The Mirror Universe story continued in issue 12 of DC Comics’ Star Trek series. Mike W. Barr penned the script for the fourth installment in this eight-part story, whose overall arc title is New Frontiers. Tom Sutton delivers pencils, Ricardo Villagran delivers ink, and the pair of them deliver one of my favourite covers, which features the Excelsior menacing the Enterprise.

Stardate: 8217.8

The splash page of the March 1985 issue sees Kirk, Saavik and Marlena attempting to deal with the Mirror-Enterprise’s self-destruct routine, which Kirk’s counterpart has triggered. Can they find a way to stop it in the next sixty seconds? While Kirk issues orders, it sounds like he’s going to try an emergency saucer separation. Mirror-Kirk watches expectantly from the Excelsior.

On Vulcan, the two Spocks continue their mind-meld struggle. They see the differences in their paths, despite being the same entity or a variation of it. Can Prime Spock convince his other self? Or will it come to a more violent conclusion?

Mirror Kirk watches as the Enterprise explodes! But Kirk and his command crew are aboard the saucer, which separated and is now racing at the Excelsior (here’s a question, what about the rest of the Mirror crew that are on the saucer section? It is a lot of crew quarters after all).

And speaking of quarters, Saavik and Scotty are hard at work in Mirror Kirk’s quarters jury rigging something with the Tantalus Field. As the Excelsior hammers away at the saucer, Scotty and Saavik work to refine the image, connecting it to the viewscreen.

They are able to connect to Excelsior via the field, and use it to cripple Excelsior’s drive and power systems.

Kirk places Uhura in command, sends Saavik and Scotty to a docking port, and he, Bones, Sulu and Chekov leave the bridge… so who is Uhura in command of besides Marlena? And what about the rest of the Mirror crew?

Kirk and the rest of the crew leave the docking port at the back of the bridge level, travelling in thruster suits to the Excelsior, where after a brief fire fight, they are able to dose the crew with a knock out gas.

Mirror Kirk, makes a run for it, but not before trying to set Excelsior’s auto destruct (only Styles can do that) and runs right into Kirk. Fisticuffs ensue. After a brief struggle, Prime Kirk is able to subdue his counterpart, and they are all rounded up and held in stasis.

The Excelsior has rescued the survivors of the Courageous and heads to Starbase 13.

Only then do they learn that Mirror Spock, Chekov and Sulu went to Vulcan! Admiral Turner tells Kirk they all reeady have a force moving to intercept, and Kirk needs to follow orders. So he agrees, kind of, and heads off to stave off the invasion fleet.

Before they head out, Kirk authorizes the beam over of Bearclaw, Bryce, and Konom, amongst others, to join the crew on the Excelsior. Commodore Garrett of Starbase 13 resupplies the Excelsior, says he hasn’t gotten any new orders from Starfleet, and that Styles is incapacitated (wink, wink).

Kirk is in command of the Excelsior and with the help of the transwarp drive is planning to take the fight to the Mirror Universe, and they transition just as the captured Klingon Bird of Prey arrives!

What happens next? We’ll find out in issue 13, Masquerade!

Damn this comic series is a lot of fun. Sure there are some minor nitpicks, but overall Barr tells a greeat story, always tries to tie it into canon, and the art is solid, if not always totally in line with the actors who brought them to life.

Let’s continue to boldy go…