The starship Enterprise's weirdest voyage! – "The Haunting of Thallus!" was the fourth issue of Marvel Comics' 1980 series of Star Trek comics. The issue was written and edited by Marv Wolfman. The art was penciled by Dave Cockrum and inked by Klaus Janson, with Jim Shooter credited as consulting editor. This story was the first part of a 2 issue storyline.
Summary[]
- Captain's log, stardate 7416.2: Our shakedown mission having proven successful, Mr. Spock and I have been ordered to appear before Admiral Fitzpatrick for our first new assignment...
At Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, Fitzpatrick informs Kirk that he will be transporting Raytag M'Gora, an escaped Normedian prisoner who has been certified insane, and Federation Ambassador R'Kgg to Thallus, the planet from which Raytag escaped. When Janice Rand beams Raytag aboard, he breaks his restraints, grabs a phaser from one security guard and shoots another. He escapes into Engineering, where he taunts the crew with his eyeless species' ability to "see" with sonar. Kirk shoots the phaser out of his hand, but he lashes back at Kirk with his tail.
- Captain's log, 7416.3: Commander Scott has quickly jury-rigged an ultra-high frequency whistle to sound throughout the Enterprise. It is my hope that the ultra sonics, which we humans cannot hear, will prove jarringly painful to the Normedian... enough to disorient him and allow Mr. Spock to take certain actions of his own.
The whistle disables Raytag, and Spock renders him unconscious with the Vulcan nerve pinch.
- Captain's log, stardate 7416.4: We are cruising just outside Klingon space. So far our sensors show no sign of any hostile forces. Aboard the Enterprise, all has been functioning smoothly. As expected, Ambassador R'Kgg has remained in his quarters. Sometimes I wish all Federation ambassadors were of Regulun temperament.
The Enterprise receives new coordinates from Thallus, giving a location a million kilometers from the planet. As Engineering Ensign Cyron Williams embraces his girlfriend, Lydia, in his quarters, they are attacked by a werewolf, which vanishes when Williams throws a bottle of Saurian brandy at it. Chekov and Sulu are in the rec room when a ghost appears, then disappears. In the brig, Raytag begs Kirk and R'Kgg not to take him back to Thallus; when Kirk is called to the bridge, R'Kgg remains to speak further with Raytag. The ship approaches the coordinates, where there is no planet. A creature claiming to be Dracula appears on the bridge, but turns into a bat, then a mist. He escapes into the elevator and thence to C-Deck, where he kills R'Kgg by puncturing his neck.
- Captain's log, stardate 7417.7: The Federation has been informed of Ambassador R'Kgg's bizarre murder, and we have been ordered to proceed with caution. Since his murder, however, there have been no new reports of any manifestations.
The Enterprise approaches what appears to be a haunted house floating in space. A landing party including Kirk, Spock and McCoy beams inside the house, where there is a breathable atmosphere. Following a scream, they find the Frankenstein monster strangling a young woman. When phasers have no effect on the monster, Kirk kicks it out the window (resulting in no loss of atmosphere), but many more monsters appear around them. The young woman claims to have been held prisoner by the monsters. A group of Klingons appear with weapons drawn, their leader telling Kirk "there is no escape!"
- Captain's log, stardate 7417.4: Commander Scott recordin': From the moment our landin' party entered th' house we haven't heard nary a sound from 'em! I've notified Starfleet, and am awaitin' further instructions!
A Klingon ship appears, and its commander claims the Enterprise has violated Klingon space. He says the landing party has been captured and demands that the Enterprise surrender. In the brig, Raytag begins laughing...
