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Description
One of the most interesting pieces in my entire collection of Starfleet Captain's uniforms from the "Wrath of Khan" era of "Star Trek" history is this approximation of the Captain's green variation of the field combat uniform from the infamous Nimbus hostage rescue sequence in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," worn in that movie by William Shatner as Captain Kirk. I had it quietly put together throughout August 2013, then wore it for the first time to Anime Weekend Atlanta 2013. To my knowledge, I was the first - and may still be the only - "Star Trek" cosplayer to have used this uniform at a public event, because I haven't found any evidence of other cosplayers using it.

However, I had never worn this uniform "correctly." When I wore it in 2013, I had not yet discovered that the best way to get my hair into a comb-over hairstyle that better resembles Captain Hikaru Sulu's actual hairstyle was to wax it using Bed Head Manipulator and then spray-dye it grey to "age" my appearance (Sulu was in his late fifties when he became the captain of the U.S.S. Excelsior in the 2290's). I also didn't have my full arsenal of props, courtesy of my go-to propmaker friends at Triple-Fiction Productions. I've done a lot of work since then, and am currently planning on bringing this costume up-to-date and reintroducing it at the upcoming Agamacon 2016, the first convention in the CSRA, which is due to happen next weekend.

This series of photos shows some shots from a very extensive test run I conducted with the costume using an entire arsenal of Assault Phaser-derived props including my trusty "Copperhead Special" Assault Phaser pistol, Ariadne Drake's Heavy Assault Phaser pistol from the comic book adaptation of the Shatnerverse novel "The Ashes of Eden," and two different Assault Phaser-derived rifle weapons - including how the uniform looks when I've got Phaser rifles, never seen used with the uniform in the film itself, slung across my back.

The featured prop here is at the same time an "upgrade" and a "throwback" to the first time I ever wore this uniform at Anime Weekend Atlanta 2013. I used the costume on Saturday, the second day of that convention, and at the same time, I made "Star Trek" cosplay history by enacting the cosplay debut of a completely new prop: the first-ever recreation of the so-called "Assassin's Phaser Rifle," built at my request by my friends at Triple-Fiction Productions shortly after the completion of my "Copperhead Special" Assault Phaser variant.

So what was this weapon? Technically, it's simply a conversion of the Mark VIII Battle Phaser (the Expanded Universe model name for the infamous Assault Phaser) into a long-range sniper rifle. It works in a very similar manner to the additions that transformed the Walther P-38 semiautomatic pistol into the "U.N.C.L.E. Special" sniper carbine in the television series, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." The pistol is fitted with a barrel extension/muzzle brake, a telescopic gunsight and an extending crescent-shaped shoulder stock. But what really makes this prop interesting - and significant - is its off-screen history.

As anyone who's ever seen "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" knows, at one point, Starfleet traitor Colonel West attempts to assassinate the Federation president. Originally, West was going to use this weapon to do the deed. The prop was actually built and prepared for filming, and a photo was taken of the prop. But the script ultimately changed. West was now to be disguised as a Klingon, and it didn't make sense for a Klingon to have a Starfleet Phaser rifle. For over 20 years, the only evidence that the "Assassin's Phaser" ever existed was a single photo printed in one particular "Star Trek" art book... that is, until I approached Triple-Fiction Productions with the idea of resurrecting the prop.

I am now one of a handful of people who have reproductions of this weapon, and one of two who have used it in public events when cosplaying. But the rifle you see in this photo actually isn't the one that I originally carried that Saturday at AWA 2013. This is a new, improved, and somewhat more screen-accurate version that I commissioned from Triple-Fiction Productions the following year and brought to AWA 2014. And unlike the previous one, which had a rudimentary belt clip, my propmaker friends and I chose to "bend" the rules with this one and added a proper shoulder strap, allowing me to sling the rifle over my back.

Although the ST:V Captain's Commando Uniform has never been seen being used with a Phaser Rifle design, it's pretty obvious that the outfit is meant to be a combat uniform, so I have always believed that my Phaser rifle props suit this uniform better than any of my other outfits.

