Star Trek: The Next Generation - Mirror Broken

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Mirror Broken is a six-issue comic book miniseries from IDW Publishing. Published in 2017, the series depicts the mirror universe versions of the Star Trek: The Next Generation characters.

A collected edition was released in March 2018.

Summary[]

Issue #1[]

In the seventy years since the beginning of Spock's revolution, the Terran Empire has fought a losing war against the Klingon-Cardassian alliance. ISS Stargazer, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, has been tasked with patrolling the empire's outermost border at the edge of the Solar System. As he is being summoned to the bridge, Picard encounters Inquisitor Deanna Troi, who informs him of rumors that Imperial Starfleet has developed a new type of warship that will improve the empire's fortunes.

On the bridge, Picard learns that Stargazer has detected a lone Cardassian Galor-class cruiser which has suffered a warp core breach and drifted into Terran space. Stargazer intercepts and fires upon the cruiser, eventually crippling the craft and killing most of its crew. Picard orders two Cardassian survivors to be beamed aboard Stargazer for interrogation, while the cruiser is towed by tractor beam back to the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars for salvage.

Picard visits Commander Data in his quarters and criticizes him for spending more time working on the appliances built into his arms instead of making himself useful to the empire. Data accompanies Lieutenant Barclay to the officers mess, where they witness a violent argument erupt between two crewmates over the rumors of a new warship. Barclay apologizes to Data for the commotion, but Data replies that observing Humans this way may prove "beneficial."

Upon reaching Utopia Planitia, Picard, Data, and Barclay beam down to hand over the Cardassian cruiser and prisoners. However, Picard is refused full payment due to the damage sustained to the cruiser. Data hacks into the empire's computer network and uncovers files proving that the Terrans are indeed developing an advanced project: a Galaxy-class warship called the ISS Enterprise-D. Picard and Data learn that Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, a former engineer aboard Stargazer, has been assigned to Enterprise.

At Utopia Planitia's engineering division, La Forge informs his superiors of microscopic cracks he has detected in Enterprise's antimatter chamber; his warnings are brushed aside because of his disability. Picard and Data visit La Forge and reveal they have discovered about the warship. La Forge agrees to help them commandeer Enterprise in exchange for La Forge becoming her chief engineer and getting the largest share of the profits after Picard's. Outside, La Forge reveals that Enterprise is being built in orbit above Mars under a large cloaking net.

Issue #2[]

Picard assigns his crew to specific tasks in his plot to seize control of Enterprise: Data, La Forge, and Barclay are assigned to secure the ship's command codes and security clearances, while Troi is to interrogate crewmembers on Stargazer to assess which are sufficiently loyal to Picard to be allowed aboard Enterprise. Picard also orders Troi to make contact with Enterprise's first officer, William T. Riker, despite some rocky history between Riker and Troi.

La Forge visits the apartment of Dr. Leah Brahms and initially tries to coax information about Enterprise out of her. Brahms sees through the ruse and forces La Forge to divulge his involvement in Picard's plot. Brahms agrees to help secure the ship's security clearances after La Forge promises to make her his executive officer in engineering. Brahms returns to Enterprise, knocks out the chief engineer, and changes the security clearances for Picard's crew.

As Data and Barclay tinker in Enterprise's shuttlebay, Data admits that he felt "alive" during his previous hacking excursion. Meanwhile, Picard approaches Riker at a Utopia Planitia bar and asks for his help in seizing control of the Enterprise from its present captain, Edward Jellico. A violent brawl breaks out between the two men, leading to the other patrons fleeing the bar. When the fight is over, Riker – impressed by Picard's mettle – agrees to join the plot.

Issue #3[]

On the day of Enterprise's launch, Riker greets Jellico at the shuttlebay, where the captain delivers a speech and sends a crewmember away for "retraining" over a petty infraction. Jellico next visits sickbay, where he meets the ship's doctor, Beverly Crusher. Jellico takes umbrage to the presence of Crusher's son, Wesley, and threatens his life in the event that he gets in the way of the warship's operation. Jellico reaches the bridge and prepares to depart Spacedock.

Picard learns that Enterprise has only a partial crew complement for her launch and that most of them oppose Jellico, which will allow Picard's crew to take the ship with ease. With Data and Barclay having already re-engineered the shuttlebay into a mass transporter platform, Picard and his conspirators beam aboard Enterprise. Picard, Data, and Barclay proceed to the bridge. La Forge and Brahms take control of engineering while Troi commandeers the transporter room.

Background information[]

On connecting the story in the miniseries with the history of the mirror universe established in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, J.K. Woodward commented that the creative team "are tying this story with the DS9 stories, to smooth over the continuity and tie it all together". [1] Similarly, Scott Tipton noted that: "We do play off of the description of the state of the Terran Empire from the DS9 episodes, and explain that all may not have been as people out in deep space believed", whilst David Tipton added that the story is "placed in the context of what we learned about what happened to the Mirror Universe from the Deep Space Nine episodes… when DS9 took on the Mirror Universe, they built up a unique storyline that supported multiple episodes". [2]
The series was previewed by a Free Comic Book Day issue. [3]
A special one-shot issue, "Origin of Data", was released by LootCrate in its September subscribers' box. [4]
Characters from the miniseries were added to the mobile game Star Trek Timelines in an event in December 2017. [5]
A follow-up miniseries, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Through the Mirror, solicited for weekly release in May 2018, was announced in February 2018. [6]

Creators[]

Writers:
- Scott Tipton
- David Tipton
Interior Artists:
- J.K. Woodward

Issues[]

External link[]

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Mirror Broken at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

Previous issue:	Series	Next issue:
"Star Trek: The Next Generation - Doctor Who: Assimilation²"	Star Trek: The Next Generation	"Through the Mirror"
First issue in series	Mirror Universe Collection	"Through the Mirror"