IDW Publishing has been delivering some unique takes on our favorite characters from Star Trek, even bringing back Avery Brook's Captain Sisko and returning him to his rightful place as a captain. The publishing company takes risks with its comics, and some of those are welcome. But a recent one puts Spock in a situation that doesn't work and is more than a little disturbing for fans.
Star Trek: Defiant #26 shows a Borg-assimilated Spock on the front cover [via Screenrant], but the story synopsis doesn't reveal how the iconic Vulcan became to be assimilated. And while it's possible that Spock has voluntarily allowed himself to be assimilated to aid Kahless II, Dr. Beverly Crusher, and Captain Benjamin Sisko in their fight against Lore, it's still unsettling to see Spock with Borg implants. And as logical as Spock is, we're hard-pressed to believe that he would take such a risk, knowing he could end up hurting his friends.
In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Spock took a risk that he knew would cost him his life, but he was saving his friends and the Enterprise. There was no chance that he could hurt anyone. But becoming a part of the Borg Collective is a risky endeavor, and Spock would have no control over his thoughts and actions, much like Captain Picard when he was turned into Locutus.
Granted, this might not have been a choice Spock made, but, in all of these years, no Vulcan has been assimilated, and the Borg haven't specifically targeted the Vulcan homeland. Perhaps that's because they know it would not be an easy assimilation. Vulcans can withstand mind-melds and other mind control. Could they withstand the Borg's intrusiveness? We don't know, but seeing Spock as a Borg is unnerving, and regardless of the reason behind it, it doesn't highlight a comic book that's particularly inviting.