Description

Star Trek: Countdown                        Trade Paperback
The Official Prequel to the 2009 J.J. Abrams Star Trek Movie!
Story by: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Writers: Mike Johnson & Tim Jones
Artist: David Messina
Colorists: Giovanna Niro, David Messina & Paolo Maddaleni
Letterers: Chris Mowry, Robbie Robbins & Neil Uyetake
Editors: Andy Schmidt, Scott Dunbier & Justin Eisinger
Cover by: David Messina

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.

Now, IDW Publishing presents, Star Trek: Countdown. The countdown to the motion picture event of 2009 begins here, in the exclusive comics prequel to Star Trek, the upcoming blockbuster film from Paramount Pictures! JJ Abrams, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman presxent the origin of Nero, the mysterious Romulan who will ultimately threaten the survival of the entire universe.

Stories/Spoilers
First in issue #1, “Stardate 64333.4. Deep in Romulan territory… Where only a few have gone before…” In the Hobus system, the Narada, a Romulan mining ship under the command of Captain Nero, is in orbit of a barren planet. Aboard the ship, Nero and his crew are preparing to extract minerals from the planet. His second-in-command, Ayel, informs him that they have achieved depth and that the extraction team is prepared to launch at Nero’s command. Upon hearing that core samples from the planet contains large deposits of decalithium, a rare isotope which holds great value in the Romulan Star Empire, Nero gives the order to begin extraction. Before they can begin extraction, however, Narada’s sensors detect extreme fluctuations coming from the Hobus system’s star. Nero orders the extraction crew to disengage and return to the Narada, after which a massive solar flare erupts and heads towards them. With interference from the star preventing transporter use, Nero sends an evac shuttle to retrieve the extraction team. Nero orders the helm to lay in a course for Romulus and to engage as soon as the shuttle returns. Ayel tells Nero that they cannot leave without retracting the drill, to which Nero replies that they have no choice. With all crew members safely aboard, the Narada warps out of the star system as the solar flare envelops the planet. On Romulus, Federation Ambassador Spock is preparing to address the Romulan Senate. “Romulus. My home for the past forty years. When I first came here, I was with the underground reunification movement. Hiding in tunnels, working in shadows. But slowly I saw those few Romulans who were open to outside ideas grow into many. Romulan society went through several years of transformation. Curiosity, tolerance, and diplomacy ceased to be forbidden words in the Empire. Finally, immigration laws were passed, and I was allowed to live legally on Romulus. After years of covert resistance, I could finally assume the role of Ambassador and work for peace without fear of reprisal. But there is still a long way to go.” Spock presents his case to the Senate: the Hobus star is dying, and will soon go supernova, and the Romulan Empire is in danger because of it. He reveals that the star’s eruption days earlier not only obliterated the planet but converted the planet’s mass into energy, increasing the star’s power. More eruptions have occurred since then and the star’s power is increasing in intensity. It is Spock’s belief that, once the star goes supernova, it will devour not only nearby systems, but the Romulan Empire, as well. His proposed solution is to use decalithium to create highly volatile “red matter,” which can be used to create an artificial black hole that can devour the Hobus supernova before it spreads. However, the technology used to process decalithium into red matter can only be found on planet Vulcan. Spock’s solution creates a stir in the Senate, and one senator accuses Spock of being involved in a Vulcan plot against Romulus. The Praetor calls order amongst the senate and apologizes for his colleagues. However, the Praetor is unconvinced that the Hobus star is a threat to the Empire, as Romulan scientists studying the star did not come to the same conclusions. He also assured Spock that the Romulans would not simply hand over a rare and valuable material such as decalithium to the Vulcans, despite Spock’s good intentions. At this point, Nero, who is representing the Mining Guild, calls for a point of order. Upon being recognized, Nero tells the Senate how he and his crew witnessed the star’s first eruption and how they barely escaped with their lives. He defends Spock, stating his belief that the ambassador’s conclusions are not far-fetched, and that the Empire is running out of time. The Praetor dismisses Nero, however, referring to Spock’s conclusions as hasty, drastic, and in need of further investigation. The Praetor then pronounces the proceedings to be closed. That night, Nero is at home with his wife, Mandana, who is pregnant. Nero tells Mandana that he would never betray the Empire, but he must do something about the star even if it means disobeying the Senate. Mandana replies that he has a loyalty to himself as well as the Empire, and that he will never fail as long as he does what his heart tells him. Later, Nero meets with Spock and offers his services and those of his ship and crew to mine the decalithium Spock needs. Spock reminds Nero that he would be disobeying the Senate and if he is caught, he would spend the rest of his life in prison, never to see his family again. Nero replies that if he does nothing, he would lose his family anyway, and he would do anything to save his wife and the Empire. After looking through Spock’s telescope and seeing how massive the supernova has become, Nero tells the ambassador they must leave now. As Nero leaves to round up his crew, Spock thanks him for his help and his trust. Nero convinces his crew to take part in the mission, despite their reservations. As he is about to depart, Nero says goodbye to Mandana, promising to be back before their child is born. Mandana then reveals that their child is a son and proclaims that he will be a miner like his father. Nero and his crew then depart with Spock. Aboard the Narada, Nero tells Spock that his decision to help him was rash and wonders if he can really trust him. To this, Spock offers to mind meld with Nero, to show that he is telling the truth. Nero agrees but breaks off the meld after seeing images of Mandana. In the Kimben System, the Narada begins mining a planet for decalithium. Suddenly, three Reman warbirds warp into the system. Before Nero can raise shields, several Remans transport onto the bridge and take over the ship. Nero’s female crewmember manages to grab one of the Remans’ disruptors and aims it at the leader of the intruders, demanding that they drop their weapons. Just then, the Narada is rocked by an explosion outside the ship: a Federation starship has begun attacking the Reman vessels. The commanding officer of the Federation ship hails the Remans: “Attention, Reman ships! This is Captain Data of the USS Enterprise. You will cease hostilities at once.”

