Description

Star Trek / Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive                                   Comics Lot
Featuring the Issue #1 Variant B Cover by Juan Ortiz followed by the Main Cover Collection by Rachel Stott.  Awesome!!
Writers: Scott Tipton & David Tipton
Artist: Rachel Stott
Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff
Letterer: Tom B. Long
Editors: Sarah Gaydos & Dafna Pleban
Variant Cover #1B by: Juan Ortiz
Main Covers #2,3,4,5,6 by: Rachel Stott & Charlie Kirchoff

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.

Planet of the Apes is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on French author Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel La Planète des singes, translated into English as Planet of the Apes or Monkey Planet. Its 1968 film adaptation, Planet of the Apes, was a critical and commercial hit, initiating a series of sequels, tie-ins, and derivative works. Arthur P. Jacobs produced the first five Apes films through APJAC Productions for distributor 20th Century Fox; following his death in 1973, Fox controlled the franchise.

Star Trek: The hope for the best of mankind’s future! Planet Of The Apes: A chilling look at the fall of humanity! How could these worlds possibly collide? What could possibly cause Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise to side with Dr. Zaius to protect Ape City? And what does Colonel George Taylor have to say about it?

Investigating rumors of Klingon expansionism, Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise discover a mysterious trans dimensional portal being used by the Klingons. Following the Klingons through the portal, the Enterprise crew is surprised to find themselves orbiting a far-future parallel Earth, one where the Federation apparently never existed. Upon beaming down to the planet, Kirk and Spock see a familiar face, their old adversary Commander Kor, as well as some unexpected ones: intelligent talking gorillas?!

Story/Spoilers
In issue #1B, In a darkened room, General Marius is provided with an advanced firearm by a shadowed figure. Though impressed at the weapon’s destructive potential, Marius demands to know of the inevitable “catch”. The figure laughs it off, there is no catch… though at some point…he will expect his kindness to be repaid.

Elsewhere, Hikaru Sulu and Nyota Uhura sneak through a Klingon outpost to mine data. Rumors have arisen that, in spite of the Organian Peace Treaty, the Klingons are mounting for a new conquest. Such an act however would require massive resources and with no acts to suggest Klingon pillaging, Starfleet Command has dispatched the USS Enterprise to find out the truth. Though Sulu and Uhura are able to bluff themselves convincingly, they are found mid-download. Just as they are surrounded, the Enterprise beams them to safety and warps away from the outpost.

In the briefing room, Spock explains the pilfered data. The Klingons are massing for conquest but there has been no evidence of it because the mining has been taking place in a different universe. Using advanced alien drones, the Klingons have managed to rip open a portal in the space between universes, not unlike what happened with the Halkans, to travel somewhere with no opposition. At current speed, they are five hours away from the test site.

Dropping out of warp at the site, the Enterprise immediately comes under fire from two D7s. Though the Enterprise manages to cripple one ship, the other flees into the interdimensional portal. Spock’s scans indicate the Klingons have been passing into and out of the portal with regularity, indicating it is safe for transit but the portal is immune to all sensors and communications, he cannot say what is on the other side. On this side however, he can detect four Klingon battle cruisers barreling towards them. After Uhura gets clearance from command, Kirk orders the Enterprise into the portal.

After a few tense moments, the Enterprise emerges into the familiar venue of… Earth? Spock confirms the readings and deduces they are likely in 3978, but the 3978 of a different universe. One where it seems Earth did not recover from World War III and remained a burnt out husk of a world. The good news however is that this Earth’s pre-industrial state allows the Enterprise to quickly locate where the Klingons have been beaming down, somewhere along the eastern seaboard of North America.

In local attire, the landing party finds a primitive dwelling. Using a pair of binoculars, Kirk spies their old foe Kor within, talking to… apes?

Next in issue #2, Using the binoculars, Spock confirms that this Earth’s dominant lifeforms do appear to be talking self-aware gorillas. As the crew watches, they are approached from behind from a pair of gorillas. Though they attempt to quietly extradite themselves, Kirk is forced to stun Brutus after they come under fire. As Kor and Marius come running, the second guard informs Marius of what happened. Hearing about humans with such technology, Kor realizes he has been followed and has a good idea of who followed him. As the away team takes stock of their situation, they discover the humans of this world but find them primitive and mute, their mental faculties comparable to those of young children.

