"The Marshall Plan" was a Star Trek: The Original Series comic strip published in 1970. It was the 12th story arc in the UK comic strips series, released in eight parts within issues of TV21 & Joe 90. This was the first of two stories illustrated by Jim Baikie. In this story, a Federation Councillor takes the USS Enterprise on a diplomatic mission.
Description[]
- Teaser, 28 March 1970
- Under orders from the haughty, arrogant Courtenay Marshall, Captain Kirk, Spock, Sulu and Chekov had escorted him to the planet Tondus, where he was to act as ambassador for the space Federation. While Marshall talked with the Tondusian premier, Kirk and his officers were shown round the capital city…
Summary[]
Federation Councilor Courtenay Marshall beams aboard the USS Enterprise hoping to sign a defensive alliance with Tondus against the Romulan Empire. On the way, Kirk prepares Pavel Chekov, Hikaru Sulu and Spock to join him as Marshall's ambassadorial honor guard. As the starship approaches the planet, however, it is met with radio silence and an attack by a Tondusian strike craft. Stating that these actions must have been a mistake, Marshall insists on beaming down with his honor guard unarmed as a show of peace. They materialize in the capital city and meet the Tondusian prime minister, who promises to investigate the strike craft's action.
While the officials talk, Kirk's team are given a tour, then led to a prison cell occupied by an elderly man in tattered clothes: the real Courtenay Marshall. His transporter beam had been intercepted, with an imposter taking his place — Romulus had already occupied Tondus, imprisoning families of its leadership to keep them in line. The prime minister and fake Marshall are Romulans. Their grand plan is to replace Kirk's team with doubles through the use of identity transference equipment. The fake officers will return to the Enterprise and lead a fleet of Tondusian strike craft on a purported peace mission to Earth.
Meanwhile, Montgomery Scott receives an alert from Earth about the fake Marshall. Nyota Uhura tries hailing Kirk. Although the captain is strapped down and can't speak into his communicator, enough background conversation is overheard to expose the Romulan plot. Scott launches the Galileo and three other shuttlecraft toward the surface. Tondusian ships intercept them and a fierce battle ensues. With effort, Kirk is able to open his communicator and tell Scott where the Tondusian families are being held. Although one shuttle is shot down, the other three make it past ground defenses. Scott's rescue party frees the imprisoned families, then aids Kirk's team. The prime minister and fake Marshall are captured, ending the Romulan plot.
References[]
Characters[]
- Pavel Chekov • James T. Kirk • Courtenay Marshall • Courtenay Marshall's imposter • Spock • Montgomery Scott • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • unnamed Romulans • unnamed Tondusians • unnamed Starfleet personnel • unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (2260s)
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Galileo (NCC-1701/1) • Galileo (II) (class F shuttlecraft) • unnamed class F shuttlecraft • Tondusian strike craft
Locations[]
- Referenced only
- Earth (Federation Headquarters) • Jupiter
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and technology[]
- cannon • communicator • escalator • forcefield • missile • phaser rifle • radio • scanner • spacecraft • transporter
Ranks and titles[]
- ambassador • captain • chamberlain • chief of staff • commander • consul • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • engineer • ensign • executioner • Federation Councillor • guard • lieutenant • officer • president • premier • prime minister • skipper • Starfleet ranks • your excellency
Other references[]
- armory • army • brainwashing • bridge • call sign • Dark Ages • destruct system • devil • diplomacy • fleet • forms of identification • god • honor guard • hostage • hour • identity transference • lion • meteor shower • meteorite • police • prison • quarters • Starfleet General Orders and Regulations • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • starship • stratosphere • three-dimensional chess • transporter room
Chronology[]
- The presence of Pavel Chekov as a bridge officer places the story after his promotion to bridge duty, as seen in TOS comics: "Mister Chekov", "A Little Seasoning".
