Gold Key logo.
Gold Key Comics, part of Whitman Publishing, were the first publishers of Star Trek comics. Their series ran for 61 issues between July 1967 until March 1979. At least one more issue was planned, titled Trial by Fire!.
From 2004 to 2006, Titan Books released five volumes of reprints in The Key Collection. In 2014, IDW remastered many of the stories, producing five high-quality volumes for the Gold Key Archives.
Main characters[]
Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the USS Enterprise.
Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock appeared in all of the stories. Doctor Leonard McCoy appeared in 49 stories (not in #3, 26, 27, 36, 41, 44, 54, 57). Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott appeared in 49 stories (not in #1, 4, 5, 7, 17, 20, 31, 48), though he was not drawn to resemble James Doohan until #12. Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu appeared in 35 stories, with stints commanding the ship (#12, 28) and serving on landing party missions (#9, 11, 19, 23, 26). Lieutenant Nyota Uhura appeared in 34 stories and was featured in seven landing parties (#9, 22, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31). Ensign Pavel Chekov was featured in two stories (#16, 31) and appeared in nine others (#11, 26, 33, 38, 47, 48, 51, 53, 60). Nurse Christine Chapel was featured in three stories (#23, 26, 30) and appeared in five others (#31, 38, 46, 52, 58). Yeoman Janice Rand appeared twice, in #1 and in a one-panel cameo in #24.
Recurring characters[]
Security officer Manning appeared in three stories (#21, 26, 31). McCoy’s daughter Barbara McCoy appeared in two stories (#40, 43) as well as senior scientist Doctor Krisp (#19, 27). Four characters recurred in the two stories about "The Evictors" (#41, 50): Sanoora Councilor Inoduku, Nraka Councilor Dvor, Dvor’s daughter Rava and religious leader Zotar.
Returning series characters[]
Zephram Cochrane, Nancy Hedford and The Companion appeared (#49), as well as the Guardian of Forever (#56) and Harry Mudd (#61). In additional Gold Key short stories printed only in omnibus publications, Cochrane returned in "From Sputnik to Warp Drive". T'Pau, T'Pring, Amanda Grayson, and Sarek appeared in "Lt. Commdr. Spock: Psycho-File". Janet Wallace appeared in "Captain James T. Kirk: Psycho-File". Cochrane, T'Pau, T'Pring, Amanda and Sarek did not resemble the actors who portrayed them.
Sequels[]
- "The Evictors" (#41, 50)
- "Metamorphosis" (#49)
- "Who Mourns for Adonais?" (#53)
- "The City on the Edge of Forever" (#56)
- "I, Mudd" (#61)
Comic creators[]
- Writers:
- Gerry Boudreau (2 issues)
- Arnold Drake (22 issues)
- Doug Drexler (2 issues)
- George Kashdan (10 issues)
- Allan Moniz (2 issues)
- John David Warner (5 issues)
- Len Wein (8 issues)
- Dick Wood (8 issues)
- Lead Artists:
- Alberto Giolitti (33 issues)
- Alden McWilliams (22 issues)
- Nevio Zaccara (2 issues)
- Cover artists
List of comics[]
External links[]
- Curt Danhauser’s Guide to the Gold Key Star Trek Comics
- Gold Key Comics page at the Star Trek Comics Checklist
- Gold Key Comics article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Drawing Trek Podcast.
| Star Trek comics | ||
|---|---|---|
| By series | DSC • EV • TOS • TNG • DS9 • Voyager • SA | |
| By publisher | Gold Key • Marvel • DC • Malibu • WildStorm • TokyoPop • IDW | |