One iconic Star Trek: The Original Series episode is known for having what seems like a happy ending, but a subsequent Trek story, published by Marvel Comics thirty years after the episode first aired, revealed the dark, true consequences of Kirk and the Enterprise crew's adventure in “A Piece of the Action.”
1998's Star Trek Unlimited #10 features the story “A Piece of Reaction,” written by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, with art by Ron Randall. In the issue, Captain Picard and the Enterprise-D return to the home of the Iotians, the "gangster" aliens introduced in The Original Series.
In the issue, the seemingly positive influence of first contact with Kirk and the Enterprise on Iotian culture is subverted, upending one of Trek’s greatest upbeat endings, leading Picard to have to deal with the consequences of his predecessor's actions.
"A Piece of the Action" Has An All-Time Great Original Series Ending, But Trek Comics Changed That
Star Trek Unlimited #10; “A Piece of Reaction,” Written by Michael A. Martin And Andy Mangels; Art By Ron Randall; Released In 1998 By Marvel Comics
The classic Star Trek television show regularly sent Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise to planets that closely resembled various Earth cultures. The ship encountered societies patterned after the Wild West, Nazi Germany and ancient Rome. This was done to take advantage of the props and costumes the studio already had, as a cost-saving measure. While easy on Star Trek’s budget, explaining how these distant planets had such Earth-like cultures stretched credibility. Some were merely illusions created by powerful aliens, and others just happened to develop the way they did, with no explanation.
Thanks to McCoy’s carelessness, the Iotians gained Federation-level technology, but did not have the moral grounding of Starfleet officers.
“A Piece of the Action” is easily the best of these episodes. Airing during Star Trek’s second season, “A Piece of the Action” kicked off with the Enterprise receiving a hail from a planet that had not been visited by humans for over a century. During the prior visit, by a ship called the Horizon, a careless crewmember left behind a book titled Chicago Mobs of the 1920s. The Iotians, who were highly imitative, went on to create an entire society around the book. Leaders were “bosses” who packed “heaters” and ruthlessly murdered their opponents.
“A Piece of Reaction” follows the consequences of “A Piece of the Action” years later; at the end of the latter, Doctor McCoy accidentally left his communicator behind on Sigma Iotia II. Kirk cracked a joke about what McCoy did, but as seen in “A Piece of Reaction,” it was nothing to laugh about. Thanks to McCoy’s carelessness, the Iotians gained Federation-level technology, but did not have the moral grounding of Starfleet officers. Admiral Sonny saw an opportunity in Captain Picard’s Enterprise, a chance to even the score against what he perceived was an injustice.
"A Piece of the Action" Is Essential To Understand Why Starfleet's Prime Directive Is Important
The Episode's Comic Follow-Up Is One of Star Trek's Bleakest Sequels
"A Piece Of the Action" drives home just how important the Prime Directive is to the Star Trek franchise. The Prime Directive, or General Order One, prohibits Federation and Starfleet personnel from interfering in the development of pre-warp or non-aligned civilizations. While there are instances where the Prime Directive can be limiting, it is still a sound policy, giving Starfleet a moral high ground in galactic affairs. When the Horizon visited Sigma Iotia II, in the 22nd century, the Prime Directive was not in place. The Horizon crew, while not intending malice, condemned Iotian society to a grim fate.
Quentin Tarantino's proposed Star Trek film, which never materialized, allegedly was going to be a follow-up to "A Piece of the Action."
Admiral Sonny’s motivations in “A Piece of Reaction” are also a testament to the power of the Prime Directive. Sonny appeared as a child in “A Piece of the Action,” helping Kirk; Kirk promised Sonny a cut, but never followed up, and as a result, Sonny grew up feeling cheated by Kirk. Sonny saw Kirk as a liar. Even though Kirk did not intend to cheat Sonny, the child still saw it as a slight. Kirk reasoned the Prime Directive had already been broken, so making a deal with a native of the planet was no big deal.
“A Piece of the Action” established the Iotians mimicked other cultures, and the merest bit of contamination could have dire results, leading Starfleet to quarantine the planet after Kirk’s visit. With the Prime Directive now firmly in place, Starfleet saw Iotia as a potential danger zone, necessitating the need to cut it off from the rest of the galaxy. “A Piece of Reaction” revealed that Starfleet had not been back to Iotia since McCoy left the communicator behind. Admiral Sonny’s actions in the story seem to prove Starfleet was correct in their assumptions.
Sorry, But The Iotians Did Not Get A Happy Ending In "Star Trek" Franchise Lore
The Sad Consequences Of The Enterprise's Interference
Star Trek comics and novels regularly do follow-ups to classic episodes, and since “A Piece of the Action” is highly regarded, it should come as no surprise Marvel published a sequel, but what separates “A Piece of Reaction” from other follow-ups is its darkness. Sonny mistakenly believed Kirk cheated him, and held a grudge for a century. The communicator McCoy left behind gave the planet a massive technological boost, but it was too much too quick, and nearly caused an intergalactic incident. The Iotians did not get a happy ending, as Star Trek made fans believe they'd been given
