Though no one was dressed in costume, and only one small child dared to even try to speak Klingon, Mayhem Comics and Games, 2532 Lincoln Way, was home to an esteemed general who served far from Iraq.

The general in question, Klingon General Martok, was played by J.G. Hertzler in the series “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” who came to greet fans and sign autographs Wednesday.

The reasons for bringing Hertzler to Ames were numerous, said to David Schutte, Mayhem employee.

“J.G. wanted a chance to visit Rob [Josephson, Mayhem owner] and Ginny. He’d been looking for a chance to come here for a long time,” Schutte said. “He’s got a good strong fan base around here, and he likes to meet with his fans.

“His big thing that he really enjoys is theater,” Schutte continued, before being cut off by a child of no more than nine speaking with the authority of an Ivy League-trained professor of J.G. Hertzler, saying “his favorite role is General Martok.”

Josephson’s personal friendship with Hertzler helped bring him to Ames.

“I’ve known J.G. for a couple years personally. I knew his book was coming out, and he said, ‘I’d love to come to Iowa to do a signing.’ He’s also going to be on this week’s episode of ‘Enterprise.’ We thought it’d be a good opportunity,” Josephson said.

Hertzler entered boisterously wearing a jean jacket and a Jesse Ventura T-shirt and greeting a fan he recognized. “Hey, Curt,” he said before slipping off to get dinner. A handful of people awaited his arrival, while others didn’t even look up from their Magic cards. Before long, however, people began lining up to get autographs and buy Hertzler’s book co-written with Jeffrey Lang, “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — The Left Hand of Destiny.”

Hertzler joked with all of his fans.

“The book’s $7, but if you’re from Canada, I’ll charge you $10,” Hertzler said.

His awareness of the Star Trek universe impressed some, particularly while he was signing a fan’s Star Trek cards.

“On the cards, I had 8 for integrity. My cunning used to be 8, but now it’s down to 6. I became chancellor and I went down,” Hertzler muttered.

Fans came from as far away as Oklahoma to see the veteran of shows like “General Hospital” and “Zorro,” but the main draw was obviously Star Trek.

“I have a teacher who told me about the signing, and I’m a big Star Trek fan. I’ve watched it ever since I was a kid,” said Nathan Sayre, of Ankeny. “I watched “Deep Space Nine” until the captain became the chosen one, then it went downhill.”