The Hijacked Planet

Bio-magnetic tape—lifeblood of a dying planet—is hijacked!

The Hijacked Planet was a Star Trek comic book story published by Gold Key Comics in 1973, the 18th issue of their TOS series. It was the 16th story drawn by Alberto Giolitti and the second written by Arnold Drake.

In this story, the Federation Science Council devised an ingenious way to save a planet threatened by its star.

Summary

Captain's log, supplemental: It was early in the 23rd century that the first erratic eruptions of the third largest star of star system 83 Beta were recorded. The air was thick with conflicting theories at the Science Council of the Federated Planets!

Captain's log, stardate 3248.6: Under Triple-A (highest priority) orders of the Supreme Council of the United Federation of Planets, we are proceeding at maximum speed to the planet Styra.

Demonstrating the safety of new Project Atlas technology, Montgomery Scott uses a transmutation beam to rematerialize a schnauzer whose biomagnetic recording had been stored in a crystal. Shortly afterward, the Enterprise comes across a disabled flivver. Spock boards it in a spacesuit and rescues an unconscious woman. In sickbay, she introduces herself as Allura, an entertainer who'd fled from her performing partner Anzar, but her craft had run out of fuel. Spock appears to be enamored with her.

The Enterprise enters Styra orbit. Senior officers witness the conversion to biomagnetic recordings of the last of the Styrans and then the planet itself. The recordings are compiled into a small spherical filing case. Later, as the Enterprise is en route to Styra's new star system, an unidentified vessel approaches and temporarily blinds the starship's sensors. After it departs, it is discovered that Allura had escaped through an airlock with Styra's recordings.

Captain's log, stardate 3248.9: We were entrusted with the lives of an entire planet and we dishonored that trust! Only now has the enormity of our failure begun to reveal itself!

Anzar contacts the Enterprise, demanding 100 million in credits for Styra. The Council secretly votes to refuse any ransom payment. Anzar agrees to meet and negotiate with Kirk and Spock in a cave on Lurota. Kirk thinks he can stun Anzar with a phaser, but Anzar has hired armed men for protection, forcing the Starfleet officers to retreat. Kirk escapes, but Spock is captured and put into a holding cell. Spock asks Allura to convince Anzar to return Styra unharmed. She tries, but he refuses.

Spock then appeals to Anzar's greed, pointing out that rich Styrans would pay the ransom. Anzar agrees, and Spock leaves to retrieve the transmutation beam machine from the Enterprise. But rather than restore the Styrans, he rematerializes Kirk, Scott and a team of security officers, forcing Anzar's guards to surrender. Anzar demands to see the rich Styrans, aiming his weapon at Styra. Scott agrees to operate the transmutation machine, but instead rematerializes the schnauzer, which immediately jumps on Anzar. Terrified, Anzar surrenders, raving about future criminal schemes. Spock tells Allura that Anzar will be treated with chemotherapy, psychoprofiles, or reconditioning. She realizes that he was never really in love with her, but Spock replies that she made it very easy for him to pretend he was.

References

Characters

Allura • Anzar • James T. Kirk • Kleeg • Lanugu • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • (USS Enterprise personnel (unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (2260s))

Referenced only: Kixo • Nagatyu • Zindflo

Starships and vehicles

Anzar's spacecraft • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • flivver

Locations

sector 18J (83 Beta • Lurota • Styra (Styra space station))

Referenced only: Uranus

Chronology

Early 23rd century: Erratic solar eruptions of a star in the 83 Beta system were first detected.
23rd century: The Federation Science Council launched Project Atlas.
2267: The planet Styra and its population were dematerialized and saved on data modules.

Appendices

Related media

SCE eBook: Small World – The entire planet Koa was condensed and stored in a pyramid-shaped box, then enlarged in the Mu Arae system.
TOS comics: "The Evictors", "The Planet of No Life", "Mr. Oracle" – Three other Arnold Drake-written stories exploring planetary exoduses.
TOS episode: "The Enterprise Incident" – Spock seemingly behaved out of character while emotionally manipulating Romulan commander Liviana Charvanek.
TOS episode: "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" – Aboard the hollowed-out asteroid Yonada, Fabrini survivors migrated to Darren IV.

