Star Trek Just Rewrote One of Its Most Important Episodes

One of the greatest Star Trek episodes of all time just got the update that fans never knew it needed, and it is perfect.

IDW Publishing's recently released Star Trek Deviations: Threads of Destiny #1 (by Stephanie Williams, Greg Maldonado, Anthony Fowler Jr., Charlie Kirchoff, and Jodie Troutman) brings readers back to the days of the original 1966 series, specifically to the events of "The City on the Edge of Forever." Rather than Kirk, Spock, and McCoy being transported to the Great Depression, however, this time it is Nyhota Uhura who finds herself transported to the middle of the Civil Rights Movement for an impromptu meeting with none other than Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. himself.

Star Trek Deviations: Threads of Destiny #1

• Written by STEPHANIE WILLIAMS
• Art by GREG MALDONADO
• Inks by ANTHONY FOWLER JR.
• Colors by CHARLIE KIRCHOFF
• Letters by JODIE TROUTMAN
• Main cover art by MARK ALVARADO

The official solicit synopsis for Star Trek Deviations: Threads of Destiny #1 from IDW Publishing reads, "In the 23rd century, she explores far-flung star systems with her crew on the Enterprise as part of her mission to communicate and build bridges with life found across the Galaxy."

"But in the 20th century, humankind was working to build understanding among themselves, with African Americans on Earth championing the Civil Rights Movement and using their voices and acts of protest to end racial segregation and discrimination," the synopsis continues. "Now, by way of the Guardian of Forever, Uhura is yanked back through time to 1963. There, she’ll join all those fighting for equality and justice and reconnect to why her work as a communications officer is perhaps the most important work of all."

Star Trek Deviations: Threads of Destiny #1 is the latest entry in IDW Publishing's fan-favorite Deviations line of comics, which offer what-if takes on classic stories from throughout the franchise's long history. The line began in 2017 with the release of Star Trek: Deviations #1 by writer Donny Cates and artist Joshua Hood, which reimagined the Star Trek universe's first contact moment, this time with the Romulans taking center stage in place of the Vulcans.

The City on the Edge of Forever's Importance In Star Trek, Explained

The original "The City on the Edge of Forever" was first aired on April 6, 1967, and saw Kirk and Spock transported back to the 1930s in search of a missing McCoy. The episode was widely lauded upon its release for its tense, heartbreaking story and stellar performances. Beyond that, "The City on the Edge of Forever" has become a key episode for the franchise as a whole, as it marked the very first appearance of the Guardian of Forever.

Star Trek Deviations: Threads of Destiny #1 not only reimagines "The City on the Edge of Forever" in classic Deviations fashion, but it also stands as a remarkable tribute to one of the franchise's original stars. Specifically, the late, great Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Nyota Uhura in the original series, and whose work on screen includes genuinely historical moments, such as being one of the first Black women to land a featured role on a major television series, not to mention the first interracial kiss aired on TV in the United States.

Star Trek Deviations: Threads of Destiny #1 from IDW Publishing is on sale now.\