Introduction (blurb)[]

From solicitations: Legendary writer/artist John Byrne, in his first-ever full Star Trek work, concludes this special series of one-shots in which the many alien races of the Star Trek universe get their due. The Romulan Empire has a new "ghost ship" that can't be detected by normal means. Will the Praetor use it as a weapon to thrust his people into full-blown war with the Federation or are his motives even more sinister? A tale of loyalty, betrayal and intrigue.

Summary[]

References[]

Characters[]

Gaius • Keras • Korlat • Praxus • T'Auethn • unnamed Romulans

Starships and vehicles[]

Dreadnaught-class (heavy cruiser) • Ghost ship - ChR Gal Gath'thong (Vas Hatham-class) • Romulan hovercar • Romulan smallcraft • Romulan travel pod

Referenced only

Constitution-class

Locations[]

Imperial Palace • space dock

Referenced only

Federation outpost • Hall of Heroes • Romulan Neutral Zone

Races and cultures[]

Klingon • Romulan

States and organizations[]

Academy • Romulan Star Empire • Space Fleet

Referenced only

Starfleet • United Federation of Planets

Other references[]

assassination • atom • cloaking device • commander • Earther • Earth-Romulan War • full serving rank • general • Klingon-Romulan alliance • marriage • metal • Praetor • Romulan plasma weapon

Appendices[]

• Issues in the Alien Spotlight series are not marked with a number, however this was the sixth issue of the series to be published, and final issue of the first miniseries.
• This was the first Star Trek comic by noted comic book artist and writer John Byrne. Byrne is a fan of the series and had apparently been keen to do a Trek comic but was also reluctant as he does not enjoy doing likenesses and having worry about getting actor likeness approvals. The unique format of the Alien Spotlight series offered him a chance to produce a Star Trek comic without having to worry about that issue.
• Byrne had some elements of his story for this issue rejected during CBS Paramount's approval process, he had to "remove certain elements that didn't fit with their version of the lore, as it turned out". ^[1]
• The issue one page depicting John Byrne's character design sketches for the issue and a two-page feature title "Evolution of a Cover", showing how John Byrne built up his cover design and then a full-page version of the cover (without titles) fully colored by Leonard O'Grady.
• The back cover features an advert for IDW's forthcoming Star Trek: New Frontier miniseries, Turnaround.
• The planetary location of much of the issue is never named. As it is the site of the Praetor's Imperial Palace one might assume it is Romulus, however no familiar landmarks of Romulans are shown, so it is entirely possible that it is another world within the Empire.
• This is the only Alien Spotlight issue not to feature any Starfleet personnel or primary characters from the series.

Covers[]

• This issue was available in four covers. Two were of equally wide availability; one each by John Byrne and Zach Howard, both colored by Leonard O'Grady. The other two were retail incentive covers of more limited availability, a sketch version of the Byrne cover and photo-cover featuring an image of the Romulan Commander and his crew from the TOS episode: "Balance of Terror".

Sketch cover

Photo cover

Howard cover without titles

Byrne cover without titles

• This is the only issue in the Alien Spotlight series not to have a sketch version of Zach Howard's cover for the issue, using Byrne's cover instead. This issue's photo cover is also different from the rest of the series, with the photo cropped in the center of the page, rather than filling the cover as over issues' photo covers had done.

Related stories[]

• Balance of Terror (TOS episode) - This issue is a prequel to the TOS episode which marked the first appearance of the Romulans. It establishes a great deal of background information to the Romulans characters and the mission they were on in the episode.
• The Enterprise Incident (TOS episode) - This issue also functions as a preview to this episode which gave the first indications of a Klingon-Romulan alliance, with this issue showing how the Klingon agent Korlat was manipulating the Praetor to enter the alliance and gain the Klingons access to cloaking technology.

Timeline[]

• This issue is set shortly before the events of the TOS episode: "Balance of Terror".

Images[]

Keras and Gaius

External link[]

• Alien Spotlight: Romulans (2008) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.