For Whom the Bell Tolls was the last issue in the four-part Star Trek: The Original Series miniseries The Modala Imperative. The story was initially published by DC Comics in early September 1991, then reprinted in a miniseries omnibus in October 1992. This story was written by Michael Jan Friedman and drawn by Pablo Marcos. In this story, Spock and Leonard McCoy faced a firing squad.
Summary
James T. Kirk and Pavel Chekov watched Spock and McCoy being detained by police, so they left to rejoin the rebels. Kirk asked their leader Stroyka for aid, but he was afraid any action would doom their rebellion. Chekov gave an impassioned speech to change his mind. Meanwhile, Spock, McCoy and five other prisoners were led up onto an execution platform. Even though Spock had his communicator, he would not use it to avoid violating the Prime Directive. Instead, he intended that the device would be destroyed when he was killed.
At the last minute, hidden rebels blasted the platform. In the ensuing chaos, the Starfleet officers reunited, ducked into an alley and beamed back to the USS Enterprise. They left not knowing how the tyrants came to have advanced high-tech weaponry, but hoped that Modala someday might be able to join the Federation.
- Captain's log, stardate 3012.7… It's good to be back home.
After LaSalle and Hikaru Sulu finished a bout of fencing in the gymnasium, Chekov apologized to Sulu for not being candid with him before the mission. Sulu offered to give him a fencing lesson. Having learned on Modala that he needed to relax, Chekov accepted, pointing out that fencing was invented by a Russian.
References
Characters
- Pavel Chekov • James T. Kirk • John Kyle • LaSalle • Ryan Leslie • Leonard McCoy • Mears • Montgomery Scott • Spinelli • Spock • Stroyka • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura
- Referenced only
- Landru
Starships and vehicles
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • van
Locations
Races and cultures
States and organizations
- Federation Starfleet • Krisaia • United Federation of Planets
Science and technology
- communicator • épée • helmet • hypospray • medical tricorder • medicine • rifle • sword • weapon
Ranks and titles
- captain • chief • commanding officer • ensign • executioner • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • guard • rebel • Starfleet ranks • tyrant • yeoman
Other references
- away mission • berry • civilization • coffee • communications • coordinates • disaster • execution platform • fencing • firing squad • gymnasium • impulse power • laboratory • landing party • logic • money • orbit • planet • police • Prime Directive • prison • Red Hour • revolution • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • thousands of years ago • transporter room • war
Timeline
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: "The Price of Freedom" |
TOS comics The Modala Imperative |
Next comic: Final issue |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: "The Price of Freedom" |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: The Disinherited |
Appendices
Background
- The title of the story referred to a 1940 novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. (For Whom the Bell Tolls article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
- Contrary to Pavel Chekov's statement, fencing was invented in Spain, then refined as a sport in Italy, France, and England. (Fencing article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
- Spinelli took the ship out of orbit at full impulse, but the character was not visible on the page.
- Mears is drawn with blonde hair.
- Vincent DeSalle is called "LaSalle" and drawn with red hair.
Related stories
- TOS episode: "The Return of the Archons" – Ryan Leslie recalled nearly having been killed during the Red Hour on Beta III.
- TOS comics: "In Memory Yet Green...", "Lies and Legends!", "Prior Claim", "Game, Set and Match!" – In 2367, Spock and Leonard McCoy revisited Modala while aboard the USS Enterprise-D.
- TOS comic: "To Rule the Universe" – In the 2260s, rebels saved Kirk and Spock from a firing squad on Plixes.
Images
External links
- For Whom the Bell Tolls article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
