star trek bones full name

The Truth About Dr. McCoy's Nickname In Star Trek

"Star Trek's" Dr. Leonard McCoy was one of the first human medical professionals that the series introduced. He was the chief medical officer of the Starship Enterprise and the close friend of its commander, Captain James T. Kirk . Actor Deforest Kelley played the character in the original series, which ran from 1966 to 1969, shows IMDb , as well as the animated series, films, and a cameo in the pilot episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Dr. McCoy is also one-third of an iconic trio, the "Big Three" of the original series: himself, Kirk, and Spock. Together the friends each offer a different trait that made them the dynamic they were.

But most Trekkies also know Dr. McCoy by another name. Throughout the series' run, McCoy is called "Bones" — a name that Captain Kirk first calls him, says Trekkie fan site Memory Alpha . Other characters would also refer to him as such and it became a nickname that stuck with the character. It appears that on the show, he was simply called "Bones" without there being additional commentary on why this was his nickname.

Where did the nickname 'Bones' come from?

Captain Kirk calls Dr. McCoy "Bones" in episode 2 of the first season, titled "The Man Trap," says IMDb . But why? According to Comic Book Resources  (CBR), Bones was the name for the character long before "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry came up with Dr. Leonard McCoy. In his show pitch, he only had the character listed as "Bones" with a completely different full name.

Roddenberry came up with the nickname. It was short for "sawbones." What inspired it? When surgical doctors had to perform amputations in the 19th century, the term came about because they had to saw through bones to do a successful amputation. So people would often refer to surgeons and other doctors as a "sawbones," which is also was Dr. McCoy was. On the show Captain Kirk simply calls his friend "Bones,” but no reason is ever given as to why.

In the 2009 "Star Trek" reboot film, an explanation was finally presented. In the movie, a newly-divorced McCoy says to Captain Kirk that his wife left him with nothing but bones, his metaphor for being completely stripped and left with absolutely nothing after the separation. But that almost didn't happen. As CBR reports, actor Karl Urban, who portrayed "Bones" in the film, improvised the whole thing, said the film's director, J.J. Abrams.

Star Trek: How Did McCoy Get The Nickname 'Bones'?

Dr. Leonard McCoy is a fan-favorite character, but why does Captain Kirk so rarely use his dear friend's given name?

Star Trek has a lot of selling points. The joy of a beautiful utopian future and the endless possibility of space exploration is enough to make a show worth watching. However, all that fun and potential excellence falls flat without a human lens. The crew members of the Enterprise are among the most iconic characters in sci-fi history. Dr. Leonard H. McCoy is, in many ways, the team's beating heart. Kirk gives him the charming nickname Bones, but where did he come up with it?

Deforest Kelley was one of the most fascinating casting decisions in Star Trek 's early days . Kelley's Leonard McCoy was the third doctor in the series. The two pilots featured different medical officers, both picked by directors. Gene Roddenberry wanted Kelley, and he got his wish in the first "official" episode. Kelly is credited with most of the creative choices behind his character's personality. It was his defining role, and he made it iconic.

Star Trek: Exploring The Unusual Origins Of Character Names

Where does mccoy's nickname come from.

Dr. McCoy got his nickname from Captain Kirk, but its inspiration varies across universes. Kirk calls him Bones from the first time they're depicted meeting. McCoy's first episode was "The Man Trap," the sixth entry filmed but the first one to air. The rejected pilot cast John Hoyt as Dr. Philip Boyce. The second attempt, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," saw Paul Fix play Dr. Mark Piper. Gene Roddenberry came up with the nickname Bones before he named Deforest Kelley's doctor character. He knew he wanted Kelley for the role and liked the idea of calling him Bones, but the explanation was more evident at the time than it is now. Bones is a playful shortening of the 19th-century term sawbones.

Karl Urban played the role of Dr. McCoy in the 2009 reboot film universe . His performance was celebrated, often even by those who disliked the treatment of the material. Most seemingly considered his the best translation of an old character into a new context. Urban's McCoy has a similar role in the social system aboard the Enterprise, but his relationship with Kirk is slightly different. This iteration of Kirk and McCoy meet at Starfleet Academy while working to secure positions in the organization. Kirk lands at the Academy after a barfight with some students, leading him to meet Captain Christopher Pike, who offers a career like his as a potential future for the young hothead. McCoy joins Starfleet following a messy divorce. He explains that his ex-wife took everything, leaving him nothing but his bones. Kirk takes that gag and turns it into his nickname. Karl Urban improvised that line, changing the character's history with a sharply-chosen sentence.

How Is McCoy's Nickname Significant?

Charles Dickens coined the term sawbones in his 1837 novel, The Pickwick Papers . It refers to a doctor, though almost always a surgeon. Surgeons are generally well-regarded in the modern day. This was not the case at the time. To be a physician, one needed a medical doctorate. A surgeon required no such credentials. Subsequently, a doctor was considered cultured, high-class, and fiercely intelligent. A surgeon could be seen as more working class, on the same level as a blacksmith or a bricklayer. Most of a physician's work took place in the mind. They were at the level of scholars or philosophers. Surgeons were asked to touch human bodies with their hands, debasing themselves to help the weak and wounded. The term refers specifically to the grim work of hacking off limbs with an amputation saw. People don't say "sawbones" often today unless referring to the podcast. It's a playful term, a wink and nudge at the offputting realities of medical work in a bygone age . How does it hold up in 2266?

On one hand, Kirk calls McCoy "Bones" as a joke. He's reducing the work of a life science expert and medical prodigy to the days when an amputation was a best-case scenario. Ironically, McCoy prefers to avoid intrusive treatment. He's an advocate for the body's natural healing powers. He has no love of technology, displaying distrust of gadgets like the transporter . "Bones" ties McCoy back to a history of dedicated professionals struggling to help others under terrible circumstances. Sawbones like McCoy knew the right thing to do and did it, even when it was impossibly difficult. His patients might not appreciate him, and his more logical cohorts might push back against his moral standing, but Bones passionately does his duty for everyone. That's what makes him "a good ol' country doctor."

Funnily enough, Kirk makes a concerted effort to stop calling McCoy Bones after a confrontation with a skeleton in the second season premiere. He calls him "Doc," but it doesn't stick . Bones is a better name for a man who proudly ties himself back to the old days. Dr. Leonard McCoy is an old sawbones, but he's among the best there's ever been.

MORE: Star Trek: Why Did Commodore Wesley Call Captain Kirk 'Dunsel'?

Leonard McCoy

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Dr. Leonard H. McCoy , known as " Bones ", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise Star Trek . [1] McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the animated Star Trek series , in six Star Trek films , in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , and in numerous books, comics, and video games. [2] A decade after Kelley's death, Karl Urban assumed the role of McCoy in the Star Trek reboot film in 2009. [3]

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Leonard 'Bones' McCoy Was the True Heart of Star Trek

When most people think of Star Trek , they of course think of Kirk and Spock . This isn’t surprising, as they were the star and the break-out character of the series, but it’s easy to forget that they were two members of a triumvirate that made up the essence of the show. Ship’s doctor Leonard “Bones” McCoy was the third, and just as integral in making Star Trek a joy to watch.

While Spock was all cold logic and Kirk was fiery passion, Bones was the heart of the Enterprise crew. He was the one who made the plea to do the right thing, who reminded the others of the potential cost of obeying logic or the Prime Directive. McCoy also was the true audience surrogate of the show, saying the things we yelled at the TV. The crew of the Enterprise did run into some completely ridiculous phenomena, and none of it would have worked if McCoy wasn’t there to say “Of course you save their lives, you idiots!” and “How in the universe is this happening to us?”

What makes Bones so fascinating is that he clearly didn’t want to be there. He wasn’t a full believer in the Starfleet mission. He hated space and ships and Starfleet, but he went out there and did his job every single time, no matter what insanity he encountered. Remember “The Devil in the Dark?” Can you imagine starting out life as a doctor in your home state and then finding yourself being asked to treat this?

McCoy complained, but he did it. Because he was a doctor and that was his job. And Kirk ordered him to. McCoy’s history isn’t epic and tragic like Kirk’s or unique like Spock’s. Which is why he, despite being an actual genius, insisted over and over that he was just a country doctor.

And when I say McCoy complained, I mean he complained all the time. About everything, but mostly Spock. Just think about how much life Star Trek would have lost without Bones for Kirk to talk to or for Spock to spar with:

Spock: I’m happy the affair is over. A most annoying emotional episode. McCoy: Smack right in the old heart. Oh, I’m sorry. [pointing to his side] In your case, it would be about here. Spock: The fact that my internal arrangement differs from yours, Doctor, pleases me no end.

(I would literally watch Spock and McCoy trade barbs over any other duo in all of Star Trek ’s 50 years.)

In between insults, grumpiness, and straight-up bitching, McCoy was also responsible for delivering messages about the human condition more than anyone else on the show. Kirk had the mission, Spock his logic, but what McCoy cared about was his patients—and that made him closer to people than he was to anything else.

One of Star Tre k’s primary messages is about the importance of the balance within ourselves. (It’s why several episodes revolve around characters splitting into two halves.) McCoy was an integral part of that equation for TOS, just like DeForest Kelley was integral is making Bones the perfect mix of grumpy and compassionate, prickly but still so essentially humane.

Kelley may not have received the same level of fame as William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy, and Bones might not have gotten the flashiest scenes. But Dr. McCoy was still the heart of the whole show, and it would have never taken off without him. Bones may not have wanted to be in space at all, but thank goodness he was.

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Leonard McCoy

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Leonard Horatio "Bones" McCoy , MD was the tritagonist in the sci-fi television program Star Trek . He was portrayed in the original series, the first six Star Trek motion pictures, and the pilot of Star Trek: The Next Generation by the late DeForest Kelley. His alternate reality counterpart was portrayed by Karl Urban in the 2009 film Star Trek .

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History [ ]

"Bones" was a hot-blooded and humanistic person that has been noted as a physician and scientist of the 23rd and 24th centuries. He was an accomplished surgeon, physician, psychologist, and exobiology, and was also considered an expert in space psychology. As ship's surgeon and chief medical officer, he served aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A for a combined twenty-seven years.

McCoy was the son of David and Eleanora McCoy. He attended the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), and happened to meet the joined Trill Emony Dax. She suspected that he would eventually become a surgeon.

As a young man McCoy had married and fathered a daughter, but later divorced. To escape the pain he felt at his marriage falling apart he entered Starfleet. He later met a young Starfleet officer named James T. Kirk and became close friends with the man. McCoy served on a medical mission to Capella IV before joining his friend Kirk as chief medical officer on the Enterprise . Over the course of the five year mission McCoy came to consider first officer Spock a close friend as well, even though they frequently argued with each other. McCoy also became good friends with the others on the Enterprise senior staff - including Nyota Uhura , Pavel Chekov, Hikaru Sulu, and Montgomery Scott . He became friends with Enterprise head nurse Christine Chapel and remained friends as she became a medical doctor herself and continued to work alongside him on the refit Enterprise .

