Christopher Pike ( alternate reality ) Christopher Pike , sometimes known as " Chris " or " Pike " , was a Starfleet officer who served as an instructor at during the 23rd century . He convinced to join Starfleet . Pike also became the first captain of the and served in that position when the starship launched during a crisis in 2258 . After being held captive by Nero , however , Pike gave command over to . Subsequently , Pike was promoted to the rank of admiral . ( ) Pike was killed in 2259 , in a revenge attack by , though Kirk led the " Enterprise " towards the eventual capture of Khan . A memorial service was thereafter held to honor Admiral Pike and other fallen Starfleet officers . ( ) Biography . Early life . Christopher Pike was born in Mojave on Earth . ( ) At some point during his life , talked Pike into enlisting in Starfleet . ( ) Starfleet career . Sometime after a devastating attack on the in 2233 , Pike wrote a dissertation on the ship and the actions of its final commanding officer , . By 2255 , Pike was a captain serving as a recruiting officer for Starfleet Academy . He was at the Riverside Shipyard in Iowa when he encountered George Kirk ' s son , , who was involved in a bar fight with several cadet s under Pike ' s supervision . After halting the fight , Pike dared Kirk to enlist in Starfleet in order to achieve more than his father . In 2258 , Pike attended a hearing of the Starfleet Academy Board when Kirk was accused of having cheated on the " Kobayashi Maru " test . Commanding officer of the USS " Enterprise " . Also in 2258 , Pike was assigned to command the new Federation flagship , the , on her maiden voyage . The voyage was brought forward after Earth received a distress call from , and Pike led a Starfleet taskforce to aid in the evacuation of the planet . Encountering the Romulan mining vessel " Narada " , Pike commanded the " Enterprise " in its first combat situation , before taking a shuttlecraft to the " Narada " at the demand of Nero , the " Narada " s captain . " En route " , Pike deployed Kirk , Lieutenant , and Chief Engineer Olson to the " Narada " s drill platform to disable it . He also promoted Commander to acting captain and Kirk to acting first officer . Pike was interrogated by Nero and his first officer , Ayel , as to the codes for Earth ' s planetary defenses . Initially resisting , Pike was subdued by use of a Centaurian slug , which forced him to reveal the information Nero wanted . Soon after , however , he was rescued by Kirk and returned to the " Enterprise " . Even when weakened , Pike used a Romulan disruptor Kirk had acquired from Ayel to defend himself and Kirk , when a Romulan attempted to prevent his escape . Following the successful conclusion of the mission and the destruction of the " Narada " , Pike was promoted to admiral , with Kirk relieving him as captain of the " Enterprise " . Pike ' s injuries required him to use a wheelchair during the relief ceremony . ( ) Pike oversaw Kirk ' s recitation of the Captain ' s Oath . ( ) Later career . A year later , still using a cane to walk , Pike received a report from Spock that Kirk had violated the Prime Directive on Nibiru , and lied about it in his captain ' s log . Pike summoned Spock and Kirk to his office at Starfleet Headquarters , where he admonished Kirk for exposing the " Enterprise " to the planet ' s primitive inhabitants , and accused him of arrogance . He informed Kirk that the Admiralty had relieved him of his command , and that Kirk would return to the Academy . Pike , after subsequently being reappointed as captain of the " Enterprise " , spoke to about appointing Kirk as his first officer . Marcus agreed , and Pike met with Kirk in a bar , informing him of Marcus ' decision . He then told Kirk to get dressed for a summit in the Daystrom Conference Room regarding a bomb ing in London . Marcus announced to those attending that they were being sent on a manhunt for the perpetrator , a traitor named John Harrison , who was actually the Augment . Kirk expressed skepticism over why " Harrison " had attacked somewhere as public as the Kelvin Memorial Archive , then realized the assailant would be aware protocol would dictate a summit like this one ; Khan suddenly appeared in a jumpship and opened fire . Pike was shot in the chest , and Spock carried him to safety . As he lay dying , Spock attempted a mind meld to comfort him , but Pike suddenly died . Kirk , after disabling Khan ' s vehicle , returned to find Pike was dead . The incident left Kirk consumed by grief and anger . Marcus blamed himself for Pike ' s death and agreed to Kirk requesting a new mission to hunt down and terminate " Harrison " himself . Marcus , in order to cause a war with the Klingon Empire and cover up his actions ordered Kirk to kill " Harrison " using advanced long - range torpedo es . Upon retaking command of the " Enterprise " , Kirk announces Pike ' s death to the crew , calling him their former captain and friend but chooses to arrest " Harrison " rather than kill him . On Qo ' noS , " Harrison " surrenders upon learning of the number of torpedoes and Kirk accepts his surrender in honor of Pike . However , he attempts to ineffectually assault " Harrison " before taking him into custody . Afterwards , when Kirk was poisoned , he heard Pike ' s voice alongside his parents as he lay between life and death , until Dr . was able to heal him . Nearly a year later , Kirk presided over a memorial service for the lives lost because of Khan , including Pike . During the service , Kirk tells the crowd then when Pike gave him command , he made him recite the Captain ' s Oath which Kirk quotes as part of his speech . ( ) Relationships . Friendships . James T . Kirk . Christopher Pike and had virtually a father - son relationship ; Pike was the one who convinced Kirk to enlist in Starfleet and to make something of himself . ( ) Even after Pike had to demote Kirk for contravening regulations , Pike wanted Kirk as his own first officer and did his best to encourage Kirk despite this setback . Kirk was later informed that Pike had done a lot to speak in Kirk ' s favor during the aforementioned disciplinary hearing . When attacked the meeting of Starfleet brass in San Francisco , Pike was killed , and Kirk was distraught , weeping at the loss of his mentor and becoming consumed with vengeance . However , Kirk later recalled Pike having made him swear to the Captain ' s Oath , and how it called him to be an explorer , not an executioner . He later let go of his vengeance and arrested Khan instead in honor of Pike . ( ) Nearly four years after Pike ' s death , Kirk reflected on his decision to join Starfleet on Pike ' s " dare " and considered giving up his command for a position at Starbase Yorktown , though he ultimately chose to remain and command the . ( ) Memorable quotes . " " So your dad died , you can settle for less than an ordinary life , or do you feel like you were born for something better , something special ? " " " " Your father was captain of a starship for twelve minutes . He saved eight hundred lives , including your mother ' s and yours . I dare you to do better . " " " " Maximum warp . Punch it . " " " " Is the parking brake on ? " " " " I ' m Captain Christopher Pike . To whom am I speaking ? " " " " Come with me . Kirk , you too . You ' re not supposed to be here , anyway . " " " " Kirk , I ' m promoting you to first officer . " " " " What ? " " " " Captain ? Please , I apologize , the complexity of Human pranks escapes me . " " " " It ' s not a prank , Spock . And I ' m not the captain . . . You are . " " " " What are you doing here ? " " < br > " " Just following orders . " " " " Are you giving me attitude , Spock ? " " < br > " " I am expressing multiple attitudes simultaneously , sir . To which one are you referring ? " " " " Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass you are ? " " < br > " " Think so , sir . " " " " You think the rules don ' t apply to you , because you disagree with them ? " " " " I gave you my ship because I saw a greatness in you . And now , I see you haven ' t got an ounce of humility . " " " " That ' s your problem , you think you ' re infallible ! You think you can ' t make a mistake . It ' s a pattern with you ! The rules are for other people ! " " < br > " " Some should be . " " < br > " " And what ' s worse is you using blind luck to justify your playing god ! " " " " NO ! I can ' t listen . You don ' t comply with the rules , you don ' t take responsibility for anything , and you don ' t respect the chair . You know why ? Because you ' re not ready for it . " " " " They gave her back to me . The " Enterprise . " " " I said if anyone deserves a second chance , it ' s Jim Kirk . " " < br > " " I don ' t know what to say . " " < br > " " That " is " a first . . . It ' s gonna be okay , son . " " < br > " " We need an air defense team . Daystrom Conference Room ! " " Appendices . Background information . The alternate reality version of Christopher Pike was portrayed by Bruce Greenwood . This was the third iteration of Pike , as his prime universe counterpart had been played by Jeffrey Hunter in " Star Trek " pilot episode and by Sean Kenney in TOS two - parter and . In the script of the film , Christopher Pike was initially described as " a tall , rugged Starfleet officer . " He also told Kirk and Spock , " " You two make a swell team . " " Arranging for Bruce Greenwood to play this character began with Director J . J . Abrams calling him to invite him to appear as Pike . ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 16 ; ) Remembering the phone call , Greenwood related , " " [ Abrams ] said , ' Hey , I think you might be right for this . Would you like to come in and read the script ? " " Because Greenwood was meanwhile participating in a movie being shot in Toronto , he asked if Abrams would be able to send him the script instead . Continued Greenwood , " " He said , ' Oh no , but when you come back to L . A . , we can lock you in a room with a guy standing outside the door and you can read it then . ' So that ' s what I did : I came home a couple of weeks later and sat in a locked room and read it . I worked out a few questions for J . J . , then we had a conversation and the next thing I knew , I was being fitted for a space suit ! " " ( ) As Bruce Greenwood wasn ' t very familiar with " Star Trek " canon prior to accepting the role , he readied himself for the task of portraying Pike by watching " everything there was to be seen , " including the original presentment of the character . ( ) As a result , the role turned out to be one of the most revision - intensive acting assignments of his career . ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 16 ) " " People feel so strongly about every tiny little aspect of it , " " he observed , " " so regardless of what I choose to do , I thought I ' d better know what other people ' s frame of reference is [ . . . ] There are still the diehards who think I should look exactly like him , and have the same hair do , all of that . " " ( ) Owing to the relevant obscurity of Jeffrey Hunter ' s Pike ( compared to the likes of William Shatner ' s Kirk and Leonard Nimoy ' s Spock ) , Greenwood was uncertain as to how similar he should make his own rendition of the character . " " I wasn ' t sure if it would really be apparent to anybody if I was to try and salt Christopher with Jeffrey Hunter ' s Pike , " " he admitted . ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 18 ) Bruce Greenwood believed his character was " almost [ the ] opposite " of the prime universe version of Captain Pike , as played by Jeffrey Hunter . This was because , whereas that variant of the character is highly " ambivalent " and " torn " about remaining in Starfleet , " that ' s not the case with Admiral Christopher Pike at all . " Nonetheless , Greenwood considered the role he played to be another side " of the same coin " as the earlier - established Captain Pike . ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 18 ) The way Pike is depicted in the script of the film " Star Trek " appealed to Bruce Greenwood . " " I thought he was really well drawn . There was a sense of morality there that seemed appropriate . J . J . and I talked quite a bit about that . He ' s a very strong guy who , for the most part , has appeared to play by the book , but under his rather conventional exterior beats the heart of a guy who understands that he can ' t always play by the rules . He sees talent – he looks past the paint [ . . . ] Pike is not a kneejerk reactive who makes rash decisions . He gets put in very complicated situations and treats them with the respect they deserve [ . . . ] There are probably three or four scenes when I read the script that I thought , ' This is really going to be fun to play . " " The changes in the character , described in the script , not only excited Greenwood but also challenged him " to deliver what ' s intended . " ( , pp . 17 , 18 & 19 ) He considered it to be to his advantage that Pike ' s involvement in the film is limited to about an hour of screen time . ( ) Having Pike end up in a wheelchair at the end of the movie was an homage to the portrayal of Pike in the " The Menagerie " two - parter . " " It was the one obvious tip of the hat ! " " exclaimed Greenwood . ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 18 ) Bruce Greenwood prioritized the possibility of his return in . " " I was pretty vocal about wanting to come back . I was also very vocal about wanting to stand up , should I come back , " " he laughed . " " I didn ' t want to be that guy who is stuck behind a desk saying , ' I told you to go out and do X and you did Y ! I ' m going to lose my badge if I don ' t get some answers ! ' I didn ' t want to be that Chief of Police ; not that that dynamic would ever happen , because these guys are much more careful writers . But I said I was desperate to come back and they said , ' I think you will . " " Meanwhile , Greenwood occasionally asked J . J . Abrams questions concerning whether he would be asked to reprise the role , to which Abrams assured him not to worry about it . The actor remained sure he would prefer some extra information which was more concrete . His return was finally arranged roughly two years before the film was produced . ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 20 ) While portraying Pike , Bruce Greenwood found that , as for backstory , he was freely enabled to invent memories , attitudes , and points of view which he imagined the character having , such as for the scene wherein Pike admonishes Kirk . Recollecting some of his thoughts upon tackling that scene , Greenwood related , " " I see what ' s written and intended , but then wonder what if I took a completely different tack where I ' m gentle with him and choose not to tell him his ship is being taken away ? I play that scene out in my head . And then what if I focus more on Spock and pillory Spock for not coming through sooner ? " " ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 20 ) Shortly before filming the scene in which Admiral Pike dies , J . J . Abrams tried to prepare Bruce Greenwood for the news that Pike was to be killed off by sending the actor not only the film ' s script but also a text , asking Greenwood to call him prior to reading the script . At first , Greenwood was perplexed and considered he might have accidentally been sent the script even though Pike wasn ' t actually in it . Greenwood called Abrams straight away , and Abrams broke the news to him during that call . For about the next twenty - five or thirty seconds , Greenwood felt severely disappointed . Afterwards , though , he resumed an extremely grateful attitude towards the opportunity of reprising the role of Pike . ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 20 ) Following his work on " Star Trek Into Darkness " , Bruce Greenwood realized he was most frequently being recognized by people who approached him and said , " " There ' s Pike ! " " ( " Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 " , p . 21 ) Apocrypha . According to his biography on the " Star Trek " movie app , Christopher Pike was born in 2205 to Charles and Willa Pike . He spent part of his childhood living on the planet " Elysium " . He enrolled in Starfleet in 2223 and was commissioned as an officer in 2227 . He served aboard several vessels , including the , the , and the . He was appointed captain of the in 2254 . In common with his prime reality counterpart , this Pike had a medal named after him . After his promotion to Admiral , Pike was placed in command of Starfleet ' s Strategic Operations Center , at Starfleet Headquarters . He also chaired the review board for command promotion to ship ' s captain and above . He also reported directly to Starfleet Command . The virtual collectible card battle game " " used pictures of Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike for card # 85 , " Captain C . Pike " , and card # 102 , " Admiral C . Pike " .