Issue 21 of DC Comics’ ongoing Star Trek series was available on spinners until December, 1985. While Tom Sutton continued on pencils and Ricardo Villagran delivered inks, Bob Rozakis delivered the story, which saw a shift from Kirk and the Excelsior to Spock and his crew (all new characters for us readers) aboard the Surak.

Stardate 8293.6

Along the edge of unexplored space, the Surak has been assigned exploratory duties, and they have come across an unknown planet, christened Proto. It seems habitable, despite its distance from the system’s star.

Spock decides to take his science officer, Brinks, and doctor, Chu-sa, to beam down to the surface in spacesuits for safety. As Spock leaves the bridge, Brinks and McCarthy, the officer assigned to the conn, have a brief discussion, and Brinks, a woman of colour, refers to Spock as a half-breed. McCarthy warns her about her prejudice, but she counters by saying that she feels Spock is treating her like a moron.

The trio beam down, after Brinks shows up late, something Spock will speak with her later about… but when they beam down, all three have been separated, and they are no longer in their suits. Spock contacts Surak, but the answering voice sounds a lot like Uhura.

Intrigued, Spock begins to explore and investigates a nearby cave. He finds himself in a subway tunnel with a raft carrying passengers instead of a subway car. He’s invited onto the platform by Scotty, who shoves others off to make room for the pair of them.

When Spock comments on that, Scott becomes Spock’s mother, Amanda. The platform begins to fly, and as Spock witnesses a religious battle, it becomes the backdrop to his ready room, where he’s in conversation with Sulu, who is delivering casualty reports on people he knows.

Then he snaps to and finds himself back on the bridge of the Surak, was it all a dream? But Saavik comments that she was in the Foreign Legion, which transitions to Sulu and Spock back in conversation as Kirk fights to survive in physical combat.

Spock realizes he’s dreaming and attempts to rouse himself, though he seems physically trapped in concrete with Brinks and Chu-sa attempting to get him out. He wakes (again) to find himself in sickbay.

This one is convoluted and odd, but I’m kinda digging it, up to this point.

Spock, the humanoid bird-like Chu-sa, and Brinks are all in stasis beds aboard the Surak.

The Doctor on duty tells Spock that the landing party beamed down and was immediately lost to radio contact. McCarthy conducted sensor scans to find them, and then beamed them up. They all seemed to be in a deep sleep.

Chu-sa and Brinks are both still under; Spock was able to rouse himself from the dream state by realizing how illogical it all was. In order to bring the others out, Spock suggests he mind-meld with them.

Spock melds with Chu-sa first, and works to give chase to the avian, who decides that perhaps he’ll resign his commission and stay on what he believes is the planet, and not a dreamscape. Chu-sa seems to face some strange winds that don’t affect Spock, and the Vulcan is able to rescue the doctor and bring him back out of the dream.

Now, he’ll have to go into Brinks’ mind. But as he attempts to find her in her dreamworld, he is attacked and needs to use his phaser to escape. Continuing his journey, he finds Brinks menaced by some strange, massive humanoid creature.

Spock tries to help her, but the light she’s using blinds him and lets the creature grab him. But as she prepares to fire, the being resembles Spock; which one will she fire upon? And will it be the right one?

Brinks wakes, and they classify Proto a hostile world, and their mission goes on, but Spock wishes to speak to Brinks about why her monsters look like Vulcans. Something that will be explored in later issues perhaps?

Not my favourite story, though it is nice to see Spock in command.

Next time we launch a two-parter with The Wolf! The Human Adventure continues…