After the Enterprise was refit following the end of its first five year mission under Kirk's command, succeeding Captain Willard Decker recruited a very diverse crew with assistance from Lt. Commander Uhura. When the Enterprise left spacedock to deal with V'Ger, she had the most diverse crew in the fleet. At first Dr. McCoy was critical of this, fearing unexpected complications that could result from so many species living and working together. He later changed his mind, and his experiences working with such a diverse crew in the coming years led him to become an expert on alien physiology. McCoy began work on a medical textbook called Comparative Alien Physiology , and spent the next quarter century working on it. McCoy's work came to be regarded as one of the classics of Federation medicine along with Grey's Anatomy , and medical professionals throughout the Federation were familiar with the work. In the mid 24th century McCoy lamented that the work could never be kept truly up to date owing to the continued contact with alien life forms.

It was McCoy that Spock chose to safeguard his katra , or his immortal soul, when Spock entered the warp chamber to save the Enterprise at the cost of his own life. Heading back to the Genesis Planet, Kirk and the Enterprise crew retrieved the Genesis regenerated body of Captain Spock. This came at a terrible price as Kirk's son David Marcus was killed by the Klingon commander Kruge's crew, and Kirk was forced to destroy the Enterprise to keep her from falling into Klingon hands.

After leaving the rapidly disintegrating Genesis Planet, Kirk and his shipmates returned Spock to Vulcan. There a Vulcan priestess transferred Spock's katra back to his regenerated body. Over the next few months McCoy underwent a series of mind melds to ensure that any remaining parts of Spock's consciousness had been completely transferred back to Spock. McCoy semi-jokingly told Spock to never put him through that again, to which Spock assured him that he had no intention of dying again anytime soon nor being raised from the dead again. Even after fal-tor-pan was completed McCoy still retained a few of Spock's memories, including some of Spock's pet sehlat I-Chaya.

When the Whale Probe attacked Earth, McCoy accompanied his shipmates back in time to the late 20th century to retrieve humpback whales that the probe was looking for. McCoy played a key role in helping secure the plexiglass needed to build a tank to hold the whales. When Chekov was seriously injured in a fall and was located at Mercy Hospital, McCoy, Kirk, and Gillian Taylor snuck into the hospital so that McCoy could treat him. Ultimately, the mission to retrieve humpback whales was successful and the whales the Enterprise crew brought to the 23rd century were able to convince the probe to leave.

After the Federation council dropped all the criminal charges against McCoy for his role in the unauthorized mission to save Spock, he and his shipmates were assigned to the Enterprise-A . McCoy served as CMO on that ship until that ship had been decommissioned in 2293.

Prior to standing down from duty on the Enterprise-A , McCoy participated in the peace mission to the Klingon Empire . He began studying Klingon anatomy in depth and even considered opening a practice dedicated to treating Klingon patients.

After the apparent death of Kirk McCoy continued his career in Starfleet and worked his way up the ranks. McCoy attended the wedding of his friend Spock to Saavik in the 2340s. By 2365 the 137 year old Admiral Leonard McCoy boarded the Galaxy class USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) to inspect the medical facilities. Commander Data escorted him to a shuttle that was taking him to the USS Hood . On the way McCoy told Data that the new ship had the right name, and that if they treated the Enterprise like a lady she would always bring them home.

When Montgomery Scott was rescued from the USS Jenolen in the late 2360s, he was delighted that Doctor McCoy was still alive. He chuckled at the thought of McCoy - who had been one of the most opposed to Starfleet's Admiralty during their years of service together - winding up joining them instead.

• In Star Trek: The Original Series and in the first six Star Trek movies, he has brown hair, but in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , he has white hair, due to aging.
• In the novel Provenance of Shadows McCoy died at his home shortly after his visit to the new Galaxy -Class USS Enterprise in 2364, an event contradicted by other stories.

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DeForest Kelley, Actor Beloved as Dr. McCoy on ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 79

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DeForest Kelley, who played the irascible but wise Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in the “Star Trek” television series and movies, died Friday at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital in Woodland Hills. He was 79.

Kelley entered the convalescent home three months ago and died after a lingering illness, said A.C. Lyles, a longtime producer at Paramount Studios, where the original series was shot. Kelley’s wife of 55 years, Carolyn, who was recuperating from a broken leg in the home, was by his side when he died.

For the record:

12:00 a.m. June 18, 1999 For the Record Los Angeles Times Friday June 18, 1999 Home Edition Part A Page 30 Metro Desk 4 inches; 123 words Type of Material: Correction Kelley movies--In Saturday’s Times, the obituary of DeForest Kelley, the actor who played Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in the “Star Trek” television series and movies, incorrectly stated that Kelley appeared in all of the first seven “Star Trek” movies. He did not appear in the 1994 release “Star Trek: Generations.” Also, the story stated that the original series was produced at Paramount. The production originated at the old Desilu studio, shifting to Paramount after Gulf & Western, then the parent company of Paramount, bought Desilu in 1967. Of the first seven “Star Trek” movies, the most successful was the first, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which grossed $138.8 million worldwide, according to Exhibitor Relations Co., which tracks box-office receipts. The story also gave an incorrect year for the film “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” which was released in 1957.

Kelley was a supporting actor on film, stage and television for 20 years before landing his distinctive role on what would become a cult science fiction series.

“Star Trek,” which aired on NBC from 1966 to 1969, was director Gene Roddenberry’s saga of the star ship Enterprise, a 23rd century spacecraft with a mission to study unexplored worlds and transport supplies to Earth colonies in space.

On the Enterprise’s motley crew, Kelley was the resident surgeon, diagnostician and humanist, the perfect foil for the coldly logical Mr. Spock played by Leonard Nimoy and the macho Capt. James Kirk played by William Shatner.

“He was one of a kind, a great friend and a very important part of a collection of personalities,” Nimoy said Friday. “He had the humanist point of view in the show. It fit him very well. He brought a decency and sensibility that made you want to have him around.”

The son of a Baptist minister, Kelley was born in 1920 in Atlanta, where he sang in the church choir. He left Atlanta after high school to visit an uncle in Long Beach, and joined a theater group.

In the mid-1940s he was discovered by a Paramount talent scout who saw him in a Navy training film. The scout offered him a screen test and later a contract. He made his film debut as a man who may have committed murder while under hypnosis in a 1947 film noir called “Fear in the Night,” which showcased Kelley’s distinctive arched eyebrows and occasional wild-eyed expressions.

He appeared in several more films before moving to New York, where he worked in theater and in early television anthology dramas such as “Schlitz Playhouse of Stars.”

He returned to Hollywood in 1955 to resume his film work, appearing in director Sam Fuller’s “House of Bamboo” and “Tension at Table Rock.” He had a slight Southern drawl and a weathered face that he parlayed into roles as ranchers, town folk and minor villains in westerns such as “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” in 1956.

In 1960 he landed more television roles, including the lead in a pilot written and produced by Roddenberry. Although Roddenberry later cast another actor, Edmond O’Brien, in the series “Sam Benedict,” he did not forget about Kelley.

Kelley was not a fan of science fiction. But when Roddenberry invited him to a screening of the original pilot for “Star Trek,” which starred Jeffrey Hunter, he did not turn him down.

After the screening, Roddenberry said: “Well, cowboy, what did you think?” Kelley replied: “Gene, that will be the biggest hit or the biggest miss ever.”

Over lunch in the studio commissary, Roddenberry offered him a choice of two roles, one of which he described as “this green-painted alien.”

Kelley chose the other role. “I’m glad it turned out that way,” he told the Chicago Tribune some years ago, “because I wouldn’t have been anywhere near Leonard [Nimoy]. He’s been marvelous.”

Although his character often clashed with Nimoy’s character, the two were united in loyalty to Shatner’s Kirk. He was often beamed down to hostile spots in the galaxy along with the other members of the show’s trinity, but was most at home in the high-tech dispensary aboard the Enterprise.

McCoy’s sarcasm endeared him to fans. “Did you see the love light in Spock’s eyes? The right computer finally came along,” McCoy said in an episode called “The Ultimate Computer,” in which the Enterprise tests a computer designed to run the ship without a crew. Kelley stalwarts loved his trademark lines: “I’m just a country doctor,” uttered when he was faced with some ghastly outer-space malady, and, “He’s dead, Jim.”

Few could have predicted the extraordinary longevity of the “Star Trek” craze. The original series, premiering on Sept. 8, 1966, was a ratings failure. It routinely lost in its time period. At its peak in 1966-67, it still ranked 52nd among all series. NBC canceled the show in 1969.

But a legion of “Star Trek” fanatics lobbied fiercely to return the program to network television. It achieved cult status in the 1970s and succeeded in reruns. Annual “Star Trek” conventions were held in the United States and abroad. An animated version ran on NBC from 1973 to 1975, with original cast members, including Kelley, supplying the voices.

Kelley developed his own loyal following over the years, welcomed by “Trekkies” at confabs around the world.

In 1989, the year Paramount released “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He reprised the role of McCoy in all seven “Star Trek” movies made with Shatner and Nimoy, beginning with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in 1979 and ending with “Star Trek: Generations” in 1994.

(A new generation of Enterprise officers was featured in the 1996 release “Star Trek: First Contact,” which starred Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes.)

Most of the movies were roundly panned, and the endless sequels became targets for late-night television show jokes. The last in the series fared best at the box office, grossing $70 million.

After a while, Kelley came to dread the critics’ words.

“The one thing I always dread about critics’ reviews of the ‘Star Trek’ movies is they first review us,” Kelley said in 1991, when “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” was released. “We’ve heard it a hundred times, that Bill’s getting fat and I’m looking like death.” At the time, Kelley was 71, Shatner and Nimoy both 60.

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Leonard McCoy (alternate reality)

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Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy , MD, was a Starfleet medical officer serving in the 23rd century . He became the chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise during the destruction of Vulcan , serving under acting captain Spock and then his classmate at Starfleet Academy , Captain James T. Kirk . ( Star Trek )

• 1 Early life
• 2.1 Starfleet Academy
• 2.2.1 Stopping Nero
• 2.2.2 Nibiru
• 2.2.3 Hunting down "John Harrison"
• 2.2.4.1 Conflict with Krall
• 3.1.1 James T. Kirk
• 3.1.2 Spock
• 3.2.1 Ex-wife
• 3.2.2 Carol Marcus
• 4 Key dates
• 5 Memorable quotes
• 6.1 Appearances
• 6.2 Background information
• 6.3 Apocrypha
• 6.4 External links

Early life [ ]

Doctor Leonard McCoy was born in Georgia , USA , Earth , in 2227 . He was the son of David McCoy . ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; TAS : " Once Upon a Planet "; TOS : " This Side of Paradise "; TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint "; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

McCoy departs for Starfleet Academy

While at medical school, McCoy witnessed an extremely severe allergic reaction . He completed medical school and was a certified doctor sometime prior to 2255 . McCoy was married , but endured a harsh divorce . Afterwards, with nowhere else to go, he decided to enlist in Starfleet. McCoy boarded the Starfleet shuttle for new recruits which departed from Riverside Shipyard in 2255. McCoy suffered from aviophobia and attempted to remain in the shuttle's bathroom during the flight, as there were no windows in that section of the craft. However, a flight officer discovered him and forced him to sit with the other passengers and buckle up. He sat next to James T. Kirk , who assured McCoy of the shuttle's safety, to no avail; the nervous doctor kept ranting to Kirk about the health hazards of flying in a shuttle. McCoy confided to Kirk his reasons for joining Starfleet, saying that his wife "took the whole damn planet in the divorce," and "all I have left are my bones." He and Kirk then introduced each other and shared a flask of alcohol as the shuttle took off for Starfleet Academy . ( Star Trek )

Starfleet career [ ]

Starfleet academy [ ].

