There have been great villains throughout Star Trek’s 56-year history, but their version of Doctor Doom nearly broke the franchise. Over the years, fans have thrilled as larger-than-life villains such as Khan, Nero and the Borg menaced the galaxy, but in March 1970’s Star Trek #7, first published by Gold Key, readers met the evil Count Dressler–whose backstory violated not only established continuity but the very ethos of Star Trek as well.

Star Trek’s history of licensed tie-ins got off to a somewhat rocky start; companies would create science-fiction related toys and slap the Star Trek name on them, regardless if it actually appeared on the show. This approach spilled over into the early days of Star Trek comics as well. Gold Key, at the time known for media tie-ins, was the first company to publish Star Trek comics, beginning in 1967, almost a year after the show first premiered. Many of the early Gold Key issues were written and illustrated by creators who had never seen the show; this was due to the creators residing in countries where Star Trek had yet to air. As a result, the early stories were a bit of a mess, and if not for the presence of Kirk and Spock, readers would be hard-pressed to know it was based on the show. The wacky aesthetic of the early Gold Key comics was best on display in Star Trek #7, depicting a cartoonish super-villain bent on galactic domination, a villain cut from the same cloth as Doctor Doom.

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The uncredited story opens with the Enterprise discovering a planet with replicas of Earth landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal. During the course of their investigation, a crew member accidentally tips over the replica of the Tower–and on Earth the actual Eiffel Tower is destroyed! The crew dub the mysterious world the “Voodoo Planet,” likening the replicas to the “voodoo dolls” of Earth’s past. Kirk and Spock then learn the planet is under the control of Count Dressler, a war criminal from Earth. Readers learn that Dressler, from his tiny kingdom on Earth, attempted to conquer it with atomic weapons; knowing his time on Earth was up, Dressler fled, ultimately discovering the mysterious “Voodoo Planet,” which he planned to use to destroy Earth and rule the galaxy.

Count Dressler

Gold Key’s early Star Trek comics were notorious for missing the mark, but Count Dressler’s backstory completely breaks the franchise, violating not only continuity, but Gene Roddenberry’s vision for humanity as well. Nothing in established Trek lore pointed to the existence of villains like Dressler existing in Kirk’s time; indeed, both Star Trek and Roddenberry himself said that 23rd-century Earth was peaceful, a planet without crime or poverty. Instead, Dressler, with his monocle and monk-like robes, was a villain more in line with the likes of Doctor Doom. There are parallels beyond the appearance–both Doom and Dressler ruled from tiny kingdoms on Earth. Dressler’s is never named, but readers know Doctor Doom presided over the Eastern European nation of Latveria; the issue never says where Dressler’s kingdom was located exactly, but there is strong evidence it too was in Eastern Europe. Like Doctor Doom, Dressler attempted to take over the world, but was turned back–ultimately leading to Dressler’s exile to the Voodoo Planet. Beyond the continuity violations, the existence of men like Dressler in the 23rd century flew in the face of everything Gene Roddenberry envisioned; furthermore, occult elements such as the Voodoo Planet would not have sat well with Roddenberry.

Over time, the Gold Key comics would find their footing, and feature stories more in line with the show, but the early issues are fascinating, as the franchise tries to find its comic book footing. One early issue featured a super villain much like Doctor Doom, who nearly broke the Star Trek franchise.