Description

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness                                                          Comics Lot
Featuring the Official Comic Prequel to the 2013 Star Trek: Into Darkness movie.
Featuring the Complete Cover A Collection.  Awesome!!
Writers: Roberto Orci & Mike Johnson
Artist: David Messina
Inker: Marina Castelvetro
Colorist: Claudia Scarletgothica
Letterer: Chris Mowry
Editor: Scott Dunbier
All Covers by: David Messina & Claudia Scarletgothica

To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before.

Star Trek is an American space opera media franchise based on the science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. The first television series, simply called Star Trek and now referred to as “The Original Series”, debuted in 1966 and aired for three seasons on the television network NBC. It followed the interstellar adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew aboard the starship USS Enterprise, a space exploration vessel, built by the United Federation of Planets in the twenty-third century. The Star Trek canon of the franchise includes The Original Series, an animated series, five spin-off television series, the film franchise, and further adaptations in several media.

The countdown to the motion picture event of 2013 begins here, in this blockbuster 4-issue prequel mini-series that sets the stage for the upcoming Star Trek film! Like the best-selling Star Trek: Countdown in 2009, this all-new series leads directly into the next movie, with a story by Star Trek writer/producer Roberto Orci and Mike Johnson (Star Trek ongoing series), and drawn by the original Star Trek: Countdown artist, David Messina! Star Trek 2013 Prequel is the can’t-miss lead-in to the new adventures of the Enterprise crew!

In the months since the defeat of the Romulan terrorist Nero, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise have embarked on a voyage of discovery that has taken them across the galaxy. They have explored strange new worlds. New civilizations… and encountered grave new threats to the security of the federation. None greater than the one they face now…

Story/Spoilers
In issue #1A, The Enterprise arrives at a planet called Phadeus, a planet with rings that surround it. Spock takes detailed scans of the planet and reports his findings. It is a class-M planet, and the last survey was done by a Starfleet ship five years prior. The survey reported that a civilization on the planet had entered into a level similar to that of the Roman Empire in Earth’s history. Roughly thirty million people live there, and most of the population is concentrated in the southern hemisphere of the planet. Spock notes that it will most likely take a few thousand years before the civilization achieves the technological advances necessary for first contact.

Kirk is annoyed with Spock for his dry delivery and their mission to just survey the planet from orbit, and he is even further annoyed when Spock wants to take scans of the unusual composition of the rings. Kirk suggests that they should take a look from the ground level, but Spock objects to the order, saying that while studying the Phadeans up close is tempting, their arrival would almost certainly alter the course of their evolution. Kirk is just eager to get his legs stretched, and Spock suggests he take his leg stretching to the Officer’s Rec deck instead, but Kirk dismisses it as a joke and doesn’t buy it. Just then, Chekov reports that some kind of high-frequency energy field is originating from the surface. Uhura then reports that whatever the field is, it is disrupting communications and Scotty reports that he doesn’t recommend using the transporters. Kirk then orders Chekov to pinpoint where the field is coming from and says they’ll have to use a shuttle to check it out. Spock starts to remind Kirk of the Prime Directive, but Kirk is quick to counter saying that someone is giving the planet an evolutionary boost and wants to know who and why it’s happening. He gives Sulu the conn, and he reminds Spock that the Prime Directive is no longer relevant.

Kirk assures Spock that he doesn’t intend to attract attention to themselves and asks him to join the landing party. Spock joins, provided that Kirk doesn’t further violate the Prime Directive, to which Kirk agrees. Sulu then rushes to the turbolift, saying that since the whole incident with the Archons went south, he wishes to pilot the shuttlecraft and thinks they could use his skills. Kirk allows him to join, and puts Uhura in charge of the Enterprise. Uhura objects to it, saying that it is not wise to have Kirk and Spock leave while their communications are compromised, and Spock concurs with her concern. Kirk reassures her it is just a recon mission and will be back before they know it.

