Whom Gods Destroy ( episode ) Kirk and Spock are held captive in an insane asylum by a former Starfleet hero . Summary . Teaser . Kirk and Spock beam down to the Elba II asylum with a revolutionary new medicine to treat the inmates ' mental disorders . They are met in the asylum control center by Dr . Cory , the governor of the penal colony . He explains that in order to maintain security they are under a transport shield , and so he laughingly won ' t take " no " for an answer on his invitation to Kirk and Spock to dinner . He also explains that the colony has just increased the number of 14 inmates by one , and that new inmate is Garth of Izar . Kirk mentions that Garth was a legendary Fleet Captain before going insane , and that his exploits were required reading for cadets at the Academy . Kirk asks to see Garth , so Dr . Cory leads Kirk and Spock to his holding cell , only to discover the actual Dr . Cory restrained and looking roughed - up . At this point , the man who had appeared as Dr . Cory reveals himself to be Garth and electronically opens the remaining holding cells , releasing the inmates of Elba II , including a Tellarite , an Andorian and a beautiful , young , Orion woman . Act One . After Spock is stunned by Garth with a phaser and dragged away by the Andorian and Tellarite , Kirk is placed into the holding cell with the real Dr . Cory . Garth demands to be called " Lord Garth " and talks about destroying his enemies . Destroying the medicine , he is intent on taking command of the , seeking vengeance against his former crewmembers , planning to hunt them all down . He instantly morphs into Kirk in front of the real Kirk and goes to the control room . When he leaves , Dr . Cory explains that Garth had learned how to morph his cellular structure from the Antos native s on Antos IV to look like other people , unfortunately only after he had escaped his cell . Dr . Cory also says , " He claims to have developed the most powerful explosive in history and I believe him . " Scott , who is in command of the " Enterprise " , asks " Kirk " for the transport code sign : " Queen to Queen ' s level three , " but Garth is unable to respond with the correct countersign . Finally understanding , Garth tells Scott that it was just a test and signs out . Fortunately , Scott is suspicious , and considers options to investigate . Garth becomes enraged over almost succeeding to escape the planet , causing him to revert to his true form . Standing silently after his rant , Garth tells the Andorian and the Tellarite that they will take over the " Enterprise " even if he has to " " shatter every bone in Captain Kirk ' s body . " " Act Two . Realizing that he can ' t board the " Enterprise " without the countersign , Garth returns to Dr . Cory ' s cell and renews his dinner invitation for Kirk and Spock but states that Governor Cory is not on the guest list , an intentional oversight , as Garth puts it . They all proceed to an elaborate feast with the inmates providing the entertainment , including a seductive dance by Marta , the Orion inmate seen earlier . Kirk and Spock whisper to each other the idea of causing some sort of distraction which would allow Spock to get to the control room and de - activate the shield . Kirk surmises that Scott has already put together a security detail on the " Enterprise " and all they need is a few seconds . Garth silences them and asks that they instead pay attention to Marta ' s recitation of her " poetry " , which is actually by Shakespeare and Housman . After the feast , Kirk and Spock talk with Garth about his record including the battle of Axanar as well as his attempt to destroy the inhabitants of Antos IV . He clearly had gone insane over some rejection and his crew mutinied to prevent his actions . Spock tries to reason with him , only to be carried away . Garth then brings in a rehabilitation chair which he has modified to cause pain . He places Governor Cory in the chair and tortures him for a short while , demanding that Kirk provide him with the countersign . Kirk still refuses to give in , then Garth places him in the chair for some torture as well . Marta begs that Garth cease the torture on Kirk , but Garth continues . Act Three . Marta again protests the torture , saying she can convince him , and Garth agrees . Kirk is placed in a separate room where Marta pours him a drink and goes over to him . She begins to seduce him on his bed . While they kiss , she suddenly reaches for a dagger