The idea of Leonard McCoy’s daughter came from a talk between actor DeForest Kelley and script editor Dorothy Fontana in January 1967, where she thought McCoy might have a son from his failed marriage. Kelley suggested that it be a daughter. Fontana jotted down a story idea in a memo on January 24, 1967. In the story, the Enterprise took on new medical staff at a starbase, and Kirk and McCoy were in the transporter room as they beamed aboard. As Fontana wrote, “One of the women, a lovely dark-haired girl of twenty, takes one look at McCoy and flings herself into his arms, much to Captain Kirk's surprise. Then McCoy turns to Kirk, grimaces, and introduces Nurse Joanna McCoy — his daughter.” Fontana wrote, “McCoy had been married a long time ago, but it turned sour and ended in divorce despite the birth of the child, Joanna. McCoy, soon after the divorce, entered the space service. He has provided for Joanna, but due to the demands of the service, has seen her very seldom as s...

Nightmares in “Chekov’s Choice” Back in 1985, Walter Koenig and I spoke briefly about a story he’d written for DC Comics that year. It appeared in issue #19 of DC's Star Trek, Volume 1. He’d said, “I mentioned to Marv Wolfman, who’s the editor, the fact that Chekov wasn’t even getting a decent role in the comic book, never mind in the movies, and he said, ‘Why don’t you write one, and make Chekov the hero?’ “It’s called ‘Chekov’s Choice,’ and he has to make a choice between love—or the woman he considers his love—and the safety of the ship. It’s one of those stories of personal conflict, and I think it’s very much in keeping with the feeling of the series.” During his convention appearance that day, Koenig described talking to Marv Wolfman about perhaps writing a story for the comic. “I said, well, ‘There are conditions: Chekov has got to get the girl, he’s got to be totally in control of the situation, and his decision affects the lives and deaths of 400 people aboa...