The landing party consisting of Kirk, Spock, Hendorff and Sulu make their way to the surface. Spock detects a small concentration of settlements and announces they should set down somewhere away from it, but then the shuttle is attacked by an unknown source. Sulu is ordered to find a place to set down immediately, but then a direct hit disables the shuttle and crashes on the surface. Everyone ends up okay but Sulu has a severe concussion, and while Hendorff has stabilized his condition, Spock reports that they must return him to sickbay as soon as possible. Kirk wants to know what has hit them, and Spock says he detected nothing prior to the attack and says they must be well hidden from scans. Spock suggests they remain close to the shuttle and try to contact the Enterprise, but Kirk refuses to sit idly by. He wants to find who or what did this and as soon as they find out, the better. Kirk suggests Spock go with him so they can attract attention away from Sulu and the shuttle, but as soon as they try to move away from the shuttle, a phaser beam’s warning shot stops them. Kirk keeps his phaser holstered as numerous alien creatures surrounds them. One of the aliens uses a tricorder and orders them to identify themselves. Kirk speaks, wondering how they got a hold of old-style Federation technology and if they were the ones who attacked them. The alien refuses to answer, and asks for Kirk to identify themselves. He introduces himself and starts to ask again where they got the weapons and tricorder, but then a man in the shadows interrupts him, saying that he was the one who gave them the technology. The man identifies himself as Robert April, former captain of a ship called Enterprise…

Next in issue #2A, Captain Kirk is dumbfounded when Robert April is revealed from the shadows, saying that he’s supposed to be dead. According to Starfleet records, Kirk cites, April died commanding the Enterprise two decades ago, and is suspicious of the man they are currently seeing before their eyes. April quips that he must either be his ghost or twin brother and asks him that if he truly is in command of the Enterprise, he wonders how’s his ship doing. Kirk points out that his Enterprise was decommissioned two years ago, and he boldly states he’s got the new one. He also blames April’s Phadean army for shooting them down, but April is quick to defend his colleagues, saying that it wasn’t them who shot them down. He says that they have dropped right into the middle of a civil war and that Kirk was lucky to land on the right side of the conflict. He offers Kirk and Spock to accompany him somewhere but then their area is rocked by enemy fire.

The enemy fire forces them to flee into a cave, which April seals the entrance with Kirk’s phaser. Kirk worries for Sulu and Hendorff, but April is quick to state that his men will take care of them both. Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise, Uhura worries for the fate of the landing party, and decides to go after them. McCoy is quick to stop her, stating that while they’ll eventually be overdue for an update on their whereabouts, he’s been hearing complaints from Kirk that he needs a little shore leave and thinks that this will do him good.

Back on the surface, Kirk wonders what April is doing on Phadeus IV. April says it’s a long story, but one he’s willing to share. But first, he is quick to point out that Kirk has a chance to make a difference in the Phadean civil war. April then begins to tell his story. Two decades ago, his Enterprise was the first Federation starship to visit Phadeus, and like now, it was a routine survey mission. At this point in his career, he had been in command for a decade and felt more at home on the ship than back on Earth. April is quick to say that while Kirk may not feel that way just yet, eventually he will. He jumps back to his story, and at this point the Phadean civilization had entered into the Iron Age. There they met the Shadows, a subspecies of the Phadean people who looked similar, the only difference was the color of their skin. From a perch above, they were witnessing the Shadows committing genocide and because of the Prime Directive, there was nothing they could do. However, April took action. He lied to his first officer on his whereabouts, gathered as much technology and weapons he could carry, relieved the ensign in charge of the transporter room and transported down to the surface.

Spock is quick to say that April committed the most egregious violation of the Prime Directive. According to protocols, April’s first officer should have relieved him for dereliction of duty. April quickly asks Kirk of his relationship with Spock. Kirk notes that it is an evolving relationship as they have not been working long enough, and Spock agrees. April hopes that eventually the relationship between Kirk and Spock will be as strong as the one he had with his first officer, Alexander Marcus. He also says that Marcus just wasn’t his first officer, he was also his best friend. Marcus was the one who ended up telling April’s crew, Starfleet and his family that he was dead. Marcus also was the one who didn’t stop April from what he was doing and his being here now showed much trust Marcus had in him. Kirk wonders how he got additional supplies, and says that he knows his way around and states the galaxy is such a big place.

Back on the Enterprise, McCoy says that since Uhura is in command, she is allowed to sit in the Captain’s chair, but refuses. Uhura says they’re long overdue and decides to finally go after them, but then Chekov reports that a small vessel is approaching the planet. Uhura opens a channel, and a Bajoran woman appears on the viewscreen. She says that she’s here to deliver supplies to Robert April. When Uhura asks who the woman’s identity is, she says that her name is Mudd.

