10 More Classic Star Trek Episodes Based On Real-Life Events

Kirk comes across a roving planet wrecker, which has wiped out an entire solar system as well as doing a serious number on the Starship Constellation. Through an unfortunate series of reverses, Kirk ends up trapped on the Constellation, while its commander, the Ahab-like Commodore Decker, takes command of the Enterprise, and tries to have another go at making a suicide attack against the Planet/Starship wrecker, this time with the Enterprise.

In case the symbolism in this one is too subtle, Kirk actually spells it out for the viewer. The planet wrecker, or "Doomsday Machine" as it might be called, was probably one of those ultimate weapon thingies, sort of like "the old H-Bomb" was supposed to be. Something strong enough to wipe out both sides in a war, and built primarily as a bluff (we hope). After the war it was built for ended, the planet wrecker kept on wrecking because old habits die hard, or something like that.

Kirk fights nukes with nukes, turns the Constellation itself into a giant atomic bomb, and sends it down the Doomsday Machine's gullet, fortunately remembering to beam himself back to the Enterprise in the nick of time. Commodore Ahab manages to get himself killed off somewhere along the line, fortunately without taking the Enterprise down with him.