DR. LEONARD MCCOY A STAR TREK PERSONNEL FILE
Early Life
Born in 2227 in the State of Georgia, United States, Leonard H. McCoy was the son of David McCoy and his wife Louise. Showing an early aptitude for science and medicine, Leonard pursued higher education at the University of Mississippi in the 2240s. His passion for helping others led him to attend Medical School, where he honed his skills and knowledge. Upon completing his medical training, Leonard’s adventurous spirit and desire to explore the unknown drove him to join Starfleet, embarking on a journey that would take him to the far reaches of space.
Starfleet
In 2251, Dr. Leonard H. McCoy spearheaded a critical inoculation program on the planet Dramia II to combat the deadly Saurian virus. Despite his efforts, a devastating plague struck the planet shortly after his departure, tragically wiping out most of the colonists.
Undeterred by this setback, Dr. McCoy continued to make significant contributions to medical science. In 2253, he developed a groundbreaking surgical procedure for grafting neural tissue to the cerebral cortex of humanoid brains, a technique that would revolutionize neurosurgery.
By 2266, Dr. McCoy had risen to the rank of lieutenant commander and was serving as a science division officer on Capella IV. His time on the planet was marked by frustration due to the locals’ lack of medical facilities and their apparent disinterest in external aid. This experience motivated him to seek a more impactful role, leading him to join the crew of the USS Enterprise. There, he quickly became the head of the science division, where his expertise and dedication would be put to the test in the vast expanse of space.
Enterprise
McCoy treated the mental condition of Captain Kirk after the transporter separated him into two people, good and evil. McCoy counseled his Captain, showing off his psychiatric skills, and explained why having two sides made him human and balanced. Kirk chose to reintegrate.
The Enterprise conducted a routine medical examination of archaeologists of an extinct civilization at the outpost on planet M-113, McCoy encountered a former beau of his by the name Nancy Crater. Unfortunately, Nancy was just a doppelganger, a shapeshifter and last of its kind that had murdered and taken over her attractive appearance to stay alive. The creature subsided on the salt of living creatures. Using an attractive appearance to lure their prey and then hypnosis to control them. Eventually using McCoy, the creature boarded the Enterprise. It continued killing and only when Spock was attacked and Kirk’s life was in jeopardy was McCoy able to break through the illusion. With the knowledge that of it being the last of its kind, McCoy asked for forgiveness before killing it with a phaser.
In 2267, the USS Enterprise made a remarkable discovery when it encountered the SS Botany Bay, a ship that had been adrift for over 200 years. The vessel was detected by its Morse code signal, prompting Captain Kirk to dispatch a landing party that included Dr. McCoy. Upon boarding the ancient ship, the team was shocked to find 84 humans in stasis chambers, a testament to the ship’s age and the advanced technology of its time. Tragically, 12 of these individuals had perished due to pod failures.
Dr. McCoy, ever the diligent physician, examined the survivors and found them to be in extraordinary condition. Their lung efficiency was impressive, and their muscular strength was exemplary, indicating that the stasis technology had preserved them remarkably well. As the team continued to inspect the pods, one of them began to fail. The ship’s historian, Lieutenant Marla McGivers, pleaded with Captain Kirk to save the man inside. As the man awoke, he asked how long he had been in stasis. Kirk, recognizing the urgency of the situation, agreed to transport him to the Enterprise for further medical attention.
Spock reviewing Earth’s records found no trace of the ship. Kirk believed based on the name that it may have been a criminal transport. Spock disagreed as the Botany Bay was a very advanced ship to be wasted on criminals. How it survived so long troubled Spock though. The man awakened, and seeing a scalpel among the collection of antique medical gear, took it, going back to his bio bed as he heard McCoy working, to feign sleep. McCoy doing his rounds to check on his patient was caught unprepared as the man grabbed him by the neck and pointed the scalpel at it. McCoy, keeping calm answered this threat with sarcasm telling the man to make up his mind on whether he will choke or cut his throat. He even suggested where to put the scalpel on the carotid artery. The man approved of his bravery giving McCoy the instrument. McCoy replied that he was trying to avoid an argument. The man quickly demanded to speak with the person in charge of the vessel.
Kirk arrived and requested his name. He was ignored by the man and deflected with a question of his own about where the ship was headed. Kirk responded with Starbase 12. The man then replied with his name, only giving one word, “Khan”. Kirk attempted to get more but was rebuffed by claims of fatigue. He said he was an engineer once and would love to study the ship via manuals. Kirk and McCoy assisted him in learning how to use the computers.
