Spock (alternate reality)
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(split 2233)
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| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Vulcan/Human hybrid |
| Affiliation: | Federation Starfleet |
| Rank: | Commander |
| Occupation: | Starfleet officer |
| Status: | Alive (2258) |
| Born: | 2230 |
| Father: | Sarek |
| Mother: | Amanda Grayson (deceased) |
| Sibling(s): | Sybok (half-brother) |
| Blood type: | T-negative |
| Other Relative(s): | Sasak (cousin), Selek (cousin), Skon (grandfather), Solkar (great-grandfather), T'Pel (cousin) |
| Played by: | Zachary Quinto Jacob Kogan |
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- For the prime universe counterpart, please see Spock.
- For the mirror universe counterpart, please see Spock (mirror).
- "Spock, you are fully capable of deciding your own destiny. The question you face is: which path will you choose? This is something only you can decide."
- - Sarek (alternate reality) (Star Trek)
Spock – full name generally considered unpronounceable to Humans – was a Human/Vulcan hybrid who served with Starfleet in the 23rd century. As an instructor at Starfleet Academy, he programmed the Kobayashi Maru scenario. From 2258, he was first officer under Christopher Pike and his successor James T. Kirk aboard the USS Enterprise. (Star Trek)
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Early life
Edit
Spock was born to Sarek, a Vulcan, and Amanda Grayson, a Human, in 2230 in the city of Shi'Kahr on Vulcan. (TOS: "Journey to Babel"; TAS: "Yesteryear"; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
As a young boy, Spock was often the target of abuse from his schoolmates because of his Human ancestry. On one particular occasion in which three of his classmates accused his father of being a traitor for marrying "that Human whore," Spock lost emotional control and was so angered that he violently beat up the lead tormentor, exhibiting such rage that, despite their advantage in size and numbers, the other two made no attempt to help their friend. Previously, he had counted that the incident was the 35th time those particular schoolmates had attempted to elicit an emotional response from him. When he then spoke to his disappointed father about his mother, asking him why he had married a Human, Sarek coldly remarked that his decision to marry her was the logical choice, given that he was an ambassador of Vulcan to Earth.
After completing the advanced training which he began during childhood in the Vulcan Learning Center, Spock applied to both the Vulcan Science Academy and Starfleet Academy. He was also considering completing his training in the kolinahr – the Vulcan ritual of purging all vestigial emotions – and asked his mother whether she would think less of him for discarding emotion in that way. His mother simply remarked that she would always be proud of him, no matter what choices he made. He later was admitted to the Vulcan Science Academy, but declined the offer after the board remarked that his admission to the Academy was especially commendable considering his "disadvantage" of being half-Human.
Starfleet careerEdit
Spock went on to attend Starfleet Academy, and would come to be known as one of its most distinguished graduates. By 2258, he had attained the rank of commander, and acted as an instructor at the Academy.
Spock was in charge of starship assignments for the cadets. He initially assigned Lieutenant Nyota Uhura to the USS Farragut, in spite of Uhura's stated desire to serve aboard the USS Enterprise, the new flagship. Commander Spock had served as Cadet Uhura's instructor and judged her performance to be consistently exemplary, but to avoid giving the appearance of favoritism, he assigned her to the Farragut instead. Uhura later confronted him about this choice, noting that she was more than qualified to serve aboard the Enterprise as confirmed by Spock on many occasions. After this conversation, she was assigned to the Enterprise by Spock.
Spock programmed the Kobayashi Maru scenario, the purpose of which was to allow cadets to experience fear in the face of death, and, in confronting it, develop skills necessary for command. When James T. Kirk was ultimately able to pass the test, and defeat the scenario, Spock accused the cadet of inserting a subroutine into the program, changing the simulation to his favor, so he could win. At a hearing of the Academy board, Kirk asked for the right to confront Spock directly, and the two clashed over Kirk's actions.
USS EnterpriseEdit
The hearing was cut short by the receipt of a distress call from Vulcan, and Spock reported to the USS Enterprise as first officer under Captain Christopher Pike. En route to Vulcan, Spock once again clashed with Kirk, who had come aboard the Enterprise without authorization. Over Kirk's arguments that the distress call from Vulcan was the result of an attack by Romulans, Spock demanded that Kirk be removed from the bridge - but when Uhura vouched for the accuracy of a crucial element of Kirk's claims, Spock decided that Kirk was probably right, and as a result Pike ordered the ship ready before dropping out of warp. Ultimately, arrival at Vulcan, which was under attack, proved that Kirk was correct, and contact was made with the Romulan vessel Narada, which was attacking the planet. When contact was established with the ship's captain, Nero, he appeared to know Spock, although Spock had never met the Romulan before. Pike, who was ordered to transport himself to the Narada, left Spock in charge as acting captain.