McCoy spent three years at Starfleet Academy, during which time he and Kirk became close friends; Kirk was now referring to McCoy as "Bones", based on McCoy's statement three years ago that his bones were his only remaining possession.

McCoy thought Kirk was mad for wanting to retake the Kobayashi Maru test , and knew Kirk well enough not to believe him when he claimed he was going to "study." Indeed, Kirk had gone off to engage in sexual foreplay with a fellow cadet , Gaila .

McCoy in the Kobayashi Maru simulator

At Kirk's request, McCoy participated in Kirk's third attempt to beat the Kobayashi Maru simulation, serving at the helm station. McCoy believed Kirk would fail miserably as he had done the first two times, but he was surprised when his friend somehow defeated the simulation. Shortly thereafter, however, McCoy was among the cadets in attendance in the Academy assembly hall when Kirk was accused of cheating. As it turned out, Kirk had reprogrammed the simulation to make it possible to win. McCoy watched as Kirk faced off against his accuser, Commander Spock , the programmer of the Kobayashi Maru test.

Kirk's hearing was interrupted when the ruling council received word of a distress call from Vulcan . All cadets, including McCoy, were ordered to report to Hangar 1 for assignment. McCoy was assigned to the newly commissioned USS Enterprise , which had yet to have its maiden voyage . Kirk, however, was on academic suspension , which prohibited him from being assigned to a starship . McCoy decided to smuggle his friend aboard the Enterprise ; to do so, he injected Kirk with a vaccine to protect against a viral infection from Melvaran mud fleas . The injection caused Kirk to experience the symptoms of the infection, allowing McCoy to bring Kirk aboard the Enterprise as a patient. ( Star Trek )

Chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise [ ]

Stopping nero [ ].

McCoy becomes CMO of the Enterprise

After successfully sneaking Kirk aboard the Enterprise , McCoy brought him to the ship's medical bay , sedated him, and prepared for duty. Kirk awoke as the Enterprise neared Vulcan, and McCoy was horrified to find that Kirk's hands had swollen, an allergic reaction to the Melvaran mud flea vaccine. Kirk, however, was preoccupied with the notion that the Enterprise was heading into a trap, a deduction he reached after hearing Ensign Pavel Chekov 's announcement over the intercom .

McCoy chased Kirk through the ship, injecting him with various medications while Kirk searched for Nyota Uhura to confirm his theory. Afterward, McCoy and Uhura chased after Kirk as the seemingly delusional officer ran onto the ship's bridge to warn Captain Christopher Pike that they were heading into a Romulan trap. McCoy attempted to explain Kirk's presence to Pike, accepting full responsibility for his actions, but Kirk was ultimately able to convince the crew that there were indeed Romulans waiting for them at Vulcan.

Doctor Puri , the Enterprise 's chief medical officer , was on deck six when he was killed by missiles fired by the Romulan ship, Narada . McCoy took over his role and later received acknowledgment from Spock over the comm as being Puri's replacement. He later treated the injuries Kirk sustained while attempting to deactivate the Narada 's drilling platform , and also saw to the survivors of the Narada 's destruction of Vulcan. With Captain Pike captured by the Romulans, McCoy joined Kirk, Acting Captain Spock, and the rest of the bridge crew in discussing the continuing threat of Nero , the captain of the Narada . Kirk argued with Spock over their next course of action, with McCoy siding with Spock's decision to rendezvous with the rest of the Federation fleet in the Laurentian system . McCoy then laid witness to Kirk's attempted – and failed – mutiny .

"Are you outta your Vulcan mind?"

Later, in a private discussion with Spock, McCoy voiced his extreme displeasure with the acting captain's decision to maroon Kirk on Delta Vega . Spock disagreed with McCoy's assertions, and when Spock left, an infuriated McCoy referred to the acting captain as a "green- blooded hobgoblin ." Shortly thereafter, McCoy was on the bridge when Kirk – who had returned to the Enterprise via transwarp beaming – instigated a brawl between himself and Spock, proving that Spock was emotionally compromised by the mission at hand, having lost his planet and his mother , and could not continue commanding the Enterprise . After coming to his senses, Spock reported to McCoy that he was emotionally compromised and that he was resigning his command as a result.

McCoy conferring with the crew of the Enterprise to defeat Nero

In spite of his obvious support of Kirk, McCoy was still vocally incredulous when Kirk became acting captain of the Enterprise following Spock's resignation, crying out, " You've gotta be kidding me! " when his friend sat in the command chair . He reacted much the same way towards Ensign Chekov and his idea for beaming onto the Narada without being noticed after learning that Chekov was only 17 years old. Chekov's calculations proved to be correct, however, and Kirk and Spock were able to rescue Captain Pike and stop Nero before he destroyed Earth.

McCoy continued serving aboard the Enterprise after Kirk received full command of the ship. McCoy was on the bridge when Kirk assumed command for the first time. With a slap on the shoulder, Kirk advised McCoy to "buckle up," referring back to the first time they met aboard the recruitment shuttle. ( Star Trek )

Pursued by natives of the planet Nibiru

A year later , McCoy was on Nibiru helping prevent a volcano from causing the extinction of the Nibirans , all while avoiding breaking the Prime Directive . McCoy greeted Kirk with a docile animal as their getaway transport, but Kirk accidentally stunned it, forcing them to run and jump off a cliff to dive to the Enterprise , hidden beneath the waves. On the bridge McCoy listened as Spock, who was activating a cold fusion device to stop the volcano's eruption, asked them to leave him, as getting the Enterprise in range to beam him out would expose the ship to the natives and ignore the Prime Directive. While McCoy asked Kirk to consider what Spock would do in his position, Kirk opted to rescue him and ignore the Directive anyway. Which later got him in trouble.

Hunting down "John Harrison" [ ]

Later, Kirk was ordered to hunt down the traitor John Harrison , who was behind a bombing in London and an attack on Starfleet Headquarters that left many, including Admiral Pike, dead. McCoy expressed skepticism, believing his friend was too inexperienced to combat him. Kirk found Harrison on Qo'noS , and witnessed him taking down scores of Klingons singlehandedly, so he ordered McCoy to investigate the source of his superhuman strength. McCoy analyzed his blood, and found it possessed extraordinarily regenerative platelets , which he experimented with by injecting into a dead tribble .

McCoy and Carol Marcus discover a cryotube inside a torpedo

In the meantime, Harrison was reticent about his motives but suggested Kirk examine the 72 experimental photon torpedoes Admiral Alexander Marcus had given them to fire on his location. McCoy was skeptical, but took a shuttle with Marcus's daughter Carol to examine one of the classified weapons on a planetoid. He accidentally activated it and trapped his hand: Kirk ordered him to be beamed up, but was warned doing would also bring an exploding torpedo aboard. Fortunately, Marcus deactivated it before she could be beamed up. The two then opened up the torpedo and discovered it contained a man in cryogenic stasis .

Harrison explained he was actually Khan Noonien Singh, having been revived and forced by Admiral Marcus to design weapons and ships for a war with the Klingon Empire . He had attempted to smuggle out his fellow Augments on the torpedoes, but was forced to escape when his scheme discovered: believing Marcus killed his family, he responded in kind in London and San Francisco. Marcus appeared in the Dreadnought -class USS Vengeance and opened fire on the Enterprise when Kirk refused to hand over Khan, but its weapons were deactivated by Montgomery Scott , who boarded the ship during a leave of absence. Kirk and Khan allied to fly over and commandeer the ship, but a suspicious Spock asked McCoy to remove the cryopods from the torpedoes.

McCoy discovers a way to save Kirk

As expected, Khan took the Vengeance for himself, but McCoy removed the cryopods so Spock was able to use the torpedoes against Khan, crippling his ship. Both damaged ships began hurtling to Earth: Kirk entered the warp core to reactivate the Enterprise 's engines, but did not put on a containment suit, suffered radiation poisoning , and died. Kirk was brought to sickbay, where he lay dead as McCoy and several crew mourned him. When he returned to his desk, the tribble he had injected came back to life. McCoy ordered one of the augments removed from his cryotube and reanimated, but McCoy ordered that he maintained in a medically-induced coma. He and Marcus then placed Kirk in the cryotube, placing him in a suspended animation to preserve his brain functionality. Spock and Uhura beamed down, subduing Khan after he crash landed in the Vengeance , allowing McCoy to perform a blood transfusion on Kirk.

McCoy later greeted a conscious Kirk in a hospital room as his attending physician, checking his vital signs and whether the transfusion had any psychological effects as well.

The five-year mission [ ]

Almost a year after their encounter with Khan, McCoy attended a memorial service for the lives lost, and continued serving on the repaired Enterprise . He was less than pleased, however, to learn they were embarking on a five-year mission . ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Conflict with Krall [ ]

In 2263 , after a failed diplomatic mission, Kirk and McCoy shared a drink while Kirk discussed his reasons for joining Starfleet and how everything seems to have become "episodic." Kirk also requested of McCoy to not tell the crew about his thirtieth birthday.

Following the arrival of Kalara at Yorktown , McCoy traveled with the rest of the Enterprise crew to Altamid inside the Necro Cloud . There, the Enterprise was attacked by Swarm ships and McCoy, who had been on the bridge when the battle began, headed for med bay with Spock. After a brief engagement with Swarm drones , the two men boarded a turbolift , only to be ejected into space when the Swarm severs the Enterprise's saucer from the secondary hull. The turbolift was captured by a Swarm ship, but McCoy and Spock ejected the crew and McCoy took over piloting the ship. McCoy ultimately crashed the Swarm ship on Altamid.

On the surface of Altamid, McCoy discovered that Spock had a piece of metal stuck in his abdomen . Lacking the proper tools to treat Spock's injuries, McCoy removed the piece of metal and crudely cauterized the wound, which he states is only a temporary fix. The two men then began making their way across Altamid, attempting repeatedly to contact the Enterprise , unaware that the ship had been destroyed. While resting, Spock noted the architecture on the planet matched that of the Abronath and told McCoy of Spock Prime's death and his decision to leave Starfleet. McCoy became concerned that Spock was delirious after he laughed at one of McCoy's jokes . As the two continued, Spock admitted to having a great deal of respect for McCoy, who continued to attempt to contact the Enterprise before they were cornered by three Swarm ships. Spock was suddenly beamed away, startling McCoy who was beamed out shortly after the Vulcan to the USS Franklin by Scotty after Chekov detected McCoy's latest attempt to contact the Enterprise and used it to track him and Spock.

McCoy accompanies Spock and Jaylah to free the Enterprise crew

On the Franklin , McCoy took Spock to the mess hall where he used a device from the Franklin to properly treat Spock's wound. McCoy then took part in the debate over how to rescue the crew and was amused to hear that Spock had given his girlfriend essentially a tracking device . McCoy aided in the rescue mission with Kirk, Spock and Jaylah , breaking the crew out of their pens and helping them beam out to the Franklin in groups of twenty. He refused to beam the last group until they were joined by Spock and Uhura and the rescue mission was ultimately successful.

