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For the alternate reality counterpart, please see Spock (alternate reality).
For the mirror universe counterpart, please see Spock (mirror).
For additional meanings of "Spock", please see Spock.
"...Of my friend, I can only say this... of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... Human."

Spock – full name generally considered unpronounceable to Humans – was a male Human/Vulcan hybrid who became one of the most distinguished and respected figures in the United Federation of Planets in his lifetime. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise", "Journey to Babel"; TNG: "Unification I", "Unification II"; VOY: "Alliances", "Endgame")

As a Starfleet officer in the 23rd century, he served aboard the starship USS Enterprise as science officer under Captain Christopher Pike, as first officer and science officer under Captain James T. Kirk, and as the Enterprise's commanding officer during her tenure as a training vessel. In the 24th century, Spock became a celebrated ambassador and adviser to the Federation's leadership. He disappeared in 2387 after saving the Federation from a supernova that destroyed Romulus, causing the creation of the alternate reality. (TOS: "The Cage", "Where No Man Has Gone Before"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; TNG: "Unification I", "Unification II"; Star Trek)

Childhood

Sarek and Spock, The Final Frontier

The newborn Spock with his father, Sarek

Spock was born in 2230 in the city of Shi'Kahr on the planet Vulcan. His mother was Amanda Grayson, a Human school teacher, and his father, Sarek, was a Vulcan scientist and diplomat. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise"; TAS: "Yesteryear")

In a deleted scene from the film Star Trek, Spock was shown to be born in the year 2230 (specifically, on stardate 2230.06). By Sarek's suggestion, he was named after one of Vulcan's early society builders. Since Spock's birth took place prior to the arrival of the Narada and the destruction of the USS Kelvin, this event was considered to have taken place in the original timeline; however, since the scene was deleted, it was not regarded as canonical.

For a time, Spock grew up alongside his half-brother, Sybok (the son of Sarek from a previous mate), until Sybok was ostracized for rejecting Vulcan principles of logic. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)

Spock, age 13

Spock as he appeared as a child

Spock's mixed parentage caused difficulties throughout his early life. His own father, despite having married a Human woman, was somewhat ambivalent about his son's half-Human nature at his birth. For her part, Amanda watched Spock's stiff-lipped anguish caused by torment at the hands of other Vulcan children, who repeatedly attacked and teased him to provoke emotional responses, knowing that his "Human half" was suffering. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; Star Trek; TOS: "Journey to Babel")

As a child, Spock was betrothed to T'Pring, in accordance with traditional Vulcan marriage procedure. (TOS: "Amok Time")

Spock, young and old

Young Spock with "an older cousin"

In 2237, at the age of seven, Spock decided (prematurely, and without parental knowledge or approval) to undertake the kahs-wan maturity trial in the Vulcan wilderness in an attempt to prove himself. His pet sehlat, I-Chaya, tagged along against his master's wishes, and defended Spock from the attack of a carnivorous, venomous le-matya. The intervention of an older cousin saved Spock from the le-matya, but I-Chaya was left badly wounded. Faced with the stark choice of a painfully extended life or a peaceful release for I-Chaya, Spock logically opted for the latter. That decision marked his choice of following in the philosophies of Surak: logic and emotional control. Many years later, in 2269, the accidental creation of an alternate timeline created a universe where Spock was killed in his childhood. Using the Guardian of Forever, Spock returned to the Vulcan of his youth and assumed the role of Selek, the nearly-forgotten cousin who saved his life during the kahs-wan ordeal. (TAS: "Yesteryear")

Spock, age 17

Spock as a teenager

Sarek gave Spock his first lessons in computers, setting him on the path of a scientific career. Against his father's wish that he complete his instruction at the Vulcan Science Academy in the family tradition, Spock expressed a desire to join Starfleet. The argument came to a head in 2250 with Spock's final decision, causing a rift that kept them from speaking to each other for eighteen years. (TOS: "Journey to Babel")

In J.J. Abrams' film Star Trek, a scene revealed that Spock (the first person ever admitted to the VSA who then chose not to attend) reached his decision when he concluded that the senior professors of the Academy would never see him as an equal, realizing this once and for all upon being told that his record was all the more impressive given the "disadvantage" of being half-Human – told by the astonished head councilor that never before had a Vulcan turned down this honor, Spock shot back that, as he obviously wasn't a real Vulcan, this was still true. However, its canonicity in the "prime" timeline was uncertain, as it occurred after Nero's first incursion. Screenwriter Roberto Orci felt that Spock's backstory was unaffected by Nero's first incursion. [1]

Starfleet career

Spock, 2254

Spock in 2254

Spock was commissioned as a Starfleet officer in 2250 with the serial number S 179-276 SP, and held an A7 computer expert classification. By 2254, he was assigned to the USS Enterprise. The starship and her namesake were his home for forty three years, until 2293. (TOS: "The Enterprise Incident", "Court Martial", "The Ultimate Computer", "The Cage"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

As a science officer under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, Spock was wounded in the leg when Pike's landing party was attacked on Rigel VII in 2254. As the ship proceeded to the Vega colony for medical care, a radio wave distress call forced Pike to divert the ship to Talos IV. Still limping, Spock joined a landing party that transported to the barren surface of the planet, where Pike was captured by Talosians; he was the first of the ship's crew to realize that the Talosians had powerful illusory abilities. Spock's final report, along with Pike's, recommended a ban on visitation to the planet. The judgment was endorsed by Starfleet's General Order 7. (TOS: "The Cage", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II")

In the alternate reality, Spock began programming the Kobayashi Maru scenario in 2254. The writers of the film Star Trek stated, in the movie's audio commentary, that they felt this event overlapped with the prime reality and that Kirk also met Spock at a hearing, after he cheated on the test. According to the script for "The Wrath of Khan", after taking the Kobayashi Maru test for the third time, Spock said to Kirk that his solution would not have occurred to a Vulcan mentality. This would have implied that Kirk and Spock knew each other since the late 2250s, and that Spock was at the Academy. As it was, this information was not in the theatrical or director's cut of the film.

On Earth briefly in 2261, Spock met Leila Kalomi. Although she declared a love for Spock, his Vulcan control prevented him from showing any emotion in return until the spores on the planet, Omicron Ceti III, infected him. Under their influence, he became peaceful and happy, but Captain Kirk brought him back to reality by infuriating him, thus killing the spores. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")

Spock's service under Pike (eleven years, four months, and five days) inspired considerable respect and loyalty from the young officer. In 2267, Spock risked his life and career for the sake of his former captain. (TOS: "The Cage", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II")

The five-year mission

Spock, 2265

Lieutenant Commander Spock in 2265

After Pike's promotion to fleet captain, James T. Kirk assumed command of the Enterprise in 2265, with Spock as his First Officer. An early mission, attempting an extra-galactic probe, was disastrous. Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell, a close friend of the new captain, developed enhanced psionic abilities when the Enterprise encountered an energy barrier at the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Spock and Kirk (2265)

Spock and Kirk in 2265

Spock examined the tapes of an earlier ship, the SS Valiant, that had encountered the same barrier and was destroyed. As Mitchell's powers increased geometrically, Spock believed he had become extremely dangerous and feared that he would destroy the ship, and advised Kirk to either strand Mitchell on the uninhabited, desolate world of Delta Vega in order to isolate him from galactic civilization, or kill Mitchell before it was too late. Kirk hesitated, and initially attempted the former, but the scope of Spock's concerns were eventually borne out, and Kirk was forced to kill Mitchell. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")