under a pillow and tries to stab Kirk , who manages to fight her off . Spock arrives with a phaser and Marta explains that Kirk is " " her lover and she must kill him . " " Spock prevents her from doing so , apparently by administering a Vulcan nerve pinch . Spock and Kirk proceed to the control room , which is guarded by the Tellarite inmate . Spock stuns the Tellarite and retrieves Kirk ' s phaser from him . Once inside the control room , they contact the " Enterprise " and lower the planetary force field . Spock attempts to get Kirk to give the countersign to Scott . Kirk suspects a trick , and demands that Spock give the countersign himself . He steps back and draws his phaser instead . At this point , " Spock " morphs back into Garth and energized the force field again . Kirk ' s phaser , not surprisingly , is uncharged . Kirk now tries to appeal to Garth ' s better impulses , asking him to remember the man he was " before the accident . " Kirk wants Garth to be the sort of man he was before he went mad , the sort of man that Kirk and so many others admired . Garth is nearly persuaded , until he wavers and shouts , " I am Lord Garth ! You doubt me only because I have not as yet had my coronation . " Unsuccessful , Kirk rushes for the shield controls . Garth , however , stuns him before he can reach them . Act Four . When Kirk awakens , Garth is trying yet another tactic : he has arranged an elaborate coronation ceremony for himself , also naming Marta as his consort , giving her a necklace , and names Kirk as his heir apparent , perhaps as an appeal to Kirk ' s vanity . When the ceremony is over , however , Kirk is not returned to his cell , but brought to the asylum control center . There , as a show of power , Garth displays the explosive Dr . Cory had alluded to earlier that has enough power to destroy an entire planet and explains that he has put a very small portion of it in Marta ' s necklace . Through the window in the control room , Kirk is forced to watch Marta choke in the poisonous atmosphere of the planet , brought out in the open by inmates in environmental suit s . With no real motivation or remorse behind his actions , Garth is clearly and completely insane . Garth kills Marta by triggering a massive explosion . The explosion registers above the planet . Scott and McCoy on the " Enterprise " change their orbit to focus their phaser banks on weak areas of the force field , to no avail . Meanwhile , Garth has decided he may get further in his quest for the code with Spock , since he is " a very logical man . " He sends the Tellarite and Andorian inmates to retrieve him from his holding cell . Spock feigns unconsciousness when the inmates approach . They de - activate the cell force field and carry him out , each with one arm around their neck . After a few steps , Spock jumps to his feet and incapacitates them both with a double Vulcan nerve pinch . An alarm sounds in the control room . Garth turns on a security monitor and sees Spock with a phaser walking alone in the corridor s and making his way toward the control room . Spock enters the control room and finds two " Kirks . " Obviously , one of them is Garth in disguise . Spock asks for the countersign to " Queen to Queen ' s Level Three " , but one of the Kirks refuses to answer , claiming that ' s exactly what Garth wants to know while the other Kirk rebuffs the claim , saying it ' s what he was going to say . Spock arranges for a security team from the " Enterprise " to be beamed down , but one of the Kirks objects , saying they may beam into a trap , while the other one agrees . Spock asks the two Kirks what maneuver the " Enterprise " recently used to defeat a Romulan vessel near Tau Ceti . One of the Kirks answers with the Cochrane deceleration maneuver , but the other Kirk states that every starship captain would know such a classic battle strategy , to which Spock agrees . Spock decides that whoever is Garth must be expending a great deal of energy to assume the appearance of Captain Kirk , which cannot be maintained indefinitely . He intends to wait Garth out and begins to pull up a chair . However , Garth , still disguised as Kirk , attacks Spock . The two Kirks begin to struggle , with one of them gaining the upper hand on the other . This Kirk prepares to clobber the other Kirk with the chair and demands that Spock realize that he is his captain and shoot the other . The other Kirk agrees that Spock must indeed shoot , but he must shoot both of