Review — ‘Star Trek: Deviations — Threads Of Destiny’ Celebrates Black History

Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols often told the story of her encounter with Martin Luther King Jr. near the end of the original series’ first season. She planned to leave the show given she had little to do on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, other than ensuring that “hailing frequencies are open.”

King’s message to her was clear. “You cannot,” she recounted.

He told her Star Trek was one of the few shows he allowed his family to watch, in part because it featured a Black woman in a position of authority. Nichols relented and her character, Nyota Uhura, remained on the bridge throughout the show’s run and into the feature films with the original cast.

Star Trek ran during the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s and occasionally tackled issues of race (none better than the episode “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”, featuring half-white/half-black characters who were at each other’s throats only because of their color differences). Now, IDW is picking up on those days with a celebration during Black History Month, told through Uhura’s eyes.

The one-shot Star Trek: Deviations — Threads Of Destiny tells the story of Uhura falling through a time portal and ending up in 1963 North Carolina, where she is not allowed into certain restaurants because of segregation. She soon falls in with civil right demonstrators — and even King himself.

Stephanie Williams’ story is straightforward, yet poignant. Uhura, who grew up in a utopian society, has rarely experienced racism. But as a student of history, she understands the struggle and is willing to make her voice heard.

Williams heavily borrows themes from the seminal Trek time-travel episode “The City on the Edge of Forever” (If you’re going to steal, then steal from the best!). But, ultimately, the story lacks much of a climax. There’s plenty of conflict, but the drama doesn’t pan out in such a short story. A longer issue would have helped to give the tale more of a punch and make it feel less like a lesson.

Penciler Gregory Maldonado and inker Anthony Fowler Jr. give the issue a throwback feel, almost as if it were a Golden Key comic from the era. It’s a nice touch, and the familiar characters from the Enterprise are instantly recognizable. The artists don’t get to do much space stuff here, but what they deliver is appropriate for the story.

Star Trek is at its best when it is an allegory — schooling us while wrapping the lesson around a great sci-fi story. While this story is necessary, it’s not quite sufficient.

Star Trek: Deviations — Threads Of Destiny is out now from IDW.