Kirk must die for the Evictors to survive! — "Planet of No Life" was a comic book story published by Gold Key Comics in 1978. It was the 11th issue drawn by Alden McWilliams and the 19th of 22 written by Arnold Drake. In this story, a sequel to "The Evictors", the USS Enterprise visits colonists struggling to survive on an irradiated planet in the year 2268.
Description[]
- Who can imagine the pain and rage of a people denied their own birthworld for 500,000 years? And now, facing this outcast people for a second time. Captain Kirk becomes the single target of all that blind anger ... sentenced to death beyond belief on the Planet of No Life.
Summary[]
- Captain's log, stardate 19.28.07
- I have called a staff officer's meeting to discuss an unusual appointment to the ship's complement!
Senior staff debate the merits of Lieut. Jinz, son of a high-ranking Starfleet officer whose lackluster record didn't seem to warrant a posting on the Enterprise. When he beams aboard, he tells Kirk he'll be resigning his commission as soon as his minimum tour of duty is over, and only joined Starfleet to appease his father. Perhaps hoping to make a better officer of him, Kirk has Jinz attend a briefing about their mission to investigate a planet with advanced life readings, yet had a radioactive surface inimical to life.
As the ship approaches, Nyota Uhura picks up a message from Inoduku of the Sanoora, who had previously attempted to occupy Nraka — their original homeworld — but were blocked with aid from the Enterprise. Inoduku invites two of Kirk's crew to visit, sending up a probe with anti-radiation serum so a landing party could survive temporarily on the surface. After being treated, Kirk and Jinz beam down and are given an aerial tour by Dahvi, then meet the Sanoora Supreme Council.
- Captain's log, stardate 19.28.07
- Assigned to explore a world that should be uninhabitable, Lieut. Jinz and I found it to be the host planet of the Sanoora, people without a world!
Kirk and Jinz meet opposing faction leaders Inoduku and Bir. Inoduku leads the majority who elected to colonize this world, while Bir leads a minority that wants to conquer Nraka at any cost. Kirk points out that Starfleet would come to Nraka's defense, but if the Sanoora settle here, the Federation would help them.
Bir uses the offer to rally the populace and lead an armed rebellion, taking control of the Council. Bir withholds serum booster shots, and shortly Kirk and Jinz began suffering from radiation poisoning. Jinz panics and sides with Bir, going so far as to offer to kill Kirk, and Bir hands Jinz a pistol.
Watching events unfold from the Enterprise, Spock takes action. He broadcasts an appeal to the Sanoora people to spare Kirk's life. Leonard McCoy has analyzed the serum and the two have figured out how to make the surface habitable. He demonstrates by firing two probes, one which neutralizes radiation within a portion of soil. Both probes then plant a tree, one in treated soil, one untreated. Within minutes, the tree in untreated soil had died, but the other remains alive.
Bir assumes this is a trick, but Jinz believes it. When Bir insists that his people must conquer Nraka no matter what, Jinz declares him mad and apologizes to Kirk. Bir grabs the pistol from Jinz's hand. Jinz jumps between Kirk and Bir, taking the blast himself.
The Sanoora are swayed by the demonstration, leaving Bir without support, and Kirk is treated in sickbay. Senior officers attend Jinz's funeral, and as the Enterprise leaves orbit, Inoduku looks forward to receiving supplies from the Federation to reclaim the planet.
References[]
Characters[]
- Bir • Dahvi • Inoduku • Jinz • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Nyota Uhura • Zotar • unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (2260s) (nurse)
- Referenced only
- Dvor • Jinz (Admiral) • Rava
Starships and vehicles[]
- Referenced only
- Nrakan spacecraft • Sanoora world ship
Locations[]
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Federation • Sanoora Builders • Sanoora Returners • Sanoora Supreme Council • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet High Command
Science and classification[]
- anti-radiation formula • bomb • camera • cell • chemilyzer • central computer • communications • dome • energy wall • laser • missile • pistol • planetary development rating • host planet rating • observatory • scanner • sector • star chart • sword • video camera • viewscreen • weapon
Ranks and titles[]
- captain • councilor • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • general • lieutenant • magician • minority leader • rank • scientist • slave • Starfleet ranks • supreme councilor • technician
Other references[]
- amino acid • animal • assignment patch • atmosphere • briefing room • canyon • chicken • coffin • custard pie • day • drive-in movie • element • golf • history • homeworld • hornet • language • lifeform • light speed • logic • minute • mile • money • month • moss • mule • palace • piano • protein • radiation • rebellion • rock • sausage • second • sickbay • slavery • snake • soil • space • specialist rating • standard orbit • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • transporter room • tree • whale • year
Chronology[]
- 500,000 years ago
- Sanoora evacuated the planet Nraka in a fleet of Sanoora world ships to avoid deadly radiation from a rogue star, leaving some people behind.
- 10,000 years ago
- First recorded history of Nrakan civilization.
- 2266
- The Enterprise combated the Sanoora at Nraka.
- 2268
- The Enterprise discovered the Sanoora host planet.
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS comic: "The Evictors" – Prequel to this story, with Sanoora attempting to reclaim Nraka and expel its current inhabitants.
- TOS comic: "The Final Truth" – As on the adopted Sanoora planet, Tristas is covered with a surface layer of moss, which the Tristians use to manufacture food and everything else needed for their civilization.
Background[]
- A four-page flashback recounts the events of TOS comic: "The Evictors".
- Inoduku, Dvor, Rava, and Zotar are recurring characters who previously appeared in "The Evictors".
- The cover depicted minority leader Bir's political opinion that Kirk should die, but the scene as shown did not actually happen in the story.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #49: A Warp in Space |
TOS comics (Gold Key) | Next comic: #51: Destination Annihilation |
| Previous story: Murder on the Enterprise |
Stories by: Arnold Drake |
Next story: A World Against Itself |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Murder on the Enterprise |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Hunting Star Trek: The New Voyages |
| Previous comic: Murder on the Enterprise |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Four | Next comic: The Hunting Star Trek: The New Voyages |
Production history[]
- January 1978
- First published by Gold Key Comics.
- September 2008
- Included on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD. (Graphic Imaging Technologies)
- 20 December 2018
- Reprinted in Graphic Novel Collection #52. (Eaglemoss)
External links[]
- Planet of No Life article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Best of Gold Key #42-61 article at The Mugato’s Blog.