2266

The Enterprise repelled the first Romulan incursion of Federation space in over a century on stardate 1709.2. Spock and the bridge crew became the first Starfleet officers to make visual contact with Romulans, who finally revealed their Vulcan-like appearance to Starfleet. Lieutenant Stiles briefly suspected Spock of being a Romulan agent until Spock saved his life in the course of battle. (TOS: "Balance of Terror")

2267

Spock kidnapped Fleet Captain Christopher Pike, his former commander, and hijacked the Enterprise. Pike had been crippled when a baffle plate ruptured during an inspection of an old Class J starship and was confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak. Spock wanted to return him to Talos IV, where they had visited years earlier; he wished to return Pike to the Talosians there so he could enjoy the rest of his life in an illusory reality and would not have to continue enduring his disability. After a lengthy inquiry into the matter, with images provided by the Talosians, Kirk allowed Pike to beam down and all charges against Spock were dropped by Commodore Jose I. Mendez. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II")

While commanding an away mission aboard the Galileo on stardate 2821.5, the shuttlecraft crashed on the surface of Taurus II, a planet inhabited by giant hostile creatures. Two crewmembers were killed while the shuttle was stranded but, with the aid of Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott, Spock was eventually able to launch the shuttle. Knowing that it could not break free of the orbit of the planet, he ignited the shuttlecraft's remaining fuel which acted as a flare; the Enterprise was alerted by this and rescued the team. (TOS: "The Galileo Seven")

File:McCoy, Scotty, Spock, and Uhura watch Kirk.jpg

Spock in command of the Enterprise after Kirk's abduction by the Metrons

After being thrown back in time to Earth of 1969 and interacting with that planet's US Air Force, Spock was able to recreate a time warp with a slingshot maneuver around the sun. (TOS: "Tomorrow is Yesterday")

Shaw questions Spock

Spock being questioned at Kirk's trial in 2267

Later, when Kirk was court-martialed for causing the death of Lieutenant Commander Ben Finney, Spock proved that the Enterprise's computer tapes had been altered by Finney to frame Kirk. (TOS: "Court Martial")

Spock, along with Kirk, helped disable a computer that controlled the lives of a civilization on Beta III and allowed no free thought or creative thinking. (TOS: "The Return of the Archons")

Spock helped Kirk to retake the Enterprise after Khan Noonien Singh, a 20th century Augment dictator whom the Enterprise's crew had found in stasis, commandeered the starship. Spock flooded the ship with gas, disabling Khan and his followers. (TOS: "Space Seed")

On stardate 3192.1, Spock and Kirk were taken prisoners on Eminiar VII, which had been at war for over five hundred years with the planet Vendikar. The war was, at this time, being fought by computers so that the two worlds were not destroyed by the atrocities of warfare, thus preserving their civilizations. Whenever a hit was scored by the computer, the affected citizens would be sent into a disintegration chamber and vaporized. When the Enterprise entered orbit around Eminiar VII, it became a legitimate target for Vendikar. The Enterprise was deemed destroyed by a tricobalt satellite explosion; as a result, the crew was expected to report to the disintegration stations. Kirk and Spock were held prisoner to ensure compliance, but they eventually escaped and destroyed the computers on Eminiar VII. With the threat of a real war looming over the inhabitants of both planets, Spock and Kirk sought to negotiate a peace between Eminiar VII and Vendikar. (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon")

Later, on the mining planet Janus VI, an unknown creature was killing miners there. After locating the creature, Spock mind-melded with it; he discovered that the creature was called a Horta and determined it had only been attempting to protect its young by killing the miners, who were unintentionally killing the Horta's offspring by destroying silicon nodules which were really the creature's eggs. Spock negotiated a pact between the Horta and the miners: The miners would leave the eggs alone and the Horta, in turn, would help the miners locate valuable minerals. (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark")

Spock prepares sonic grenade

Spock is forced to use a destructive measure in order to protect the Federation

Spock and Kirk later became trapped on Organia, a planet of medieval culture. Organia was being threatened by the Klingon Empire, who wanted to use it as a base in attacking the Federation. The Organian council refused the Federation's help, and after the Klingons invaded and took control of Organia, Kirk and Spock had civilian identities imposed on them, with Spock being given the identity of a merchant. They then became involved in sabotage. After they were captured by the Klingons, Spock and Kirk were freed by the Organians. Just as war was about to break out, the Organians revealed themselves to be powerful energy beings, once humanoid but now evolved. They neutralized the weapons of both sides and stopped the war. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy")

On stardate 3134.0, Spock and Kirk traveled back in time using the Guardian of Forever to retrieve Dr. Leonard McCoy, who had somehow changed history by entering the time portal. Spock discovered that history was changed because McCoy had saved the life of Edith Keeler, a social worker who, in the altered timeline, was destined to lead a pacifist movement that delayed the United States of America's entry into World War II, thus allowing Adolf Hitler to win the war. The only way to restore the timeline was to let Keeler die in an auto accident from which she had been saved by intervention from McCoy. Spock persuaded Kirk to stop McCoy from saving Keeler, whose death restored the timeline. (TOS: "The City on the Edge of Forever")

Neural parasite attacks Spock

A neural parasite attacking Spock

Near the end of the year, Spock was attacked by a neural parasite that had destroyed a colony on the planet Deneva. He submitted to an experiment that destroyed the creature inside him but also left him blind. However, the blindness was only temporary, as it was revealed that Vulcans have two sets of eyelids. (TOS: "Operation -- Annihilate!")

In late 2267, the Enterprise encountered a probe called Nomad that had destroyed multiple star systems and their inhabitants. Spock mind-melded with the probe and discovered that it was an old Earth probe that had been tasked with seeking out new life. It had somehow been damaged in space, and had merged with an alien probe whose mission had been to sterilize "imperfect" biological organisms from soil. These two missions had merged into sterilizing or improving anything that was not "perfect." Kirk was able to destroy the probe by using its own logic against it. (TOS: "The Changeling")

On stardate 3219.8, a shuttlecraft carrying Spock, Kirk, and Federation diplomat Nancy Hedford was captured by an alien cloud creature and taken to a deserted planet. On the planet's surface, they found Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of Earth's warp drive, who was believed to have died decades ago. The cloud creature, called the "Companion" by Cochrane, had discovered him and managed to keep him alive and young. The creature had brought the three Starfleet officers to be companions for Cochrane. When Spock tried to repair the shuttlecraft, the Companion stopped him. The situation was resolved when Hedford, dying from an incurable disease, was joined with the Companion, which cured her and remained in her body. Hedford remained on the planet as a companion for Cochrane, with whom she fell in love. (TOS: "Metamorphosis")

2268

In 2268, Spock and other crewmembers of the Enterprise encountered Harry Mudd, who was stranded on a planet inhabited by androids that wanted the Enterprise to escape the planet and serve Humans so that they would not have to explore space. Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew eventually managed to overload the androids' central control, causing the chief android, Norman, to have a nervous breakdown. (TOS: "I, Mudd")

While traveling to a peace conference on Babel, Spock was reunited with his parents. There was still much friction between Spock and his father, Sarek. When Sarek was accused of the murder of another delegate, it was revealed that he was ill with a cardiac defect, which made it unlikely that he could have committed the crime. Dr. McCoy was then tasked with performing surgery on Sarek for this defect. It was then discovered that Orions were responsible for the murder, and Spock made himself available for a blood transfusion for his father's surgery because they shared the same rare blood type, T-negative. Recovering in sickbay, Sarek and Spock made peace with each other, even playfully teasing Spock's mother, Amanda. (TOS: "Journey to Babel")

On stardate 4523.3, Spock helped foil a Klingon plot to poison quadrotriticale earmarked for a Federation planet, while at the same time trying to clear the Enterprise of a fast-breeding alien species called tribbles. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles")

Spock later visited Sigma Iotia II, whose inhabitants had modeled their society on the gangster era of Earth's 1930s. An earlier starship had left behind a book about gangsters from Earth's 20th century that the imitative Iotians had used as a blueprint for their society. Spock played the part of one of the bosses of the main syndicate, "The Federation," and helped Kirk unite the two warring bosses into a form of government. (TOS: "A Piece of the Action")

Spock reacts to the death of the Intrepid

Spock sensing the terrible deaths of an entire Vulcan crew

Spock, along with the Enterprise, encountered a space amoeba that destroyed entire star systems. The USS Intrepid, sent to investigate the phenomenon, was destroyed, and Spock felt the Vulcans on the ship dying. In order to gain information on the creature, Spock piloted a shuttle into the amoeba and found that it was about to reproduce by fission. The creature was subsequently destroyed by an antimatter bomb. (TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome")

Spock's body was later taken over by Henoch, one of three survivors of an ancient civilization that had destroyed itself. The three had become energy beings to survive, and wished to build androids in order to house their minds. Henoch, who was the rival of fellow survivor Sargon, refused to relinquish Spock's body and attempted to kill Sargon. He himself was killed with the help of Spock's consciousness and Thalassa, Sargon's wife. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow")

File:SpockChest.jpg

Spock captured by Ekosian Nazis on Ekos

Spock came in contact with various other worlds in the early part of 2268. He was captured by Ekosians, who had based their society on that of Nazi Germany and tortured him to obtain information about the Enterprise. John Gill, a Federation historian, had visited Ekos and attempted to use the efficiency of Nazi Germany to bring stability to the planet. (TOS: "Patterns of Force")

Spock battled Kelvans who tried to take over the Enterprise in order to return to their homeworld in the Andromeda Galaxy, and helped Kirk stop a Federation captain, Ronald Tracey, from interfering in a planet's societies by arming one against the other. He also battled the government of a planet where a Rome-like civilization had never fallen and gladiatorial games still took place in the planet's modern era. (TOS: "By Any Other Name", "The Omega Glory", "Bread and Circuses")

Spock wearing neural stimulator 2

Spock's mindless body equipped with a neural stimulator after his brain was stolen by the Eymorgs

Later the same year, Spock's brain was stolen by an alien race to help power a computer that controlled its society and provided for all its needs. McCoy was able to reconnect Spock's brain to his body with the same technology used to remove it. (TOS: "Spock's Brain")

Spock, along with Kirk, later stole a cloaking device from the Romulans. As part of the plan to retrieve the device, he pretended to kill Kirk and romanced the craft's commander in order to gain her trust, initially intending only to carry out his mission, but finding out he experienced actual feelings for the beautiful, brilliant commander. After Kirk returned to the craft disguised as a Romulan and stole the device, Spock stalled the Romulans long enough for the device to be installed in the Enterprise. The ship escaped with the cloaking device and the Romulan commander on board, who made a pact with Spock to keep their mutual feelings for the other a secret. (TOS: "The Enterprise Incident")

Spock later saved Kirk and a tribe of transplanted Native Americans by helping save their planet from an asteroid by activating a deflector beam on the planet. (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome") He allowed his body to be taken over by the Medeusan Kollos so that the alien could guide the Enterprise back into the galaxy after a mad Larry Marvick had driven it out into an uncharted region. The Medeusans were a highly intelligent species, but their bodies were grotesque in form – so much so that gazing upon a Medeusan would cause insanity in humanoids. However, it is said that, when telepathically viewing a Medeusan's mind, as Spock did, it is found to be quite beautiful. (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")

Spock helped save an away team from the Melkotians who had, as punishment for trespassing, forced them to relive the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. (TOS: "Spectre of the Gun") He also helped redirect an artificial asteroid, Yonada, from colliding with a Federation planet. (TOS: "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky")

Spock took command of the Enterprise when Kirk was caught in a spatial interphase. The ship was attacked by Tholians, but Spock was able to retrieve Kirk and escape from a restrictive energy web created by the Tholians. (TOS: "The Tholian Web")

Spock and Kirk were later captured by a race of psychokinetics who forced them to take part in dangerous games and unwanted love affairs. (TOS: "Plato's Stepchildren")

After hyper-accelerated aliens took over the Enterprise, they hyper-accelerated Kirk to take as a hostage. Spock managed to receive a warning from Kirk and became hyper-accelerated himself, but carried an antidote with him. He and Kirk stopped the aliens, and retook the ship. (TOS: "Wink of an Eye")

Spock was part of an away team that was used by aliens to test the worthiness of an empathic race. Their planet was going to be destroyed, and the aliens who could save them wanted to see if they should be saved from their dying sun. After the aliens tortured Kirk, Spock and McCoy, the empath, Gem, healed them. The aliens saved her planet. (TOS: "The Empath")

2269

Spock two Kirks

Spock attempting to differentiate between two almost identical Kirks in 2269

In early 2269, Spock and Kirk took a new medicine that could cure mental illness to a Federation mental facility. However, the facility had been taken over by the inmates under the leadership of former Starfleet captain Garth of Izar. Garth captured Spock and Kirk, whose lives were put in danger. Spock escaped and found Kirk but Garth, who had developed shapeshifting powers, had assumed Kirk's identity. Spock was able to determine the real Kirk from the impostor and subdued Garth, giving him medication that helped his mental illness. (TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy")

In the same year, Spock was part of a landing party that found a Human named Flint. He found masterpiece paintings and original classical music. Flint admitted that he had been Brahms and Leonardo da Vinci on Earth, and that he was an immortal being. (TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah")

Droxine and Spock

Spock with Droxine

Spock helped Kirk negotiate a peace treaty between two societies on the planet Ardana. He also became attracted to Droxine, the daughter of Plasus, the ruler of Ardana; he referred to her as a work of art and even discussed pon farr with her. However, nothing ever came out of the relationship. (TOS: "The Cloud Minders")

Spock and Kirk were forced into a battle between good and evil set up by the Excalbians to study Human concepts. The aliens created images of people who possessed "good" qualities, such as Abraham Lincoln and Surak, against "bad" people such as Colonel Green and Kahless. (TOS: "The Savage Curtain")

Spock, Kirk and McCoy entered a time portal, and were stuck in different past eras of the planet Sarpeidon, which was about to be destroyed by an exploding sun. Spock and McCoy traveled into the planet's ice age, where they met Zarabeth, who had been sent there as punishment. Even though McCoy was dying from the cold, Spock wished to remain with the woman with whom he had fallen in love, since, in this time period, he had emotions. Eventually, he discovered the portal door and saved McCoy. (TOS: "All Our Yesterdays")

After Janice Lester secretly transferred her consciousness into Kirk's body and his consciousness into her body, she attempted to kill Kirk and assume his captaincy. However, Spock managed to expose her and helped to re-transfer Kirk's consciousness into his body. (TOS: "Turnabout Intruder")

Later the same year, the Federation, aware of Spock's familiarity with mind-links, offered him an assignment to work with Medeusan Ambassador Kollos. Spock, however, turned down the assignment with the ambassador due to his life on the Enterprise. (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")

File:SpockMcCoyOld.jpg

Spock (left) along with McCoy, rapidly aged on planet

Spock joined a landing party that beamed down to inspect the second planet of the Taurean system. There, he became affected by the glandular secretion of the Taurean females, known for controlling the male mind. This caused Spock to be drained of his "life force," causing him to age at a rate of ten years per day. Spock was able to escape the females of the planet and contact the Enterprise. He and the landing party were eventually recovered by an all-female security detachment led by Lieutenant Uhura. Spock and the others were returned to their previous ages by use of their molecular pattern stored in the transporter system. (TAS: "The Lorelei Signal")

Spock 2 and Spock

Spock 2 performing a mind meld on Spock

On a mission to the planet Phylos, Spock was captured by Stavos Keniclius, an Earth scientist who planned to clone Spock and make an army of Spock clones to enforce an era of peace throughout the galaxy. His first clone, Spock 2, possessed all of the original's memories, abilities, and sense of logic. However, the cloning process left the original Spock near death. Since Spock 2 possessed his progenitor's sense of logic, he mind melded with him and restored his mind, by most likely transferring his katra back into the original Spock's mind. The original Spock proposed that Spock 2 remain on Phylos with Keniclius to help rebuild Phylosian society. (TAS: "The Infinite Vulcan")

V'ger crisis

Spock on Vulcan, 2270s

Spock during his kolinahr

After the Enterprise's five-year mission of exploration was completed, Spock chose to return to his home planet of Vulcan. As a result of his occasional displays of emotion during his Enterprise missions, he decided to undergo the kolinahr ritual to purge himself of the last vestiges of emotion. However, Spock felt the arrival of a big consciousness; he aborted this training and resumed his Starfleet career both for personal reasons and to help Rear Admiral James T. Kirk during the V'ger incident. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

Spock, 2270s

Commander Spock in the 2270s

This film was one of the few instances in which Spock was not second in command or a commanding officer for that matter. Since Decker had a temporary grade reduction from captain to executive officer, this left Spock to serve only as a science officer without the dual responsibility of a first officer.

Feeling that the consciousness would answer for his quest, he broke into an airlock and stole a thruster suit. He exited the ship and proceeded to the next chamber of the mechanism. There he attempted a mind meld and he realized V'ger's quest. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

Death and resurrection

Sometime after the V'ger incident, Spock was promoted to captain and assigned to Starfleet Academy, where he trained cadets on the Enterprise, which had been retired from active service.

Spocks death 2

The death of Spock in 2285

In early 2285, Spock, while on a training mission, ceded command of the Enterprise to Admiral Kirk during a mission that involved keeping the Genesis Device out of the hands of Khan Noonien Singh. When Khan armed the device after having been defeated by Kirk and the Enterprise, Spock sacrificed his own life by repairing the Enterprise's plasma conduits – in a severely irradiated portion of engineering – in order to save the crew. Following his funeral service, Spock's body was "buried" by being fired into space inside a torpedo casing. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

Spock, resurrected

Spock, resurrected on Mount Seleya

When Spock's coffin landed on the surface of the Genesis Planet, the radiation emanating from the planet caused his cells to regenerate. Meanwhile, Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise's senior staff disobeyed Starfleet orders so that they could retrieve Spock's body, and discovered that he had been reborn as a child (and was quickly aging to adulthood), but whose mind was a complete blank. On Vulcan, Spock's living body (now at the age it had been when he died) was reunited with his katra (the Vulcan soul), which Spock himself had placed in Dr. Leonard McCoy prior to his death. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

After his katra and body were re-integrated, Spock went on to serve as a Starfleet officer for many more years. He was involved in saving Earth from destruction by an alien probe in 2286. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

Interesting note: Kirk honors Spock after his death in a toast with his senior staff in his apartment on Earth. "To absent friends" is the same toast Picard gives in Data's honor after his death in Star Trek Nemesis. This is the traditional naval toast for Sundays.

The Enterprise-A

Prior to the launch of the new Enterprise, Spock was recruited to test the new brig as he was the most intelligent and resourceful person the designers could find. However, despite his ingenuity, he failed to escape. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)

Upon the launch of the new Enterprise, the newly demoted Captain Kirk retained Spock as his first officer. He served in this capacity during the hijacking of the Enterprise by his half-brother Sybok and the subsequent voyage to Sha Ka Ree.

In 2293, Spock was chosen to be the Federation's special envoy to the "Gorkon Initiative" as it was he who opened secret talks with Chancellor Gorkon following the Praxis disaster. Spock later committed Captain Kirk to the negotiations with the Klingon Empire. During Kirk and McCoy's subsequent trial and imprisonment for the assassination of Gorkon, Spock took command of the Enterprise and the murder investigation. Later, he led the rescue mission of Kirk and McCoy from Rura Penthe and helped stop an assassination attempt on the Federation President. Though this mission was successful, Spock blamed himself for endangering Kirk and the consequences that followed, a guilt that lasted 75 years. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "Unification II")

Diplomatic career

Spock, 2293

Captain Spock (2293)

In 2293, Spock recommended an alliance between the Klingon Empire and the Federation at the Khitomer Conference. His recommendation produced a major dispute because the Klingons were viewed by the Federation as outlaws who employed violence and brutality in order to build their empire. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, an alliance was nevertheless forged, bringing peace and stability to the Alpha Quadrant that had not been there for two hundred years. USS Voyager security officer Tuvok, who was a young man at the time and initially opposed the alliance as well, later noted that "Spock's suggestion, so controversial at first, proved to be the cornerstone of peace." (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; VOY: "Alliances")

Also during the Khitomer Conference, Spock opened up negotiations with Ambassador Pardek of Romulus in an attempt to unify Vulcan and the Romulan Star Empire. (TNG: "Unification I", "Unification II")

Picard stated in the episode "Sarek" that, as a lieutenant, he had briefly met with Sarek at the wedding of the latter's son. Episode writer Ira Steven Behr recalled that caution was still in place during early The Next Generation about dealing with characters from The Original Series, thus it was only implied that the son in question was Spock. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
If it was indeed Spock's wedding, it would have occurred between 2327 and 2333. Since Picard graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2327 and was promoted to lieutenant commander when he was given command of the USS Stargazer in 2333, he was a lieutenant at some point during the intervening time span.
In the novel Vulcan's Heart, it was the wedding of Spock and Saavik, in 2329, and Lt. Picard, not really knowing why he was there, spends most of it in the company of one of the few other Humans in attendance, Leonard McCoy.
Spock, 2368

Ambassador Spock in 2368

Spock and Sarek publicly disagreed over issues involving the Cardassians, leading to a rift in their relationship. (TNG: "Unification I")

In his later years, Spock went into semi-retirement, choosing to act as a Federation ambassador (much as his father had done). In 2368, Spock undertook a secret personal mission to Romulus, that was in no way authorized by the Federation Council or Starfleet, where he acted to facilitate Romulan-Vulcan reunification, avoiding contact with the rest of the Federation as he was reluctant to risk anyone's life but his own on such a mission after the near-fatal consequences to Kirk and McCoy in their involvement in the Khitomer conference. Captain Picard met Spock on Romulus and informed him of his father's death. Before Picard's departure, the two mind-melded, allowing Spock to realize the depth of his father's feelings for him. (TNG: "Unification I", "Unification II")

In 2369, Spock was involved in an incident of "cowboy diplomacy" in which Deanna Troi was temporarily kidnapped to help with the defection of three Romulans, including Vice-Proconsul M'ret, to the Federation. (TNG: "Face of the Enemy")

When an unknown person was beamed on board the USS Enterprise-D in 2370, Ben told a few junior officers that he heard that this was Ambassador Spock. (TNG: "Lower Decks")

Spock sees Romulus destroyed

Spock arrives too late to prevent Romulus' destruction

In 2387, when a star threatened to go into a massive supernova, Romulus faced destruction. Ambassador Spock promised to save Romulus and formed a plan which involved injecting red matter into the star, thus creating an artificial black hole which would consume the star. Piloting the Jellyfish, an advanced spacecraft equipped with red matter, Spock proceeded to the star to carry out his mission but, before he could, the star went supernova and destroyed Romulus. With other worlds threatened with destruction, Spock continued his mission and successfully created a black hole which consumed the supernova. Before he could escape, however, he was intercepted by the Romulan mining vessel Narada, commanded by Nero. Nero blamed Spock for Romulus' destruction and was bent on revenge, but both the Narada and the Jellyfish were pulled into the black hole.

The alternate reality

Spock watches Vulcan's destruction

Spock witnesses the destruction of Vulcan

Spock emerged from the black hole in the year 2258 of an alternate reality created by the actions of Nero, who had emerged twenty-five years earlier. Nero was waiting for Spock when he arrived, and he and the Jellyfish were captured. Rather than kill Spock, Nero marooned him on Delta Vega, where he could witness the destruction of Vulcan from the planet's surface. Nero then used some of the red matter from the Jellyfish to create a black hole in Vulcan's planetary core; Spock watched helplessly from Delta Vega as his homeworld was destroyed.

Spock meets Kirk (alternate)

Spock realizes whose life he just saved

Shortly thereafter, Spock rescued a Starfleet officer from a Hengrauggi, only to discover that the young officer was James T. Kirk himself, who had been marooned on the planet by that era's Spock for mutiny. The elder Spock was surprised that Kirk was not captain of the Enterprise. Through a mind meld, Spock explained to Kirk (who hadn't believed a word of the old man's tale until he mentioned Pike's kidnapping to which Spock surmised that it was Nero's doing) his presence in this time period and the reasons behind Nero's actions.

He then walked with Kirk to the Starfleet Delta Vega outpost, where they met Montgomery Scott. Using Scotty's equation for transwarp beaming (which Scott had not actually figured out yet), Spock was able to transport Kirk back to the Enterprise, along with Scott. When asked why he would not come with them, Spock stated that his other self must not know of his existence, implying that it could cause some kind of temporal paradox. Also, knowing his younger self would never take the course of action that could stop Nero but that Kirk would, Spock instructed Kirk to use Regulation 619 to force his younger self to give up command to him by proving that he was emotionally compromised. Spock informed Kirk that he knew he was emotionally compromised with the destruction of his world. Kirk ultimately followed his advice and became Captain of the Enterprise.

Spocks

Spock meets himself

After the Enterprise had defeated the Narada and Nero, the elder Spock returned to Earth. There, he met his less-than-surprised younger self (while Kirk had kept his word, but his word was no match for even the younger Spock's intellect: upon being recognized by the Jellyfish, a future spaceship from stardate 2387 and more advanced than any that he had ever seen, as its pilot, the younger Spock, putting this together with other irregularities - Nero's remark that they were not yet acquainted; Kirk's seemingly impossible return to the Enterprise, the method of which he had successfully used himself; that the person who provoked him into the action which removed him from command, someone he had met a few days before, had known exactly how to push his buttons; the blatant sarcasm in the human's expression of surprise when his comrade was recognized by the vessel - figured out who Kirk's mysterious benefactor must be, and as such was certain that he could fly the craft, believing that he already had) and convinced him to remain in Starfleet.

He also explained that the reason he had not returned to the Enterprise with Kirk to explain things was because he had not wished to deprive Kirk and Spock of the chance of working together and developing the friendship they were destined to have. He then wished his younger self good luck, after which he witnessed the promotion of Jim Kirk to captain of the USS Enterprise, repeating what he knew the crew would say before launch, apparently commiserating on his own experiences as a member of the crew of the Enterprise.

He left with an intention to establish a Vulcan colony. His attempts to convince his younger self succeeded and he returned to the Enterprise to act as Kirk's first officer. (Star Trek)

Spock 2259 alternate reality

Spock warns his younger self just who the Enterprise is up against

A year later, Spock was living on New Vulcan, having made a solemn vow not to further interfere with history by keeping information about his experiences confidential. However, when the younger Spock contacted him from the Enterprise's bridge for information regarding Khan Noonien Singh, the old Spock felt obligated to respond that Khan was extremely dangerous, and that it had required a great sacrifice to stop him. (Star Trek Into Darkness)

Having been born in 2230 in his own timeline, Spock would be 158 years old in the alternate year of 2259. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise"; TAS: "Yesteryear")

Physiology

Although half Human, Spock's physiology retained most of its Vulcan characteristics such as the green blood, the placement of his liver, (TOS: "The Apple") his strength, (TOS: "This Side of Paradise") telepathic abilities, (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind") and his greater lifespan (TNG: "Unification II") when compared to the average Human.

His Human characteristics were obvious when Sarek was in need of a blood transplant and concern over donating his hybridized blood would be a danger to Sarek's full Vulcan physiology. (TOS: "Journey to Babel") The other instance where his Human side was evident happened during the final stages of his Kolinahr ritual acceptance. While on Vulcan performing the ritual, the V'Ger probe approached proximity and its own emotional instability affected Spock's Human emotional side which he worked so hard to repress. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) Spock's Human side was also present when he was affected by spores on Omicron Ceti III. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")

Like most Vulcans, he experienced pon farr neurochemical imbalance at least every seven years until the symptoms were remedied through ritual mating or kal-if-fee (dueling). If not dealt with, a Vulcan could die within eight days of the first symptoms. Spock experienced pon farr and both performed the kal-if-fee and mated to relieve his symptoms of pon farr's neurochemical issues. (TOS: "Amok Time"; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

As of Vulcan rituals concerning death, Spock was able to transfer his katra into someone that was close to him – such as a family member – who could then transfer the katra into a large repository on Vulcan. In his case, he picked Dr. McCoy as a host for his katra when he decided to expose himself to fatal warp core radiation in order to restore warp power to the Enterprise. His corpse regenerated when his torpedo casing casket was shot towards the Genesis planet and was subjected to the Genesis cycles that rapidly evolved all life on the planet. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

After Spock received a mind meld from Captain Picard, he seemed to have accepted his Human side. He admitted to having emotional compromise and showed some emotions when he dealt with Nero destroying Vulcan in the alternate timeline and dealing with his younger self. (TNG: "Unification II"; Star Trek)

On his Human side, Spock once implied he had an ancestral relationship to British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

Personal interests

Spock carried a lifelong interest in art, literature, poetry, music (especially the Vulcan lute and the piano), and three-dimensional chess. (TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah", "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Charlie X", "The Cloud Minders", "Court Martial"; TAS: "The Jihad", "The Magicks of Megas-Tu") He disliked Italian food, possibly because like most Vulcans, he was a vegetarian. (TOS: "All Our Yesterdays"; TAS: "The Slaver Weapon"; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

Relationships

James T. Kirk

File:Kirk Spock McCoy bridge 2267.jpg

Spock with Kirk and McCoy

For a detailed account of Spock's friendship with James T. Kirk, see Spock and Kirk.

Leonard McCoy

The relationship between Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy seemed a little strained at times on McCoy's part because of his taunts about Spock's green blood and lack of emotion. However, there was an obvious respect and friendship among James T. Kirk, Spock and McCoy. McCoy, in fact, was one of the two friends Spock requested to join him in his marriage ceremony. (TOS: "Amok Time")

While he would rarely do so without provocation, Spock was also quite capable of turning the tables on the doctor. During Kirk's court-martial, after an astonished McCoy discovered him in the briefing room playing chess against the ship's computer, Spock casually allowed him to assume the worst (to the point of thanking him after the furious doctor had said he was "The most cold-blooded man I've ever known"), waiting until he reached the door to reveal that he had been victorious in four consecutive games - since the computer, whose account of the incident was the main evidence against Kirk, was programmed to be unbeatable, this proved that it had been tampered with (something only Kirk, Spock, and the "dead" Commander Finney were authorized to do), and cast doubt on the credibility of its account, keeping the trial going long enough to discover that Finney was, in fact, alive. Later that year, after the Enterprise crew had defeated the androids on planet Mudd (beings almost Vulcan-like in their lack of emotion and their "logical, pragmatic" thinking), McCoy told Spock that he must be quite unhappy to see that "poor, illogical" Humans were able to fairly defeat them, Spock responded that this was quite satisfactory, as nobody needed him and his logical ways as much as a ship full of humans. (TOS: "Court Martial", "I, Mudd")

Sybok

Sybok, Spock's elder half-brother, encountered Spock on Nimbus III in 2287, shortly before Sybok hijacked the USS Enterprise-A for his quest to find the Great Barrier. Spock had remained silent on the subject of his brother for decades, not even telling Kirk until Sybok had already taken control of the Enterprise. At first, Spock was extremely distant from him, but following Sybok's death, he realized what he had lost. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)

T'Pring

Kal-if-fee

Spock with T'Pring in 2267

At age seven, Spock was bonded to T'Pring in a family-arranged Vulcan ceremony described in Human terms as "less than a marriage, but more than a betrothal."

When Spock experienced his pon farr of 2267, he succumbed to the madness of the plak tow mating instinct. The Enterprise diverted to Vulcan in time to consummate the marriage. Accompanied by Kirk and McCoy, Spock arrived at his family's ancient koon-ut-kal-if-fee site for the wedding ceremony officiated by the matriarch T'Pau. Unexpectedly – but within the bounds of Vulcan tradition – T'Pring demanded the challenge of kal-if-fee, forcing Spock to earn the right to marry his bride through victory in personal combat. Rather than her prospective consort Stonn, T'Pring chose Kirk as her champion.

Unwilling to appear weak or disrespectful in front of the legendary T'Pau, Kirk agreed to fight his first officer. Between rounds using the lirpa and ahn-woon weapons, T'Pau belatedly revealed the combat was "to the death," and it became clear that Kirk had little chance against Spock in the throes of his blood fever. McCoy intervened, deceptively dosing Kirk with a drug that simulated his death.

Spock's plak tow subsided after his apparent victory. Appalled at the turn of events, Spock calmly questioned T'Pring's decisions. T'Pring admitted her distaste for Spock's growing fame among Vulcans, and her mutual attraction to Stonn. By her logic, choosing Kirk meant neither victor would claim her in the end, and she would have her life with Stonn. Spock acknowledged her logic and advised Stonn that he would find that "having... is not so pleasing a thing after all... as wanting."

After returning to the Enterprise, McCoy revealed Kirk's clandestine survival. A rare show of extreme emotion came from Spock when he exclaimed "JIM!" with a beaming smile. (TOS: "Amok Time")

Christine Chapel

File:Spockchapel.jpg

Spock with Christine Chapel, being emotionally influenced by the Psi 2000 intoxication

When the Psi 2000 intoxication infected the crew of the Enterprise in 2266, Nurse Christine Chapel admitted her love for Spock, who was thereupon emotionally shocked. Her love for him was an ongoing issue, but never interfered with her professional duties. (TOS: "The Naked Time")

Chapel once housed Spock's consciousness to keep him from being destroyed by Henoch. They were later forced by powerful telepaths to kiss each other, but neither enjoyed the forced situation. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow", "Plato's Stepchildren")

While under the spell of Harry Mudd's love potion, Spock became infatuated with Chapel, and was willing to fight for her love. However, the potion eventually wore off and then Chapel, as a side effect of the drug, seemed to hate Spock for a brief time. Spock commented to Mudd that a few brief moments of love being paid for with several hours of hatred is scarcely a bargain. (TAS: "Mudd's Passion")

Leila Kalomi

On stardate 3417, Spock was infected by Omicron spores while on Omicron Ceti III by Leila Kalomi, who was serving as the Omicron colony's botanist. The spores broke down Spock's emotional control, and he confessed his love for Kalomi. Their time together was short-lived, however, as Kirk deduced a method of destroying the spores with intense emotion and induced anger in Spock.

Once free from the spores, Spock freed Kalomi and the rest of the planet from their influence. He later reflected that his time with Kalomi was the first time in his life at which he had felt happy. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")

Memorable quotes

"Live long and prosper."


"I happen to have a Human thing called an adrenaline gland."
"That does sound most inconvenient, however. Have you considered having it removed?"
"Very funny."
"Try to cross brains with Spock, he'll cut you to pieces every time."

- Bailey, Spock, and Sulu


"I am endeavoring, ma'am, to construct a mnemonic circuit using stone knives and bearskins."

- Spock, to Edith Keeler regarding his frustrations with early twentieth century technology

"I have never understood the female capacity to avoid a direct answer to any question."


"A curious creature. Its trilling seems to have a tranquilizing effect on the Human nervous system. Fortunately, of course, I am ... immune ... to ... its ... effect..."

- Spock, while petting a Tribble


"Fascinating"


"I love you. However, I hate you."
"But I am identical in every way with Alice 27!"
"Exactly. That is exactly why I hate you: because you are identical."
[The androids violently malfunction.]
"Fascinating."

- Spock and Alice 210


"Logic is a little, tweeting bird, chirping in meadow. Logic is a wreath of pretty flowers that smell bad."


"Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical Humans."


"On my planet, 'to rest' is to rest, to cease using energy. To me it is quite illogical to run up and down on green grass, using energy instead of saving it."


"Enterprise to signaler on planet's surface. Identify self." (Reads answer) "'Hip, hip, hurrah...' and I believe it's pronounced 'Tally ho'."


"Fascinating is a word I use for the unexpected. In this case, I should think interesting would suffice."

- Spock, regarding the puckish alien Trelane


"I have been, and always shall be, your friend."

- Spock, stated to Kirk at least three times–as his dying words, his first fully conscious words (recalling the previous conversation) after rebirth, and, in the alternate reality, after recognizing the young Human he just saved from a hengrauggi as that universe's James T. Kirk


"Jim. Your name is Jim."


"If I were Human, I believe, my response would be 'Go to Hell.' If I were Human."

- Spock, giving his opinion on Starfleet's decision to retire the USS Enterprise and her crew.


"Interesting"


"Billions of lives lost, because of me, Jim, ... because ... I failed."

-Spock blames himself for the destruction of Romulus and Vulcan in a mind meld with James T. Kirk (alternate reality).

Kirk and Spock

"Have I ever mentioned you play a very irritating game of chess, Mr. Spock?"
"Irritating? Ah, yes: one of your Earth emotions."

- Kirk and Spock


"Your illogical approach to chess does have its advantages on occasion, Captain."
"I prefer to call it 'inspired'."
"As you wish."

- Spock and Kirk


"You'd make a splendid computer, Mr. Spock."
"That is very kind of you, Captain!"

- Kirk and Spock


"So, we're stranded here, in the middle of a Klingon occupation army."
"So it would seem. Not a very pleasant prospect."
"You have a gift for understatement, Mister Spock. It's not a very pleasant prospect at all."

- Kirk and Spock


"You didn't really think I was going to beat his head in, did you?"
"I thought you might."
"You're right."

- Kirk and Spock


"Well, Mr. Spock, if we can't disguise you, we'll find some way of explaining you."
"That should prove interesting."

- Kirk and Spock

"My friend is obviously Chinese. I see you've noticed the ears. They're actually easy to explain."
[Long pause.]
"Perhaps the unfortunate accident I had as a child."
"The 'unfortunate' accident he had as a child. He caught his head in a mechanical ... rice picker."

- Kirk and Spock, attempting to explain Spock's appearance to a 20th century police officer


"Don't grieve, Admiral. It's logical. The needs of the many ... outweigh ..."
"The needs of the few."
"Or the one. I never took the Kobayashi Maru test, until now. What do you think of my solution?"

-Spock and Kirk, as Spock is dying

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Awards and achievements

Spock dress uniform

Spock in dress uniform 2267

Spock wears a total of nine medals in 2269, not counting the IDIC medal he wore in "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" It is likely he accumulated a great many more decorations by the time of his eventual retirement in the late 2290s.

Template:EnterpriseSecondOfficers Template:EnterpriseFirstOfficers
Template:EnterpriseScienceOfficers Template:EnterpriseCommandingOfficers

Appendices

Appearances

Background

Spock was played by Leonard Nimoy in nearly all of the character's television and cinematic appearances. The Genesis-regenerated versions of Spock at nine, thirteen, seventeen, and twenty-five years of age in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock were portrayed by Carl Steven, Vadia Potenza, Stephen Manley and Joe W. Davis, respectively. Spock's screams in that film were provided by Frank Welker. The young Spock from TAS: "Yesteryear" was voiced by Billy Simpson. Carey Scott recorded some dialog for a younger Spock in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, but his scenes were cut. And while Nimoy portrayed the elder Spock in Star Trek, his younger version was played by Zachary Quinto and briefly by Jacob Kogan. Nimoy had since retired (again) from acting and had publicly stated that he did not intend to return to the role of Spock again, as he felt that to do so would be unfair to Quinto. However, he reprised the role for a cameo in Star Trek Into Darkness.

In the spring of 1967, before production began on Star Trek's second season, Nimoy and his agent got into an argument with the producers regarding the actor's salary (Nimoy felt unfair that series star William Shatner got $5,000 per episode, while he, playing an equally important, and much more popular character, only got $1,250).

The agent wanted $3000 per episode for his client, and would settle with $2,500. However, a misunderstanding resulted in the agent believing that Mission: Impossible stars had at least $11,000 salaries, so he suddenly demanded $9,000 for Nimoy. The studio, of course, relented. Nimoy threatened to leave the series if the dispute was not solved.

In response to Nimoy's threats, Desilu executive Herb Solow asked casting director Joseph D'Agosta to compile a list of possible "Vulcan replacements", in case negiotations go unresolved. Three lists were made of actors who were deemed suitable for the role of Spock:

"A" List: Mark Lenard, William Smithers, Liam Sullivan, Lloyd Bochner, Joe Maross, Donald Harron, Edward Mulhare, James Mitchell, Michael Rennie, Peter Mark Richman, Charles Robinson, Chris Robinson, Stewart Moss, David Canary, John Anderson, David Carradine

"B" List: Anthony James, Perry Lopez, George Bachman, Alan Bergmann, Lee Kinsolving, Blaisdell Makee, Bill Fletcher, Henry Darrow, Anthony George, Curt Lowens, Jacques Denbeaux, Maxwell Reed

"C" List: Lawrence Montaigne, Ron Hayes, Patrick Horgan, Paul Mantee, Bruce Watson, Robert Yuro, Richard Evans, Joseph Ruskin, Ted Markland, Lee Bergere, John Rayner

In reality, these lists were only a psychological ploy against Nimoy and his agent. The only two actors considered as possible replacements were Mark Lenard and Lawrence Montaigne (ironically both of them appeared as Vulcans in the second season, Lenard playing Spock's father, Sarek).

Finally the studio (for the insistence of NBC, who thought Spock and Nimoy were the most popular part of the series and losing them would be very unflattering) and Nimoy settled down with $2,500 per episode plus $100 for additional expenses, a better billing, a better merchandising deal and more script input. However, when Montaigne was cast as Stonn in "Amok Time", his contract had an option of recalling him to be cast as Spock, "just in case". (Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, pp. 317-324)

Jane Wyatt, who played Spock's mother Amanda Grayson, was once asked by fans at a convention what Spock's first name was. She replied, perhaps jokingly: "Harold." [2]

In the episode "This Side of Paradise", Leila Kalomi says to Spock "You never told me if you had another name," to which he replies "You couldn't pronounce it."

Spock's heritage was explored in a book about Star Trek science; it was determined that a Vulcan/Human hybrid was biologically impossible, as Vulcan blood was copper-based, while Human blood was iron-based – copper and iron were chemically incompatible.

Actor Martin Landau (Commander Koenig of Space: 1999) was an early casting consideration for the character of Spock in TOS. In spite of studio request to get rid of the "guy with the ears," Gene Roddenberry insisted on keeping the character through both pilot episodes of the series, and Spock became one of the most enduring symbols of Star Trek.

The following character biography appeared in Roddenberry's original, 1964 series pitch Star Trek is... (and was reprinted in The Making of Star Trek):

"The First Lieutenant. The Captain's right-hand man, the working-level commander of all the ship's functions – ranging from manning the bridge to supervising the lowliest scrub detail. His name is Mr. Spock. And the first view of him can be almost frightening – a face so heavy-lidded and satanic you might almost expect him to have a forked tail. Probably half Martian, he has a slightly reddish complexion and semi-pointed ears. But strangely – Mr. Spock's quiet temperament is in dramatic contrast to his satanic look. Of all the crew aboard, he is the nearest to Captain April's equal, physically, emotionally, and as a commander of men. His primary weakness is an almost catlike curiosity over anything the slightest 'alien.'"

The second revised final draft script of "The Cage" described Spock by stating, "The only exception to the familiar types represented by the crew, Mister Spock is of partly alien extraction, his heavy-lidded eyes and slightly pointed ears give him an almost satanic look. But in complete contrast is his unusual gentle manner and tone." The script went on to say that he spoke "with the almost British accent of one who has learned the language in textbooks." Later in the script, one of Spock's statements was directed to be delivered in an "excited" manner.

According to casting director Joseph D'Agosta, it was his recommendation that the role be played unemotionally. "On the Spock character, the only guidelines I had were that he had to be thin, and a good actor with no emotion," D'Agosta stated. "He was a cold, calculating, logical person. Humor was not even considered at that time." (The Star Trek Interview Book, p. 213) According to Leonard Nimoy, he felt the need to play the character as more emotional when Jeffrey Hunter was playing the internalized Christopher Pike, as opposed to William Shatner's portrayal of Captain Kirk. (Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime; et al.)

NBC's early-1966 publicity booklet gave this bio for Spock (reprinted in Inside Star Trek: The Real Story):

"Science Officer Spock has a precise, logical turn of mind inherited from his father (a native of the planet Vulcanis, who married an Earth woman). Because Vulcanians regard any display of emotion as a breach of good taste, Spock rarely betrays what he is thinking or feeling, either by his speech or his facial expression. He cannot, however, mask his cat-like curiosity about everything of alien origin. This sometimes proves to be his Achilles-heel."

