By Mx Kris Vyas-Myall
Speaking at the US Embassy today, Herman Kahn, director of the Hudson institute, gave his predictions of the coming “post-industrial culture”. As a result of the massive amount of technological change coming and the secularization of society, he predicts that by 1985, there will emerge five major personality types: neo-materialist, neo-epicurian, neo-stoic, neo-gentleman and anti-establishment types who could be called neo-cynics.
Need both of these cars in your life? You may be a neo-materialist
The neo-materialist is a person who is advancement oriented, but simply because they are interested in gaining a large income so they can consume as much as possible. This would be the kind of person who would get a brand new Cadillac every year because they cannot bear to be seen in last-year’s model.
Southern California barbeque, the epitome of the neo-epicurian lifestyle
The neo-epicurian is a home-oriented individual who values socializing with friends and family above all else.
The kind of environment a neo-stoic might be happy in
The neo-stoic is the devoted bureaucrat or soldier. One who gets their satisfaction from doing their duty well, as opposed to gaining material reward.
Superhero, Inventor, Explorer, Polymath. Is Reed Richards a true neo-gentleman?
The neo-gentleman is the modern renaissance man. The kind of person for whom the gaining of a new skill is a purpose in itself. For example, a trained physicist who will suddenly decide to complete a marathon.
Two very different types of people, similar only in their dislike of post-industrial capitalist society
The final group are the anti-establishment neo-cynics. These are the groups that reject what is offered by contemporary society and want to replace it with something different. This is a broad camp containing those from the peaceful progressives, like the hippies, to violent reactionaries, like the KKK.
The coming challenge will be ensuring the satisfaction of the four establishment groups. In doing so it would keep down the number of neo-cynics, who, if they become large enough, would cause the breakdown of society.
This is a tougher task than it first appears. If black people are all stuck in low-paid jobs, the materialists among them will be unhappy and they may turn to anti-social methods to achieve their goals. Or, if the Vietnam War ends in the fall South-East Asia to the Communists, neo-stoics in government jobs may no longer feel satisfied serving an incompetent regime that sent thousands of people to die for nothing.
Or to put it in simplified terms, if liberal capitalism is to survive everyone needs access to prosperity, community, rewarding work and self-improvement.
This is one possible look at our future that has come from America to British shores. Another is in the form of Star Trek. Not on the small screen but in comic books.
Meet the Star-Trekkers
Now the adaptation of a television show into strip form is not surprising. I have read everything from Burke’s Law through The Monkees to Crossroads in British comic books. What is unusual is they have done it for a programme that has not aired in the UK yet, and so will have little to no name recognition among Century 21 readers.
As the name might suggest, Joe 90 Top Secret is a comic book setup primarily to support Gerry Anderson’s new TV show about the pre-teen superspy. As that is only one strip of the five required (and the other Gerry Anderson shows remain in TV Century 21 and Tornado) others were needed to fill the requisite pages. One is an original weird sports story. The others are recent telefantasy series The Champions and Land of the Giants.
For the final central colour strip Star Trek was chosen. As I said I am not sure what the thought process behind this was. There are other adventure series airing that might well have appealed to this kind of audience such as Department S, Virgin of the Secret Service, The Legend of Jesse James or The Tyrant King. But, whatever the reason for the selection, I am glad they did it as it has produced a fascinating space adventure series.
Roll Call
A number of people have asked me this so I want to confirm these are not the same strips being published by Gold Key in the USA. They are made by completely different people, with the American ones done by an Italian team, whilst the British have the home-grown pairing of Angus Allan and Harry F. Lindfield.
There is one similarity though: none of those involved would have been able to see the show. As such both have developed their own takes based on the information provided to them.
Some of this is just simple confusion, with the Captain being referred to as Kurt and Kirk at different times, but I have been told many of the elements are different. So, what actually happens in these adventures?
Each story involves the crew of the Universe Star Ship Enterprise, exploring new planets in distant galaxies. Usually the Captain will try to establish peaceful contact with an alien race but will inevitably be drawn into a violent conflict that he will have to use his ingenuity to resolve.
There are two main crew members who feature in these stories. The first is Captain Kurt\Kirk, the lead who takes on the main action roles. Although ostensibly a diplomat, he is rarely diplomatic, happy to throw his weight around or kill without mercy if it will protect his crew or be for the greater good.
His sidekick is Mr. Spock the ship’s “living computer”. He is a technical and scientific genius able to provide miraculous solutions, whenever it is called for by the story. Also fiercely loyal to the Captain, happy to obey his orders without question and take over command duties in his absence.
We do meet some others, such as the helmsman Mr. Bailey and Dr. McCoy, however they are rarely used differently from the large numbers of crew members doing various space-age jobs or suffering grisly fates (the fatality rate for this ship is rather high).
Two of the Space Bugs
Whilst the Enterprise itself is capable of inter-galactic and hyper-space travel, it primarily operates as the main command post. Much of the travelling in orbit and to planets is completed by the Space Bugs, wagons launched from the Enterprise capable of both space and terrestrial flight, and with weaponry to operate like fighter jets.
Multiple repair wagons in action
The other type of craft we see commonly are the Repair Wagons. As the name would suggest they are similar to the Bugs (although with the patterning of New York Taxis) but instead of weaponry they are outfitted with repair gear. Given how often the Enterprise gets bashed about, they are a common feature.
Now you understand the setting, what about the stories?
Opening the Logbook
(I am giving these each a name based on the most common descriptors in the story recaps of each issue)
Story 1: Planet of Robots
The Enterprise is pulled against its will down on to a planet entirely inhabited by robots, who attempt to take all the crew prisoner. After escaping, Kurt and Spock discover that a million years ago a humanoid race built the robots and left them to reproduce. However, their power is now running out.
