Ever wonder how the leaders of two of popular entertainment's most successful franchises compare? How would James T. Kirk stand up against that other famous James, Mr. Bond? They both have a knack for escaping a tight space - cheating death, as it were. They both have an inestimable reputation with the ladies. And they both kill when they have to. It's funny how Kirk's reputation as a lover seems locked in the public's mind when the actual case (as presented by TOS) is rather reserved. We don't often think about starship captains with a license to kill but kill they do. The record is clear regarding the astonishing powers entrusted to a starship commander.

Let's start with his girlfriend, Edith Keeler. Without laying a hand on her he's still responsible, you know the story. Or his best friend Gary Mitchell, buried under big rock and cynical headstone. With a quick scan of episodes I had no trouble expanding that tally; let's examine the humanoids first. No captain since could have matched our ultimate gamester's performance on Triskelion. I recall Kirk in the coliseum wickedly swiping a sword to kill a Roman guard. The replicant of Colonel Green. A few villagers as well as a Mugato. In the case of Eminiar Kirk was prepared to kill millions of people on a planetary system-wide scale. In fact on Gideon his blood will result in the deaths of millions! Let's see Bond do that!

Then the non-human. Sylvia and Korob, since he smashed the transmuter. The Gorgon. One vampire cloud. I'll give him the Zetarians; in fact I'll give him the whole Denevan planet full of brain parasites. Then there's that giant cell! (Spock placed the bomb but Kirk ordered him to do it.) And among the machines? What about his first son, the doctor, Nomad? The supercomputers Landru and Vaal (perhaps M5). One Doomsday Machine. Not on the list? He probably hacked a few of Kang's crew to death but they don't count. Neither does the Gorn since he mercifully refused to finish it. Redjack should count but he's only "dispersed." That Klingon in "Friday's Child" (but Kirk was close). We don't need to count the Scalosians.

Khan really killed himself, but ya gotta admit kicking Kruge in the face till he fell to his death is up there with the best of 'em. So Kirk's movies only go so far; Bond does those better. But you can keep your effete British spies. My hero proves the world is not enough.