Description
One of the most interesting pieces in my entire collection of Starfleet Captain's uniforms from the "Wrath of Khan" era of "Star Trek" history is this approximation of the Captain's green variation of the field combat uniform from the infamous Nimbus hostage rescue sequence in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," worn in that movie by William Shatner as Captain Kirk. I had it quietly put together throughout August 2013, then wore it for the first time to Anime Weekend Atlanta 2013. To my knowledge, I was the first - and may still be the only - "Star Trek" cosplayer to have used this uniform at a public event, because I haven't found any evidence of other cosplayers using it.

However, I had never worn this uniform "correctly." When I wore it in 2013, I had not yet discovered that the best way to get my hair into a comb-over hairstyle that better resembles Captain Hikaru Sulu's actual hairstyle was to wax it using Bed Head Manipulator and then spray-dye it grey to "age" my appearance (Sulu was in his late fifties when he became the captain of the U.S.S. Excelsior in the 2290's). I also didn't have my full arsenal of props, courtesy of my go-to propmaker friends at Triple-Fiction Productions. I've done a lot of work since then, and am currently planning on bringing this costume up-to-date and reintroducing it at the upcoming Agamacon 2016, the first convention in the CSRA, which is due to happen next weekend.

This series of photos shows some shots from a very extensive test run I conducted with the costume using an entire arsenal of Assault Phaser-derived props including my trusty "Copperhead Special" Assault Phaser pistol, Ariadne Drake's Heavy Assault Phaser pistol from the comic book adaptation of the Shatnerverse novel "The Ashes of Eden," and two different Assault Phaser-derived rifle weapons - including how the uniform looks when I've got Phaser rifles, never seen used with the uniform in the film itself, slung across my back.

The featured prop here is at the same time an "upgrade" and a "throwback" to the first time I ever wore this uniform at Anime Weekend Atlanta 2013. I used the costume on Saturday, the second day of that convention, and at the same time, I made "Star Trek" cosplay history by enacting the cosplay debut of a completely new prop: the first-ever recreation of the so-called "Assassin's Phaser Rifle," built at my request by my friends at Triple-Fiction Productions shortly after the completion of my "Copperhead Special" Assault Phaser variant.

So what was this weapon? Technically, it's simply a conversion of the Mark VIII Battle Phaser (the Expanded Universe model name for the infamous Assault Phaser) into a long-range sniper rifle. It works in a very similar manner to the additions that transformed the Walther P-38 semiautomatic pistol into the "U.N.C.L.E. Special" sniper carbine in the television series, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." The pistol is fitted with a barrel extension/muzzle brake, a telescopic gunsight and an extending crescent-shaped shoulder stock. But what really makes this prop interesting - and significant - is its off-screen history.

As anyone who's ever seen "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" knows, at one point, Starfleet traitor Colonel West attempts to assassinate the Federation president. Originally, West was going to use this weapon to do the deed. The prop was actually built and prepared for filming, and a photo was taken of the prop. But the script ultimately changed. West was now to be disguised as a Klingon, and it didn't make sense for a Klingon to have a Starfleet Phaser rifle. For over 20 years, the only evidence that the "Assassin's Phaser" ever existed was a single photo printed in one particular "Star Trek" art book... that is, until I approached Triple-Fiction Productions with the idea of resurrecting the prop.

I am now one of a handful of people who have reproductions of this weapon, and one of two who have used it in public events when cosplaying. But the rifle you see in this photo actually isn't the one that I originally carried that Saturday at AWA 2013. This is a new, improved, and somewhat more screen-accurate version that I commissioned from Triple-Fiction Productions the following year and brought to AWA 2014. And unlike the previous one, which had a rudimentary belt clip, my propmaker friends and I chose to "bend" the rules with this one and added a proper shoulder strap, allowing me to sling the rifle over my back.

Although the ST:V Captain's Commando Uniform has never been seen being used with a Phaser Rifle design, it's pretty obvious that the outfit is meant to be a combat uniform, so I have always believed that my Phaser rifle props suit this uniform better than any of my other outfits.