Star Trek 1214: Under Ion Skies

1214. Under Ion Skies

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Voyager #2, Marvel Comics, December 1996

CREATORS: Laurie S. Sutton (writer), Jesus Redondo (artist)

STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)

PLOT: Chakotay and Neelix follow the Talaxians through the quantum fissure and find a crystal planet inhabited by energy beings. These corral the duo into an artificial structure where the Talaxians also are. Chakotay uses his tricorder to emit energy pulses and communicate with the natives, and discovers that they only meant to protect the fragile humanoids from the electric discharges of the environment. The natives let them go and they all beam back to Voyager through the fissure, whereupon the Talaxians turn their guns on the crew. They are agents of the Trabe trying to steal Voyager technology...

CONTINUITY: The Trabe are the former masters of the Kazon (Alliances).

DIVERGENCES: None.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Trust games
REVIEW: Pages and pages of technobabble, followed by a pretty trusting trip through a quantum fissure - how did they know they'd land in a breathable environment? - then a first contact scenario right out of TOS, which finally, has nothing to do with the main plot about duplicitous Talaxians. If the ion storm story were an episode, this issue would represent the most terrible padding. Especially (and I've just checked) since the ionic aliens don't make a return in the climax. Again the art provides some energy, but it should be put to better use.

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