Kirk, McCoy, Scott, and Spock check the historical records and determine that the person who identified as Khan was the notorious Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically engineered Augment, war criminal, and tyrant of the Eugenics Wars that devastated Earth. Kirk ordered Khan confined to quarters. However, Khan quickly overtook his guards after a visit from the Captain and commandeered the Enterprise by turning off the life support controls until the crew was unconscious. The crew awakened to find themselves being held at phaser point and their Captain in a decompression chamber. Khan threatened to kill Kirk if the crew didn’t help his Augment Soldiers that had been awoken. The Historian McGivers, who had become romantic with Khan but not at the expense of hurting her crew, freed Kirk. Kirk battled Khan and eventually won. Khan accepted to be left on an uninhabited planet rather than go to a penal colony, telling Kirk, "it is better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven."
Later that year, Dr. McCoy’s tonsils, taken out when he was a youth, regrow due to the presence of Omicron Spores. The whole crew of the Enterprise, except for Kirk, were overtaken by the spores’ influence and mutiny, leaving Kirk alone on the Enterprise, communications jammed. The spores finally started to affect him but his love for the Enterprise caused such a passionate aggressive response that it broke him free and left him with the answer on how to retake his ship and crew.
In what would be one of the biggest events in McCoy’s life started when he accidentally injected himself with an overdose of cordrazine. The Enterprise had been investigating temporal disturbances near an unnamed planet. Kirk and Spock along with their landing party had discovered an ancient civilization’s ruins and an archway portal. McCoy’s injection resulted in a temporary loss of sanity with paranoid delusions. Overpowering anyone in his way, he escaped to the surface and stumbled into the portal which transported him to the past on Earth. Kirk and Spock were shocked to find that they now lived in a time with no Enterprise and no Starfleet. They entered the portal to find their friend. They arrived early and befriended a woman named Edith Keeler in 1930s New York. Spock pinpointed the change in the timeline, and that it was Edith and her death that prevented the pacification of the US to not enter WW2 and allow the Nazis to win the race to the Atomic Bomb because McCoy had saved her. Kirk put duty before love and prevented McCoy from saving Edith from being hit by a car. They returned to their restored future with McCoy.
Dr. Leonard H. McCoy’s expertise as a xenobiologist proved invaluable during a critical mission on Janus VI. The planet was home to the Horta, a unique silicon-based lifeform. When the Horta matriarch sustained a severe injury, it was Dr. McCoy who stepped in to provide the necessary medical assistance. Utilizing his extensive knowledge of xenobiology, he devised an innovative solution: a bandage made of thermal concrete. This unconventional treatment not only stabilized the Horta matriarch but also highlighted Dr. McCoy’s ability to adapt his medical skills to the needs of diverse lifeforms, earning him the respect and gratitude of the Horta community.
Dr. Leonard H. McCoy’s medical brilliance shone once again when he discovered the cure for a devastating flying one-celled parasite. This deadly organism had been wreaking havoc across entire star systems, annihilating life wherever it spread. Through his relentless research and innovative thinking, Dr. McCoy was able to develop a treatment that eradicated the parasite, saving countless lives and restoring peace to the affected regions. His success in this mission underscored his exceptional skills and unwavering dedication to preserving life in all its forms.
McCoy’s medical prowess was put to the ultimate test when Spock’s father, Sarek, suffered multiple heart attacks due to a faulty heart valve. At the time, Vulcan biology was largely uncharted territory for human doctors, adding an extra layer of complexity to the situation. Despite these challenges, Dr. McCoy’s determination and skill shone through. He successfully repaired Sarek’s heart, performing the intricate surgery under incredibly stressful conditions, with the USS Enterprise shuddering from an attack by the Orions. This remarkable feat not only saved Sarek’s life but also demonstrated Dr. McCoy’s exceptional ability to adapt and perform under pressure, earning him immense respect from both his human and Vulcan colleagues
McCoy faced one of his most extraordinary challenges when Spock’s brain was stolen by the Eymorgs, an underground civilization on Sigma Draconis VI. The Eymorgs had connected Spock’s brain to their Controller machine, leaving his body in a state of suspended animation. Demonstrating his unwavering commitment and medical ingenuity, Dr. McCoy managed to keep Spock’s body alive during this critical period.
After a daring mission to retrieve Spock’s brain from the Eymorgs, Dr. McCoy undertook the complex task of restoring it to its rightful place. Despite the unprecedented nature of the surgery and the immense pressure, he succeeded with a little assistance from Spock himself, who, even in his compromised state, provided crucial guidance. Upon completing the procedure, Dr. McCoy humorously remarked, “I’ll never live this down, this Vulcan is telling me how to operate.” This moment not only highlighted McCoy’s exceptional skills but also his enduring camaraderie with Spock.
In 2268, Dr. Leonard H. McCoy was diagnosed with a terminal disease known as xenopolycythemia and given one year or less to live. Shortly afterward, the USS Enterprise encountered the Fabrini and their ship, the Yonada. It was discovered that their database contained the cure for his condition, saving his life.