Next in issue #2, “Stardate 64390.1. Deeper in Romulan territory… where only a few have gone before…” Aboard the USS Enterprise-E, Captain Data orders his crew to continue firing on the Reman weapons array and to move the Enterprise closer to the Narada. Aboard the Narada, the Reman infiltrators are preparing to kill Ambassador Spock, Nero, and his Romulan crew. Before they can do so, however, Data has the Enterprise beam the Remans’ weapons away. With the Remans now defenseless, Nero and his crew subdue them and take back the Narada. With the situation resolved, Data beams aboard the Narada, where he is greeted by Spock. Data explains that Enterprise came as soon they picked up Spock’s identification beacon. Data then informs him that the Reman ships have been disabled and are being held in a tractor beam. After being introduced to Data, Nero asks Ayel for their status; Ayel reports that they only have 78% of the decalithium needed to carry out their plan. Drilling is no longer possible as the plasma power conduit was destroyed in the Reman attack and repairing it will take time they do not have. At this, Data reveals that there are significant amounts of decalithium aboard the Reman ships, and since it is likely contraband, it would be within Federation law to confiscate it. Nero tells Data that he may be a machine, but he likes the way he thinks. The Enterprise helps to repair the damage to the Narada and then escorts the mining ship to Vulcan. Nero and Spock are invited to spend the journey aboard the Enterprise, with the promise that Nero will be granted full access to the starship. Aboard the Enterprise, Nero searches the Federation database and begins to read on the commanding officers of past starships named Enterprise, including the legendary James Tiberius Kirk. That night, Data asks to see Spock. Spock notes that he and Data have not seen each other since before Data’s “resurrection”; Data, however, believes “return” to be a more apt description since it denotes the fact that his neural nets were successfully imprinted onto the existing programming of B-4. (Star Trek Nemesis) Spock notes that he and Data share a unique experience… but that is not why Data called for him. Data informs Spock that the Federation has authorized a covert operation to the Hobus system – in Romulan space – to drill directly into the star to prevent it from going nova. Meanwhile, on Romulus, members of the Romulan Senate observe that the Hobus star is increasing in mass and is growing more unstable, meaning Spock was correct. A scientist predicts that it will take a few weeks at most for the shock wave to reach Romulus once the star goes nova. Believing that the fate of the Romulan Empire should not be left in the hands of Spock and the Vulcans, it is suggested that the Romulans invade Vulcan and take the “red matter” weapon by force. The Praetor proclaims he will put the matter up for vote in the Senate, then gives the order to begin evacuation protocols for Romulus. In orbit of Vulcan, Enterprise is contacted by Vulcan security forces. They are greeted by the head of Vulcan security, M’Kan, who tells Captain Data that, while he and the Enterprise crew are welcome, Spock and the Romulans are not. A moment later, however, M’Kan is told that the Romulans have been cleared by the Vulcan High Command. M’Kan then transmits transport coordinates to the Enterprise, informing them that the Federation Ambassador to Vulcan will be there to meet them. Data, Spock, and Nero then beam down to Vulcan, where Spock receives a cold welcome from M’Kan. M’Kan tells Spock that his decision to leave Vulcan and live on Romulus has left all of Vulcan mistrusting and suspicious of him. Since no one on Vulcan trusts him, Spock wonders why he was permitted to transport to the planet. He is answered by Jean-Luc Picard, now the Federation Ambassador to Vulcan. Picard explains he was the one who convinced the High Command to allow Spock on Vulcan, calling it “an old captain’s prerogative.” Spock is taken to address the Vulcan Science Council. The ambassador presents a compelling case, but the council is reluctant to give their “red matter” manipulation technology to the Romulans. The council recesses to make a decision, but ultimately decides not to turn over secrets of Vulcan science to the Romulans. This enrages Nero, who proclaims that they should have taken what they needed rather than ask for it. Picard then informs Nero that the Romulan Senate has issued an evacuation order for Romulus and that Federation ships are en route to lend assistance. Nero, still angered, begins to storm away, wishing to return to his wife and child before it is too late. Before he leaves, however, Spock asks him to leave the decalithium on Vulcan, promising to do whatever they can to carry out their plan. Nero agrees, but warns Spock that if Romulus dies, he will hold the Vulcans responsible. After the decalithium is transported to the Enterprise, Nero orders Ayel to prepare the Narada for warp back to Romulus. Ayel asks what happened to the weapon they were supposed to bring back to save Romulus. Nero states they will return to Vulcan once they have evacuated as many Romulans as possible, again threatening Vulcan if they are too late. In Picard’s quarters on Vulcan, Picard and Spock discuss the plan to use red matter to stop the Hobus star from going nova. Picard notes that even if they managed to convert the decalithium into red matter, delivering it would be a suicide mission. Spock replies that his path had been set the moment he learned of the star, and despite his work over the years, he knew that even the threat of mutual destruction might not have convinced the Vulcans to help. At this point, Captain Data contacts the ambassadors to inform them that the Hobus star has gone nova. The Narada arrives in Romulan space. On the viewscreen, Nero witnesses the shock wave from the Hobus star heading towards Romulus. As Nero recalls the last time he talked with his wife, the shock wave strikes Romulus, obliterating the planet.

