Spock-the legend, the icon, wewe say. But why? What's the appeal? How has this largely unprepossessing character--originally intended as an undefined background oddity, who very nearly didn't survive the first pilot episode, and who inherited his ultimate personality from another character who was 'axed' because she was a woman in authority (Yech!)--managed to overshadow even the charismatic, larger-than-life, some might even inexplicably say 'sexy' Captain Kirk in the minds and hearts of so many die-hard nyota Trek fans? As wewe might well expect, I have a theory.

On the one hand, Spock is deeply...