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{{Update Intelligence}}{{Update CM}} '''James Tiberius Kirk''' was arguably the most famous and highly-decorated [[starship]] [[captain]] in the history of the [[Federation]] [[Star Fleet]]. Over the span of three decades in the later 23rd century, he commanded the [[Constitution Class]] starships [[USS Enterprise, NCC-1701]] and [[USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-A]], serving Federation interests as an explorer, soldier, time-traveler, and diplomat.  == Early History ==James Tiberius ("Jim") Kirk was a [[Human]] born on March 22nd, 2233 ([[Stardate]] 1277.1), in Iowa on the [[planet]] [[Earth]]. [[Image:Kodos the Executioner.jpg|thumb|[[Governor|Gov.]] [[Kodos]] in [[2246]]]]In 2246, Kirk was living on [[planet]] [[Tarsus IV]] during a food crisis that was starving the [[colony]] of 8,000 people. [[Governor]] [[Kodos]], sympathetic to old [[eugenics]] philosophies, tried to save a portion of his colony by killing the 4,000 colonists he deemed least desirable or able to survive. Kodos was unaware of the imminent arrival of relief ships. The thirteen-year-old Jim Kirk was one of only nine eyewitnesses to the massacre. === Star Fleet Academy ===By 2250, Kirk had returned to [[Earth]], ready to begin his [[Star Fleet]] training. With some assistance from a man named [[Mallory (Senior)|Mallory]], he was accepted into the [[Star Fleet Academy]] in [[San Francisco]]. In his plebe year, Kirk was a participant in the successful [[Axanar Peace Mission|peace mission]] to the planet [[Axanar (planet)|Axanar]]. He was awarded the [[Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission]]. [[Image:Finnegan.jpg|thumb|[[Finnegan]] as he appeared in 2250]][[Cadet]] Kirk soon caught the attention of a boisterous, bullying Irishman named Finnegan. The upperclassman evidently hazed "Jamie-boy" mercilessly throughout their shared time at the Academy. Sixteen years later, Kirk's antipathy for Finnegan was strong enough to be sensed by the [[Shore Leave Planet]], which produced a simulacrum that Kirk could pummel for satisfaction. Kirk's academic studies introduced him to men he would encounter later in his career. Among his more prominent teachers was [[John Gill]], the noted professor of history and cultural observer. [[Captain]] [[Garth of Izar]]'s exploits were required reading for cadets, and the famous captain joined Kirk's pantheon of heroes. Another subject, the "[[Louis Pasteur|Pasteur]] of archaeological medicine", [[Doctor|Dr.]] [[Roger Korby]], became a man Kirk wanted to meet. Kirk began a friendship with instructor [[Lieutenant]] [[Ben Finney]] that continued into their service together aboard the USS Republic. Kirk and underclassman [[Gary Mitchell]] became fast friends after Mitchell's admission to the Academy. Mitchell later served under Kirk as [[navigator]] aboard the USS ''Enterprise''. During command training, Kirk confronted the [[Kobayashi Maru scenario|''Kobayashi Maru'' scenario]], a simulation used to evaluate a student's reactions to a "no-win" battle and rescue situation. Kirk refused to accept his first two defeats. Before his third attempt, Kirk secretly reprogrammed the simulation computer, consequently becoming the only cadet in Academy history to beat the "no-win" scenario, and earning a commendation for original thinking. === Junior Officer ===Kirk was commissioned as an officer in the [[Federation]] [[Star Fleet]] with the [[serial number]] SC937-0176CEC. In the early 2250s, he served as an [[ensign]], along with his friend Lt. Ben Finney, aboard the USS ''Republic'' (NCC-1371). Finney made a mistake nearly catastrophic to the ship, and the incident was logged by Kirk, resulting in his friend's reprimand and fall to the bottom of the promotion list. Upon graduating from the Academy, Kirk began service under [[Captain]] [[Garrovick (Captain)|Garrovick]]. Kirk's first deep space assignment was as a [[lieutenant]] aboard Garrovick's USS Farragut (NCC-1647), serving as a [[tactical officer]]. As a young [[lieutenant]] in 2255, Kirk was assigned to command his first planetary survey mission, on [[Neural]]. Kirk met and befriended one of the planet's natives, the [[Hill People|Hill man]] [[Tyree (humanoid)|Tyree]]. His report described a primitive but promising culture, and Star Fleet endorsed his recommended policy of non-interference. The ''Farragut'' engaged the [[dikironium cloud creature]] at planet [[Tycho IV]] in 2257. Captain Garrovick and 200 of the ship's crew were killed by the creature. ''Farragut<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' record tapes of the event included Lieutenant Kirk insisting upon blaming himself for the disaster, citing his delay in firing the ship's [[phaser bank]]s at the creature as he lost consciousness. The ''Farragut<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' [[executive officer]] disagreed, stating, "''Lieutenant Kirk is a fine young officer who performed with uncommon bravery.''" === Ancestry ===Kirk was a descendant of [[Europe]]an settlers on [[Earth]]'s [[America]]n continent, who pioneered the western frontiers of the [[United States]] in 19th century. == The USS ''Enterprise'' and her five-year mission ==[[Image:Mudd planet.jpg|thumb|The USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701)]]Kirk's Star Fleet service through the late 2250s and early 2260s was rewarded with a rapid rise through the ranks. At 31 years of age in [[2264]], he was promoted to [[Captain]]. Not only the youngest captain in the fleet's history at that time, Kirk was slated to command one of the twelve [[Constitution Class|Constitution]] starships, the [[USS ''Enterprise'',NCC-1701]]. Kirk famously commanded the ''Enterprise'' and her namesake over the course of three decades, but it was her historic five-year mission from 2265 to 2270 that made him a legend in space exploration. In addition to his overall mission statement, "''to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, etc.''", Kirk received standing orders to investigate all [[quasar]]s, and quasar-like phenomena. Kirk's living [[quarters]] aboard the ''Enterprise'' were on Deck 5, room "3F 121". During this historic mission, Kirk would violate the [[Prime Directive]] on at least one occasion in order to ensure the survival of the [[Pelosian]] race. Years prior to this, Kirk also prevented the extinction of the [[Baezian]]s and the [[Chenari]]. === 2265 ===Kirk's first major step, attempting an extra-galactic probe in 2265, proved to be a disaster. Discovering a [[recorder-marker]] from the [[SS Valiant|SS ''Valiant'']] that described a catastrophic disaster following a visit to [[the galaxy]]'s edge, Kirk pushed on, and encountered the [[galactic barrier]] for his first time. The ''Enterprise'' failed to breach the barrier, and barely escaped destruction. With warp engines badly damaged, ''Enterprise'' limped under impulse power towards the [[Delta Vega]] [[lithium cracking station]]. Kirk's [[helmsman]], his best friend [[Gary Mitchell]], began a transformation triggered by the barrier, developing psychic powers that progressed rapidly, with a commensurate loss of his Humanity. Ignoring Spock's advice to destroy Mitchell immediately, Kirk hesitated until after Mitchell killed [[navigator]] [[Lee Kelso]]. On the surface of Delta Vega, Kirk hunted Mitchell, only able to kill him with the help of another officer undergoing the same transformation as Mitchell, Dr. [[Elizabeth Dehner]]. Following the tragedy, Kirk re-shuffled the ''Enterprise<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' command crew. [[Commander]] [[Spock]], a legacy-officer from the former commander, [[Captain]] [[Christopher Pike]], remained [[Science officer]] and Kirk acknowledged him as [[First officer]]. A new [[chief medical officer]], [[Doctor|Dr.]] [[Leonard McCoy]] replaced Dr. [[Mark Piper]]. [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Montgomery Scott]] remained [[chief engineer]]. [[Lieutenant]] [[Uhura]] became [[communications officer]] and Lieutenant [[Hikaru Sulu]] was transferred to the [[helm]]. Kirk did not settle on a regular navigator for another year. === 2266 ===On [[stardate]] 1512.2, Kirk made [[first contact]] with the [[First Federation]], when the ''Enterprise'' was detained by [[Captain]] {{MA|Balok|Balok}} and his massive spaceship [[Fesarius]]. Both captains bluffed ferociously, but Kirk's poker-face held. Balok proved to be quite friendly, eager to begin a cultural exchange. On 1533.6, Kirk and his crew made a brief first contact with the uncanny [[Thasian]]s. During his encounter with Charlie Evans, Kirk showed his judo prowess as well as his deep-rooted compassion when Charlie's "teachers" wanted to take him back to his isolated existence. [[Image: RomulanCommander2266.jpg|thumb|The [[Unnamed Romulans (23rd century)#Romulan Commander (male)|Romulan Commander]]]]Kirk repelled the first REDIRECT [[Neutral Zone Incursion|Romulan incursion]] of Federation space in over a century, on stardate 1709.2. Four [[Earth Outpost Station]]s along the [[Romulan Neutral Zone]] were destroyed by a [[Romulan Bird-of-Prey (23rd century)|Romulan Bird-of-Prey]] equipped with a [[cloaking device|cloak]] and a powerful [[plasma torpedo]] system. Kirk [[#Tactics|engaged]] and pursued the Romulan ship, disabling it before the [[Unnamed Romulans (23rd century)#Romulan Commander (male)|Romulan commander]] ordered his ship's [[Auto-destruct|self-destruction]]. Kirk and his bridge crew became the first Star Fleet officers to make visual contact with a Romulan, finally revealing their appearance to Star Fleet. ''Enterprise'' reached [[Exo III]] on stardate 2712.4; where Dr. [[Roger Korby]] was found after years of silence, exploring and exploiting a sophisticated [[android]] manufacturing technology – the legacy of a long-dead civilization. Korby had replaced his own damaged body, transplanting his personality into an android replica, and built himself a beautiful companion, [[Andrea]]. After exhibiting madness, the android Korby was destroyed. On stardate 2817.6, Kirk responded to the call of [[Thomas Leighton]], a fellow survivor and witness to the horror of [[Tarsus IV]]. Leighton suspected the leader of a traveling theater troupe, actor [[Anton Karidian]], of being [[Kodos]] "the Executioner", a man long thought dead. After Leighton's murder and the revelation of other witnesses' deaths, Kirk convinced [[Lenore Karidian]] to bring the acting troupe aboard ''Enterprise''. Attempted murders of Kirk and ''Enterprise'' crewmember [[Kevin Riley]] (another survivor) led Kirk to confront Karidian/Kodos, discovering the recent killings were the acts of his mad daughter, trying to protect her tormented aging father. Kirk's command was jeopardized by Spock when he kidnapped his horribly crippled former commander, [[Fleet Captain]] [[Christopher Pike]], and commandeered the ''Enterprise''. Spock locked the ship on course to [[Talos IV]] before submitting to a tribunal of Kirk, Pike, and [[Commodore]] [[José I. Mendez|Mendez]]. Spock's