Once a Hero...

Once a hero...

Summary
James Kirk is in his quarters, reviewing the personnel file of Ensign Thomas Lee. He asks the computer if there is any further information available, but there is not. Kirk tries in vain to record a eulogy for a young man who sacrificed his life to save his captain. Leonard McCoy arrives to find Kirk concerned about the situation. He recommends that the captain should check into the details of Ensign Lee's service and lifetime.

Memorable Quotes
"Thomas Lee deserves more than empty words, delivered by a captain who didn't really know him."

"Then do more."
 * - Kirk and McCoy

Background Information

 * This was regular scripter Peter David's last issue written for this series, although he went on to write numerous more Star Trek comics for DC and eventually the Star Trek: New Frontier novel series.
 * David originally submitted this story under the pen name of "Robert Bruce Banner."
 * It was reprinted in the "Best of Peter David" collection.

Creators

 * Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
 * Writers: Peter David
 * Artists:
 * Gordon Purcell (interior pencil art)
 * Arne Starr (interior inking)
 * Tom McCraw (color art)
 * Bob Pinaha (letter art)
 * Jerome K. Moore (cover art: pencil, ink, brush, pen, opaque gouache, China marker)
 * Editor: Robert Greenberger

Regular and recurring characters

 * James T. Kirk : USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) captain.
 * Spock : Vulcan Enterprise-A exec and science officer.
 * Leonard McCoy : Enterprise-A surgeon.
 * Hikaru Sulu : Enterprise-A helmsman.
 * Montgomery Scott : Enterprise-A chief engineer.
 * Uhura : Enterprise-A communications officer.
 * Pavel Chekov : Enterprise-A navigator and security chief. Chekov regretted severely dressing down Ensign Lee after the briefing for what would become Lee's first, and final mission. Chekov's quarters had a wall display of a stylized Russian flag.
 * The flag was a Russian Federation banner overlaid with a yellow bird design derived from the 1800s Russian Empire. This flag was similar to the standard of the President of the Russian Federation, which was adopted in the same year this comic was published.

Other characters

 * Thomas Lee : Enterprise-A security ensign. Despite being an ensign, Lee wore no rank insignia on his Starfleet uniform.
 * Hunter : Enlisted security crewperson aboard Enterprise-A, a twenty-year veteran of Starfleet.
 * Although Hunter identifies himself as enlisted and a long-term veteran, he wears the red shirt and insignia of a cadet's training uniform (but with an enlisted crewperson's jumpsuit collar). One other character, Valeris, had a similar inconsistency in canon, raising questions as to added functions of red uniform insignia and shirts by non-cadets in this time period.


 * Jackson : Security man aboard Enterprise-A. ''Jackson also wore the red undershirt and uniform insignia of a trainee, but on a jumpsuit with an enlisted collar.
 * Ventura : Leader of the Haigy raiders who poses as Arcade captain.
 * Kapek : Haigy raider who fights with Scotty.
 * Anna Lee : Ensign Lee's mother, whose name was listed in his personnel file
 * Jack Lee : Ensign Lee's father, according to his records.
 * Rogers : The true captain of Arcade, missing, captured aboard a Haigy vessel.

Timeline

 * Late 2260s
 * Thomas Lee born.
 * Hunter joins Starfleet.
 * Late 2280s
 * Stopover at Starbase 29.
 * Receipt of distress call from the Arcade.