Star Trek: How EVERY Captain Became Captain

James Tiberius Kirk had a different start to his career in the alternate, Kelvin universe. This incarnation of the character was borne in the midst of fire and blood, as Nero orchestrated the attack on, and destruction of, the USS Kelvin. Both his father and mother were stationed aboard.

Kirk was borne in the escape shuttle as George Kirk flew the ship into the Narada, ensuring his son's survival. Kirk would grow up with a heroic view of his father due to this, often struggling to get along with his uncle in Iowa, with whom he lived as a child.

In his early twenties, Kirk had the fortune to be in the same bar as Nyota Uhura and several other Starfleet cadets when he was drawn into a fistfight. After having the stuffing knocked out of him, he was sat down by Christopher Pike, who dared him to do better with his life.

With a sense of bravdo, Kirk entered Starfleet academy, excelling in his studies as he went. However, this version of Kirk was pulled up in front of a review committee for his reprogramming of Commander Spock's Kobayashi Maru test. He may have been in hot water but ironically, he was saved from this by Nero's attack on Vulcan.

Kirk, along with the crew of the Enterprise, successfully defeated the Romulan threat, saving Pike from captivity along the way. As a result, Kirk was rewarded with command of the USS Enterprise.