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS comic: "To Rule the Universe" – In the 2260s, Plixeans use identity transference equipment to assume the identities of Kirk and Spock, then successfully plant a bomb in the Federation Council Chambers on Earth.
- TOS comic: "The Children of Stai" – In 2266, the Galactic Union holds the children of planetary leaders off-world to prevent a revolt.
- TOS comic: "The Enterprise Murder Case!" – In 2273, a transporter beam is unknowingly intercepted, substituting the person being transported.
- TNG episode: "Data's Day" – A Vulcan Federation ambassador is revealed to be a Romulan spy.
Background[]
- The story was not printed with a title, but it was given one ("The Marshall Plan") for its reprinting in the omnibus The Classic UK Comics, Volume 1. The title was a nod to the name of an American plan to help Western Europe recover after World War II.
- This was the first original Star Trek comic strip printed entirely in black-and-white. (The first original b/w stories were in A Book to Color, a coloring book anthology published in 1967.) It was also the first story in the UK comic strips series which was not printed with panels crossing the magazine's center spread. The final week of "The Klingon Ultimatum" had also been printed b/w. Color returned for the next story arc, "Mutiny on the Dorado".
- The 11 April 1970 edition featured the cover debut of shuttlecraft and the Galileo. Over at Gold Key Comics, Galileo's hatch appeared on the cover in January 1975's "The Mimicking Menace", but the complete vessel wasn't seen on a cover until September 1978's "A World Against Itself".
- Tondusian strike craft appear on covers for issues dated 14 March and 18 April 1970, but it is not explained why one of them initially attacked the Enterprise. The Romulan plot hinges on using an undamaged Enterprise to escort the Tondusian fleet.
- Perhaps because the creative team lacked appropriate onscreen reference material, the Romulan soldiers are drawn with clothing similar to those of Earth's ancient Roman Empire. While these Romulans do not have exposed ears to tell whether they are pointed, they do exhibit Human eyebrows, implying that they could have been surgically altered, were from a conquered Romulan race that looked human-like, or were doubles of Tondusian citizens.
- Nyota Uhura takes command of the Enterprise when Montgomery Scott led the strike force aboard Galileo. When Scott is unsure how to act, it is Uhura who advises attacking Tondus.
- The Plixeans are more successful when they attempt a similar strategy in "To Rule the Universe".
- The fake Marshall appears human, though he does not resemble the real Marshall. Because the substitution was made at the last minute, apparently by intercepting Marshall's transporter beam en route to the Enterprise, it means that there was not enough time to use the Tondusian identity transference equipment to create an identical double for Marshall. However, he could be an identical double for some other captured human.
- In the middle of the story, the Tondusian prime minister is addressed as president.
- Uhura's name is misspelled Uhuru.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: The Klingon Ultimatum |
TOS comics (UK comic strips) | Next story: Mutiny on the Dorado |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: No Compromise, Part III 2267 flashback |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Thorpex |
| Previous comic: No Compromise, Part III 2267 flashback |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Two | Next comic: Thorpex |
Production history[]
- This story was published in two-page sections over eight consecutive weeks in TV21 & Joe 90 magazine.
- 7 March, pages 1-2 published in TV21 & Joe 90 #24
- 14 March, pages 3-4 published in TV21 & Joe 90 #25
- 21 March, pages 5-6 published in TV21 & Joe 90 #26
- 28 March, pages 7-8 published in TV21 & Joe 90 #27
- 4 April, pages 9-10 published in TV21 & Joe 90 #28
- 11 April, pages 11-12 published in TV21 & Joe 90 #29
- 18 April, pages 13-14 published in TV21 & Joe 90 #30
- 25 April, pages 15-16 published in TV21 & Joe 90 #31
- April 2016
- Reprinted in the omnibus The Classic UK Comics, Volume 1 (IDW Publishing)
- 11 May 2017
- Reprinted in the omnibus Graphic Novel Collection, Volume 10. (Eaglemoss)
External link[]
- The Marshall Plan article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.