Leonard McCoy

Leonard Horatio McCoy, M.D., nicknamed "Bones", is a fictional character in the fictional Star Trek universe, played by the late DeForest Kelley. In ', he was one of the three main characters and the humanistic counterpart to the logical Spock; capable of great compassion, yet also cranky, superstitious, and irrational, shunning advanced technology (especially the transporter beam, which he regarded with distrust) and occasionally even bigoted with regard to Spock's part-Vulcan ancestry. It is also notable that he was the only southerner among the racially and ethnically diverse crew of the NCC-1701.

History

Although the following information is not considered official Star Trek canon, fans and writers of the original series have conjectured some biographical facts about the character. They suggest Leonard McCoy was born in 2227 and attended the University of Mississippi from 2245 to 2249 and medical school from 2249 to 2253. A backstory, developed by Star Trek writer D.C. Fontana but not used in the series, speculates that Leonard McCoy was married shortly before obtaining his medical degree. Starting a private practice, McCoy fathered a daughter, Joanna before being divorced by his wife and losing custody of his child. This would have been revealed in an episode written for TOS called Joanna. But this episode was heavily re-written into what would become The Way to Eden. Joanna was re-written as Irina Galium who shared a sordid past with Pavel Chekov in that episode. Sometime after 2260, Leonard McCoy closed his medical practice and enlisted in Starfleet to escape the pain of losing his wife and daughter. Fontana's version of events, though not officially canonical, is considered part of the Star Trek Expanded Universe.

Related Topics:
Canon - University of Mississippi - D.C. Fontana - TOS - The Way to Eden - Pavel Chekov - Star Trek Expanded Universe

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In terms of canon among the only facts known of McCoy's early career is that at one point he met Emony Dax, a Trill athlete (with whom he had a sexual relationship, it seems) while a student at Ole Miss, and that he performed euthanasia on his terminally ill father, Dr. David McCoy (an event depicted in '); McCoy carried lasting guilt over this action as a cure for his father's ailment was discovered not long afterwards.

Related Topics:
Emony Dax - Trill - Euthanasia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Joining Starfleet already as an educated doctor, McCoy was not a graduate of Starfleet Academy but rather was commissioned to the advanced rank of Lieutenant. His early assignments are unclear, but by 2265, he had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander and was assigned as a medical observer to the planet Capella. The assignment was unfruitful, as the Capellans found little need for medical arts and existed under a tribal society where only the strong survived.

Related Topics:
Lieutenant - Lieutenant Commander

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2266, Leonard McCoy was named Chief Medical Officer on the Enterprise NCC-1701 under Captain James T. Kirk, replacing Doctor Mark Piper. (Some non-canonical, "Expanded Universe" stories suggest that McCoy was assigned to Enterprise from the start, but took a leave of absence for reasons not disclosed, during which time Piper substituted for him.) McCoy served until 2269, when the ship's five year mission ended. It is speculated that Leonard McCoy was promoted to Commander at this time, but in any event he had retired from Starfleet by 2270 and again was engaging in private medical practice.

Related Topics:
Chief Medical Officer - James T. Kirk - Commander

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In c.2271, Leonard McCoy was recalled to Starfleet and recommissioned as a Commander at the request of Kirk (Starfleet using an obscure "reserve reactivation clause" which McCoy likened to being drafted). After serving as the Medical Officer during the V'Ger Crisis, it is speculated that he signed on for a second five year voyage and served as Chief Medical Officer until 2276, although the occurrence of a second five-year mission is not, as yet, considered canonical. His assignments of the late 2270s are unknown, but by 2282 he was a Medical Training Instructor at Starfleet Academy.

Related Topics:
Drafted - V'Ger

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2286, Leonard McCoy was appointed as Chief Medical Officer of the second USS Enteprise (NCC 1701-A). He served at this post until 2293, when the vessel was decommissioned. Star Trek fans have speculated that McCoy was promoted to Captain sometime after 2295 and further speculation indicates that McCoy may have become the head of Starfleet Medical School, though to date nothing canonical has been confirmed about this part of his life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the early 24th century, Leonard McCoy had risen the to rank of Admiral; some have speculated he at one point was the Starfleet Surgeon General and that also he may have held a special rank known as Branch Admiral, however there is nothing in canon to support this. Retired from Starfleet, he remained on-call for Starfleet duties and frequently performed starship medical inspections. He appeared at the age of 137 years in "Encounter at Farpoint", the first episode of ', in which Data escorted him through the corridors of the new Enterprise-D. (At one point, the ever-cranky McCoy asks, "I don't see no points on your ears boy, but you sound like a Vulcan." When Data responds, "No sir, I am an android," the doctor says, "Almost as bad." However, when Data responds that the Vulcans were an honorable race, McCoy agrees.)1

Related Topics:
Admiral - Surgeon General - Branch Admiral - Canon - Encounter at Farpoint - Data

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

McCoy had no actual further appearances in The Next Generation or any of the following television series, though he was shown briefly in the past, in the episode "Trials and Tribble-ations", using footage from the original "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode. McCoy has made appearances in several Next Generation era novels. The passing of DeForest Kelley in 1999 would probably preclude McCoy from making any further appearances in Star Trek shows or movies.

Related Topics:
Trials and Tribble-ations - The Trouble with Tribbles - 1999

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the non-canonical "expanded universe" of Star Trek, McCoy's death was marked by a comic book story published by DC Comics soon after Kelley's death, in which Spock and Montgomery Scott - two TOS characters known to still be alive and active in the 24th Century - visit McCoy on his death bed.

Related Topics:
Comic book - DC Comics - Montgomery Scott

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

McCoy's book Comparative Alien Physiology became a classic among medical textbooks on par with Gray's Anatomy, and part of the knowledge base of the Emergency Medical Hologram.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Note

1 There is debate among some fans over whether the character played by DeForest Kelley in "Encounter at Farpoint" is actually McCoy, given that the character is never referred to by name, nor indicated as such in the credits. The general consensus is that the character is, indeed, Leonard McCoy. The IMDB listing ( "Encounter at Farpoint") credits him as "Admiral Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, Ret.".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~