Summary
There were a few officers who stayed on the Starship Enterprise after Christopher Pike left, and according toStar Treklore, Spock was one of them. His career as Captain Kirk’s First Officer was a long and distinguished one that even overlapped into alternate timelines and parallel universes.
Most of the classic stories in theStar TrekIP that feature Spock are about his time as a Starfleet officer, but there are recent movies and shows that feature his exploits before joining Captain Pike’s crew.DiscoveryandThe Next Generationare just two examples where Spock did impressive things before joining the USS Enterprise.
1Beat Down A Kid Twice His Size
While The Bully Was Flanked By Two Friends, No Less
Spock had the benefit of a loving home and understanding parents,but his experiences at schoolwere difficult. His peers knew that his mother was a human, and the extent of the prejudice against his mother’s species was widespread on Vulcan at the time.
The scene inStar Trek(2009) features the young half-human giving one of his much bigger classmates a lesson in physical violence after they insult his mother. Not only is it an example of what Spock and his sister, Michael Berman, had to deal with every day, but it puts what seems like a common event in perspective.
On a larger scale, this would involve actual acts of terrorism, like when the Vulcan Learning Center that Michael attended was bombed by logic extremists. It took courage and determination on the part of both Spock and Michael to survive this period of Vulcan history.
2Survived The Kahs-wan
A Dangerous Coming-Of-Age Ritual
This dangerous trail took place deep in the wilderness near the family home, and it wasn’t the last time Spock would wander into the nearby mountains against his father’s wishes. Spock took on this ritual prematurely when he was only seven, part of his constant effortsto prove himself as a Vulcangrowing up.
Luckily his pet sehlat, who actually gets a mention in theTOSepisode “Journey To Babel” followed him and helped save his life, even though she was mortally wounded in the effort. Her name was I-Chaya, and part of Spock’s trial was ending her life mercifully rather than letting her live a short time more in pain.
This might have been something Spock accomplished before or after he was a Starfleet officer, depending on who is asked. The appearance of a helpful older cousin was another deciding factor in young Spock’s survival. Although he introduced himself as Selek, this was an adult Spock who had traveled to this point in his childhood to fix a timeline anomaly.
3Overcame Dyslexia
Vulcans Call It L’tak Terai
As if young Spock didn’t have enough to worry about when it came to attending school, he also had to deal with dyslexia in a system that was less than sympathetic. In a way, he was lucky, because his mother Amanda had gone through the same thing and knew what could help him based on her own experience.
Amanda was able to give her son access to the same academic alternates that helped her. There are a fewStar Trekepisodes in the animated series andDiscoverythat refer to her readingAlice in WonderlandandThrough the Looking Glassto her son as part of his therapy.
4Was Accepted Into The Vulcan Science Academy
And Then Turned It Down
Spock did have several other promising prospects for his future, but this was the one that meant the most to Sarek, and it was enough to estrange him from his father for the next few decades. Sarek first appeared as the Vulcan Ambassador in theTOSepisodeJourney To Babel, where the incident was discussed as part of why Spock and his father hadn’t even exchanged a word in so many years.
InStar Trek(2009), this event finally made it on screen, and Sarek was present when it happened.It’s easier to understandwhy he might have felt slighted in that case, as his son threw the equivalent of a screaming human tantrum in front of his subdued Vulcan peers.
5Developed The Kobayashi Maru Exam Simulation
A Famous Test For Aspiring Captains
Spock’s elevated status during his academy days doesn’t get much exposition inThe Original Seriesbut is referenced more in recent shows and movies that focus on that period. In some of the original films, he mentored Saavik and Valeris, promising young Vulcan students who intended to follow in his footsteps in Starfleet, and developed the Kobayashi Maru test to measure the willpower of aspiring captains.
InStar Trek(2009), this created some friction and fascination between Spock and a cadet named James Kirk, a creative but precocious student who used a cheat codeto successfully finishthe simulation. It was intended to be a no-win scenario, a concept that Kirk refuses to accept.
Years later,when Admiral Kirkwas an instructor at the Academy, Kirk would help Spock carry out this important exam and compliment his friend on its execution and intention. It’s the opening scene ofStar Trek II: Wrath of Khan.