After the crew's rescue, McCoy used what he could find on the Franklin to treat their injuries and remained in med bay for the first part of the battle with Krall's forces. After Spock decided to beam to a Swarm ship to get their cyberpathic connection, he chose to take McCoy along as McCoy was both familiar with his injury and piloting a Swarm ship. Though McCoy protested the idea, he was beamed with Spock to a Swarm ship.

After taking over the Swarm ship, McCoy takes the controls of the craft, proving himself to be a somewhat clumsy but effective pilot. Spock was able to locate the cyberpathic connection, allowing the Franklin to use a VHF disruption signal to destroy the Swarm. Struggling to stay ahead of the exploding Swarm ships and arguing with Spock about Spock's backseat driving , McCoy was startled to recognize the signal as " classical music ".

After Krall and three ships made it into Starbase Yorktown, McCoy followed them in his Swarm ship and attempted, without success, to intercept the three ships. On Kirk's orders, McCoy flew head on at Krall's ships, forcing them low to the ground towards Yorktown Central Plaza where they were intercepted by the Franklin . McCoy then attempted to figure out how to land the Swarm ship before Krall was revealed to be heading towards the Yorktown's central atmospheric processor. McCoy remained in the air during the fight between Krall and Kirk and recognized that Kirk won't be able to get out in time if he attempted to vent the Abronath to space. Kirk succeeded in venting the Abronath and Krall harmlessly into space and McCoy and Spock rescued the captain in their Swarm ship before he can suffer the same fate.

McCoy later lead Kirk to a surprise birthday party with the crew and wondered if Kirk really intended to return to space. Kirk had regained his enthusiasm for spaceflight and expounded upon McCoy what new wonders there were for them to explore. ( Star Trek Beyond )

Relationships [ ]

Friendships [ ], james t. kirk [ ].

McCoy and Kirk at Starfleet Academy

McCoy and Kirk met on a transport shuttle to Starfleet Academy, when the pair found themselves in adjacent seats where a slightly neurotic McCoy instantly opened up to the rebellious and somewhat incredulous Kirk. The two remained good friends throughout their time together at the Academy. When the time came, McCoy always had Kirk's back, such as helping to get him aboard the Enterprise after his suspension, and berating Spock for throwing Kirk off the ship and marooning him on Delta Vega . Despite this, he did not support Kirk's mutiny and was annoyed when he later forced Spock to resign command. Despite his friendship with Kirk, McCoy expressed shock at the idea that he was now acting captain, but supported him. ( Star Trek )

After seeing Spock for the first time at Kirk's disciplinary hearing, McCoy expresses dislike for the half- Vulcan , calling him a "green-blooded hobgoblin." This animosity presumably stems from the fact that Spock is trying to get Kirk, McCoy's best friend, in trouble with Starfleet. On board the Enterprise , McCoy retains his animosity towards Spock, though he works with Spock as the new Chief Medical Officer after the death of Doctor Puri and the promotion of Spock to acting captain . After Spock ejects Kirk from the Enterprise for attempted mutiny , McCoy loudly berates him for the act after gaining Spock's permission to speak freely. During Spock and Kirk's later fight on the Enterprise bridge, McCoy stays out of it like everyone else but berates Kirk for his actions as he believes they now lack a commanding officer. Following Kirk's official promotion to Captain and Spock becoming First Officer, McCoy is noticeably not pleased by Spock's continued presence on the ship. ( Star Trek )

Over the next few years, the relationship between Spock and McCoy only marginally improves though the two gain respect for the other. During the conflict with Khan , Spock requests McCoy replicate his accidental arming of an advanced long-range torpedo on all of the torpedoes as well as to remove Khan's crew from them, showing faith in McCoy's ability to perform a task that could destroy the Enterprise if improperly performed. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

During the conflict with Krall in 2263 , Spock and McCoy were forced to work together extensively, starting with hijacking a Swarm ship during the Battle of Altamid . After crashing on Altamid , McCoy assessed Spock's injuries and admitted that though either of his options could lead to Spock's death, he didn't want Spock to die. During their trek across the planet, McCoy refused to leave Spock behind and the two were friendly enough to have a candid conversation about Spock's plans for the future and relationship with Uhura. Spock also admitted to harboring a great deal of respect for McCoy, something he had thought to be obvious. After Spock reveals that Uhura bears an amulet he can use as a tracking device, McCoy is amused by the idea that Spock gave his girlfriend a tracking device. During the attack on Yorktown , Spock specifically requests McCoy accompany him in hijacking a Swarm ship, feeling that McCoy is the best choice as he's familiar with the ship and Spock's wound. While flying the Swarm ship together, McCoy and Spock bicker and banter several times but prove to be an effective team. Working together, they play a pivotal role in the defeat of the Swarm and save Kirk's life. ( Star Trek Beyond )

Romantic relationships [ ]

Ex-wife [ ].

McCoy was married prior to enrolling in Starfleet Academy . His divorce from her prompted him to join, given that he felt she had gotten everything in the ensuing settlement – " the whole damn planet ", in his words – and left him with nothing but his bones . ( Star Trek )

Carol Marcus [ ]

Marcus rebuffs McCoy's awkward advances

McCoy awkwardly flirted with Dr. Marcus while helping her disassemble one of the advanced long-range torpedoes , much to Kirk's annoyance. Marcus ignored his overtures, choosing instead to focus on the task at hand. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Key dates [ ]

• 2227 : Born on Earth
• 2255 - 2258 : Cadet / lieutenant commander at Starfleet Academy
• 2258- 2263 : Chief medical officer on the USS Enterprise
• Attends the re- Christening ceremony of the Enterprise
• Embarks on the five-year mission
• Sometime after 2263: Assigned to the USS Enterprise -A

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I don't need a doctor, damn it! I am a doctor! "

" I suffer from aviophobia . It means fear of dying in something that flies! "

" I might throw up on you. "

" Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. A solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait 'til you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles . See if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding! Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence. " " Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space. " " Yeah. Well, I got nowhere else to go, the ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones. "

" Who was that pointy-eared bastard? " " I don't know. But I like him. "

" Damn it, man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist! "

" Are you out of your Vulcan mind? Are you making a logical choice sending Kirk away? Probably. But the right one? You know, back home we have a saying: If you're gonna ride in the Kentucky Derby, you don't leave your prize stallion in the stable." "

" Green-blooded hobgoblin . "

" Well congratulations Jim. Now we've got no captain and no goddam first officer to replace him! " " Yeah we do. " " What?! " " Pike made him first officer. " " You've got be kidding me! " " Thanks for the support. "

" Same ship, different day. "

" Damn it Man, that was our ride! You just stunned our ride. "

" Jim, you're not actually going down there, are you? You don't rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat tire. "

" Jim, wait. You just sat that man down at a high stakes poker game with no cards and told him to bluff. Now Sulu's a good man but he's no captain. " " Well for the next two hours he is... and enough with the metaphors alright? That's an order. "

" Mr. Sulu... remind me never to piss you off. "

" Are you out of your corn fed mind?!"

" You know, when I dreamed about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo. "

" Sweetheart, I once performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant Gorn; octuplets and let me tell you those little bastards bite ."

" Damn it, man, I'm a doctor, not a torpedo technician! "

" Don't be so melodramatic. You were barely dead. "

" Five years in space . God help me. "

" To perfect eyesight and a full head of hair. "

" It looks like a giant snowglobe in space just waiting to break. "

" You guys break up? What'd you do? " " A typically reductive inquiry, doctor. " " You know Spock, if an Earth girl says, uh, "It's me, not you", it's definitely you."

" Leaving me behind will significantly increase your chances of survival, Doctor. " " Well that's damn chivalrous of you, but completely out of the question. " " It is imperative that you locate any surviving crew. " " Here I was thinking you cared. " " Of course I care, Leonard. I always assumed my respect for you was clear. The dialogue we have had across the years has always... " " It's okay, Spock. You don't have to say it. " [McCoy and Spock are surrounded by three of Krall's drone ships] " Well, at least I won't die alone " [Spock is beamed out from behind McCoy] " Well that's just typical. "

" COME ON YOU BASTARDS! "

" Next time you have a piece of pipe stuck in your transverse... call a plumber . "

" Damn it Jim! I'm a doctor, not a ... "

" Damn backseat driver ! "

" You really want to head back out there, huh? "

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• Star Trek (First appearance)
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Star Trek Beyond

Background information [ ]

Urban as McCoy in a US poster promoting Star Trek Into Darkness

Leonard McCoy was played by Karl Urban . In the audio commentary for the film Star Trek , J.J. Abrams stated that the " Bones " line was not actually in the script, but was an on-set improvisation by Urban, a Star Trek fan long before being cast in the film. Urban himself said of McCoy, "'"It's his point of view that I love, and his expression of character. I've been pretty blessed with some fantastic dialogue, particularly from the first film. I had such amazing lines as, 'Space is full of disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence.' " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 63)

Karl Urban felt disappointed about the extent to which McCoy is featured in Star Trek Into Darkness . " There wasn't anything for me to do, " he complained. ( Empire , issue 326, p. 67) Scotty actor Simon Pegg agreed, " We didn't really hear much from Bones in [the film]. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 77)

During filming of Star Trek Into Darkness , Urban became concerned McCoy's lines were making him "some [kind of] metaphor man"; J.J. Abrams' response was to add the line where Kirk orders him to stop using metaphors. Urban's personal favorite of McCoy's metaphors was " You don't rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat tire. " [4]

Karl Urban's reaction to McCoy's limited involvement in Star Trek Into Darkness influenced him when he was asked to reprise the role of McCoy in the next film, Star Trek Beyond . " I was actually on the fence about committing to this movie, " he related. " Unless I had a function and purpose in this film, what's the point of me being there? " ( Empire , issue 326, p. 67) A conversation with Justin Lin , who was due to direct the movie, persuaded the actor to indeed appear in it as McCoy. " It became clear McCoy was going to have a valid function in this film, " Urban continued. " That's something I had been yearning for, to [...] further develop and cement his role. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 63) Other factors that convinced Urban to appear in the movie were that McCoy's relationships with Kirk and with Spock would be explored therein. ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 63; Empire , issue 326, p. 67)

As co-writer of Star Trek Beyond , Simon Pegg was thrilled to script dialogue for McCoy, who he described as "such an interesting character." " Bones is really fun to write for, just because he's so straight-talking, he uses a lot of metaphors, and his 'Southern charm' is loads of fun, " Pegg remarked. ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , pp. 74 & 77) The character's dialogue in Star Trek Beyond deliberately included some call-backs to previous statements made by the McCoy of the prime universe. " There are a couple of moments of dialogue, a couple of McCoy expressions, that we just took as his parlance, " admitted Pegg. " Like 'in a pig’s eye' from the end of ' Amok Time ', and we thought, if that's in his parlance, he can say it in this movie. So there were little things that I think fans will go, 'I know that!' " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 812)

Karl Urban thoroughly enjoyed helping craft the depiction of McCoy in Star Trek Beyond , later commenting, " I had a fantastic time collaborating with Doug [Jung] and Simon [Pegg] to deliver what we believe to be some truly quintessential Bones beats. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 60) Indeed, Urban was proud of their results. " There's a lot more McCoy in this movie than probably the last two movies combined, " he observed. ( SFX , issue 276, p. 48) The actor particularly liked performing McCoy's duration on Altamid, despite additionally enjoying the time he spent on the bridge of the Enterprise . " I was [also] very excited I got to 'beam' in this film, which I didn't get to do in the previous two, " Urban commented. ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 60)

Justin Lin likewise appreciated the chance to help develop McCoy. " On a personal note, with Karl [Urban] I had so much fun, " Lin enthused. " Because Bones was my favorite growing up. So to be able to re-engineer Bones, and to see where he is today but then at the same time how he would interact with challenges and how that would shape who he is and evolve him... That was part of the joy [of making Beyond ]. " ( SFX , issue 276, p. 49)

Apocrypha [ ]

His female counterpart

In the novelization of Star Trek , as McCoy nervously watches Kirk, Spock and Pike beaming back from the Narada , a throwaway line states that he is never confident about transporter use, establishing that he hates the device just like his counterpart does.

