"A Small Matter of Faith" was the 56th and last issue of DC Comics' first series of comics based on The Original Series. It was the last of ten stories written by Martin Pasko and the fourth of five stories illustrated by Gray Morrow. It was published by DC Comics in 1988.
Description[]
- The regular crew gets a break and Martin Pasko and Grey Morrow serve up a mission from Kirk's first five-year tour of duty aboard the Enterprise. This time, the crew gets mixed up with a flock of religious zealots and the ideological debates aboard the ship will make for some interesting reading.
Summary[]
- Captain's log, stardate 3547.2
- This appears to have been our week for medical emergencies. Due to subspace interference from Berthold radiation, I have been unable to contact Starfleet Command for authorization to respond to a priority one distress call from Dr. Pitkin of the Starfleet Veterans' Hospital on Lavinius V — received two solar days ago. Thus, on my own authority, we have diverted from our present assignment in the Beta Aurigae system, and are now in standard orbit over Lavinius V. I am confident my decision poses no threat to the 19 crewmen beamed aboard two solar days ago — casualties from the USS Defiant, disabled during a routine patrol. I must note for the record that, as expected, Dr. McCoy has taken vigorous exception to my decision.
One of the Defiant personnel is former Enterprise yeoman Tonia Barrows. She is afraid they won't make it to the radiation clinic on Starbase 27 in time to be cured with sandovalyn, but Christine Chapel assures her that they're en route at maximum warp. But Captain James T. Kirk diverts the ship to Lavinius V, which has requested emergency medicines. The transmission was a ploy, and a group of terminally ill, but highly-experienced veteran Starfleet officers led by the "faith healer" Lieutenant En-Lai beam aboard, storm the ship, disable the crew, and commandeer the bridge.
En-Lai has heard the legends of incurably sick being healed by the radiating energies of a non-corporeal "Lady of Calydon", and he's taking his patients to a place where she appears. McCoy remains frustrated, as Barrows' life hangs in the balance if they can't get to Starbase 27.
- Captain's log, stardate 3549.8
- En route to the planet Calydon, we are encountering an ion storm. I am apprehensive about how it will affect our efforts to regain control of the Enterprise…
Spock researches the circumstances and realizes that images of the enigmatic Lady of Calydon resemble En-Lai. Suspecting a connection that will save the lives of the radiation victims, he convinces Kirk to abandon efforts to regain control of the ship. McCoy is unconvinced, but En-Lai cures a hairline fracture in Kirk's shoulder faster than is medically possible.
- Captain's log, stardate 3550.1
- Despite the storm and En-Lai's increasing agitation, we have reached Calydon. I have beamed down to the surface to prepare for the incredible event we now believe will take place there.
At Calydon, large numbers of sick and injured have amassed near the site where the Lady is known to appear. As the Lady begins to materialize, the sick start to riot. En-Lai feels her presence calling to him. Spock uses the ship's phasers to stun a three-kilometer radius around the shrine, knocking out the rioters. En-Lai, his people, and the sick Defiant personnel are beamed down. En-Lai and the Lady reconnect. They are halves of a tandem lifeform, and they have rejoined in order to complete their life cycle and die. Healing emissions from the Lady have healed everyone on the surface, including En-Lai's followers.
- Captain's log, supplemental
- We are leaving Calydon with the reverend En-Lai's newly cured followers in custody. They must stand trial for their part in the commandeering of the Enterprise. But, as they were instrumental in verifying the existence of the Calydonian healing beings, a discovery of great import to the Federation, I am making a formal recommendation to Starfleet Command that clemency be considered.
