Sceptre of the Sun " Science vs Sorcery : The " Enterprise " and her crew are snared in a wizard ' s magic ! " Summary . Sulu reports something on the viewer , a nebulous mass heading toward the starship . Suddenly the " Enterprise " is caught in space and just stops . An enormous genie is standing in space , holding the vessel in his hand . Spock notes that sensor s show that nothing is there , and as he does smoke fills the bridge , and Dr . McCoy , Spock , Scotty , and Captain Kirk vanish , finding themselves in an ornate throne room . Seated on the throne ahead of them is a man who introduces himself as Chang , a sorcerer . With merely a word , he freezes Scotty in his tracks . He tells the crew that many miles from their current location , there is an artifact called the " Sceptre of the Sun " that he requires in his war against another sorcerer , Xanadu . Outside the palace , a giant flaming sword hangs in the sky , one that will destroy the city if Chang makes any aggressive move . Spock questions why he chose them when his powers totally overwhelm their own , and Kirk questions why Chang feels that he can manipulate them like puppets . Chang responds by threatening to crush the " Enterprise " with his genie . He introduces Marla , a woman that will act as a guide for them . The crew heads out , and Marla warns them that they must tread " " softly on this grim path . " " Spock notes that he does not sense anything , but that things are too quiet . Suddenly , Scotty notices that the cliff walls are moving and morphing into two giant stone warriors . The warriors attack , swinging their clubs at the crew . Unfortunately , the phaser s used by the " Enterprise " crew have no effect on the creations . Kirk and Spock race toward the giants , rushing between the legs of one . It reaches down toward them , and the other giant hits the one destroying them both . The crew continues , but before long , stops for the night . Kirk questions Marla about Chang , and finds out that Marla ' s people were quiet and peaceful before his arrival , and that his mystic powers bent them to his will and he made himself king . As she tells the story , a number of warriors race into the campsite and attack the quintet . After a scuffle , the crew is outnumbered , and Kirk is captured by one of the attackers . Kirk submits to the barbarians . The leader introduces himself as Brand and asks for Kirk ' s help . He tells them that he and his people are from Earth in 1997 . The Eugenics Wars were occurring at the time , and he was part of a small peace movement . Eventually , they built a spaceship and fled Earth , drifting in suspended animation . Eventually , they found themselves on this planet , and they dismantled their ship , having found their new home . They had no problem joining the population , and one day , one of their own , Chang became bored and headed for the mountains . Several months later , he returned , but he had changed into someone sinister . The barbarians join the quintet and continue to search for the Sceptre . They trudge onward for miles , until they turn a bend , and find the temple and Sceptre . When Kirk retrieves the Sceptre , a huge robot approaches them . Kirk tries to use the Sceptre , but nothing happens . They attempt to distract the robot as Spock tries to approach it from above and behind . He does so , jumps onto its head , and rips a panel off its back . He pulls out some wires and the robot crashes to the ground . Kirk and Spock question why the Sceptre wouldn ' t work and wonder why a scientific product guards a magical object . They return toward Chang ' s castle through thunder and lightning , overpower the guards , and scale the ramparts . In the throne room , Chang greets them and turns Brand into a toad as Brand approaches him . Chang explains that he is using a tractor beam to draw the " Enterprise " down to the planet so that he can spread his empire across the stars . Spock moves toward Chang , and Chang conjures a guard into a giant beast , but Spock marches clear through it , as it is merely an illusion . Spock explains that Chang is a fraud and that everything is an illusion , including the war against Xanadu . He was trying to get rid of the command crew so that it would be easy to take over the " Enterprise " . Chang orders his guards to attack and attempts to make his escape . Kirk chases him . As Kirk reaches him , Chang knocks Kirk ' s phaser out of his hand with his sword . He readies himself to strike Kirk down when a lightning bolt hits his sword , electrocuting and killing him . He quickly returns to the throne room to discover that Spock cannot disable the tractor beam . They abandon the castle and Kirk radios up to the " Enterprise " telling them to aim their phasers at the castle , destroying it , and freeing the " Enterprise " from its pull . Memorable quotes . " " Jim , the phasers have " no effect " on these things ! " " " " Keep firing , Bones – if we don ' t stop the rock giants , the " Enterprise " is " doomed " ! " " " " I don ' a care if yer name ' s Chang or me great Aunt Tilie , I ' m gonna . . . " " " " Nyaah ! Nyaah ! Your mother wore an asteroid wig ! " " " " An ' ye ' re father flew a space scow ! " " " " Ye did it , Mr . Spock ! " " " " Your enthusiasm is unwarranted , Mr . Scott ! Under the circumstances , it was the only " logical " chance to save our lives ! " " " " Well , that " was " a compliment , Spock . . . " "