crimes were in violation of [[General Order 7]] and punishable by [[death penalty|death]]. After Spock's ultimate goal was revealed, to allow Pike, a Star Fleet hero, to live a semblance of normality under Talosian illusion, Star Fleet declined to prosecute the matter. When the ''Enterprise'' passed through the [[Omicron Delta region]], Kirk hoped to get his crew (and himself) some badly needed [[shore leave]]. While Kirk and his [[landing party]] investigated a hopeful candidate world, they were beset with manifestations of their hidden desires. In fact, they had discovered the [[Shore Leave Planet]], and the advanced technologies left behind by an ancient, enigmatic species. === 2267 ===Kirk became the first Federation starship captain to ever face a [[court martial]], after he was accused of causing the death of Lt. Commander [[Ben Finney]], the ''Enterprise'' [[records officer]]. Kirk employed the defense attorney [[Samuel T. Cogley]], and was prosecuted by his former flame [[Areel Shaw]] at his trial on [[Starbase 11]], convened by [[Commodore]] [[Stone (Commodore)|Stone]]. Kirk was exonerated after Finney was discovered alive, having faked both his death and the evidence implicating Kirk. On 2124.5, the ''Enterprise'' was waylaid by a being calling himself "[[General]] {{MA|Trelane|Trelane}} (retired), the ''Squire of Gothos''." Though immensely powerful and troublesome, Trelane was revealed to be nothing more than a child of his species, and a badly-behaved one at that. Kirk made first contact with the [[Gorn Hegemony]] and the [[Metron]]s on stardate 3045.6. Finding the Federation base on {{MA|Cestus_III|Cestus III}} destroyed, and [[Gorn]] forces lying in wait, Kirk ordered the ''Enterprise'' to give chase to Gorn starship responsible, intending to destroy it. The pursuit took the two belligerents through [[Metron Consortium|Metron space]]. The Metrons, pacifistic but powerful, interrupted the engagement and declared both sides were savages. Kirk and the [[Unnamed Gorn#Captain|Gorn captain]] were taken from their respective ships to a desolate [[planetoid]] by the Metrons, who forced the two captains to [[#Personal combat|fight]] each other, threatening to destroy the loser's vessel. Kirk was victorious, but refused to kill the Gorn. The Metrons were impressed by Kirk's act of mercy and allowed both ships to go free. [[Image:Khan2266.jpg|thumb|left|[[Khan Noonien Singh|Khan]] in [[2267]]]]The ''Enterprise'' discovered the [[SS Botany Bay|SS ''Botany Bay'']] on 3141.9. The ancient vessel carried a group of genetically-engineered [[Augment]]s from Earth's [[Eugenics Wars]], kept alive in [[stasis|cryogenic freeze]]. Their leader, [[Khan Noonien Singh]], seduced the ''Enterprise'' ship historian Lieutenant [[Marla McGivers]], revived his comrades, and attempted to steal the starship – before he was foiled by Kirk. Somewhat respectful of Khan's integrity and abilities, Kirk exiled Khan and his people on planet [[Ceti Alpha V]], where the former tyrant would have a chance to "tame a world" without threatening others. On 3192.1, the ''Enterprise'' was caught up in a 'civilized' interplanetary war between [[Eminiar VII]] and [[Vendikar]], whose engagements were fought only by computers, and marked 'casualties' among the citizenry dutifully reported to death chambers. After the ''Enterprise'' was declared a target and the crew ordered to die, Kirk destroyed the Eminiar computers, forcing them to finally treat with their enemy – or face a war that would destroy their civilization. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy discovered the first known [[silicon]]-based lifeform, a sentient [[Horta]] matriarch, on the mining [[colony]] [[Janus VI]] on stardate 3196.1. At the start of the [[first Federation-Klingon War]], Kirk and Spock attempted to convince the apparently-primitive [[Organian]]s to accept Federation protection. When Kirk and Spock began conducting a [[guerrilla]] war against the Klingon occupation, Organians abandoned their false humanoid forms and intervened, forcing an end to the interstellar war, imposing the [[Treaty of Organia]]. Organians predicted that, in time, the antagonistic powers would eventually become friends. Responding to the recent silence from the [[Deneva]] [[colony]], Kirk found that his [[#Family|brother]], [[George Samuel Kirk]], had been killed by a hive-mind of marauding [[Neural parasite (23rd century)|neural parasites]] and that the colony's remaining population was under their influence, causing [[mass insanity]]. McCoy and Spock were able to develop a method of killing the exotic creatures. By this time in 2267, Kirk had finally settled on [[Ensign]] [[Pavel Chekov]] as the ''Enterprise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s regular navigator, the post once held by [[Gary Mitchell]]. Kirk diverted the ''Enterprise'' from an assigned ceremonial mission on [[Altair IV]] to [[Vulcan (planet)|Vulcan]] on stardate 3372.7, in order to save his first officer from the dangerous effects of his ''[[pon farr]]'' mating cycle. In the presence of the [[Vulcan]] Matriarch, [[T'Pau]], Kirk was forced to participate in Spock's marriage ceremony. A transporter malfunction swapped the ''Enterprise'' [[landing party]] with a corresponding landing party from a parallel "[[Mirror Universe]]", where the [[United Federation of Planets]] had been replaced with a savage, oppressive, [[Terran Empire]]. The ISS Enterprise NCC-1701 was captained by a sadistic alternate version of Captain Kirk, whose first officer was a ruthless, bearded [[Spock (mirror)|Spock]]. A distress call led the ''Enterprise'' to the crippled USS Constellation, NCC-1017, nearly destroyed by an ancient planet killer deemed a [[Doomsday machine]]. After the unbalanced [[Commodore]] [[Matt Decker|Matthew Decker]] made a suicide run with a stolen [[shuttlecraft]], Kirk piloted the ''Constellation'' inside the machine, detonating the engines and destroying the device. Kirk, Spock and McCoy discovered [[Zefram Cochrane]], the inventor of the [[warp drive]], missing for 150 years, on a planetoid, kept alive and young by the {{MA|Companion|Companion}} energy being. At Cochrane's request, Kirk did not log the encounter. While visiting a Federation science colony on [[Gamma Hydra IV]], the strange [[radiation]] from a rogue comet affected Kirk and members of his party, causing rapid aging. Kirk's accelerated dotage forced the visiting [[Commodore]] [[Stocker]] to relieve Kirk from command of the ''Enterprise'' until a cure was discovered by Dr. McCoy. === 2268 ===On stardate 4523.6, the ''Enterprise'' was dispatched to [[Deep Space Station K-7]], where Kirk's patience was tested by Klingons, Federation bureaucrats, and the cuddly but prodigious vermin, [[tribble]]s. Unknown to Kirk, his actions were observed and facilitated by [[Benjamin Sisko]] and the crew of the USS Defiant, NX-74205, brought from the 24th century via a [[Bajoran]] [[Orb]]; Sisko even got Kirk's autograph (although Kirk thought he was signing a shipping order) and told Kirk that it had been an honor to serve with him. Kirk found the contaminated society of [[Sigma Iotia II]], based on 1920s Chicago gang culture, puzzling at first, but he quickly warmed to it. Uniting the world's "gangs" under one "boss", the [[Iotian]]s became a [[Federation]] protectorate. [[Image:Flintlocktraining.jpg|thumb|On [[Neural]] in [[2268]]]]Kirk returned to [[Neural]], the site of his first [[Star Fleet]] assignment, on stardate 4211.4. [[Klingon]]s had begun supplying the primitive native villagers with firearms, leading them to war on the neighboring [[Hill People]]. Kirk decided to supply the hill people with similar weaponry, escalating the conflict, but putting both sides on equal footing. After [[John Gill]]'s failure to report in from his cultural observation mission to [[Ekos]], the ''Enterprise'' was assigned to investigate. Kirk found his old professor had developed an idealization of Utopian fascism and had abandoned observation for intervention, creating a [[Nazi]]-like world government that overwhelmed Gill's best intentions. Kirk aroused the subverted Gill in time to avert Ekos' impending war with neighboring [[Zeon (planet)|Zeon]], and heard Gill recant his philosophies before he died. Scouts from the [[Kelvan Empire]] in the [[Andromeda Galaxy]] hijacked the ''Enterprise'' for their return voyage on stardate 4657.5. The ''Enterprise'', modified with [[Kelvan#Science and technology|Kelvan technology]], became the first [[Federation]] starship known to cross the [[galactic barrier]], briefly leaving the boundary of the Milky Way Galaxy before Kirk and his senior officers overwhelmed the Kelvans and returned to Federation space. [[Image:KirkRomulan.jpg|thumb|left|In [[Romulan]] disguise in 2268]]Inexplicably to his crew, Kirk began exhibiting bizarre behavior on stardate 5027.3, and ordered the ''Enterprise'' across the [[Romulan Neutral Zone]] . Three [[Romulan]] starships detained the ''Enterprise'', and Kirk and Spock met the Romulan commander aboard her ship, where Kirk's death was faked. The ruse allowed Kirk, surgically altered to look Romulan, to infiltrate the Romulan vessel and steal their [[cloaking device]]. Using the device, the ''Enterprise'' cloaked and escaped to [[Federation]] space, taking along the captured Romulan Commander. The entire operation had been designed to give the Federation deniability in case of failure, and place the culpability on Kirk. On 4842.6, the ''Enterprise'' discovered the {{MA|Amerind|Amerind}} planet, where an ancient race, the "{{MA|Preservers|Preservers}}", had transplanted elements of [[Native American]] cultures that were endangered in centuries past. When an accident separated Kirk from the landing party and induced his amnesia, Spock was forced to abandon the search, in order to command the ''Enterprise'' in the interception of an [[asteroid]] on course to hit the planet. For several months, Kirk was worshiped as a [[god]] called "[[Kirok]]" by the inhabitants, and took a [[#Miramanee|wife]]. With the return of the ''Enterprise'' and the restoration of his memories, Kirk was able to activate an ancient planetary defense mechanism left behind by the Preservers, destroying the approaching asteroid. Near [[Tholian]] space on stardate 5693.2, the ''Enterprise'' discovered the USS Defiant, NCC-1764, adrift and its crew dead, trapped in a [[spatial interphase]]. Tholian commander [[Loskene]] responded to the trespass of 'recently annexed' Tholian space. Kirk was lost in the interphase and presumed dead. The ''Enterprise'' exchanged fire with the Tholians, and the unstable region incited madness among the crew. A second Tholian vessel joined the engagement, producing a web to ensnare the ''Enterprise''. After various crew members witnessed Kirk's spectral image, he was retrieved from interphase, and the ''Enterprise'' used the rift to escape Tholian entrapment. === 2269 ===[[Image:Garth.jpg|thumb|[[Garth of Izar]] in 2269]]''Enterprise'' visited the Federation [[asylum]] on [[Elba II]] on