hopes to jump them and retrieve the communicator. Suddenly the felinoids are overrun by beasts. Kirk dives for a dropped rifle and shoots an attacking humanoid to save Meng's life. In gratitude, Meng returns the communicator. Later, as the landing party prepares to beam up, Meng sees them off, hoping that one day their species might understand each other.
References
Characters
- James T. Kirk • Meng • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Nyota Uhura • Zeldon • unnamed Skurians
Starships and vehicles
Locations
Races and cultures
Science and technology
- communications • translator communicator • evolution • gun • rifle • universal translator • transporter
Ranks and titles
- ambassador • captain • chief engineer • farmer • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • keeper • lieutenant • skipper • Starfleet ranks • vice regent
Other references
- animal • atmosphere • beam • city • civilization • felinoid • minute • space • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • tree • zoo
Timeline
Production history
- 1 September 1970
- First printed in TV21 Annual 1971 (City Magazines)
- December 2016
- Reprinted in the omnibus The Classic UK Comics, Volume 2 (IDW Publishing)
Appendices
Background
- Montgomery Scott's bigotry in the story was unusual, particularly given his later service with Lieutenant Shiboline M'Ress.
- As with many stories in the UK comic strips series, a universal translator was built into some of their communicators, foreshadowing this development in later Star Trek series.
- The publication date was September 1, 1970. (Amazon.com.)
Related stories
- TOS comic: "The Animal People" – In 2266, Yerba cavemen imprisoned in zoos on Hercula led a revolution for their freedom.
- TOS comic: "Beware the Beast" – In 2266, Kirk and his rescue party were captured by Mantis and locked in a zoo.
- TAS episode & Log Eight novelization: The Eye of the Beholder – In 2270, two Starfleet landing parties were trapped in a zoo on Lactra VII.
Connections
External links
- Captives in Space article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.