IDW Star Trek Ongoing...

[Therin of Andor]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

Awesome. I'll sleep more soundly tonight! Hopefully the skin tone will eventually darken once the artists learn that she's not white but at least she isn't blonde any more!

Chapel, in TOS, went from blonde to brunette to blonde again (for TAS) and brunette again for TMP. 'Cos wigs and hair dye and experimentation.

So he's not a Deltan, then?

'Cos he's bald?

I'm still wondering if he's Norman, picked up at the same time as "the Mudd incident" referenced in STiD.

 

[Markonian]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

So he's not a Deltan, then?

'Cos he's bald?

I'm still wondering if he's Norman, picked up at the same time as "the Mudd incident" referenced in STiD.

Cool idea, but there was no reference to anybody but Mudd being onboard the K'normian trade vessel in "Countdown to Darkness".

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

So he's not a Deltan, then?

'Cos he's bald?

Well, I saw a bald crewman who was clearly something other than human and wondered if he was a reimagined Deltan.

 

[Christopher]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise (Reviews included)

It was quite clear in the movie that he was some kind of cyborg.

And it's not as if Deltans are the only bald people in the universe. It's a pretty common trait among human male Starfleet captains, for one thing...

 

[F. King Daniel]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise (Reviews included)

I thought he was a bodybuilding Bynar.

 

[British Khan]

The preview for #31 reminds me of an old TNG episode.

 

[Markonian]

It would be really nice if we got to see every one of the 'real' characters back in the 'real' universe (I can't call it the Prime Universe anymore - should I call it NuPrime?). If nothing else I want to see a female commodore but I will also weep tears of joy if Chapel were to transfer back onto the ship as a biologist or even a nurse if they must.

Easy nomenclature:
prime/primary universe - TOS and sequels
alternate reality - the new movies' universe
parallel alternate reality - Jane Tiberia Kirk's universe
... plus an assortment of mirror and myriad universes.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

Cool idea, but there was no reference to anybody but Mudd being onboard the K'normian trade vessel in "Countdown to Darkness".

There was no detailed references to the entire adventure, only that readers of the IDW prequel mini-series had an inkling of what the Mudd incident entailed.

There was hardly time in STiD for anyone to say, "Ah of course, that K'Normian ship we got from Mudd when Mr Norman defected to Starfleet and we rescued those women from the Venus drug."

 

[Pauln6]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

Awesome. I'll sleep more soundly tonight! Hopefully the skin tone will eventually darken once the artists learn that she's not white but at least she isn't blonde any more!

Chapel, in TOS, went from blonde to brunette to blonde again (for TAS) and brunette again for TMP. 'Cos wigs and hair dye and experimentation.

So he's not a Deltan, then?

'Cos he's bald?

I'm still wondering if he's Norman, picked up at the same time as "the Mudd incident" referenced in STiD.

Interesting thought - lol. Could lead us to take Chapel to Exo II as well! It would be nice if they tied together their intelligent robot stories so we don't have quite so many running around with parallel origins...

I preferred Majel as brunette personally but as far as the comic characters go you have Marcus (blonde Caucasian), Rand (Blonde Causasian) and Zahra (blonde and very pale South Asian so as to appear Caucasian). It does play into the whole 'whitewashing' argument. Fashion choice of make-believe characters aside, I can't see any real-world point in making the only South Asian character in the comic look less and less South Asian.

As it happens, Zahra may not be the blonde since in the only name check we get, her hair cannot be seen (I have only skimmed through so far). I certainly hope her hair is back to black!

 

[Oso Blanco]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

I can't see any real-world point in making the only South Asian character in the comic look less and less South Asian.

As it happens, Zahra may not be the blonde since in the only name check we get, her hair cannot be seen (I have only skimmed through so far). I certainly hope her hair is back to black!

Again: The blonde chick was already identified as Zahra in Star Trek Ongoing #26 (The Khitomer Conflict, Part 2). She has a pretty big part there!

And can someone explain to my why the original Zahra should be South Asian? Neither the character nor the actress looks remotely South Asian to me.

Since the TOS looking Zahra has already appeared in one of the earlier Ongoing issues, we can easily assume that those two Zahras are two different characters.

 

[Pauln6]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

I can't see any real-world point in making the only South Asian character in the comic look less and less South Asian.

As it happens, Zahra may not be the blonde since in the only name check we get, her hair cannot be seen (I have only skimmed through so far). I certainly hope her hair is back to black!

Again: The blonde chick was already identified as Zahra in Star Trek Ongoing #26 (The Khitomer Conflict, Part 2). She has a pretty big part there!

And can someone explain to my why the original Zahra should be South Asian? Neither the character nor the actress looks remotely South Asian to me.

Since the TOS looking Zahra has already appeared in one of the earlier Ongoing issues, we can easily assume that those two Zahras are two different characters.

I do applaud them for expanding Zahra's role even if I am pining for Rand a little bit (I wish they would let Rand be Kirk's Yeoman and at least feature her doing something). However, in issues prior to 26 she wasn't blonde. As has been pointed out, the character is perfectly entitled to dye her hair but this essentially turns a non-Caucasian character into a Caucasian one. I simply wonder why they would want to do that.

