Creation
Star Trek Canon Special Note
Not everything listed in the origin is Canon. That is because only television shows and movies are considered canon. This being a comic website there are many things here that are not canon. So unless it is contradicted in film it should be listed as part of the character biography.
The Spock character was created for the television show Star Trek and was played by Leonard Nimoy. Star Trek is very rare in that it had two pilots made. Spock appeared in both pilots and was the only character to do so. Ironically he was one of the reasons a second pilot was made because of his look. They also didn’t like the female second officer Number One. This lead to the dropping of the female character over the alien one.
Origin
Childhood
Spock (whose name is unpronounceable for humans) is half human, and half Vulcan, who serves in the United Federation of Planets. Most often he has served in one capacity or another as a member of the bridge crew of the Starfleet vessel U.S.S. Enterprise. Spock was born in the year 2230 to Amanda Grayson, a human school teacher, and Sarek, a Vulcan ambassador. While still a child, his only sibling, a half-brother named Sybok was banished for encouraging Vulcans to embrace emotions, and Spock himself struggled throughout his childhood with his own emotional human side.
Joining Starfleet
While Spock and Sarek have always had something of a strained relationship due to the emotionless nature of Vulcan society, when Spock chose to enlist in Starfleet against Sarek’s wishes, it caused a major rift between them. Spock was certified as a Starfleet Computer Specialist, and was soon assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise where he served as the Chief Science Officer under Captain Christopher Pike for eleven years. When Pike was promoted to Fleet Captain, Spock remained aboard the Enterprise as First Officer under the ships succeeding Captain, James Kirk.
The Enterprise Mission of 2265-2270
In 2265 the USS Enterprise was deployed on a 5 year mission of deep space exploration. In 2267, Spock kidnaps his former Captain, Christopher Pike, and hijacks the Enterprise to Talos IV. Pike, now an invalid due to an accident aboard another starship was unable to speak. Spock violated a Starfleet ban on travel to Talos IV, and faced court-martial and the only death penalty left on the record, but charges were eventually dropped. Later in 2267 (Stardate 2124.5) Spock took command of the Enterprise when Captain Kirk and helmsman Sulu were teleported off ship near the planet Gothos. His perseverance during their disappearance contributes to the eventual reunion of the crew and escape from Trelane, a godlike being of Gothos.
A few months later (Stardate 3045.6) Spock again assumes command when Kirk is transported by the Metrons to a planet for trial by combat with a Gorn Captain. In 2268, Spock was reunited with his parents when the Enterprise traveled to a peace conference on the planet Babel. When Ambassador Sarek was accused of killing another delegate, Sarek was cleared because his heart defect eliminated him as a suspect. Later, when Dr. McCoy performed surgery on Sarek to correct this problem, Spock volunteered to supply his father with a blood transfusion (they share a rare T-Negative blood type). This event did much to heal the rift between the two.
Spock is well known for his cold and logical demeanor, though he is capable of expressing human emotion more easily than other Vulcans do to his human half. He is also famous for the Vulcan nerve pinch, which renders a person unconscious by applying pressure to pressure points at the base of the neck. One of his most famous lines is
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
Later Years
Following at least one if not more 5 Year Missions, Spock is promoted to rank of Captain and re-assigned to Starfleet Academy, training cadets aboard the decommissioned Enterprise. In 2285, Spock and Admiral Kirk take control of the Enterprise (which was engaged in a routine training mission) to answer a distress call. They are soon ambushed by the U.S.S. Reliant, which has been commandeered by their old nemesis Khan Noonian Singh. During the confrontation, a portion of the Enterprise becomes highly radioactive and Spock sacrifices his life to save the crew. Living up to the words “The need of the many outweigh the needs of the few” After his death he is given a burial-in-space.
This did not end his life however as due to the effects of the Genesis Device, a Terraforming experiment triggered by Khan, Spock’s body regenerates and he is subsequently rescued by his former crew. In 2293 Spock goes on to the rank of admiral and is critical in creating a peace treaty between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. While the treaty seemed incredible at the time, a lasting peace between the two interstellar powers was achieved. This directly led to the final phase of Spock’s career, of a diplomat, following in his father’s footsteps.
Unification
As an ambassador Spock worked on joining and reintegrating the Romulan Empire with the Vulcan Homeland. Unfortunately he ended up going rouge in his attempt. The two races share a common ancestry but have not shared a peace between the two. The Captain of the Starship Enterprise D Jean-Luc Picard and his second officer Data helped him in his mission despite his attempt to save him from the Romulans. He would later be a big player in a mission that causes Nero to go back into time to kill Spock as a young man. He ends up killing Kirk’s father on the the day of James Kirk’s birth. This leads to Kirk and Spock being Captain and first officer of the Enterprise years earlier than than they originally did. This did not changed the regular Star Trek timeline.
Powers and Abilities
Mind Meld
Like most Vulcans, Spock has the ability to mind-meld with a single person. This mind-meld technique is used to explore another person’s past and emotions. However, while performing the dangerous technique, Spock can feel emotions since he’s a half-human. The technique could prove fatal to Spock including the other Vulcans.
Nerve Pinch
Spock uses this ability to knock down a person unconscious by touching his or her side of the neck. This technique was used similar like another TV show character, Xena who uses a force of nerve pinch to render her opponents unmovable. In this case, Spock performed this technique to silently attack his opponents during secret missions.
Scientific Mind
Spock possesses high intelligence in different fields of science. His ability and knowledge of science proves him valuable for missions to the Enterprise crew and the exploration of other planets. He is also an expert in technology which he can able to create one or fix it.
Alternate Realities
Mirror Universe
In the episode, Mirror, Mirror, the alternate version of Spock works for the Terran Empire where humans and other alien members of the ISS Enterprise were aggressive. Due to their code of honor, any member who tries kill the Captain and failed a mission, they get killed or sent through a torture chamber. The alternate Spock shares the same personality as the Spock from the USS Enterprise. However, Mirror Spock has a goatee and thinks that it’s logical to work for the Terran Empire. However, Capt. Kirk from the USS Enterprise urged Mirror Spock to change his ways and later considered the Captain’s proposal to fight against the Terran Empire.
The New Reality
In this film Spock is played by Zachary Quinto. The original Spock (Leonard Nimoy) also appears in this film as a future Spock from an alternate reality in which the TV series is canon. Due to the premature death of James Kirk’s father, he grew up to be different from the original Kirk, causing tension between him and Spock, and not the normal friendship. Also, in the film, Spock is made captain of the Enterprise, and Kirk is made first officer. At the end of the film, The two work out their differences and Kirk becomes captain while Spock happily takes the position as his first officer.