In 2269, McCoy was promoted to the rank of commander, a position he would hold for the next 25 years. During this time, Captain Kirk ordered McCoy to study the psychological impact of warning the inhabitants of Mantilles about the impending danger of an unidentified cosmic cloud. With only a little over four hours until impact, McCoy had to weigh the potential planet-wide panic against the need to inform them.
In 2270, McCoy faced a grave accusation when he visited Dramia again. He was arrested for the mass murder of the Dramia II colonists, as it was believed he might have accidentally started a plague during his previous visit. However, it was later discovered that the source of the plague was traveling through the planet’s auroras. McCoy identified the cure in the Saurian virus antibodies, the very virus he had initially been sent to combat on Dramia.
As the Enterprise’s five-year mission neared its end, McCoy discovered a vaccine for a deadly virus from the life prolongation project that had killed all adults on a particular planet, leaving only the youth with impossibly long lifespans. Unable to determine the correct dosage, he decided to “shoot from the hip,” relying on his instincts as an “old country doctor in space.” His decision proved correct, and the vaccine was a success.
After completing his mission, McCoy retired from Starfleet, grew a beard, and vowed never to return.
Return to Starfleet
However, Starfleet was not done with him. In the mid-2270s, Fleet Admiral Nogura, at the request of Admiral James T. Kirk, reactivated McCoy’s commission using a “reserve activation clause.” Initially angry and belligerent, McCoy refused to use the transporter until the other five crewmembers were safely transported. Despite his frustration at having his retirement interrupted, he eventually calmed down and resumed his role as the Enterprise’s chief medical officer during the V’ger incident. He treated Spock after his attempt to mind-meld with Lt. Ilia, who had become part of V’ger, left him with massive neurological trauma. McCoy’s scans revealed the extent of Spock’s injuries, but Spock’s soft laughter upon regaining consciousness reassured McCoy, who continued to serve aboard the newly refitted Enterprise.
Khan’s Return and Project Genesis
McCoy was aboard the Enterprise during a training exercise that was diverted to Regula I after Starfleet received a distress call. Khan Noonien Singh had returned, intent on stealing the Genesis Device created by Carol Marcus. McCoy assisted in rescuing the surviving scientists of Project Genesis and witnessed the results of their work. In Engineering, he objected when Spock went to reactivate the ship’s warp drive, as the room was flooded with lethal radiation. Spock incapacitated McCoy with a Vulcan nerve pinch but also transferred his katra, or soul, into McCoy. Spock’s sacrifice saved the crew, leaving McCoy and his crewmates grieving.
Back on Earth, McCoy’s behavior became erratic, exhibiting Spock-like traits and a desire to travel to Vulcan. Placed in protective custody for attempting to reach the new Genesis planet, McCoy was eventually revealed to be carrying part of Spock’s soul. The Enterprise crew, despite losing their ship to rogue Klingons, managed to commandeer a Klingon vessel and rescue a revived Spock on the planet’s surface. The ancient Vulcan technique of fal-tor-pan reunited Spock’s katra with his body. During their journey, McCoy admitted to Spock that he had greatly missed him and feared losing him again.
Save the Whales, Save the Earth
Following these events, the crew faced numerous charges for their actions to save Spock. Before they could face trial, a probe threatened to sterilize Earth due to a lack of response to its signals. Spock discovered that the probe sought communication with the now-extinct humpback whales. Kirk devised a plan to travel back to the 20th century and bring two whales to the future, a plan that did not thrill McCoy. During the mission, McCoy used a 20th-century hospital to save Chekov’s life and also saved an elderly woman suffering from kidney failure with 23rd-century medical techniques, expressing his disdain for 20th-century practices.
The mission was a success, and the tank McCoy helped design worked perfectly, saving the planet with the two whales.
Diplomatic Mission and the Khitomer Conspiracy
In 2293, the Enterprise was assigned a diplomatic mission to escort a Klingon envoy to Federation space for peace talks. During the mission, the Enterprise fired on the Klingon ship, and an assassin killed Chancellor Gorkon. Captain Kirk was blamed, with his son’s death at the hands of Klingons cited as the motive. McCoy’s lack of experience with Klingon physiology left him unable to save Gorkon. Both Kirk and McCoy were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on the penal asteroid Rura Penthe. Spock eventually rescued them, and together they uncovered the true culprits behind the Khitomer conspiracy, preventing a second assassination and safeguarding the peace conference that began an eighty-year era of peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
Final Years
Seventy-one years after the Enterprise-A was decommissioned, the 137-year-old Admiral Leonard McCoy inspected the medical layout of the USS Enterprise-D during its first mission. Assisted by Lieutenant Commander Data, he remarked, “You treat her like a lady… and she’ll always bring you home.”