Editing James T. Kirk (section)

==Biography==
James Tiberius Kirk was born in [[Riverside, Iowa]], on March 22, 2228, where he was raised by his parents, George and Winona Kirk.<ref>{{cite book |title=Best Destiny |author-link=Diane Carey |first=Diane |last=Carey |page=[https://archive.org/details/bestdestiny00care/page/38 38] |quote=George and Winona Kirk, and their boys, George Samuel, Junior, and James Tiberius |year=1993 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-671-79588-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/bestdestiny00care/page/38 }}</ref> Although born on Earth, Kirk lived for a time on [[The Conscience of the King (Star Trek: The Original Series)|Tarsus IV]], where he was one of nine surviving witnesses to the massacre of 4,000 colonists by [[The Conscience of the King (Star Trek: The Original Series)|Kodos the Executioner]]. James Kirk's brother, George Samuel Kirk, is first mentioned in "[[What Are Little Girls Made Of?]]" and introduced and killed in "[[Operation -- Annihilate!]]", leaving behind three children.<ref name="Encyc">{{cite book |title=[[The Star Trek Encyclopedia]] |first1=Mike |last1=Okuda |first2=Denise |last2=Okuda |first3=Debbie |last3=Mirek |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=0-671-53609-5 |year=1999}}</ref><ref name="GrossAltman2016">{{cite book|last1=Gross|first1=Edward|last2=Altman|first2=Mark A.|title=The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CCN3CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA373|date=28 June 2016|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1-4668-7285-1|pages=372–374|access-date=January 31, 2018|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725020054/https://books.google.com/books?id=CCN3CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA373|url-status=live}}</ref>

Kirk became the first and only student at [[Starfleet Academy]] to defeat the ''[[Kobayashi Maru]]'' test, garnering a commendation for original thinking after he reprogrammed the computer to make the "no-win scenario" winnable. Kirk was granted a field commission as an ensign and posted to advanced training aboard the USS ''Republic''. He was then promoted to lieutenant junior grade and returned to Starfleet Academy as a student instructor.<ref name="Encyc"/> According to a friend, students could either "think or sink" in his class, and Kirk himself was "a stack of books with legs".<ref>{{cite episode |title=Where No Man Has Gone Before |episode-link=Where No Man Has Gone Before |series=Star Trek: The Original Series |credits=Written by [[Samuel A. Peeples]], directed by [[James Goldstone]] |network=[[NBC]] |airdate=September 9, 1966 |season=1 |number=1}}</ref> Upon graduating in the top five percent, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard the USS ''Farragut''.<ref name="Encyc"/> While assigned to the ''Farragut'', Kirk commanded his first planetary survey and survived a deadly attack by a bizarre cloud-like creature that killed a large portion of the ''Farragut''{{'}}s crew,<ref name="Encyc" /> including his commanding officer, Captain Garrovick. Although the surviving Executive Officer disagreed, Kirk blamed himself for years for hesitating to fire his assigned weapons upon seeing the threat until a later encounter with the creature showed that firing immediately with conventional weapons would have been useless anyway.
[[File:Leonard Nimoy William Shatner Star Trek 1968.JPG|left|thumb|Publicity photo of [[William Shatner]] as Kirk, alongside [[Leonard Nimoy]] as [[Spock|Mr. Spock]]]]
Kirk became [[Starfleet]]'s youngest starship captain after receiving command of the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701|6}} for a five-year mission,<ref name="Encyc"/> three years of which are depicted in the original ''Star Trek'' series.<ref name="chrono"/> Kirk's most significant relationships in the television series are with first officer [[Spock]] and chief medical officer [[Leonard McCoy|Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy]].<ref name="compendium">{{cite book |title=The Star Trek Compendium |first=Alan |last=Asherman |date=May 1, 1993 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=978-0-671-79612-9}}</ref> McCoy is someone to whom Kirk unburdens himself and is a [[foil (literature)|foil]] to [[Spock]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Solow |first1=Herbert |author-link1=Herbert Franklin Solow |first2=Robert |last2=Justman |author-link2=Robert Justman |title=Inside Star Trek The Real Story |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |date=June 1997 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780671896287/page/240 240] |isbn=0-671-00974-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780671896287/page/240 }}</ref> Robert Jewett and [[John Shelton Lawrence]]'s ''[[The Myth of the American Superhero]]'' describes Kirk as "a hard-driving leader who pushes himself and his crew beyond human limits".<ref name="superhero230">{{cite book |title=[[The Myth of the American Superhero]] |first1=John Shelton |last1=Lawrence |first2=Robert |last2=Jewett |isbn=978-0-8028-4911-3 |year=2002 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |pages=[https://archive.org/details/mythofamericansu00lawr_0/page/230 230] }}</ref> Terry J. Erdman and Paula M. Block, in their ''Star Trek 101'' [[Primer (textbook)|primer]], note that while "cunning, courageous and confident", Kirk also has a "tendency to ignore Starfleet regulations when he feels the end justifies the means"; he is "the quintessential officer, a man among men and a hero for the ages".<ref>{{cite book |first=Terry J. |last=Erdmann |date=September 23, 2008|title= Star Trek 101|page=3|publisher=Pocket Books/Star Trek |isbn=978-0-7434-9723-7}}</ref> Although Kirk throughout the series becomes romantically involved with various women, when confronted with a choice between a woman and the ''Enterprise'', "his ship always won".<ref name="startreklives">{{cite book|title=[[Star Trek Lives!]]|last1=Lichtenberg|first1=Jacqueline|last2=Marshak|first2=Sondra|last3=Winston|first3=Joan|date=Oct 1975|publisher=[[Transworld Publishers|Corgi]]|isbn=0-552-09914-7|location=London|author-link=Jacqueline Lichtenberg|author-link2=Sondra Marshak|author-link3=Joan Winston}}</ref>

