Quick "Countdown" comics question

[The Borgified Corpse]

I never got a chance to read the "Countdown" prequel comics since my local Atomic Comics was already sold out before I got there. I was just wondering how the story worked in appearances for Captain Picard & Data, as was indicated by some of the posters I saw? I particularly have to wonder about Data since the date given by future Spock in the movie comes long after Data's death in Nemesis.

 

[Daneel]

"Data" was technically B-4, but that download thing Data and Geordi did in Nemesis resulted in B-4 eventually gaining all of Data's memories. So it's basically like Data has been resurrected in the body of his "brother".

Picard is Federation Ambassador to Vulcan, although why the Federation needs an ambassador to one of its oldest member worlds is a mystery to me. He helps Spock and Nero present their case to the Vulcan Science Academy.

Frankly, both appearances were a little contrived and implausible. I liked Countdown overall, but there were definitely too many unnecessary TNG cameos (Worf and Geordi also show up in the story later on).

 

[Therin of Andor]

I never got a chance to read the "Countdown" prequel comics since my local Atomic Comics was already sold out before I got there.

The omnibus collection is still available.

Meanwhile,
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Countdown

 

[Therin of Andor]

Picard is Federation Ambassador to Vulcan, although why the Federation needs an ambassador to one of its oldest member worlds is a mystery to me.

Huh? For a long time, Sarek seemed to acted as Vulcan Ambassador to Earth, or at least to the UFP.

Why wouldn't Earth send an ambassador to Vulcan? An ambassador is simply an official representative.

 

[DevilEyes]

"Data" was technically B-4, but that download thing Data and Geordi did in Nemesis resulted in B-4 eventually gaining all of Data's memories. So it's basically like Data has been resurrected in the body of his "brother".

Picard is Federation Ambassador to Vulcan, although why the Federation needs an ambassador to one of its oldest member worlds is a mystery to me.

Wouldn't that be Earth ambassador to Vulcan, not "Federation ambassador to Vulcan"?

Sarek was Vulcan ambassador to Earth, and I am pretty sure that EU member states still have embassies in other EU member states.

 

[Daneel]

Yeah, okay, maybe Picard was the Earth ambassador, but it just strikes me as odd, considering that, from what we have seen, the Federation Council seems to act as the main governing body of all Federation member worlds. Inter-Federation ambassadors seem a bit unnecessary.

I'll admit I don't know everything about the Federation's political system -- I'm just hypothesizing. For whatever it's worth though, the Federation seems a lot more unified than the European Union, so I don't know if a comparison there is appropriate.

At any rate, given the strong, centuries-long ties between Vulcan and Earth, the role of Earth Ambassador to Vulcan seems like it would be fairly unimportant and thankless. One would think someone as distinguished as Picard would be in a more important ambassadorial position.

 

[gastrof]

Sarek was the Ambassador representing Vulcan in Federation matters.

Notice the situation in JOURNEY TO BABEL. Each Federation world has an ambassador (and assistant?) representing them.

 

[Daneel]

Ah well, it's probably just me.

I suppose I can accept that Federation planets might have ambassadors to other member worlds... but I still think it's odd that someone of Picard's stature would be made Earth's ambassador to Vulcan. Such a task seems --how shall I put it-- beneath him.

Frankly, I'm still a little surprised that he retired from Starfleet. In any event, as I've said, I found his Countdown appearance a bit contrived.

 

[Ovation]

"Data" was technically B-4, but that download thing Data and Geordi did in Nemesis resulted in B-4 eventually gaining all of Data's memories. So it's basically like Data has been resurrected in the body of his "brother".

Picard is Federation Ambassador to Vulcan, although why the Federation needs an ambassador to one of its oldest member worlds is a mystery to me. He helps Spock and Nero present their case to the Vulcan Science Academy.

Frankly, both appearances were a little contrived and implausible. I liked Countdown overall, but there were definitely too many unnecessary TNG cameos (Worf and Geordi also show up in the story later on).

The TNG appearances (which I could have taken or left) were intended from the beginning. Orci and Kurtzman have said this comic was supposed to be their way of working in TNG into the story since they became Trek fans via TNG.

 

[JarodRussell]

The whole political thing in Countdown was stupid.

Vulcan is a member of the Federation. Whether the Romulan Empire dies is an issue that bothers the Federation first, and Vulcan has to obey what the Federation Council says, and not what the Vulcan Council wants.

Picard and Spock getting there to beg the Vulcan Council for the Red Matter was absolutely silly. They would have gone to the Federation Council, and there would have been a vote on helping the Romulan Empire or not.

[...]since they became Trek fans via TNG.

For being fans of TNG, they were pretty ungrateful with that movie and that comic.

 

[barnaclelapse]

The whole political thing in Countdown was stupid.

Vulcan is a member of the Federation. Whether the Romulan Empire dies is an issue that bothers the Federation first, and Vulcan has to obey what the Federation Council says, and not what the Vulcan Council wants.

Picard and Spock getting there to beg the Vulcan Council for the Red Matter was absolutely silly. They would have gone to the Federation Council, and there would have been a vote on helping the Romulan Empire or not.

[...]since they became Trek fans via TNG.

For being fans of TNG, they were pretty ungrateful with that movie and that comic.

It still seemed rushed to me. I didn't like it a bit.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

There are times when it has seemed like Vulcan likes to keep a certain distance from the rest of the Federation. Maybe it's kinda like Scotland. Scotland is a part of the U.K. yet it has its own separate parliament.

There was a novel way back when, "The Prometheus Design" IIRC, where the Vulcans were acting really pissy and it sounded like the Vulcans had included some institutional racism in the Starfleet charter. I recall some aspect cited in the book that said that humans, through no fault of their own, were inferior to Vulcans. Thus, any Vulcan could refuse to serve under a human. This was used by the pissy Vulcan ambassador to remove Captain Kirk and put Spock in command of the Enterprise. Kirk was graciously allowed to stay on as science officer.

 

[Therin of Andor]

There are times when it has seemed like Vulcan likes to keep a certain distance from the rest of the Federation. Maybe it's kinda like Scotland. Scotland is a part of the U.K. yet it has its own separate parliament.

The premise of the early harcover novel, "Spock's World", had Vulcan seriously discussing succession from the UFP.

In ST VI, the UFP races are wearing blue sashes. Klingons are wearing red. Neutral planets are wearing green. But... Sarek and the Vulcans - and Nanclus the Romulan, and his aides - are all wearing yellow.

Perhaps succession from the UFP was seriously considered as one of the essential steps towards successful Reunification with Romulus?

 

[nx1701g]

The whole political thing in Countdown was stupid.

Vulcan is a member of the Federation. Whether the Romulan Empire dies is an issue that bothers the Federation first, and Vulcan has to obey what the Federation Council says, and not what the Vulcan Council wants.

Picard and Spock getting there to beg the Vulcan Council for the Red Matter was absolutely silly. They would have gone to the Federation Council, and there would have been a vote on helping the Romulan Empire or not.

Not necessarily, it has never been specifically spelled out how politics work in the Federation. Most people assume, since Roddenberry suggested the Federation was the United States in 1966, that the Federation is designed like the United States itself: with the planets serving as states which have their own governments but must follow federal orders. The Federation may, however, be more akin to the United Nations where they are a league of powers instead of one government.

If you go the UN route then the Vulcans are entirely in their right to reject any requests made.