When the Romulan mining ship Narada attacks the Federation starship US Kelvin, Captain George Kirk substitutes his captain, who is going to meet the Romulan Captain Nero in his vessel to negotiate a cease fire, in the command of the US Kelvin. He orders the evacuation of the damaged starship, including his wife that is in labor; while she delivers their son James Tiberus Kirk in the hospital shuttle-craft, George Kirk crashes the US Kelvin against the Narada. The reckless and troublemaker Kirk grows up and when he meets Capt. Christopher Pike in a bar fight, he is invited to join the Starfleet. Meanwhile in Vulcan, the outcast Spock grows-up discriminated by his half-human condition. They meet each other in the Starfleet Academy, where Spock accuses Kirk of lack of ethics, cheating a test of command. The trial is suspended with the information that Vulcan is under attack and the Federation starships head to Vulcan, including the recently commissioned USS Enterprise. Kirk, who is a stowaway, foresees an alien attack and advises Captain Spike; however, the Enterprise is damaged and when Captain Spike travels to meet Captain Nero, Spock assumes the bridge and has a serious friction with Kirk after the destruction of Vulcan. Kirk is accused of mutiny and stranded in the desert planet Delta Vega. Out of the blue, he is saved from an attack of an alien animal by an old Spock that explains to him that Captain Nero blames him and the Federation for the destruction of his home planet Romulus by a supernova. Spock explains that he had failed with the creation of a black hole with red matter to consume the supernova and Nero is seeking revenge. Now Kirk has to find a way to save Earth, the next destination of Narada.

In a UK interview with Edith Bowman on BBC Radio 1, Matt Damon mentioned that he called J.J. Abrams when he heard rumors that he was being considered for the role of Captain Kirk. The response from Abrams was a very polite "no". He explained that Damon was "too old" for the role.

James T. Kirk:
[Stepping aboard the bridge as its official captain] Bones! Buckle up!

Continuity: After Spock boards the Vulcan ship on board the mining vessel, Kirk is seen walking through some pipes. His Starfleet phaser has switched to a Romulan gun (longer barrel and no lights), before switching back to the Starfleet one again in the next scene. He actually acquires the Romulan gun a few scenes later.

Written by Mike D (as Michael Diamond), Adam Yauch, and Adam Horovitz
Performed by Beastie Boys
Courtesy of Capitol Records