Len Wein takes over writing duties for Gold Keys Star Trek title, while Alberto Giolitti continues delivering wonderful art (even if the characters and locations don’t always look the way the should). Found on comic spinners for February 1971, Wein’s first story was The Legacy of Lazarus.

The splash page makes fans recall The Savage Curtain as our heroes seem to be caught up in combat with important figures from the past.

The Enterprise is traveling to Gamma Alpha V, with Spock, of all people, manning the helm on the bridge. An earlier probe of Gamma Alpha V said the planet was uninhabited. Spock’s scans suggest, however, that there is a thriving society there now.

Kirk, Spock and McCoy form a landing party, and are joined by Sulu and Uhura (yay! – and they look almost right – again yay!). Scotty (a ginger?!) is working the transporter. And as they get ready to go, Kirk calls McCoy ‘Bones’ for the first time in the comics.

Wein has a good handle on the characters, they sound almost like they would in the series, and there’s a nice sense of banter and comradeship here.

On the planet’s surface, the landing party wander a ciy and the first person they encounter is… George Washington? And he’s married to Helen of Troy?

They and countless others of historical personages live a life of ease on the planet. They are allowed to wander anywhere on the planet, but are not allowed to enter a silvery spire at the city’s center. Everyone, which includes the likes of Churchill, Napoleon, and Cleopatra are excited by the possibilities of new additions to the planet’s population.

Kirk contacts the Enterprise to check in. He’s using an actual communicator this time instead of a tricorder, but it doesn’t have the flip cover we’re used to. While he, McCoy and Uhura stay with Washington, and the rest, Spock and Sulu go investigate the tower.

Kirk loses contact with them, and they discover that Spock has been kidnapped! He’s being held under the surface by Alexander Lazarus!

Lazarus was an earth historian, who, after a mistake that made him a fool in his field, fled the planet. He took with him his cadre of androids. They traveled to Gamma Alpha V. He established himself, but a fluke accident with his brain wave studies and the androids transformed the automatons into the image of the historical personages that now inhabit the planet.

Sure. Ok.

Over the years, however, Lazarus had gotten bored with Earth’s historical personages and so when the Enterprise arrive he’s concocted a new plan. He kidnaps Spock. He plans an attempt to explore Vulcan history. So to start that he needs… Spock’s Brain(!) (oh no not again).

While Lazarus threatens Spock, Sulu, McCoy, Kirk and Uhura find a hatchway that leads into Lazarus’ underground facility. But Lazarus’ androids stop them! And it looks like it’s gonna be a fight!

Below ground, Spock and Lazarus tussle! On the surface Kirk and company take on Washington and the rest. It’s going to be an all out battle, but Kirk isn’t sure he can fire on Lincoln.

Things escalate between Spock and Lazarus. The earth historian tumbles into his own brain drain machine, which does him in. And the phaser blasts that have been fired have caused his lab to burn and an explosion seems imminent. Perhaps one of planetary consequence.

Kirk and his team get beamed up just in time, and then he and Scotty work to get a lock on Spock just as the entire planet seems to be coming apart. Successfully rescuing his friend, the Enterprise sets off again. But everything of Lazarus and his historical studies, not to mention the androids, are lost.

The Human adventure continues next time when the Enterprise encounters the Spectre of the Sun!