"Now and Then" was the 15th issue of the Marvel-Paramount Comics series of Star Trek: Early Voyages comics. It featured the conclusion of a four-part arc in which Mia Colt was sent into an alternate timeline.
Description[]
- Colt gets thrown forward in time to an alternate future, and with the help of James T. Kirk, is reunited with a much older Captain Pike and his new crew on the Enterprise. Pike and Kirk realize Mia is disrupting their fragile reality by her continued presence…
Summary[]
Log entries[]
- Captain's log, stardate 9522.0.
- The Enterprise is en route to Algol Two in the hopes of unraveling the temporal mystery behind Mia Colt's reappearance. Mr. Spock conjectures she will die if not returned to her own time and the time-stream itself could be irrevocably damaged if she remains here. Our hopes lie with a mythical Well of Tomorrows on Algol.
- As if that were not enough, we have taken on board the renegade James T. Kirk and his band of pirates, the ones who brought Mia to us. Our course has taken us deep into violently disputed territory… and into the sights of a Klingon flotilla.
- Captain's log, supplemental…
- Captain Robbins, my old number one, is gracious enough to listen as I explain it to her. Mia Colt shouldn't be here. Forces beyond our understanding have displaced her in time and space, and my gut instinct — the one that's served me right for forty years in the fleet — tells me we must do whatever we can to set that right…
- Captain's log, supplemental… (2254)
- Mia Colt is returned to us, with quite a tale to tell. Her report is to be classified, and a science vessel dispatched to survey the Algol site. None of the other keepsakes tested for the temporal energy, and the one Colt had no longer seems to work. Temporal theory was always my least favorite class at the Academy because it was only theory and conjecture. Now, they have some practical data to study.
- But at least, according to the theory anyway, Yeoman Colt has put time back on track, and events will now unfold the way they were destined to… for everybody.
References[]
Characters[]
- Chang • Pavel Chekov • Cole • Mia Colt • Moves-With-Burning-Grace • James T. Kirk • Lamek • Nano • Christopher Pike • Number One • Saavik • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • José Tyler • Nyota Uhura • Well of Tomorrows • Yssir • Zhota • unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (engineers) • unnamed Klingons (Chang's executive officer, warriors)
- Referenced only
- Kaaj
- Well of Tomorrows time stream
- Borg drone • Data • Jean-Luc Picard • William T. Riker • Spock (mirror) • Worf
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • USS Enterprise-A (Constitution-class) • USS Excelsior (Excelsior-class explorer) • unnamed D7 class starships (B'rel-class Klingon bird-of-prey • K't'inga-class Klingon battlecruiser)
- Referenced only
- science vessel
- Well of Tomorrows time stream
- Daedalus-class • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class explorer)
Locations[]
- Well of Tomorrows time stream
- Deep Space 9
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and classification[]
- bat'leth • d'k tahg • keepsake • Klingon disruptor • life support • phaser • phaser rifle • scanner • self destruct • shields • transporter • tricorder • type-2 phaser • weapon
Ranks and titles[]
Other references[]
- animal • beam • blood • brain • bridge • captain's log • city • Code of Hammurabi • crew • death • Federation Starfleet ranks (2270s-2350s) • flotilla • glass • Henry V • history • log entry • military • mountain • mythology • officers' lounge • orbit • peace • primary hull • replica • sailing ships • secondary hull • security • space • Starfleet uniform (2240s-2265) • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • tachyon • tattoo • temporal theory • tiger • time • time stream • time travel • universe • war • warship • year
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS movie: The Undiscovered Country – Prime reality events circa this stardate.
- TOS episode: "The Menagerie" – Within a keepsake, Pike saw his fated disfigurement.
- TOS movie: The Search for Spock – As they reconciled, Pike and Kirk both said "The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many", a quote from the film.
- TNG movie: Generations – Kirk stated, "I trust the situation's grim and the odds are against us," echoing Kirk's statement to Jean-Luc Picard in the film.
- DSC episode: "Through the Valley of Shadows" – Pike caught a glimpse of his disfigured future within the keepsake, as he did on Boreth in the episode.
- SNW episode: "A Quality of Mercy" — Kirk questioning Pike's tactical approach occurred in this timeline as well, and illustrated the danger of situations where Pike lived on placing Spock's life in peril.
Background[]
- The 2254 stardate was not given, but as it occurs only shortly after Colt departed in issue 12, "Futures, Part One", it would be only shortly after stardate 389.4.
- The cover was unique in the series, as it featured no central Early Voyages characters.
- Chang quoted a memorable section from Henry V, a quote also referenced in Marvel-Paramount Comics as the title of TOS - Unlimited comic: "Action of the Tiger". (Henry V, Act 3 Scene 1 at the MIT William Shakespeare website.)
- Three years later, Pike's future would be revealed viscerally to him via a time crystal on Boreth in 2257. (DSC episode: "Through the Valley of Shadows")
- The scene of Mia Colt visiting the Well of Tomorrows and seeing fragments of the time stream was recreated in CG for The Roddenberry Archive project in 2022. ("Now and Again" in CG at YouTube.)
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: Futures, Part Three |
EV comics | Next story: Thanatos |
| Previous story: Futures, Part Three |
Stories by: Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton |
Next story: Thanatos |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Futures, Part Three |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Against Their Nature Klingons: Blood Will Tell Framing story and narration |
| Previous story: Futures, Part One Pages 1-20 |
The Early Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) | Next story: Thanatos |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2293. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 1 other timeframe(s): | ||
| Previous adventure: Futures, Part One Pages 1-20 |
2254 (Pages 21-22) | Next adventure: Thanatos |
Production history[]
- April 1998
- First published by Marvel Comics.
- September 2008
- Re-released on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD. (Graphic Imaging Technologies)
- May 2009
- Reprinted in Star Trek Omnibus, Volume 2. (IDW Publishing)
- 15 April 2014
- Reprinted in The Stardate Collection's Volume 2 omnibus. (IDW Publishing)
- 15 February 2018
- Collected in the Graphic Novel Collection's Volume 30 omnibus. (Eaglemoss Collections)
Translations[]
- 21 March 2018
- Italian: Collected in the Italian release of Graphic Novel Collection, Volume 30: Primi Viaggi - Terza Parte. (RCS MediaGroup, ISSN 977228074425770030)
External links[]
- Now and Then article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Now and Then article at the bw media spotlight blog.