Back aboard the USS Enterprise, the senior staff is joined by Lieutenant Weaver for her expertise in biological sciences. After introductions are made, Kirk cuts right to the heart of the matter: Why are apes in charge of Earth? Spock reveals that upon arrival in this universe, he had used Hodgkin’s Law to run several simulations of what this alternate Earth might be like, after he had, incorrectly, assumed that the large amount of bipedal primates he detected were humans. What he failed to do was fully appreciate just how many random variables nuclear war introduces. He has now however been able to crudely construct a model that shows the orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees emerged as the dominant lifeforms on the planet following the nuclear holocaust while humanity was reduced to the primitive state that they saw beforehand. All this aligns perfectly with the modus operandi of the Klingons. Klingon society and economy is built around the dominance of less developed cultures but the Organian Peace Treaty has severely limited their ability to wage war. This new universe however has no Federation or even Romulans to keep them in line, leaving them free to pillage and plunder to their hearts’ content. Deciding to honor the Prime Directive, Kirk readies an away team has Spock order the computer to find somewhere “familiar” to beam down to.

The computer interprets that directive as depositing them next to the shattered remains of the Statue of Liberty. On the now sandy shores of Liberty Island, the crew glimpses human footsteps next to those of a horse. Following the tracks, they glimpse a human couple only for the man to attack them. Once he sees that they are human however, he becomes more reasonable and introduces himself as George Taylor, a former astronaut who, upon hearing the away crew came in a ship, is eager to use it to overthrow the apes. At Taylor’s request, the Enterprise crew seeks out Cornelius and Zira, stunning their encampment before retrieving the two. Off to the side, Spock is troubled by Taylor’s aggressive attitudes.

In a forest, the two groups compare notes with Cornelius being willing to accept Kirk’s tales of alien intervention, noting the gorillas, the military caste, have recently become emboldened enough to act above the rights granted to them by their station. Taylor takes the opportunity to once again “request” usage of the formidable arsenal aboard the Enterprise to overthrow the apes before Kirk convinces him to back down.

As Kirk and Zira discuss strategy, Taylor knocks out Chekov, stealing his communicator and sprinting off.

Next in issue #3, In his personal study, Doctor Zaius reflects on the hard times Ape City has fallen under. The lands are drying up and the food supply is in freefall. So dire is that situation that scouts have even been sent into the Forbidden Zone to try and find new fertile lands. All that would be bad enough on its own were it not for the fact that General Marius has grown emboldened, believing an attack is imminent and that conquest of foreign lands is their best option for survival. The only good news seems to be that Cornelius and Zira seem to have finally abandoned the notion of working alongside humans.

Sliding down a hill, George Taylor opens the communicator and poses as Kirk, requesting transport up to the USS Enterprise. As he converses with the chimpanzees, Kirk notices Taylor and Chekov’s absences. The ensign is soon found, minus his communicator. Putting two and two together, Kirk orders the ship placed on red alert. A command that comes moments too late for Taylor is already aboard, having knocked Kyle and stolen his uniform as a disguise. As Kirk and Spock beam up, they quickly realize that Taylor’s knowledge of space travel, rudimentary as it is, makes him a dangerous variable aboard the Enterprise and that given his background, he is likely heading for the shuttle bay. Indeed, Taylor is attempting to abscond with the Galileo but cannot make sense of its controls. Kirk approaches him and, after a fistfight, forces him to see that if he uses the shuttle to destroy the ape society, he is no better than they are.

On the surface, Kor provides Marius with a new firearm and body armor. The time for conquest is upon them and the planet will soon become property of the Klingon Empire.

Next in issue #4, In the briefing room, James T. Kirk explains Kor to George Taylor and the Klingon general’s likely plan to use this version of Earth as a stepping stone to conquering this defenceless universe. Taylor is soon convinced of the threat the aliens pose but warns that the brutal savagery of the apes should not be underestimated and that Starfleet uniforms aren’t exactly inconspicuous.

