- This article is about the TOS comic strip. You may be looking for the similarly named TNG novel, A Rock and a Hard Place.
"Rock and a Hard Place" was a five-page Star Trek: The Original Series comic strip published in 1978. It was the last of 11 annual stories from the UK comic strips series and was printed in the United Kingdom in TV Comic Annual 1979.
Description[]
- Omnibus teaser
- Kirk and Chekov visit Andrius, an advanced world in the Arcan-Beta System, but the neighboring Vornerians mistake the Enterprise for a hostile craft and launch deadly missiles at the starship.
Summary[]
Governor Dalmon invites Kirk to visit his city. Shortly after Kirk beams down with Chekov, however, a Vornerian ship fires system-dampening vartar missiles at the USS Enterprise, then lands outside the city. Armed hovercraft capture Kirk, Chekov and Dalmon as hostages. The Enterprise drifts helplessly toward an asteroid belt.
Kirk, Chekov and Dalmon awake aboard the Vornerian ship in a brig. A guard says they are headed back to their homeworld. Dalmon tells Kirk that he can help the Enterprise, if he could only contact his planet. Kirk resolves to take over the Vornerian ship. Kirk whistles a tune tonelessly, and when an annoyed guard gets too close, Chekov grabs him. Kirk finds the guard's key and unlocks their cell. Armed with stolen weapons, the officers surprise the ship's commander and take control of their bridge.
Dalmon contacts his people on Andrius. He has them fire anti-vartar missiles at the Enterprise which releases the starship's systems and averts the asteroid danger. Kirk is able to pilot the enemy craft back to Andrius. Later, the starship prepares to host a visit by Governor Dalmon.
References[]
Characters[]
- Pavel Chekov • Dalmon • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Zarrk • unnamed Andrius natives • unnamed Vornerians
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • hovercraft • tanks • Vornerian ship
Locations[]
Races and cultures[]
Science and technology[]
- anti-vartar missile • environmental suit • gun • missile • radio • starship • transporter • vartar missile • warp drive • weapon
Ranks and titles[]
Other references[]
- asteroid • asteroid belt • beam • bridge • brig • capital city • city • civilization • communications • engine • hair • helm • holding cell • hostage • logic • planet • snake
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 2 novelization: A Taste of Armageddon – In 2267, during a diplomatic mission, the Enterprise is caught between warring planets Eminiar VII and Vendikar.
- TAS episode & Log Four novelization: More Tribbles, More Troubles – In 2270, the IKS Devisor fires a systems-disabling stasis projector weapon at the Enterprise.
- TOS comic: "The Wristwatch Plantation" – In 2274, the Kzinti vessel Giant Killer fires a systems-disabling Hamstringer weapon at the Enterprise.
Background[]
- The story was not printed with a title, but it was given one ("Rock and a Hard Place") for its reprinting in the omnibus The Classic UK Comics, Volume 3.
- Publishing date source was Amazon.com.
- In the darkened bridge on page 2, Nyota Uhura reports on the status of the ship's powerless helm and navigation, while Hikaru Sulu updates Spock on the communications systems. Montgomery Scott is in shadows with them after he describes the status of the engines.
- Leonard McCoy is in the last panel, but has no dialogue.
- The presence of Pavel Chekov as a bridge officer places the story after his promotion to bridge duty in May 2267, as seen in TOS comics: "Mister Chekov", "A Little Seasoning".
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: The Gods Have Come! |
TOS comics (Annuals) |
Next comic: All Those Years Ago... |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: To Rule the Universe |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: I, Mudd |
| Previous comic: To Rule the Universe |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Three | Next comic: I, Mudd |
Production history[]
- 25 August 1978
- First published in TV Comic Annual 1979. (Polystyle Publications)
- September 2017
- Reprinted in the omnibus The Classic UK Comics, Volume 3. (IDW Publishing)
- 16 July 2020
- Reprinted in the omnibus Graphic Novel Collection, Volume 121. (Eaglemoss Collections)
External links[]
- Rock and a Hard Place article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- TV Comic Annual 1979 article at the PageFillers website.
- TV Comic Annual 1979 article at Little Storping Museum website.