James Tiberius Kirk is the lead character in the original Star Trek television series and subsequent movies and adaptations. The character is portrayed by Canadian actor William Shatner. Chris Pine will portray the character in the 2009 Star Trek film.[1]
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry based the character on C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower,[2][3][4] noting in 1991 that "Captain Kirk is Capt. Hornblower of the sailing ships. [He] was a great hero, and Hemingway said [Hornblower] is the most exciting adventure fiction in the human language."
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry based the character on C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower,[2][3][4] noting in 1991 that "Captain Kirk is Capt. Hornblower of the sailing ships. [He] was a great hero, and Hemingway said [Hornblower] is the most exciting adventure fiction in the human language."
Depiction
Kirk was born and raised in Riverside, Iowa, the son of George Samuel Kirk, Sr. and Winona Kirk. His brother and sister-in-law are introduced and killed in "Operation: Annihilate!", leaving behind a son and, according to "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", two other children. Diane Carey's novels Final Frontier and Best Destiny portray parts of George Kirk's career in Starfleet and also, in the latter, James Kirk's adolescence. At Starfleet Academy, Kirk became the first person to beat the Kobayashi Maru simulation by rewriting the program to make it possible to survive the "no-win" scenario. He received a field commission as an ensign and posted to the USS Republic, then was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and returned to Starfleet Academy as a student instructor. Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), then one of Kirk's students, remarks in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" that one could either "think or sink" in Kirk's course. Upon graduation in the top five percent of his class, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard the USS Farragut. Having risen rapidly through the ranks after leaving the Academy, Kirk received his first command while still quite young.[4]
At the age of 31, Kirk received command of the USS Enterprise; Star Trek and the animated spin-off take place during the ship's five-year mission "to boldly go where no man has gone before". Kirk's notable relationships among his crew in the television series are with first officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and chief medical officer Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley).
Kirk aboard the Enterprise-A in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Dialog in the first Star Trek feature film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, states that Kirk was promoted to admiral and became chief of Starfleet operations. In The Motion Picture, Kirk takes command of the Enterprise from Captain Willard Decker (Stephen Collins), who objects, claiming Kirk is not familiar with the extensively refit ship. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Kirk takes command of the Enterprise from Spock and pursues his enemy from "Space Seed", Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán). In that movie, Spock dies saving the Enterprise; in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Kirk and his officers steal and scuttle the Enterprise and sabotage the USS Excelsior in the course of trying to resurrect Spock. Kirk in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is demoted to captain for these actions, but also receives command of the USS Enterprise-A. Kirk commands this ship in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Kirk is a widower, having been married in "The Paradise Syndrome" to Miramanee (Sabrina Scharf), who dies carrying his child. In the novelization of The Motion Picture, Kirk's wife, Admiral Lori Ciana, dies in a transporter accident.[6] Star Trek II reveals that Kirk fathered a son, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick), with Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch). Klingons kill David on the Genesis Planet in Star Trek III. Kirk says in Star Trek VI that David's murder affected his ability to trust Klingons; he held them collectively responsible for David's death, but sets aside this prejudice at the movie's conclusion.
The Mirror Universe version of Kirk, seen in the original episode "Mirror, Mirror", is a brutal and imperialistic warlord, a loyal servant of the Terran Empire. He is briefly seen when he and the regular Kirk accidentally switch places; Mirror Kirk is quickly tossed in the brig by Spock, whom Kirk attempts to bribe with money and even a command of his own. Mirror Kirk was known for causing his enemies to simply 'disappear'; he worked his way up through the ranks by assassinating his universe's Christopher Pike and taking command of the ISS Enterprise for himself. It is unknown what happens to this version of Kirk when he returns to his own universe, although most Trek novels assume that mirror Spock assassinates him as well.
Kirk was born and raised in Riverside, Iowa, the son of George Samuel Kirk, Sr. and Winona Kirk. His brother and sister-in-law are introduced and killed in "Operation: Annihilate!", leaving behind a son and, according to "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", two other children. Diane Carey's novels Final Frontier and Best Destiny portray parts of George Kirk's career in Starfleet and also, in the latter, James Kirk's adolescence. At Starfleet Academy, Kirk became the first person to beat the Kobayashi Maru simulation by rewriting the program to make it possible to survive the "no-win" scenario. He received a field commission as an ensign and posted to the USS Republic, then was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and returned to Starfleet Academy as a student instructor. Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), then one of Kirk's students, remarks in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" that one could either "think or sink" in Kirk's course. Upon graduation in the top five percent of his class, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard the USS Farragut. Having risen rapidly through the ranks after leaving the Academy, Kirk received his first command while still quite young.[4]
At the age of 31, Kirk received command of the USS Enterprise; Star Trek and the animated spin-off take place during the ship's five-year mission "to boldly go where no man has gone before". Kirk's notable relationships among his crew in the television series are with first officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and chief medical officer Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley).