The group beams down in natural clothing where McCoy and Weaver are waiting for them (though Nova is absent, Taylor assumes she is watching from afar, the large amount of people having scared her off). Entering the cabin for anything that might be useful, Scotty speaks to Cornelius about the slingshot effect prompting Kirk to pull him aside and remind him of the Prime Directive. That done, a communique comes in that the USS Enterprise has detected an army marching towards Ape City. Their only recourse is to beam Zira directly to the city and hope she can convince Zaius to listen to reason. Dragging the doctor and General Ursus to the roof, she shows them the approaching army with Marius at the helm. Ursus takes charge of the situation and rides off to meet his opposite.

Back at the camp, two crewman discuss the uncomfortableness of their uniform before one falls to the advancing gorilla troops. Though the away team is able to fell their foes, Cornelius has discovered the casing of a Klingon rifle, confirming Kirk’s suspicions that Kor is stoking the flames of war. Sending McCoy and Weaver back up to the ship to tend to the injured, the rest commander the gorillas’ horses and ride off.

In the field outside Ape City, Marius and Ursus face off. Much to the annoyance of the Klingons, Marius is not killing anyone and war does not appear to be starting today. Fortunately, Klingons have mastered the art of proxy wars and what apes fail to do can be easily accomplished by sniper rifles.

Finally in issue #5, Before Kor can fire at Ursus, a well placed shot knocks the sniper rifle out of his hands. Out of visual range, the Enterprise crew attempt to make themselves scarce only to wind up blundering right in front of their foe who is completely unsurprised to see Kirk. Though the two groups engage in melee, it is a numbers game with the Klingons soon falling. Deciding to cut his losses, Kor and his subordinate transport away prompting Kirk to issue an order for emergency beam-up should the Klingon ship head for the portal. Unseen by all, Cornelius surreptitiously grabs Korenman’s tricorder.

Back on the field, Ursus and Marius also find themselves engaged in melee combat with the former emerging as triumphant, even with Marius’s attempts to introduce phasers to their fight. Watching it all, and the support lavished on Ursus, Zaius and Zira can only wonder if catastrophe has merely been delayed. Cornelius then calls to Zira to inform her that their visitors are leaving. Spock and Kirk’s scans of the city turn only one highly improbable fact: the Klingons have all left.

As the sun sets, the away team says their goodbyes to Cornelius and Zira who promise to keep the truth of what happened to themselves. After all, who would believe them? As the two depart, Kirk offers George Taylor a spot aboard the USS Enterprise. The man boldly declines however. He set out from his Earth to find something better than man, a new destiny to forge, and though his quest has brought him full circle, he is still convinced that destiny lies ahead of him. Instead, all he asks is to be put back on the remains of Liberty Island and to pretend this whole mess never happened. Though McCoy offers provisions, Taylor again declines, confident he can survive on his own. Goodbyes finish not a moment too soon, the Klingon ship has finally come out of hiding.

Stepping onto the bridge, Kirk is soon hailed by Kor who, far from being bitter, is eager to challenge his opposite in a warrior’s duel, far away from the constricting hands of the Organian Peace Treaty. The chase lasts for three days until the enemy ship is spotted heading for Saturn. As the Enterprise closes the gap, two D7s emerge from the gas giant’s rings. Though a fearful sight, their shields have been hampered by the rocks, leaving them easy prey. In light of such a loss, Kor opts to run back to the portal. As the two ships streak over Earth, the entire planet lights up and goes up in flames. Spock registers that somehow, a massive cobalt bomb was ignited, burning off Earth’s atmosphere. As the crew numbly wonder if they caused such a horror, Sulu reports Kor entering the event horizon. Snapping back to reality, a weary Kirk can only order pursuit and to ready weapons to destroy the portal once they’re through. They’ve done enough here.

In Taylor’s ship, Zira, Cornelius and Milo watch their homeworld burn. Cornelius latches onto the idea of using the ship for time travel, as Taylor did, only for Milo to irritably remind him that the craft can only go forward in time. Reaching into his bag, Cornelius pulls out the stolen tricorder, believing the “slingshot effect” could be of some use.

Comics lot contains: Star Trek / Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive {Variant #1B + Main Cover Collection} (2014 – 2015) Issues #1-5.  IDW Publishing / BOOM! Studios

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 / BOOM! Studios
Publication Date: 2014 – 2015
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.5″
UPC: 827714007596

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1B,2,3,4,5 are in Fine to Very Fine condition.  Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Star Trek and/or Planet of the Apes collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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