"The Magicks of Megas-Tu" was the eighth episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series, in the show's first season, first aired on 27 October 1973. The episode was written by
, directed by
and novelized in Log Three by Alan Dean Foster.
Summary
The USS Enterprise travels to the center of the galaxy. Here they discover magic and befriend Lucien. The people of Megas-Tu attempt to punish the crew for Humanity's past. Spock convinces the locals that the United Federation of Planets is filled with peaceful people. The crew is released along with their new friend.
Log entries
Episode log entries
- Captain's log, stardate 1254.4.
- For years scientists have theorized that if our galaxy was created from a great explosion then the center of the galaxy might still be creating new matter. The is now on a science mission to investigate. It's an awesome thought that we may actually witness matter being created.
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- In this incredible universe it appears to be part of the natural laws that belief is as potent a force as energy and matter are in our own.
Novelization log entries
- Captain's log, stardate 5524.5.
- For many years scientist have theorized that the galaxy was created by a great central explosion. If this was so, attendant new theories postulate that the galactic center may still be creating new matter. The Enterprise has the honor of being the first ship to attempt to penetrate to the heart of the galaxy. We will try to ascertain the truth or falsity of this and numerous other spatial hypotheses.
References
Characters
Episode characters
- Arex Na Eth • Asmodeus • Christine Chapel • James T. Kirk • Lucien • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • unnamed Megans • unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel
- Referenced only
- Lucifer • Rhadamanthus
Novelization characters
- Arex Na Eth • Asmodeus • Frank Gabler • Jacobs • James T. Kirk • Lucien • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • unnamed Megans
- Referenced only
- Baal • Lucifer • Rhadamanthus
Starships and vehicles
Locations
Episode locations
- Referenced only
- Earth (Salem, Massachusetts • Jerusalem) • Hell • Prometheus Science Center
Novelization locations
- Referenced only
- Earth (Babylonia • Greece • Huang He River, China • Indus Valley, Pakistan • Salem, Massachusetts • Ur, Mesopotamia) • Jupiter • Prometheus Science Center •
Shipboard areas
- USS Enterprise
- bridge • engineering • recreation room • sickbay
Races and cultures
Science and classification
Technology and weapons
- artificial gravity • artificial gravity compensator • battery • charting scanners • chronometer • computer • deflector • gravity detector • intercom • library computer • life support system • medical tricorder • megasphere • microwelder • phaser bank • sensor • starship • subspace radio • telescope • viewscreen • warp engine
Materials and substances
- antimatter • atmosphere • blood • gas • hydrogen • love potion • matter • oxygen
Astronomical objects
- binary star • blue giant • blue star • cepheid variable • G class star • matter-energy whirlwind • nebula • negative black hole • neutron star • nonspace • red dwarf • star cluster • trinary star • universe • white star
States and organizations
Ranks and titles
- advisor • captain • chief engineer • chief medical officer • commander • commanding officer • communications officer • doctor • engineer • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • generalist • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • helmsman • medical practitioner • navigator • officer • scientist • science officer • second officer • specialist • technician • weapons officer
Other references
- 1691 • 17th century • air • alcohol • alert status (yellow alert) • anatomy • apple • astronomy • astrophysics • Bacchanais • beaming • Big Bang • Bones • boot • captain's log • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2268 • century • checkers • chemistry • chicken • city • clothing • creation point • Denebian spider • desert • devil • drawing • electromagnetism • elf • emergency power • Federation members • film • five-year mission • galaxy • General Order 1 • goat • government • gravity • gumbo • helm • homeworld • hood (clothing) • horn • hour • humanoid • hurricane • jumpsuit • jungle • kilometer • language • lifeform • lightning • log entry • logic • love philter • magic • matter • memory • microtape • mystic symbol • mythology • nation-state • ocean • orbit • pants • planet • punchcard • quadrant • races and cultures • radiation • rank • Salem witch trials • satyr • sorcerer-contractor • space • soup • stable • star • star system • stardate • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2260s) • stocks • supernatural • technology • tennis • tentacle • Third Law of Motion • time • title • toast • tree • tunic • uniform • universe • Vulcan chess • warp speed • weapon • witch • year
Chronology
- years prior to 2269
- Lucien visits Earth. (prior to episode/novelization)
- 13th century
- 1691
- stardate 1254.4/5524.5, 2269 (2260s chronology, 2264–2270 Enterprise voyages)
- Enterprise travels to Megas-Tu.
Appendices
Related media
Salem was also featured in:
Origins of Christian figures were considered in:
The Great Barrier later featured in:
Witches/wizards were referenced/seen in:
Humanity on trial was also featured in:
Background
- The stardate of 1254 is the lowest denominated number used as a stardate in an episode, preceding the earliest canon stardate of 1312 for TOS episode: "Where No Man Has Gone Before". This episode does not likely take place prior to that episode, however, based on the crew having newer uniforms and holding higher ranks and different positions than they did in that era. This is an early example of how, in canon, stardates are not sequential. Log Three revised the episode's date to a more plausible 5524, since the novelization contained sequential interludes between episodes.
- In the novelization, during Spock's attempt to move a Vulcan chess piece with magic, he said, "for every action, let there be an equal and opposite reaction." He was stating Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion, a scientific principle.
Images
Episode images
Novelization images
Connections
Timeline
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous episode: Mudd's Passion |
TAS episode produced | Next episode: The Time Trap |
| Previous episode: The Infinite Vulcan |
TAS episode aired | Next episode: Once Upon a Planet |
| Previous story: Mudd's Passion |
Log Three |
Next story: last story until Log Four |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Mudd's Passion |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: The Terratin Incident |
| Previous Adventure: Mudd's Passion |
Next Adventure: The Terratin Incident | |
Translations
- 1993
- German : Die Zauberer von Megas-tu, translated by Hermann Martlreiter. (Goldmann)
- 1995
- Romanian : Magia de pe Megas-Tu, translated by Max Felix. (Editura Cristian)
External links
- "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- The Magicks of Megas-tu article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- The Magicks of Megas-Tu discussion at the Mission Log podcast.
- The Magicks of Megas-Tu review at TrekToday.
- The Magicks of Megas-Tu discussion at the Saturday Morning Trek podcast.
- The Magicks of Megas-Tu article by Keith R.A. DeCandido at Tor.com.