On the surface, Kirk finds out that Sulu and Hendorff have been captured by the Shadows. April had lied to them, saying that his men had rescued him in order to follow April. April pleads with Kirk to end the civil war once and for all by asking him to use the Enterprise to destroy the Shadows. Kirk refuses outright, and April is quick to point out that like it or not, they were involved the moment they decided to take a closer look at what was going on. He decides to get Sulu and Hendorff out quickly and quietly and as soon as they do that, they’re going back up to the Enterprise and placing April in a holding cell. He starts his journey and thinks that Spock is right behind, but he is nowhere to be found…

Next in issue #3A, In the Shadows’ camp, Sulu and Hendorff are tied up to a post in a small hut where they’re being held. Sulu and Hendorff ponder their fate, and also hope that Kirk and Spock don’t hesitate to pick them up for most of the Shadow people are armed. Just then, Sulu slips off his boots, and it takes some doing. Eventually he finds a small knife that he kept hidden in his boot and is able to free them both. Hendorff is jealous and also angry that no one knew about the knife Sulu carried, but Sulu says he got a special dispensation from Kirk to do so.

Meanwhile, Kirk is preparing to rescue Spock, and April says it is a waste of time. Kirk chastises April, saying that he will no longer listen to his advice because he lied to them about Sulu and Hendorff being safe. April says it was a tactical decision that he lied and that he needs his help as his side of the civil war is being wiped out from the Shadows. He also says that if he had told him the truth outright, he may have gone to rescue them and would have been killed. Just then, a Phaedan tells April that a new arrival is approaching and tells Kirk he better postpone his rescue. The new arrival is none other than another shuttlecraft from the Enterprise. When it lands and the doors open, Uhura and Mudd are there to greet them. April wonders where his supplies are, and Mudd tells him that what he needs is getting harder to come by, even smuggling them across the quadrant. The bad news that she has is that all of the supplies he needs are aboard her shuttle, currently sitting on the hangar deck of the Enterprise. She also says that it took all of her charm to convince them to come down with her. Kirk and Mudd meet, and she unsuccessfully flirts with him. Uhura is then told of the situation that got them there, and is angry when she learns that Spock went off to rescue Sulu and Hendorff without Kirk’s permission. Kirk says that he is planning to go after Spock, and orders Uhura to go with him. Mudd scoffs at Kirk, saying they’ll be shot down again, but Kirk says they’ll take the risk. April says he will not accompany him as his Phadean people need him; Kirk counters that his people need him.

Back at the hut, Sulu and Hendorff are freed and are preparing to incapacitate their guards when they are thrown across the room. Sulu and Hendorff are surprised to see Spock, who was the one who performed the action. Aboard the shuttle, Kirk and Uhura discuss their problems about Spock. Uhura is visibly angry with Spock, saying that he’s trying to look for any opportunity to sacrifice himself. The reason why he is, she states is he hasn’t dealt with the grief over the destruction of Vulcan. Kirk says that he will not allow Spock to do such a thing, but when he asks who she left in charge of the Enterprise, he is shocked to learn that she left McCoy in charge.

On the Enterprise, McCoy wonders what the next decision should be. He says they could set a course for Earth, but Chekov says that Starfleet wouldn’t approve of the order. McCoy asks Scotty on an update on the transporters, and says that while the transporters themselves are fine, the energy field is deemed too risky to risk using them. Sulu, Hendorff and Spock sneak out of the compound, but are quickly discovered. They are ambushed, and all three use their phaser rifles to dispatch the aliens, but have no luck. Suddenly, the shuttlecraft flies overhead and fires its phasers at the group of aliens, destroying them. The shuttle is able to rescue the three, and in addition to Mudd and April, they return to the Enterprise.

In the Briefing Room, April expects to be arrested, but Kirk says that he only brought him aboard to honor the request of food and supplies to his side of the conflict. Spock pulls out something from the planet, a tricorder of Klingon design was found on one of the bodies of the Shadows. Spock also makes a discovery that most of the weapons the Shadows were using were of Klingon origin as well, and says that the Klingons made contact with the Shadows and are supplying arms and supplies to the Shadows. April was already aware of it, again another tactical decision to prevent Kirk from learning the truth of the whole affair. He was hoping to use that ruse to make Kirk help him in wiping out the Shadows. Kirk wonders why if the Klingons want the planet, why don’t they just invade. April says that if they were to supply to the winning side of a civil war, they could defeat the opposition and have an instant colony once the other side was defeated. Mudd wonders if she’ll be arrested too for smuggling the supplies to April, but Kirk hasn’t made up his mind just yet and orders them both to sickbay.

