Counselor Troi is returning from a conference in a shuttle, but while passing Vagra II, the shuttle is suddenly sent out of control and crash-lands on the planet, injuring both Troi and the pilot.

When the Enterprise arrives at Vagra, Worf locates the shuttle, but cannot beam the two up- some sort of interference is not allowing the sensors to fully penetrate the debris. Riker, Yar, Data, and Beverly beam down to help. They find what looks like an oil slick, but one that follows them, constantly blocking their path from the shuttle. When Data theorizes that it could be alive, the slick responds to them, and assumes a vaguely humanoid shape.

It introduces itself as Armus, and claims not to share the Federation's ideals that all life has a right to exist. Yar tries to cross, and is instantly killed. Although she is immediately brought back to Sickbay and put on life support, it's too late. Armus, meanwhile, coats the shuttle and taunts Troi with what he has done.

Picard appoints Worf Acting Security Chief, and Riker goes back down to Vagra, with Geordi, Beverly, and Data. Armus torments them all, first allowing, then disallowing Beverly to enter the shuttle, then ripping off Geordi's VISOR and transporting it from place to place. When no one lets themselves be emotionally affected by Armus, he returns to the shuttle, where he explains to Troi that he came from a race of beings who managed to siphon off all their evil, which became him. The beings then departed, leaving him behind. When Troi offers her pity, Armus rumbles "save that for yourself!", flows back off the shuttle, and sucks Riker into himself.

Picard beams down to negotiate with Armus, as up on the ship, Worf and Wesley notice that the force-field is weakest when Armus coats the shuttle. Picard refuses to play Armus's game, even when threatened by Data's phaser, controlled by Armus. Armus eventually regurgitates Riker, and all but Picard and those in the shuttle are allowed to beam up. Armus then tells Picard that he wants transportation off-world. Picard says he might give it to him, but he must see his people first. Armus puts him in the shuttle, where Picard hurriedly consults with Troi. Troi tells him that Armus is most vulnerable when he's feeling his own rage instead of internalizing it. When Picard is brought back out, he manages to provoke Armus to greater and greater anger at his own fate, until the force-field is weak enough that everyone is beamed aboard.

Some time later, in a moving memorial, an image of Tasha tells everyone to remember how much she loved her life, and extols the virtues of each of her fellow crewmembers in turn.

Highlight Listing:

"Skin Of Evil" - A rescue mission turns to tragedy when one of the Enterprise officers is killed by an evil alien.

Advertising Headline:

SAVAGE MURDER SHOCKS CREW! The line of duty spells death for a Starfleet officer.

TV log listing:

Enterprise officer killed! on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.

Operation SNAFU

When Riker is being pulled into Armus, the away team runs towards Armus. However Geordi drops his phaser into Armus. When Captain Picard beams onto the planet, the away team is standing around calmly, and Geordi's phaser is back in his pocket. (Either the phaser didn't get THAT dirty, or they beamed down another one quickly) (UV) Also, the computer-generated picture Worf is looking at within the first minutes of "Skin of Evil" is the very same one you can see twice later: It contains already this graph of Armus' energy-level (or whatever it's meant to represent) with the same ups and downs Troi is causing much later in the show!

Technical design, graphic design, interactive features, HTML & CGI programming by Andrew Tong. || All materials Copyright © 1987-1995 by their respective authors. || Document created: January 28, 1995 || Last Modified: July 12, 1999