Spock (mirror)

Mirror universe
(coexisting on another dimensional plane)

For the prime universe counterpart, please see Spock.
"I do not desire the captaincy. I am much more content with my scientific duties. And, I am frankly content to be a lesser target… But if it should befall me, my operatives would avenge my death – and some of them are Vulcans."
– Spock, 2267 ("Mirror, Mirror")

Spock was the Terran/Vulcan hybrid first officer of the ISS Enterprise in 2267. He was a logical being who was loyal to his captain, James T. Kirk, and chose to warn him when he was ordered by the Terran Empire to kill him and take command if he did not launch an attack against the Halkans in retribution for their refusal to negotiate with the Empire.

Based on his captain's apparently erratic behavior, Spock correctly deduced that Kirk had actually been accidentally replaced by his counterpart from a mirror universe, and devised a means of returning Kirk, Scott, McCoy, and Uhura to their original ship.

Before Kirk left, believing that Spock would one day become captain of the Enterprise, he planted a seed of doubt about the inevitability of the Empire's collapse, asking Spock if violence was the only logical answer. Spock, as logical as his counterpart, was aware of the Halkan prediction that the Empire's subject peoples would revolt in approximately 240 years, and the Empire's defeat was a foregone conclusion. Kirk submitted that it was illogical of Spock to continue to serve an Empire destined to collapse, but Spock said the odds of one man bringing about peaceful change to the Empire were virtually insurmountable. Kirk revealed the existence of the Tantalus field, an assassination device that the mirror universe Kirk had used to eliminate his enemies, and urged Spock to ally the device's power with his own formidable intellect. Spock appeared intrigued, and promised to consider Kirk's words. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")

Spock eventually rose to become commander in chief and High Chancellor of the Terran Empire. He instituted major reforms, turning the Empire into a more peaceful and less aggressive power. Unfortunately, Spock's reforms left the Empire unprepared to fight the united Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, who conquered the entire Terran Empire, enslaving the Terrans themselves as well as the Vulcans. (DS9: "Crossover"; DIS: "Mirrors")

Eventually, Spock's failed attempts to reform the Empire led to him being killed. After his death, the crew of the Enterprise mutineed and escaped to the prime universe with the help of Saru, a Kelpien slave turned rebel leader, bringing along with them refugees seeking a new life. Although the Enterprise ended up trapped in a pocket of interdimensional space inside of a wormhole, at least most of the crew survived and found new lives in the prime universe, leaving behind a plaque telling their story after the death of the High Chancellor. (DIS: "Mirrors")

In 3191, the Enterprise was found by Captain Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker. Burnham, the foster sister of the prime universe's Spock, speculated that the mirror Spock was probably just as ruthless as the rest of the Terrans, having never met him. Booker later found the plaque revealing the fate of Spock and the crew's story, although the plaque didn't identify Spock by name. (DIS: "Mirrors")

Quick Answers

Why did Spock warn Kirk instead of following orders? toggle section
Spock warned Kirk instead of following orders because the order required him to kill his brother, which he could not do. Kirk was surprised, believing Spock had no brother. Spock's choice was driven by personal ethics, despite the risks of disobeying orders.
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How did Spock deduce Kirk was replaced? toggle section
Spock, observing Kirk's unusual and erratic behavior, correctly deduced that Kirk had been replaced by his mirror universe counterpart. Using his logical reasoning, Spock developed a plan to return Kirk and his crew to their original universe.
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What role did Spock play on the ISS Enterprise? toggle section
In the mirror universe, Spock was the first officer on the ISS Enterprise NCC-1701, serving under Captain James T. Kirk. He was a key figure in the Terran Empire's hierarchy.
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How does Spock's loyalty impact his decisions? toggle section
Spock's loyalty impacts his decisions, notably when he supports Kirk despite being ordered to execute him by Lester, who was posing as Kirk. His loyalty is further shown when he leaves Starfleet to pursue Kolinahr on Vulcan, yet returns to the Enterprise during the V'ger threat. Additionally, during Klingon peace talks, he prioritizes others' safety over his own, reflecting his steadfast loyalty.
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What is unique about Spock's appearance in the mirror universe? toggle section
In the mirror universe, Spock is notable for his goatee beard, which has become a symbol of the 'evil twin' trope. This version, 'Comandante Spock,' is the first officer on the ISS Enterprise, differing from his clean-shaven counterpart in the prime universe.
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Appendices

Background information

Mirror Spock was portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, who also portrayed the prime universe Spock. Both characters were identical, except that mirror Spock famously wore a goatee beard (Van Dyke beard does not connect chin to moustache): the "evil twin" imagery evoked by mirror Spock's beard later entered the larger cultural lexicon as a result of the character's portrayal in this episode.

On featuring the mirror-universe Spock in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ronald D. Moore commented, "We were quite intrigued by the notion of using the Mirror Spock, but it never worked out for various reasons". In 1999, rumors circulated that Nimoy would appear in "The Emperor's New Cloak" as Spock. ("Looking Ahead", Star Trek Monthly issue 50)

Nimoy's portrayal of mirror Spock in "Mirror, Mirror" was the inspiration behind the name for the progressive-metal group Spock's Beard.

Apocrypha

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation novel Dark Mirror by Diane Duane, Jean-Luc Picard, masquerading as his mirror universe counterpart aboard the other's USS Enterprise-D, briefly investigates Spock's history after his encounter with the primary universe Kirk. According to the official history, Spock succeeded, briefly, in becoming a powerful figure in Starfleet and the Empire, thanks to his own cunning and the use of the Tantalus field, but his advocacy of less warlike policies eventually made him too many enemies. Both Spock and his father were discredited, then convicted of treason and executed. As the novel predates the establishment of the history of the televised mirror universe, these events are contradicted by the history related by Intendant Kira Nerys to her counterpart in "Crossover", as well as the appearance of the mirror universe's Sarek in DIS: "The Wolf Inside".

Spock appears in the novella "The Sorrows of Empire", which was subsequently expanded into the full length novel of the same name. Several days after the events of "Mirror, Mirror", Spock is depicted as murdering the mirror Kirk and thereby assuming the captaincy of the ISS Enterprise. He later marries Marlena. The story focuses on Spock's rise to the leadership of the Terran Empire in 2277, his rule and the events leading to its transformation into the short-lived Terran Republic, and the subsequent conquest of Earth and Vulcan by the Alliance in 2295. In the subsequent novel Rise Like Lions, Spock's secret cabal, Memory Omega, provides the Terran Rebellion resources to victory over the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Soon thereafter at a legislative meeting of the nascent Galactic Commonwealth, a recording of Spock is played, wherein he warns his successors to never emulate the violent methods by which he had arranged for a future state of galactic freedom.

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