Following the disabling of the Narada's drill platform and revealing Nero's plans, Spock beamed to the surface to at least rescue the Vulcan Council, including his father and mother. As the survivors were about to be beamed aboard the Enterprise, the disintegrating surface on the planet collapsed beneath Spock's mother before the transport could be completed and she died. She was one of almost six billion killed with the loss of the planet.
Struggling with the loss of his world and the death of his mother, Spock received comfort from Uhura. After deciding to take the Enterprise to the Laurentian system to rendezvous with the rest of the fleet, and engaging in a furious debate with Kirk which led to him employing the Vulcan nerve pinch on the acting first officer, Spock ordered Kirk to be thrown off the ship, jettisoning him in an escape pod near Delta Vega.
With the Enterprise now at warp, Spock was surprised when Kirk and Montgomery Scott were able to beam aboard the ship, and demanded to know how they had been able to transport during warp. Kirk, who had by now met with a version of Spock who had traveled back in time with Nero was told that in order to save Earth, Kirk had to take over. He had asked Kirk to sufficiently provoke Spock in order to show everyone that he was too emotionally compromised to be in command. Kirk made several unsuccessful attempts to insult and cajole Spock, until finally a jibe about whether Spock had loved his late mother made the Vulcan snap, attacking Kirk and coming extremely close to killing him. He was only stopped by his father and quickly realized what had happened, and stepped down from command. Returning to the transporter room, Spock was comforted by the words of his father, who admitted that he actually had married Amanda because he loved her.
After a brief cool-down period, Spock returned to duty, and endorsed Pavel Chekov's plan to hide the Enterprise in Titan's atmosphere. He then volunteered to beam to the Narada, noting that the similarities between Romulan and Vulcan language and culture would help him in determining the location of Captain Pike and determine a way to destroy the vessel. Kirk, now in command, agreed, and accompanied Spock aboard the Narada. In the Enterprise transporter room, Spock and Uhura kissed. When told by Uhura that she would be monitoring their comm frequencies, Spock thanked "Nyota", revealing the first name Kirk had attempted unsuccessfully to learn ever since first meeting her three years prior.
After a brief phaser fight with the Romulan crew aboard the Narada, Spock was able to locate the the elder Spock's ship and Captain Pike. On board the Jellyfish, the computer recognized him as Ambassador Spock; when Kirk made an obviously sarcastic show of "surprise" and the computer stated that the ship had been built 129 years in the future, Spock realized exactly who Kirk had encountered on Delta Vega.
Attacking the Narada from the inside, Spock escaped into Earth's orbit, and was able to destroy the drill platform as it dug into San Francisco Bay. Ultimately, the black hole, with assistance from the Enterprise's weapons, consumed the Narada and Nero, who had refused humanitarian assistance.
First officer of the EnterpriseEdit
Back on Earth, Spock finally met with his older counterpart who explained to him that he had wanted to make sure that Spock and Kirk became friends and shared the kind of friendship he and the other Kirk from his timeline shared; something which would ultimately define them both and was a crucial aspect of their lives. Spock had planned to resign from Starfleet and help rebuild Vulcan society, but the elder counterpart urged him to remain with Starfleet and to also put aside logic once in a while and do what feels right. About to join the surviving Vulcans himself, the prime Spock chose not to offer his alternate self the traditional Vulcan salute, noting that it would have seemed self-serving; instead he wished him good luck.
With Kirk now in command of the Enterprise, Spock offered his services as First Officer, which Kirk gladly accepted.
Relationship with James T. KirkEdit
Spock and Kirk had a complicated and troubled relationship from the start. As an instructor at Starfleet Academy and the creator of the Kobayashi Maru scenario, Spock did not appreciate that Kirk had altered the program so he could beat it. In fact, he openly accused him of having cheated and as a result Kirk had to answer before an inquiry board at the Academy for his actions. Kirk was subsequently suspended and only with the help of Doctor Leonard McCoy was he able to come on board the Enterprise. Kirk and Spock continued to clash with one another over vastly different view points and philosophies they held. Kirk was self-assured, overconfident and had an unconventional way of approaching matters, while Spock was highly disciplined, always honoring regulations and adhering to a strict code of conduct. Spock's lack of tolerance for Kirk's ways resulted in Spock just throwing Kirk off the ship altogether the first opportunity he got. When Kirk later provoked him by referencing his mother, Amanda Grayson, Spock lost all control and was more than eager to hurt Kirk.
Spock's attitude toward Kirk softened, however, after his encounter with an alternate version of himself who advised both of them to set aside their momentary irritations, revealing that in his timeline, the two had shared a great friendship. After they worked side by side to save Earth and beat the Narada, Spock became Kirk's first officer aboard the Enterprise.