Additional log entries[]
- Captain's log, stardate 7417.4. The planet Thallus, lying just outside Klingon space, had sent word that it wished to join the Federation! Our mission was two fold: to return an escaped prisoner, the mad, blind Raytag M'Gora to Thallus and to escort the Federation Ambassador, R'Kgg, there as well. To our horror, the ambassador was killed by a being who appeared to be the mythical monster Dracula. Shortly afterwards other monsters were to infest the Enterprise… and when a haunted house appeared in space, a landing party was sent to investigate! – It found a collection of strange apparitions menacing a human girl! ... (Serialized reprint)
References[]
Characters[]
- Pavel Chekov • Dracula • Theodore Fitzpatrick • Frankenstein monster • James T. Kirk • Lydia • Leonard McCoy • Raytag M'Gora • Janice Rand • R'Kgg • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Cyron Williams • unnamed Andorians • unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel • unnamed Klingons
- Referenced only
- Quincy Harker
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Federation-class • K't'inga-class battle cruiser (unnamed K't'inga-class starships) • Ptolemy-class
- Referenced only
- prison ship
Locations[]
- the galaxy • Sol system (Earth • Golden Gate Bridge • San Francisco • Starfleet Headquarters) • Thallus system • (floating haunted house • Thallus)
- Referenced only
- Orlian Quadrant • Regulus III • Vulcan system
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and technology[]
- Atalskes phaser IV • atmosphere • command chair • communicator • computer • decibel • ear • elevator • energy • eye • galaxy • gas • humanoid • impulse engine • intercom • kilometer • lightning • matter • minute • monitor beam • phaser • phaser pistol • second • sensor • sonar • sonic backlash • space • star • starship • transporter • tricorder • turbolift • type-2 phaser • ultrasonic • viewscreen • warp drive • warp factor
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • ambassador • captain • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief petty officer • commander • commanding officer • communications officer • crewman • engineer • ensign • executive officer • flag officer • helmsman • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • science officer • security chief • security guard • tactical officer • transporter chief • warrior
Other references[]
- 1800 • 23rd century • apple • bat • bridge • brig • captain's log • communications • coordinate • corridor • death's head • diplomacy • engineering • fencing • frequency • ghost • Halloween • haunted house • helm • history tape • insignia • landing party • log entry • logic • murder • music • navigation • planet • prison • pylon • quarters • rank • rank insignia • recreation room • Rigellian korbid • saber • Saurian brandy • security • shakedown cruise • spider • stardate • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (early 2270s) • stone • stun • system • tail • title • tree • uniform • vampire • Victorian mansion • Vulcan nerve pinch • weapon • werewolf
Appendices[]
Information[]
- This issue was the first part of the first ever originally-written American Star Trek comic story to be serialized over more than one issue, and is the only such example in Marvel's 1980s Star Trek run. The only previous issues with cliffhanger endings were the previous two issues, which represented the broken-up adaptation TOS comic: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". There would not be another multipart Star Trek comic story until DC Comics began their four-part Federation-Klingon War of 2285 storyline in their first issue, TOS comic: "The Wormhole Connection". (The first ever serialized Star Trek comic story was "Life Form Nonexistent", the first story arc in the UK comic strips series, told over six weekly issues in 1969.)
- The stardate appears to go backwards between the final two log entries.
- Scotty's uniform changes color from orange to yellow to blue-white. The entire landing party wears yellow field jackets but miscolored uniform pants.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #3 Evolutions |
TOS comics (Marvel) |
Next comic: #5 The Haunting of the Enterprise! |
| Previous story: Evolutions |
Stories by: Marv Wolfman |
Next story: latest story |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Ex Machina |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Haunting of the Enterprise! |
Publication history[]
- July 1980
- First published by Marvel Comics
- 28 January 1981 – 11 February 1981
- Serialized in b/w in Future Tense #13-15. (Marvel UK)
- 1982
- Reprinted in magazine format in b/w in the omnibus Winter Special 1982. (Marvel UK)
- September 2008
- Included on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD. (Graphic Imaging Technologies)
- May 2009
- Reprinted in 6"x9" format in Star Trek Omnibus, Volume 1. (IDW Publishing)
- 22 June 2017
- Collected in the Graphic Novel Collection's Volume 13 omnibus. (Eaglemoss Collections)
Translations[]
- 1980
- German: As Auf der Jagd nach Thallus in the omnibus Star Trek - R.E. Comic - Sonderheft #3.
- 8 September 1981
- Swedish: As Spökena på Thallus in Star Trek 1981 #2. (Atlantic)
- 22 November 2017
- Italian: Collected in the Italian release of Graphic Novel Collection, Volume 13: L'era Marvel - Prima Parte. (RCS MediaGroup, ISSN 977228074425770013)
External links[]
- The Haunting of Thallus! article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- The Haunting of Thallus! article at The Marvel Database Project on Wikia.