An alien form invades the Enterprise through Spock's mind! – "The Peril of Planet Quick Change" was the fourth issue of the TOS Gold Key Comics series. Published in June 1969, it was the fourth story written by Dick Wood and the second drawn by Alberto Giolitti. The story reran in issue 35 in November 1975 with a new painted cover.
Description[]
- It was a world in deep space that even the galaxy-wise crew of the Enterprise had never dreamed of — a planet that convulsed, sprouted foliage, mountains and water like a living thing! And only Mr. Spock could hope to save this alien globe that had the space pioneers trapped upon it!
Summary[]
- Captain's log, stardate 21:06.7 - The Enterprise was cruising through Galaxy Telpha Z… expedition operations were normal… until Mr. Spock's red alert button flashed in main control…
Spock has discovered a planet that rapidly changes its chemistry. He also detects traces of tiantianium on the planet. Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Johnson beam down to the surface, where an upheaval unearths the ruins of an ancient civilization. Strange lights emerge from the ruins and attack the landing party. Phasers are ineffective against them, but they retreat anyway, and after swirling around Spock, they vanish.
Spock tells Kirk that he has calculated a way to extract the tiantianium ore, but it requires returning the planet's chemistry to its original state. He requests special materials from the Enterprise and begins constructing an unknown device, but is strangely unwilling to discuss the details of his plan. He is actually being mentally influenced by the lights, which are the native Metamorphans; they were transformed into energy beings centuries ago and want to use the device to return to their original forms.
The device succeeds, and the Metamorphans become physical again. In gratitude, the Metamorphan spokesman, Zarman, allows the Enterprise crew to extract two hundred pounds of tiantianium ore. However, one Metamorphan, Textra, has stayed in Spock's mind, seeking escape, knowledge, and adventure. Spock refuses to allow this to happen, but Textra prevents him from informing the others of his presence. Spock is placed in sickbay, but he leaves and uses the transporter to destabilize his body, leaving Textra with nothing to possess. Afterwards, he tells Kirk and McCoy what happened.
References[]
Characters[]
- Ross Johnson • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Textra • Zarman
- Referenced only
- Montgomery Scott
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
Races and cultures[]
- Human • Vulcan • Metamorphan
States and organizations[]
Other references[]
- adrenaline • atomic rocket • core • equipment transport • meteorite • phaser • rope • sickbay • tiantianium • transporter • volcano • water
Appendices[]
Background[]
- This story has been released nine times in English and has been translated 17 times into other languages: French (3x), Portuguese (3x), Dutch (2x), Finnish (2x), German (2x), Italian (2x), Turkish (2x), and Spanish.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #3: Invasion of the City Builders |
TOS comics (Gold Key) | Next comic: #5: The Ghost Planet |
| Previous comic: #34: The PsychoCrystals |
TOS comics (Gold Key) | Next comic: #36: A Bomb in Time |
| Previous story: Invasion of the City Builders |
Stories by: Dick Wood |
Next story: The Ghost Planet |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: A Hint of Life |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: When Planets Collide |
| Previous story: A Hint of Life |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Two | Next story: When Planets Collide |
Production history[]
- June 1969
- First published by Gold Key Comics
- September 1970
- Printed in hardcover in Star Trek Annual 1970 (World Distributors Limited)
- November 1975
- Reprinted with a new cover image by Gold Key Comics as issue #35
- August 1976
- Printed in the omnibus The Enterprise Logs, Volume 1 (Golden Press)
- 11 December 1976 - 5 March 1977
- Serialized in Mighty TV Comic #1304 - 1316
- June 2004
- Printed in the omnibus The Key Collection, Volume 1 (Checker Book Publishing Group)
- 2004
- The cover, two images and a quote were reprinted on Gold Key Chase Card #4 in the card set Quotable Star Trek (Rittenhouse Archives)
- 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 1 (IDW)
- 16 February 2017
- Remastered in hardcover in the omnibus Graphic Novel Collection #4 (Eaglemoss)
Translations[]
- March 1972
- Portuguese: As "O Planeta das Metamorfoses" in b/w in Jornada Nas Estrelas #4 (1st series) (Ebal)
- August 1972
- Italian: As "Il Pianeta Camaleonte" in Star Trek Albi Spada #4 (Edizioni Fratelli Spada)
- 3 September 1972
- French: As "Danger sur la Planète Metamorpha" in Les Héros de L'Aventure #14 (Remparts)
- 1972
- French: In the omnibus Star Trek Album #1 (Remparts)
- 6 January 1973
- Spanish: As "Peligro en el Planeta Metamorfosis" in TV Mundial #239 Viaje a las Estrellas (Editorial Novaro)
- 1973
- German: As "Planet der Verwandlung" in Zak Comic Box #8: Neue Adbenteuer De Enterprise (Koralle)
- 1974
- Dutch: As "De Planeet der Veranderingen" in Star Trek #A1 (De Vrijbuiter)
- 1974
- Finnish: As "Kasviolennot" in Avaruusmatka Star Trek #9 (Apulehti)
- 1974
- Finnish: As "Paha Vieras" in Avaruusmatka Star Trek #10 (Apulehti)
- December 1975
- Portuguese: As "O Planeta Das Mutações" in Diversões Juvenis Presents Jornada Nas Estrelas #29 (Special) (Abril)
- January 1978
- French: In the omnibus Présence de L'Avenir #1: Le Chemin des Etoiles (Sagédition)
- 5 April 1978
- Portuguese: In b/w in O Caminho das Estrelas #4 (Aguiar)
- 1978
- Dutch: As "De Planeet der Veranderingen" in Ruimteschip Enterprise Strip-album #1 (De Vrijbuiter)
- 1978
- German: Abridged as "Planet der Verwandlung" in Raumschiff Enterprise Comic Album #1 (Condor)
- 1981
- Turkish: In b/w digest-size in Uzay Yolu #2 (Alfa)
- 1999
- Turkish: In Star Trek #1 (Alfa)
- 2005
- Italian: As "Il Pericolo del Pianeta Metamorfico" in the omnibus The Gold Key Collection, Volume 1 (Free Books)
External links[]
- The Peril of Planet Quick Change article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.