Kirk aboard the Enterprise-A in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Dialog in the first Star Trek feature film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, states that Kirk was promoted to admiral and became chief of Starfleet operations. In The Motion Picture, Kirk takes command of the Enterprise from Captain Willard Decker (Stephen Collins), who objects, claiming Kirk is not familiar with the extensively refit ship. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Kirk takes command of the Enterprise from Spock and pursues his enemy from "Space Seed", Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán). In that movie, Spock dies saving the Enterprise; in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Kirk and his officers steal and scuttle the Enterprise and sabotage the USS Excelsior in the course of trying to resurrect Spock. Kirk in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is demoted to captain for these actions, but also receives command of the USS Enterprise-A. Kirk commands this ship in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Kirk is a widower, having been married in "The Paradise Syndrome" to Miramanee (Sabrina Scharf), who dies carrying his child. In the novelization of The Motion Picture, Kirk's wife, Admiral Lori Ciana, dies in a transporter accident.[6] Star Trek II reveals that Kirk fathered a son, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick), with Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch). Klingons kill David on the Genesis Planet in Star Trek III. Kirk says in Star Trek VI that David's murder affected his ability to trust Klingons; he held them collectively responsible for David's death, but sets aside this prejudice at the movie's conclusion.
The Mirror Universe version of Kirk, seen in the original episode "Mirror, Mirror", is a brutal and imperialistic warlord, a loyal servant of the Terran Empire. He is briefly seen when he and the regular Kirk accidentally switch places; Mirror Kirk is quickly tossed in the brig by Spock, whom Kirk attempts to bribe with money and even a command of his own. Mirror Kirk was known for causing his enemies to simply 'disappear'; he worked his way up through the ranks by assassinating his universe's Christopher Pike and taking command of the ISS Enterprise for himself. It is unknown what happens to this version of Kirk when he returns to his own universe, although most Trek novels assume that mirror Spock assassinates him as well.
Death
In the film Star Trek Generations, Kirk was lost and presumed dead when the USS Enterprise-B was damaged by The Nexus, which he entered. In this alternate existence, he was persuaded by Jean-Luc Picard from the year 2371 to return to Veridian III and stop Tolian Soran from sacrificing 230 million lives in order for him to re-enter the Nexus. During the climax, Kirk was able to retrieve and de-activate a cloaking control device from a damaged construction span, enabling Picard to sabotage Soran's plans. However, the span collapsed, causing Kirk to fall. Picard managed to get to Kirk as he lay dying underneath the wreckage, and subsequently buried the man on the plateau.
"Generations" conflicts with the TNG episode "Relics," where it is seemingly implied that Kirk was alive when the Scotty character became trapped in a transporter buffer until the TNG timeframe. However, according to the Official Star Trek Web Site, StarTrek.com,[7] the line uttered by Scotty just after his rematerialization, the source of the story line's conflict, where he mentions Kirk by name, is attributed to his being disoriented.
In the original script of Generations, Soran killed Kirk by shooting him in the back. This ending was filmed but later changed after negative reactions from test audiences.[8]
In books written by William Shatner, beginning with Star Trek: The Return, Kirk is returned to life by the Romulans and the Borg.
[edit] Reception
The debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation brought with it comparisons of Kirk's and Picard's leadership styles. Kirk is deemed to be very able to find ways "through unanticipated problems to reach [his] goals" and his leadership style is most "appropriate in a tight, geographically identical team with a culture of strong leadership."[9]
Riverside petitioned Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Pictures in 1985 for permission to "adopt" Kirk as their town's "Future Son".[10] Paramount Pictures wanted $40,000 for a license to reproduce a bust of Kirk, but the city passed on that option, instead using the plaque and the building of a replica of the Enterprise (renamed the "USS Riverside") and The Riverside Area Community Club holds an annual "Trek Fest" in anticipation of Kirk's birth.
In the film Star Trek Generations, Kirk was lost and presumed dead when the USS Enterprise-B was damaged by The Nexus, which he entered. In this alternate existence, he was persuaded by Jean-Luc Picard from the year 2371 to return to Veridian III and stop Tolian Soran from sacrificing 230 million lives in order for him to re-enter the Nexus. During the climax, Kirk was able to retrieve and de-activate a cloaking control device from a damaged construction span, enabling Picard to sabotage Soran's plans. However, the span collapsed, causing Kirk to fall. Picard managed to get to Kirk as he lay dying underneath the wreckage, and subsequently buried the man on the plateau.
"Generations" conflicts with the TNG episode "Relics," where it is seemingly implied that Kirk was alive when the Scotty character became trapped in a transporter buffer until the TNG timeframe. However, according to the Official Star Trek Web Site, StarTrek.com,[7] the line uttered by Scotty just after his rematerialization, the source of the story line's conflict, where he mentions Kirk by name, is attributed to his being disoriented.
In the original script of Generations, Soran killed Kirk by shooting him in the back. This ending was filmed but later changed after negative reactions from test audiences.[8]
In books written by William Shatner, beginning with Star Trek: The Return, Kirk is returned to life by the Romulans and the Borg.
[edit] Reception
The debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation brought with it comparisons of Kirk's and Picard's leadership styles. Kirk is deemed to be very able to find ways "through unanticipated problems to reach [his] goals" and his leadership style is most "appropriate in a tight, geographically identical team with a culture of strong leadership."[9]
Riverside petitioned Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Pictures in 1985 for permission to "adopt" Kirk as their town's "Future Son".[10] Paramount Pictures wanted $40,000 for a license to reproduce a bust of Kirk, but the city passed on that option, instead using the plaque and the building of a replica of the Enterprise (renamed the "USS Riverside") and The Riverside Area Community Club holds an annual "Trek Fest" in anticipation of Kirk's birth.
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