stardate 5718.3, where Kirk's longtime-hero, [[Fleet Captain]] [[Garth of Izar]] was committed as a patient. Garth, capable of [[cellular metamorphosis]], attempted to escape and commandeer the ''Enterprise'' by assuming the visage of Kirk. Spock was able to determine which man was truly his captain, and Garth was returned to rehabilitation. On stardate 5725.3, the ''Enterprise'' encountered a community of non-corporeal energy beings embodying the souls of the last 100 [[Zetar]]ans. Seeking lifeforms that would allow them to live again, they killed the custodians of [[Memory Alpha]], wiping the [[Federation]]'s central archive of accumulated knowledge. A deadly plague struck the crew of the ''Enterprise'' before stardate 5843.7. Seeking a cure on [[Holberg 917G]], Kirk encountered [[Flint]], a near-immortal Human. Born as [[Akharin]], during [[Earth]]'s 4th millennium BC in [[Mesopotamia]], Flint had later been known as [[Solomon]], [[Alexander the Great]] and [[Leonardo da Vinci]], among other famous identities. Kirk fell in love with [[Rayna Kapec]], an android built by Flint to give him company in his final days of seclusion. A century later, [[Captain]] [[Kathryn Janeway|Janeway]] of the [[USS Voyager]] expressed some doubt about this encounter. The ''Enterprise'' was greeted by an incredibly realistic simulacrum of Kirk's hero, the [[United States]] [[President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]], on stardate 5906.4. On the surface of the planet [[Excalbia]], a silicon-based [[Excalbian]] re-created the historical figures [[Surak]], [[Genghis Khan]], [[Phillip Green]], [[Kahless]] and [[Zora]]. Kirk, Spock, Lincoln and Surak were pitted against the others as means for the Excalbians to understand the nature and strength of good versus evil. === 2270 ===After the [[freighter]] USS Huron was attacked and looted, the starship ''Enterprise'' captured the [[Orion vessel|Orion vessel]] responsible. The incident marked the end of [[Orion (planet)|Orion]]'s official [[Orion#Loss of Neutrality|neutrality]]. The ''Enterprise'' encountered [[Kukulkan]] on stardate 6063.4. The benevolent alien being had periodically visited ancient Earth civilizations and influenced their architecture and agricultural development. Kukulkan revealed that he had visited the [[Egypt]]ian, [[Mayan]] and [[Aztec]] cultures, where he was taken for a [[god]]. Reaching the end of her five-year deployment in [[2270]], Kirk ordered the ''Enterprise'' set on a course returning her to Earth. === Time travels ===Several of Kirk's voyages involved travel through time, either personally through [[time portal]]s or along with the entire starship ''Enterprise'' via acceleration through [[gravity well]]s. According to the Federation [[Department of Temporal Investigations]], Kirk, who sometimes ignored regulations when he felt it was for the greater good, amassed seventeen separate temporal violations during his career, more than any other person on file as of 2373. Observing planet [[Psi 2000]] in its death throes of 2266, the ''Enterprise'' was endangered after the engines were shut down and she began to fall from orbit. An emergency cold-restart of the engines to escape the planet's gravity threw the ship three days into the past. In 2267, after escaping the gravity well of a [[black star]], the ''Enterprise'' was hurled through space and time to [[Earth]] of 1969. As the ''Enterprise'' skimmed the upper atmosphere, the [[United States Air Force]] scrambled an [[F-104 Starfighter]] [[jet]] to intercept the ''Enterprise'', now considered a [[UFO]]. The pilot, [[John Christopher]], was brought aboard, and the plane crushed, unintentionally, in the ship's tractor beam. Kirk and [[Hikaru Sulu|Sulu]] beamed down to the [[Omaha]], [[Nebraska]] military base to destroy photographic evidence of the ''Enterprise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s appearance. A method developed to return to their own time, [[warp drive|warping]] around the [[sol|sun]]'s gravity well in a [[slingshot effect|slingshot]] maneuver, allowed Christopher's replacement before his close-encounter and the return of the ''Enterprise'' to her own time. [[Image:Guardian of Forever, 2267.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Guardian of Forever]]]]In 2267, after experiencing violent time distortions, the ''Enterprise'' discovered the source, the [[Guardian of Forever]]. McCoy, delusional from an accidental [[cordrazine]] overdose, entered the time portal, altering history to the extent that the Federation and the ''Enterprise'' no longer existed. Kirk and Spock followed McCoy, appearing in 1930 [[New York City]] on [[Earth]]. Finding shelter in exchange for work, Kirk fell in love with his beautiful, idealistic benefactor, [[Edith Keeler]]. Spock discovered that history's recorded death of Keeler was stopped by McCoy, and Kirk was forced to restrain the doctor from saving her life, the price for restoring the timeline. In 2268, Kirk was ordered to repeat the recently proven [[slingshot effect|slingshot]] maneuver, taking the ''Enterprise'' back to 1968 on a mission of historical observation. Intercepting the enigmatic agent [[Gary Seven]], Kirk attempted to stop his interference, but eventually cooperated with Seven's effort to avert a nuclear exchange between the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]]. A visit to the planet [[Sarpeidon]], doomed by its sun's impending nova, revealed that the Sarpeidans had escaped ''en masse'' into their own planet's past via their [[Atavachron]] [[time portal]]. The harried and ubiquitous [[Atoz]] mistook Kirk, Spock, and McCoy for tardy natives, and he thrust them into the planet's past. Kirk and Spock used the Guardian of Forever a second time in 2269, on a mission of historical observation to the dawn of [[Orion]] [[civilization]]. Upon their return, no-one but Kirk recognized Spock as the ''Enterprise'' First officer. Supposedly killed in his childhood, Spock returned to the Vulcan of his youth, playing the role of the nearly forgotten cousin that had saved his life during the ''[[kahs-wan]]'', a Vulcan coming-of-age ritual. == Later Career ==[[Image:AdmiralKirkTMP.jpg|thumb|As a [[rear admiral]] ca. 2272]]The USS ''Enterprise'' returned to [[Earth]] in 2270. Kirk's successful mission resulted in his promotion to [[rear admiral]] and a posting as [[Chief of Star Fleet Operations]] at [[Star Fleet Headquarters]] in [[San Francisco]] for the following two and a half years. Kirk recommended [[Willard Decker]] to replace him as ''Enterprise'' captain while the ship underwent an extensive refit at the [[San Francisco Fleet Yards]]. In the early 2270s, Earth was threatened by the approaching entity ''[[V'Ger]]'', an [[energy]] cloud assimilating information from (and destroying) objects in its path. The only starship positioned to intercept it was the ''Enterprise'', her refit nearly complete but still awaiting trial runs. After convincing Admiral [[Nogura]] that he was the best man to meet the threat, Kirk rushed the ''Enterprise'' into service, assuming the rank of [[captain]] for the duration of the mission. Decker regarded Kirk's command as an insult and a mistake, and pointed to his recent desk service and unfamiliarity with the ship's new systems, but the younger man fulfilled his duty as First officer. The entity proved to be the [[20th century]] [[NASA]] [[probe|space probe]] ''[[Voyager VI]]'', having amassed great power and self-awareness in its travels. Kirk granted Decker's wish to merge with the ''V'Ger'' entity through the simulacrum of his lover [[Ilia]], thereby uniting ''V'Ger'''s mechanical nature with its Human origins. The union resulted in the birth of a radically new, and benign, lifeform. Admiral Kirk kept his flag on the ''Enterprise'', commanding her through the 2270's. Kirk retired from Star Fleet (albeit briefly) in 2281 to pursue a number of personal goals and affairs. === The Wrath and Wake of Khan ===[[Image:Khan!!!.jpg|thumb|"''KHAN!!!''"]]Kirk returned to [[Star Fleet]] in 2284 and took a position in the admiralty, supervising command-track cadets at [[Star Fleet Academy]] among his duties. The lack of a center seat gnawed at him, until he began to express discontent in his latest posting. If only for the chance to be back in space on his beloved former ship, he eagerly boarded the [[''Enterprise''|USS Enterprise, NCC-1701]], now commanded by Captain Spock, as an observer to a cadet training cruise. [[Khan Noonien Singh]] escaped from his exile on [[Ceti Alpha V]] by hijacking the USS Reliant, leading to his theft of the [[Genesis Device]] from the {{MA|Regula_I|Regula I}} [[space station]]. Alerted by a call from Dr. [[Carol Marcus]], ''Enterprise'' changed course to investigate, and Spock deferred his command to Admiral Kirk. The subsequent engagement with his old enemy was tumultuous for Kirk, including a meeting with his estranged son, [[David Marcus]], and the death of his friend of twenty years, Spock. Kirk's return to Earth in 2285 was solemn. The loss of Spock affected Kirk deeply, and McCoy began to show signs of mental illness. Planning to return to the [[Genesis (planet)|Genesis Planet]] after his battle-damaged starship was fully repaired, Kirk's hopes were dashed when [[Commander, Star Fleet]] [[Admiral]] [[Harry Morrow|Morrow]] announced that the ''Enterprise'' would be decommissioned. [[Ambassador]] [[Sarek]] approached Kirk, leading to the discovery of Spock's ''[[katra]]'' surviving in McCoy. Kirk's [[senior officer]]s rallied to him, conspiring to rescue McCoy and steal the ''Enterprise'' from [[Earth Spacedock]] in order to recover Spock's body from the [[Genesis (planet)|Genesis planet]] and to bring it, and his ''katra'', to Vulcan. At the Genesis planet, a [[Klingon Bird-of-Prey]]'s attack left the ''Enterprise'' disabled. After setting an [[auto-destruct]] sequence, Kirk and his crew abandoned the ship for the surface. The ''Enterprise'' was destroyed, taking a Klingon boarding party along with it. Finding Spock's body reanimated by Genesis, Kirk took the Bird-of-Prey to Vulcan, where Spock's ''katra'' and body were reunited. After three months on Vulcan, Kirk and his crew departed (aboard the Bird-of-Prey re-named [[HMS Bounty|HMS ''Bounty'']]) for Earth, to face their charges of violating nine [[Star Fleet General Orders and Regulations|Star Fleet General orders and regulations]]. During the voyage, a mysterious [[whale probe|probe]] besieged [[Earth]] and communicated only in [[Whale song]]. After answering the [[distress call|planetary distress signal]] and determining the probe's objective, Kirk used the [[slingshot effect]] to take the ''Bounty'' back in time to [[1986]] [[San Francisco]]. With the help of [[cetacean]] biologist Dr. [[Gillian Taylor]], Kirk successfully obtained the [[humpback whale]]s [[George and Gracie]] and returned with them to [[2286]]. By providing the whales that could answer the probe's query, Kirk redeemed Humanity's extinction of a [[sentient]] species, and saved Earth from an environmental