Star Trek: Assignment: Earth

Star Trek: Assignment: Earth
Publication information
Publisher IDW Publishing
Schedule Monthly
Publication date May 2008 - August 2008
Number of issues 5
Creative team
Writer(s) John Byrne
Artist(s) John Byrne
Creator(s) John Byrne

Star Trek: Assignment: Earth is a five issue limited series written and drawn by John Byrne, based on the events in the Star Trek second season finale, titled "Assignment: Earth". The series was published by IDW Publishing.

One notable story shows Seven and Roberta's peripheral involvement in the events of a prior episode, "Tomorrow Is Yesterday"—which, due to peculiarities of time travel, happens after "Assignment: Earth" for Seven and Roberta, but before "Assignment: Earth" for the Enterprise crew.

Plot synopsis

His code name is Gary Seven. On the world where he was raised, he is known as Supervisor 194. Where that world is, only the inhabitants know - but for thousands of years these inhabitants have been taking people from Earth and training them, preparing them for a desperate mission: to save the people of Earth from their own foolish and warlike nature. Assisting Gary Seven in his assignment on Earth are Roberta Lincoln, Earth-born, twenty-something, sometimes flighty, sometimes erratic, but with a keen mind and a high IQ; and the Beta Five computer, capable of analytical decisions and not at all shy about informing Supervisor 194 of what it views as his shortcomings.

Oh, yes - and Isis.

Star Trek: Assignment: Earth is intended to be a version of the Assignment: Earth television series that never was - taking the original episode (which was planned as a backdoor pilot to a spin-off series) as a jumping off point for a series of stories on 20th century Earth.

The series explores the science and politics of the era, such as nuclear weapons, the Vietnam War and President Nixon's visit to China in 1972. The series also featured a cross-over with the TOS episode: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" and a direct sequel to "Assignment: Earth".

Main characters

Gary Seven

Also known as Supervisor 194. Having a textbook intelligence quotient of almost 200, Seven is at the peak of human, non-augmented performance. He is able to tolerate and resist a Vulcan nerve pinch. (TOS episode: "Assignment: Earth") Seven has stated that many Vulcanoids were recruited from across the galaxy into his organization. (TOS novel: Assignment: Eternity) Even in later years, his vitals matched those taken more than twenty years earlier by Doctor McCoy. Fluent in many domestic and extraterrestrial dialects, Gary was able to comprehend and reply (in English mostly) to Isis.

Roberta Lincoln

Loyal assistant to Gary Seven. In 1968, Lincoln was looking for a job when she noticed in the Village Voice newspaper an advertisement for an encyclopedia research job. After a brief interview, she was hired as a receptionist by Agent 201 and Agent 347, two humans that were sent to Earth by the Aegis to sabotage the launch of an orbital nuclear weapon platform by the United States. Another agent, Gary Seven, was sent to supervise Lincoln's employers' progress. When he was investigating their disappearance, Lincoln arrived at her workplace, the agents' office. Seven initially mistook her for Agent 201, but quickly realized the truth and told her he was working for the Central Intelligence Agency. He also revealed the several technological devices he employed, such as his servo, Beta 5 computer, transporter chamber and a typewriter that actually typed what was spoken at its own accord. Although she later learned he was not an American and tried to stop him, she then changed her mind and helped him complete his mission. After this success, Captain James T. Kirk remarked that many adventures would lie ahead of Lincoln and Seven. (TOS episode: "Assignment: Earth")

Isis

A being that traveled and worked with Gary Seven. Most of the time she appeared as a domestic cat with entirely black fur, however she was actually a shape-shifter - capable of assuming humanoid form.

Sequel

Following the success of the first series a second series is planned, Assignment: Earth II will feature five more stories spread over the same span of time, 1968 to 1972.

External links

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