Background

The Enterprise helped migrate other planetary populations, including those on Vultra and the Riza homeworld in 2266. (TOS comics: "The Crucial Element", "Mr. Oracle")
One member of the Federation Science Council is a humanoid with a fin on his head, seen on pages 2 and 15. A representative of a similar species, but also with fin-shaped ears, was seen aboard the Museum of Missing Ships in 2266.
Though Spock seemed to fawn over Allura (while secretly knowing she is a liar and monitoring her every move), his behavior and tactics are not entirely dissimilar to those seen in TOS episode: "The Enterprise Incident". However, it is unusual for Spock to suspect Allura will steal the Styra data modules and then rig the airlock as a trap to catch her, all without informing Kirk.
Kirk makes several sarcastic comments about Spock's mistakes. It is rare behavior, but Kirk reacted similarly in TOS episode: "The Deadly Years" after losing his command.
Once Spock leaves Anzar to retrieve the transmutation machine, there is no reason for him to sneak around on the Enterprise, let alone knock out a crewman to remain unseen. Off-panel, he is seen by Kirk and Scott when the three officers set up their Trojan horse trap.
The schnauzer, whose actions led to the rescue of Styra, is brought to the bridge at the end of the story. Kirk remarks that pets aren't allowed on the ship, then makes a poor joke about having it served for dinner.

Images

Connections

Timeline

Published Order
Previous comic: #17: "The Cosmic Cavemen"	TOS comics (Gold Key)	Next comic: #19: "The Haunted Asteroid"
Previous story: "The Cosmic Cavemen"	Stories by: Arnold Drake	Next story: "The Haunted Asteroid"
Chronological Order
Previous adventure: "A World Gone Mad"	Memory Beta Chronology	Next adventure: "No Time Like the Past"

Production history

May 1973: First published by Gold Key Comics.
August 1976: Printed in the omnibus The Enterprise Logs, Volume 3 (Golden Press).
June 2004: Printed in the omnibus The Key Collection, Volume 3 (Checker Book Publishing Group).
September 2008: Included on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD (Graphic Imaging Technologies).
August 2014: Remastered in hardcover in the omnibus Gold Key Archives, Volume 3 (IDW).
2015: Cover reproduced as a 9x13 embossed tin wall sign (Open Road Brands).
12 October 2017: Remastered in hardcover in the omnibus Graphic Novel Collection #21 (Eaglemoss).

Translations

15 February 1975: Italian: As “Il Planeta Rubato” in Albi Spada #10 (Edizioni Fratelli Spada).
December 1975: French: As “La Planète Volée” in Star Trek #12 (Remparts).
1970s: French: In the omnibus Star Trek Album #5 (Remparts).
1 April and 15 April 1974: Serbian: In TV 3AБABHИK.
1974: Finnish: As “Kaapattu Planeetta” in Avaruusmatka Star Trek #13 (Apulehti).
1975: Dutch: As “De Gekaapte Planeet” in b/w in Star Trek #8 (De Vrijbuiter).
1975: German: As “Ein Planet Wird Entführt” in Enterprise #3 (Koralle).
March 1978: Portuguese: As “O Planeta Miniaturizado” in Jornada Nas Estrelas Special (Abril).
3 July 1978: Portuguese: In b/w in O Caminho das Estrelas #16 (Aguiar).
3 October 1978: Spanish: In Domingos Alegres #1255: Viaje a las Estrellas (Editorial Novaro).
March 1983: French: In the omnibus Présence de L'avenir #3: Les Mutinés de L'espace (Sagédition).
2006: Italian: In the omnibus The Gold Key Collection, Volume 5 (Free Books).

External links

The Hijacked Planet article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
The Hijacked Planet discussion at Drawing Trek Podcast.
Audio dramatization at Star Trek Comic Book Review.
The Hijacked Planet article at Siskoid's Blog of Geekery.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki