Spock

"Live long and prosper."

―Mister Spock

Spock
Aliases:	Mister Spock; Lieutenant Spock; Science Officer Spock; Commander Spock; Captain Spock; Ambassador Spock; Spock Prime; Spock Jenkins
Continuity:	Star Trek
Notability:	Main character
Type:	Military personnel
Gender:	Male
Race:	Mixed heritage
Location:	Romulus of an alternate timeline
Relatives:	Sarek (father, deceased); Amanda Grayson; Sybok (Half-brother)
Status:	Alive
Born:	2230
Died:	2285 (resurrected that same year)
First:	"The Cage"
Final:	Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
Actor:	Leonard Nimoy Carl Steven Vadia Potenza Stephen Manley Joe W. Davis Zachary Quinto Jacob Kogan

Spock is an alien character prominently featured in the mythos of the Star Trek film and television franchise. He is widely regarded as one of the most popular and recognizable fictional aliens of all time and has become an iconic character of the genre. Played primarily by American actor Leonard Nimoy, the character first appeared in the unaired black and white pilot episode of the original Star Trek series, "The Cage". The character has appeared in all seventy-nine regular episodes of series and was also featured in the short-lived Star Trek animated series where he was voiced by Nimoy. Spock has appeared in seven of the Star Trek feature films as well, beginning with the 1979 movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The character was killed off in the first film sequel, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but was resurrected in the third film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. He also appeared in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as well as the 2009 reboot of the franchise, simply titled Star Trek where he was played by both Nimoy and Zachary Quinto. Other actors who have played the role of Spock include Carl Steven, Vadia Potenza, Stephen Manley and Joe W. Davis, who played younger versions of Spock in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Jacob Kogan played a younger version of Spock from an alternate timeline in the 2009 reboot film. The character has been featured in dozens of novels, comic books and video games as well as being represented in hundreds of Star Trek collectible memorabilia.

Biography

Spock as a Lieutenant under Captain Pike.

Spock was a child of two worlds. His father, Sarek, was a scientist from the planet Vulcan, and his mother was an Earth woman named Amanda Grayson. Spock was born in the city of ShiKahr on Vulcan in the year 2230. Though half-human, Spock was raised in the tenants of the Vulcan traditions, which embraced cold logic over that of human emotion. Being only half-Vulcan, Spock was often the target of derision by other children and found himself constantly warring to keep his human emotions in check.

Growing up, Spock was expected to join the Vulcan Science Academy like his father, but he instead elected to enroll at Starfleet Academy. This decision caused a great rift between Sarek and he, one that would remain unresolved for a great many years.

Upon graduating from Starfleet, Spock was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to serve as Science Officer aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 under the command of Captain Christopher Pike. In the year 2254, Spock and the crew of the Enterprise journeyed to the planet Talos IV under the belief that they might find evidence relating to the fate of the SS Columbia, which had disappeared eighteen years earlier. Captain Pike was taken prisoner by the native Talosians at this time and Spock led the rest of the landing party on a mission to rescue him. Spock and Captain Pike filed a report with Starfleet Command detailing the dangers represented by the Talosians. Based upon the Captain's and the Science Officer's findings, Starfleet Commanding Officer Robert L. Comsol drafted General Order 7, which prohibited all interstellar contact with Talos IV.

In 2265, Captain Pike was promoted to Fleet Captain and was succeeded by Captain James T. Kirk. After serving under Captain Pike for eleven years, Spock now began serving the first of two five-year missions under Captain Kirk. He was promoted to the rank of Commander at this time, replacing the late Commander Gary Mitchell. He still continued to serve as ship's Science Officer.

Spock on trial.

Shortly thereafter, the Enterprise journeyed to the planet Psi 2000, which was in its final death throws. A landing party contracted a virus that was brought back aboard the ship and managed to spread despite Starfleet's quarantine procedures. The symptoms of the virus caused those who contracted it to lose all behavioral inhibitions, often giving the appearance of severe intoxication. Though seemingly harmless at first, the virus was untreatable and ultimately fatal. Nurse Christine Chapel, who had always held an unspoken attraction towards Mister Spock, expressed her true feelings for him, infecting him with the virus after touching his face. The virus caused all of Spock's repressed emotions to rise to the surface and despite all his efforts to control them, he could not keep himself from completely losing his composure. Captain Kirk tried to snap Spock out of it by slapping him, but Spock returned the blow, transmitting the virus to Kirk as well. Ultimately, the crew of the ship were able to generate a matter-antimatter implosion, which shunted the Enterprise three days into the past. They avoided making contact with Psi 2000 and thus escaped being exposed to the contagion.