Next in issue #3, Aboard the Narada, looking upon the remains of Romulus, a grief-stricken Nero laments the loss of his wife, his unborn son, his family, his people, and his homeworld. Three Federation Olympic-class hospital ships arrive, having been sent to evacuate Romulus. The lead ship, the Galen, hails the Narada, asking if they can lend assistance. Nero – who suddenly feels strangely calm – replies that he has several injured refugees and requests that they be beamed aboard, and the ships lower their shields to prepare for transport. It is a trap, however: Nero believes the ships did not arrive after the destruction of Romulus by accident, reasoning that the Federation is there to claim Romulan space for their own. He thus transports explosive mining devices to all three ships, destroying them. Later, the Narada is hailed by the Ruling Council of the Romulan Senate, who have escaped on a Senate shuttle. Nero brings the Council aboard; among them is the Praetor, who carries with him the Debrune Teral’n, an ancient weapon which serves as the greatest symbol of the Empire. The Praetor tells Nero the survival of the Senate will ensure the survival of Romulan civilization. Nero responds that their civilization is dead, and that it died when the Senate ignored his warnings about the Hobus star. The Praetor counters that “humble miners” should respect the heavy responsibility of their leaders; he intends to find a new home for the Debrune Teral’n, a burden which Nero should be fortunate is not his. At this, Nero grabs the weapon and kills two Senators and the Praetor, “relieving” him of his responsibility. He then asks the surviving two Senators how they intended to rebuild the Empire, threatening them with the Teral’n. With their friends and families dead and their homeworld destroyed, Nero and his crew take part in a Romulan tradition. According to the tradition, when a loved one died, the mourners painted ancient symbols of love and loss onto their skin, indicating grief. In time, the paint would fade, which meant that the mourning period was over and life went on. Rather than using paint, however, Nero and his crew tattoo the symbols onto their skin, making them permanent. As Nero laments, life does not go on; they died with their loved ones and their planet, and all that is left is revenge. Meanwhile, on Vulcan, Spock, and Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard discuss the continuing threat of the Hobus star. The destruction of Romulus was only the beginning; the more the supernova destroys, the more it grows, and within weeks, it could reach both Vulcan and Earth. The only way to stop it is to use red matter create a singularity in the star’s core that would devour it from within. A Vulcan councilor reports that they have already begun processing their decalithium stores into red matter, with favorable results. In order to get close enough to the center of the star to deliver the red matter, Ambassador Spock proposes the use of a prototype vessel known as the Jellyfish, which was designed to withstand unstable atmospheres. The ship’s designer and pilot, Geordi La Forge, has agreed to lend his support. Elsewhere, the Narada crew discovers the existence of a cloaked military facility known as The Vault, using an encrypted code acquired from the murdered Senate. The Vault’s existence was known only to the Romulan High Command; its purpose is to provide a safe haven for the ruling council in the event of a threat to the homeworld. Nero gains entrance to The Vault, stating that the Praetor gave Nero his Senate codes and the location of the facility before dying of injuries sustained in the destruction of Romulus. Aboard the facility, Nero meets