Klingons and the Book of Genesis

Few films open as majestically as director Robert Wise's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."  As Jerry Goldsmith's sweeping orchestral music plays, three Klingon battle cruisers approach a blue cloud in space, then fire into it.  In response, the cloud fires back.  The Klingons aboard one vessel see sparkling balls of energy envelop their sister ships.  They watch, helpless, as the ships disappear amidst lightning storms.  The captain of the surviving ship barks orders, and the crew rush to obey.  The ship fires a photon torpedo as another sparkling ball of energy leaves the cloud.  

This scene unfolds over the course of several minutes, and audience receives no explanation of what has just occurred.  So, in Marvel Comics' adaptation, writer Marv Wolfman simplifies the action.  He does so with a few short panels, which take up only one page.

"In the beginning, there was darkness...
Then God said, 'Let there be light!'"

"Give me tactical!"

We miss the elegant close-ups of the Klingon ships, and fail to grasp the true scope of the cloud we will later learn is called V'ger.  But the Klingons' panic is evident, and the brevity of the artwork leaves the reader just as intrigued by what force in the universe could dispatch Klingon battle cruisers so readily.

"Stand by on Photon Torpedos--Now!"
"Full forcefields!  Evasive maneuvers--quickly!"

"...and the light was good!"

All this is little comfort for the crew of the final Klingon ship, as their photon torpedo fails to disrupt the sparkling ball of energy approaching them.  When it strikes, they too are enveloped in a lightning storm.  Then the ship, with all aboard, fades into nonexistence.  

At first, Marv Wolfman's invocation of the Book of Genesis seems inappropriate.  But then, when one considers that (Spoiler Alert!) V'ger is traveling to Earth to meet its creator, the Biblical reference makes more sense.  
At least, that's my Human reaction.  I'm not sure the Klingons would agree. 

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links
Marvel's Star Trek Vol. 1 Issue No. 1