The novel More Beautiful Than Death establishes that Bones' father died while he was in medical school.

The opening issue of IDW's Star Trek comic series – the first half of an alternate reality re-imagining of " Where No Man Has Gone Before " – reveals that McCoy had a prior relationship with Dr. Elizabeth Dehner ; it ended badly, and relations still so strained that she withdraws a transfer to the Enterprise after discovering McCoy is aboard. This turn of events is fortuitous for Dehner, as therefore, unlike Gary Mitchell , her fatal encounter with the galactic barrier never takes place.

McCoy is also the protagonist of issue 17 , which recounts his backstory, suggesting that his reasons for joining Starfleet were a combination of his failed marriage and as a tribute to a little girl named "Jenny" who died under his care (she had expressed a desire to join Starfleet when she grew up.). His wife's name in the issue is given as Pamela Branch.

The virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals uses screenshots for card #35 Recruit L. McCoy, card #55 Cadet L. McCoy, card #82 Medical Officer L. McCoy, and card #98 Chief Medical Officer L. McCoy.

In the 2013 Star Trek video game, McCoy plays a prominent role, developing the vaccine for the Gorn virus. At one point, Kirk and Spock have to rendezvous with McCoy when Commodore Daniels' frontier starbase is attacked by the Gorn, as the doctor had barricaded himself in a room to avoid being attacked. Later, after landing on the Lymax planet, McCoy is hesitant to remain behind on the shuttle and offers to accompany Kirk and Spock in their quest to retrieve T'Mar. Upon donning a wingsuit and looking over the edge of the cliff they plan to jump from, he changes his mind and elects to stay behind with Sulu and "get a head start on that vaccine". At some point, he delivers the babies of a pregnant Gorn by Caesarean after Sulu stuns it, and they almost "bit (his) hand off," as he explains later to Kirk, who finds the story amusing. Just as Kirk defeats Spock in the ring, the shuttle arrives and McCoy gives them a "little care package" of weapons.

Like the rest of the crew of the Enterprise , McCoy has a female counterpart in the parallel timeline portrayed in Parallel Lives, Part 1 and 2 .

In the First issue of IDW's Star Trek: Boldly Go comic series that is set after the events of Star Trek Beyond , McCoy temporarily accepts a lower rank and agreed to serve under Chief Groffus on the USS Endeavour in order to join Kirk and Pavel Chekov who had also been stationed onboard the Endeavour .

External links [ ]

• Leonard McCoy (Kelvin timeline) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Leonard McCoy at Wikipedia
• 2 Reaction control thruster

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Published May 3, 2019

8 Times Leonard “Bones” McCoy’s Medical Knowledge Saved The Day

“I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!”

StarTrek.com

He’s a sounding board for the captain and a sympathetic ear for his crewmates. For the audience, he’s a stand-in that reminds us that space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence, but that humanity is going to make it.

He’s assisted in births both humanoid (“Friday’s Child”) and not (the Gorn birth alluded to in Star Trek Into Darkness), cauterized a penetrating wound with a hand phaser (Star Trek Beyond), created a vaccine while the Enterprise is in a death spiral above a dying world (“The Naked Time”) and put up with a certain half-Vulcan science officer continually putting him in his place.

He’s the man of the hour, Doctor Leonard McCoy, and here are eight times his medical prowess saved the day.

Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, Janice Rand, and two crewmen beam down to a world that’s an exact replica of Earth in the middle of the 20th Century.  The cities are near-empty, with just two small groups of survivors fighting for life: human children (“Onlies”) and the strange humanoid wretches they call “Grups.” The team discovers that the strange circumstances are the result of a pathogen unleashed by a medical experiment in prolonging longevity gone wrong and they’ve all been exposed.

You can probably guess what happens next: the landing party now has a ticking clock tied to their survival (except for Spock, who’ll get to live the rest of his life as a carrier surrounded by preteens) and McCoy undertakes a desperate quest to isolate the organism responsible for their condition and find a cure.

Despite overwhelming circumstances  — the conditions are primitive and the leader of the Onlies, Jahn, steals the landing party’s  “little boxes” at one point, stranding the doctor without a vital connection to Enterprise ’s computers — Bones manages to find the organism responsible and synthesizes what he thinks may be a vaccine.

When presented with the possible cure, Spock immediately pulls a Spock.  He states flatly that the vial might also be a beaker full of death since they can’t determine dosage and are unable to check their data. McCoy responds by injecting himself to test the cure and prove the Vulcan wrong.

Thankfully, he survived, but how weird would it have been if his Hail Mary pass hadn’t worked and they had to replace McCoy so early in the series?

"The Devil In The Dark"

Miners on Janus VI have been stricken by a series of mysterious melty deaths, and the Enterprise answers their distress call to look into the situation and find the cause. They soon discover the Horta, an acid-emitting, silicone-based creature that’s been wounded in a series of escalating conflicts between the humans and herself. Spock, again, pulls a Spock and decides to go ahead and mind-meld with her and discovers that she’s just trying to protect her babies. Kirk sizes up the situation and calls McCoy down to help the hurt alien.

McCoy examines the rocky-skinned patient and delivers one of the most iconic lines of the franchise: “I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer.”

Ironically, if he left the medical profession, Bones would make a heck of a contractor. After beaming down “a hundred pounds of that thermoconcrete. You know, the kind we use to build emergency shelters out of,” he trowels the silicone-based construction material into the wound, where it will act as a bandage until she heals.

“By golly, Jim, I'm beginning to think I can cure a rainy day,” he informs the captain.

"Amok Time"

Defying orders, the Enterprise diverts to Vulcan to help Spock, who is is suffering from pon-farr, a crippling biological urge that his species undergoes every seven years.  It’s only after reaching the planet that the first officer reveals that he’s married, making it the first time that one of Spock’s familial secrets is revealed, but certainly not the last.

Unfortunately, it’s not just a matter of mind-melding with T’Pring to relieve the plak tow blood fever, because she’s opted for kal-if-fee, in which Spock will have to fight for her love. She chooses Kirk as her champion instead of Stonn, the Vulcan man with whom she wants to be betrothed. (One supposes that this is the sort of thing you do when you want to make the whole infidelity thing just that much more difficult for everyone.)

Kirk and Spock enter combat with one another using traditional weapons and, unsurprisingly, the Vulcan quickly asserts his physical superiority. After the first round, McCoy asks for permission to inject the captain with a tri-ox compound to help him compensate for the planet’s thinner atmosphere. That doesn’t help as much as anyone would like, as Spock still strangles his best friend, whose body is quickly beamed up.

Spock, shocked at the ritual murder he’s just committed, snaps out of the plak tow and lets T’Pring know that it’s fine if she wants to run off with Stonn now, because he’s done with her drama. He returns to the ship and ignores McCoy’s attempts to explain something to announce that he has the intention of turning himself in for court martial. That’s when Kirk steps out from the shadows and asks if the first offer should maybe ask the captain first before doing that sort of thing.

What happened? It wasn’t tri-ox in the doctor’s bag of tricks, but a nerve paralyzer that slipped Kirk into a state that simulated death. This makes us wonder, though - what else is in McCoy’s tote?

"Journey to Babel"

Stardate 3842.3 : Just nine episodes after “Amok Time,” the Enterprise returns to Vulcan to pick up Ambassador Sarek as part of a diplomatic party that’s being transported to Babel, a neutral planetoid perfect for negotiations. To the surprise of Kirk and McCoy, it’s revealed that Sarek is Spock’s estranged father.

(Can’t this guy just talk to his friends sometime? Maybe give them a heads-up on things like fathers and wives and all that?)

The following things occur in short order: a mysterious vessel is discovered trailing the Enterprise ; an argumentative Tellarite diplomat is murdered using a Vulcan technique after twice confronting Sarek about his forthcoming vote; Sarek is questioned about Gav’s death and succumbs to a previously-unrevealed heart condition that can only be cured through surgery that requires Spock’s presence as a blood donor; a signal is sent from the pursuing vessel to somewhere on the ship and Kirk is stabbed and left incapacitated by an Andorian diplomat, Thelev.

Just another Tuesday on the Enterprise .

Thelev is quickly arrested but there’s still that mysterious vessel to deal with. Spock finds himself duty-bound to sit in the center seat against his mother’s and the doctor’s wishes. His dilemma is quickly solved when a seemingly-recovered Captain Kirk shows up with the intention of handing the ship over to Scotty and retiring to his quarters while Spock undergoes the blood transfusion. Of course, it doesn’t work out that easily.

McCoy performs cryogenic open-heart procedure with a donor who’s using an untested Rigelian stimulant to induce blood cell production while the ship is repeatedly rocked by phasers and photon torpedos. There are multiple power failures and Sarek suffers a cardiac arrest, leaving Bones and Nurse Chapel to use portable equipment to keep him alive while the rest of the ship deals with the whole “Fake Andorian Who Turns Out To Be A Romulan Spy Who Is Working To Disrupt The Babel Conference” situation.

Once things are sorted on the bridge, Kirk returns to sickbay to brief the ambassador and his son, who are now chatting away as if they hadn’t spent the last 18 years trying to out-freeze each other. Not only can McCoy perform space battlefield surgery, he can restore families and, after the Captain collapses and is ordered onto a bed, finally get the last word.

"The Enterprise Incident"

“Enterprise Medical Log, stardate 5027.3. Doctor Leonard McCoy recording. I'm concerned about Captain Kirk. He shows indications of increasing tension and emotional stress.”

You’re telling us, Bones. This episode starts with the above quote and we cut to Kirk going off the deep end and ordering the ship across the Romulan neutral zone. That goes about as well as you’d expect; Kirk and Spock are soon aboard the Romulan flagship and facing possible execution for their crimes.

Kirk suffers a paranoid breakdown aboard the other ship, accusing Spock of being a traitor after seeing how well the Vulcan and the Romulan commander are getting on. McCoy is beamed over to examine him. It’s during his ministrations that Kirk suddenly leaps up and attacks his first officer, who defends himself with the never-before-seen Vulcan Death Grip, killing him instantly.

In the sick bay, it’s revealed that the entire episode so far was what experts in drama refer to as “a total fake out” and that Captain Kirk is alive. In fact, he’s about to get some high-quality otoplasty and eyebrow work courtesy of Bones in order to pass as a Romulan. His actions and Spock’s are for the sole purpose of helping Starfleet get its hands on the cloaking device that has plagued them for the last several years.

