Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Chosen by STEPHEN MCFEELY (co-writer Avengers: Endgame)

STEPHEN MCFEELY: “For 12-year-old Steve, but really for 50-year-old Steve, when Spock and Kirk say goodbye at the end of The Wrath Of Khan, I just get chills thinking about it. The whole movie’s leading to that, and it’s a lovely, lovely moment. It’s a movie that, whether I tell Chris [Markus, Mcfeely’s writing partner] or not, I keep going back to all the time in our work. It’s a lovely combination of genre and heart. We keep remaking Empire Strikes Back, The Wrath Of Khan and Aliens over and over again.”

INT. ENGINE ROOM — ETERNAL, ENDLESS SPACE

Kirk (William Shatner) has raced down to engineering, to find that Spock (Leonard Nimoy) has sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise by restoring power to the warp engines, his body absorbing huge amounts of deadly radiation in the process. Aghast, he tries to race towards the chamber. Bones (Deforest Kelley) and Scotty (James

Doohan) grab him, and stop him.

BONES: No! You’ll flood the whole compartment!

KIRK: He’ll die!

SCOTTY: Die? He’s dead already.

That sobers Kirk. He looks at Scotty, then Bones.

BONES: It’s too late.

They let go of Kirk, who steps up to the glass doors of the warpdrive chamber. He mouths the word “Spock”. Realising he can’t be heard, he presses a button on the intercom.

KIRK: Spock!

Now we see Spock, on his haunches, on the other side of the chamber, facing away from

Kirk. He rises, haltingly, to his feet and, with his gloved hands, straightens his uniform before flop-turning around to face Kirk. Spock, face scarred from the radiation, comes towards Kirk but, eyesight damaged, walks into the glass. Figuring out where Kirk is, he stands opposite him.

SPOCK: Ship… out of danger?

KIRK:

Yes.

SPOCK: [nodding] Don’t grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh…

KIRK: The needs of the few.

SPOCK: Or the one.

Spock, clearly hurting, begins to falter.

SPOCK: I never took the Kobayashi Maru test. Until now.

What do you think of my solution?

KIRK: Spock…

Spock sinks to his knees.

SPOCK:

I have been, and always shall be, your friend.

Spock, who has removed his glove, places his hand against the glass in the traditional V-shaped Vulcan salute.

SPOCK: Live long and prosper.

Kirk, barely holding it together, places his hand against the glass in response. Spock sinks a little further… and that’s it. He’s gone.

KIRK: No.

Kirk slumps against the glass, distraught.