To err is Vulcan! – "To Err Is Vulcan" was a Star Trek comic book story published by Gold Key Comics in 1979, the 59th issue of Gold Key Comics' 1967 series of Star Trek TOS comics. It was the last of 21 stories written by Arnold Drake and the 20th drawn by Alden McWilliams.
In the story, Spock made not one, but two errors. James T. Kirk suspected a plan to discredit Spock, and had a plan of his own to figure out why.
Description[]
- The intellectual achievements of Mr. Spock are legendary throughout the United Federation of Planets… and beyond! But when that great mind suddenly turns foolish, the danger is beyond reckoning!
Summary[]
- Captain's log, stardate 9126.1.
- Have ordered briefing on next assignment, for 0700 hours, ship's time...
The planet Njura had long reigned over an empire, but an uprising led to disarmament, democracy and freedom in 2260. James T. Kirk, Spock and Leonard McCoy beamed down for a protocol visit and met the former emperor, now President Kring, who was cross-breeding bees. He assigned Doctor Mlany Rdal as their tour guide. They rode an electric car to one of the planet's nuclear fusion reactors. But when they checked a monitoring station, Spock calculated that two generators were about to explode and destroy half the planet. Rdal assured him that everything was safe.
- Captain's log, supplemental: stardate 9126.1.
- Convinced of a malfunction of two giant nuclear generators on the planet Njura, Mr. Spock took drastic action to halt them...
Spock cut power to 100 million Njurans, but a review of the data records showed that the equipment had been running safely, and that Spock apparently transposed two numbers in the data. Later, during a tour of the meteorological center, Spock saw that a tornado was headed right for their city. But Rdal confirmed that there was in fact no tornado, and Spock noted that an indicator had changed direction. Kirk placated a frustrated Rdal by having Spock return to the ship.
The next day, Rdal took Kirk and McCoy to a tenth anniversary peace parade, which featured fireworks, agricultural aircraft spraying perfume, and a formation of farming combines. The outer skins of the combines suddenly melted, exposing disguised tanks. Spock had planted thermal charges on the vehicles to publicly expose Kring's plan to reconquer his former empire. Spock further hampered the president by disabling the weather center and power plant. In a large stadium, Kirk saved face for Kring, announcing that the president had foiled the conspiracy. Later, Rdal said she had been unaware of the plot, and that Kring's advisors had orchestrated events to discredit Spock in order to prevent the Vulcan from figuring it out. Kirk had sent Spock back to the ship so he'd be able to investigate more freely.
References[]
Characters[]
- James T. Kirk • Kring • Spock • Leonard McCoy • Mlany Rdal • Montgomery Scott • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura
- Referenced only
- Albert Einstein • Gmar • Ksantha
Starships and vehicles[]
- aircraft • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • electric cars • farming combines • tanks
Locations[]
Planets and planetoids[]
- Njura system (Njura)
- Referenced only
- Earth (Alps • Switzerland)
Stellar locations[]
- the galaxy (Alpha or Beta Quadrant)
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and technology[]
- agriculture • city • computer • electrobionics • holographic projector • holography • isobar • meteorology • molecule • movie • nuclear power • observatory • orbit • physics • poison • power plant • pressure • radio telescope • satellite • sickbay • starship • subatomic energy • television • television camera • thermal charge • Third Field Theory • transporter • warp drive
Ranks and titles[]
- beekeeper • captain • chief engineer • commander • commanding officer • chief medical officer • communications officer • engineer • doctor • emperor • executive officer • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • general • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • president • professor • science officer • soldier • technician
Other references[]
- atmosphere • bee • captain's log • captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2270 • democracy • dove • emotion • energy • farmer • fireworks • gas • gymnasium • honey • hospital • humanoid • insect • insignia • logic • matter • macoroco bird • metal • parade • perfume • planet • police • rank • scientist • Scotsman • space • star • system • stardate • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2260s) • tea • time • title • tornado • uniform • universe • varta • weapon • war • wheat
Chronology[]
- 13th century
- Njura colonizes four neighboring planets in its star system. (1,000 years prior to story)
- 2260
- Njura ends a long period of war. (10 years prior to story)
- Stardate 9126.1, 2270 (2270s chronology, 2270s Enterprise voyages)
- Enterprise travels to Njura.
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TNG episode: "Conspiracy" – Plot by Bluegill to take over Starfleet
- Other conspiracies: Kirk cabal • Khitomer conspiracy • Militarization conspiracy • Section 31 • Starfleet conspiracy
Background[]
- The title was a twist on the proverb "to err is human," first written by Alexander Pope in 1711. (An Essay on Criticism article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
- Outfitting of the ship's gymnasium with holographic projectors was an enhancement similar to the holodeck-like recreation room seen in TAS episode: "The Practical Joker".
- Mlany Rdal wore four outfits during the course of the story: a blue and pink catsuit when she first appeared, a maroon catsuit while touring the nuclear plant, a short green-and-black striped dress during the parade, and a dark blue dress with white belt at the end of the story. Kring wore three outfits: a beekeeper suit, a red kimono during the tea meeting, and a collared purple outfit during the parade.
- A small diamond decorating Rdal's forehead disappeared after page 9 in the middle of the scene.
- Nyota Uhura was seen from the back in one panel. Hikaru Sulu manned the helm and had one line of dialogue.
- Page four appeared to be a filler page or one that could be deleted for reprints. It devoted five panels to the Enterprise decelerating from warp speed.
- The story has been reprinted in English and Indonesian.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: The Brain-Damaged Planet |
TOS comics (Gold Key) | Next comic: The Empire Man |
| Previous story: Spore of the Devil |
Stories by: Arnold Drake |
Next story: last comic |
| Chronological Order | ||
| Previous adventure: A World Against Itself |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Price of the Phoenix |
| Previous comic: A World Against Itself |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Five | Next comic: The Price of the Phoenix |
Production history[]
- January 1979
- First published by Gold Key Comics.
- 1982
- Printed in Great Britain in hardcover in Star Trek Annual 1983. (Stafford Pemberton)
- September 2008
- Included on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD. (Graphic Imaging Technologies)
- 25 April 2019
- Reprinted in Graphic Novel Collection #61. (Eaglemoss Collections)
Translations[]
- 1979
- Indonesian: As "Spock Adu Otak" in b/w in Star Trek #5. (Cypress)
External links[]
- To Err Is Vulcan article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- To Err Is Vulcan article at Curt Danhauser's Guide to the Gold Key Star Trek Comics.
- Top 10 Spock Comics article at Hero Collector.