Voodoo from across space it makes its deadly mark on Earth!
Summary
- Captain's log, stardate 24:17.9 - This day in our exploration of deep space, something of significance was detected..."
The Enterprise discovers a planet which looks exactly like Earth. Kirk and Spock beam down near the Eiffel Tower, where they discover that the city is apparently uninhabited and the tower is made of papier-mâché. A laser ray strikes the tower, causing it to topple onto nearby buildings, and a voice welcomes them to its private world. Back on the Enterprise, Sulu reports that the real Eiffel Tower on the real Earth has also collapsed... at the exact same time that the fake one did. McCoy and Spock note the similarities to voodoo, and Kirk realizes that Earth is in danger.
After the Colosseum is also destroyed, the Enterprise tracks the source of the laser to a planet behind a cloud of space trash. They discover humanoid natives throwing spears into Human dolls, and a man wearing a robe and hood who is destroying the Sphinx. Kirk and Spock try to catch him, but are stopped by natives sticking pins into voodoo dolls resembling them. They are caged by the hooded man, who is revealed as Count Dressler, the mad ruler of a tiny kingdom on Earth who fled after his plan to take over the world was defeated. After learning the secrets of the people of the "voodoo planet," he now intends to hold the Starfleet officers hostage and use voodoo to wreak destruction on Earth unless his demand for amnesty is met.
McCoy frees Kirk and Spock, and they return to the Enterprise. The voodoo dolls are used on them again, but McCoy injects them with painkillers. Kirk and Spock research Vulcan occult history and learn of the Pain Casters, a clan who used rituals similar to voodoo. They undergo the ritual, becoming immune to Dressler's voodoo. They return to the planet, destroy the laser ray and capture Dressler, intending to punish him by leaving him on an uninhabited planet (implied to be the imitation Earth he created).
References
Characters
- Dressler • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Spock • Hikaru Sulu
- Referenced only
- Allah
Starships and vehicles
Locations
- a papier-mâché copy of Earth • voodoo planet
- Referenced only
- Earth (Colosseum • Egypt • Eiffel Tower • Great Sphinx • Leaning Tower of Pisa • Paris • Rome)
Races and cultures
States and organizations
Other references
- count • hydrogen bomb • laser • monocle • papier-mâché • proton bomb • spear • voodoo
Appendices
Background
- This story has been released ten times in English and has been translated 15 times into other languages: German (3x), Italian (3x), Portuguese (3x), French (2x), Dutch (2x), Serbian and Spanish.
- This story was published in issue #7 as a 26-page story. It was cut to 23 pages for its reprinting in issue #45, excluding original pages 6, 12, and 24.
Images
Connections
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #6: When Planets Collide |
TOS comics (Gold Key) |
Next comic: #8: The Youth Trap |
| Previous comic: #44: Prince Traitor |
TOS comics (Gold Key) |
Next comic: #46: Mr. Oracle |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: The Empire Man |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: Mr. Oracle |
Production history
- March 1970
- First published by Gold Key Comics
- 1971
- Printed in hardcover in Star Trek Annual 1972 (World Distributors Limited)
- 1974
- Printed in b/w in Star Trek Comic Album (1974) (World Distributors Limited)
- August 1976
- Printed in the omnibus The Enterprise Logs, Volume 1 (Golden Press)
- July 1977
- Reprinted by Gold Key Comics as issue #45 (excluding pages 6, 12 and 24)
- 1 October 1977 - 24 December 1977
- Serialized in Mighty TV Comic #1346 - 1358
- 2004 June
- 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 #7 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 2 (IDW)
- 30 March 2017
- Remastered in hardcover in the omnibus Graphic Novel Collection #7 (Eaglemoss)
Translations
- May 1972
- Portuguese: As "O Planeta Enfeitiçado" in b/w in Jornada Nas Estrelas #6 (1st series) (Ebal)
- November 1972
- Italian: As "Il Pianeta Voodoo" in Star Trek Albi Spada #7 (Edizioni Fratelli Spada)
- December 1972
- French: As "La Planète Vaudou" in Star Trek #1 (1st series) (Remparts)
- 1972 or 1973
- French: In the omnibus Star Trek Album #2 (Remparts)
- 26 May 1973
- Spanish: As "El Planeta Vudú" in TV Mundial #249 Viaje a las Estrellas (Editorial Novaro)
- 1973
- German: Serialized over four issues as "Planet der Zauberer" in Zack 1973 #6-9 (Koralle)
- 11 November 1974
- In Serbian in TV 3AБABHИK
- 1974
- Dutch: As "De Voedoeplaneet" in b/w in Star Trek #2 (De Vrijbuiter)
- 1974
- Italian: As "Il Pianeta Voodoo" in Raccolta Superspada #4 (Edizioni Fratelli Spada)
- 1978 March
- Portuguese: As "O Planeta Enfeitiçado" in the omnibus Jornada Nas Estrelas Special (Abril)
- 2 May 1978
- Portuguese: In b/w in O Caminho das Estrelas #7 (Aguiar)
- 1978
- Dutch: In the omnibus Ruimteschip Enterprise Classics Strip-Paperback #2 (De Vrijbuiter)
- 1978
- German: As "Der Voodoo-Planet" in the omnibus Raumschiff Enterprise Comic Taschenbuch #2 (Condor)
- 1980
- German: As "Der Voodoo-Planet" in some editions of Condor Superheiden #1: Star Trek Jahrbuch (Condor-Verlag)
- 2005
- Italian: In the omnibus The Gold Key Collection, Volume 2 (Free Books)
External links
- The Voodoo Planet article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Star Trek #7 article at Comics Beat.
- Audio dramatization of part 1 and part 2 at League Podcast.
- Spock’s Vulcan Occult Library discussion at Literary Treks Podcast.