The robots need the power rods from the Enterprise to continue their civilization, however without them the ship is useless. Kurt converts the rods into explosive devices and puts them right in the main power core of the robots, destroying them entirely.
Kurt’s questionable choice
It is a curious choice to have the opening story being one that is so downbeat. Here Kurt chooses genocide as a means of safeguarding his crew. Even the records of the million year old human civilization are likely blown up. But I also think it is what makes it fascinating. Rather than a comforting silly tale, it acts as a statement of intent, that these are not all going to be jolly japes in space.
Story 2: Mutiny!
In the middle of exploring Crucial-3, Spock realizes the planet is about to blow-up. The landing party manages to make it back just in time, but their minds have been altered by the planet’s pollen. Angered at nearly being killed they demand they not be assigned to further landing parties and Spock to lead all of them in future. When Kirk refuses, he, Bailey, Sulu and McCoy are marooned in a Bug.
Eventually managing to make planetfall on Vultra, the four outcast crew are met by Zella, the planet’s dictator. It is revealed Vultra, like Crucial-3 is also on the verge of destruction and Zella demands to be taken off. Whilst Kirk refuses to help Zella unless they can concoct a plan to evacuate the whole planet, Zella is able to duplicate Kirk’s voice pattern and take control of the bug.
Meanwhile, on board the Enterprise, Spock is leading the fight against the mutineers whilst also searching for a counter-spore. When Zella flies up in the Bug the mutineers believe it is an attack from Kirk and destroy the craft with their laser-ray gun. Believing the Captain is dead, Spock takes the risk of surrendering to the mutineers whilst unleashing the counter-spore in spray form. It works and the crews’ minds return.
Back down on Vultra, with Zella gone, Kirk is able to work with their scientists to adapt their primitive spacecraft to interplanetary travel and help launch a planet-wide evacuation. Seeing these strange makeshift craft, Spock sends a team down to investigate. Kirk and the others are able to reboard the Enterprise and together they guide the Vultrans to a new home.
Even though the shortest tale, this one is a bit more plot heavy than the others. I appreciated the way Allan and Lindfield manage to balance the dual narrative. Whilst there is still some plot convenience (not sure how the Captain was able to get all those primitive craft reworked so quickly with only a doctor and a couple of pilots to help) it moved along in an exciting way.
In contrast to the previous story, we are able to see Kirk’s strong moral character. Even though he is almost killed by the violent primitive aliens on Vultra, he is more keen to protect them, than Zella who is trying to schmooze him. And he objects to any punishment of the mutineers on the grounds that they were not in their right minds.
Story 3: The Space Zoo
On the hyper-spatial planet Angoma, Kirk is engaged in ceremonial gladiatorial combat. After completing the ritual, Kirk has a meeting with King Kut, the leader of the pacifist gorilla inhabitants. However, their discussions are interrupted when they are told people have just vanished. Helping with the investigation the landing party go to the site of the disappearance when they are taken away in a beam of light.
They find they have been teleported to an alien zoo, on a planet of preying mantises. Unable to communicate with their captors the crew break out at night using their lasers and break into the Mantis’ teleport room. Unfortunately they don’t land back on Angorma but on a world of human cannibals. However, Spock has followed the transport beam’s signal in the Enterprise and rescue everyone. Back on Angroma the Enterprise crew is able to teach the Gorilla people an alternative to gladiatorial combat—soccer!
This is definitely my least favourite of the stories published so far. Space zoos are too much of a cliché for my tastes. This one also incorporates Planet of the Apes and “dangerous savages” for no reason I can work out. There is something interesting in the idea of the insectoid life simply unable to consider mammalians to be civilized but it isn’t well explored.
Story 4: Caught in a War
Coming into a new planetary system, the Enterprise is attacked by a surprise missile barrage. After they are immobilized, a fleet of ships comes to greet them. It turns out the twin planets of Nuofo and Hytar are in a state of civil war with their leaders Ari and Irf determined to rule both.
Against his better judgement, Kirk agrees to be a mediator but neither side is willing to back down. In the middle of these discussions an invasion of the Enterprise is launched, apparently by Ari’s forces. Beating them back, Kirk demands an explanation from Ari but he denies all knowledge. Sick of this, he sends crews to arrest them both, destroying their defence fleets and forcing them to talk.
However, ships are still dropping missiles on cities, in spite of both leaders being in prison and their forces being depleted. They come to realise a third people, the Desta, have been attacking disguised as Hytar and Nuofo ships in order to create the conflict.
After extracting a promise to hold democratic election and abide by the result from both parties, Kirk orders the Enterprise to take out the Desta. The Universe Star Ship soon makes short work of the attackers and they permanently retreat. Two weeks later, elections are held under Kirk’s guidance. A third-party candidate wins by an overwhelming majority, bringing peace and unity back to the two planets.
Whilst I am not entirely convinced of Kirk’s methods (although it seems he is just trying to do his best in an impossible situation), it is the most exciting of the four stories. We see mass space battles throughout and giant fleets that I imagine no one could afford on screen. And, although it is a bit muddled, I do appreciate the message on the pointlessness of civil war to solve leadership disputes.
Trans-Atlantic Futures
After all that Star Trekking, a Captain needs his rest
Having shown this strip to Americans who have watched the show, the general opinion is that it is not bad but doesn’t quite feel the same. Rather it resembles things from the earliest days of the televisual Star Trek, when they are trying to figure out what the rules would be.
Given all the positive things I have heard about the series, I am hoping we get it on British screens soon. However, in the meantime, I get to enjoy these stories. They are the kind of space adventure I prefer. Those that are willing to move beyond the simple derring-do of Dan Dare and Jet-Ace Logan to give more complexity. Something akin to the Trigan Empire stories.
So, here’s to you Kurt! Long may you trek!