Once they leave, Kirk demands that Spock explain his actions on the planet. He warns that if Spock does a similar thing in the future, he will send the Vulcan to a desk job at Starfleet Headquarters. Spock explains that he thought he made the logical decision and rescued his crewmates, but then admits he may have been in the wrong because he allowed his emotional attachment to them sway his logic. Kirk forgives him, but reminds him that he has to still explain to his girlfriend Uhura. They then head to sickbay, but April and Mudd are not there. April and Mudd are reported by the ship’s computer to be on their way to the Bridge. Chekov is in command, but April and Mudd stun everyone. April then activates a special computer protocol that allows him sole access to the Enterprise. April announces that he will use the Enterprise to stop the genocide the Shadows are employing. Spock and Scotty try to isolate the protocol, but are unsuccessful. They must try because if the Enterprise unloads its weaponry on the Shadows and if the Klingons are supplying them, April could very well start a galactic war…

Finally in issue #4A, April contacts Klingon commanders on Qo’nos and proposes a deal: if they appoint him colonial governor of Phaedus IV, he will hand them the Enterprise.

In the Enterprise’s lower decks, Scotty tells Kirk and Spock that Protocol 31 has locked them out of everything; April controls the entire ship from the bridge. Kirk suggests they retake the bridge. Spock agrees, but with the turbolifts offline, they will need to use the Jeffries tubes, using their tricorders to ensure they do not get lost. However, April has already planned for this contingency, and uses Protocol 31 to seal off the tubes. April tells Kirk that the feeling of being trapped is nothing new for a Starfleet captain: they’re promoted because they can make tough decisions others cannot, but once they’ve earned their command, then their hands are tied by red tape. Kirk tells April he’s gone mad, and April agrees that by Starfleet standards, he has.

Kirk repeatedly kicks at one of the environmental seals until it dislodges, enabling him to pass through. Spock is able to similarly escape and makes his way to a maintenance shaft. Kirk emerges in Ten Forward, where April and Mudd have imprisoned most of his crewmates. Kirk tells them there is nothing to worry about, but McCoy motions to the viewing window; the IKS Klothos has arrived.

Commander Kor is impressed that April has managed to take control of the Enterprise. However, before April can finalize their deal, the power shuts down. Scotty tells Kirk that he could not bypass Protocol 31’s encryption, but he could deactivate the warp core, which would also shut down the central computer. The systems will reboot in a few minutes, giving them back control. However, with the Klothos on their bow, those few minutes are looking very long.

The first officer of the Klothos notes that the Enterprise has lost power. Kor orders a boarding party, saying that April was foolish to bargain with something they could simply take from him. With April and Mudd focusing on the power loss, Kirk and Spock easily ambush them. April insists that he is trying to save an entire people, while the Enterprise is just one ship. Kirk counters that the Enterprise is his ship, before stunning April. As Mudd quietly gives up, the power comes back online, and the central computer recognizes Kirk’s voiceprint. Kor hails the Enterprise and orders Kirk to surrender; any resistance will be seen as an act of war. Kirk insists that he does not want war with the Empire, then orders Spock to go to warp. Kor tells his crew to take heart; the Enterprise may have escaped, but Phaedus IV can be claimed for the Empire.

In a holding cell, Kirk tells April that it was foolish of him to think that he could save his friends by making a deal with the Klingons. His actions nearly started a war with the Klingons, something the Federation cannot afford. April tells Kirk he is naïve for thinking that such a war could be avoided; there are greater forces at work pushing toward it as they speak. Kirk tells April that his time away from Earth has driven him mad, but now he will go home to answer for all he has done.

Spock tells Kirk that Mudd will be remanded to the custody of Starfleet Security, but Kirk wants to keep her ship, as it might come in handy. Privately, Kirk grudgingly admits to Spock that he believes April was right; the Phaedans were on the brink of extinction. If Starfleet cannot prevent that kind of tragedy, then why are they there?

Spock surprises Uhura in her quarters. She wants him to promise that he will not engage in any further reckless behavior. She needs him, and so does the crew of the Enterprise. Spock agrees.

Admiral Pike tells Kirk that he has received new orders from Admiral Marcus; Kirk is to drop April off at the nearest Starbase, then proceed to the Nibiru System as per his original orders. Kirk protests; he wants to know why Protocol 31 was installed on the Enterprise, and suspects a coverup. Pike tells Kirk that Starfleet Intelligence will investigate; he needs to let them do their job, and remember who his real enemies are. In London, at a Starfleet Data Archive security console, access is granted to John Harrison.

Comics lot contains: Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness {Complete Cover A Cover Collection} (2013) Issues #1-4.  IDW Publishing

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: 2013
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.5″
UPC: 827714007596

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1A,2A,3A,4A are in Fine to Very Fine condition.  Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Star Trek collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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