Memorable quotesEdit
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. What do you need? Tell me. Tell me."
"I need everyone to continue performing admirably."
- - Nyota Uhura and Spock, when Uhura comforts Spock in the turbolift
"If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains–however improbable–must be the truth."
- - Spock, quoting Sherlock Holmes.
"I am as conflicted as I once was as a child."
"You will always be a child of two worlds. I am grateful for this... and for you."
- - Spock and Sarek
"I feel anger for the one who took Mother's life. An anger I cannot control."
"I believe she would say, if she were here, 'do not try to'."
- - Spock and Sarek
"I'm coming with you."
"I would cite regulation, but I know you will simply ignore it."
"See? We are getting to know each other."
- (Kirk slaps Spock on the shoulder.)
- - Spock and Captain James Kirk, when Kirk offers to help Spock on an almost suicide mission
"So, her first name is Nyota?"
"I have no comment on the matter."
- - Captain James Kirk and Spock, when Kirk asks if Nyota is Uhura's first name.
"Captain, what are you doing?"
"You show them compassion, it may be the only way to earn peace with Romulus. It's logic, Spock. I thought you'd like that."
"No, not really. Not this time."
- - Spock and Captain James Kirk, after Kirk offers to help Nero escape certain death.
Appendices Edit
Background information Edit
Spock was mostly played by Zachary Quinto. As a child, he was played by Jacob Kogan. In a deleted scene, an infant Spock was played by Jenna Vaughn.
Sean Gerace, a researcher on the film Star Trek who also appears in the movie, turned the producers' attention on to Jacob Kogan. (audio commentary for Star Trek (film), Star Trek (Special Edition/Three disc Blu-ray))
Placing faith in Bad Robot Productions, Zachary Quinto publicly pursued the role, aware that there was a risk he wouldn't be cast in the part, and he signed up to play Spock before having read the script for Star Trek. Once he read the screenplay, he was satisfied that he had made the right choice, later stating, "The complexity of the story, the deeply rooted internal conflict, the vulnerability that Spock comes up against in this film was really compelling to me as an actor [....] One thing really leads to another in a great way for my character." (Star Trek Magazine issue 145, p. 16)
The reserved emotionality of the character was vital to both Quinto and Jacob Kogan. The latter actor mused about the role, "Pretty much, if you're playing a part that is trying to keep their emotions in, then that's the emotion you're trying to convey [.....] I feel like it's not exactly showing your emotions but showing your motives and if Spock's motive is to hide his emotions, then that's what he's showing." [1] Quinto similarly commented, "For me as the actor playing the character, there was so much that had to be contained throughout Spock's journey." (Star Trek Magazine issue 145, p. 16)
Because Leonard Nimoy has earlobes whereas Zachary Quinto doesn't, lobes were intentionally sculpted into Quinto's prosthetic ears for his appearance as Spock, in order to match Nimoy's ears. (Star Trek Magazine issue 155, p. 56)
Quinto and Kogan's performances as Spock were not influenced by each other, with neither of them seeing one another's acting until after the film Star Trek was produced. [2] Quinto instead took inspiration from Leonard Nimoy's past portrayal of the character. They "spent a great deal of time getting to know each other and talking before I started shooting," Quinto explained, "and in all that time, I was also doing my own stuff. Leonard and I watched two Spock-centric episodes together – 'Amok Time' was one of them – and we talked about the character and the experience of shooting them. Most of my work was done on my own – a lot of research and reading – or with Leonard before we started shooting. While we were shooting the movie, I would watch old episodes of the show in my trailer when I was hanging out in there, just to keep me rooted in the specificity and uniqueness of the world [....] When I saw [the film], it made so much sense that my version of Spock would evolve into [Nimoy's]." (Star Trek Magazine issue 145, pp. 18 & 19)
Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman based Kirk and Spock's relationship on Paul McCartney and John Lennon, two very different musicians who bonded early in life, partly because they both lost a parent (in Kirk's case, his father, and in Spock's, his mother). [3]
- In the novelization of Star Trek, for one of the questions in the learning pod, Spock identifies the authors of a piece of 20th century Earth music as Lennon and McCartney, a possible homage to their inspiration.
Apocrypha Edit
In the novelization of Star Trek, Spock says that he is going to be the first Vulcan in Starfleet. However, this would seem to contradict T'Pol enlisting in Star Trek: Enterprise, although he may be referring to the Federation Starfleet, as opposed to the United Earth Starfleet.
Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy also lent their voices to Star Trek Online, where they play an Emergency Medical Hologram and Spock, respectively; the EMH serves as a guide in the game tutorial while Spock serves as a narrator.
External linkEdit
- Spock (alternate reality) at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
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