IDW Publishing is kicking off its celebrations for Star Trek’s 60th Anniversary with the release of Star Trek: Deviations – Threads of Destiny. A sort of “What if?” take on the franchise, this isn’t the first time the publisher has deviated from Star Trek canon. There was a 2017 one-shot in which the Romulans made first contact with Earth rather than the Vulcans.
🖖 Read Star Trek: Deviations – Threads of Destiny
Here, Uhura is the one to take the step through the Guardian of Forever. What follows is a look at the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Will her friends on the USS Enterprise be able to bring her home? Is her place as a communications officer maybe the most important of all? Find out in this review of the one-shot comic, which hits shelves today from IDW!
WARNING – Spoiler discussion below for Star Trek: Deviations – Threads of Destiny
The Keeper of Time
The comic begins as many episodes of The Original Series do. There’s an officer’s log to set the scene, and the Enterprise is picking up a nearby disturbance warranting investigation. The art style, even the logo, emulates the Gold Key comics. As a series that ran parallel to the TV show, and also famously played loose with canon, it’s a fitting style to emulate. Though this is even looser than Gold Key’s presentation of the Guardian of Forever, from issue 56 of their series, if you’re curious.
Here, there’s a man in a suit named Carl, not too dissimilar to the presentation in Star Trek: Discovery. He introduces himself as the Keeper of Time, watching over endless screens, recording the entirety of history. The absence of a singular portal and Uhura being drawn to a particular one are fascinating deviations. Of course, the travel remains accidental, but her focus on the Civil Rights Movement before her arrival allows for a consistent thematic throughline.
It’s after Kirk and Spock set out to rescue her that the comic begins to follow the episode more closely. While it swaps Spock’s beanie for a cap, there’s a larger familiarity to these elements. Even configuring technology from the parts available in a hotel room. Thankfully, these familiar elements are far from where the comic spends most of its time. Instead, it does emphasise the differences, focusing primarily on Uhura’s journey.
Part of Something Greater
Focusing on the initial time traveller is another diversion, with McCoy’s journey playing second fiddle to the romance with Kirk. Here, Uhura’s been racially harassed in a grocery store before Kirk, which sets up the amount of danger she’s in here. It’s a chilling portrait of a very real time in history and the people who fought to bring about the change we see today. There’s a lot of namedrops, and even a cameo from Dr Martin Luther King.
As a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement in 1963, it’s great. Uhura leaves her mark and inspires, much like she famously inspired the real Dr King. Nichelle Nichols was one of the few black actors on television at the time, and her visibility and positive presence served as a trailblazing inspiration. The comic is no doubt in conversation with Nichols’ legacy as an activist. More than a “What If?” comic, it’s a celebration of the history and legacy of one of the franchise’s most important stars.
I especially loved how the end emphasised that even in the 23rd century, the work was far from done. Building an equitable future takes all of us, including the diverse perspectives we bring to the table. We must live in the present, but remember the past and the sacrifices made. It’s a really powerful note to end on, a reminder that these events aren’t as long ago as we think, and that an equitable future is something we’re still very much working towards.
Issue Credits
Writer: Stephanie Williams
Artist: Gregory Maldonado
Inker: Anthony Fowler Jr.
Colourist: Charlie Kirchoff
Letterer: Jodie Troutman
Design & Production: Neil Uyetake
Senior Group Editor: Heather Antos
Associate Editor: Cassandra Jones
Conclusion
Star Trek: Deviations – Threads of Destiny is a success by any metric. It’s a reinvention of one of the franchise’s most beloved episodes that still manages to tell a very different story amid a sea of familiar elements. This is a comic that feels ripped out of the era it’s working so hard to emulate, both in its moralistic story and in its art and colour style. If this is to be the start of a resurrection of IDW’s “Deviations” line, then this is a great start.
On its own, however, this is a great way to acknowledge the franchise’s 60th anniversary and the legacy of franchise legend Nichelle Nichols. Something that has lost a grasp on the episode’s canon has almost no right to be this good. This is a version of City on the Edge of Forever like nothing you’ve seen before. With a style that’s fun for massive Trek fans and accessible to more casual ones, Threads of Destiny is a winner.
Star Trek: Deviations – Threads of Destiny is out today from IDW Publishing. It’s available on the shelves of your local comic book store and on digital storefronts like Amazon. For more Star Trek reviews, news, lore discussions, and more, be sure to follow the team here at Trek Central.
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