catastrophe. === The USS ''Enterprise''-A ===[[Image:James_T_Kirk,_2293.jpg|thumb|[[Captain]] of the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-A|-A}} in [[2293]]]]Following the whale probe incident, the [[Federation president#Human President, c. 2286|Federation President]] declared to Kirk, "''we are forever in your debt''". In light of their recent heroics, all charges facing his crew were dismissed, but one remained against Admiral Kirk: disobeying the orders of a superior officer. Kirk's 'punishment' was a permanent reduction in rank to [[captain]] and a return to the duty that had served the Federation so well, starship command. In his honor, a {{ShipClass|Constitution}} starship was re-christened as the [[USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-A]], and assigned to Kirk in 2286. He commanded the ''Enterprise''-A for the next seven years. After a brief shakedown cruise proved the ''Enterprise''-A wasn't quite up to par, Kirk vacationed in [[Yosemite National Park]] with [[Spock]] and [[Leonard McCoy|McCoy]], while [[Montgomery Scott]] attended to the technical problems. The respite was interrupted after Spock's half-brother, [[Sybok]], raised a small force to take over the planet [[Nimbus III]] and captured the [[Federation]], [[Klingon Empire|Klingon]] and [[Romulan Star Empire|Romulan]] [[ambassador|representatives]]. Kirk and the ''Enterprise''-A responded. Most of Kirk's crew fell under Sybok's influence and joined in his quest to meet "[[God]]", by taking the starship through the [[Great Barrier]] to the legendary [[planet]] [[Sha Ka Ree]]. The [[God of Sha Ka Ree|entity]] they encountered proved to be a malevolent force, imprisoned and looking for release. Sybok joined the entity in combat, permitting the ''Enterprise''-A to escape/ Kirk's career culminated in 2293, when the ''Enterprise''-A was assigned to escort the [[Klingon]] {{MA|Chancellor|Chancellor}} [[Gorkon]] to Earth for a peace conference. Kirk opposed the peace initiative covertly negotiated by Spock, and especially resented that he was chosen to be the Federation's olive branch. A [[Khitomer Conspiracy|cabal]] of Federation and Klingon officials instigated an attack on {{IKS|Kronos One}} that appeared to come from the ''Enterprise''-A, and assassinated Gorkon. Kirk and McCoy were arrested by the Klingons, who tried and convicted them for the murder of Gorkon, sentencing them to the [[Rura Penthe]] [[prison|penal]] [[asteroid]]. In violation of orders and treaties, Spock took the ''Enterprise''-A into Klingon space, eluded detection and rescued Kirk and McCoy. Following his victory over [[General]] [[Chang (General)|Chang]] at the [[Khitomer Conspiracy#Battle of Khitomer|Battle of Khitomer]], Kirk saved the [[Federation president#Efrosian President, c. 2293|Federation president]] from assassination, and the historic [[Khitomer Conference]] continued.  After a final joy-ride on the heading "''second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning''", the ''Enterprise''-A was decommissioned, and Kirk retired permanently from Star Fleet. === The Nexus ===Shortly after retirement, Kirk joined his friends [[Montgomery Scott]] and [[Pavel Chekov]] as the honored guests of [[Captain]] [[John Harriman]] on the maiden voyage of the [[Excelsior Class]] [[starship]] [[USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-B]]. The event, featuring a media frenzy surrounding Kirk, was little more than a ceremonial cruise, as the ''Enterprise''-B was not yet fully crewed or equipped for regular duty. Soon after departure, the ship received a distress signal from two {{ShipClass|Whorfin}} ships transporting [[El-Aurian]] refugees, trapped in an energy distortion called the [[Nexus]]. With the advice of Kirk, and the help of Scotty and Chekov, the rescue mission was a partial success, but the ''Enterprise''-B succumbed to the Nexus' [[gravimetric]] field. Declining Harriman's offer to take command, Kirk volunteered to modify the ship's [[navigational deflector|deflector]] relays and successfully enabled the ship's escape, but not before a burst of energy from the Nexus breached the [[secondary hull]]. Kirk was lost, and presumed dead. [[Image:Kirk dead.jpg|thumb|Kirk's last breath]]Events of 2371 revealed Kirk had entered the [[Nexus]] alive, yet unaware of the passing of 78 years. Discovered by [[Captain]] [[Jean-Luc Picard]] of the [[USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-D]], Kirk agreed to leave his idyllic but unsatisfying existence in the Nexus, to help Picard stop the deranged scientist [[Tolian Soran]] from destroying the [[Veridian system]]. As Kirk explained to Picard, the main reason he always returned to the command chair of the ''Enterprise'' was that it was only there that Kirk could truly make a difference, and he advised Picard to refuse anything Star Fleet offered him that would take him away from the current ''Enterprise'', because he would thus lose the ability to make a difference in the universe. Kirk sacrificed his life to save the inhabitants of [[Veridian IV]], as well as the crew of the ''Enterprise''-D. His last words, spoken to Picard, were, "''It was... fun. Oh my...''". Captain Picard buried Kirk in a simple stone cairn on a [[Veridian III]] mountain top, echoing the burial of his friend, Gary Mitchell, 106 years before. == Intellect and Personality ==[[Image:James Kirk's evil counterpart.jpg|thumb|left|One aspect of Kirk, in 2266]]After his [[transporter]] personality split in 2266, Kirk was forcibly introduced to the competing elements in his personality, described most roughly as passive and aggressive. One half of that nature manifested itself in Kirk's frequent melancholy about the state of his life: when he was aboard ship, he longed for a life of ease; when moored, his thoughts were with the ''Enterprise''. His violent tendencies ranged from his enthusiastic beating of [[Finnegan]] and willingness to provoke [[Spock]], into his well-nursed hatred of Klingons and obvious satisfaction when ordering a decisive [[photon torpedo]] salvo. Evaluating [[Khan Noonien Singh|Khan]] in his first encounter, Kirk admitted, "''We Humans have a streak of barbarism in us. Appalling, but there, nevertheless''". The flexibility of his nature was a large part of his success. The man sensitive enough to tread lightly among gangster [[Iotians]] in the manner of their culture, was the same who saw the plain necessity in destroying the war-computers that were a cultural pillar of [[Eminiar VII]]. Kirk had a strong moral center and devotion to the values he found embodied in the [[Federation]], spending most of his life in its service and defense. In numerous incidents, he risked his life for causes he deemed just, including his [[#The Nexus|final act]] on [[Veridian III]]. His confidence in his righteousness sometimes led him to creatively interpret, and outright disobey, his orders. Kirk embraced the culture and history of his [[United States of America|homeland]], especially western lore and the life of his hero [[Abraham Lincoln]]. Recognizing the document mirrored on the planet [[Omega IV]], he could recite the preamble of the [[United States Constitution|US Constitution]] from memory. His extensive knowledge of his ancestral background would serve him well on numerous occasions. In travels to [[Earth]]'s past, or on planets [[Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development|mirroring]] Earth's development, Kirk was able to function and pass himself off as native of the time or culture with (more or less) ease. A charismatic and successful leader, Kirk inspired loyalty from his officers, some of whom would spend the bulk of their careers under his command. His command crew risked their careers at his call, conspiring to steal the ''Enterprise'' on a mission to save their comrade Spock. As a commander in his own right, [[Hikaru Sulu]] disobeyed his orders by attempting to rescue Kirk and McCoy from Klingon imprisonment, and later coming to Kirk's aid at the [[Khitomer Conspiracy#Battle of Khitomer|Battle of Khitomer]]. After [[Montgomery Scott]]'s recovery from a [[transporter]] loop in 2369, the old engineer's first assumption was that Kirk himself had taken the ''Enterprise'' out of mothballs to come to his rescue. [[Image:Kirk repairs Connie 2267.jpg|thumb|left|Making repairs in 2267]]Beyond his command skills, Kirk exhibited a comprehensive knowledge of starship systems. When [[Ben Finney]]'s sabotage of the ''Enterprise'' caused her to lose orbit above [[Starbase 11]] in 2267, Kirk was capable of scrambling up a [[Jefferies tube]] to effect the necessary repairs. After its near destruction by the [[Doomsday machine]], Kirk directed [[Montgomery Scott|Scotty]] and a skeleton crew in the salvage of the USS Constellation, NCC-1017, recovering enough power and control functions so Kirk could pilot the hulk, solo, into the machine's maw. On several occasions Kirk displayed his skill in [[Induced self-destruction|inducing self-destruction]] in computers and androids by confronting them with [[paradox]]es. After the ''Enterprise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s major refit of the early 2270s, Kirk's extended desk-duty showed in his unfamiliarity with the new systems, but he corrected the mistake in the following years. His last act of 2293 was the successful modification of the ''Enterprise''-B's [[navigational deflector]], saving the ship from destruction by the [[Nexus]]. === Tactics ===Kirk's historic role as an explorer was rivaled by his reputation for tactical genius. In several notable engagements, Kirk used the USS ''Enterprise'' effectively as a weapon of war. In 2269, a simulacrum of [[Abraham Lincoln]] was struck by Kirk's propensity to take the offensive when required. He asked of Kirk, "''Do you drink [[whiskey]]?''" Kirk responded, "''Occasionally. Why?''" Lincoln answered, "''Because you have qualities very much like those of another man I admire greatly, [[General]] [[Ulysses S. Grant|Grant]].''" In 2379, the ''Enterprise''-E had a series of battle maneuvers named for Kirk, including the [[evasive maneuvers#List of evasive maneuver patterns|evasive maneuver]] "pattern Kirk epsilon". As a means to avoid battle, or to divert his opponent long enough so he could get he upper hand, Kirk frequently 'bluffed' or lied his way through a parley. In two incidents, Kirk used his [[corbomite]] gambit. He misled Khan into expecting valuable data, rather than a devastating phaser strike in their encounter of 2285. His capitulation to [[Kruge]] was a lure to draw the bulk of the Klingon crew to the ''Enterprise'' before he ordered its destruction. Perhaps Kirk's most intricate, audacious misdirection of an enemy is found in the events leading up to his theft of a [[Romulan]] [[cloaking device]] in 2268. The [[Neutral Zone Incursion|Romulan incursion]] of [[Federation]] space in 2266 led Kirk into a drawn-out cat-and-mouse chase against a [[Unnamed Romulans (23rd century)#Romulan Commander (male)|commander]] in whom Kirk found an instinctual rapport. The [[Romulan Bird-of-Prey (23rd century)|Romulan Bird-of-Prey]] had the ability to render itself [[cloak|invisible]] as well as delivering a powerful [[plasma torpedo]] that nearly overwhelmed the ''Enterprise''. Both captains used ruses that simulated more damage than actually received. Kirk was able to briefly track the Romulan, by mirroring its movements to simulate a [[sensor]] ghost. Finally, emerging from the camouflage of a comet's tail, Kirk was able to disable the Romulan vessel. Before ordering his vessel's self-destruction, the Romulan captain remarked that under different circumstances he and Kirk might have been friends. In 2267, Kirk found the USS Constellation NCC-1017, severely damaged and adrift in space, with only [[Commodore]] [[Matt Decker]] aboard. The ''Constellation'' had been attacked by a huge, ancient device, and the crew evacuated to a nearby planet, which the doomsday machine destroyed and consumed. Kirk directed salvage of the ''Constellation'' and Decker was sent to the ''Enterprise''. Upon return of the doomsday machine, the unmoored Decker assumed command of ''Enterprise'', endangering it in a useless attack. Kirk was able to maneuver the ''Constellation'' enough to distract the device. Decker was relieved, but stole a shuttlecraft he took into the maw of the device, destroying himself. Inspired by Decker's mad attempt, Kirk piloted the ''Constellation'' to the machine's mouth, detonating the engine's antimatter and destroying the device. [[Image:USSReliantDisabled.jpg|thumb|''Reliant'' disabled in 2285]]A textbook example of Kirk's ability to wield the ''Enterprise'' against a well-matched opponent is in the encounter with the USS ''Reliant'', a Miranda Class starship commandeered by the [[Augment]] [[Khan Noonien Singh]] at the [[Battle of the Mutara Nebula]] (actually a series of two successive engagements) in 2285. Kirk admitted to getting "''caught with my britches down''", at first, but he used his long starship experience and Khan's own egomaniacal psychology to level the playing field and prevail, though it would come at a great personal cost. Klingons, in particular, recognized Kirk as a worthy opponent. The legendary [[Kor]], frustrated by [[Organian]] interference that made battle against Kirk impossible, wistfully surmised, "''it would have been glorious''" in 2267. [[Captain]] [[Klaa]] believed defeating Kirk would make him the greatest warrior in the galaxy in 2287. [[General]] [[Chang (General)|Chang]] reveled in his attack on Kirk at the [[Khitomer Conspiracy#Battle of Khitomer|Battle of Khitomer]], until he lost his advantage. === Mental Assaults and Trauma ===As a boy, Kirk witnessed the massacre of the 4,000 [[colonist]]s on [[Tarsus IV]]. Succumbing to the effects of [[polywater intoxication]] in 2266, Kirk contemplated aloud the heavy responsibility of command, and the price the ''Enterprise'' exacted from his personal life: "''this vessel... I give, she takes... She won't permit me my life. I've got to live hers.''" Ultimately, he gathered himself, speaking directly to the ''Enterprise'', "''Never lose you... never.''" Kirk learned something about his own nature after a [[transporter|transporter malfunction]] in 2266. Kirk was split into two physical duplicates, one intuitive and passive, the other violent and passionate. While separated, the survival of both personalities were threatened, and a way was eventually found to recombine the two.  [[Image:Kirk Adams Chair 2266.jpg|thumb|left|Tortured in 2266]]At the [[Tantalus Penal Colony]] in 2266, Doctor [[Tristan Adams]] used his [[neural neutralizer]] device as an instrument torture on Kirk. The device emptied a victims mind of thought, leaving it vulnerable to suggestion. Adams included conditioning that made him feel love for Dr. [[Helen Noel]], including deep pain at the idea of her loss. Kirk was able to resist long-term damage from the device. [[Image:K-lest.jpg|thumb|James Kirk trapped inside Janice Lester's body]]Under the euphoric, enervating influence of [[Omicron pod plant]]s, the entire ''Enterprise'' crew mutinied, abandoning the ship for [[planet]] [[Omicron Ceti III]] in 2267. Kirk was the last to fall under the influence, but his subconscious anger at the idea of leaving the ship rose to the surface, and broke the pod plant's effect. Upon his second encounter with the [[dikironium cloud creature]] in 2267, Kirk re-experienced the feelings of guilt over his actions in a previous disastrous incident, aboard the USS Farragut. Exhibiting a single-minded fixation on the destruction of the creature, McCoy and Spock questioned Kirk's emotional condition. Undeterred, and with the help of his former Captain's son [[Ensign]] [[Garrovick (Ensign)|Garrovick]], Kirk lured the creature to planet [[Tycho IV]], destroying it with an [[antimatter]] bomb. Kirk literally lost his mind on two occasions. His mind was displaced into a receptacle in 2268, briefly allowing the ancient being [[Sargon]] to live as a corporeal being. A bitter former lover, Dr. [[Janice Lester]], used ancient alien technology to exchange her consciousness with Kirk's in 2269. In 2287, the Vulcan renegade [[Sybok]] offered Kirk the chance to 'ease his pain', as he had seemingly demonstrated on Spock and McCoy. Kirk refused the offer angrily, insisting "''I NEED my pain''". == Vitality ==The demands of Kirk's career required his best possible health, closely overseen by Dr. [[Leonard McCoy|McCoy]]. Kirk sparred with his crew in the ''Enterprise'' [[gymnasium]] for exercise. Quarterly physical checks tested his physical fitness as well as general health. In spite of his evident strength and conditioning, Kirk did tend to put on a few extra pounds from time to time. When Dr. McCoy noticed a gain, he wasn't afraid to adjust Kirk's diet card, peeving his captain with a plate of dietary [[salad]]. Kirk spent a huge portion of his life aboard starships, and consequently relished the times he could spend outdoors. He was an accomplished equestrian, and kept a horse at a mountain cabin that he owned during his first retirement. Another companion at his mountain cabin was [[Butler]], his Great Dane. He sold the cabin sometime after his return to Star Fleet. A personal challenge that nearly cost him his life was free-solo climbing the face of [[El Capitan]] mountain in [[Yosemite National Park]] on [[Earth]]. === Personal Combat ===[[Image:kirkhandchop.jpg|thumb|Kirk's unique fighting style]][[Image:Judothrow.jpg|thumb|Kirk incorporated techniques from Judo into his personal combat style]]Kirk's command style frequently brought him in close proximity to his enemies, often resulting in hand-to-hand combat. His idiosyncratic martial-arts style used hand-chops to the neck, wrestling and Judo throws, round-house punches, two-fisted swings and open-hand slaps in varying combinations, and even drop kicks. A variety of enemy guards and henchmen were overwhelmed by one or two of Kirk's blows. In addition, Kirk regularly performed dives and rolls, either to evade phaser-fire or to attack an opponent, thereby often jumping off walls and other fixed elements. A typical example of Kirk's fighting style in a more extended bout occurred in 2265 on the surface of [[Delta Vega]], in the attempt to kill his friend [[Gary Mitchell]], while typical examples of his wrestling and Judo abilities were seen when he was assaulted by the Orion spy [[Thelev]], and when he used a judo throw to disarm the [[Redjac]] entity which had taken the form of [[Hengist]]. At times, Kirk was clearly out-classed by a larger, more powerful opponent, and left to his wits, the aid of his crew, or pure luck to see him through. Pitted against the [[Unnamed Gorn#Captain|Gorn captain]] in 2267, he held his own for a time, until his injuries forced withdrawal and a search for a more efficient weapon. In 2254 and again in 2267, he wrestled a ferocious [[Mugatu]] of [[Neural]]. When attacked by the massive [[early history|ancient]] [[android]] [[Ruk]] on [[Exo III]] in 2266, Kirk could do little but hold on for the ride. On the [[Shore Leave Planet]] in 2267, Kirk was shocked by the appearance of [[Finnegan]], his Academy nemesis who hadn't seemed to age. The two proceeded to slug each other until they were bleeding and exhausted. Perhaps the longest fist-fight of his life, it was clearly the most satisfying. Kirk fought his friend and [[first officer]] [[Spock]] on three occasions when the half-[[Vulcan]] lost his normal emotional control. A series of slaps delivered to Spock in 2266 resulted in a blow that sent Kirk over a table. In 2267, after necessarily cruel taunts, Spock tossed Kirk back and forth across the [[Transporter|transporter room]], regaining control just before he crushed his captain's skull. Spock's [[Plak tow|blood fever]] during his ''[[pon farr]]'' of 2267 made him so dangerous in the ''[[koon-ut-kal-if-fee]]'' ritual fight, Dr. McCoy faked Kirk's death before Spock could kill him. Kirk was constantly looking to improve his arsenal of combat techniques. Upon witnessing [[Hikaru Sulu]] perform a body throw on [[Agmar]] on [[Phylos]] in 2269, he asked Sulu to teach him the technique sometime, since it might come in handy. === Ailments and injuries ===While ''Enterprise'' transported ambassadors to the [[Babel Conference]] of 2267, Kirk was stabbed, puncturing his left lung, by an [[Orion]] agent disguised as an [[Andorian]].[[Image:Thelev_stabs_Kirk.jpg|thumb|left|Kirk being stabbed by the [[Orion]] spy]]After beaming down to the planet [[Gamma Hydra IV]], Kirk, along with Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Scotty were all exposed to a rare form of radiation sickness from a passing comet. The radiation caused the party to age very rapidly. Standard [[hyronalin]] therapy was ineffective. It was not until Spock, Nurse [[Christine Chapel|Chapel]], and Dr. [[Janet Wallace]] were able to concoct a new type of treatment based on an old-style [[adrenaline]] radiation therapy that Kirk and his party were cured, just in time for the captain to regain his ability to command and save the ''Enterprise'' from a heavy Romulan attack. Early in his life, Kirk contracted and nearly died from [[Vegan Choriomeningitus]]. Although he was cured, the organisms of the disease continued to be carried in his blood. At the end of the year 2268, the governing council of the planet [[Gideon (planet)|Gideon]] would attempt to use these organisms to control their planet's overpopulation. Kirk was [[allergy|allergic]] to [[Retinax V]]; as a result, he occasionally used old-fashioned corrective lenses to adjust for his increasing farsightedness. == Relationships ===== Friendships ===An approachable, gregarious individual, Kirk made many friends across a range of worlds and status, from the [[Hill People|Hill dweller]] [[Tyree (humanoid)|Tyree]] to [[Star Fleet]] [[Admiral]] [[Harry Morrow]]. Those that shared his closest, personal confidence appear to be limited to a few, including Spock, Leonard McCoy and Gary Mitchell. The core group of talented officers that he assembled in his first years aboard the ''Enterprise'' would follow his call throughout their own careers, and were integral factors to his long success and lasting reputation. ==== Spock ====[[Image:Kirk Spock McCoy bridge 2267.jpg|thumb|Three friends, in 2267]]Kirk presumably first met his half-[[Vulcan]] science officer Spock upon succeeding [[Christopher Pike]] as Captain of the ''Enterprise'' in 2265. After the death of Gary Mitchell, Kirk came to depend on Spock's detached, logical analysis as a supplement to his own intuitive and impulsive nature. Their official relationship deepened into what may have been the most significant relationship of Kirk's life. As Edith Keeler observed of Spock's place in the world, "''You? At his side. As if you've always been there and always will.''" That friendship grew, in spite of a few early incidents that brought them to blows. The polywater intoxication that affected the ''Enterprise'' crew in 2266, led to a difficult encounter between Kirk and his first officer. Needing Spock at a critical moment, Kirk found him in anguished reflection, regretting his inability to express love even for his mother. Trying to bring the first officer around to the moment, Kirk slapped him. Spock's reaction was flat and revelatory, "''Jim, when I feel friendship for you, I'm ashamed.''" Struck again, Spock responded in kind, sending Kirk backwards over a table. Spock was sympathetic to Kirk's plight after the [[transporter]] divided the captain's personality into opposite aspects. He referred to his own halves, "submerged... constantly at war with each other". Spock believed that Kirk could survive such a contest intact, and urged him to embrace the part of himself that, seemingly ugly, was crucial to his personality and Captaincy. After Kirk discovered emotional rage was the key to nullifying the effect if of the [[Omicron pod plant]]s, his first step in retrieving his crew was taunt Spock into anger. Anticipating the result of a Vulcan's strength pitted against him, Kirk wielded a pipe for protection. After calling him an "''elf with a hyperactive thyroid''" and that he belonged "''in the circus, right next to the dog-faced boy''", Spock indeed lost control, nearly killing Kirk before resuming command of himself. In 2267, Spock began his ''pon farr'' mating cycle, and behaved bizarrely aboard the ''Enterprise''. Kirk called to Spock "''the best First Officer in the Fleet''" and "''an asset I don't want to lose''" as he pled with Spock to explain his actions. Joining him on Vulcan for his marriage ceremony, Kirk was drawn into [[T'Pring]]'s scheme to marry another, and forced to fight Spock to the death. McCoy, knowing Kirk was endangered, faked Kirk's death, and the marriage was not consummated. Spock, despondent that he had murdered his captain, thrilled at the sight of Kirk alive, exclaiming, "''JIM!''". Kirk's understanding of Spock had an enormous impact on the parallel [[mirror universe]], visited after a transporter accident in 2267. As Kirk's party prepared to return to their proper universe, Kirk implored the [[Spock (mirror)|mirror-Spock]] to re-examine his role in the fascistic [[Terran Empire]], insisting "''One man can make a difference''". Mirror-Spock's consideration of those words were followed by his rise to dominance and reform of the Empire, with drastic consequences. When Kirk was trapped in [[spatial interphase]] during a rescue operation in [[Tholian]] space, Spock ordered the ''Enterprise'' to maintain her position in an effort to retrieve him, in spite the danger presented by the Tholians and the disruptive nature of the local space. After Kirk's assumed death, Spock and McCoy viewed the 'last orders' Kirk had prepared. He urged Spock to use all the Vulcan disciplines at his disposal, tempered with intuitive insight. Kirk believed Spock had the latter qualities, but should they elude him, he was urged to seek out McCoy. Kirk once commented to Captain Garth that he and Spock were "brothers". Spock only said that ''"The captain speaks somewhat figuratively, and with undue emotion, but what he says is logical and I do agree with it."'' At the end of the ''Enterprise<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' five-year mission, a period marked by his frequent loss of his emotional control, Spock chose to leave Star Fleet and his friends, to pursue the [[Kolinahr]] discipline of logic on [[Vulcan (planet)|Vulcan]]. His return to ''Enterprise'' during the ''V'Ger'' threat was a cold event, without acknowledgment of his past friendships. In ''V'Ger'''s aftermath, Spock finally achieved equilibrium, able to express his friendship for Kirk without the influence of aliens or illness, and notably lacking any threat of physical violence. In 2285, Spock was calmly able to tell Kirk, "''You're my superior officer. You are also my friend. I have been and always shall be yours.''" Spock's sacrifice of his own life, to save the ''Enterprise'' from Khan's detonation of the [[Genesis Device]], deeply affected Kirk. At his funeral, Kirk could only bring himself to say of Spock, "''Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... Human.''" The revelation that Spock's ''katra'', his living spirit, survived in tormented mind of McCoy, led Kirk to risk his career, and in turn, his crew's. He first asked [[Admiral]] [[Harry Morrow]] for permission to retrieve Spock's body from the [[Genesis (planet)|Genesis Planet]], to bring it, and McCoy, to [[Vulcan (planet)|Vulcan]]. Kirk insisted that any chance to save Spock's soul was his responsibility, "''as surely as if it were my very own.''" His request declined, he told his crew, "''the word is No. I am therefore going anyway.''" With the help of Uhura, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov, Kirk rescued McCoy from confinement and commandeered the ''Enterprise'' from [[Earth Spacedock]]. The renegade mission would see the death of Kirk's ship, and his son. Finding Spock's body re-animated by Genesis, Kirk brought him and McCoy, to Vulcan for the ''[[fal-tor-pan]]'' (re-fusion) ritual. The first person Spock recognized was Kirk. "''Jim. Your name, is Jim.''" ==== Leonard McCoy ====[[Image:Kirk McCoy drink 2266.jpg|thumb|Sharing a drink in 2266]][[Doctor]] Leonard McCoy became [[chief medical officer]] of the ''Enterprise'' after the departure of Dr. [[Mark Piper]] in [[2265]]. Kirk formed an easy rapport with his new Doctor, giving him the moniker "Bones" (as in the old-fashioned colloquialism "Sawbones" for a doctor or a surgeon). Even after McCoy began a program of exhaustive (and exhausting) quarterly physicals and interfered with Kirk's usual diet, their friendship grew rapidly. Kirk could count on McCoy to express exactly what he thought, whenever he thought it, frequently without the courtesy of a question, and the doctor was often the sharpest observer of Kirk's actions and character. An early act of constructive insubordination occurred when the ''Enterprise'' faced the ominous spacecraft ''[[Fesarius]]'' and Kirk seemed to be pushing young [[Lieutenant]] [[Dave Bailey]] past his breaking point. McCoy let his opinion lose from beside the captain's chair, and Kirk barked an angry reply. Unintimidated, McCoy continued that behavior throughout their service together, earning a wide latitude with Kirk. The first time McCoy saved Jim Kirk's life wasn't in surgery, but (unusually for McCoy) by firing a [[phaser]] in 2266. When the [[salt vampire]] of planet [[M-113]] attacked Kirk, it appeared to McCoy as [[Nancy Crater]], a past love and a particularly powerful impediment to inflict harm. With Spock's help, McCoy was able to see past the creature's camouflage, killing it before it killed Kirk. During the original five-year mission, Kirk recorded a tape of last orders to be played by Commander Spock and Chief Medical Officer McCoy upon his death. He urged Spock and McCoy to give each other the same trust and loyalty they had each shown him. [[Image:McCoy & Kirk.jpg|thumb|McCoy advises Kirk on the bridge of the ''Enterprise'']]McCoy's retirement from Star Fleet in 2270 ended abruptly when Kirk, through [[Admiral]] [[Nogura]], reactivated McCoy's commission for the '''Enterprise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s emergency deployment for the ''V'Ger'' crisis. Kirk's plea, "''Dammit Bones, I need you''", ended McCoy's objection to the unwelcome "draft" and he returned to his frequent duty station, hovering just behind the captain's chair. In 2285, McCoy advised a melancholic Kirk on his birthday, "''Get back your command. Get it back before you really do grow old.''" Kirk's drastic action taken to save Spock's ''katra'' was also an effort to save McCoy from the anguishing burden of bearing Spock's "marbles". After his moonlight requisition of the ''Enterprise'' resulted in her destruction, burning through the Genesis planet's atmosphere, Kirk asked, "''My God, Bones... what have I done?''" McCoy replied, "''What you had to do. What you've always done. Turn death into a fighting chance to live.''" After the assassination of Klingon Chancellor [[Gorkon]], Kirk and McCoy were imprisoned together on [[Rura Penthe]]. With the help of a shapeshifter named Martia, they were able to escape together and return to the ''Enterprise''. ==== Gary Mitchell ====[[Image:Gary Mitchell before.jpg|thumb|[[Gary Mitchell]] in 2265]]Kirk met a young Gary Mitchell in 2250, and the two became fast friends following Mitchell's admission into the Academy. They would participate in the same class together, with Kirk holding the rank of lieutenant. Kirk's tenacity in this class earned him the nickname "a stack of books with legs", and Mitchell later recalled how other cadets warned him to watch out for Lieutenant Kirk, since in his class, you were forced to "think or sink." In an attempt to divert his friend's attentions and make the class easier to get through, Mitchell set Kirk up with a "little blonde lab technician" whom Kirk almost married.  