The series writers' guide (third revision, dated 17 April 1967) gave the following description of the character (Star Trek: The Original Series 365):

"MISTER SPOCK": Played by Leonard Nimoy, this is the ship's science officer, in charge of all scientific departments aboard. As such, he is the ship's number two ranking officer and holds the rank of commander.
His bridge position is at the library-computer station, which links the bridge to the vessel's intricate "brain", a highly sophisticated and advanced computer that interconnects all stations of the ship. From his central panel, Spock can tap resources of the entire computer system - including a vast micro-record library of man's history... plus all known information on other solar systems, Earth colonies, alien civilizations, a registry of all space vessels in existence, personnel information on any member of the U.S.S. Enterprise, or almost anything else needed in any of our stories...
Mister Spock's mother was human, his father a native of the planet Vulcan. This alien-human combination results in Mister Spock's slightly alien features, with the yellowish complexion and satanic pointed ears... He has a strange Vulcan "ESP" ability to merge his mind with another intelligence and read the thoughts there. He dislikes doing so since it deprives him of his proud stoic mannerisms and reveals too much of his inner self...
We now realize that Spock is capable of feeling emotion, but he denies this at every opportunity. On his own planet, to show emotion is considered the grossest of sins. He makes every effort to hide what he considers the "weakness" of his half-human heredity.

The notion of Spock suffering racial prejudice, hinted in Star Trek was shared by the unmade prequel Star Trek: The First Adventure, in which Spock first meets Kirk when he is defended by him from bullies at Starfleet Academy.

The events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country show Spock having full command of the Enterprise, the latter having Spock outrank Kirk as he was in command of the entire mission. However, the events of "The Cage" and Star Trek: The Motion Picture show Spock having a lower rank than First Officer.

Star Trek co-writer Roberto Orci cites Spock as his favorite character, and wrote the character as being essential to the reboot without considering a back-up story, had Nimoy turned down appearing in the film. He recalled Nimoy raised his eyebrow at the idea of the destruction of Vulcan. [3]

With the release of Star Trek, the original reality version of Spock was now often referred to on websites and other media as "Spock Prime" to differentiate from the alternate reality version.

Ambiguities

The Star Trek Chronology listed Spock as having been promoted from lieutenant commander to full commander following "Court Martial". This was apparently the result of mishearing Kirk's log entry in "The Menagerie, Part I", where Spock was still identified as a lieutenant commander. He was also referred to as a lieutenant commander in "Tomorrow is Yesterday" and was first referred to as a commander in "Amok Time", indicating the promotion occurred between those two episodes. Oddly enough, even when he was a lieutenant commander during the first season, he still wore a full commander's stripes. However, this may have been to signify his position as the ship's first officer. It was possible that he was a brevet commander at the time, with an official rank of lieutenant commander.

Apocrypha

According to Diane Duane's novel Spock's World, Spock was a descendant of Surak.

Spock briefly reactivated his Starfleet commission, with the rank of admiral, during the Dominion War, according to Spectre, a novel by William Shatner (with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens).

In the novel Crossover, Spock and several unificationists were captured by the Romulan Empire. He was ultimately rescued by Scotty, Commander Riker, Data, and Geordi La Forge aboard the USS Yorktown that Scotty stole from a Starfleet museum using the shuttle he was given by Picard to control the Yorktown's computer. After believing Scotty dead for 75 years, Spock was momentarily startled to see him behind the transporter controls, but quickly regained his control. Scotty promised to explain how he reached the 24th century later to Spock.

In the novel The Fire and the Rose, Spock began to lose his emotional control after hearing of the death of Captain Kirk, and eventually returns to Gol to take Kolinahr training again. Spock ultimately succeeded and became truly emotionless, a situation that neither Sarek nor Amanda agreed he should have tried to do. Amanda in particular, felt Spock had rejected his humanity and therefore in some measure, her by extension. Spock's lack of emotion also ultimately alienated McCoy when he came to ask Spock to stand with him at his wedding to Tonia Barrows and Spock refused. Ultimately, after Amanda's death in a shuttle accident and Spock seeing Sarek grieve for Amanda (which surprised Spock as he mistakenly believed Sarek to have also been a student of Kolinahr), and when Spock realized that he can't grieve for Amanda and that he didn't even miss her, he sought McCoy out on Earth to help him engage in an ancient Vulcan ritual to reverse the Kolinahr, allowing Spock to feel emotions again. This accomplished, Spock rebuilt his relationship with McCoy, was able to grieve for his mother and Captain Kirk, and once again found the balance and peace between his Vulcan and human halves, allowing him to have emotional control again without rejecting his emotions.

In the novel Provenance of Shadows, Spock, having been contacted by McCoy's wife Tonia Barrows, and told that McCoy was taking a turn for the worse, went to see McCoy because he had regretted that he didn't get to see either Kirk or his mother once more before their deaths, and he was not going to make that mistake this time. Spock did spend the day with McCoy and planned to return the next day, but as he left McCoy's house, Spock was left with the impression he would never see McCoy alive again. Spock's feelings are proved correct as McCoy does die peacefully in his chair on the porch that same evening before Spock can return, with Tonia by his side, reflecting on his life and the good work he's done and his family and friends.

In the novel Vulcan's Forge, Spock commanded the science ship Intrepid II in 2294, a year after Kirk was lost in the Nexus. Within the story, Uhura was Spock's first officer and McCoy his chief medical officer.

Other novels set after Star Trek VI established that Picard at the wedding of Spock and Saavik met Sarek.

In the novel Yesterday's Son, Spock found out that he had a son with Zarabeth, whom she had named Zar.

In the game Star Trek: Armada, Ambassador Spock was sent aboard a Galaxy-class starship to mediate a treaty between the Klingon and Romulan empires on Romulus. The Borg intercepted this ship and assimilated him. The Enterprise traveled 2 days back to make sure he reached the peace conference. The plan succeeded, resulting in Romulan and Klingon ships being dispatched to assist the Federation in defending Earth.

Countdown Spock

Spock in Star Trek: Countdown

In the comic series Star Trek: Countdown, leading up to Star Trek, Spock was aided in his attempts to help convince the Vulcans to provide the Romulans with the red matter necessary to stop the impending supernova explosion by Jean-Luc Picard, who was now Federation Ambassador to Vulcan, as well as by a restored Data, who was now captain of the Enterprise. Also, the comic established that Geordi La Forge had designed the Jellyfish, which Spock used to drop the red matter into the supernova. Just after the Jellyfish and the Narada were pulled through the black hole and into the alternate reality, the black hole finished collapsing and the Enterprise arrived in the area finding no indication anywhere that Spock managed to escape. Presuming Spock to be dead, Picard said that he hoped his friend's soul did indeed live long and prosper.

In the novelization of Star Trek, after being told by Kirk that Dr. McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura - all but one of the group of officers who had once been willing to throw away their careers to save him - were all serving on the USS Enterprise[!] (taking McCoy's presence for granted when following the confirmation of the other three), Spock suggested to Kirk that their meeting, and the way the crew was already coming together, was the work of the timeline attempting to "fix" itself. As for the one person not yet aboard the ship, he had been well aware that Scotty was stationed at the outpost, which he had visited on occasion for supplies - though it wasn't clear whether they had actually met - but he had a made a point of keeping his distance. This self-imposed isolation was the only reason that he happened to be at the right place with a torch as the hengrauggi wrapped its tongue around Kirk's leg, which struck him as yet more evidence to support his theory - Kirk's arrival made it clear that the three had converged there for a reason, since he could give Scott the basics of his own invention, and therefore return Kirk to the Enterprise, with a way to take his rightful place in command (seeing that the young officer was obviously unaware of Regulation 619, he admitted to having forgotten how insignificant such things had been to the Kirk he knew so well), and hopefully be able to minimize the damage to the timeline.

In the comic series Star Trek: Spock: Reflections, the events leading up to Countdown were detailed.

Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto also lent their voices to Star Trek Online; Nimoy reprised his role as Spock and narrated key events to players, while Quinto voices an EMH who helps the player though the tutorial level.

The 2013 virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals was using Nimoy's picture for card #103 "Ambassador Spock".

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