Walter (Chekov) Koenig paired up with artist Dan Spiegle to deliver a Chekov story for DC Comics’ ongoing Star Trek series. On comic racks until October of 1985, the story is set between the events of The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan.

I don’t want to sound too mean, but I don’t love the artwork in this issue, but I was eager to see what manner of story Koenig delivered.

Stardate: 6714.3 (and that’s odd because TMP has a stardate of 7410.2).

The Enterprise is on its way to Pelham Five to confer with the Eebrix, a drone race that has volunteered its services to Starfleet. On the way, Uhura receives a distress call. A nearby ship is on overload, about to self-destruct with twenty seconds on the clock. Sulu advises there’s no time to rescue them; they need to clear the area or be destroyed themselves. Kirk orders the Enterprise to a safe distance.

Chekov is shaken when the ship blows – all those people – and while Kirk gives him some consolation, Chekov seems unhappy with it. Kirk carries the burden, but so does Chekov, as well as some anger and frustration about what happened.

He’s even having nightmares. When he’s on duty, he’s having trouble focusing on the task at hand, which includes tracking a ship in the sector which is avoiding comms. Kirk has to repeat orders a few times, and Chekov admits he’s having problems, so he relieves the young officer of duty.

Everyone watches him as he struggles with this dilemma, working to reconcile it within himself.

He’s angry and frustrated and heads to his quarters, hopefully to unwind.

On the Rec Deck, Scotty almost comes to blows with a crewman because they and others think that Kirk is feeling guilty over his inability to rescue the aliens and he’s taking it out on Chekov. McCoy has to intercede on that one.

In the Officer’s Lounge, Kirk and Spock are talking, and Kirk admits to his friend that he’s feeling a little rough about recent events, and wonders how much more pain of that type that they all must endure.

Chekov’s nightmares continue, and one drives him to run out into the corridor, colliding with Marjorie Hamilton, a yeoman. Not long after, Chekov is confiding in her (in a room with the backdrop of the starboard nacelle, which is augmented with a strange fin).

The strange ship is still somewhere nearby, refusing all communication attempts.

As an aside, because there are so many Enterprise interiors featured here, the ship, especially the bridge, looks off. And that’s a little unfortunate considering how many production stills could be used and studied at this point to help lend the images some grounding in the authenticity of the universe.

Kirk thinks the ship may be in trouble, so he’s determined to take a shuttle, as a peaceful demonstration, and approach it to offer help. McCoy cautions against it, while Spock offers that he is the logical suggestion, and Sulu reminds all of them that they haven’t cleared an asteroid field yet.

Spock takes the shuttle, which does not look Starfleet-regulation, and approaches the ship, which is being attacked by… Vulcans?

Meanwhile, Scotty reports from Engineering that fights are breaking out, and Uhura reports that there is some debate over following orders that concern humanistic questions, and Chekov may be behind it, leading a possible mutiny on the Rec Deck.

The Enterprise loses contact with Spock and the shuttle as Kirk dispatches Sulu to bring Chekov to the bridge… now.

Sulu and Chekov confront one another and come to blows. I know Chekov is upset, but his demand for the right to dissent from orders he doesn’t agree with seems a little unusual. Not to mention the other crew members who are listening to him speak.

They’re in Starfleet. They know there are going to be tough decisions and no-win scenarios.

When a security officer gets a shot, he stuns Chekov, but that causes the rest of the assembled crew to riot! What the hell is happening on the Enterprise? They are able to disrupt the power and seal off the bridge, and the Enterprise is racing at warp speed towards a planetary object.

Kirk asks Chekov to speak to the crew he’s persuaded. He’s the only one who can stop them, apparently. Kirk also says that if Chekov values life so much, get to auxiliary control in the next eight minutes, or they’re all dead.

Spock arrives to confront Chekov. He’s convinced that the ship is using optical illusions to sow chaos, using it as a weapon so that their enemies destroy themselves. But Chekov doesn’t believe him; both he and Marjorie say there is nothing there.

And Spock says he cannot see Marjorie. She’s part of the illusion. While Chekov lunges at him, Spock explains how he was able to deduce it was all an illusion, and everyone on the bridge is listening in on the conversation. Chekov was susceptible because he leads with his heart, a wise thing, but one that needs to be balanced with the mind.

Spock continues to reason with Chekov and asks if he can truly sacrifice all the lives on the Enterprise, even his own, for an illusion.

Chekov finally sees through the illusion and races to Auxiliary Control, where he and Spock are able to use maneuvering thrusters to avoid the looming planetary body.

Later, McCoy reveals to Kirk that Chekov and his associates weren’t responsible for their actions; the hallucinations caused alterations in chemical and neurological patterns. Spreading like a virus. But the effects will wane.

Kirk takes Chekov’s subordination and his compassion into consideration, and he allows him to stay on the bridge while the unknown ship finally makes contact. And they were only acting in defence against Starfleet bringing aboard the Eebrix, and they understand now that Starfleet wants only peace.

As they head on their way, Kirk says that, as punishment, Chekov should describe this imaginary yeoman. That didn’t age well, especially the ha-ha, ha-ha following it.

An interesting tale, and while I love the MP uniforms, the Enterprise interiors (most of them at any rate) seemed all wrong.

An interesting one-off, and it was cool that Koenig penned the tale. Next time, we boldly go to the first Star Trek Annual from DC Comics. The Human Adventure is just beginning.