References[]
Characters[]
Regular characters[]
- Pavel Chekov • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura
Other characters[]
- Tonia Barrows • Christine Chapel • En-Lai • Lady of Calydon • Jabilo M'Benga • Malesa Norabi • Pitkin • Rakaar • Haak Trobis • unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (2260s) • unnamed Humans • unnamed races and cultures
- Referenced only
- Fitzpatrick • God • David Andrew McCoy
Starships and vehicles[]
- Referenced only
- USS Defiant (Constitution-class) • USS Hood (Constitution-class)
Locations[]
Institutions[]
- Referenced only
- Sanctuary of Fátima • Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Outposts and stations[]
- Referenced only
- Starbase 27
Planets and planetoids[]
- Calydon • Lavinius V
Stars and systems[]
- Referenced only
- Alpha Centauri • Beta Aurigae • Calydon
Races and cultures[]
- Alpha Centauran • Calydon species • Human • Lavinian • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
Science and classification[]
- baffle plate • biobed • communications • conn • coordinates • disruptor • hospital • hypnosis • hypospray • library computer • life-support wheelchair • medical tricorder • medicine • phaser • shield • stasis • stun • subspace • technology • tri-ox compound • universal translator • warp engine
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • captain • chaplain • doctor • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • lieutenant • preacher • prospector • rank • reverend • Starfleet ranks • trader
Other references[]
- assignment patch • asylum • beam • Berthold radiation • Board of Inquiry • book • bridge • briefing room • captain's log • chapel • church • civilization • distress call • engineering • galaxy • gas • gravitational field • groundhog • homeworld • hospital • hour • hull • hull breach • ion storm • lifeform • logic • matter • mugato • outpost • parsec • planet • priority one • quadrant • quarters • radiation • radiation poisoning • sandovalyn • sickbay • star system • starbase • Starfleet regulations • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • stasis • stasis weapon • technology • transporter room • trial • warp factor (warp eight) • year
Chronology[]
- circa 1960s
- Lady of Calydon first appeared on Calydon, healing a shipwrecked pilot
- 23rd century
- As a youth, abandoned En-Lai was rescued by a trader on uncharted planet
- En-Lai served as a chaplain aboard the USS Hood
- En-Lai developed mysterious healing abilities while the Hood was in the Calydon system
- 2267
- En-Lai commandeered the USS Enterprise for a trip to the Calydon system
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS movie & novelization: The Final Frontier – The USS Enterprise was commandeered by Sybok for a pilgrimage to Sha Ka Ree within the Great Barrier.
- TOS episode & Star Trek 5 novelization: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield – After 50,000 years of pursuit, Bele commandeered the Enterprise to take his nemesis Lokai back to their home planet Cheron V.
- TOS episode & Star Trek 6 novelization: By Any Other Name – A Kelvan invasion force led by Rojan commandeered the Enterprise for a trip to the Andromeda Galaxy.
Background[]
- At this point in the series, the Paramount Pictures licensing approval for comics was being made stricter. As a result, it was not known at the time of this issue's publication that the series would be canceled for retooling.
- One detail of this story that may have proven contentious to the studio was the use of a religious plot-line, since dealing with belief (and God) was rare for Star Trek. This also crossed into story territory covered in TOS movie: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, which was in production at the time.
- In both this story and the film, the USS Enterprise was lured by a transmission, commandeered by a religious zealot with unusual healing abilities and a group of his followers, forced on a pilgrimage, taken through a spacial phenomenon, and orbited a planet with religious significance. After some initial resistance, Kirk and Spock acquiesced to the takeover. On the planet, the zealot discovered a different entity than he expected and was killed during the encounter.
- This story takes place after TOS episode: "Shore Leave", when Barrows was an Enterprise yeoman, but before TOS episode: "The Tholian Web", when the Defiant was subsequently lost.
- This issue was the first time cover artist Jerome K. Moore inked his own work. ("A Small Matter of Faith" article at Jerome K. Moore's blog)
- McCoy stated that his father was a preacher who never forgave him for going into medicine. A different account stated that David Andrew McCoy had himself been a doctor, in TOS - Strange New Worlds VI short story: "Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer". Leonard's statement that his dying father refused medical treatment somewhat contradicted information from another source that his father's pyrrhoneuritis was incurable at the time, in TOS movie & novelization: The Final Frontier.
Images[]
Cover image.
Starfleet divisions' emblems.
Haak Trobis and Rakaar.
En-Lai's plan.
Gathering near the shrine.
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #55: Finnegan's Wake! Who Killed Captain Kirk? |
TOS comics (DC Comics, Series One) |
Next comic: final issue |
| Previous story: Taking Shape |
Stories by: Martin Pasko |
Next story: final work |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Communications Breakdown |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Wolf in the Fold |
External links[]
- A Small Matter of Faith article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- A Small Matter of Faith article at Jerome K. Moore's blog.