Star Trek Into Darkness immediately broke an impressive Starfleet record held by Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). Star Trek Into Darkness was the follow-up to director J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) reboot that recast the characters from Star Trek: The Original Series and set the young Starfleet heroes in an alternate timeline. Chris Pine’s Kirk lived a different life than William Shatner’s Kirk, and he became Captain of the Enterprise years before Shatner’s Kirk did in Star Trek’s Prime timeline.
Star Trek (2009) ended with James T. Kirk and Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) leading the Starship Enterprise to defeat Nero (Eric Bana), a genocidal Romulan who came from the 24th century. For his exemplary heroism, Kirk was promoted to Captain and given command of the USS Enterprise, relieving its injured former commander, Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood). Kirk launched the Enterprise on a new mission to explore strange new worlds, and Star Trek Into Darkness picks up the story one year later, in 2259.
Kirk Didn’t Lose Any Starship Enterprise Crew Until Star Trek Into Darkness
Not Even Redshirts Died Under Captain Kirk’s Watch
Star Trek Into Darkness began with Captain Kirk leading a mission to Nibiru, where the Starship Enterprise prevented a volcanic eruption that would destroy the planet. Kirk’s gambit nearly killed Spock, and the Enterprise violated Star Trek‘s Prime Directive by exposing the starship to the primitive people of Nibiru. At Starfleet Command, Admiral Pike tore into Kirk, admonishing him for nearly getting his crew killed. Kirk replied, “Except I didn’t! You know how many crew members I’ve lost? Not one! Not one!”
Taking Captain Kirk at his word – and Jim’s boast could have easily been disproven – then Kirk had an exemplary record during his first year as Captain of the Enterprise. Kirk didn’t even lose any Redshirts between Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness. Tragically, Star Trek Into Darkness quickly blemished Kirk’s spotless record. Numerous Enterprise crew members died in the film, some horrifically flung into space while the starship was in mid-warp and pursued by Admiral Alexander Marcus’ (Peter Weller) USS Vengeance.
Captain Kirk Also Died In Star Trek Into Darkness (But Was Quickly Resurrected)
The Enterprise’s Body Count Also Included Its Captain
Among the body count of Star Trek Into Darkness was Captain James T. Kirk himself. Kirk sacrificed his life by physically reactivating the Starship Enterprise’s warp core, and he quickly succumbed to radiation poisoning. However, unlike the personnel he lost, Kirk was quickly resurrected. After Spock and Lt. Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) captured Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch), Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban) used Khan’s genetically engineered “super blood” to bring Kirk back to life.
For one shining year before Star Trek Into Darkness began, Captain Kirk kept his entire Enterprise crew alive.
Star Trek Into Darkness marked the only time in a Star Trek movie that Captain Kirk died while commanding the USS Enterprise, and was brought back to life. In contrast, William Shatner’s Captain Kirk died in Star Trek Generations, and he was never resurrected. In Star Trek Beyond, Captain Kirk lost more crew members to Krall (Idris Elba) and his Swarm on Altamid, and the Starship Enterprise was also destroyed. But for one shining year before Star Trek Into Darkness began, Captain Kirk kept his entire Enterprise crew alive.
