Issue three of Gold Key’s Star Trek comic was available in December of 1968. That’s a ridiculous three issues in the space of over a year. Dick Wood remains on as the story’s writer, but this time out there is art by Alberto Giolitti.

After some repair work on the port nacelle, referencing it as engine four, the Enterprise travels to Planet Question Mark. Not a very scientific name, but it is later replaced by the name Zarta as the Starfleet crew invesitgates.

I like the details on the hull of the Enterprise, but once again, it’s interior looks very cluttered, and filled with all manner of strange tech. They use reels of film to store information, they communicate through the ship with strange hand held mics, and refer to Control instead of the bridge.

Instead of an orbital survey, the ship enters the atmosphere, nacelles emitting rocket fire, as they examine the surface. Almost every inch of it is covered in constructed, and seemingly empty cities.

A landing party is assembled, including Kirk and Spock. They are outfitted with phasers, tricorders, backpacks (which I always thought looked kind of cool against the uniforms) and odd-looking laser (yup, laser) rifles.

It seems what life there is on the planet, surprisingly human, are trying to stop large automated machines that are constantly constructing more and more cities. They are claiming every part of the planet, and there is almost no open space left.

Kirk greets the residents with the interplanetary language of esperanta. What the hell is that? Where’s the universal translator?

As Kirk and Spock hear the story from the survivor’s leader, Krill. They learn what happened. It was basically the rise of AI before they knew what that was. The Zartans created machines to do all manner of work, and then the machines made more machines, intent on their own tasks, ignoring any of the human commands.

At least there isn’t a housing crisis. But there is no green, no nature. Just city streets and buildings.

The Zartans are in danger of extinction. The city-builders are about to claim the last free space, and the machine that provided food to the Zartans has broken down. And no one has the knowledge of how to fix it anymore.

Can Kirk and Spock find a way to stop the machines? What about helping the Zartans? Krill has to struggle with his own jealousy and his position among the people, but by story’s end, our heroes may be able to save the day, and continue boldly going.

The story’s are simple, but there is still something Star Trek about them. The characters don’t always act right, the starship interiors look questionable, but the stories have something to them.

And I am loving reading these for the first time in decades. I’m seeing the stories in a whole new way. The Human Adventure continues next week with The Peril of Planet Quick Change!