Commander D’Spal, who explains that The Vault is the rendezvous point for what remains of the Romulan fleet. Nero asks D’Spal for weapons to help the Narada survive the current crisis. She introduces him to an advanced weapons system of Romulan design which utilizes retrofitted Borg technology. In addition to giving their ships warp, cloaking, and sensor capabilities superior to those of Federation vessels, it also uses self-repairing nanotechnology which can fix any damage and allows it to anticipate potential threats and modify its systems accordingly. As Nero looks on in awe, D’Spal states that the Narada would make a fine prototype for this weapons system. Back on Vulcan, La Forge has arrived with the Jellyfish. He greets Picard, Spock, and Captain Data, noting he thought he had left all the adventure behind when he left Starfleet to design his own ships. In a laboratory where the red matter is being developed, Data reveals the details of their plan to La Forge: a single drop of red matter will be fired from the Jellyfish into the center of the Hobus star, creating a “unique singularity” (a “homemade black hole,” as La Forge notes), which will absorb the supernova’s energy. At The Vault, the Narada has been outfitted with the Borg weapons system. D’Spal reveals that she knows Nero’s true intentions – to avenge the destruction of Romulus – and she wants to help him do it. The Narada is capable of bringing their enemies to their knees, and Nero intends on starting with Vulcan. On Vulcan, La Forge and Data reminisce while the Jellyfish is being modified to safely carry red matter. In Ambassador Picard’s quarters, Picard and Spock discuss the discovery of the bodies of the Romulan Senate floating in space, near the last known location of the Federation ships that were sent to evacuate Romulus. There are no signs of the Federation ships, and over the past few days, there have been reports of other ships vanishing near Romulan space, not only those of the Federation, but those belonging to the Cardassians and the Klingons, as well. Spock theorizes that Nero is behind all of this, a frightening prospect given Nero’s warning that he would blame Vulcan should Romulus be destroyed. Spock reveals that he will be piloting the Jellyfish rather than La Forge, since there is a high probability that whoever carries out this mission will not return; La Forge is still a young man, but Spock is “reaching the end of [his] adventures.” Spock also feels obliged to carry this mission out to the end, as it was, he who first warned of the star’s danger and who failed to predict when it would go nova. Picard expresses his understanding and assures Spock that he has made arrangements to prevent Nero from carrying out his threat to Vulcan. Elsewhere, the advanced Narada has just finished destroying another Federation vessel. Nero gives the order to prepare the Narada for the final warp to Vulcan. Ayel expresses reluctance at this, reminding Nero that they are miners, not soldiers. He suggests that they wait until the Romulan fleet has been reassembled. Nero replies that there is no time for that, as Spock and the Federation are no doubt racing to save Vulcan. He tells Ayel to trust his captain, just as he trusts his crew; they are all ready. Suddenly, the Narada is struck by weapons fire. Multiple Klingon Birds-of-Prey have decloaked and surrounded the Narada. One of the attacking ships hails the Narada, informing the crew that they are wanted for crimes against the Klingon Empire for violating their borders and slaughtering their citizens. The Klingon gives Nero and his crew a warning: “I am General Worf of the Klingon Empire. You will surrender your ship to us. Or you will die with it.”