Roddenberry wrote in a production memo that Kirk is not afraid of being fallible, but rather is afraid of the consequences to his ship and crew should he make an error in judgment.<ref name="memo">{{citation|url=http://missionlogpodcast.com/discovereddocuments/040/|title=Kirk, Spock and Other Continuing STAR TREK Characters|first=Gene|last=Roddenberry|author-link=Gene Roddenberry|date=April 18, 1968|type=memo|access-date=September 10, 2013|archive-date=August 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814060935/http://missionlogpodcast.com/discovereddocuments/040/|url-status=live}}</ref> Roddenberry wrote:

{{Blockquote|[Kirk] has any normal man's insecurities and doubts, but he knows he cannot ever show them—except occasionally in private with ship's surgeon McCoy or in subsequent moments with Mr. Spock whose opinions Kirk has learned to value so highly.<ref name="memo" />}}

In ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', Admiral Kirk is Chief of Starfleet Operations, and he takes command of the ''Enterprise'' from Captain [[List of Star Trek characters (A–F)#D|Willard Decker]].<ref name="Encyc" /> ''Star Trek'' creator [[Gene Roddenberry]]'s novelization of ''The Motion Picture'' depicts Kirk married to a Starfleet officer killed during a transporter accident.<ref>{{cite book |title=Star Trek: The Motion Picture: A Novel |first1=Gene |last1=Roddenberry |isbn=978-0-671-25324-0 |year=1979 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |first2=Harold |last2=Livingston |first3=Alan |last3=Dean Foster |page=[https://archive.org/details/startrekthemotio00rodd/page/32 32] |quote=She had been ''perfection''--lover, friend, wife... |url=https://archive.org/details/startrekthemotio00rodd/page/32 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Star Trek: The Motion Picture: A Novel |first1=Gene |last1=Roddenberry |isbn=978-0-671-25324-0 |year=1979 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |first2=Harold |last2=Livingston |first3=Alan |last3=Dean |page=[https://archive.org/details/startrekthemotio00rodd/page/65 65] |quote=''...what was Lori doing up here? She was dying.''...and then they were gone. The chamber was empty...."''Enterprise'', what we got back...didn't live long. Fortunately." |url=https://archive.org/details/startrekthemotio00rodd/page/65 }}</ref> At the beginning of ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'', Kirk takes command of the ''Enterprise'' from Captain Spock to pursue his enemy from "[[Space Seed]]", [[Khan Noonien Singh]]. The movie introduces Kirk's former lover Carol and his son, [[List of Star Trek characters (G–M)#M|David Marcus]]. Spock, who notes that "commanding a starship is [Kirk's] first, best destiny", dies at the end of ''Star Trek II''. In ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'', Admiral Kirk leads his surviving officers in a successful mission to rescue Spock from a planet on which he is reborn. Although Kirk is demoted to Captain in ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'' for disobeying Starfleet orders, he also receives command of the new ''Enterprise'', the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS ''Enterprise''-A]] (NCC 1701-A).<ref name="Encyc" />

In ''[[Star Trek Generations]]'', [[Jean-Luc Picard|Captain Jean-Luc Picard]] finds Kirk living in the timeless Nexus, despite the fact that history recorded his death during the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|''Enterprise''-B]]'s maiden voyage, Kirk having fallen into the Nexus in the incident that caused his "death". Picard persuades Kirk to return to Picard's present to help stop the villain Soran from destroying Veridian III's sun. Although Kirk initially refuses the offer, he agrees after realizing the Nexus cannot give him the one thing he has always sought: the ability to make a difference. The two leave the Nexus and stop Soran. However, Kirk is mortally wounded; as he dies, Picard assures him that he helped to "make a difference". Picard buries Kirk on the planet, however in [[Star Trek: Picard season 3|''Star Trek: Picard''<nowiki/>'s third season]] (2023), Kirk’s body is revealed to be stored in stasis at the Daystrom Institute by [[Section 31 (Star Trek)|Section 31]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baugher |first=Lacy |date=2023-03-23 |title=Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 6 Review - The Bounty |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-6-review/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Shatnerverse===
Shatner has since written a series of novels featuring Kirk being brought back to life by a [[Borg]]-Romulan alliance to serve as an assassin against Picard, but he is restored to normal and returns to provisional active service in Starfleet, including opposing his Mirror Universe counterpart.

