The friendship between Spock and Kirk is the stuff of Star Trek legends, but in issue 8 of Defiant, fans learn he respects one Starfleet hero as much.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #8!

Mister Spock has revealed the one Starfleet hero he respects as much as Captain Kirk. In the original Star Trek series, Spock and Kirk had undeniable chemistry, and their friendship is the stuff of legends. Yet as revealed in Star Trek: Defiant #8, there is another Starfleet icon Spock respects just as much as Captain Kirk. At a crossroads in his life, Spock turns to their memory for comfort and guidance.

Star Trek: Defiant #8 is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Mike Feehan. After returning to Earth, Spock, Worf, and the crew of the Defiant are hauled before a Starfleet tribunal. Starfleet dismisses Spock, and he takes his leave of Worf. Next, readers see Spock visit two graves, First, he goes to Mojave, California to the burial site of Captain Pike. Next, Spock heads to Riverside, Iowa to see the grave of Captain Kirk. Shortly after, Spock returns to the Defiant, seeking a post as science officer. When Worf asks Spock why he returned, he replies that their new mission offers ample opportunities to expand Starfleet’s knowledge of the Borg.

Spock and Kirk Are Iconic…to Pike’s Detriment

First appearing in the original Star Trek pilot “The Cage,” Mister Spock was originally the Enterprise’s Science Officer under Captain Christopher Pike. Spock would serve with Pike for two five-year missions and stayed on board when James Kirk took over the center seat. Kirk and Spock would become the best of friends, and the chemistry between the two, along with Doctor McCoy, helped make Star Trek into the pop culture juggernaut it is today. Spock and Kirk are forever associated with each other, to the point where some may forget Spock also had a distinguished career serving with Pike, and the two were best friends as well.

Spock’s Bond With Pike is as Strong as His Relationship with Kirk

Star Trek: Defiant #8 reminds fans of this. Spock was instrumental in stopping Kahless and the Red Path, sparing the galaxy a large-scale war. Spock put both his life and career on the line to stop the god war, throwing in with Worf’s rebel crew aboard the Defiant. Thanks to his “unassailable” reputation, Spock gets off scot-free, but is still uncertain. Needing to recharge and reassess, Spock visits not only the grave of Captain Kirk, his best friend, but also Captain Pike. By visiting Pike’s grave in addition to Kirk’s, it shows that Spock’s admiration for his former captain still runs deep.

Shortly after visiting their graves, Spock decided to return to the Defiant for another mission, one that could be just as hazardous as the first. Yet “reconnecting” with his old friends has reminded him of his duty to Starfleet and the Federation. Captains Pike and Kirk were some of Starfleet’s greatest officers, heroes to the end, and their example still inspires Spock a century later. Spock and Captain Kirk are one of the most iconic duos in pop culture, a friendship built on mutual respect, but Spock’s friendship with Pike was just as important and influential to him.