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Kirk is stranded on a savage planet in "One of Our Captains Is Missing!" — "One of Our Captains Is Missing!" was a comic book story published by Gold Key Comics in 1976. It was the debut of Alden McWilliams as artist on the series. In this story, Captain Zarlo assumed temporary command of the USS Enterprise in the year 2266 while James T. Kirk was given an undercover assignment.

Description[]

A new commander for the starship Enterprise — and a new and deadly job for Captain Kirk! But the crew may not survive the new commander! And Captain Kirk may not — survive!

Summary[]

Captain's log, stardate 19.29.13.
I was working out in the ship's gym when the message was received!

James T. Kirk is relieved of duty, bidding farewell to his crew as Captain Zarlo replaces him aboard the USS Enterprise. Kirk reappears a few days later disguised as a Kafrian in a bar on Mobita, where a barfight lands him in jail. However, this is all so that Mobian Prime Minister Aado can meet privately with Kirk, who had worn the disguise to avoid breaking the non-interference directive. Starfleet had assigned him to investigate the Togota, a tribal species that recently began a rebellion with highly advanced weapons — weapons suspected of being provided by the Klingon Empire.

With Aado's help, Kirk is disguised as a Togota, but he can only watch from a distance, as the mute humanoids communicate via telepathic illusions. Kirk takes photos in the jungle of Klingons teaching marksmanship to the Togota, but he is caught by a Klingon commander and brought before chieftain Mwipi. To judge his truthfulness, Kirk is sentenced to a trial by combat with a muscled Togota.

Captain Zarlo's personal log, stardate 19.29.24.
Ship's crew still continue to reject me! My complements to the personal charms of Captain Kirk—wherever he may be!

The large Togota fights not only with a sword, but by creating illusions of threatening animals. Kirk gains the upper hand and departs from the tribe with a warning to Mwipi of what the Klingon Empire has done to countless worlds.

After returning to the village, Kirk publicly accuses the commander of lying. To determine who is right, Mwipi makes the two captains fight each other. Eventually Kirk beats the commander, who then sends a signal to his orbiting D7-class battlecruiser to bomb the jungle, erasing all evidence of Klingon involvement. Luckily, the Enterprise receives a message that Kirk is in trouble, diverts to Mobia, and chases away the battlecruiser.

Days later, Mwipi and Aado reconcile, and peace returns to the planet.

References[]

Characters[]

AadoChristine ChapelPavel ChekovEerodJames T. KirkMwipiNdarpoMontgomery ScottSironeSpockHikaru SuluNyota UhuraZarlounnamed Starfleet personnelunnamed Klingons

Starships and vehicles[]

USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • Klingon D7 battlecruiseraircraft

Locations[]

Mobia sectorMobita (Togo)
Referenced only
Earth (London) • KafriSaturn

Races and cultures[]

HumanKafrianKlingonMobianTogotaVulcan

States and organizations[]

Starfleet CommandFederationMobian police

Science and technology[]

airplanebombcameracudgelcommunicatorengineknifepistolray cannonriflesectorspearstungunsubspace communicationswordSzonka knifemini-transceiverviewscreenweaponzeta-12 (zeta bomb)

Ranks and titles[]

advisorartistcaptainchiefcommandercopperdoctorexecutionerFederation Starfleet ranks (2260s)guardjudgejustice of the peacejurykingmagistratemutineerprime ministerranksculptorspyStarfleet rankstribesmanwarrior

Other references[]

animalaspirinassignment patchbarbloodbridgecaptain's logcaptain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2266captain's personal log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)) • chickendaydevildogdoveemotionfirst contactgymhonorhourillusionjailjunglelizardminuteMobian creditmonkeymonthmuseummutinyplantNon-Interference Directivepeacepersonal logpolicerebellionsectorshore leaveslangspaceStarfleet uniformStarfleet uniform (2265-2270)statueTnoory tobaccotreetrial by combatwineyearYula wine

Appendices[]

Related stories[]

Background[]

  • This story has been released six times in English, and translated into Dutch, German, and Italian.
  • Leonard McCoy quoted, "H.Q. works in mysterious ways, its wonders to perform," which referred to a Christian hymn written by William Cowper in 1773. (God Moves in a Mysterious Way article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
  • Pavel Chekov and Christine Chapel appeared in one panel without dialogue, as Kirk gave his final orders before departure.
  • Kirk, Spock, Scott and Zarlo were drawn wearing lieutenant stripes.
  • Although the planet's name was spelled out as Mobita, Zarlo and Sulu referred to it as "Mobia", perhaps because of its Mobian civilization.
  • McCoy referred to Zarlo as "Zorla" in the final panel of the story.
  • The art style was that of Alden McWilliams, making this his first of 22 issues as series' artist. His first printed credit appears in issue 47, "This Tree Bears Bitter Fruit".

