M'Benga (TOS)

Doctor M'Benga is a medical doctor and works in the Enterprise's sick bay.
M'Benga first appears in Star Trek: TOS where he is given no first name. His co-workers are Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy and Nurse Christine Chapel.
==Later Portrayals of M'Benga==
Joseph M'Benga is a character in Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 
M'Benga appears in "Divided We Stand," a 2015 episode of Star Trek Continues (fan films).
==Short Canon Description==
==Fandom==
M'Benga is almost always portrayed as a supporting character in fanworks.
He is also not the topic of a lot of fan discussion. One example is the long-running and wordy letterzine, Interstat where, in 152 issues over 14 years, he is only mentioned twice. Ironically, one of those two mentions was a fan listing minor characters that they wanted to see more about: 
===Pairings and Relationships===
* M'Benga/Chapel
* M'Benga/Uhura
 
===Tropes===
* a yenta/facilitator for the Kirk/Spock relationship
* a yenta/facilitator for the Spock/Chapel relationship [ Star Crossed]; archive link by J.M. Lane (1995) 
* a by-stander to the goings-on aboard the Enterprise
* capable co-worker Fear No Evil by Sue Keenan (1984) 
* a good friend The Shadows Between Us by Anna Parrish (1991) 
* a doctor who specializes in Vulcan biology and physiology Ripple by Greywolf the Wanderer (2000) "Logic and the Vulcan Mythos" by Karen C. Hunter is a scholarly article "written by Dr. M'Benga" that was printed in TREKisM #16 (1981) 
===Fannish First Names===
Doctor M'Benga is not given a first name in aired canon. In the unaired script for an episode titled "Shol," his first name was Joseph, and is something that got carried to later character portrayals. 
Some names given to him by fans: 
* "Thau" from Passage Do Not Go Gentle 
* "Thuau" from "A Story of Christmas Future????" in Archives' Log v.3 n.1/2 
* "Luca" from "Gentle Madman" in Abode of Strife #10 
* "Joe" from The Tantalus Syndrome by Ellen Morris, published in Nome #11 
===Always Second Fiddle to Dr. McCoy===
===Representation===
Roddenberry was lauded for including people with different racial backgrounds as crewmembers on the Enterprise. 
In 1978, a fan brings this up... only to take a perplexing jab at Kirk/Spock fanworks: 
===The Witch Doctor Trope===
The trope of M'Benga as a "witch doctor" has roots in canon where it begins with Spock and McCoy, and slides into M'Benga due to McCoy's racism (egged on by Spock). M'Benga's dark skin certainly had a part in the trope as well. 
While he doesn't use the exact term, Spock insults McCoy in the second season episode "I, Mudd," stating that maybe a crew member hasn't come in for his required physical because, "He's probably terrified of your beads and rattles."
That trope was reinforced in Spockanalia, the first Star Trek: TOS zine published, as well as being issued while the show was still on the air. Spockanalia was read by TPTB and several issues contained letters by Gene Roddenberry, D.C. Fontana as well as some of the actors; the latter wrote their letters "in character." Spockanalia #2 (April 1968) contains one by DeForest Kelley and one by Leonard Nimoy.
Kelley's letter is "written by McCoy." In it, he complains about Vulcan physiology and says he hired M'Benga so that McCoy could avoid treating a Vulcan. 
Nimoy's letter in response includes comments about witch doctors, and is referring to McCoy: 
These letters, as well as general ignorance and racism, affected some fans' views of M'Benga by default.
At least one story that includes M'Benga as a Voodoo priest and/or "witch doctor" is The Marriage by Gena Moretti and Anna Parrish (1991).
===Example Fanfiction ===
Fiction that features M'Benga is extremely rare. He is more often simply mentioned in such ways as "M'Benga was waiting with the hypo." or "Tell M'Benga to get down to sick bay quick." or "M'Benga's got the late shift tonight."
Below are some stories that at least give him some agency and a speaking role. 
====1970s====
* Trial by Ordeal by Connie Faddis (1975)
* A Private Little Conflict by Alice Thompson in IDIC #6 (1978)
* Love's Renaissance by Mary Louise Dodge (M'Benga is in this story, as well as others in this series) (1979)
====1980s====
* Bait Once, Bait Twice by Lee M. Jaecks (1980)	
* Reporting for Duty by Sue Keenan ("This is an account of M'Benga's introduction to the Enterprise and to Dr. McCoy. M'Benga has done every thing possible to be assigned to work uith McCoy, but a series of misinterpreted events leave him with the impression that McCoy is a drunken, womanizing coward and bigot.") (printed in Odyssey #5) (January 1981)
* Passage	by	Jacqueline Bielowicz	and Cheryl J. White/Cherpring (M'Benga and Christine Chapel become lovers, and she has to decide to follow him to another job, or stay on the Enterprise pining for Spock.) (1981)
* Shadows by Michael Goodwin (1987)
* Song of Stars by Betsy Fisher (Luca M'Benga is a character in this novel) (1988)
====1990s====
* Journey of a Soul by Marian Kelly (in Mind Meld #6 (1991)
* All the Time in the World by T.W. Palmer (1993)
* The Trojan Horse by Jill Thomasson (McCoy is implanted with a destruct device. M'Benga manages to get it out, operating far from the ship in a shuttle piloted by Spock.) (from Encounters #4) (1995)
====2000s====
	
* Ripple by Greywolf the Wanderer (2000)
===Example Fanart===
 
Image:Logofthestarship8-7.jpg| for the story, Zatishur in Log of the Starship Enterprise #8, the artist is Janice (1973)
Image:Delta5art9.jpg|from Love's Renaissance, John Martin is the artist (1979)
Image:randr15art5.jpg| from R & R #15, Barbara P. Gordon portrays Christine Chapel and M'Benga in the story, Passage (1981)
Image:randr15art18.jpg| from R & R #15, Barbara P. Gordon portrays Christine Chapel and M'Benga in the story, Passage (1981)
File:Abodeofstrife6-14.jpg|from Shadows, artist is Marie Williams (1987)
==Fan Comments==
	
	
 
Category:Star Trek TOS Characters
==References==