What’s interesting about this episode is that it depends on so many things going right that one slip-up could have led to the whole house of cards collapsing. Additionally: just how much does our favorite doctor know? Is he in on it from the start or does he start to improvise aboard the Romulan vessel once he realizes that Kirk’s not really dead?

"Spock’s Brain"

This episode is part of the pantheon of TOS episodes in which someone boards the ship and does something inconvenient. In this case, it’s stealing Spock’s brain, which is very inconvenient indeed. The residents of Sigma Draconis VII need the Vulcan’s high-powered skull meat to serve as the controller for their vast underground dwelling, and that’s why Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and the remote-controlled body of Spock find themselves there.

They finally get in touch with Spock’s mind and he informs them that while he, “might trust the doctor to remove a splinter or lance a boil,” he doesn’t believe that McCoy or indeed anyone has the requisite skills to restore his brain’s place in his body. Kirk rightly figures out that if someone from the planet managed to remove the brain, they probably know how to put it back, too.

This leads our rescue party to “the teacher,” a device used to impart knowledge for a period of about three hours. McCoy’s never performed an encephalplexy before but he has supreme faith in his abilities to get the procedure done in that time with the help of the teacher. Spock, of course, disagrees, but the doctor’s desire to prove him wrong again proves to be a strong motivating factor. Even as the knowledge fades from his mind, McCoy’s competence keeps the patient alive and, eventually restored to his proper place.

Side note: in Gene Coon’s original outline for the episode, McCoy received no alien knowledge directly, he just studied their techniques conventionally and was able to mimic them. This would have made McCoy’s surgery even more miraculous.

"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home"

If you had a present-day doctor go back to the early 1700s, they’d likely be aghast. Smallpox, cowpox, and measles ran rampant, homeopathy was viewed as a perfectly reasonable course of action, and if you burnt yourself, it was likely that you’d be told to use an ointment that included, “mosse that groweth on an old thackt howse top.”

With this in mind, it’s easy to imagine how a doctor from the 23rd century felt when visiting a hospital in San Francisco in 1986 and being told by an elderly woman that she was undergoing kidney dialysis.

For the unfamiliar, dialysis is a treatment that occurs at the end stage of kidney failure, when the organs have have lost 85 to 90 percent of their function. Dialysis removes waste and helps the body maintain its blood pressure as well as its levels of potassium and other essential chemicals, which is good, but the average person only lives for an additional five to ten years. The only alternative at the present is a kidney transplant, which comes with its own complications including outright organ rejection and a recovery period of three to eight weeks.

Bones’s immediate response is, “Dialysis? My god, what is this, the Dark Ages?” He hands her a pill, saying, “Here, you swallow that. If you have a problem, just call me,” before going to rescue Chekov from a group of surgeons who are literally about to drill a hole in his head.

When next we see the patient (when Kirk, Gillian, and McCoy are trying to wheel Chekov out of the hospital), the understandably delighted woman is informing a group of flustered doctors that the pill he gave her grew a completely new kidney.

Remembered when I wondered what else was in McCoy’s bag? Turns out it’s full of replacement organs. For Bones, I’m sure it was another Tuesday, but I’d love to see what the  Journal of the American Medical Association had to say about the whole thing.

Star Trek (2009)

In the Kelvin timeline, Bones saved the Federation. No big deal.

Seriously, without his absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of alien diseases, he never could have gotten Jim Kirk sick enough to have him brought aboard the Enterprise under his care.

Sure, his hands are grotesquely swollen as a result of the vaccine against against viral infection from Melvaran mud fleas and his tongue goes numb as a result of the cortazone that McCoy administered to counter the inflated hands, but Kirk is able to warn Pike and the Enterprise arrives at Vulcan with its shields up and under red alert, giving them an advantage the rest of Starfleet didn’t have.

Without McCoy’s knowledge and ability to act on it, Nero and crew of the Narada could have rampaged across the galaxy, crushing planets with impunity as long as they had red matter to play with. That makes this a perfect place to wrap up the article, as there’s just no way we can beat that.

Kevin Church (he/him) lives in Brooklyn, NY with his partner Robin and two small dogs. He writes comics, takes pictures, and occasionally updates They Boldly Went , a Tumblr dedicated to The Original Series . Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Church .

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Star Trek: Leonard "Bones" McCoy's 10 Best Quotes

"Bones" McCoy, Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Enterprise, has some of the funniest, thought-provoking one-liners in the Star Trek franchise.

In 1966, DeForest Kelley embarked on a three-year journey aboard the starship Enterprise as Star Trek 's Leonard McCoy, one of the most iconic characters in the franchise. Over the course of three seasons and 79 episodes, "Bones" gifted audiences with some fantastic, memorable quotes. While McCoy's popularity is often overshadowed by Kirk and Spock, there's no denying that the grumpy doctor was essential in making the trio a team like no other.

Related: Star Trek: All Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

Reliable and experienced, McCoy managed to keep his crewmates in top shape and accompany his commanding officer on dangerous missions at the same time, imparting his wit and wisdom whenever there was trouble on the horizon.

10 "In All The Universe, Three Million Galaxies Like This, And In All Of That... And Perhaps More... Only One Of Each Of Us."

One of Kirk's closest friends and colleagues, McCoy often acted as the captain's advisor and sounding board during the Enterprise's most desperate times. When the starship found itself up against a Romulan warship during the celebrated episode "Balance of Terror," McCoy tried to encourage Kirk while the latter debated how to proceed.

After Kirk confessed he felt burdened by his current responsibility, McCoy wisely reminded him that in the vastness of the galaxy there was only one James T. Kirk, and he should make sure not to destroy him.

9 "Monsters Come In Many Forms. Do You Know The Greatest Monster Of Them All? Guilt."

As the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer, McCoy was in charge of assessing the crew's physical and mental health, sometimes having to take drastic measures to save his crewmates from themselves. In "Obsession," Kirk was consumed by his desire to destroy a strange, murderous cloud that he had failed to eradicate in his youth, causing the rest of his crew to perish.

McCoy noticed that Kirk's obsession seemed to be rooted in his guilty conscience, calling it the "greatest monster of all" before questioning whether Kirk was fit to stay in command.

8 "A Cage Is A Cage, Jim."

Despite holding Kirk in great esteem, McCoy was never shy to contradict him and give him a different perspective to consider. In "Dagger of the Mind," after Kirk expressed his interest in Dr. Tristan Adams—a renowned psychologist who had revolutionized prisons into hospitals—McCoy carefully reminded him that things may have changed, but a cage was still a cage.

Related: 10 Star Trek Actors Who Played More Than One Role

Ultimately, McCoy was proven right when Dr. Van Gelder, one of Adams's associates, infiltrated the Enterprise and revealed the horrors Adams constantly inflicted on the inmates.

7 "The Chain Of Command Is Often A Noose."

In "The Conscience of the King," Kirk suspected one of the Shakespearean actors aboard the Enterprise might actually be Kodos, the ex-governor of Tarsus IV who had mass-murdered almost his entire colony. As Kirk endeavored to investigate and protect his crew, his strange actions alerted Spock and led him to consult with McCoy.

When asked about Kirk's decision to send Lieutenant Riley back to engineering, a surprising choice given he'd just been transferred, McCoy simply replied that the chain of command was usually a noose and Kirk must have had his reasons for doing so. McCoy often spoke his mind, but he also respected the hierarchy of the Enterprise.

6 "Compassion. That's The One Thing No Machine Ever Had. Maybe It's The One Thing That Keeps Men Ahead Of Them."

Created during the technological boom of the 1960s, Star Trek often discussed the merits and disadvantages of computers in relation to mankind. In episode 53, "The Ultimate Computer," Kirk was temporarily replaced by an uber computer that seemed capable of taking over his role as captain.

After the computer attacked fellow Starfleet ships and shut itself down, McCoy explained that despite its high-tech, it lacked the compassion that kept humanity ahead of any machine. Star Trek was equally of its era and ahead if its time. It was thought-provoking, and "Bones" provided many memorable quotes that forced the viewers to stop and wonder.

5 "I'm Trying To Thank You, You Pointed-Eared Hobgoblin!"

Despite bickering more often than not, McCoy and Spock had absolute respect for one another as Kirk's friends and as two of Starfleet's finest . When Spock saved McCoy from certain death at the hands of a gladiator in "Bread and Circuses," the doctor struggled to thank him as Spock inspects their holding cell.

Various attempts later, McCoy couldn't take more of Spock's logical responses and called him a "pointed-eared hobgoblin." He then tried to break through Spock's aloof exterior by appealing to his humanity, suggesting that Spock might be more afraid of "living" than he let on.

4 "If You Treat Her Like A Lady, She'll Always Bring You Home."

Almost twenty years since the cancellation of The Original Series, Star Trek returned to the small screen with The New Generation in the late 1980s. DeForest Kelley made a cameo appearance in the new series' first episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," as a symbolic passing of the baton for the brand-new crew of the Enterprise.

Related: Live Long & Prosper: 10 Best Quotes From Star Trek's Spock

As an Admiral, a much older McCoy toured the Enterprise-D alongside Data, comparing the android's speech patterns and lack of emotion to a Vulcan's. Just before leaving, McCoy advised Data to treat the Enterprise "like a lady" and she'll always bring the crew home.

3 "The Release Of Emotions, Mr. Spock, Is What Keeps Us Healthy—Emotionally Healthy, That Is."

In "Plato's Stepchildren," the Enterprise found itself up against a race of psychic aliens who followed Plato's teachings. Shortly after being captured by them, Spock was forced to let go of his Vulcan stoicism when he was psychically tortured to show extreme emotions.

Spock was understandably humiliated by the display. To appease him, McCoy mentioned that releasing emotions is what keeps people emotionally healthy, but Spock simply replied that, in his experience, doing so always ends up being 'unhealthy' for those closest to him.

2 "A Man Who Holds That Much Power, Even With The Best Intentions, Just Can't Resist The Urge To Play God."

Since joining the Enterprise, McCoy visited dozens of civilizations ruled by unjust leaders who were corrupted by their own greed. He encountered one of them in "Patterns of Force" when the Enterprise was sent on a rescue mission to the planet Ekos. To the crew's complete shock, its society had modeled itself after Nazi Germany and was led by the man they'd been sent to recover, John Gill.

RELATED: 10 Best Uhura Moments In Star Trek, Ranked

Later in the episode, McCoy explained that, despite Gill's best intentions to organize the Ekosians' chaotic civilization, he eventually succumbed to his absolute power because he couldn't resist the urge to play god.

1 "I'm A Doctor, Not An Engineer!"

McCoy's well-known catchphrase had many variations, but none was as iconic as the one he uttered in the emblematic "Mirror, Mirror" . When Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty accidentally switched places with their counterparts from a parallel universe, they tried to find a way back home without revealing themselves as impostors.

Their only option was to tamper with the transporter and beam back to their reality, so Scotty requested some help from McCoy. The doctor reminded them of his profession, specifically denying his expertise in engineering, but helped Scotty and his crew anyway.

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DNA of DeForest Kelley, Dr. 'Bones' McCoy from 'Star Trek,' will fly to space with original cast on memorial spaceflight

Kelley's DNA will join Nichelle Nichols and others on this bold Celestis space mission

Last month we delivered news of an upcoming memorial space flight from the space burial firm Celestis that was going to be carrying the cremated remains and DNA of "Star Trek's" Nichelle Nichols, who died on July 30 at the ripe age of 89.