Finally in issue #4, On the border of the Klingon and Romulan Empires, General Worf and his fleet of Klingon Birds-of-Prey continue their assault on the Narada. However, their weapons have no effect on the Narada’s advanced deflector shields. Growing wearisome of Worf’s attacks, Captain Nero has the Narada cloak, making his ship invisible to the Klingons’ sensors. The Narada then commences firing on the Klingon ships while cloaked, a trick Worf proclaims Nero must have stolen from the Klingons. With the Klingon ships disabled, Nero demands that Worf board a shuttle and surrender himself on behalf of the Klingon Empire. Worf orders his subordinate, K’Relli, to prepare a shuttle; when K’Relli protests, Worf warns him not to question his orders again, and reminds him that Klingons never surrender. A shuttle departs Worf’s ship but stops short of the Narada’s airlock; Worf and a number of his subordinates then leave the shuttle in EV suits and begin cutting into the Narada’s hull. On the bridge of the Narada, Nero sends members of his crew to meet the invading Klingons. Meanwhile, on Vulcan, the modifications to the Jellyfish have been completed and the vessel is ready for its mission into the Hobus star. Geordi La Forge informs Spock that the controls for the Jellyfish are encrypted so that they will only respond to Spock’s voice. Captain Data then announces that the Klingon fleet has engaged Nero in battle, and Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard suggests that Spock depart on his mission now. In the meantime, the USS Enterprise-E will assist Worf in the battle against Nero. Spock urges the others to remember that, at heart, Nero is a good man and that perhaps they can still save him from himself. Spock then leaves for the Hobus star aboard the Jellyfish, telling the others that, should their paths never cross again, he knows that the galaxy is in good hands. Back on the Narada, the Klingons and the Romulans have engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Worf heads to the bridge, where Nero attempts to persuade him that the Federation is using Worf, just as Nero believes Spock used him to get what he wanted, but Worf is unfazed. Nero, having read about Worf in the Enterprise database and knowing he can only be defeated by surprise, attacks Worf from behind using a mechanical tendril, impaling him. As Worf, critically injured, hangs from the tendril, Nero tells him that after he destroys Vulcan and Earth, he will destroy the Klingon homeworld. The Enterprise, commanded by Data with Picard and La Forge also on board, arrives to find all that remains of the Klingon fleet is debris. The Narada then decloaks and Nero appears on the Enterprise’s viewscreen, with the impaled Worf in the background. Nero notices that Spock is not aboard the Enterprise and deduces he has gone to stop the Hobus supernova. Picard attempts to reason with Nero, but the mad Romulan ignores him. Nero then offers to transport the barely living Worf onto the Enterprise; all the Enterprise has to do is lower its shields. Data and Picard figure that, should the Enterprise lower its shields, Nero will attempt to destroy them, and there is no guarantee that Nero will even return Worf. However, if they do not lower the shields, then Worf will most certainly die. Picard reasons that Nero will have to drop his own shields as well, which may be their only chance to stop him. If the Enterprise can restore its shields fast enough, then damage to the ship could be contained. Data makes a decision: he lowers the shields. Nero has the injured Worf beamed to the Enterprise, and then immediately opens fire on the Federation ship. The Enterprise manages to get its shields back online, but the ship sustains heavy damage in engineering and its warp engines are disabled. Nero then takes the Narada to the Hobus star to stop Spock from accomplishing his mission. Data reports that damage to engineering is contained and that warp power will be restored in minutes. Picard hopes that will be enough time. As the Jellyfish nears the Hobus star, Spock sends out a subspace message detailing his mission. He notes that it will be impossible for him to escape the pull of the singularity he hopes to create, and thus he never expected to return. He asks that the message, should it ever be received, be delivered to the Vulcan Science Academy. He then delivers the red matter into the core of the Hobus star. Within moments, a black hole begins to form, consuming the supernova. As the singularity grows, the Narada decloaks. Nero tells Spock that he may have saved his own people, but he did so at the cost of Romulus. Nero is preparing for his revenge, but the singularity begins to pull in the Narada. Nero vows that he will have his vengeance as the Narada disappears into the singularity. With his task accomplished and the galaxy no longer threatened by the Hobus star, Spock resigns himself to his fate, telling his friends not to grieve, for it is only logical. He begins to say, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”, but he is pulled into the singularity before he can finish. The Enterprise arrives to find no sign of the supernova, the Jellyfish, or the Narada. Picard realizes that Spock knew he wouldn’t escape and that he sacrificed himself to save the galaxy. As the Enterprise continues on its voyage, Picard laments, “May his soul live long… and prosper.”

The story continues in the 2009 J.J. Abrams Star Trek Movie!

Trade Paperback reprints/collects: Star Trek – Countdown (2009) Issues #1-4.  IDW Publishing

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

Second Printing
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: April 2009
Format: FC, 96 pages, TPB, 6.65″ x 10.2″
ISBN-10: 1600104207
ISBN-13: 9781600104206

Collectible Entertainment note: Trade Paperback is Brand New & Unread.  Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Star Trek collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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