The Planet of No Return

Summary[]

"Captain's log, stardate 18:09.2 – Enterprise carrying out exploration mission through Galaxy Alpha. So far we've seen no indication of life anywhere in the Galaxy."

The starship comes across a planet that appears to be fertile, one they quickly nickname "Kelly-Green". As Captain Kirk prepares an exploration party, the ship passes through a strange fog and are set upon by space-borne spores. The spores get through the ship's hull and transform some guinea pigs into large mutant plants, right in front of Spock and Dr. McCoy.

When the ship reaches the planet, the party beams down to the surface, promising to stay in touch on an hourly basis. Shortly after arriving, Crewman Hunt is horrifically transformed into a mutated plant and dies saving the crew from plant-monsters on the planet. The remaining party continues to explore, finding a community made entirely of vegetation, one that stores and uses animals for food. The plants capture Janice Rand, imprisoning her in a cattle pen with some local animals.

After watching the animals gathered up for the slaughter by the plants, Kirk contacts Spock to fire a laser beam destruct ray in order to save Rand. All odds to the contrary, Spock fires the beam accurately, managing to avoid hitting Rand, and saving her from the giant trees. The party is beamed back up to the Enterprise, and Spock informs the Captain that all life on the planet must be destroyed so that travel in the area is safe.

"Captain's log, stardate 18:10.1 – We are orbiting the planet Kelly Green, performing what will be our last duty here… Total destruction – A mission that must be fulfilled before we can continue our tour of research through the vast reaches of the universe…"

Memorable quotes[]

"The suction field… it's being created by a-a giant cannibal plant!"
"Try… try to break free… or that awesome thing will devour us all!"

- Two unnamed Enterprise crewmen

"Don't ask questions! The things are about to devour the doctor and Mr. Spock! Fire! Fire!"

- A security guard, racing to save McCoy and Spock

"Then it is a life-and-death shot that must be taken! All right… send me exact readings! If you are a fraction of an inch off we will fail!"

- Spock, when Kirk tells him to fire a pin-pointed laser beam

"Giant trees are trying to germinate us!"

- Kirk, calling for transport back to the Enterprise

Background information[]

• This was the first Star Trek comic ever produced, and it contains numerous inconsistencies which persist through this entire series, due to artist and writer unfamiliarity with the source material. References are made here to the Enterprise (sometimes pictured with rocket exhaust emitting from the nacelles) visiting "Galaxy Alpha," using "TV scanners," "TV radio", and laser weapons. Transport is termed "Teleportation".
• First and only comic book ever to carry the copyright on the cover from its originating licensor, "Desilu Productions, Inc.", before the company's sale to Paramount Pictures in the same month the comic book issue was released. A "Paramount Pictures Corporation" copyright was carried on the comic book covers from issue #2 onward.
• The complete destruction of a unique planetary ecosystem seems to run a bit counter to the practices of Starfleet depicted in canon productions.
• Also contrary to canon is the depiction of Spock as emotional, even to the point of referring to the planet as a "hideous little globe" prior to its aforementioned destruction by the Enterprise.
• This issue was also reprinted in issue #29 of this series, with a new painted cover listing the planet as "K-2".
• Janice Rand makes her only Gold Key Star Trek comics appearance in this issue.
• Most guides list the publication date of this issue as July 1967, but according to the publisher's code, it was published in October 1967.
• This first issue cost 12 cents.
• The photograph of Spock on the front cover seems to come from a production still taken after the pilot episodes of TOS, but before regular filming began. This is evident from the uniform which has the pilot episode-style rank stripe, but the series-style collar.
• This was the only Gold Key issue to include a back-page pin-up of one of the characters (a common practice at Gold Key that was dropped before TOS Issue 2 came out). The image is a black and white still of Kirk, apparently taken from the second pilot.
• The inside back cover features a photograph of Kirk, McCoy and Uhura on the Bridge; Uhura is otherwise omitted from the story itself. A brief description of Kirk below the photo claims the Enterprise has thousands of crewmembers.

• The cover art for this issue served as inspiration for a Spock Funko POP! vinyl figure in 2023.

Creators[]

• Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
• Writer: Dick Wood
• Artist: Nevio Zeccara
• Cover artist (reprint issue): George Wilson

Characters[]

Canon characters listed below are linked to the main article about them. Non-canon characters are not linked, but those that recurred, appearing or being mentioned in more than one story, are defined further in Gold Key TOS characters.

Regular and recurring[]

James T. Kirk

USS Enterprise captain. He appeared on the cover of the second printing wearing a red jumpsuit.

Spock

Half-Vulcan Enterprise exec and science officer.

Leonard McCoy

Enterprise surgeon. Doctor McCoy was part of the landing party to Planet K-G. McCoy was shown incorrectly wearing a gold command division Starfleet uniform in some panels.

Hikaru Sulu

Enterprise helmsman. Sulu did not appear in the story, but was pictured on the cover.

Janice Rand

Enterprise yeoman who was part of the landing party to Planet K-G. She was briefly captured by animal-herding plant creatures. She appeared on the cover of the second printing wearing a red jumpsuit. The character of Rand only appeared in this issue, but she was included in a later photo cover.

Others[]

Hunt (β)

Enterprise crewman. Mr. Hunt perished on Planet K-G, after having been transformed into a giant plant. He shielded the rest of the landing party from deadly attack by other plant creatures. Hunt appeared on the cover of the second printing wearing a red jumpsuit.

Dean

Enterprise crewman who was part of the landing party to Planet K-G.

Security guards

Crewpeople who act fast and save Spock and McCoy from spores.