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Countdown to Darkness, Issue 1 was the first of four issues in the 2013 Countdown to Darkness comic miniseries, a prequel for TOS movie: Star Trek Into Darkness. It was written by Roberto Orci and Mike Johnson and features the first appearance of the Kelvin timeline's Robert April.

Description[]

In the months since the defeat of the Romulan terrorist Nero, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise have embarked on a voyage of discovery that has taken them across the galaxy. They have explored strange new worlds, new civilizations... and encountered grave new threats to the security of the Federation.
None greater than the one they face now.

Summary[]

It's nice to have someone to talk to. Don't get me wrong, captain of a starship, best job in the galaxy, but...
... It can get lonely. The crew's great. But there's always that... Distance between us, you know? I get it. The nature of command. I guess it's companionship I'm talking about. And...
... And...
... And I'm talking about it to the ship's computer.
Computer: End personal log and delete last entry.

The Enterprise arrives at a planet called Phadeus, a planet with rings that surround it. Spock takes detailed scans of the planet and reports his findings. It is a class M planet, and the last survey was done by a Starfleet ship five years prior. The survey reported that a civilization on the planet had entered into a level similar to that of the Roman Empire in Earth's history. Roughly thirty million people live there, and most of the population is concentrated in the southern hemisphere of the planet. Spock notes that it will most likely take a few thousand years before the civilization achieves the technological advances necessary for first contact.

Kirk is annoyed with Spock for his dry delivery and their mission to just survey the planet from orbit, and he is even further annoyed when Spock wants to take scans of the unusual composition of the rings. Kirk suggests that they should take a look from the ground level, but Spock objects to the order, saying that while studying the Phaedans up close is tempting, their arrival would almost certainly alter the course of their evolution. Kirk is just eager to get his legs stretched, and Spock suggests he take his leg stretching to the Officer's Rec deck instead, but Kirk dismisses it as a joke and doesn't buy it. Just then, Pavel Chekov reports that some kind of high-frequency energy field is originating from the surface. Nyota Uhura then reports that whatever the field is, it is disrupting communications and Montgomery Scott reports that he doesn't recommend using the transporters. Kirk then orders Chekov to pinpoint where the field is coming from and says they'll have to use a shuttle to check it out. Spock starts to remind Kirk of the Prime Directive, but Kirk is quick to counter saying that someone is giving the planet an evolutionary boost and wants to know who and why it's happening. He gives Hikaru Sulu the conn, and he reminds Spock that the Prime Directive is no longer relevant.

Kirk assures Spock that he doesn't intend to attract attention to themselves and asks him to join the landing party. Spock joins, provided that Kirk doesn't further violate the Prime Directive, to which Kirk agrees. Sulu then rushes to the turbolift, saying that since the whole incident with the Archons went south, he wishes to pilot the shuttlecraft and thinks they could use his skills. Kirk allows him to join, and puts Uhura in charge of the Enterprise. Uhura objects to it, saying that it is not wise to have Kirk and Spock leave while their communications are compromised, and Spock concurs with her concern. Kirk reassures her it is just a recon mission and will be back before they know it.

The landing party consisting of Kirk, Spock, Hendorff and Sulu make their way to the surface. Spock detects a small concentration of settlements and announces they should set down somewhere away from it, but then the shuttle is attacked by an unknown source. Sulu is ordered to find a place to set down immediately, but then a direct hit disables the shuttle and it crashes on the surface. Everyone ends up okay but Sulu has a severe concussion, and while Hendorff has stabilized his condition, Spock reports that they must return him to sickbay as soon as possible. Kirk wants to know what has hit them, and Spock says he detected nothing prior to the attack and says they must be well hidden from scans. Spock suggests they remain close to the shuttle and try to contact the Enterprise, but Kirk refuses to sit idly by. He wants to find who or what did this and as soon as they find out, the better. Kirk suggests Spock go with him so they can attract attention away from Sulu and the shuttle, but as soon as they try to move away from the shuttle, a phaser beam's warning shot stops them. Kirk keeps his phaser holstered as numerous alien creatures surrounds them. One of the aliens uses a tricorder and orders them to identify themselves. Kirk speaks, wondering how they got a hold of old-style Federation technology and if they were the ones who attacked them. The alien refuses to answer, and asks for Kirk to identify themselves. He introduces himself and starts to ask again where they got the weapons and tricorder, but then a man in the shadows interrupts him, saying that he was the one who gave them the technology. The man identifies himself as Robert April, former captain of a ship called Enterprise...