Later in their careers, Kirk and Mitchell took part in a mission to planet [[Dimorus]], where they encountered sentient rodent-like creatures that shot poisonous darts. Mitchell took one of the darts meant for Kirk, saving Kirk's life but nearly dying himself. Kirk and Mitchell also spent a wild shore leave together on [[Deneb IV]]. When Kirk was given command of the ''Enterprise'', he asked Mitchell to come aboard to serve as his senior [[helmsman]]. Mitchell was a part of Kirk's crew when the ''Enterprise'' departed for its [[five-year mission]] in 2265. Sadly, Kirk was forced to kill his friend that same year when a fateful encounter with the [[galactic barrier]] mutated Mitchell into a godlike, and eventually power-mad being. ==== Montgomery Scott ====[[Montgomery Scott]], the oldest of the ''Enterprise'' senior officers, was also the most consistently deferential to Kirk. While not included in Kirk's innermost circle with Spock and McCoy, Kirk had evident faith in Scotty's capabilities as an engineer. Kirk pushed the ''Enterprise'' past her known limits many times, and the technical genius of his devoutly loyal "Miracle Worker" was regularly the key to success. Scott and Kirk shared a passion for the ''Enterprise'', but Scotty's was a simpler, less complicated love for his "''bairns''". As the ship's [[second officer]], commanding the ''Enterprise'' while Kirk led a [[landing party]], Scotty's personal loyalty to Kirk served as a bulwark against various [[Robert Fox|ambassadors]] or [[Claudius Marcus|potentates]] who threatened mission success. Usually, Scotty refrained from taking the captain's chair and hovered around the [[conn]] when left in command. He took the center seat only when the situation was critical; scaring a [[Klingon]] ship away from [[Capella IV]], or defiantly facing down three [[Romulan]] [[D7 class|battle cruiser]]s and demanding his Captain's return. [[Image:Scotty Kirk Mirror transporter 2267.jpg|thumb|left|"''Aye, captain.''" (2267)]]When escape from the [[mirror universe]] via the [[transporter]] meant one of the ''Enterprise'' party had to stay behind to operate the controls, Scotty stoically volunteered. After Kirk overrode him, Scotty's one-word plea "Jim!" was one of the few times he familiarly addressed Kirk. Scotty kept his temper throughout [[Korax]]'s barrage of taunts and insults thrown at Kirk, but a cross word about the ''Enterprise'' led Scotty to throw the first punch in the [[Deep Space Station K-7|K-7]] bar-fight of 2267. When Kirk, a little incredulous that his engineer had failed to defend his honor, confined Scotty to quarters as punishment, the engineer beamed at the chance to catch up on technical manuals. Kirk observed Scotty's infatuation with two young and attractive lieutenants, [[Carolyn Palamas]] and [[Mira Romaine]], with bemused detachment at first, until the "stiff-necked thistle-head" abandoned his usual solid professionalism and required Kirk's stern, but affectionate, scolding. Kirk's socialization with Scotty outside of the call of duty was rare. One exception, a visit to the flesh-pots of [[Argelius II]], was a morale-boosting effort by Kirk on Scotty's behalf. If Scotty noticed the motivation, he didn't seem to care. Even after the horrific encounter with the [[Redjac]] entity, the "old [[Aberdeen]] pub-crawler" was eager to join Kirk on a second expedition to the planet. By 2285, Kirk knew enough about Scotty's off-duty habits to detect the residue of a 'wee bout' of shore leave at first glance. [[Image:Kirk & Scott.jpg|thumb|"''...she'll be ready.''" ([[2270s]])]]When the [[V'Ger]] threat forced the newly-refitted ''Enterprise'' into duty, Scotty protested with a litany of complaints about the rush and unready state of the starship. After Kirk revealed he had convinced Admiral [[Nogura]] to return his command, Scotty responded, "''Any man, who could manage such a feat... I would'na dare disappoint. She'll launch on time, sir, and she'll be ready.''" ==== Hikaru Sulu ====Though [[Hikaru Sulu]] was briefly an ''Enterprise'' [[physicist]], Kirk transferred him to the [[command division]], where he became the ship's senior [[helmsman]] throughout the historic five-year mission. Kirk relied on Sulu as a capable officer he could trust with the ''Enterprise'' conn in battle situations, and on away missions as delicate as the timeline-risky visit to the [[498th Air Base]] on Earth in 1969. Sulu risked his career for Kirk on two occasions. Conspiring with his friends, he assaulted a security guard to liberate Dr. McCoy, and piloted the stolen ''Enterprise'' out of Earth Spacedock to the Genesis planet in 2285. As captain of the USS Excelsior in 2293, he penetrated the [[Azure Nebula]] in [[Klingon]] territory in an effort to rescue his former captain before he was forced to turn back, and later joined Kirk in halting the [[Khitomer Conspiracy]]. Outside of their careers, the friendship between Kirk and Sulu wasn't especially close. Kirk was surprised to find out Sulu had a daughter, [[Demora Sulu|Demora]], on the maiden voyage of the ''Enterprise''-B, and had to be reminded that he'd actually met her before. ==== Janice Rand ====[[Image:Janice39.jpg|thumbnail|left|[[Janice Rand]] in 2266]][[Star Fleet]] assigned [[Janice Rand]] as Kirk's personal [[yeoman]] in 2266. Initially, he complained about the idea of a female yeoman, leading McCoy to flatly ask, "''What's the matter Jim, don't you trust yourself?''". Kirk said he already had a female to worry about, the ''Enterprise''. Kirk warmed to Rand, but an undercurrent of sexual attraction between the two became obvious in stressful situations. Suffering from polywater intoxication in 2266, Kirk confided his attraction for Rand to Spock, and later reached out to her hesitantly, longing for the woman that he couldn't approach but for his duty. Part of Kirk reached out for her without hesitation. After a transporter split his personality, his violent and lustful side seduced and tried to sexually assault Rand, claiming she was "too beautiful to ignore" and "too much woman". Rand defended herself, leaving a large scratch on the duplicate's face, which helped the crew differentiate between the two Kirk "halves". After the situation was resolved, Rand continued as Kirk's yeoman until a reassignment in 2267. She returned to the ''Enterprise'' as [[transporter]] [[chief]] in 2272. ==== Ben Finney ====When Kirk was a [[midshipman]], he befriended Academy instructor [[Lieutenant]] [[Ben Finney]]. Some time later, Kirk and Finney served together aboard the USS ''Republic''. The two became so close that Finney named his daughter, [[Jame Finney|Jame]], after Kirk.  A rift developed between the two friends while aboard the ''Republic'' when Kirk logged a mistake that Finney had made which could have caused the destruction of the ship. Because of this, Finney was put on reprimand and his name was sent to the bottom of the promotion list. Finney blamed Kirk for his subsequent inability to gain a command of his own.  Though their friendship was effectively over, [[Lieutenant Commander]] Finney served aboard the ''Enterprise'' in 2267 as [[Records officer]]. Kirk was unaware that Finney's old grudge had been growing larger over the years, and Finney had passed into madness. To take his revenge, he staged his own death and manufactured evidence of Kirk's negligence. Finney was successful to a point, and Kirk became the first [[Federation]] [[Star Fleet]] starship commander brought before a [[court martial]]. With the help of the eccentric lawyer [[Samuel T. Cogley]] and Spock, Finney's deception was revealed and charges against Kirk were lifted. Finney was arrested and faced trial, represented by Cogley. === Romances ===Kirk was notably successful in attracting women, and enthusiastic in their pursuit. By design or coincidence, his most significant affairs were with women fundamentally incompatible with his life in Star Fleet. In weighing the balance of starship vs. a settled home life, the gross tonnage of the ''Enterprise'' usually tipped the scale.  While attending the Academy, Kirk was romantically involved with at least three women. One was an un-named "blonde lab tech", to whom he was introduced by his friend, [[Gary Mitchell]]. His relationship with her was apparently serious, as he almost married her. [[Image:Ruth (amusement park planet).jpg|thumb|[[Ruth]], as she appeared ca. [[2252]]]]Another was a woman named [[Ruth]]. In 2267, he was greeted by a replica of Ruth created by the [[Shore Leave Planet]] in the Omicron Delta region. Kirk had a year long relationship with [[Janice Lester]] while she also was at the Academy. He professed loving her, but the romance ended badly after "''the intense hatred of her own womanhood made life with her impossible''". The two were reunited in a truly bizarre manner in 2269, when Lester, extremely jealous of Kirk's successful career, traded her consciousness with that of Kirk's to take his place as captain of the ''Enterprise''. [[Image:Carol_marcus.jpg|thumb|left|Carol Marcus, as she appeared ca. 2285]]Kirk was involved with Dr. [[Carol Marcus]] prior to taking command of the ''Enterprise''. She bore his son, [[David Marcus]], but the relationship dissolved as their careers drove them apart. In 2285, the fractured family unit was briefly re-united. Kirk was involved with the future [[Janet Wallace]] in 2261; this relationship was also called off due to their difference in careers. In 2263, Kirk's would break off a relationship with [[Areel Shaw]]. Shaw would later be assigned as the prosecutor in Kirk's court martial four years later, but was pleased when she lost the case and Kirk was exonerated of any wrongdoing. During an ''Enterprise'' lab's [[Christmas]] party in 2265, Kirk engaged in brief flirtation with Dr. Helen Noel that ended unsatisfactorily for Kirk, who exhibited irritation when she was assigned by McCoy to help Kirk investigate [[Tantalus Penal Colony]]. Testing the [[neural neutralizer]], Noel conditioned Kirk to believe that their previous encounter was a sweeping romance. The colony's mad doctor, [[Tristan Adams]], used the suggestion of love and loss of Noel, to torture Kirk. In 2266, while on [[Planet Q]], Kirk met [[Lenore Karidian]] at a party and entered into a brief romance with the then-19-year-old blonde girl. As with many of Kirk's love affairs, the two fell into "love at first sight." Kirk was clearly enamoured with Lenore, but the true depth of his feelings&mdash;and the importance of those feelings relative to his duties as a captain&mdash; were conveyed only through insinuation. When Leonard McCoy directly asked Kirk whether he really cared for Lenore, the captain paused pensively, then evaded the question with a navigational order: "Ahead warp factor one [[Leslie|''Mr. Leslie'']]." McCoy's reply, "That's an answer," presumably indicated that he understood Kirk's unstated position: as captain, Kirk's first responsibility (and perhaps first interest) is always the ship, despite his personal feelings for women such as Lenore. [[Image:Edith Keeler and Jim Kirk.jpg|thumb|left|[[Edith Keeler]] in 1930]]In 2267, Kirk and Spock traveled back to the 1930s to repair damage to the [[timeline]] accidentally caused by Leonard McCoy. While searching for McCoy, Kirk met and fell in love with the compassionate and far-seeing social worker [[Edith Keeler]]. Keeler's death was found to be the focal point in history needing repair. As she crossed a street to meet Kirk, he was forced to hold McCoy back while she was struck and killed by an [[automobile]], thus restoring the timeline. In the line of duty, to recover the ''Enterprise'' hijacked by [[Kelvan]]s in 2268, Kirk seduced [[Kelinda]], in order to arouse jealously in her commander, [[Rojan]]. Kelinda recognized Kirk's attempt at seduction, but welcomed his continued efforts. [[Image:Elaan.jpg|thumb|Elaan]]On a peace mission to the war-torn [[Tellun system]] in 2268, the ''Enterprise'' transported [[Elaan]], [[Dohlman]] of [[Elas]], to her diplomatically-arranged wedding on [[Troyius]]. Kirk's antagonistic relationship with the arrogant and spoiled Dohlman changed sharply after he was infected by her [[Elasian tears]]. Under their powerful [[biochemistry|biochemical]] influence, Kirk became instantly and deeply infatuated with Elaan. He ultimately resisted the more compelling effects of the tears and fulfilled his duties, but both Elaan and Kirk experienced a tangible sense of loss at their melancholy final parting.[[Image:Kirk and shahna.jpg|thumb|left|Kirk "helps" [[Shahna]]]]When captured for the gladiatorial combats of [[Triskelion]], Kirk was assigned to the tutelage of the [[thrall|drill-thrall]] [[Shahna]]. Kirk introduced Shahna to the wider universe around her, and the Human concept of love. [[Deela (Scalosian)|Deela]] was [[Queen]] of the (infertile) [[Scalosian]]s who hijacked the ''Enterprise'' in 2268. They planned to use the ship's male crew as a [[gene]] pool so her [[species]] could continue. Deela choose Kirk as her consort, who, along with the help of Spock was able to stop her plan. The criminally insane, pathologically lying Orion inmate of the [[Elba II]] [[penal colony]], [[Marta]], became infatuated with Kirk while tending to him after torture. The fact that she loved him meant she had to kill him, but she failed in the attempt. [[Garth|Garth of Izar's]] jealousy led him to use Marta as a demonstration of a new explosive, killing her. [[Image:Rayna Kapec.jpg|thumb|[[Rayna Kapec]] in 2269]][[Prime Minister]] [[Hodin]] of [[Gideon (planet)|Gideon]], a world greatly suffering from overpopulation, abducted Kirk and forced him to spend time isolated with his daughter, [[Odona]] in 2269. As a carrier of [[Vegan Choriomeningitus]], it was hoped Kirk would infect Odona, and the rest of the population. The couple became quite affectionate in their time spent together, though Odona said Kirk "behaved like a perfect gentleman." Kirk's encounter with the near-immortal [[Flint]], led to their competition for the love of the [[android]] [[Rayna Kapec]], and resulted in her destruction. Kirk was heartbroken. Spock took an extraordinary liberty with his grieving friend, [[Vulcan mind meld|melding]] with Kirk without his consent, whispering the word "forget". Kirk fell in love with [[Antonia]] after his first retirement from Star Fleet in 2281. The two lived together for some time before Kirk decided to rejoin Star Fleet. Later in life, he regretted not having proposed to her.<br clear="all"> === Family ===The Kirk family ancestry included settlers who pioneered the [[North America|American]] frontier in the 19th century, and the Kirks of the early 23rd century rediscovered the impulse for untamed spaces. After his early childhood on [[Earth]], Kirk was living on [[Tarsus IV]] by the age of thirteen, and his brother's family later lived on colonies as well. [[George Samuel Kirk]] (called "Sam" only by his brother) was a researcher, hoping to transfer to the [[Earth Colony II]] research station in 2265. Sam, along with his wife [[Aurelan Kirk|Aurelan]] and three sons, joined his younger brother for a farewell visit before the ''Enterprise'' departed for her five-year mission. It was the last time Jim saw Sam alive. Sam ended up on Deneva, with his wife and son [[Peter Kirk|Peter]] by 2267. The [[Neural parasite (23rd century)|neural parasites]] invaded Deneva that year and killed the couple, but Peter survived the attack. Kirk recognized the impact his life in Star Fleet had on his family life. In 2287, while camping with his friends in [[Yosemite National Park|Yosemite]], he referred to himself, Spock, and McCoy as the only family that men like themselves were likely to have. ==== Miramanee ====[[Image:Miramanee.jpg|thumb|left|[[Miramanee]] in 2268]]In [[2268]], on the surface of the {{MA|Amerind|Amerind}} planet, an accident induced [[amnesia]] in Kirk and separated him from the ''Enterprise'' landing party.  For several months, Kirk lived among the [[Native American]] inhabitants, worshiped as a [[god]] called "[[Kirok]]". His mind at ease from the pressures of command, he took a wife, [[Miramanee]], who became [[pregnant]] with his child.  When the tribal worship of Kirok dispelled, he and Miramanee were stoned – fatally injuring both the young woman and their unborn child.<br clear="all"> ==== David Marcus ====[[Image:David marcus.jpg|thumb|[[David Marcus]] in [[2285]]]]Kirk's romance with [[Carol Marcus]] produced a son, [[David Marcus]]. At Carol's request, Kirk stayed out of David's early life. David knew something of Kirk, referring to him as "the over-grown boy scout" his mother used to know, but not that Kirk was his father. Carol kept David's father's identity a secret, fearing that Kirk's adventurous life would draw David away from her. In spite of the separation, Carol told Kirk that David was "''a lot like you, in many ways.''" In 2285, David was working with his mother at the [[Federation]] [[research station]] {{MA|Regula_I|Regula I}} as part of a team developing {{MA|Project_Genesis|Project Genesis}} when the station was attacked by [[Khan Noonien Singh]]. After fleeing to the {{MA|Regula|Regula}} [[planetoid]], Kirk rescued David and Carol. Kirk did not immediately recognize his son at their awkward meeting, and later became melancholy when considering an alternate life as a father. After witnessing Kirk's victory at the [[Battle of the Mutara Nebula]] and the funeral for [[Spock]], David consoled his father and admitted he was "''proud, very proud, to be your son.''" Later in 2285, David was an advisor on the [[starship]] USS Grissom, NCC-638, researching the Genesis planet he had helped to create. Taken hostage by [[Klingon]]s, David interrupted an attempted execution of Lieutenant [[Saavik]], wrestling a Klingon warrior briefly before he was killed with a stab to the chest. The news of David's death led Kirk to stumble to the deck in grief, telling Commander [[Kruge]] "''you Klingon bastard, you've killed my son.''" Kirk subsequently killed Kruge and all but one of his crew. Kirk kept David's memory close, with a picture of his son in his quarters aboard the [[USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-A]]. Kirk's opinion of Klingons, once enemies he could occasionally respect and even share a laugh with, grew into hatred. In 2293, during the diplomatic mission to the [[Klingon Empire]] instigated by the destruction of [[Praxis]], he logged "''I've never trusted Klingons, and I never will. I've never been able to forgive them for the death of my boy.''" The log entry was used against him during the trial for the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon, and the incident forced him come to terms with his hatred.<br clear="all"> == Awards and Honors ==[[Image:KirkDressUniform.jpg|thumb|left|Kirk in dress uniform 2267]]:[[Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission]]: [[Grankite Order of Tactics]] ''(Class of Excellence)'':[[Prentares Ribbon of Commendation]] ''(Classes First and Second)'':[[Star Fleet Medal of Honor]]:[[Star Fleet Silver Palm]] ''(with cluster)'':[[Star Fleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry]]:[[Karagite Order of Heroism]]<br />:[[Leonard James Akaar]] - The [[Teer]] of [[Capella IV]] bears the name of McCoy and James T. Kirk:USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-A) - ''A starship was re-christened in recognition of his service, bearing the registration number of his original command, an honor carried on for generations.''<br clear="all"> == Key dates ==* 2233: Born in Iowa on [[Earth]].* 2246: On [[Tarsus IV]], is one of nine witnesses to massacre ordered by Governor [[Kodos]].* 2250: Enters [[Star Fleet Academy]] as a [[Cadet]] ''(conjecture)''. Meets [[Gary Mitchell]] and [[Ben Finney]] during Academy years.* 2252: Is romantically involved with [[Ruth]].* Early to mid-2250s: Still at the Academy, is introduced to a "blonde lab tech" by Gary. Later, as an [[Ensign]], is assigned aboard [[USS Republic|USS ''Republic'']], along with [[Lieutenant]] [[Ben Finney]]. Kirk also participates in the [[Axanar Peace Mission]].* 2254: Graduates from Academy after beating the "no-win" [[Kobayashi Maru scenario]]. Assigned to the command of [[Captain]] [[Garrovick (Captain)|Garrovick]] ''(conjecture)''. * 2255: Commands his first [[planet]] survey mission on [[Neural]].* 2257: Encounters [[dikironium cloud creature]] while serving aboard the USS ''Farragut''.* 2261: Relationship with [[Carol Marcus]] ends; their son, [[David Marcus]], is born ''(conjecture)''. Kirk breaks off relationship with [[Janet Wallace]]. * 2263: Breaks off relationship with [[Areel Shaw]].* 2265 - 2270: As captain, commands [[five-year mission]] of USS ''Enterprise''. Specific accomplishments include:*: 2265: Takes the USS ''Enterprise'' to the [[galactic barrier]], the first Earth ship to do so in 200 years. During the mission, is forced to kill close friend [[Gary Mitchell]].*: 2266: Achieves [[first contact]] with the [[First Federation]]. Later that year, repels [[Neutral Zone Incursion|Romulan incursion]] and destroys a [[Romulan Bird-of-Prey (23rd century)|Romulan Bird-of-Prey]]. *: 2267: Becomes the first [[Star Fleet]] [[Captain]] ever to stand court martial, charged with negligent homicide in the death of [[Ben Finney]]; charges dismissed.*: 2268: Responsible for stealing a [[Romulan]] [[cloaking device]] during a covert Star Fleet intelligence mission. Experiences amnesia and lives among the [[American Indian]]s on {{MA|Amerind|Amerind}} where he weds [[Miramanee]]. *: 2269: Diverts the asteroid-ship ''[[Yonada]]'' from destroying [[Daran V]]. Nearly killed by Dr. [[Janice Lester]] with whom he'd had a year long relationship years before.* 2270: Promoted to [[Rear Admiral]] and assigned as [[Chief of Star Fleet Operations]].* Early 2270s: Accepts temporary grade reduction to Captain and assumes command of USS ''Enterprise'' to intercept ''V'Ger''.* 2281: Retires from Star Fleet.* 2282: Meets ''[[Antonia]]'' and enjoys a romantic relationship with her until choosing to resume his Star Fleet career instead of marrying her--a decision he later regrets.* 2284: Returns to Star Fleet as an instructor at Star Fleet Academy. * 2285: Assumes temporary command of the ''Enterprise'' during a routine training mission, engages [[Khan Noonien Singh]] in the [[Battle of the Mutara Nebula]]. Deserts from Star Fleet later that year to retrieve body of Captain Spock from the Genesis Planet.* 2286: Returns to Earth to face court martial charges. Subsequently saves the planet in the [[Whale Probe]] incident. Demoted to Captain for disobeying orders of Star Fleet Commander [[Harry Morrow]] and assigned to command the USS ''Enterprise''-A.* 2287: Takes the ''Enterprise''-A to the center of the galaxy after a hijack attempt by Vulcan renegade [[Sybok]].* 2293: Along with [[Captain]] [[Hikaru Sulu]] of the USS ''Excelsior'', is responsible for saving the [[Khitomer Conference]]: retired from [[Star Fleet]] and is believed killed later that year during the maiden voyage of the USS ''Enterprise''-B.* 2371: Found alive inside the [[Nexus]] by [[Jean-Luc Picard]]. Killed while defeating [[Tolian Soran]]'s plans and saving planet [[Veridian III]].