Issue 41 of Gold Key’s Star Trek comic was found in shops for November, 1976. It was written by Arnold Drake, had art by Alden McWilliams and another lovely cover painting by George Wilson.

The blurb for the story sounds very similar to an episode of The Next Generation aired in 1989, the season three opener, Ensigns of Command. The Enterprise is visiting the planet Nraka, and now after thousands of years, the original inhabitants have returned and want it back.

The splash page hints at war, hoaxes and Kirk betraying his oath as captain! Buckle up, because here we go with The Evictors!

Kirk, Spock and Scotty, all turned out in dress uniforms, are attending a celebration with the Nrakan leadership. They are chatting about history, and their growth as a society, as well as Zoltar, one of their culture’s major founders.

Spock gives his compliments on the meal (eating meat despite being a vegetarian, and the reader gets an additional surprise when they reveal the real ingredient).

There is a fireworks celebration, which also includes a massive presentation about Zoltar, his achievements and the word ‘sanoora.’

The celebration is interrupted by the arrival of a giant spheroid ship, and a being, who looks a lot like Zoltar, named Inodoku and is the leader of the Sanoora!

The citizens, believing Zoltar has returned, celebrate, practically worshiping the arrival as the second coming. All is well and good until Inodoku announces they must leave the planet so the Sanoora can reclaim it for themselves.

Inodoku tells a different story. Of a rogue star that threatened the entire planet, how city ships were made, but not everyone could be saved. They set off on a long orbit that would return them to the planet 500,000 years later, after the radiation of the destructive star had passed. And now, they are back.

And they have given the planet an ultimatum of one day to decide. If they refuse, they will be destroyed.

Kirk and Spock debate on where the current civilization must have come from, if anyone could have survived the star’s passage, and how they could have evolved to adapt to their changed world, aided by the star’s radiation.

This is deemed heresy by the leadership, and as violence erupts around the globe, out of fear and anger, the leadership decide they must fight the Sanoora, believing them to be nothing more than pirates masquerading as their iconic god-king.

The second part opens with a giant two page spread as ships attack the giant Sanoora craft.

Kirk begins to ruminate on what is going on, even as the Nrakans ask for his advice. What would he do if Earth was threatened? Spock urges him to speak, but Kirk is thinking. Is he figuring something out?

Scotty and one of the local beauties is fleeing the maddening crowd, who have turned violent, and looking for someone to lay their anger on… it could be the engineer if he doesn’t get a wiggle on.

Spock counsels caution to the Nrakan people, their weapons will not stand up to the Sanoora. And he reminds them that the Prime Directive keeps the Enterprise from interfering.

The Sanoora see the Enterprise as a form of leverage. They will pursue and destroy it if the Nrakan will not surrender. When that happens Spock agrees to help augment Nrakan weaponry (What?!).

And Scotty prepares to face off against hordes of attackers with one hand phaser.

Aboard the Enterprise, Sulu ask for permission to attack, but Kirk reminds him that he cannot fire unless fired upon. They are temporarily saved by the arrival of more Nrakan ships, that already, somehow, have Spock’s upgrades.

The Sanoora tuck tale and leave, while Scotty fights hand to hand with those that would kill him. He’s saved by the announcement of the Sanooran’s departure.

And despite the leadership’s belief that they were nothing more than pirates, Spock finds evidence that the Sanoora were telling the truth. And now, they are out there traveling without a home of their own.

It definitely doesn’t excuse Spock’s violation of the Prime Directive, and the fact that Kirk didn’t do much of anything either way, despite the issue’s splash page opening.

The Human Adventure continued next time with World Against Time!