===Kelvin Timeline===
{{Main|Star Trek (2009 film)|Star Trek Into Darkness|Star Trek Beyond}}
In this series of films, [[Chris Pine]] plays Kirk.

The film takes place in an alternate course of events known as the "Kelvin Timeline"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geek.com/tech/the-star-trek-movie-timeline-gets-official-name-the-kelvin-timeline-1659663/|title=The Star Trek movie timeline gets official name: the Kelvin Timeline|work= Geek.com|date=June 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423102643/https://www.geek.com/tech/the-star-trek-movie-timeline-gets-official-name-the-kelvin-timeline-1659663/ |archive-date=April 23, 2017 |url-status=dead |access-date=2020-11-09}}</ref> that reveal different origins for Kirk, the formation of his association with Spock, and how they came to serve together on the ''Enterprise''.<ref name="bglobe1">{{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/05/05/a_fresh_frontier/|title=Star Trek|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|access-date=May 6, 2009|date=May 5, 2009|first=Ty|last=Burr|pages=1|archive-date=May 7, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507070936/http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/05/05/a_fresh_frontier/|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref><ref name="ewcover">{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/2008/10/18/star-trek-movie-inside-scoop/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|title='Star Trek' movie: Inside scoop!|access-date=March 15, 2022|first=Jeff|last=Jensen|archive-date=February 4, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204064112/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20233502_4,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Whereas ''The Original Series'' portrayed Kirk as having been born in Iowa, the ''Star Trek'' film portrays him being born on a shuttle escaping the starship USS ''Kelvin'' in an alternate timeline in which his father is killed when the ''Kelvin'' is attacked by a Romulan ship from the future.<ref name="bglobe1" /> In the film, George and Winona Kirk name their son ''James Tiberius'' after his maternal and paternal grandfathers, respectively.<ref>{{cite video|quote='''Winona''': We could name him after your father. '''George''': ''Tiberius''? You kidding me? No, that's the worst. Let's name him after your dad; let's call him ''Jim''.|date=May 8, 2009|title=[[Star Trek (2009 film)|Star Trek]]}}</ref>

Although the film treats specific details from Star Trek as mutable, characterizations are meant to "remain the same"<ref name="ewcover5">{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/2008/10/18/star-trek-movie-inside-scoop/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|title='Star Trek' movie: Inside scoop!|access-date=March 15, 2022|first=Jeff|last=Jensen|archive-date=February 4, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204082700/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20233502_5,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> though with Kirk being initially portrayed as "a reckless, bar-fighting rebel"<ref name="scifiwireabrams" /> but who eventually matures.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/a-chat-with-the-new-captain-kirk/|title=A chat with the new Captain Kirk|date=February 24, 2009|access-date=February 24, 2009|publisher=[[CNN]]|first=Douglas|last=Hyde|archive-date=February 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227102210/http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/a-chat-with-the-new-captain-kirk/|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Pine, the character is "a 25-year-old [who acts like a] 15-year-old" and who is "angry at the world",<ref name="scifiwiremarch">{{cite web|url=http://scifiwire.com/2009/03/how-chris-pine-puts-his-own-spin-on-star-treks-capt-kirk.php|access-date=March 12, 2009|date=March 5, 2009|title=How Chris Pine puts his own spin on Star Trek's Capt. Kirk|publisher=Sci Fi Wire|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310001717/http://scifiwire.com/2009/03/how-chris-pine-puts-his-own-spin-on-star-treks-capt-kirk.php|archive-date=March 10, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> until he enrolls in Starfleet Academy basically after being 'dared' by Captain Christopher Pike.

Kirk and Spock clash at Starfleet Academy, but, over the course of the film, Kirk focuses his "passion and obstinance and the spectrum of emotions" and becomes captain of the ''Enterprise''.<ref name="bglobe1" /><ref name="scifiwiremarch" /> He is also aided by a meeting with the time-displaced Spock of the original timeline, who inspires Kirk to live up to his full potential after learning about the parallel version of himself and his accomplishments as Captain in the elder Spock's timeline.