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"The Counter-Clock Incident" was the 22nd episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series, in the show's second and final season, first aired on 12 October 1974. The episode was written by John CulverMA, directed by Bill ReedMA and novelized in Log Seven by Alan Dean Foster. It was the series finale of Star Trek: The Animated Series.

Description[]

Another exciting episode from television's most popular science fiction series
Complete in this volume:
The Counter-Clock Incident
Commodore Robert April, first Captain of the Enterprise, was traveling at warp-speeds toward retirement... a fate worse than death for a seasoned sailor of the spaceways.
There didn't seem to be any way to turn back the hands of time - but then nothing is ever certain in the outer reaches of the galaxy.
Nothing, that is, except that a Klingon in pursuit means trouble... especially when that Klingon is the wily Commander Kumara!

References[]

Characters[]

Episode characters[]

Robert AprilSarah Poole-AprilArex Na EthKarla FiveKarl FourKarl SixJames T. KirkLeonard McCoyMontgomery ScottSpockHikaru SuluNyota Uhura

Novelization characters[]

Robert AprilSarah Poole-AprilArex Na EthChristine ChapelChar DelminnenVan DelminnenGemasKanndadKarla FiveKarl FourKarl SixJames T. KirkKorregKrittKumaraKursleyJohn KyleM'aartM'arrtLeonard McCoyMendezNobisPoMontgomery ScottSenShundreshSpockHikaru SuluNyota UhuraSven van AnlingWerthel
Referenced only
Bresica CelliFranz Joseph IVKarauKarhammur the FortiethKattrun dek PrennGreat KinkuthanzaShiboline M'RessRembrandt

Starships and vehicles[]

USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Karla Five's shipKlathas

Locations[]

antimatter universeArretBabelBeta NiobeAmphion

Races and cultures[]

HumanKlingonEdosian or TriexianVulcanWanderers Who Play

States and organizations[]

StarfleetUnited Federation of Planets

Appendices[]

Related stories[]

Background[]

  • This is the seventh of Alan Dean Foster's TAS adaptation collections. It has been reprinted a number of times, often in omnibuses with other Star Trek Log books. Most recently in 2006 by Del Rey Books, an imprint of the original Ballantine Books publishers, as part of Star Trek's 40th Anniversary celebrations.
  • This is also the first of the Star Trek Log books to feature the adaptation of a single 30 minute episode. The remainder of the Star Trek Logs series was in this format.
  • April is stated as having never commanded a starship before the Enterprise. This is later contradicted by the comic Flesh of My Flesh where April is stated to have commanded a USS Tiberius, although that might have been a ship he commanded temporarily and/or concurrently with his Enterprise command.
  • Much of USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) is stated to have been designed by Chief Construction Engineer Franz Joseph IV.
  • The Klingon God of Gods is identified as the Great Kinkuthanza.
  • In Foster's essay (preface of the 2006 trade reprint omnibus of Logs Seven and Eight), he explains that the Kumara adventure in Log Seven is based on a two-part Klingon-themed script he prepared for Roddenberry for a potential Season Four of the original series.
  • April has a greatly different appearance in this episode and The Star Trek Encyclopedia compared to later canon appearances in SNW. This might overall simply indicate a changed premise, as a retroactive change to continuity by the show creators. It is also possible there is some explanation in the POV of the Star Trek universe such as an alternate history or other transformative event.
    • In particular, this story deals with manipulation of reality by the Wanderers Who Play, who alter the fabric of the universe to allow for the existence of a fake "antimatter universe" and a bogus planetary civilization that comes complete with a fully formed culture and history. It follows that they would of course have the ability to change any aspect of April's appearance and history, and they did seem to be greatly focused on challenging his character. Certainly it was never the original intention of the story to portray them as manipulating any other aspects of April's backstory, but the unexplained change of his hairstyle and skin color would be within their range of abilities, even if there's no apparent reasoning as to why they would do this.
    • Complicating the issue further, April, with his original TAS appearance, was portrayed in the cover art of Final Frontier and several issues of the Star Trek: Early Voyages comic series. The latter EV comic appearances portrayed April acting unusually aggressive and ended on a cliffhanger as the series was cancelled without resolving the storyline explaining the divergence in his characterization. Again, it originally had nothing to do with changing the premise of the character, but some possible scenarios explaining his character turning against the crew could leave the character erased from history and replaced with a different version.

Images[]

Episode images[]

Novelization images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

Published Order
Previous novel:
Log Six
Star Trek Logs Next novel:
Log Eight
Previous novel:
How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth?
TAS episode produced Next novel:
Final episode
Previous novel:
How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth?
TAS episode aired Next novel:
Final episode
Chronological Order
Previous adventure:
How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth?
Pocket Books Timeline Next adventure:
The Eye of the Beholder
Previous adventure:
How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth?
Memory Beta Chronology Next adventure:
The Trellisane Confrontation
Previous novel:
How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth?
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (2264 to 2270) Next novel:
The Trellisane Confrontation
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2270.
The Pocket Books Timeline and Memory Beta Chronology place events from this story in 2 other timeframe(s):
Previous adventure:
Seeds of Rage
Chapters 7, 9, 12, 14, 18, 21
2244
Chapter 1, Section 1
Next adventure:
The Better Man
Chapter 1, Section 6
Previous adventure:
Old Souls
2245
Chapter 1, Sections 2-5
Next adventure:
Burning Dreams
Translations[]
1994
German : Im Schatten schwarzer Sterne. (Goldmann)

External link[]

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