When Worlds Collide: Spock Confronts the Ultimate Challenge is a six-page comic published in the May 2009 issue of Wired magazine, which was edited by J.J. Abrams, the director of the film Star Trek. The story was co-written by the film's writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (credited as K/O) and Paul Pope. Art by Paul Pope.
Summary[]
Spock finds himself marooned on the planet Delta Vega, a barren planet with many rocky spires. Despite his circumstances, he does not stress, as he has been trained to control his emotions and emotional state. This was done by learning techniques and puzzles that emphasized logic over emotion. While playing with a puzzle given to him by his father, Sarek, he reminisces about some of the other puzzles and crises he has faced.
When he was young, Sarek assigned a tutor to Spock in order to teach him how to play the Vulcan harp. He learned that the mathematics and logic behind the music would help him master his half-Human side inherited from his mother. This half-Human side also led him to being something of an outcast among his peers at the Vulcan Atheneum, but he learned to keep a calm focus. He also learned the Vulcan nerve pinch, something far more elegant than a brute shove or careless punch.
When adolescence arrived, he had to master the tal'oth test in Vulcan's Forge. He smelled the Sa-te kru beast before seeing it and realized that it was the embodiment of his roiling emotions. A simple nerve pinch allowed him to "pass through to a new state of consciousness" and become a mature adult.
Years later, he joined Starfleet and by this time was very proficient with the harp. He did notice that the harp's music affected the Human mind by triggering emotions, quite the opposite effect it had on Vulcans. One example was the way that it affected Lieutenant Uhura. On the USS Enterprise, he discovered the game of three-dimensional chess and found that "playing chess with Captain Kirk was a welcome respite from the perils we encountered." The lessons learned from this game also helped him suggest the means of defeating Khan Noonien Singh in the Battle of the Mutara Nebula by viewing things in a three-dimensional way rather than a simple two-dimensions.
He notes that Kirk never believed in unsolvable puzzles in no-win scenarios, but finds himself unsure. He knows that he is responsible for his circumstances, what has happened, and what will happen, but despite his efforts, he finds himself afraid. In the sky above, the Enterprise appears and he finds himself faced with a choice. "A choice that will change the course of history. But it is the galaxy's only hope... it is only logical."
References[]
Characters[]
- Referenced only
- Amanda Grayson • Sarek • Khan Noonien Singh • Hikaru Sulu
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
- Delta Vega • Vulcan • Vulcan Atheneum • Vulcan's Forge
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Other references[]
- Battle of the Mutara Nebula • emotion • logic • photon torpedo • Sa-te kru • Sarek's dilemma • tal'oth • three-dimensional chess • Vulcan harp • Vulcan nerve pinch
Appendices[]
Related stories[]
- Star Trek (TOS movie) - This comic shows elderly Spock on Delta Vega setting the scene for his appearance in the Star Trek film.
- Yesteryear (TAS episode) - Spock's status as an outcast among his peers at school was established in this episode.
- Displaced (VOY episode) - The Tal'oth test shown in this comic was first established in Voyager in a reference by Tuvok to how it made Starfleet training seem comparatively less challenging.
- Charlie X (TOS episode) - Uhura singing along with Spock while he played the Vulcan harp was seen in this episode. Indeed, the character which looks like Janice Rand in the background may indicate the scene in the comic is a recreation of the scene in the episode (albeit with Uhura's hair modeled after the new movie's Uhura rather than the original 1960s version).
- The Wrath of Khan (TOS movie) - This comic recreates a portion of the Battle of the Mutara Nebula from this movie.
Timeline[]
The comic's framing story takes place in the Kelvin timeline created in Star Trek, at moment where James T. Kirk is marooned in Delta Vega. The comic takes the form of flashbacks, to Spock's childhood, adolescence, and service on the Enterprise in the 2260s and retelling events of The Wrath of Khan.
Published Order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous story: Countdown, Number Four |
Stories by: Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci |
Next story: Star Trek |
Chronological Order | ||
Previous adventure: Star Trek Chapter 5-18 & Epilogue |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Covenant of the Crown Chapter 2 |
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2258. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 4 other timeframe(s): | ||
Previous adventure: The Better Man Chapter 1 |
2237 Pages 1-2 |
Next adventure: Sarek Chapter 6 |
Previous adventure: Spock: Reflections, Issue 1 Pages 11-20 |
2245 Pages 2-3 |
Next adventure: Old Souls |
Previous adventure: Charlie X |
2266 Page 4 |
Next adventure: Elegy for Charlie |
Previous adventure: To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh Chapter 26 |
2285 Page 5 |
Next adventure: Prodigal Father |
Images[]
External links[]
- When Worlds Collide: Spock Confronts the Ultimate Challenge on Wired magazine's website
- When Worlds Collide: Spock Confronts the Ultimate Challenge article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.