Now there's been word of another beloved " Star Trek " alumni hitching a ride aboard Celestis' remembrance Enterprise Flight along with other well-known deceased "Trek" luminaries as the reunion will now include the late DeForest Kelley's DNA. 

The Texas-based company provides respectful "memorial spaceflight services" for persons who hope to celebrate and honor the life of loved ones with an extraordinary off-Earth experience. 

On August 25 it was revealed that Nichelle Nichols was selected to fly on the first-ever Celestis deep space mission. Official announcements of Kelley’s addition were made on Thursday in honor of Star Trek Day .

“I donated the lock of hair so 'De' could join his shipmates on their eternal journey into interstellar space," said Kris M. Smith, Kelley's friend who submitted the DNA sample via a lock of his hair. "The mission just didn't feel complete without Dr. McCoy aboard. I think 'De' would have loved to 'go hopping galaxies' again with his cast and crew mates. So, "second star to the right and straight on 'til morning,” De! Loving you was easier than anything we will ever do again!"

Launching later this year inside United Launch Alliance 's appropriately named Vulcan Centaur rocket , Kelley's DNA will be accompanied by remains of Nichelle Nichols, "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry, "Star Trek" engineer James "Scotty" Doohan, and "2001: A Space Odyssey" VFX wizard Douglas Trumbull, among many others.

Kelley passed away on June 11, 1999 and made his debut on "Star Trek" in 1966 where he played  the irascible Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy on NBC's hit sci-fi series for three seasons and co-starred in six "Star Trek" feature films. Beyond his physician's duties aboard the USS Enterprise , Kelley was a distinguished Hollywood veteran of dozens of TV shows and films, especially westerns.

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— NASA celebrates the life and career of 'Star Trek' star Nichelle Nichols

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— Nichelle Nichols, a 'Star Trek' icon, trailblazer and space advocate, dies at 89

"It's particularly notable that we announce DeForest Kelley's addition to our Enterprise Flight on Star Trek Day," said Charles M. Chafer Co-founder & CEO of Celestis, Inc. "No mission to deep space would be complete without a ship’s doctor."

Looking at the trajectory of this Enterprise Flight, the spacecraft will journey from 93 million miles to 186 million miles (150 million to 300 million kilometers) into deep space outside the Earth-moon system. The memorial mission will haul more than 150 flight capsules containing cremated ash remains, personal messages and greetings, and DNA samples from global clients on a timeless odyssey into space. 

Besides shuttling this precious cargo out beyond Earth orbit, the primary purpose of the Vulcan flight will be directing the Pittsburgh aerospace company Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander in the direction of the moon . The Vulcan Centaur's upper stage will continue into deep space, entering an orbit around the sun , becoming humanity's most remote outpost, to be renamed Enterprise Station.

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Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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How Star Trek's Vulcans Evolved Beyond Gene Roddenberry's Creation

Quick links, creating the vulcans in the original series era of star trek, the vulcans stay at arm's length during the next generation era, how star trek: enterprise reimagined the vulcans and history with humanity, the vulcans and romulans are living in the days of futures past.

When Gene Roddenberry was first creating his " Wagon Train to the stars" in 1964, the Vulcans were the first alien species he created during development. Personified by Mister Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy), these logical humanoids were imagined with pointed ears, green blood and, most importantly, no emotions. However, Nimoy, other actors and writers all contributed behind the scenes to making Vulcans the most important aliens in Star Trek history. What's interesting about the Vulcans is that along with being a logical and scientific people, they are also deeply spiritual and ritualistic. This seems a bit like an incongruity, especially knowing how adamant Roddenberry was about humanism over religion.

Later storytellers helped reconcile these two facets of the Vulcan culture by fleshing out the species' history. Along with strong psychic abilities, the Vulcans are not emotionless. Rather, they have very intense and destructive emotions, far different from their human cousins. Thus, ritualism and spirituality are the "scientific method" they use to suppress their emotions in healthy and constructive ways. In the modern, third wave of Star Trek series, the Vulcan culture continues to be examined with storytellers continuing to build on the foundation laid by Roddenberry, D.C. Fontana, Star Trek's "other" Gene , Nimoy and everyone from set designers to costumers.

'The Phone Didn't Ring': Walter Koenig Reflects on Career Struggles After Star Trek

When developing the first Star Trek pilot in 1964, Gene Roddenberry hadn't fully fleshed out the idea of what the Vulcans were. Vulcans existed only so far as making Spock half-human. "I wanted part of him to be at war with the other, the human part and the alien part," he said in The Fifty-Year Mission by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. Later, when developing the second Star Trek pilot, thanks to Lucille Ball , Roddenberry combined Spock's character with the "computer-mind qualities" of Number One, the woman First Officer discarded in the second version. That's how they became unemotional and logic-based.

In The Making of Star Trek by Roddenberry and Stephen E. Whitfield, the former envisioned that, despite the multispecies Federation, crews would be mostly human, Vulcan or other member species. As Spock became Star Trek 's central character , more stories about his people were created. Sarek, his father, was brought into the show. The classic Season 2 episode "Amok Time" introduced the Vulcan homeworld, while also establishing that Vulcans, while logical, were almost irrationally private about their most basic biological functions.

Leonard Nimoy was also essential to defining who the Vulcans were. He created the infamous Vulcan neck pinch and the salute, drawn from his Jewish heritage. Later, in the films, he would weigh in on Vulcan culture, defining it exclusively once he started directing. In The Center Seat - 55 Years of Star Trek , actor Robin Curtis who played Saavik described how Nimoy created the "love scene" between her and the reanimated Spock going through his first Pon Farr. Set and costume designers tried to marry the ideas Vulcans were scientific and logical as well as an ancient society. Their robes, ceremonial accessories and mostly stone structures were born from this notion.

9 Things About Star Trek: The Original Series That Make No Sense

When Gene Roddenberry was asked by Paramount to develop Star Trek: The Next Generation he turned to many of his collaborators from the days of the original series. Robert H. Justman, Dorothy Fontana, David Gerrold and others came back to help, though they didn't last long on the series. While many concepts from The Original Series were reused for The Next Generation , Roddenberry didn't want to include too many familiar elements. Primarily, this meant the Vulcans. There were no regular Vulcan characters in any of the second-wave series until Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager .

Despite the lack of regular Vulcan characters, there was significant advancement to the Vulcan story. The first came in Season 3's "Sarek," in which it's revealed that Vulcans live hundreds of years longer than humans. This episode also introduced what writer Marc Cushman called "the idea of a Vulcan going through senility," in The Fifty-Year Mission . Roddenberry liked the idea, but in the same book writer Ira Steven Behr reveals there was a massive fight with producers over whether they could even say Spock's name. Later, Paramount would convince Nimoy to bring Spock to Star Trek: The Next Generation to "pass the baton" and promote Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

The episode featured Spock seemingly defecting from the Federation to the Romulan Star Empire. Only he wasn't defecting. Spock wanted to bring the logic philosophy of Surak to Romulus in the hopes of reunifying the Romulans and the Vulcans into a single society again. Some fans felt the episode was too small, and executive producer Michael Piller said he was unhappy with his work on the episode. He called the episode "dark," "flat" and "talky" in The Fifty-Year Mission . In hindsight, it's a love swan song for the Spock character. He shares a lovely scene with Data, and his final mission puts him on a path to making the last great enemy of his time in Starfleet an ally.

Star Trek The Next Generation: When Does TNG Get Good?

Every new iteration of Roddenberry's universe since Star Trek: The Animated Series has been met with skepticism, and in some cases, outright hostility from fans. Star Trek: Enterprise perhaps received the most flak, in part because of how it depicted the pre-Federation history of the Vulcans and humans. Rather than dear friends, the Vulcans were antagonistic and did not trust the emotional humans to join the larger galactic society. Enterprise 's creators were trying to do something different without moving things too far from what makes Star Trek so identifiable.

Still, there were conflicts. Antoinette Stella recounted in The Fifty-Year Mission when an angry fan called Paramount to complain a Vulcan character lied. Her assistant, Juan Hernandez spoke to the fan, who pointed out Spock said Vulcans don't lie, quoting The Original Series . "And Juan took a beat and said, 'When Mr. Spock said that, he was lying." In fact, there are many examples of Spock lying, especially in The Undiscovered Country . The Enterprise storytellers made Vulcans more complete by showing they had the same kind of idiosyncrasies and character flaws as any group of people .

The showrunner for season 4, Manny Coto , helped to reconcile the Vulcans of Enterprise with the Vulcans fans knew. " I thought there was a great opportunity to do [a series of episodes] which bridged those two cultures and to develop a story about how they'd floundered from the original teachings of Surak ," he said in The Fifty-Year Mission . Not only did it help explain why these Vulcans seemed so different, it also underscored why Vulcans and humanity would be close allies while still maintaining the elements of secrecy and tension established in previous series.

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The third wave of series -- particularly Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds -- faced fan consternation as well, particularly because of their handling of Vulcan history. Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, was conceived as Spock's adopted sister, raised by Sarek and Amanda Grayson after her parents died. This gave viewers a new angle on Vulcan culture, from "logic extremists" to a reunified Vulcan and Romulan society in the 32nd Century . The producers know that Vulcans are extremely important to Star Trek , so they want to both honor the past and advance their story, justifying the use of the characters.

The best development to come of this is fixing the biggest mistake of the Kelvin Timeline films . The time-travel convention used to bring Nimoy's Spock into the past inadvertently meant his final mission was a failure. Yet, by the 32nd Century, Spock's mission to unify Vulcan and Romulans is a success, and they fully credit him for the development. This was an important element for Discovery Season 3, according to showrunner Michelle Paradise , allowing Burnham to discover just how far her adopted brother reached out to the galaxy.

In Strange New Worlds , however, some of the Vulcan cultural developments happen as they did in The Original Series era: out of story necessity. For example, the Vulcan V'Shal ritual "purely came out of [writers] breaking the story," co-showrunner Henry Alonso Meyers said . While the storytellers wanted to keep it authentic to Vulcan culture, it was created because it was funny to put Spock through a "when he's 'pretending' to be Vulcan" scenario. The danger of treating Star Trek Vulcans with too much regard for their sacred history is underserving the stories being told today . Thankfully, Star Trek has found that balance as it always does.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

Created by Gene Roddenberry

First Film Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Latest Film Star Trek: Nemesis

First TV Show Star Trek: The Original Series

Latest TV Show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Cast Nichelle Nichols, Scott Bakula, Kate Mulgrew, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Avery Brooks, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan

TV Show(s) Star Trek: Animated, Star trek, Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Lower Decks

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Star trek: the 10 best dr. mccoy quotes.

Dr. Leonard McCoy may be a simple country doctor aboard the Enterprise, but he has also provided some of the most memorable quotes in Star Trek.

Dr. Leonard McCoy always stuck out from the rest of the crew aboard the U.S.S Enterprise. Serving as the ship's surgeon on  Star Trek: The Original Series , "Bones" McCoy's gruff personality often chafed against the reckless adventures of his captain, James T. Kirk.

RELATED: The Best Star Trek Series, Ranked (According To IMDb)

Whether he was speculating about the universe or quibbling with Spock, Dr. McCoy was one of the most quotable characters in  Star Trek  history. Ranging from the hilarious to the poignant, Dr. McCoy's sharp-witted quips never failed to be memorable.

