June 1984 brought not only a new issue of DC Comics’ Star Trek series, but also saw Star Trek III hit the theaters, which means the writers would have new stories, characters, and ships to draw from for their future issues.

Mike W. Barr continues to pen the story, Tom Sutton does the pencils, and Sal Amendola serves as the inker. Sutton and Amendola also created the issue’s cover.

Stardate: 8163.5

The issue opens with a splash page of the Enterprise flying through space. The short-lived war is over, and the Klingons and the Federation may be working towards a permanent peace. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is travelling to the Beta Epsilon system to investigate the fate of the Valor. The last report from the ship, reported that it was engaged in combat with a Klingon vessel.

Konom, the Klingon defector, has been temporarily assigned to the Enterprise, and McCoy is trying to figure if there’s a medical or genetic reason why Konom is so different from his fellows.

Saavik has detected debris that would indicate the destruction of both the Valor and its attacker, with a trail of debris, indicating possible survivors, leading to a nearby Class M planet. Kirk is surprised by the name of the Valor’s captain, Philip Hodges. Kirk knew him.

Kirk, Saavik, McCoy, Bearclaw and Sherwood round out a landing party to the planet to search for possible survivors. The planet is inhabited so the Prime Directive is in full effect. They observe some of the locals farming, using strange animals, and a plow made of a refined material (something they shouldn’t be able to do at the technological level they are at).

When one of the animals bolts, the Starfleet crew act immediately. To save some children, Bearclaw pulls his phaser and fires. Not only revealing the Starfleet crew, but their advanced technology. Before Kirk can do anything, they are greeted as “more gods from beyond the sky.”

One of the planet’s inhabitants, Lorac, says that Kirk and company look like the person who came before them, who proclaimed himself a god. He offers to guide the landing party to the nearby temple where the god resides.

And that god…? Captain Phil Hodges. Hodges was one of Kirk’s most promising studentts back at the Academy. Hodges reveals what happened. Following the Valor’s encounter with the Klingon’s both starships were destroyed, and Hodges was the only survivor of the escape pod crash.

He used his technology, like tricorder, phaser, and med-supply to help the people, but also elevate himself in their view. He’s violated the Prime Directive, but saved countless lives. Kirk is determined to deliver him for court-martial.

Hodges won’t be taken though, and calls for his protectors, to show Kirk the power he has at his fingertips. He urges Kirk to forget his mission. Kirk wonders with Saavik and McCoy what to do. If they take Hodges, the war that was happening on the planet may resume.

And there are those on the planet, that want that war. And they, led by Balor, are making their move. Hodges is seized, and Kirk and company pursue, using Bearclaw’s stereotypical tracking abilities, a moment that could have been handled better. He orders Sherwood to stay behind.

Kirk and company have to stop a civil war, rescue Hodges, and deliver him to justice.

Lylla, Hodge’s mate, joins Kirk and the rest. Meanwhile, Sherwood gets jumped and her phaser is taken by Dector, one of Hodge’s supplicants. And now, the trouble is escalating.

Kirk’s landing party comes under assault, while Saavik and Bearclaw hold the attackers back with phasers, Kirk and McCoy head into some tunnels in search of Hodges. Dector’s men close on Balor’s position.

Lylla is able to find Hodge’s first, but is stabbed in the rescue. Kirk has Hodges, and McCoy tends to the hurt woman.

Saavik and Bearclaw find themselves now holding Dector’s men back, and he uses the phaser, hitting Bearclaw before Saavik kills him.

To save Lylla, McCoy has to beam up to the Enterprise, Kirk lets him. And Hodges finally realizes this is all his fault. But how can he leave the planet like this? Kirk, of course, has a plan.

The war has been stopped, Lylla will live, and the Enterprise will apparently use holovision cameras to pull off Kirk’s plan. Fair, I guess. I mean there was one introduced in The Animated Series. It was just never explored in the films, so I’ll let you have it.

The cameras create a giant image to support Hodge’s claim that he must leave and return to wherever gods reside. Sure that’s one way out, and sure, the Prime Directive has already been violated, but this seems like a bit of an escalation. They’ll now believe there are actual gods out there. Is that the right message to send? They also decide who will rule!

Hodges beams up to face his fate, and apparently Lylla is going with them (was she given a choice?).

Although Kirk says that no matter how they interfered with them, these people now have choice… And the Enterprise cruises onwards. The Human Adventure continues with… Who is Enigma?