Images[]

Connections[]

Gold Key Comics stories and publications
Issues "The Planet of No Return" • "The Devil's Isle of Space" • "Invasion of the City Builders" • "The Peril of Planet Quick Change" • "The Ghost Planet" • "When Planets Collide" • "The Voodoo Planet" • "The Youth Trap" • "The Legacy of Lazarus" • "Sceptre of the Sun" • "The Brain Shockers" • "The Flight of the Buccaneer" • "Dark Traveler" • "The Enterprise Mutiny" • "Museum at the End of Time" • "Day of the Inquisitors" • "The Cosmic Cavemen" • "The Hijacked Planet" • "The Haunted Asteroid" • "A World Gone Mad" • "The Mummies of Heitius VII" • "Siege in Superspace" • "Child's Play" • "The Trial of Captain Kirk" • "Dwarf Planet" • "The Perfect Dream" • "Ice Journey" • "The Mimicking Menace" • "Death of a Star" • "The Final Truth" • "The Animal People" • "The Choice" • "The PsychoCrystals" • "A Bomb in Time" • "One of Our Captains Is Missing!" • "Prophet of Peace" • "Furlough to Fury" • "The Evictors" • "World Against Time" • "The World Beneath the Waves" • "Prince Traitor" • "Mr. Oracle" • "This Tree Bears Bitter Fruit" • "Murder on the Enterprise" • "A Warp in Space" • "Planet of No Life" • "Destination... Annihilation!" • "And a Child Shall Lead Them" • "What Fools These Mortals Be.." • "Sport of Knaves" • "A World Against Itself" • "No Time Like the Past" • "Spore of the Devil" • "The Brain-Damaged Planet" • "To Err Is Vulcan" • "The Empire Man!" • "Operation Con Game"
Additional stories "James T. Kirk: Psycho-File" • "A Page From Scotty's Diary" • "Spock: Psycho-File" • "From Sputnik to Warp Drive"
Games "Voyage of Discovery" • "The Tunnel of Death" • "... Wild Goose Chase!" • "A Hint of Life" • "Space Chase" • "Escape from the Clinging Dags"
Collections Star Trek Annuals (1969197019721973197419751976197719781979198019831986) • The Enterprise Logs (Volumes 1234) • The Key Collection (Volumes 12345) • Gold Key Archives (Volumes 12345) • Gold Key 100-Page Spectacular
Related media "The Exile" • "The Red Hour" • "Colouring Book" • "Eye of the Beholder" • "The Menace of the Mechanitrons" • "Trial by Fire!"

Timeline[]

published order
Previous comic:
#37: The Ghost Planet
Reprint
TOS comics (Gold Key) Next comic:
#39: Prophet of Peace
Previous comic:
#36: A Bomb in Time
TOS comics (Gold Key original stories) Next comic:
#39: Prophet of Peace
Previous story:
A Bomb in Time
Stories by:
Arnold Drake
Next story:
Prophet of Peace
chronological order
Previous adventure:
World Against Time
Memory Beta Chronology Next adventure:
Spore of the Devil
Previous comic:
World Against Time
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Two Next comic:
Spore of the Devil
Production history[]
July 1976
First published by Gold Key Comics.
1976 August
Printed in the omnibus The Enterprise Logs, Volume 4. (Golden Press)
1977
Printed in hardcover in Star Trek Annual 1978. (World Distributors Limited)
2004 June
Printed in the omnibus The Key Collection, Volume 5. (Checker Book Publishing Group)
September 2008
Included on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD. (Graphic Imaging Technologies)
19 July 2018
Reprinted in Graphic Novel Collection #41. (Eaglemoss)
Translations[]
1977
Dutch: As "Captain vermist" in the omnibus Ruimteschip Enterprise Classics Strip-Paperback #1. (De Vrijbuiter)
1978
German: As "Der Krieg der Klingonier" in the omnibus Raumschiff Enterprise Comic Taschenbuch #1. (Condor)
2007
Italian: As "Uno dei nostri capitani è scomparso" in the omnibus The Gold Key Collection, Volume 9. (Free Books)

External links[]

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