Rewriting History

"according to myth, the earth was created in six days. now, watch out here comes genesis. we'll do it for you in six minutes.".

Though the good doctor lives in an advanced future, he is nothing if not old-fashioned with his approach to life.  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan  is filled with great quotes , and it sees the introduction of the terraforming machine, Genesis, that can completely change a planet's surface.

What makes the quote interesting is that, though he admits that creation myths are merely myths, McCoy is also reticent to accept something new to replace them. Revealing his traditional ways, McCoy is the first of the crew to deny the validity of the Genesis device--ultimately he was proven right.

Sympathy For The Captain

"you've got your problems, i've got mine. but he's got ours, plus his, plus four hundred and thirty other people.".

While Kirk and Spock's friendship is legendary, McCoy often plays third wheel to the captain and his first officer. Despite this, McCoy shows in the episode "Shore Leave" that he fully comprehends the weight of responsibility that is placed on his captain's shoulders.

Even though he often bickered with his freewheeling captain, McCoy obviously has nothing but respect for the man. Kirk may not always listen to McCoy's advice, but the doctor fully understands that Kirk's position comes with both great power, and great responsibility.

Stuff And Things

"why is any object we don't understand always called 'a thing'".

Exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy has put the crew of the Enterprise in close contact with exciting and strange alien species . In  Star Trek: The Motion Picture , the mysterious cloud that threatens Earth is speculated about by the crew, and McCoy weighs in with his unique opinion.

Dr. McCoy may not be the most forward thinking member of the crew, but he often offered a cynical wisdom that could surprise even Captain Kirk. In his quote, he isn't necessarily defending Vger, but he is showing that he refuses to classify it as a thing, and therefore rob it of its autonomy as a potential life form.

What Are The Odds?

"in all the universe, three million million galaxies like this. and in all of that...only one of each of us.".

As a doctor, Leonard McCoy often showed a unique appreciation for the sanctity of life. In one of the most re-watchable episodes , "Balance of Terror", the ship is threatened by a rogue ship of Romulans that aim to destroy them after encountering humans for the first time.

RELATED: The 10 Best Star Trek Movies, According To Reddit

In his sage words to Kirk, McCoy warns his captain to take things easy. He reminds Kirk that, though they are very small amongst the universe, they are also incredibly unique. Eschewing the logic of Spock, McCoy instead advocates that every life is important and that any loss of life would be a complete failure of their mission.

McCoy's True Occupation

"i'm a doctor, not a bricklayer".

Though the crew was well aware, Dr. McCoy never missed an opportunity to remind them just what his speciality was. Many episodes featured one of McCoy's famous catchphrases, but it was "Devil in the Dark" that was one of the most memorable.

Upon learning that the beings they are dealing with are living creatures made of stone, McCoy drops one of his funniest quotes. Being a doctor in Starfleet is an already taxing proposition when considering the variety of alien anatomy he has to contend with. However, the introduction of a rock-based creature was just too much for the simple country doctor to bear.

True Feelings

"i'm gonna tell you something i never thought i'd ever hear myself say. but it seems that i've missed you. i don't think i could stand to lose you again.".

Spock's death at the end of  Star Trek II was a defining moment in Jim Kirk's career, but the emotional effect it had on the rest of the crew is often overshadowed. In  Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , McCoy gets to have a touching moment with his old friend, even if it is a one-sided conversation.

While Spock and McCoy often bickered, they obviously developed a professional respect for each other that eventually blossomed into friendship. Faced with losing Spock again, McCoy couldn't keep his true feelings hidden anymore. Not usually one for sentimentality, McCoy delivered one of the most touching moments in the franchise.

Final Farewell

"treat her like a lady, and she'll always bring you home.".

Introducing fans to  Star Trek: The Next Generation , the first episode, "Encounter at Farpoint", also featured the sendoff of a beloved  Trek  character. Though it isn't one of the best episodes of  TNG ,  the episode includes Dr. McCoy's final appearance in the original  Star Trek  universe.

While walking with Data, the aged doctor waxes philosophical about the vessel that contained the best years of his life. Though McCoy was always anti-technology, he couldn't help but speak about the Enterprise like a dear old friend as he said his final goodbyes to her.

Come To The Darkside

"we all have our darker side. we need it; it's half of what we are. it's not really ugly, it's human.".

If there was one word to describe Dr. Leonard McCoy, it would certainly be 'human'. Embodying the best and worst of humanity, McCoy showed in the episode "The Enemy Within" that the duality of mankind is one of its strongest assets.

RELATED: The Doctors Of Star Trek, Ranked By Likability  

McCoy is known for his gruffness, but he also shows on many occasions that he is capable of incredible forgiveness as well. Helping his captain deal with emotional trauma isn't part of his job description, but he would often offer sage advice to help ease Kirk's conscience, especially when a mission went wrong.

There Be Monsters

"monsters come in many forms. you know the greatest monster of them all guilt.".

The thread of most  TOS  stories were carried by the emotions of Captain James T. Kirk. Few episodes showed the duality of Kirk quite like "Obsession", where he uses his position to pursue revenge against a being that attacked him in the past.

McCoy, being wiser than most, sees right through Kirk's desire for revenge and understands that it comes from his own sense of guilt. While Kirk may seem brazen, he is shown to be incredibly sensitive, and McCoy understands that better than anyone else. Ultimately, McCoy helps Kirk slay the biggest monster he has ever faced, his own guilty conscience.

One Step Ahead

"compassion: that's the one thing no machine ever had. maybe it's the one thing that keeps men ahead of them.".

McCoy's anti-technology stance is not without its merits, and he has never struggled to justify his humanistic approach to life. "The Ultimate Computer" seemed to prove all of McCoy's beliefs correct when the Enterprise is hijacked by a new computer that has a mind of its own.

The doctor puts more emphasis on heart than mind and it serves him well as a character. The quote shows that McCoy's fear of technology comes not from a misunderstanding of it, but of a deeper understanding that there is no feeling within a computer's perfect logic.

NEXT: The 10 Best Borg Episodes Of Star Trek (According To IMDb)

• April 8, 2024 | Skydance Reportedly Looking To “Supercharge” Paramount+, Potentially Merge It With Another Streamer
• April 8, 2024 | Preview ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Episode 503 With New Images And Clip From “Jinaal”
• April 7, 2024 | Star Trek Coffees Launching In May With Several Blends
• April 6, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Showrunner Explains Why They Reopened A TNG Mystery To Start Season 5
• April 5, 2024 | Roddenberry Archive Expands With Virtual Tours Of Deep Space 9 Station And The USS Discovery

Star Trek Coffees Launching In May With Several Blends

| April 7, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 23 comments so far

This week’s Star Trek merchandise update is focused on a brand new product designed to perk you up. We also have a couple of other updates on new and upcoming releases for the week.

Star Trek Coffee

Pop Culture Coffee has announced the launch of a collection of limited-edition Star Trek-branded coffees. They are promising a “flavorful array of carefully curated coffee blends” inspired by iconic Star Trek characters, cultures, and starships. Each bag of Star Trek coffee features unique artwork for the 100% organic Arabica beans, and small-batch craft roasted. The line will start with two blends of ground coffee inspired by Star Trek: The Original Series . Captain’s Choice is a smooth medium roast featuring James T. Kirk. And Vulcan Vanilla is a full-flavored Madagascar vanilla roast featuring Mr. Spock. Both are priced at $17.99 for a 12 oz (340g) bag and are due to arrive on May 12th. You can pre-order at popculturecoffee.com .

Upcoming releases that will be available for pre-order later in April and May include:

• Klingon Raktajino : brown sugar roast, featuring The Next Generation’s Worf
• Federation French Roast : featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Borg Blend : light roast highlighting the Borg Queen

Naturally, a coffee inspired by Captain Janeway is also being planned for soon after.

Picard Season 2 & 3 collector’s cards

This week Rittenhouse released their latest set of Star Trek collectible cards, featuring seasons 2 and 3 of  Star Trek: Picard . The base set includes 60 cards (3 cards for each episode in both seasons). These have photos and synopses for each episode. There are also several bonus cards including cards signed by the series stars. The base set is $29.99. For more details and a complete checklist or just to buy, visit scifihobby.com .

Coming April 16: Lower Decks Season 4 on DVD/Blu-ray

Season 4 of the animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, April 16. The set comes complete with exclusive special features including audio commentaries with the cast and Mike McMahan on half of the 10-episode season. You can pre-order  Lower Decks Season 4 now at Amazon on Blu-ray for $25.36  and $19.98 on DVD . Season 4 was released on digital in February on Amazon and other digital platforms.

Bargains of the Week: Half off 7-season DVD box sets

If you are still a fan of DVDs then you can pick up some bargains now at Amazon.com. The three Star Trek TNG-era series box sets are priced around half off. This includes Star Trek: The Next Generation for $69.60 , Voyager , for $62.99 , and Deep Space Nine for $59.99 .

Find more news and reviews of  Star Trek merchandise .

DISCLAIMER: We may link to product affiliate links that support TrekMovie by earning a small commission when you purchase through them.

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Jean-Luc Picard drinks Earl Grey tea! Coffee is for barbarians!

I dunno, Spock doesn’t strike me as a “flavored coffee” type of person.

I think of him as a tea man, myself.

On the topic of merchandise Strange New Worlds Season 2 disc release finally has a date for Australia of May 15.

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-2023-blu-ray

A new Star Trek coffee line! Where is “Janeway Juice”?

Captain Janeway should have been called “Captain Coffee”, always holding a mug! Even Hologram Janeway drinks coffee. Kathryn will not be happy, being the number one coffee drinker in Starfleet, if she doesn’t get her own elixir of life!

Yes. Janeway Coffee has to be item #1.

Yes! I just said the same thing haha. I think everyone is thinking it.

BTW I haven’t seen Prodigy yet but does she still drinks coffee on that show?

Actually she drinks more tea now when she was on the Dauntless. I think her doctor advised it. But hologram Janeway did. 🙂

Brings back memories of House of Kharn Dark Roast, and Andorian Ice blend

May I suggest Bones Romulan Ale Birthday Blend

Talk about unforced errors. Janeway should’ve been in the first coffee batch. And yes, Vulcans do not drink flavored coffee. And Rhaktajino (sp?) seems like another no-brainer to me.

That said, I wish them well, and hope they exist long enough to do the other proposed blends.

Only Colombian Coffee. Ortegas Colombian Blend. Will buy it if available! :D

Would not call myself “still a fan of DVDs,” but since that’s the best physical format available for DS9 and VOY I do own those sets. Thanks for reopening that old wound! lol

Wake me up when they get to the breakfast cereal with a big ol box of Cheeri-Ol-mox!

Oo-Mox dang IPhone killed my joke!

It’s OK, we got it!

Does anyone else remember the trek coffees and hot chocolates sold in the late 90s by starbase-1.com?? They were awesome, I’m hoping these will be as good.

I want to try Raktajino. I’ve always wondered what it tastes like.

Oh yes same!!!

Oh wow that coffee sounds fantastic. I would buy them all but it seems like a crime against the Federation not to have a Janeway brew.

Does Worf even drink those? It should be Jadzia or Sisko on that bag.

I drink coffee with my Janeway cup all the time, so this would be a nice addition. 😎👍