Kirk/Spock/McCoy (TOS)
| Moresome · Ship · Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Relationship: | Kirk/Spock/McCoy (TOS) |
| Alternative name(s): | K/S/Mc, Mcspirk, Triumvirate |
| Gender category: | M/M/M |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| Canonical?: | No |
| Prevalence: | |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | Kirk/Spock (TOS) Spock/McCoy (TOS) Kirk/McCoy (TOS) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
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Kirk/Spock/McCoy is the threesome relationship in Star Trek: The Original Series fandom, involving the Captain James T. Kirk, Spock and Doctor Leonard McCoy. Although not as prevalent as other pairings, like Kirk/Spock, it still has a long history in Trek fandom, and enthusiasm for the triad pairing has slowly grown over time.
History
I don’t know exactly when McSpirk emerged, but I know it was early in slash history. Stories were circulating hand-to-hand in the 70s, before any slash was ever printed and openly distributed.I don’t personally ship them as a trio, but I have zero problem with it being a beloved ship for many other fans.
I’m going to say more below, but this gets into nsfw material, so I’m putting it below the cut.
If you are at all familiar with slash from the print zine era, you will have heard of Gayle F, an absolute pillar of the early slash community with her art, her contributions to fannon (Spock’s double-ridged penis? Gayle came up with that), and her sophisticated writing.
Gayle has put some of her work online; here is a link to her McSpirk story, Between Friends. It’s justifiably famous for being the first published McSpirk in fandom history. (Although we did not use the modern mashup names for relationships back then: Spirk, McSpirk, etc.)
Between Friends is also famous because Gayle’s writing is bloody amazing. Although I don’t usually read trio stories, I have read Between Friends probably a dozen times over the years. It’s just that good.[1]
Fandom
Common Tropes and Storylines in Fanworks
- Friends to Lovers: usually with their romantic relationship developing naturally from their very close friendship
- Established Relationship: many fics begin with one pairing already being in an established relationship, usually Spirk, and them inviting McCoy into the relationship. Stories that begin with Spones or McKirk as the first established relationship are rare
- Canon Divergence: AUs with the three of them getting together at different points in canon are common, where to diverge varies greatly, but a few popular choices are: during or after Amok Time, or one of Spock's future Pon Farr events; after the original five mission; the camping trip in Star Trek V; among others
- First Time: fanworks about the first sexual encounter between the three of them is quite common
- Hurt/Comfort: the person being hurt in fanworks seems to be pretty evenly split between the three. How they get hurt is often do to classic Trek storylines like hostile aliens, shuttle crashes, etc. Sometimes one of them being hurt is the catalyst for them getting together.
- Telepathy: many fics feature the three of them having some sort of telepathic bond. It is not unusual to characterize McCoy as being reluctant or a little uncomfortable with this part of their relationship
- Domestic: focusing on their everyday domestic lives. These stories may include them sharing a cabin or cabins on the Enterprise, or them having a vacation/retirement home on Earth or on Vulcan
- Alternative Universes: aside from canon divergence other types of AUs can be found, a couple of choices being Fantasy/Fairy Tale AUs, or putting them in grittier sci-fi settings, these might involve canon related what if scenarios like "what if the Romulans won the war?"
- Mirrorverse: their mirror universe selves being with each other, or one of them traveling to the Mirrorverse and developing a relationship with the mirror version of their friends
- Academy Fic: stories where the three of them where in Starfleet Academy together and became a triad there
- Old McSpirk: fanworks that usually take place post-canon featuring them being retired or semi-retired together
Challenges
Example Fanworks
Fanfiction
- See also: Category:Star Trek TOS K/S/Mc Fanfiction
- Between Friends by Gayle F, the first published K/S/Mc story (May 1978 in Obsc'zine #3), written and circulated hand-to-hand earlier as a story called "Birthday Present"
- After You've Touched the Sky by Mara-Lyn Cade
- The Heart of the Beast by Dovya Blacque
- Shi'Jarae by Jo Scott-Ross
Zines
- In Triplicate (1985), a K/S/Mc zine
- Shades of Grey (1986-1990), a K/S/other anthology with a number of K/S/Mc stories
Meta
- Sexuality in K/S Fiction: The K/S/Mc Triad, published in Not Tonight, Spock! #12 (Jan 1986)
- More than the Sum of Its Parts by Acidqueen, an essay for ship_manifesto (Dec 2004)
Fanart
- some butts ink art by nicbutnasty (2021)
- "ancestral vulcan" abilities #mcspirk by reapersun_art (2022)
- a NSFW jim sandwich by nicbutnasty (2022)
- their heart by oddthesungod (2022)
- Trillium: a single flower formed by three petals, which dies if one is removed, Archived version by gipspips
- McSpirk & Snowy Morning Color Palette, Archived version by tiirabird
Sexually explicit art (thumbnails minimized):
Art for "Between Friends" by Gayle F in The Cosmic Collected (1986)
Art for "Between Friends" by Gayle F in The Cosmic Collected (1986)
Fanvids
- 3 ((Kirk/Spock/McCoy Slash Fanvid)) by xKelociraptor (2010)
- Bitch Spectrum by chekovsvwodka (2022)
Fan Comments
1987
Regarding the topic of the growing trend of K/S/Mc and S/Mc stories, I wasn't even aware of a "trend" in the latter case. The only S/Mc story I know of — thankfully — is the one (the title escapes me) that appeared in SHADES OF GREY. I found the story completely unbelievable. As for K/S/Mc, I thought the first few stories I read were an interesting diversion from the myriad of ho-hum K/S stories, but K/S/Mc stories are now more common than I am comfortable with. They have lost their uniqueness and I don't have any desire to read more of them. I now find it irritating when I come across one in a "K/S" zine.I have nothing against anyone- who chooses to read or write K/S/Mc or S/Mc, but I think those stories should be confined to their own zines. K/S fandom does not force its stories onto genzines, and K/S/Mc should not be forced onto those of us who love & cherish K/S as a unique relationship unto itself.
As for the plausibility of K/S/Mc or S/Mc, I think it futile to argue about it. I don't see either as plausible; but then, the majority of ST fans don't see K/S as plausible, so I don't have much of a leg to stand on. But as one who plucks out $$$ for K/S zines, I do have a right to expect those zines to be "K/S", and K/S does not mean K/S/Mc (or S/Mc... or K/S/female...). [2]
Archives and Links
- James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock tag at Archive of Our Own
- K/S/Mc Links at Acidqueen's Site for Fan Fiction
- Kirk/Spock/McCoy at Trekiverse
- Posts tagged "mcspirk" and "tos" on Tumblr
References
- ^ a b spockslash (2018-01-14). "Fandom Grandma — I'm not sure if you've already been asked about..." Tumblr. Archived from the original on 2018-12-10.
- ^ from On the Double #3 (1987)