"The Veteran" was a 20-page TOS comic that appeared in the eighth issue of Marvel Comics' anthology series Star Trek Unlimited along with the TNG story "The Boy" and the DS9 story "The Warrior". In this story, Kang and Hikaru Sulu visited a planet after hearing rumors that James T. Kirk was alive there, following his death on Veridian III.
Publisher's description[]
- Letter column teaser
- The Klingon Day of Honor! A day on which all Klingons are to put aside their differences with a hated enemy to battle a common foe. Featuring three tales with the most popular Klingons in all of Star Trek lore: Worf, his son Alexander and the legendary Kang.
Summary[]
In 2371, rumors persist that James T. Kirk survived dying on Veridian III, with sightings reported on the planet of the Metrons where he once battled a Gorn. Kang has heard the rumors and takes a week's leave on the planet. Longing for battle, and regretting a promotion to govern a colony, Kang hopes to fight Kirk one last time. Meanwhile, the USS Excelsior beams down Captain Hikaru Sulu, who has heard the same rumors. Kang spots him and attacks him, thinking he might be Kirk, but they fall off a cliff, with soft jungle brush breaking their fall.
They resolve to search for Kirk together, and after a jungle hike and some rock climbing they spot Kirk. But it's a booby trapped hologram that triggers an automated weapons battery. They evade energy beams and destroy the array, then see several more Kirk holograms.
Suddenly Sulu is stunned and Kang hit by a spear from the Gorn S'alath, and the two warriors battle. Before S'alath can mortally stab Kang with a spear, Sulu stuns S'alath with a phaser. Sulu recognizes S'alath as the Gorn who fought Kirk in 2267, and discovers a message node on him. It explains that S'alath suffers from a degenerative mental illness that drives him to madness and battle lust, and has been placed on the planet along with the Kirk holograms and a weapons training system so that S'alath can die an honorable death per Gorn tradition.
The phaser stun was too much for him, and S'alath passes. Kang and Sulu bury him on a plateau, then share hopes for a good future.
References[]
Characters[]
- Kang • S'alath • Hikaru Sulu
- Referenced only
- Ganymede • Kahless • James T. Kirk
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Excelsior (Excelsior-class heavy cruiser) • unnamed Klingon starships (Klingon bird of prey)
- Referenced only
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • USS Enterprise-B (Excelsior-class explorer)
Locations[]
- Metron planet
- Referenced only
- Cenotaph
Races and cultures[]
Science and classification[]
- bat'leth • disruptor • d'k tahg • hologram • phaser • spear • starship • star • star system • tricorder
State and organizations[]
- Federation • Gorn Hegemony • Gorn Space Command • Klingon Empire • Klingon Defense Force • Starfleet
Ranks and titles[]
- administrator • captain • commander • commanding officer • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • Federation Starfleet ranks (2270s) • Federation Starfleet ranks (2270s-2350s) • Gorn ranks • governor • helmsman • officer • warrior
Other references[]
- binary star • cliff • day • flower • gas giant • ghost • Gorn language • grass • honor • jungle • meter • nation • orbit • planet • Qapla' • races and cultures • rank • rock • rock climbing • shore leave • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • Starfleet uniform (early 2270s) • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • state • stun • targ • technology • title • tlhIngan Hol • tree • trial by combat • uniform • universe • water • weapon • year
Timeline[]
Chronology[]
- James T. Kirk is lost and presumed dead while aboard the USS Enterprise-B.
- Kang is promoted to governor.
- Kirk dies on Veridian III.
- Rumors spread that Kirk is alive on the Metron planet.
- S'alath dies on the Metron planet, and is buried by Kang and Hikaru Sulu.
Production history[]
- March 1998
- First published by Marvel Comics.
- 17 September 2020
- Reprinted in Graphic Novel Collection #130. (Eaglemoss)
Appendices[]
Background[]
- This story was set on 5 April 2371, on the Day of Honor, taking place between the events of Kirk's death in TNG movie, novelization & comic adaptation: Generations and his resussitation in TOS novel: The Return.
- In the early 24th century, Hikaru Sulu served three terms as President of the United Federation of Planets, as noted in The Return. Apparently he rejoined Starfleet following his tenure in public office, as this story showed him back in command of the USS Excelsior some eighty years after he first assumed the role.
- Kang seemed to have survived having been mortally wounded in 2370, in DS9 episode: "Blood Oath".
Related stories[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 2 novelization: Arena – As footnoted in the story, Kirk and S'alath were abducted by Metrons for a trial by combat on this planet.
- TNG movie, novelization & comic adaptation: Generations – As footnoted in the story, Kirk's apparent death on Veridian III.
- TOS - Unlimited comic: "Dying of the Light" – Sulu described an incident with S'alath on Cenotaph.
Images[]
Connections[]
| Star Trek Unlimited comics |
| #1 ("Directives" & "Dying of the Light") • #2 ("Action of the Tiger" & "The Unkindest Cut") • #3 ("Message in a Bottle" & "Sins of the Fathers") • #4 ("None But the Brave" & "Inheritance") • #5 ("Secret Lives" & "As Flies to Wanton Boys ") • "Heart of Darkness" • "An Infinite Jest" • #8 ("The Boy", "The Warrior" & "The Veteran") • "Trekkers" • "A Piece of Reaction" |
| Media featuring the USS Excelsior (NCC-2000) under Captain Hikaru Sulu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| episodes/movies | The Undiscovered Country • Flashback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| novels | The Undiscovered Country • The Fearful Summons • The Captain's Daughter • The Ashes of Eden • Starfleet Academy • The Captain's Table: War Dragons • The Lost Era: The Sundered • Excelsior: Forged in Fire • Flashback • The Lost Era: One Constant Star • Burning Dreams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| short stories | "Dilithium Is a Girl's Best Friend" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| comics | Tests of Courage (The Tabukan Syndrome) • A Wolf in Cheap Clothing (1 • 2 • 3 • 4) • Captain's Log: Sulu • The Undiscovered Country • The Veteran | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain Sulu Adventures (audiobooks) |
Cacophony • Envoy • Transformations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| games | Shattered Universe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| characters | Hikaru Sulu • Pavel Chekov • Janice Rand • Dmitri Valtane • Leonard James Akaar • Lojur • Tuvok • Altos Viger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #7: An Infinite Jest |
TOS comics (Unlimited) |
Next comic: #9: Trekkers |
| Previous comic: #8: The Warrior |
Star Trek: Unlimited | Next comic: #9: Trekkers |
| Previous story: The Warrior |
Stories by: Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton |
Next story: Trekkers |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Federation Part IV, Chapter 3 |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Ashes of Eden Framing story |
External link[]
- The Veteran article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.