A recreation of the OK Corral, site of the gunfight
The Gunfight at the OK Corral was a skirmish in the Ancient West that took place on 26 October, 1886 in the town of Tombstone, Arizona on Earth. The gunfight was fought between two factions who were seeking to control the town, mainly being the Earps, led by Wyatt Earp backed up by his brothers and Doc Holliday, against which were pitted the Clanton gang led by the gunfighter Ike Clanton.
That day, the Clantons and the Earps "had it out" with the Clantons losing the battle. According to some accounts, the local county police, led by Sheriff Johnny Behan, did nothing to prevent the fight and actually was counting on the outcome, hoping that the Clantons would "get rid of the Earps for him".
In 2269 the gunfight was recreated by the Melkot as a means to punish a landing party from the USS Enterprise for violating their space and intruding on their planet. The Melkotian version of the gunfight was noticeably different from the original, with the setting being a partial and fragmented town on the American frontier set against an alien desert backdrop with a blood red sky. The Melkotian version also was to have a more horrific ending, with every member of the Clanton gang dieing at the hands of the Earps when in fact at least one member of the gang, Billy Claiborne, had survived the original battle. (TOS: "Spectre of the Gun")
- In the episode, Spock referred to the gunfight as the "Battle at the OK Corral."