To be continued...

References[]

Characters[]

Robert AprilPavel ChekovAmanda GraysonHendorffKeenserJames T. KirkSarekSpockMontgomery ScottHikaru SuluNyota Uhuraunnamed Phaedans
Referenced only
Leonard McCoy

Starships and vehicles[]

USS EnterpriseUSS Enterprise shuttle 1209
Referenced only
USS ArchonUSS Enterprise

Locations[]

Phaedus (Phaedus IV) • Vulcan (Katric ark vault)
Referenced only
Earth

Races and cultures[]

HumanPhaedanRoylanVulcan

States and organizations[]

FederationStarfleet
Referenced only
Roman Empire

Science and classification[]

class M planetcommunicationscommunicatormedkitphaser rifletransportertricorderturbolifttype-2 phaseruniversal translatorviewscreen

Ranks and titles[]

captaincommanderlieutenant

Other references[]

assignment patchatmosphereaway teambridgecaptain's personal log, USS Enterprise (Kelvin timeline NCC-1701)civilizationconcussiondreamduty shiftemotionengineeringevolutionfirst contacthourkatric arkkilometerlog entrylogicnightmarepersonal logPrime Directivequartersshore leavesickbaysleepspaceStarfleet uniform (Kelvin timeline)transporter room

Appendices[]

Related media[]

Images[]

Covers[]

Interiors[]

Connections[]

Stories set in the Kelvin timeline
comics When Worlds Collide: Spock Confronts the Ultimate ChallengeNero (1234) • Starfleet Academy (12345) • Star Trek Movie Adaptation (123456) • IDW Star Trek: Volume 1 (Where No Man Has Gone Before: 1, 2The Galileo Seven: 1, 2) • Volume 2 (Operation: Annihilate: 1, 2Vulcan's Vengeance: 1, 2) • Volume 3 (The Return of the Archons: 1, 2The Truth About Tribbles: 1, 2) • Volume 4 (1314Mirrored: 1, 2) • Volume 5 (17181920) • Countdown to Darkness (1234) • Volume 6 (After Darkness: 1, 2, 324) • Volume 7: The Khitomer Conflict (1234) • Khan (12345) • Volume 8 (Parallel Lives: 1, 2I, Enterprise!: 1, 2Lost Apollo: 1, 2) • Volume 9: The Q Gambit (123456) • Volume 10 (Behemoth: 1, 2Eurydice: 1, 2, 3Volume 11 (The Tholian Webs: 1, 2Deity: 12Flesh & Stone) • The Spectrum War (123456) • Volume 12 (Live Evil: 123Reunion: 12) • Volume 13 (Legacy of Spock: 1234Connection: 12) • Manifest Destiny (1234) • Stranger Worlds (123456) • Boldly Go: Volume 1 (123456) • Volume 2 (789101112) • Volume 3: IDIC (123456) • "Meanwhile..." • "The Knight Errand"
novels Star TrekStarfleet Academy (The Delta AnomalyThe EdgeThe Gemini AgentThe Assassination Game) • Into DarknessThe Unsettling StarsMore Beautiful Than Death
video games Delta Vega: Meltdown on the Ice PlanetAcademy TrainerCadet Training FacilityD-A-CRace to DestinyThe Mobile GameStar TrekRivalsDark Remnant
board games Expeditions live-action shorts Transporter CommercialBrilliant Enterprise CommercialCollision insurance commercialBold Explorers
websites Starfleet ShipyardDossiersExperience The Enterprise apps Star Trek App
prequels in original timeline Countdown (1234)

Timeline[]

published order
Previous comic:
First issue of the miniseries
TOS comics
Countdown to Darkness
Next comic:
Countdown to Darkness, Issue 2
Previous story:
Mirrored, Part 2
Stories by:
Mike Johnson
Next story:
Bones
chronological order
Previous adventure:
Star Trek (game)
Memory Beta Chronology Next adventure:
Countdown to Darkness, Issue 2

External link[]

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