them , as it is the only way to ultimately guarantee the safety of the " Enterprise " . This is all the evidence Spock needs ; he shoots the Kirk holding the chair , who crumples to the ground and resumes his form as Garth . Deactivating the force field , Spock signals the " Enterprise " and gives the proper countersign : " Queen to King ' s level one . " Dr . McCoy has beamed down to the asylum with Lieutenant Brent to administer newly synthesized doses of the medicine to the inmates . Dr . Cory places Garth in the rehabilitation chair ( the non - painful version ) and returns him to a sedated state . As he is being moved from the chair to his cell , he notices Kirk and very calmly asks if they know each other . Kirk tells him that they do not , and Garth is led away . Kirk asks Spock why it was so impossible for him to determine who the real Kirk was earlier . Spock tells his captain the interval of uncertainty was actually fairly brief ; it only seemed long for him . Kirk notes that Spock let himself be hit on the head by Garth to make his determination , a method he does not think that King Solomon would have approved of . Memorable quotes . " " How can we be powerful enough to wipe out a planet and still be so helpless ? " " " " We are going to take the " Enterprise " . Do you hear me ? We " are " going to take her if I have to shatter every bone in Captain Kirk ' s body . " " " " Why can ' t I blow off just one of his ears ? " " " " I may have you beaten to death . " " " " No , you won ' t , because I am the most beautiful woman on this planet . " " " " You ' re the only woman on this planet , you stupid cow ! " " " " You wrote that ? " " " " Yesterday , as a matter of fact . " " " " It was written by an Earth man named Shakespeare a long time ago ! " " " " Which does not alter the fact that I wrote it again yesterday ! " " " " What is your reaction , Mr . Spock ? " " " " Well , I find it , uh , mildly interesting and somewhat nostalgic , if I understand the use of that word . " " " " " Nostalgic ? " " " " " Yes . It is somewhat reminiscent of the dances that Vulcan children do in nursery school . Of course , the children are not so . . . well - coordinated . " " " " Gentlemen , you have eyes , but you cannot see . Galaxies surround us . Limitless vistas . And yet the Federation would have us grub away like some ants on some . . . somewhat larger than usual anthill . But I am not an insect . I am master of the universe , and I must claim my domain . " " " " They were humanitarians and statesmen . And they had a dream . A dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars . A dream that made Mister Spock and me brothers . " " " " Remove this animal ! ! " " " " In the midnight of November , when the dead man ' s fair is nigh . And the danger in the valley , and the anger in the sky . " " " " He ' s my lover and I have to kill him . " " " " Captain Garth , starship fleet captain . That ' s an honorable title . " " " " Captain Kirk , I presume . " " " " Queen to queen ' s level three . " " " " Queen to king ' s level one . " " " " Letting yourself be hit on the head , and I presume you let yourself be hit on the head , is not exactly a method King Solomon would have approved . " " " " Should I know you , sir ? " " " " " No . . . Captain . " " Links and references . References . Alexander the Great ; Andorian ; ant ; Antos IV ; Antos native ; artery ; asylum ; atmosphere ; Axanar ; ; Axanar Peace Mission ; ; brain damage ; cadet ; ; cellular metamorphosis ; chair ; chess problem ; Cochrane deceleration maneuver ; consort ; control room ; coronation ; cow ; crown ; crown prince ; dance ; dancer ; doctor ; Earth ; Elba II ; Elba II asylum ; environmental suit ; explorer ; fast ing ; Federation ; fleet captain ; force field ; Garth ' s guard ; governor ; guest list ; hand - to - hand struggle ; heir apparent ; ; humanitarian ; Human sacrifice ; injection ; insanity ; intramuscular ; intravenous ; Izar ; ; King ; Krotus ; Lord ; May ; Mental illness medicine ; mile ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mutiny ; November ; nursery school ; Orion ; paint ; performer ; plagiarism ; poem ; poetry ; poison ; politician ; protective dome ; rehabilitation chair ; Romulan ; sand ; serpent ; Shakespeare ' s sonnets ; ; shuttlecraft ; Solomon ; Starfleet Academy ; statesman ; synchronous orbit ; Tau Ceti ; Tellarite ; three - dimensional chess ; throne ; tissue ; ultrasonic wave ; Vulcan ; Vulcan neck pinch ; warrior ; wine