Two years later, Spock received a telepathic communique from the Talosians and learned about an accident that had crippled his former Captain, Christopher Pike. Spock faked a Starfleet command order, diverting the Enterprise to Starbase 11, where the crew found Captain Pike now a quadriplegic. Spock knew that the Talosians had the ability to improve the quality of life for Captain Pike and so he illegally took command of the Enterprise, smuggled Captain Pike aboard and brought him back to Talos IV. A tribunal was held on the Enterprise and Spock was put on trial for violating General Order 7. After an extensive review of the situation as well as the events that took place on Talos IV in 2254, all charges against Spock were dropped and the Talosians took Captain Pike into their care.

Alternate versions

Spock II

Main article: Spock II

Spock II from "The Infinite Vulcan"

Spock II is a forty-foot clone cultivated from genetic samples taken from the Vulcan Science Officer Mister Spock. He was created by the giant human scientist Stavos Keniclius V, himself a fifth generation clone. Keniclius had searched the Alpha Quadrant for years attempting to find the perfect specimen for cloning; one that would assist him in his plan to impose peace upon what he believed to be a warring galaxy. Spock II was created in the underground environs of the planet Phylos, populated by the Phylosians - a species on the edge of extinction.

Unfortunately, the process that created Spock II nearly killed the first Spock, leaving him in a vegetative state. Spock's commanding officer, Captain James T. Kirk pleaded with the clone to abandon Stavos' mad plan of imposed peace, appealing to the Vulcan's inherent sense of reason and logic. As the clone embodied all of the quintessential elements of the true Spock, it understood and agreed with Kirk's assessment that peace cannot be forced upon any culture, no matter how noble the cause may seem. Spock II performed a Vulcan mind touch with his inert progenitor which healed him, bringing Spock I out of his coma. Spock II agreed to remain on Phylos to aid Stavos and help the dying Phylosians rebuild their culture. (ST: The Infinite Vulcan)

Character alterations

A smiling Spock.

The physical appearance and personality of Mister Spock is noticeably different when comparing his introduction in "The Cage" and how he is represented throughout the rest of the franchise. His hairline is shorter and lacks the grooming style seen in later episodes. His eyebrows are bushy and more pronounced and his ears are longer, giving Spock a somewhat devilish appearance. Gene Roddenberry has stated that he wanted Spock's appearance to be obviously non-human and compared his image to that of Satan.

His personality is somewhat different as well. As Roddenberry had yet to solidify Spock's characterization, much less the fact that he was half-human, the traditional emotionless veneer was not present in Spock's character in the original pilot. When he accompanies Captain Pike to Talos IV, they stop to observe a patch of flowers vibrating and growing out of an outcropping of rock. Spock is seen smiling at their find, a behavioral quality that, with rare exception, is absent in any further appearances made by the character. Later in the episode, when Number One and Yeoman Colt mysteriously disappear off the transporter pad, Spock throws up his hands and exclaims "The women!" This too is uncharacteristic behavior from what people have come to expect from the character. With the airing of the second pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", Spock's appearance and behavior are more in-step with how he will be presented throughout the remainder of his appearances.

Notes & Trivia

• The character of Spock was created by Gene Roddenberry.

• To distinguish between the two variations of Spock that appear in the 2009 film Star Trek, Nimoy's Spock is referred to as Spock Prime.

• Starfleet serial number: S179-276SP

• Spock served under Captain Pike for eleven years, four months and five days.

• Spock has the first lines of dialogue in all of Star Trek. In "The Cage", he issues the order, "Check the circuit."

• Actor Leonard Nimoy developed the idea of the Vulcan nerve pinch because he believed Spock would not condescend to using more conventional fighting techiniques to stop an opponent.

• In the 1992 comedy film Boomerang (1992), Eddie Murphy's character identifies Spock by the surname Jenkins, saying that he was "one of the Jenkins boys of Vulcan".

• Even Spock is not immune to the calming effect generated by Tribbles and was seen petting one when they began breeding on the Enterprise.

External Links

• Spock at IMDB
• Spock at Wikipedia
• Spock at Memory Beta
• Spock at Memory Alpha
• Spock at the Star Trek Database

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