I did try to find out what nationality/ethnicity Maurishka Taliferro actually was but I couldn't find any information in a quick search. Still, in a comic the more significant issue is more that she is non-Caucasian so the coloration of her skin tone should be darker. I guessed South Asian because she has straightish hair, lightish skin, and exotic eyes. Of course the ethnicity of a character does not equal the actors - we have Ricardo Montalbahn playing Indian and Fahran Tahir was playing a South American.

 

[Oso Blanco]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

As has been pointed out, the character is perfectly entitled to dye her hair but this essentially turns a non-Caucasian character into a Caucasian one. I simply wonder why they would want to do that.

It could be that they are two different characters who happen to have the same name.

I guessed South Asian because she has straightish hair, lightish skin, and exotic eyes.

Seems more Arabic to me.

 

[Christopher]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise (Reviews included)

Actually Maurishka Taliaferro looks closer to African than Indian to me, a similar mix to Halle Berry, say. But it's hard to tell just by sight. I do find a reference to a Maurishka Palace Apartments in Mangalore, India, suggesting her first name is of Indian origin, although her surname seems Italian. She might be of quite diverse ancestry.

Zahra, meanwhile, is an Arabic name, but one that has spread to the Indian subcontinent and is common as a surname in Malta. So that doesn't exactly pin it down.

In any case, you're right -- if the colorist is rendering her as a pale-skinned blonde, that's a serious mistake.

 

[NotLKH]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

...I wish they would let Rand be Kirk's Yeoman and at least feature her doing something...

Exactly what is a yeoman? Let alone "Kirk's Yeoman". Being somebody's yeoman sounds somewhat slavish. And, ultimately, it seemed Rand's job duties amounted to something like bringing Kirk his coffee when he'd wake up in the morning. Hardly something you'd need to graduate from starfleet acadamy for.

 

[Christopher]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise

Exactly what is a yeoman? Let alone "Kirk's Yeoman". Being somebody's yeoman sounds somewhat slavish. And, ultimately, it seemed Rand's job duties amounted to something like bringing Kirk his coffee when he'd wake up in the morning. Hardly something you'd need to graduate from starfleet acadamy for.

Yeoman is a naval enlisted rating responsible for clerical and administrative work -- basically the equivalent of a secretary or aide. Essentially Rand was to Kirk as Radar was to Col. Potter on M*A*S*H -- the person who handled the clerical duties for the commanding officer.

 

[Oso Blanco]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise (Reviews included)

In any case, you're right -- if the colorist is rendering her as a pale-skinned blonde, that's a serious mistake.

Do I have to say this a third time? It's not an error! That blonde girl is the same that we saw on the bridge in STID, and according to Ongoing #26 (The Khitomer Conflict, Part 2) her name is Zahra!

Is it so unimaginable that there are two people sharing the same name?

 

[Christopher]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise (Reviews included)

Is it so unimaginable that there are two people sharing the same name?

In real life, no, but in fiction, it would be considered a mistake in its own right to give two unrelated characters the same name, because that would confuse the audience. So this is a disingenuous objection. Given that Zahra had already been established as a crewmember with dark hair and skin, showing us a pale blond crewmember named Zahra is a mistake of one sort or another, whether it's the colorist defaulting to white or the artist getting confused about which character is which.

 

[Pauln6]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise (Reviews included)

In any case, you're right -- if the colorist is rendering her as a pale-skinned blonde, that's a serious mistake.

Do I have to say this a third time? It's not an error! That blonde girl is the same that we saw on the bridge in STID, and according to Ongoing #26 (The Khitomer Conflict, Part 2) her name is Zahra!

Is it so unimaginable that there are two people sharing the same name?

It most likely IS an error. Yes, the character WAS drawn to appear like the actress from STiD but most likely there was not a decision to change the character's ethnicity. I would have thought a mix up between Rand and Zahra was more likely.

It's not unimaginable that they have the same name - they could be adopted sisters or even be a married couple. But just having two characters of different ethnicity who just happen to have the same name would be lame. I mean, why would you?

 

[Oso Blanco]

Re: IDW: Ongoing #31: I, Enterprise (Reviews included)

In real life, no, but in fiction, it would be considered a mistake in its own right to give two unrelated characters the same name, because that would confuse the audience. So this is a disingenuous objection. Given that Zahra had already been established as a crewmember with dark hair and skin, showing us a pale blond crewmember named Zahra is a mistake of one sort or another, whether it's the colorist defaulting to white or the artist getting confused about which character is which.

The blonde Zahra from The Khitomer Conflict is clearly meant to be the same character that we saw in STID, so the colorist is not wrong. It may be that she was given the wrong name in the comic, though ... but until we hear otherwise, we will have to assume that there are two people with the name Zahra on the Enterprise.

 

[trampledamage]

Okay, everything is now in this thread - apologies if the conversations are a bit confused.

I'm not going to sticky the thread though - if you can't find it, search for "Ongoing".